Author Topic: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR  (Read 3261 times)

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Offline ComradeMicha (OP)

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The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« on: August 30, 2014, 02:51:20 PM »
Prologue

Despite the harsh winter outside, the Führer’s command center in Bunker-3 was almost a tropical place. Seventeen officers, politicians and servants were cramped into the small room, nervously listening to the white noise of the central radio speaker. The giant table in the center was covered in a huge paper map of central Russia. Red and blue wooden figures opposed each other in a curved line winding all across the map. Nobody spoke a word, the Führer himself silent, forehead sweaty, his breath forced into a calm and normal rhythm to radiate confidence. It fooled nobody.

A Crackle. Then white noise again. All eyes darted to the speaker. Another crackle. Suddenly, a remote sounding, much distorted voice filled the room: “Der Bär tanzt. I repeat: Der Bär tanzt!”
A second passed. It was the signal. There was no mistaking, the radio voice just gave the secret signal. Operation Bärentanz had succeeded! Everything would change… Another crackle, then the metallic voice again: “My god. It is… beautiful…”. With that, the room erupted into maniacal laughter and cheering. Generals broke into tears, people kissed each other. The Führer allowed himself a brief smile.
On the next day, February 2nd, 1943, newspapers all over the Reich announced the news that would herald a new era – for Germany and for the world: Operation Bärentanz has succeeded! Stalin, Molotov, Kalinin, Khrushchev,  Beria – they were all dead. The entire 18th Soviet Politburo was gone. And with it, more than two million other people and every single building in the former city of Moscow just ceased to exist with one bright flash. The Wunderwaffe was revealed to the world the same day the Soviet Union faltered. Germany had eradicated its most dangerous opponent in one stroke of scientific genius. The world entered the age of nuclear warfare.

The war did not end there, of course. But neither did it continue. The face of the conflict, the great war that reigned for almost four years, had changed. Great Britain found itself isolated and threatened with both invasion and nuclear devastation. The appeals to the US to stage a large-scale landing on the European mainland became more pressing, but the US public was all the more cautious to concentrate an entire generation in reach of the fearsome German Wunderwaffen.

No peace. No war. Just skirmishes in Africa, aircraft combating other aircraft and the odd naval encounter now and then. The second world war turned unreal. When Hitler declared all of European Russia to become “Reichskommisariat Ostland”, which was more or less saying it was annexed to the Reich, the world noted it indifferently. For all practical purposes, the war was over. That situation was cemented in late 1945, when the Americans finally succeeded in their own atomic bomb program. As both power blocks now had the means to cripple each other, they finally concluded an armistice. While the unwillingness of both sides to compromise prevented the ratification of a formal peace treaty, the world was now effectively divided in two:
Mainland Europe, from the northern tip of Norway to Sicily and the Caucasus, was now firmly ruled by the Greater German Reich and its vassals. After the terror of the fourties, more lenient occupation policies brought peace to most of the annexed territories, while the western European countries were being “restored” to something closely resembling their old borders. France, Wallonie, Flanders, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway – they all gained their formal independence, while in fact their policies were being dictated by the Führer in Berlin. Japan, of course, was a different matter. With the armistice in Europe, the East Asian power was no longer a useful decoy to draw Anglo-American forces away from the Reich’s borders. Its hopeless war in China dragged on for almost a decade, slowly bleeding out the Japanese army, while the US navy began to retake islands by island with ever increasing momentum. Despite dramatic appeals by Japan, Hitler saw no benefit in supporting his former ally anymore – except for one point: Should the USA make use of nuclear weapons against any other country, the Reich would unleash its own arsenal against England. With that bold diplomatic threat, the Führer hoped to delay Japan’s inevitable defeat by many months, giving the overstretched Reich more time to consolidate its gains. The European war was on hold, but it was far from over...

In that era, called the Cold War, Germany shifted its focus from the land to space. Wernher von Braun’s space program yielded much prestige for the Reich when the first satellite was launched into near earth orbit in 1947, quickly followed by the first man in space, Walther Resch, safely returning home in early 1948. At that time, the island hopping campaign in the Pacific had come to a bloody halt as every single square mile taken from the Japanese cost the lives of thousands of US soldiers. When President Truman succumbed to the public demands of ending the bloodshed and tried to build up China as a proxy for the war against Japan,  a putsch in Tokyo finally offered a way out. Japanese forces were to retreat from mainland China back into Manchuria and Korea in exchange for peace with the various warlords. The new Imperial government accepted, and Truman had to sign an armistice winning America lots of tiny islands in the western Pacific.

