Subtle Secrets and Grand Masquerade in the Fatherland

"Guten aben Herr commandant my I take your coat and hat?" Asked the staff officer. He was of course referring to a man that put the propaganda posters to shame. Heinrich Von Stramm is a very intimidating man thought the officer.

"Hugo be polite an oblige this fine upstanding German." Stramm answered without the slightest hesitation. As he removed his cap and leather greatcoat. Another brisk German fall. He thought.

"Ja Herr Stramm. " Hugo replied. As he handed over his garments.

"You can leave us staff lieutenant. " Stramm voice got colder. Which which was reflected in his steely blue eye. "Now lieutenant." The officer shut the doors to Stramm office and went back to his desk.

"I cannot believe what has happened within these last few weeks." He said as he pour himself a glass of thirty year old scotch. And swirled it. "We were so close in eradicating all assassin in fluence in Europe and they keep springing up like weeds." He sat down at his desk and reviewed his messages.

"Ah it seems that we have a German looking into things that are beyond his scope of practice. And it seems that our little science experiment survived the Tower of London after all. Hugo I would like you to have a team look in this for me. And I will have the Gestapo track this sgt. Durr and see if his curiosity can be sated as we can alway use another brother to join our cause." Stramm then proceeded to drink his scotch.

"Ja min commandant" answered Hugo. " I will have them give daily reports." And he departed.

Ah loyalty is rarer than gold these days. Stramm thought. "Well it's time to pay Sgt. Ferdinand Durr a visit." He said to himself. "Lieutenant!"

"Yes Herr commandant!" The soldier sounded off.

"Be a good man and fetch the car and I will need an escort of at least twelve SS stumtroppers would you kindly we are going to visit a new friend" Stramm replied calmly.

"What do you need with all that protection? Herr Stramm " he answered hesitantly.

"Well depending on how this meeting goes we will find out wont we come let us not waste time!" He chided. And the officer replaced the coat on Stramm and the headed out the door.

They arrived at his office thirty minutes later. And was greeted by a private.

"Hail hitler!" The private saluted. "Guten aben Herr colonel can you state you business?"

"Why yes I can son I am here to speak with Sgt. Ferdinand Durr I am Colonel Heinrich Von Stramm of the S.S. and it is vital that we meet as soon as possilble as it would not be wise to keep me waiting." He said coolly as his reenforced bodyguard took position in case of an emergency. "By the way would you happen to have anything to drink?" Stramm asked.

"Yes sir we have some coffee would you like some while you wait? The private asked. Nervously.
As he went retrieve coffee for the colonel.

"When will sgt. Durr return?" Stramm asked amidily getting annoyed.

"Oh any time now sir!" The private responded.

Durr had been trying for a couple of days to see if anyone would take the bait and, naturally, no one had. Maybe it was because of the fact no sane person was just going to swipe the papers from a Nazi soldier's pockets, even ones so carelessly attended. Proving his own sanity was in tact would most likely require a different approach. Shuffling said papers into a neat stack once more, the sergeant neatly stepped into the doorway, only to be informed by one of the privates to announce Heinrich Von Stramm was waiting.

Well, that was something you didn't expect every day. What would a commander want with an office clerk of a sergeant?

Taking it all in stride, he promptly found Von Stramm in his office, before offering the proper greetings and etiquette required by custom and military protocol.

"Guten aben Sgt. Durr have a seat if you would be so kind. As you are probably aware I am Colonel Heinrich Von Stramm of the S.S. it has come to my attention that you are taking it upon yourself to conduct an investigation into the nature of two particular groups now I will ask you a series of questions pertaining to your investigation and I expect full honesty. And as a good and fine upstanding German you will be rewarded for that honesty but if I find fault in what you say nothing on this earth will save you from my retribution. Now that being said." Stramm adjusted himself in the chair. "I am a fair man but I will not tolerate any acts that may jeopardize the Reich". Stramm took a drink of coffee.

"Firstly I have orders here for you to be transferred to my unit. Is this acceptable Sgt. Durr ? He said calmly. "Second question what is the nature of your investigation? And exactly how much do you really know?"

Stramm was reading his reactions...

Sgt. Sturr was accustomed to being watched, and acted accordingly, mindful of both what he said, and didn't say. He knew a lot was on the line, depending on what Von Stramm made of his answers.

The first question was hardly a question. To refuse would be fatal. It was more of an affirmation, a reminder of his place in the Reich. "Sir, I consent to the transfer."

As for the nature of his investigation, now that was a more awkward question. "The nature of my position leads me to a great amount of exposure to a variety of papers and reports, and consequently I have stumbled across a reoccurring pattern." The difficult part that Sturr anticipated would be convincing the officer that the grounds for his recent investigations were sound. The patterns were there, but subtle. Piece by piece, Durr presented the papers, starting with the ones that revealed the pattern in the first place. At the end of his miniature presentation, the Sergeant concluded, "Therefore, I believe the Templars are some type of secret society, in opposition with an equally secret organization that have been labeled as 'Assassins.' Their motives and missions are still indeterminable."

For that matter, Durr still couldn't even theorize where they stood in the war. Templars seemed to be amongst axis nations, ally nations, neutral nations, and places Durr had never even heard of; and wherever there where Templars, there was at least the occasional Assassin. Were the Assissins simple terrorists? Or did they fight for some greater goal, as the rebels do in Nazi occupied France? Until more reliable information could be found, Durr kept his mind open.

