January 10, 2025, 12:00:09 AM
1/10/25: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday." This week's character from my anthro WWII storyline is PFC(?) Sapphire Rat. He's a forgotten character from the previous attempted reboot; I've repurposed him as a Trench Rat who was recruited--and is distrusted--for an odd reason. There'll be more about him later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se.
Regarding his design, obviously I gave him a distinct blue tint.
TUMBLR EDIT: Okay. This one is HIGHLY under development, so expect a mess.
Sapphire has no character documentation--he doesn't even appear on the circa-2002 character list, and definitely isn't one of the original set of characters--aside from appearing in a single chapter of the first attempted reboot, the last chapter which was written before work stopped. You can find that HERE rather than have me excerpt it as it doesn't really add much to the character; basically we learn that 1. Sapphire seems mainly involved in clerical issues regarding the sorting and placement of refugees at Trench Rat Headquarters, 2. in which capacity he often works closely with LC Mahogany; 3. he speaks (and reads) fluent German, a little bit of various other languages; and 4. he snaps his fingers when trying to remember things. Given that this seems to be his sole appearance in any of my work, I assume he was created on the spot to play a role in Mahogany's chapter. So, no character development aside from this chapter. Basically a blank slate.
Okay. So I sat and mulled. What interesting characteristic could I give him to set him apart from his fellow Rats? I toyed with making him some sort of minority, though I already have characters who fit the bill. Then I wondered, what if he were someone his own battalion had reason to be suspicious of...? What group is most suspect to the Trench Rats? What if Sapphire is German--not just by descent, but an actual German from Germany...?
First version of events began to unfold. Sapphire is obviously a recent German migrant. He was going to have been young when he and his mother fled Germany, but I then made him adult, as they're fleeing the nascent Nazi government. Why are they fleeing? Sapphire's father is some sort of intellectual, a professor perhaps, who made the mistake of writing an article critical of the NSDAP. And now he's been interned in a "reeducation" camp as a political enemy. I haven't explored much how the Nazis didn't target people only for race and disability but also for political reasons; Corporal Adalard von Staden's story comes closest. You could be the most Aryan of Aryans but say or write the wrong thing about the government and you could end up doing hard labor behind a fence as well. Since I often forget where I find my info, HERE is an article about a reeducation camp and the sort of treatment often faced by political dissidents. I get the impression they usually weren't targeted for extermination like the Jews and Roma usually were, but that certainly didn't mean they always left alive.
First version of the story had adult Sapphire and his mother fleeing Germany after the arrest of his father; they obtain forged passports and make it to the US, but end up detained by authorities shortly after as suspected spies. Sapphire, who speaks fluent English and has obvious knowledge of German activities--plus a good motive to act against his own country--is confronted by an American military official who offers him a special job in exchange for charges against him being dropped. He insists that his mother be granted citizenship, then he'll do whatever they like. He's recruited for his new job--a position in the "second wave" of the Trench Rats First Battalion, involving providing info on the Germans' way of thinking and acting, interpretation, etc. He's working for the Allies, yet is always just a little bit suspect because of where he's from.
Rewind.
The scenario started to change in my head. Sapphire was now fleeing Germany not in the company of his mother, but his sister. Now BOTH parents are professor sorts who have been imprisoned in camps for political reasons. The scene started to play out much the same--both siblings detained as suspected spies, a military official offering Sapphire a job in the Trench Rats in exchange for dropping charges, Sapphire now requesting that his sister be granted citizenship and he'll do what they want--yet then, the military official turned the tables: Do what he wants, or Sapphire's sister will be detained as a spy, and possibly sent back to Germany, where she'll surely face an unwelcome greeting by the Nazis. Sapphire suddenly turned from a rather willing recruit to the Allied cause, trying to secure a better life for his sister, into an unwilling spy for someone who is decidedly NOT acting in the Allies' best interests...and is using the Trench Rats as a cover.
The identity of the military official in question became clear in an instant: Sergeant Major Revell.
