Spitfiremk1
January 8th, 2011, 11:27 AM
My TL's finally here :D Remember though, this is just a snapshot of whats to come. I have a lot of explaining to do ;)
Prologue
----------------------------------------------
8 miles west of Rastenburg, East Prussia
7:36am, December 5th 1941
A knock at the door was what awoke Astrid Hitler. She’d had barely two hours sleep - she had never been able to sleep on trains – and she’d been awake for nearly 48 hours before hand. One of her own phrases came to mind. “The proletariat can never be at rest while the revolution is at stake”. But now the revolution was indeed at stake, she felt like the opposite was the case, especially now she was getting older.
“Ja?” she answered the knock.
“We are roughly eight miles from Rastenburg Comrade Hitler and out last transmission reports your plane is ready at the airfield.” Helmut Schenk’s voice replied from behind the door.
“Thank you Comrade Schenk” His boots emitting a dull thud as he walked back down to the corridor to the control room. If the plot succeeded and her plane made it to Berlin, Helmut Schenk would be the new Germanys’ Secretary for Public Safety. Astrid personally didn’t think he was up to the task. He wasn’t stupid, but maybe not the right person to make the last vestiges of the old regime, capitalism and their supporters “Disappear” in sufficient time so that they weren’t around to cause any trouble for the proletariat, not to mention dealing with the Jews in the future. But that was not important right now. If she and her inner circle didn’t get to that airfield at Rastenburg soon, they wouldn’t be able to make it to Berlin in sufficient time to coordinate the revolutionaries there and if that were to be the case, it would be over.
Jumping out of bed, still wearing her clothes from the previous day, Astrid pulled the curtains at the window and looked outside. The sky was blue, a rarity these days and the ground and the forest along side the track were both covered in a blanket of snow. The forest looked like something from a fairytale, but in reality, Astrid knew it was crawling with enemies. Enemies who would do anything to stop her getting to Rastenburg. Turning around she looked at herself in the basin mirror hard for a moment. She looked tired, sick even. She had huge bags under her eyes and the wrinkles were begging to take over her once pretty face. She wished she still had that face, the face she had in the good old days, before the wars, before 1916. Back when the revolution had been a lofty ideal discussed in bars over cheap schnapps. Back when men loved Astrid for her long blonde hair and good looks, not just her ideas. They had been the days. But now that the revolution was in progress, it was turning out to be nothing like Astrid and her old comrades had thought it would be like.
After throwing on her socks and heavy boots and tying her fading blonde hair into a neat bun, she walked out into the corridor and began to walk towards the control room. The strong whiff of tobacco smoke greeted her as she entered what had once been a lounge for the military hierarchy as they travelled through what had until recently been the occupied east. She could imagine them; sitting in leather chairs smoking cigars and sipping on cognac from occupied France, fully turned out in their jackboots and pickelhaube, everything Astrid detested. It was fitting she thought, that the same train that had once transported the old elite would now carry their ultimate destruction. The leather chairs and cognac were long gone now however and in their place sat tables with radio sets and telephones as well as a large table with a map of East Prussia, showing the location of both Revolutionary and Government forces as well as the Alliance front lines, which were getting uncomfortably close.
“Comrades…” The whole room stopped what they were doing and immediately clicked their heels and gave the party salute, right hand up with fist clenched, left hand placed over the right elbow. If there was something positive about the old order, it was their insistence on strict discipline and obedience, something that would be necessary in the new order. Making her way towards the table, she saw three of her inner circle, Schenk, Himmler and Rohm, all, like her, looking tired and worn. “Comrades” she repeated. “What’s news?”
Himmler gestured towards the map. “Comrade Hitler, news is good so far. Soldier’s comities have taken control of most of VI and XII armies and revolutionary forces and workers comities have nearly completed taking over control of Konigsberg. If things keep going our way, we should have East Prussia under our control within a week. After that, we can once again turn our attention to holding the Alliance. ”
Astrid, never one for military statistics, was still pleased. “What about Berlin?”
“Not much has changed since yesterday. The workers comities are still disorganized and what little revolutionary forces we have in Berlin are holding, but our fortunes there depend on weather our forces can defeat Rommel at Frankfurt am Oder and if we can get to Berlin in good time.”