All the while, Durr kept an equally watchful eye on a man who held his and his family's fates.

"Ah I see any these are all the papers that you came across Sgt. Durr?" He remarked as he pulled out his pipe. "Make no mistake that I am here because you are a threat for that is not the case Herr Durr because if it was we wouldn't be speaking in such how do you say relaxed conditions I am here because your investigation has been well looked into. We know where and when you recieved these papers because it was I who planted them." He took a long draw from his pipe. "So naturally I would follow up on this, we have no intention of retaliation only of recruitment."

Stramm stoked his pipe again waiting for an answer.

Ganolith wrote:"Make no mistake that I am here because you are a threat for that is not the case Herr Durr because if it was we wouldn't be speaking in such how do you say relaxed conditions I am here because your investigation has been well looked into. We know where and when you recieved these papers because it was I who planted them." He took a long draw from his pipe. "So naturally I would follow up on this, we have no intention of retaliation only of recruitment."

Wait, the papers were planted? Wait, this whole thing was set up? The revelation spun Durr's mind almost as bad as when he found Templars among the Allies, which would also be planted. The conversation took an almost unobservable pause as the Sergeant waded past his initial shock, before respectfully, if not wearily, inquiring, "Sir, what am I being recruited into?"

He was already recruited into the Reich's military. This was something even bigger.

"My dear boy politics are only a rippling wave caused by the real cause. And that is something that will be entrusted to you if you only accept that what you see is nothing more than a game a testing of wills and most importantly false the true goal is not the support of hitler that is a proxy game. I wear this uniform because it gives me access I do the work because it gives me credibility I am a S.S. officer and as such I am entitled to certain information and that is the real game here. What I do is a mere shadow of those we represent all my men are loyal to me and our cause that is why I hand pick them I wish to have you because of your intellect you are a fine example of what we should aspire to be Sgt. Durr." Stramm looked around and walked toward the window. " I can assure you that their are no listening devices in this office and that you family is safe and they will continue to be safe. But I ask you are you ready to be enlightened? Because the path we walk is no judged by border relations or racial tension we do what we must so that the whole my survive you do understand the logic behind this don't you? He took another long draw from his pipe.

Ganolith wrote:"My dear boy politics are only a rippling wave caused by the real cause. And that is something that will be entrusted to you if you only accept that what you see is nothing more than a game a testing of wills and most importantly false the true goal is not the support of hitler that is a proxy game. I wear this uniform because it gives me access I do the work because it gives me credibility I am a S.S. officer and as such I am entitled to certain information and that is the real game here. What I do is a mere shadow of those we represent all my men are loyal to me and our cause that is why I hand pick them I wish to have you because of your intellect you are a fine example of what we should aspire to be Sgt. Durr." Stramm looked around and walked toward the window. " I can assure you that their are no listening devices in this office and that you family is safe and they will continue to be safe. But I ask you are you ready to be enlightened? Because the path we walk is no judged by border relations or racial tension we do what we must so that the whole my survive you do understand the logic behind this don't you? He took another long draw from his pipe.

A chance to break away from the atrocities to which he currently played a role, and even actually contribute to the world in a positive way? For that reason, Durr dared to be cautiously optimistic. But on that same note, he was as suspicious as he was hopeful. He still didn't know a lot about these Templars, and the promises that were given to him were intangible. He had since learned his lesson from his younger days to not jump into band wagons so eagerly.

Weighing his options, Sergeant Durr came to a decision, "Colonel Von Stramm, Sir, I wish to accept your offer."

Even at that moment, ready to sign his life away to God only knows what, in that back of the Sergeant's mind was the very beginnings of a back up plan for a worst case scenario. Otherwise, it would be a matter of waiting and seeing just what it was he was getting himself into...

"Welcome to the order of the knights Templar." Stramm pronounced." I will have your orders by weeks end and remember that we are your only hope for salvation and that we are the true heros no these skulking assassins take these few days and spend them with your family because my boy your true training is not yet started." And with that Stramm dismissed himself. Went better than I thought. He tought.

Stramm then returned to his staff car and recalled his personal guard.

Later that evening, Sergeant Ferdinand quietly entered his home, though the quiet tapping of his boots on the floor never did seem to get past the sharp ears of his 3 year old daughter. "Papa!" she explained excitedly, tackling his leg with all the force her tiny body could muster.

"Ooh, you got me," he explained, sending her into a series of sequels as he scooped her up in his arms. For once they weren't full of papers.

"Welcome home, Liebling," he heard his wife call, "You're home early." She was smiling, but Ferdinand could see a shadow of worry in her eyes.

"Always happy to come home, my Engel," he replied, drawing her into a brief kiss. Still entrapped in her father's arm, his daughter covered her eyes, squirming. Chuckling, Ferdinand broke from his wife long enough to set the child down, watching her bounce into the next room.

"I got a promotion," he explained, hoping to soothe his wife's fears. His family didn't fully understand what it is he did now, and he went through great pains to shield them from the worst of Germany's atrocities.

But he couldn't keep them from seeing everything. Especially not his wife. Her face didn't move an a centimeter, yet somehow her smile seemed even more strained, "That's wonderful. What does that mean?"

"It means I am receiving additional training," he stated simply. He wouldn't elaborate, and she wouldn't push him. For that moment, they simply held each other, trying to, for one moment, ignore the fact that there was a war just outside their door- or even closer than that.