You recall this fine gent, do you not? Despite being American military, Revell's hatred toward some of his own is obvious, and likely the result of parties such as Gunnery Sergeant Evans and possibly Major DeVries being aware of war crimes he committed during the Great War, and for which he escaped punishment. He does not want the Trench Rats plan, advocated for by Evans on behalf of Sergeant Camo and Corporal Drake, to go forward. He tries everything he can to tank it. The battalion is formed anyway, and rescues Alpha Squad, a handful of American soldiers stranded behind enemy lines (where technically they are not supposed to be), sans one member who's already been captured by the Germans. Later, the battalion endures heavy losses following being compromised by Corporal Anna Julian, an American asset turned by Waffen-SS/British Free Corps spy Liam Morgan. (Unrelated to the Waffen-SS plan, Julian is then executed by SS Captain Otto Himmel.) Replacement troops are requested for the second wave, including Sergeant Black and Corporal Gold. It's during this rushed recruitment and training period that Sapphire and his sister happen to be nabbed. It's a complete coincidence of timing...yet the still-seething Revell, biding his time in the background, sees it as an opportunity. Dangling the threat of potential harm to Sapphire's sister over his head, he recruits Sapphire to spy on the Trench Rats.
I don't know yet what all Sapphire gets up to during his tenure as Revell's spy. He blends in quite well, and although he gets suspicion for the tiny possibility of being a spy for the Nazis, he never gets suspicion for what he actually is. At some point late in the story, after Black is killed by General Schavitz and Gold has assumed command, he ends up outing himself, I'm not sure why yet, by taking a shot at one of his fellow Rats, likely Mahogany. He's probably trying to prevent Mahogany from unearthing some incriminating info; after the first, missed shot, when Mahogany is wondering WTF he's doing, Sapphire exclaims, "I have to do it, he'll kill my sister!" The other Rats manage to stop and disarm him before Mahogany can be seriously wounded, with Sapphire protesting the entire time he's being taken into custody that someone is going to kill his sister.
Sapphire is placed in a cell for questioning. They suspect he's suffering some sort of mental breakdown, as by now he's weeping and his protests about his sister make no sense. Mahogany digs up his file in search of answers to why his friend would try to kill him. The file confirms he has a sister who fled to the US with him, leaving their parents behind in the camps (Sapphire has already mentioned this, and how he believes it's likely his parents are dead by now, though he hopes to find them still alive at some point), but why does he think someone will kill her?--and who?--and why is he here? The Rats are dumbfounded to learn that he's not talking about the Nazis--he's talking about an American official. Gold and the newer Rats don't know much about Revell, though the older Trench Rats surviving from the original battalion do, especially the members of the defunct Alpha Squad, Burgundy, and Camo and Drake when they re-join the battalion. Revell is the reason the Trench Rats were nearly scuttled before they even got off the ground, and Evans confirms, via radio, what a piece of work he is, and what he was suspected of doing: During the Great War, he led a unit which attacked the civilian population of a French village. Revell himself is alleged to have engaged in some truly horrible acts which alarmed even some of his own men; "I won't go into detail," Evans tells them, "but the rumor is one of his victims gave him those lovely scars on his face, with her bare hands." There was supposedly a file compiled of witness accounts and other evidence, but it came to nothing, no charges were brought, and Evans himself was forced to drop the matter or risk getting Camo's battalion plans snuffed out. Revell got away with everything, except canceling the Trench Rats.
Sapphire, under questioning, all but confirms that Revell is the one behind his being recruited as a spy; the military official never gave his name, but he spoke in a soft voice, had unnerving yellow eyes, bore scars on his cheek, and "There was something funny about his ear." (Revell wears a prosthetic.) Given the rumors about Revell's wartime activities, Sapphire's concern about his sister's welfare makes a lot more sense. "I didn't want to do it," he insists, "I didn't want to harm Herr Mahogany or anyone but he said he would kill my sister. She's all I have left, and I promised to look out for her. You have to understand!" Gold asks Evans to try to intervene on the sister's behalf and ensure her safety, hopefully without giving it away to Revell that he's been found out, though Sapphire has to tell them everything he knows. He agrees, though it admittedly isn't much; Revell was careful not to reveal too much about his plans. There's one big detail Sapphire gives that sets off alarm bells, however: He's not the only spy Revell recruited to infiltrate the Trench Rats. There's one other he knows of. As for who it is?--he can't say. "Herr Revell never gave me his name," Sapphire says. "He wanted to ensure that, if one of us was compromised or killed, the other would continue with their mission. You could interrogate or torture me all you like and I could never tell you who it is."