In the face of recent German successes and a very dissatisfying conclusion of the large war, the US space program was hurried and driven to the extreme – The Apollo missions to the moon were planned to overshadow the accomplishments of the Germans and establish the US as the second space power. But Apollo 6 failed spectacularily in 1958, all three crewmen giving their lives as their lander crashed full speed into the rocky wastelands of Mare Tranquilitaris. When Apollo 7 exploded during liftoff only a few weeks later before the eyes of the world’s press, President Eisenhower had to abandon the program for good. What had been founded as the North American Space Agency (NASA) a mere few months before now had to be sold to private aviation companies. In December 1958, Heinrich Gallant immortalized himself with his famous words: “One small step for the Reich, but a leap too long for America” as he imprinted his footsteps into the dust-covered surface of the moon. 

The Führer of the German Empire, Adolf Hitler, had to retire to a hospital in Switzerland due to an all too visible deterioration of his health in 1959. The most popular political figure of this time emerged as the new Führer of the Germans after a brief power struggle, Erwin Rommel. The “Era Rommel” led to a number of reforms in the Empire, which suffered from a long period of economic slowdown, oil shortages and a costly partisan war in the conquered eastern territories. After Hitler’s death in 1962, the horrible atrocities of the past were partially announced to the public and condemned as the work of ideological extremists in the SS. Himmler was arrested and executed in 1964, followed by a number of prominent figureheads of the far right end of the National Socialist party. With these purges and free-market reforms, the people experienced a period of long forgotten wealth and relative liberty, while the USA was struck with social upheaval in the face of its own racist policies towards its black population. Becoming more and more isolationist, the western alliance of the second world war crumbled and left the German Reich as the sole true superpower, even though several countries now owned nuclear weapons.

Being the only country operating a space station (the “Germania” was launched in the late 1960’s) and the first prototypes of armed spacecraft patrolling the terrestrial orbit, Germany de facto controlled all spaceflight and carefully guarded this monopoly. Other countries were allowed to participate in orbital experiments but were denied operating their own spacecraft, which was underscored by the New Mexico incident in 1979, when the last (privately financed and led) American attempt at launching a satellite was crushed by a Messerschmitt Me-477 spacefighter.

In 2064, the world’s political borders remain largely unchanged. German companies’ satellites provide telecommunication services for the whole world and German Asteroid mines send large amounts of rare metals to the major industrial centers of the world, generating huge profits and thus financing the ongoing space program of the Reich, now ruled by the Führer Karl Hauck. After more than a century of peace, the world seems to have arranged with the status quo and audiences from all countries follow the Weltennetz (Internet) live broadcasts of the Mars colonization program or the launch of new spaceships of the Raumflotte. Since the development of the first working jump engine in 2025, more than two dozens of distant star systems have been explored, including two littered with wrecks of non-German and thus presumably alien spacecraft. While no alien ships have been observed in working condition yet, it is clear that only the German Raumflotte stands between the rich, overpopulated earth and an unknown, but apparently well-armed alien race. With its ever-expanding manpower needs, especially since the establishment of permanent population centers on the Moon and Mars, the fleet eventually had to open up to recruits of allied, friendly and even neutral countries.

Thus the stage is set. This is the story of the Raumflotte, where men and women from all over earth work together to protect earth, spread the human race to the stars and expand mankind’s knowledge base with more and more wondrous discoveries. Come join us, we need you! One race, one Reich, one Führer! Heil Hauck!
"Those who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.  " - Sir Isaac Asimov
 

Offline ComradeMicha (OP)

