What We Fight For

(Just a short prelude to the battle...)
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Friedritch puffed away on the cigarette that was held in between his lips. His right hand held the sling of his Kar98K Grenade Launcher, and his left hand was in his pocket, frequently reaching up and removing the cigarette to puff out acid smelling smoke. A light fog had fallen over the coast, as the soldier leaned against the side of the bunker, looking out towards the sea. The nights were always quiet, nothing but the sounds of the ocean waves beating against the sands of the beach.

The beach used to be a beautiful place, Friedritch remembered being here with Adele during leave. He whispered a silent prayer for the Emperor to watch over her in her eternal rest. Back then, the beach was pristine, white, smooth sands as far as the eye can see. He remembered the other soldiers in his platoon, his comrades, with their girls as well, relaxing and even tossing a ball around.

How strange it seemed that that beautiful beach was now covered with tank traps and barbed wires. The sands were no longer smooth, the ground had been dug up to plant mines. Friedritch flinched as he remembered how one of the Pioneer engineers had accidentally stepped on a mine that he had forgotten to mark out, during mining detail. Fortunately, that was the only accident.

Distant footsteps caught the soldier's attention, and he quickly reached for his rifle, the cigarette dropping out of his mouth in his sudden movement. A shadow stepped through the fog, and Fredritch relaxed to see that it was his commanding officer. He snapped to attention, as he raised his hand high in salute. "Heil, kommandant!" he almost shouted, as he stomped quickly on the cigarette butt on the floor.

"Guten abend, Friedritch," his commander replied. In his hand, he held a small bottle, which he handed to the soldier. Friedritch received with a word of thanks, and popped the cap off. The sharp smell of alcohol filled his nose.

"The nights are always cold, ja?" Commander Emanuel said, as he took a swig of a bottle that he held in his other hand.

Friedritch nodded, before he knocked his head bag as he too took a swig of the alcohol. Warmth immediately spread through his body, and he let out a sigh. "Is what they said true? An army might attack here the following week."

The commander shrugged. "The officers, especially those high up in the Wehrmacht believe that it will be along this coastline. But the Diktator believes it to be further north, where the passage is narrower. He has dispatched our best Panzer divisions there, and he almost left this coast empty."

Friedritch restrained himself from criticizing his leader, such a comment would no doubt have him shot. "What of this... army? Is what the soldiers say true?"

"What did they say?"

"That they ride aboard tanks that float on water. That they have weapons that can smash down the hardest of bunkers with ease. That they are able to fly."

"Propoganda and wild stories, no doubt. I'm surprised that you believe them, Friedritch."

Friedritch was silent. How did he begin to believe these wild stories? Was it because that this wretched war had lasted so long? That he was beginning to believe that anything could happen?

Didn't he believe that he and Adele would survive the war and live the rest of their lives in peace and happiness?

The soldier looked down the bottle that he held in his hands. The strong smell was reminding him of the time when he met Adele back on Reich III, when he and the lads went drinking at the bar she worked. They had loved each other deeply, and when they were dispatched to Brittany, Adele had signed on as a medic to stay with him.

Now, she was dead...

A firm shake of the shoulders brought Friedritch back to reality. Commander Emanuel looked at him closely. "Listen, no matter whether this stories are true or not, the Imperium is such a crazy place that it could damn well be true. Now, no matter what happens, I want to know that I have my brave men, standing by my side as we fight back these invaders. Understood?"

Friedritch tried to smile. His commander always did care for the men and could tell what troubled them.

Commander Emanuel straightened himself, ad he took the bottle back from Friedritch. The sentries were supposed to be sharing a bottle to keep themselves warm during the cold nights. "Remember, we fight to bring this world into light of the Imperium. We fight for the memory of those that we love and care about..." The commander was silent, as though he himself was thinking back to some distant past. When Friedritch looked up again, the commander had already disappeared into the fog of the night.

Friedritch rubbed his hands together, and reached his left hand into his pocket again. As he withdrew it, he held a golden locket in his palms. As he opened it, he glimpsed once again at the smiling face of Adele, forever immortalized behind the glass. The last words of his commander rang through his head.

We fight for the memory of those that we love and care about...