Chapter Three: Meeting the Schnitters

Rosengraten, Germania; South of Hamburg

Headquarters of Army Group Alpha

Four Hours Later

Field Marshal Erwin Schnitter the 31st, the commander of Isotxian Army Group Alpha(AGA) was sitting behind his desk looking at the latest reports about the Battle in Puget Province smoking his pipe while his younger siblings, Julie and Harrison Schnitter sat in the seats next to the right wall of his office as Wally, his pet German Shepherd slept peacefully in her bed at the corner on his officer

"Do you really have to do that while we're in here Erwin?" Julie asked, before choking after accidentally breathing in some smoke from Erwin's pipe

"It helps me concentrate." He replied

"Well you're suffocating us!" She said in a wheezy voice

Erwin rolled his eyes and took his pipe out of his mouth before dumping it's content into the ash tray on his desk before putting the pipe on it's holder

"Happy now?" He asked her when Manfred, their older brother came into the room, escorting Shephard who more than willing sat down in the empty seat in front of Erwin's desk while Manfred stood behind him

"You must be Major General Shephard." Erwin said to him

"That's me." He replied, "Who's in charge here?"

"That would be me." Erwin said

"Oh...I thought you would be-" Shephard asked

"Older?" Erwin replied, "Age doesn't mean seniority general."

Shephard nodded

"Sorry for making that mistake." He said while Erwin nodded

"Shephard, I want you to meet my chief intelligence officer and younger sister, Julie Schnitter and my assister and younger brother, Harrison and I believe you're already affiliated with my older brother, Manfred." He said to Shephard who looked back at Manfred before looking back at Erwin, already knowing what his name was due to the name tag on his desk

"Erwin..." Julie said to her brother

"I know...I know." He replied, "Lets get down to business, so General I understand that you're supposed to be here to help us fight off these Combine...things attacking Puget Province?"

"Yes." Shephard said

"What can you tell us about them?" Erwin asked him

"They're a multi-dimensional empire bent on wiping out mankind." He replied

"Well we kind already guessed about the wiping out mankind part, but not the multi-dimensional empire part." Harrison said to him

"So I also trust you've been keeping track of the progress of Field Marshal October's counter-attack?" Erwin asked Shephard

"I've been listening to whatever I can and trust me Field Marshal, October's progress is only going to be temporary. The Combine will eventually strike back, hard." He replied

Erwin nodded

"Currently they're focusing most of their forces on the provincial capital, Seattle where they managed to entrap the forces of a former colleague of mine, General Otto Himu. " He said to Shephard

"So I've heard." He replied

"But high command already doubts that Field Marshal October's Home Army will be able to reach Seattle in time to relief to his forces and if we want to save the general and his men we need to find a way to quicken the pace of Field Marshal October's forces before the Combine finish off Himu's men and you're unfortunately the best lead we have." Erwin said to him, "And if you help us, our government will join the alliance. Even if you fail."

"We won't." Shephard replied, "But before me and my men go, we need to call in the rest of our task force from the other side of the Hanover portal."

Erwin nodded

"How large is your task force?" He asked

"Large enough to get the job done." Shephard replied

"Good enough for me." Erwin said, "We have another question, we have intel indicating that inside the territory of our enemy, the Eastern Empire there is a third portal. Can you confirm this for us?"

Shephard nodded

"There is indeed a third portal and it's under the control of another alliance, the Ontario Pact." He said

"Who is this Ontario Pact?" Julie asked him

"The ones who are responsible for the events that opened the portals that both us and the Combine to your world." He replied, "Be warned, they are extremely hostile and dangerous."

"Thanks for the heads up." Erwin said to him, "By the time you get to your men, all your equipment would have been given back to you."

Shephard nodded

"Thank Field Marshal." He said to Erwin as he got up and left the office

"Should I follow him?" Manfred asked

"No, I think we can trust him." Erwin replied, "On the other hand though, I want all of our forces on the frontline to be put on full alert and the reserves mobilized, he wasn't kidding about those Ontario Pact guys."

"Should we send warning down to Field Marshal Abra?" Julie asked him

"Yes and also send warning to the Ministry of Defense and the Pacific Theater." He replied, "We have a lot of work in store for us today, so we better get on it."

"Erwin, if the Eastern Empire joins this Pact, the Commonwealth is going to be in some serious trouble." Harrison said to him

"But we'll have these Alliance people backing us in return." He replied

"Are you sure that we rely on these Alliance people?" Manfred asked him

"If we can trust Shephard, we can surely trust them." He replied, "Dismissed and Julie, I want you to keep an extra eye out for any suspicious or unusual activity behind Imperial lines."

Julie nodded

"Will do Erwin." She said before they all left the room, leaving Erwin and Wally alone

Wally made a whining noise

"I know, I don't like it either." Erwin said, "But times have changed."

Erwin looked at his pipe, picked it up, refilled it with tobacco, and then lit it with a match before picking up the reports he was reading

Trans-Dimensional Joint Task Force

Shephard returned to the gymnasium where the TDJTF was being held to find that they're equipment was in the process of being returned by the Isotxians

"What is thing?" A Isotxian Soldier asked as he held up a tablet, "Is it some kind of eating platform?"

"It's a PDA!" The Owner, a TDJTF Officer said to the Isotxian Soldier as he took his PDA out of the Soldier's hand and turned it on

"PDA?" The Soldier asked, rubbing one of his hands

"Personal Digital Assistant." The TDJTF Officer said to him, "You don't have them here?"

"I'm afraid not." He replied

"Well do you know what a computer is?" The TDJTF Officer asked, the Soldier shook his head, "Oh well...how do I explain this..."

"Is something wrong?" Shephard asked the Officer

"Sir, this Isotxian is saying that he doesn't know what a computer is." He replied

Shephard looked at the Isotxian Soldier

"Can you hand me your PDA?" He asked the Officer

"Yes sir." He replied before handing Shephard the PDA that he used to pull a folder of a computer that he showed to the Isotxian soldier while also catching the attention of a nearby Isotxian officer

"What the bloody hell is that?" The Officer asked Shephard with a English accent

"It's a computer, I'm guessing that they were never invented here?" He replied

"Guessing so since I've near heard of one." The Officer said

Shephard gave the TDJTF Officer his PDA back

"Well I guess that's all about the change soon." He said, "Where did you put our transports?"

"They're outside on the trucks in the school parking lot." The Isotxian Officer replied, "And don't worry, we haven't done anything to them."

"Good because we're going to need them." Shephard said to the Officer