The Rats quickly close ranks: So far, the only ones fully aware of this scandal are Gold, Mahogany, and the old guard consisting of Burgundy and the members of Alpha Squad. (I would include Camo and Drake here, but based on the timeline I don't think they've re-entered the plot yet.) Gold orders it to remain this way, as whoever the other spy is, they too must be part of the "second wave"--the newer generation of Trench Rats who filled in for those killed in the German attack. Aside from that, they have no clue who it is. Mahogany reaches out to his Abwehr contact Turtledove for possible intel. Meanwhile the Rats utilize an odd method to determine Sapphire's sincerity; he lets Turquoise grasp his hand. After a moment Sapphire pulls his hand back with a gasp and Turquoise nearly hits the floor; after recovering himself, he says that Sapphire is telling the truth, and his fear for his sister is genuine. He has no loyalty to the Nazis or to Revell, and is only looking out for his family.
Turtledove reports back to Mahogany via the radio: He dug around as much as he could, but if there's any deep intel available on Revell or his plot, he doesn't have access to it, it's most likely somewhere in the extensive files of the Allgemeine-SS. He did a tentative query, but was rebuffed; "They don't let common folk like me in their archives." The investigation into the unknown spy seems derailed almost as soon as it's begun, until a strange incident occurs not long afterward: While the Rats are out on patrol, they're directly approached by Captain Himmel, on foot, alone, and carrying a white flag. The Rats have already interacted with Himmel more than once; he's plainly an enemy, but so far has always honored his word. Despite this, the Rats train their guns on him and argue over how to respond; Battleship Gray suggests they shoot him, somebody protests that he's carrying a white flag, BG exclaims, "So what??" etc. They finally approach, though with guns still drawn, cautiously peering around them in case somebody is hiding nearby. When they get close, Himmel, arms half raised, says in English, "Unbutton and search my coat," so they oblige, finding a thick sealed envelope. "In case you doubt its veracity," Himmel says, "expect a show of goodwill within a month." The Rats back up and he backs up, turns, and carefully walks away with the flag still aloft. Perplexed, the Rats return to HQ with the envelope.
Gold has a suspicion the run-in with Himmel is related to Turtledove's request, and opening the envelope confirms it. The SS has a file on Revell, detailing the same info the Rats already know, but there's more: the names of the known spies recruited to infiltrate the Rats. The SS somehow caught wind of the plot and of course has let it unfold, as they have a vested interest in seeing the Trench Rats fail. Sapphire is named, and the second spy Revell recruited--
Gold goes numb reading the file. "This can't be right," he murmurs, and reads it again, slower, to make sure; maybe he misunderstood? The second spy named is the former sergeant, Black Rat.
For ages now, following me scrapping his original story as too hokey, Black and his motivations have been a mystery that I can't crack yet. As this potential plot unfolded, unbidden, he stepped right in. I previously learned he's a high-functioning sociopath, yet a harmless one; he has no desire to hurt people or break the law, he just doesn't get people, and feels no genuine concern or passion for anything. He joins the military, seriously, just because it's something stimulating. He's an effective leader, but not good at the diplomacy thing; the charming, sociable Gold takes over this role while Black works behind the scenes. Gold also has to explain to Black at times why his behavior toward others is inappropriate since Black's interactions are rather "off" and he can come across as downright heartless. He loses his life partway through the story in a confrontation with Schavitz, who's despised him since Black shot out his eye. Despite Black's peculiarities, he seemed to genuinely be invested in the Trench Rats, and Gold considered him a role model and a friend. To learn now that Black was spying on them the entire time, and possibly reporting this info to Revell--an ally in name only, corrupt and compromised--is a blow that hits almost as hard as his death.
