Ukraine — Bila Tserkva Sector, July 1941
Mud splattered the visor again.
And Falk didn't mind.
The Panzer roared as if it had never been out of commission. Every vibration of the engine, every jolt from the uneven ground… was music to him. Around them, the front wasn't a line—it was a rumor of artillery, a tangle of moving columns, a map redrawn every hour.
And he was in the middle of it.Where he belonged.
—"Confirmed: pockets of Soviet resistance in the hills northeast," Helmut said, headphones on. "We're assigned to support a Romanian unit that fell behind."
—"Romanians, huh?" Lukas muttered. "Do they come with horses or engines?"
—"They come hungry," Konrad added, adjusting his sights. "So be careful—they shoot with real intent."
They found the Romanians holding an improvised position: two light armored vehicles, camouflaged infantry crouched in shrubs, and a captain with binoculars and frayed nerves.
Falk dismounted and walked toward him.
—"Do you speak German?"
—"Enough," the Romanian captain replied. "We're taking fire from the left flank. Damned treeline."
—"Machine guns or something nastier?"
—"Mortars. And we suspect an anti-tank gun. Already took a hit."
Falk nodded, glanced at the terrain, then at the trees.
—"Leave it to us. Cover us if they try to pull back."
—"Deal."
The Panzer rolled to the flank, flanked by dust kicked up by Romanian boots. The radio crackled.
—"Target among the trees. Position marked with red flare."
—"Got it," said Falk. "Konrad, it's yours. Ernst, load HE. Lukas… feel the ground."
The track crunched as they turned. The Panzer paused. Then fired.
An explosion tore through part of the foliage.
—"Still active," Helmut said.
—"Not for long," Konrad replied.
Second shot. This time, no return fire.
When they returned to the Romanian position, the captain just gave a nod.
—"Clean and clear."
—"As it should be," Falk replied.
Back on the trail, Ernst broke the silence.
—"You know what?"
—"What?"
—"I missed this."
—"The mud?" Lukas asked.
—"No. The noise. The work. Us."
—"It's strange, but yeah," Helmut added. "It feels… familiar."
—"We're like an engine," Falk said. "When we're all together, we turn."
Konrad tapped the turret lightly.
—"Then let's keep it running."
The Panzer rolled on.And with it, five men who finally felt they were back where they belonged.
Where mud wasn't a burden—but a sign that they were back at the front.