“Anything else to report?”
Rohm put his hand up. “Ja Comrade Hitler. Ermm…” he moved the piece of paper in his hand closer to his eyes and his glasses. “…British bombers conducted raids on both Cologne and Hamburg. Both raids resulted in great casualties.” He said it with no remorse.
Astrid nodded. Most of those who were dying were probably workers while the Capitalists and Jews were safe in their spacious bunkers. It wouldn’t be long before the workers had a real army of the people to defend them she hoped. “What about internationally?”
Rohm pulled the paper close to his eyes again. “Ermm…. In India, there have been riots organized by socialist parties in several major cities against British rule…”
‘Good…Good…’ Astrid thought.
Rohm continued. “In the Americas, President Stewart of the Confederacy has won re-election virtually unopposed…”
‘So what?’
“In Norway, the Alliance forces are continuing to gain ground against Swedish revolutionary forces and in Hungary…”
But Astrid never did find out what happened in Hungary as at that moment, the train screeched violently to a halt. ‘Great, what now?” Astrid thought to herself. Amid whispers of ‘What the hell was that?’, Himmler strode over to the window, opening it and scanning up and down length of the train. Astrid followed him.
“You there! What’s this?” Himmler called out to a passing soldier running beside the carriage. “The Poles have bombed the tracks Comrade Himmler. Where stuck.” He replied.
“Scheise!” Himmler shouted. “You there!” he swiveled around and pointed at a radio operator. “Radio Rastenburg and tell them that the Poles have bombed the tracks and to send us some transport.”
“Ja Comrade Himmler!”
He and Astrid them turned around and poked their faces back out off the window. “Soldier! Go tell the driver to…” But he was cut short. At that moment, something leaped out of the ground and grabbed the Solider; slitting his throat in a swift slash, blood spewing everywhere. The clatter of sub-machine gunfire followed, bullets hitting the side of the carriage.
“POLISH COMMANDOES!” Someone screamed.
“On the floor Comrade Hitler!” Schenk shouted. But it was too late. Astrid Hitler was already on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. She was dead.
Prologue
----------------------------------------------
8 miles west of Rastenburg, East Prussia
7:36am, December 5th 1941
A knock at the door was what awoke Astrid Hitler. She’d had barely two hours sleep - she had never been able to sleep on trains – and she’d been awake for nearly 48 hours before hand. One of her own phrases came to mind. “The proletariat can never be at rest while the revolution is at stake”. But now the revolution was indeed at stake, she felt like the opposite was the case, especially now she was getting older.
“Ja?” she answered the knock.
“We are roughly eight miles from Rastenburg Comrade Hitler and out last transmission reports your plane is ready at the airfield.” Helmut Schenk’s voice replied from behind the door.
“Thank you Comrade Schenk” His boots emitting a dull thud as he walked back down to the corridor to the control room. If the plot succeeded and her plane made it to Berlin, Helmut Schenk would be the new Germanys’ Secretary for Public Safety. Astrid personally didn’t think he was up to the task. He wasn’t stupid, but maybe not the right person to make the last vestiges of the old regime, capitalism and their supporters “Disappear” in sufficient time so that they weren’t around to cause any trouble for the proletariat, not to mention dealing with the Jews in the future. But that was not important right now. If she and her inner circle didn’t get to that airfield at Rastenburg soon, they wouldn’t be able to make it to Berlin in sufficient time to coordinate the revolutionaries there and if that were to be the case, it would be over.
Jumping out of bed, still wearing her clothes from the previous day, Astrid pulled the curtains at the window and looked outside. The sky was blue, a rarity these days and the ground and the forest along side the track were both covered in a blanket of snow. The forest looked like something from a fairytale, but in reality, Astrid knew it was crawling with enemies. Enemies who would do anything to stop her getting to Rastenburg. Turning around she looked at herself in the basin mirror hard for a moment. She looked tired, sick even. She had huge bags under her eyes and the wrinkles were begging to take over her once pretty face. She wished she still had that face, the face she had in the good old days, before the wars, before 1916. Back when the revolution had been a lofty ideal discussed in bars over cheap schnapps. Back when men loved Astrid for her long blonde hair and good looks, not just her ideas. They had been the days. But now that the revolution was in progress, it was turning out to be nothing like Astrid and her old comrades had thought it would be like.