"How do we even know this is true?" Gold asks, thinking the SS may have mocked up the file; why else would Himmel hand it over willingly? He's reminded of Himmel's vow of a show of goodwill, but has no idea what that means.
Unknown to the Rats, events have already been set in motion. In a labor camp, the commandant receives a letter on SS letterhead, and gives a guard instructions. One of the prisoners is called out by number and instructed to follow the guard. He's given a quick shower, a change of clothes--surrendering his striped outfit and clogs--and the few belongings he had on him, those still in camp custody at least, are returned to him. He's told again to follow the guard, who leads him through the camp and to the gate, which opens; he's led outside, his bewilderment growing by the minute. He hadn't been informed he's being released early, so what's going on? Outside the gate is waiting a big old military truck. The guard opens the back and gestures for him to climb in. He peers into the dimness, suspecting a trick; indeed, someone is already in the truck. His eyes grow wide in disbelief; the person in the truck gets the same look. A moment later, he's jumped inside willingly, the guard closing the door, and husband and wife hug each other hard, exclaiming and crying out for joy.
"You're so thin," the woman cries, cupping the man's face. "Your hair is so short," he cries, clasping her in return. They hug again, praise God, babble endearments--then start to wonder, what's going on...? "Where are they taking us?" the woman asks, and then, a spike of fear in her voice, "Are...are they taking us to a...different camp?" He admits he knows as little as she does, but promises that this time, if the guards try to separate them again, "I'll hold on and not let go. I'd rather they shoot me dead than take you away from me again." The woman agrees, and they hold fast to each other throughout the long rumbling ride.
The truck eventually comes to a stop and the back opens. The two are removed--briefly losing hold of each other, but embracing tightly again the moment their feet touch the ground. They look around anxiously, but there is no barbed wire, no watchtower, no gate telling them that work will set them free. A big shiny black car is parked before them, and a very official-looking man in a pristine black uniform, gleaming Totenkopf on his cap and sword on his hip, stands waiting, a paper in his hands. He addresses them by name--not number--and they confirm their identities. He browses the paper a bit more, then says, "Oh, that's right...you wrote that horrid article." His nose wrinkles and he folds up the paper. "Suffice it to say you've learned from your mistakes, you pledge your full loyalty to the Reich, and you have no intentions to pen such treasonous garbage ever again...?" "I have nothing left in me," murmurs the man; the officer frowns disapprovingly, and the woman hastens to say, "We won't ever do it again, we promise it." At that the officer opens the car's back door, waves them forward--"Don't mess the seats, bitte"--and they climb in. "You two had best be worth all this hassle," the officer grumbles as he gets behind the wheel, "I really should stop granting favors"--and he drives them away. Some time later, Sapphire's parents are delivered into British custody, then transported into neutral territory. The British inform the Trench Rats, who inform Sapphire. Sapphire breaks down weeping--"They're alive! Gott sei Dank! I thought they must be dead."
"I guess this is the show of goodwill," Mahogany muses to Gold, who's forced to admit that the file Himmel gave him is likely genuine. Still, he can't figure out why Himmel would do something to actively aid the Rats, nor why Revell invested in such a convoluted plan. Why send in a couple of spies when he could have sent in some sort of sleeper agent to attack them from within? For some reason Revell's original plan seemed to have changed, as if he considered it more worthwhile that the Rats be allowed to continue with their mission, which was prompted by the rescue of Alpha Squad.