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Re: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2014, 05:30:10 AM »
Southhampton, Earth, August 2058
“Are you out of your mind?” Peter’s father yelled, his face curiously shifting from the pale white of the first shock to a glowing red of anger. “You want to kill yourself? Toss away your life that way?”
“Father, I know you don’t like the Germans, but…” – “Don’t like them? The ####s almost killed us all! And now you’re one of them! If you mother...” – “Father! I am no ####, and you damned well know that! But the times have changed, the Raumflotte now is an international…” – “International my ass! The damn ####s try to trick dumbass youngsters into their ranks, so they can send someone somewhere dangerous without risking their own people!”
Peter knew he was winning. While his father was still angry, he was shifting from blind rage to argument-based reasoning, and that usually meant Peter would get his will. And his will was very strong this time. The Weltennetz forums were full of speculations about the alleged establishment of contact with a truly alien race in the Ritter system. The fact that the Ministry of Propaganda in Nürnberg denied vehemently and shut down every server it found hosting such claims only reinforced its truth. Aliens! A lifeform that evolved under a different sun, light-years from earth! And where there was contact, there was exchange of information, too. Just to think about what those aliens could teach… Yes, Peter’s mind was set. He would take the train to London, walk into the Raumflotte recruitment center there and enlist himself. Peter would go to the stars and have a chat with the Ritter aliens!

Reichs-Ministry of Propaganda in Nürnberg, Earth, August 2058
<< 01 July 2058, Star System “Ritter”: “Contact! Bearing 1-0-7, distance 2-8 point 3! No engine signature.” Battle alarms wailed, the bridge of the heavy cruiser “RRS Heinz Guderian” erupted into sudden activity. Yet there was no panic, just hectic professionalism. The years of training seem to pay off, Konteradmiral Charlotte Schleicher thought. “Any readings on size or vector?” she asked. “None, Ma’am. But they did not show on the main detector array.” That meant the target must be a lot smaller than the ships that Siemens had calculated to detect with the main array, which should be destroyers of around five thousand tons. That, or the target had very advanced stealth technology. “Very well, we need to get closer then.”
An hour later the contact was gone. It vanished just as quickly as it appeared, despite not sporting any engines at all. The bridge crew kept up the tense air of imminent combat, but hour after hour crept by with no sign of the opponent.
The original target of the fleet had been Ritter-B-III, the only planet of the binary system with both a breathable atmosphere and water supply. Schlachtgruppe Roland was nearing the planet at its maximum speed, and at a distance of now merely six million kilometers it still looked devoid of any life.
“Stable orbit, Ma’am.” Charlotte massaged the bridge of her nose. Three and a half hours after initial contact they still had no idea who their opponent was, what forces he commanded or even where he was. “Sensor readings?” she asked. “Negative, Ma’am. That planet appears to be uninhabited.” Well, the guys in Reichskolonialamt will be delighted to hear that. Another world waiting to be claimed by the Reich, another destination for reckless adventurers, farmers and outcasts. But for Charlotte Schleicher, highest-ranking officer in the Raumflotte and commanding officer of Schlachtgruppe Roland, the largest capital ship fleet of humanity, it meant problems. If the opponent wasn’t on the only earth-like planet in this system, he might not be human-like and thus much harder to analyze, predict and – ultimately – defeat. “Alright, Karl, set course for Ritter-B-I”. >>


Unbelievable. Katharina Marens, head of the department “International Communications and Weltennetz” of the Reichs-Ministry of Propaganda shook her head in disbelief as she re-read the script on her desk. First of all, how did the author get access to the original transcripts of the Ritter encounter? Ever since the first message, there was a total information blackout order. Yet, woven in between the lines of bad prose, there were the original words that could be heard on the audio-visual emergency recorders of the RRS Heinz Guderian. Someone must have offered a lot of money for this. But the Abwehr, the Reich’s intelligence agency, would find out who was involved. By then, whoever it was better had enjoyed his fortune, for the rest of his life would be very unpleasant.
But there was a second, more pressing issue to handle. Now that this story was out there, how should the RMP react? Apparently, that story was already distributed throughout the forbidden peer-to-peer networks all over the world. Denying it would probably only increase its popularity. Trying to censor something as decentralized as the Weltennetz was virtually impossible, even though it was the primary occupation of most employees of the RMP these days. But a confirmation of contact with aliens would spur a global discussion on what kind of relations humanity would want to establish… A discussion that might very well contest to authority of the Reich in these matters. No, both alternatives were out of the question. Katherina would have to make some calls. This would be a long day…
"Those who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.  " - Sir Isaac Asimov
 

Offline ComradeMicha (OP)

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Re: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2014, 12:36:07 PM »
Theoderichshafen (Crimea), Earth, September 2058
“Nadeshka, please hurry over to table sixteen, I don’t like the look of the guy and you kept him waiting long enough to make your point. I don’t want any trouble here.”
“Of course, Andreij, nobody wants any trouble…” Nadja Torolenka, a blond, rather short woman in her early twenties, put the vodka-on-ice on her tray and made her way over to the big man in the black SS uniform who was watching her impatiently for the past five minutes. She hated the after-season here in Crimea, as there were only two types of guests taking over from the generous families that crowded the resort during summer vacations: Wealthy, highly trained attendants of conferences who seldom found their way into the bar Nadja was working in, and ideological pilgrims visiting the many memorials to #### supremacy over the Russian subhumans… And judging from his looks, it was only too clear what group the guest at table sixteen belonged to.

