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Very good stuff thus far, Doge. The writing is very well done and I like the short, crisp updates. It is also interesting to see an AAR told from this perspective. Welcome back and keep up the good work.
 
Hi, great start, just a few things:
Maybe it's different in other parts of Germany, but eating pancakes in the morning is not normal - that seems to be a distinctively American thing.

I also found it a bit strange that the 14 year old girl in such a family would be the one with doubts. If she was a few years older and studying at a university, it wouldn't feel so strange. (Or are you going to introduce a neighbor or relative from whom she got those doubts?)
 
Hi, great start, just a few things:
Maybe it's different in other parts of Germany, but eating pancakes in the morning is not normal - that seems to be a distinctively American thing.

I also found it a bit strange that the 14 year old girl in such a family would be the one with doubts. If she was a few years older and studying at a university, it wouldn't feel so strange. (Or are you going to introduce a neighbor or relative from whom she got those doubts?)


Well, actually the pancakes waere chosen deliberately.. It isn't meant to be the usual breakfast, but rather something she made specifically because she is very good at making them and because she knew Dietrich would appreciate it.. It was meant to divert him from the fact that Kurt slept late.. The proper actions of a good German wife, sort of thing.. (the Nazis were very keen on how marriages should work and how women should behave) I'm sorry if this wasn't clear enough.. Sometimes my idea of hinting around the edges of things, get the better of me, I'm afraid.. :D

As for the 14 year old, well every now and then, you get across someone who sees things differently than everybody else and think in patters you cannot follow..
I happen to know that from personal experience.. ;)
Why should such a person, especially if also keen of mind (We've ALL met someone who seems (to us) just a bit too clever), not see what happens in a different way? As for a grown-up introducing those doubts? Not really, but there might've been one, who didn't berate her for being different, but took the time to explain some things to her, instead... That's always a risky thing. ;)

Aside from that: Thank you both for your compliment and your speculations.. I always welcome questions and constructive critisism.. How else am I supposed to better myself as a writer? :)



And Hardraade.. Thank you my friend.. It is good to be back.. :)

I can't promise I'll keep the updates this short, but I've actually begun to like the ability to seperate them like this.. It helps in cutting out some of the needless in-betweens (something written merely to link the end of one interesting part with the beginning of another)..

This way, making the updates smaller and focusing on one scene at a time, gives me the opportunity to jump from place to place and forward in time much more fluently.. At least this is how it seems to me..

And then there's the fact that writing a short update is much less time- and energy-consuming than those monsters I used to do.. Therefore, I am much more motivated to write the next one and the next one and..... you know what I mean.. ;)
 
This is absolutley surreal! Amazing!

And for capturing the spirit of the times, I now present you with the Character WritAAR of the Week AwAARd for your magnificent portrayel of the various characters and the German commoner during these times! Absolutley magnificent! Keep up the amazing work Doge Robert! Wunderbar!
 
Oh my.. O.O Thank you sincerely.. Erhm, No idea what I'm supposed to say, as I was completely unprepared for what is, essentially a great honor.. '

*faints*

To Everybody: Thank you all for coming along. :) I'll do my very best to keep you entertained for the long time to come. I am still a bit blown by the fact that I just won a character award for a story in which i haven't even finished the intro yet. That's rather mindbogling to me.. :)
 
Oh my.. O.O Thank you sincerely.. Erhm, No idea what I'm supposed to say, as I was completely unprepared for what is, essentially a great honor.. '

*faints*

To Everybody: Thank you all for coming along. :) I'll do my very best to keep you entertained for the long time to come. I am still a bit blown by the fact that I just won a character award for a story in which i haven't even finished the intro yet. That's rather mindbogling to me.. :)

Indeed. Besides, there is something I need to show you... MSN?
 
Heh.. Would've loved to, but it seems I got on too late. :(

I'll be online again tomorrow afternoon.. (have a dentist appointment at noon, but when I get home..) I might be on for an hour or so in the morning, but no guarantees..

For everyone who's interested. my MSN is robert_81@live.dk btw..
Comments about the AAR, questions and everything else Paradox related (you know what I mean) is more than welcome..
 
It was very late. It seems my inner clock has shifted to UNiversity mode already. :(
 
The Third Reich

The Rise of a Nation

Chapter 1


GestapoHQberlin.jpg

No. 8, Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, Berlin - Headquarters of the Gestapo

September 16th – 1935 Berlin.

The Headquarters of the State Police was busy as always, with plain-clothed agents, ‘uniformed’ clerks and black-clad SS officers everywhere in the halls.
Beyer was indifferent to the ordinary chaos around him, although he did notice that it seemed somewhat subdued today, as he walked down one particular hallway and entered the office of his superior, Kriminaldirektor Keller and nodded to the secretary.