Out of nowhere, Mahogany suddenly pipes up, "What was the point of Alpha Squad, anyway...?" And immediately gets a bunch of glares from the Rats of the squad. "Reconnaissance," Indigo answers, as if he's a moron. "Well...I know," Mahogany says, wilting a little, "but for what?--and who ordered it?" "For keeping an eye on the enemy!" Indigo says, "And..." And here he trails off, and blinks. Casts a look at the others. They have the same vaguely befuddled expression. Everyone says they just assumed it was a military thing, but that's just it...they assumed...nobody seems to have told anyone anything direct. The United States wasn't at war then, so they had no legitimate reason, aside from a covert mission, to even be there; surely some higher-up in the military recruited them for this role, but damned if anyone knows who it was. And the longer they think about it, the less sense it makes; why was reconnaissance needed so early on, and who used that information and for what?
This drastic new plot development obviously still needs lots of work, including tweaking the timeline and how the characters obtain the info they do. Eventually, maybe during the story or at the war's end, they discover somehow who ordered Alpha Squad to go behind enemy lines, and why. Master Sergeant Revell was the mastermind behind it--always careful to cover his tracks, thus why even the squad's members had no idea who was ordering them--and the reason he sent Americans into Nazi Germany was simple yet stunning: He hoped to trigger an international incident which would draw the United States into the war. Alpha Squad was cannon fodder--nothing more. Of course this meant that the formation of the Trench Rats, to rescue the squad before they could be killed, threw a wrench into Revell's plan, and he attempted to stop it. This failed; Alpha Squad was rescued, yet the US ended up going to war anyway; and so Revell's priorities shifted.
But...why did Revell want the US to go to war? As Evans or DeVries describes it later on, "We were so busy fighting Nazis in Germany that we completely missed the ones in our backyard." Revell is involved in the American version of the Nazi movement, and would love nothing more than for Germany to defeat the United States in war. He's pretty much the US equivalent of Liam Morgan, who recruits Anna Julian to infiltrate the Rats (only with considerably more success than Revell--Julian, unlike the frightened Sapphire, is a true believer). He doesn't seem to be directly associated with the German Nazis (witness the SS, at least currently in this version of the plot, doesn't appear to be aware that Revell sent Alpha Squad to Germany--I figure that might be TOO convenient, plus why wouldn't Himmel have given the Rats that info, too...unless Himmel doesn't have security clearance?), but admires their cause enough to use his position to try to aid them.
Another detail that's revealed only after the war: Major DeVries gets in contact with Gold, possibly traveling to Germany to meet him. Gold and some of the other Rats remain behind after the war to help get things back in order, and a few, because of the personal connections they've made and/or lack of ties remaining to the US, decide to remain permanently, Gold among them. Although Camo has by then assumed joint command, Gold is the de facto Trench Rats leader. DeVries brings up Black Rat, a touchy subject for Gold, who still feels a mixture of guilt over being unable to save his life, and betrayal over Black being a spy for Revell. DeVries notices his reaction and says, "No, wait, let me explain." He adds that, following when Revell must have presented Black with his offer to join and apply for leadership of the Rats, Black then approached DeVries privately and outlined the entire plot; he requested advice on how to act, and DeVries suggested he feign going along with it, while gathering intel to give to the Allies. Gold blinks, caught off guard--"Black was a double agent...?" DeVries confirms it--"He was pretty good at it, he fooled you guys twice over"--all the while Black was "spying" on the Rats for Revell, he was also forwarding info on Revell and Nazi activities back to DeVries. He never betrayed the Rats like Julian did. Gold, who at one point wonders if Schavitz ironically did the Rats a favor by killing Black, now feels remorseful for this thought, yet it does lift a burden from his shoulders to know that he wasn't wrong in trusting Black after all.
DeVries as well admits it was his idea to give the military's file of damning evidence against Revell to Teal Rat, one of the members of Alpha Squad, before they shipped out, instructing him to leave it in a secure spot. Teal doesn't survive the war (the Rats wrongly suspect him of being the spy throughout the entire conflict, until a captured Himmel informs them that Anna Julian was the turncoat), but Mahogany does locate the file tucked away in his private quarters shortly after the war. This file wasn't enough on its own to make Revell face justice, though combined with the SS version of the file, and additional witness and corroborating testimony gathered in the meantime, it ends up sufficing; military officials finally pay Revell a visit.