“About time”, he growled. “If all Russians are as lazy as you are, I wonder why it took us so long to defeat you.” Nadja forced herself to ignore the rambling, put the drink on his table and asked him with a professional smile: “Anything else, Sturmbannführer?”
“Indeed. Tell me, where can I find a place to… have a little fun around here? Can’t sit around this shabby place all day and watch the ice melt in my glass!”
“Well, there’s the old citadel to visit, or…” – “You damn well know I didn’t mean this tourist crap! Where are the women? Not the scrawny lazy ones, I mean the real Russian witches that go crazy!”
Nadja fought the urge to grimace. She had hated the fat #### bastard from the first second, but this was almost too much to bear. But Andreij wanted no trouble, so she had to play along… for now. “I see, Sturmbannführer. There’s a rather exclusive lodge up in the hills, close to Jalta. It might be exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s quite expensive.”
“Yes, yes! That’s good. Exclusive, expensive. I like that. Keeps the foreigner scum out! Excellent! Give me the address!”

As she wrote down the address of a remote location up in the hills, where no police dared to patrol, she tried not to smile devilishly. Yes, keeping the foreign scum out, that’s exactly what they were about to do. Of course there would be no tip from the fat pervert, but that didn’t matter anymore. She just hoped that her clique would be ready in time…

Abwehr-HQ in Germania (Berlin), Earth, November 2058
Hauptmann Roman von Sillenberg looked even more dyspeptic than usual. Maybe it was the third cup of coffee that he was currently sipping from after not much of a breakfast, maybe the icy rain hammering against his tiny cellar-office window didn’t help, but he himself blamed it on the terrible security situation in the Reich these days. His primary job was to skim through all reports coming to his desk from all over the Reich and select the ones that had to be escalated – after some editing, of course. The reports, of course, came from local SD-bureaus all over the Reich where they had been selected for escalation after some editing, and so on. Sometimes he wondered just how much content was left in what his boss read…

This week was especially grim. First the increase in partisan activity in the Caucasus: Another oil well had been blown up, and as soon as the response teams arrived at the scenery, they were blown up by a second charge. While the Reich’s armed forces were not fueled by oil anymore, it still made for a very valuable trade good for the third world, contributing a major share of the GDP.
Then, on Tuesday, another SS officer was found dead on the Crimean peninsula. That raised this year’s count to 47, and they couldn’t find the ones responsible for any of those. Of course there have been arrests and even two public trials that led to executions, but if the murders kept occurring at the same rate, even the dumbest crowd begins to wonder. 

Right now he was trying to digest the latest news from the Raumwaffenversuchsanstalt, the Bureau of weapons trials. Apparently the Americans have laid their hands on the full specifications of the latest prototype of an UV-Laser the size of a regular firearm that forms the base of the next generation of the storm troopers. How anyone in his right mind could sell this kind of information to the enemy in times like these was beyond Hauptmann von Sillenberg. He grimaced as his stomach sent another flash of pain through his body. This was going to be a long, bad day. Just like the last couple of dozens…


OOC
Hey guys, this is my first Aurora AAR but I just had to write it down, so I might as well share it. Please leave a comment, even if it's just "what a crap, I just wasted ten minutes of my life".
In the game I am currently in early 2065, so the story has to catch up with that before I can start with actual in-game screenshots. But I intend to speed up a little bit in the next couple of updates, so don't worry.
I am playing a single faction on earth, all starting options set to default except for Star Swarm which I have turned off for now. I didn't feel ready for it yet, but given how much time went by before I encountered any alien race, it was probably a mistake. Still learning as I go, though, so expect a lot of bad decisions and frequent displays of incompetence. :D

Once we catch up with the actual gameplay, I would also like your input on in-game decisions. There's always space for Cameos, too...

