Stories of Rheinland: Einsatzkommando [rated R]

[Xing]

New Berlin. Unknown location, night side of the planet.

The woman stepped out of the military hovercraft, immune to the bitter cold of the planet despite her light uniform. Berliners took pride into their so said immunity to harsh winter.

There were, 6 of them left of the 100 chosen for this. Some abandonned, but most were expelled against their will. To be morally endurant was good, in all military service, but here, it wasn't enough. Skill, talent. Agressivity, physical might. Intelligence, stealth. Rare were those capable of fulfilling all these.

They stood at attention, 6 lieutenants, fresh out of the Academy. Most of them barely began to fly for a single year. But they were chosen for their exceptional performances so far. It was necesary to pick them, young and strong. They didn't tend to last long, on the field, usually winding up dead despite the best training available, or, mental breakdown was a more common cause of exit.

"6? not bad."
"Ja." the woman simply replied, watching.
"But we won't have enough captain to train them, all 6 of them. We expected less. Much less." the man emitted a half muted laughter, mostly because a storm was raising and breathable air became scarce, flying at high speed.
"By our time, if one succeeded, it was already, a great miracle..."
"Ja. It was." she answered, then,
"How many more instructors do we need?"
"Only one, colonel."
"I'll pick one in my personal charge."
"M.. ma'am?"

The woman chuckled, staring straight forward, her icy eyes warming up just slightly, as if some real emotion finally found some place in her.
"I can manage."
"Very well Colonel."

The two officers saluted each other and parted their own way, the man back to the recruits, the female colonel, back to her hovercraft.

--

The recruits nearly sighed in relief when the hovercraft departed.
For the past few months, they went through some of the harshest training ever. Many of the candidates didn't made it. The demoralising sight of brave soldiers leaving everyday because they couldn't handle it anymore was by itself the cause for many more to abandon.

But these 6 who remained had nerves of steel.
Nerves pushed to their limits, but definitively indestructible, having passed the test of fire.

"Section! Stand easy! Easy."
It was nearly with shock that these 6 survivors saw their torturer in chief (as they came to nickname the instructor-captain) actually smile, somewhat with relief too. The test phase was hard, both for candidates and instructors, and everyone was glad tonight.

"Congratulation lieutenants. The first step of your qualification, is, over."

--

"Katharina... Hildegard."
The captain nodded.
"She's probably the most promising in the lot."
"Her academic performance seems satisfactory. Reputation, satisfactory as well. Tell me more of her performance during qualification?"
"She's as bright as the Academy reports her to be. She can be focused even into stressing situations. Her aim is quite decent. She's got the nerve - perhaps more than enough, to become one of ours."
The captain smirked,
"Female personnel tend to have giant ego. They refuse defeat!"
Kathryn smiled lightly in response. Yes, she was a bit... nah, she was like that. There's no defeat, only death.
There was also no victory, only justice.

"I will see her personally tomorrow moning. Have her transferred to zentralen Befehl. Put her to comfort, she deserves the rest. I want a lucid person by the morning, not a half zombie."
"That will be all."

---