Sapphire, meanwhile, is stuck in a sort of limbo for a while; he easily proves his loyalty to the United States once his sister's safety is ensured, but has a much harder time regaining the Rats' trust. He isn't kicked out of the battalion, yet is kind of confined to HQ doing small jobs not involving access to sensitive material. It's a bit hurtful but he understands the position he's put the Rats in. Mahogany forgives him for his actions and promises to offer what help he can to secure him, his sister, and their parents American citizenship after the war, for which he's grateful.
And...there is ONE more connection in this complicated web, though it's still very tangled and being worked out. Here's a vague idea of how it goes so far, with potential changes to come.
A small French village during the Great War: They're not far from the border, and every day looms the threat of the Boche invading their homes. A military unit stops by for a brief rest and the village mayor requests that they stay a while to protect the residents. The leader of the unit declines--they're needed at the front--yet he tells one of his less-than-enthusiastic men to stay behind, keep an eye on things. This particular soldier isn't known for his bravery or skill, and the unit leader is more than a little condescending in his request--here, since you despise going to the front, you look after these frightened villagers, surely you can defend a handful of old men and women and children, oui? The soldier protests, he's not high enough ranking to be left in charge here (anything to get out of this, honestly), yet his commander simply jeers, voila, you're a sergeant major now!--and good luck! The unit departs, one man short; the newly (and pretty unofficially) minted sergeant major watching them march away with a mixture of anxiety and resentment. He never wanted to be in this conflict. He's not a fighting man, not a defender. He just wishes he were back home.
Still, he's been given a job, and he does try to do it. The thing is that he's just one man. And when another military unit approaches, it's a much bigger one. Most insidious of all though is that the villagers welcome them in, they have no reason to fear them: They're American. Their leader, another sergeant major: Revell.
The situation disintegrates quickly. Revell and his men become overbearing, then threatening; the mayor appeals to the sergeant major to intervene and request them to leave. He summons up what courage he has, and orders Revell to go. His fellow sergeant major stares him down for a moment before ramming the butt of his rifle into his gut, then cracking him in the head when he doubles over. He's knocked out almost instantly, and doesn't come to until the flames start licking at his face.
That jolts him conscious immediately; letting out a pained yell, he swats at the fire beginning to sear his skin and clothes, stumbling a bit before making himself drop and roll. He regains his senses, blinking the smoke from his eyes and gaping at his surroundings--the entire village is engulfed in flames and he can hear screams and gunfire. He hears a shouted command to go, and spots a column of men--the American unit--filing through and out of the remains of the village. He recognizes the sergeant major who attacked him; the side of his face is bloody and he looks infuriated, eyes burning and teeth bared. The front of his rumpled uniform is spattered with blood as well. The French sergeant major knows he needs to go after him, take him on, kill him if possible...but his feet won't let him follow. He's rooted to the spot. He doesn't want that gun hitting him in the head again. He reasons that he can't possibly take on that entire unit and survive; he can prove more useful here, rescuing survivors. Yet the moment he turns and tries heading further into the village, the screaming and crying makes him freeze again. A nearby roof collapses; one of the screaming voices goes silent. He stands there like a statue until he sees a handful of survivors starting to go from house to house, attempting to pull out whoever they can...and then he turns away again and goes running.
He reasons with himself. He can't do any good there. There's likely no one else to be found, and he's just one person. They're taking care of their own. He's injured, he needs to look after himself. He needs to regroup. He needs to report this atrocity. No, no, he needs to track down the American sergeant major and kill him. He reasons with himself. He can take on one man, alone. He just needs the opportunity, and he'll redeem himself. He reasons.