So, I hope someone is reading this, but even if not - I'm having fun so all is well. :D
"Those who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.  " - Sir Isaac Asimov
 

Offline Beersatron

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Re: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2014, 01:25:33 PM »
I like it, keep it up.

You mention that you are a single nation start but also talk about the Americans and partisans, are you thinking of creating new factions later? Would be interesting to game out the Americans reaching into space using stolen technology, having a few PDCs to ensure the Reich doesn't just swat them from existence for daring to be upidy! Or, have the partisans steal a few small ships and pirate freighters!

If you do plan on continuing with the story then I would suggest asking for a sub-forum so you can better keep track of each chapter.
 

Offline JacenHan

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Re: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2014, 06:06:15 PM »
I also like it and hope you make more of it.
 

Offline ComradeMicha (OP)

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Re: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2014, 01:42:12 PM »
Raumflotte HQ in Königsberg, Earth, November 2058

Leutnant Dirk Albrecht flipped through the reports on his screen. Seven capital ships were grounded for lack of fuel. Their captains apparently took turns in filing complaints with the Raumflotte HQ, as this was the umpteenth report Albrecht read today that began with the words “with all due respect”. The two bomber squadrons that were intended to share picket duty at the jump gate to the Ritter space were grounded, too, but they weren’t just as vocal about it. Maybe the boys in their tin cans knew what the most likely outcome of their mission would be if the Ritter aliens ever decided to poke their heads in.
All of the science vessels, whose restless search for new star systems and profitable mining locations fueled the Reich’s hunger for expansion – grounded. Even the fleet tankers were dry. Ever since “Schlachtgruppe Roland”, the Reich’s main battle fleet, returned from its “mission of historic importance” and demanded to be refueled with over fifty million litres of Sorium-based reaction mass, almost all space travel came to a grinding halt.

This in turn meant that thousands of clerks and government authorities were very busy with three things: Fighting to keep the whole issue secret from the enemy as well as the own general public, blaming other departments and institutions for the screw-up, and fending off those very same accusations put forth by their rivals. For the Raumflotte, the blame lay with the economic development department for not providing enough fuel, and with the Raumwaffenversuchsanstalt for not putting “usage will wreck economy” warning labels on the capital ships. Albrecht wondered whether nobody over there noticed the enormous fuel consumption of the big ship engines or whether they did but had some devious reason to push the naval buildup through anyway. As far as he could remember, the original specifications for the missile cruisers and area defence destroyers did not include the phrase “has to consume the entire annual fuel production of the Reich in one month”.

But right now his job was to somehow keep the lid on this potentially disastrous affair and buy the engineers and wharves some time to remedy the situation. For now, the best way to do that was to inform the captains that their fuel had been issued to some top secret priority project related to the Ritter aliens. Nobody asked about top secret projects, for the risk was too great to become a part of them – which would usually not turn out very well for your pension plans...

Meanwhile, project “Nordsee” would be elevated to top priority status:  A massive building program involving giant Sorium harvesters plowing through the Jupiter atmosphere supported by tankers transporting the harvest to Earth. If everything went according to plan, the whole crisis should be done with in less than four years. Not that the prospect of repeating the last week’s work over and over again was especially appealing to Albrecht, but he began to actually enjoy telling high-ranking navy officers to shut up when there was nothing they could do about it…


OOC
Thank you, Beersatron, JacenHan and the guys who sent PMs. I really appreciate the feedback!

I did indeed toy with the idea of an NPC USA, but I have no experience with NPCs on the same planet and my mineral shortages are already severe enough with myself as the only consumer... For now I shall keep the various enemies of the Reich as RP only, to take blame for the many blunders I have done and will do in the future. In fact, sometimes I even "play" as the baddies by intentionally doing something that hurts my player race. I just enjoy games more if they don't run that smoothly... :p However, there'll always be the option of adding the NPCs later if the game is in need of a spice-up.