Is the Director available Steffi?” He asked the young woman, who seemed incredible tense, as she sat, straight-backed at her table, her eyes focused on her typewriter. Usually, Steffi, as most people called her, was more than willing to chat for a few moments, but today all he got was a brisk headshake and a quick look, which told him that she was very nervous for some reason. He looked at her for a few moments, mentally trying to deduct what could possibly have gotten her so worked up, but then the door opened and as he looked up at who was leaving, he instantly snapped to attention and raised his arm in salute.

Heil Hitler!” He barked, his face blank. Had he been a lesser man, he probably wouldn’t have been able to prevent his eyes from following the officers leaving the room, but to his credit and making him feel quite proud all things considered, he managed to look his gaze straight ahead.
The first of the men didn’t spare him so much as a glance, although he did raise his arm into the salute used by the highest of nazi officials.
The other one, the younger of the two momentarily looked at Dietrich, their eyes almost locking for just an instant. He made what sounded like a satisfied grunt and left the office, a young agent closing the door behind him. Dietrich exhaled, not even realizing he had held his breath. He glanced at the secretary, whose face had gone absolutely pale, probably not for the first time today as actually seeing those two men enter the office would have had to have been quite a shock for her. Neither man was the type to go visit offices and certainly not those of their underlings. Dietrich wondered briefly what could possibly have enticed them down to this level of the building. His line of thought was brought up short, when the Director called for him. He took a deep breath to calm himself and then went in.

Good morning Beyer.” Director Keller said, motioning for him to take one of the opposite chairs.
As he sat down, Dietrich noticed that Keller was looking at him rather curiosly.
I don’t know how you do it Beyer.” Keller said, “Having Obergruppenführer Heydrich and the Reichführer himself enter my office nearly made me mess up my pants.” He shook his head and then fell silent, as he seemed to think of something. “That however makes you the perfect man for the job.
”He looked at Beyer again and a smile slowly lit his face up. “Yes indeed, the right man for the job.

Dietrich, having a sinking feeling in his stomach already, nodded anyway. “What’s the job sir?” He asked, not entirely certain he really wanted to know the answer, since it had to be what had brought the two Nazi heavyweights down to the ground floor. If he was unlucky, this might spell disaster on himself and his family. Still, it was his duty as a German and an officer of the state police, and Dietrich took that duty very seriously.

I can’t really tell you that much at the moment Beyer, but it seems we may have a group of foreign spies in our midst.” Dietrich relaxed somewhat. If it was only that, he had dealt with spies before. “The problem is though, that they seem to be involved somehow, with several different state departments.” Once more, Dietrich felt a sinking feeling once more. Several different state departments sounded ominously like; way out of his league, whatever he did.
You can read the rest in this file.” Keller held out a brown file towards Dietrich, who took it cautiously.
Everything in that file is strictly ‘need to know’ Beyer. Don’t tell anyone anything beyond the absolute minimum, is that understood?” Dietrich nodded, hesitated for a few moments and then, looking straight at Keller, spoke once more.

Are you sure about this sir?” He asked, apologetically, “Don’t misunderstand me, I will do my duty whatever it is, but I am an Inspector, nothing more. Is that enough under the circumstances?
Keller nodded. “Look at the last page Beyer, everything has been thought of.” Dietrich opened the file, quickly leafed to the last page and glanced at it. Then he stopped, his breath caught in his throat and all color slowly draining from his face, as he read through it one more time. He slammed the file shut and stared, wide-eyed at Keller, uncertain what or even if he could speak at all.

I, I.” He stammered, for the first time shaken beyond what the limits of his usual iron-bound will could handle. He looked down at the file in his hand again, as if half expecting to see Hell itself reach up to claim his soul. He sank once, then again, then a third time. Then slowly, holding the chair with one hand to steady himself, he rose and faced Keller. Unsure of how to do anything else, he lifted his gaze, looking at the large picture hanging on the wall behind the Director’s chair and saluted.
Heil Hitler!

Then without further words and in truth none were really necessary, he turned on his heels and marched from the office.
As he closed the door behind him, Keller picked up his phone and dialed a number.
Hello? Keller here. Beyer took the case. What? Yes sir, he will do quite nicely.
He listened for a moment and then smiled. “Of course Herr Reichführer, I will see to it personally.”​
 
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Trekaddict: Well it can happen to the best of us ;)

Enewald: Welcome aboard.. :)

Btw.. While I do get the meaning of your comment (and thank you :) ), it'sa bit cryptic and you might wish to consider the wording for future references.. ;)

Everyone: This is the official start of chapter 1 and we are hereby done with the introduction... Weee! :)
 
Marvelous! I simply can't wait for more. I can't stress enough just how well written this is, and how well you've captured the spirits of this time in this AAR! ;)