He follows the Americans' trail. Stops briefly at a stream to gingerly tend to his face--the fire seared the skin around his eye, and he winces at his marred reflection in the water, but at least he can still see. A pious man, he thanks God that he somehow survived his encounter with the Devil, le Diable, for that's surely who the American sergeant major is, with his cold sneer and his demonic yellow eyes. Of course he's right in leaving the village behind, in following the Devil and preparing to fight him. He was ordained for this task, was he not? There was a purpose behind him being left in charge despite his wishes, and allowed to survive while others perished. He has a holy mission. This is all fate. That must be it. He reasons with himself.
He locates the American unit near the trenches. Hides and bides his time, waits for a chance to strike. He's more and more convinced every moment, God chose him for this, it's the only thing that makes sense. He prays to Jesus and Mary and the saints to steady his hand and his nerve when the moment comes. The Boche intermittently shell the area so both Americans and the French sergeant major are pinned down for a time, but they seem unaware that the unit is there, he can't look to one devil to take out the other, this is his mission. And finally, FINALLY, glorious chance for redemption: Revell briefly parts ways with his unit, ostensibly for reconnaissance, in reality to privately tend to his wounds and mutter vulgar curses against the one who caused them.
While seething and examining the gouges under his eye Revell is startled by a sudden, rising scream. His head pops up. He blinks in surprise when the French sergeant major--didn't he bash his head in and leave him to die?--hurtles over the trench's edge and slams his own rifle into Revell's face.
Maybe, maybe, this time he would have finished the job, would have killed le Diable. He tries. But one devil intervenes on behalf of the other. As he and Revell start struggling and swinging, a shell explodes nearby--his ears are torn ragged, while one of Revell's is ripped clean off. Revell lets out a bloodcurdling scream--pain and fury--and starts beating the other sergeant major with gun, fists, feet, teeth, everything he has, it's as if he's suddenly gone mad. The French sergeant major does try, but he's only one man facing off against armies of devils...Revell beats him unconscious, he feels himself drifting out of his body, he sees the trenches and the no man's land and the devastation all around. Revell, bloody and snarling, gouges his way back up to the surface and staggers back to his unit. The French sergeant major slowly descends back to his body. Everything hurts. He must be dying. He somehow manages to drag himself, inch by inch, out of the trench and a short way across open ground, before he starts to swoon and everything gives out. He rolls himself onto his back to stare at the heavens, gasping weakly for breath. He tried. He waits for the angels to carry him away.
An eternity passes. He drifts in and out of consciousness. Hears soft footfalls, sees a shadowy shape approaching, backlit by the sun, an ethereal glow shimmering around it. It sees him, slows its step, approaches. He's vaguely puzzled; he never would have expected an angel, a saint, a heavenly envoy, to array itself in the uniform of the Boche, but here it is, he can't question. The angel, saint, whatever he is, peers at him for a moment, shifts his rifle forward, hesitates, shoulders it again, then kneels; he digs in a pocket, pulls out a rosary, starts reciting a prayer in German. The sergeant major grasps at the beads but is too weak to pray aloud; then, wonder of wonders, his visitor starts praying in French. The sergeant major lets go of the rosary only when the prayer is done, and the visitor tucks it away and rises. The sergeant major finally finds his voice; he summons a whisper, asks the stranger his name. Still limned in gold light, the visitor hesitates, then replies quietly, "Otto...Otto Aloysius Himmel."
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As he turns away, the light bursts around him and the Prussian uniform, the Stahlhelm, the rifle are all transformed--he's garbed in robes of red and gold--wears a great jeweled crown--wields the scepter and orb. The sergeant major takes in a breath. Otton le Grande! Not an angel. Not a saint. An emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, sent on behalf of God! And the other names he gave--he's literally the famed warrior of heaven. This is it, this is the sign, the confirmation of all his hopes and visions. He has to survive, now. He may not be destined to kill the American Devil himself, but he has a purpose, it hasn't all been in vain. He can still make a difference. Even if he can't fight, he can act.
Long after Himmel departs from the battlefield to report to his superiors in the Imperial German Army, Sergeant Major Champere drags himself under the shelter of the trees, and slowly to safety, to start making plans.
[Sapphire Rat 2025 [Friday, January 10, 2025, 12:00:09 AM]]