1940, two years after a brutal civil war that saw the return of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the revived German Empire has become the most dominant military, economic and technological power in most of Europe, having reformed the Central Powers and conjured m...
Werner savoured the afternoon breeze as he stepped out on the balcony of the hotel's first floor, a glass of cognac in hand, taking in the scent of fresh European air before he'd have to take in the even more fresh air beyond the Gate. It would probably be his last for years to come since the deployment of troops from Germany are meant to protect the interests of the soon to be declared colony beyond the Gate with the Tor Korps acting as its arm.
He looked outside the balcony and saw a large column of Wehrmacht soldiers stretching down the streets had been formed on the streets outside the hotel all facing the right direction that led to the Gate. While it would be simpler just to put them all in cars, everyone knew German officers loved to display the might of their troops with a long and agonising march through the streets.
According to the messages he received from High Command, these were the reinforcements to close the gap he made around the Gate. No longer carefully chosen by each of the leaders but assigned by the higher-ups from each of the armies around Germany. For any other officer, it was leisure to have a sufficient amount of soldiers to maintain full control over conquered territory but for Werner, it meant he had no say in what soldiers he was going to get tied to his unit. This meant a lot to someone who is cautious about any dissenters.
The oberstleutnant looked down to the front of the hotel and saw Guinevere's entourage and Erenn's knights preparing themselves in a gap in the column reserved for them, even though the march is scheduled to begin in half an hour. Looking right down, he noticed some below noticed his presence on the balcony, including his closest friends, who stared up and waved at him, some with smiles while others with indifference. He took it as a sign for him to finally come down from his leisure.
He finished the last of his cognac as he entered his room, placing the cup on his work table as he took a good, long look in the mirror, adjusting his uniform and putting his hat in, before finally exiting his room, leaving behind his last taste of luxury.
It only took him five minutes to reach the outside. He took his time in greeting those who acknowledged his presence before entering a ruthless car parked right in front of the hotel, waiting for him.
It was only after Werner entered the car did he notice the presence of his metallic pet that patiently waited for him. There was no way he could have stopped Adolph from holding onto the car and nuzzling him with its titanium head. He couldn't help but stroke its hide even though the Panzerhund probably couldn't feel it without a nervous system.
Only after Adolph finally calmed down and let go of the car did he realise that he had been given a completely new shell, one that was considered experimental because of its high intake of titanium alloys. His previously exposed head and the body were now fully encased and offered much more protection from any and all small arms fire. The engineers shared no expense for Adolph as he looked like a four-legged walking apocalypse.
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"Impressive, isn't it, Herr Oberstleutnant?"
Werner looked over his shoulder and saw a car carrying Erwin Rommel parked right next to him. Keeping to uniform, they both exchanged salutes before both of them turned to take in the sights of the Panzerhund.