The subforum will not be needed just yet. Let's get the AAR going for some pages to see if it is worth it, then we can talk about administrative improvements. :)
"Those who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.  " - Sir Isaac Asimov
 

Offline Mel Vixen

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Re: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2014, 08:18:30 PM »
As German I have this Morbid train-wreck-faszination for this (kind of) Scenario despite being rather leftish. Has the reich advanced in the field of the "elektrische Schienenkanone"?
"Share and enjoy, journey to life with a plastic boy, or girl by your side, let your pal be your guide.  And when it brakes down or starts to annoy or grinds as it moves and gives you no joy cause its has eaten your hat and or had . . . "

- Damaged robot found on Sirius singing a flat 5th out of t
 

Offline ComradeMicha (OP)

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Re: The Reich in Space - An alternate history Aurora AAR
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2014, 11:11:12 AM »
Raumflotte Training Facility J7 near Stuttgart, Earth, March 2060

“Fähnrich zur See Peter Kingsley”, the speaker blared. The waiting hall was full of young wanna-be officers, ‘midshipmen’ as Peter would have called them.  The low murmur of their conversations died for an instant as the name was being announced, but it picked up again rather quickly as they realized it was not theirs. All of these young men and women were waiting for their final evaluation meeting, which would take less than five minutes each but which at the same time would determine the next fourty years of their lives. Peter lost no time and strode swiftly to the Leutnant’s office. Two men in perfectly dapper white and red uniforms were sitting behind a large oakwood desk. A third man, dressed in the black and red uniform of the SS, sat in the far left corner of the room, half hidden in the shadows. Peter hardly managed to hide his shock at seeing him.

“Peter Kingsley, Fähnrich zur See, born January 8th, 2041 in Southhampton, England?” one of the navy officers asked. “Correct, Sir!” Peter replied. His mind raced as he thought about reasons for the SS henchman’s presence and what he could do about it, but the officers went right on ignoring the other man in the corner. “Very well. I understand that you completed basic training quite successfully.” That was an understatement worthy of an Englishman, as Peter finished first in class. Coming from the German officer, it might have been a deliberate insult or simply a show of power. “Yes, Sir, I did my very best!” he replied. “I also understand that you are not a party member.” It was no question, just a statement. And a dangerous statement at that. Political reliability was at least as important to a career in the Raumflotte as professional ability, and membership in one of the Reich’s party associations was more or less basic requirement to proof that political reliability. Peter noticed the SS man lean slightly forward. “Correct, Sir. As a foreigner, I am not allowed to join any party association without recommendation from higher authorities, Sir!” Peter hoped his voice was as calm and steady as he wanted it to be, for he felt nothing of the sort. Would they thwart his dreams solely on the ground of political reasons? And even worse, would they turn it all around and accuse him of trying to infiltrate the Reich? This might very well ruin his day…

And indeed, the officer grilled him for a good hour on his reasons for joining the Raumflotte, his allegiance to the Reich, his attachment to National Socialist values and so on. All in all it was a repeat of his recruitment test and the various psychological assessments he had to master during the past years. Finally the Leutnant who had been silent during the whole interview turned to the SS man, who gave a barely perceptible nod. “Very well, Fähnrich Kingsley, welcome to the Raumflotte. Effective tomorrow, 1200, you will be assigned to RFS Heinz Guderian as Junior Communications Officer. I am sure you realize you will be watched closely until you proved worthy of the faith we put in you.” The Leutnant handed Peter the old-fashioned folder containing his orders. A brief smile flashed across his wary face as he added: “Oh, and I have taken the liberty to endorse you to the Order of the Valkyrie. I assume you have heard of it?” “Yes, Sir, thank you very much, Sir!”

Peter’s head felt so light he feared he would lift off the ground any second. Clutching the folder with his orders as tightly as possible he wandered around the park that stretched all around the training facility. In his mind he recapped the entire conversation and looked for anything he missed, but his thoughts always came back to the last part. The Order of the Valkyrie was one of the naval party associations which indulged less in political propaganda and more in physical exercising and martial arts. It would be sufficient cover against the accusations of political unreliability for now, and it would introduce him to a social network he would surely need sooner or later… Yes, this could just work. A grin spread across his face. And now, he had to make some calls!


As German I have this Morbid train-wreck-faszination for this (kind of) Scenario despite being rather leftish. Has the reich advanced in the field of the "elektrische Schienenkanone"?
Yes, I know what you mean. :D I try to make the Reich as dangerous a place as I think it would be, with all the political lunacy around. And I think the drawbacks of the racist, bigoted world-view have already been indicated.
In the game I have not researched the railgun path as I personally don't like its inability to be turreted. But all the ship components will be aptly named in theme with the Reich.
"Those who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.  " - Sir Isaac Asimov