After throwing on her socks and heavy boots and tying her fading blonde hair into a neat bun, she walked out into the corridor and began to walk towards the control room. The strong whiff of tobacco smoke greeted her as she entered what had once been a lounge for the military hierarchy as they travelled through what had until recently been the occupied east. She could imagine them; sitting in leather chairs smoking cigars and sipping on cognac from occupied France, fully turned out in their jackboots and pickelhaube, everything Astrid detested. It was fitting she thought, that the same train that had once transported the old elite would now carry their ultimate destruction. The leather chairs and cognac were long gone now however and in their place sat tables with radio sets and telephones as well as a large table with a map of East Prussia, showing the location of both Revolutionary and Government forces as well as the Alliance front lines, which were getting uncomfortably close.
“Comrades…” The whole room stopped what they were doing and immediately clicked their heels and gave the party salute, right hand up with fist clenched, left hand placed over the right elbow. If there was something positive about the old order, it was their insistence on strict discipline and obedience, something that would be necessary in the new order. Making her way towards the table, she saw three of her inner circle, Schenk, Himmler and Rohm, all, like her, looking tired and worn. “Comrades” she repeated. “What’s news?”
Himmler gestured towards the map. “Comrade Hitler, news is good so far. Soldier’s comities have taken control of most of VI and XII armies and revolutionary forces and workers comities have nearly completed taking over control of Konigsberg. If things keep going our way, we should have East Prussia under our control within a week. After that, we can once again turn our attention to holding the Alliance. ”
Astrid, never one for military statistics, was still pleased. “What about Berlin?”
“Not much has changed since yesterday. The workers comities are still disorganized and what little revolutionary forces we have in Berlin are holding, but our fortunes there depend on weather our forces can defeat Rommel at Frankfurt am Oder and if we can get to Berlin in good time.”
“Anything else to report?”
Rohm put his hand up. “Ja Comrade Hitler. Ermm…” he moved the piece of paper in his hand closer to his eyes and his glasses. “…British bombers conducted raids on both Cologne and Hamburg. Both raids resulted in great casualties.” He said it with no remorse.
Astrid nodded. Most of those who were dying were probably workers while the Capitalists and Jews were safe in their spacious bunkers. It wouldn’t be long before the workers had a real army of the people to defend them she hoped. “What about internationally?”
Rohm pulled the paper close to his eyes again. “Ermm…. In India, there have been riots organized by socialist parties in several major cities against British rule…”
‘Good…Good…’ Astrid thought.
Rohm continued. “In the Americas, President Stewart of the Confederacy has won re-election virtually unopposed…”
‘So what?’
“In Norway, the Alliance forces are continuing to gain ground against Swedish revolutionary forces and in Hungary…”
But Astrid never did find out what happened in Hungary as at that moment, the train screeched violently to a halt. ‘Great, what now?” Astrid thought to herself. Amid whispers of ‘What the hell was that?’, Himmler strode over to the window, opening it and scanning up and down length of the train. Astrid followed him.
“You there! What’s this?” Himmler called out to a passing soldier running beside the carriage. “The Poles have bombed the tracks Comrade Himmler. Where stuck.” He replied.
“Scheise!” Himmler shouted. “You there!” he swiveled around and pointed at a radio operator. “Radio Rastenburg and tell them that the Poles have bombed the tracks and to send us some transport.”
“Ja Comrade Himmler!”
He and Astrid them turned around and poked their faces back out off the window. “Soldier! Go tell the driver to…” But he was cut short. At that moment, something leaped out of the ground and grabbed the Solider; slitting his throat in a swift slash, blood spewing everywhere. The clatter of sub-machine gunfire followed, bullets hitting the side of the carriage.
“POLISH COMMANDOES!” Someone screamed.
“On the floor Comrade Hitler!” Schenk shouted. But it was too late. Astrid Hitler was already on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. She was dead.