The Next War, Operation Attila, D+10 Dawn

Netherlands - West Germany Border, 0400 Zulu Time

"Comrades, I know we are all tired and our heroic troops already went beyond our best expectations.

We already showed the capability and skill of the Marxist-Leninist soldier, conscious of his historical mission and not a mere puppet in the hands of a capitalistic government that keeps the proletarian masses under the yoke of ignorance!"

Standing rigidly at attention, Captain Milan Stepanovich Zhilin was trying his best to hide the true feelings about his regiment commander's speech. Colonel Osip Aleskeevich Yankov was notoriously a fanatic, always ready to denounce his officers for 'counterrevolutionary thoughts'. 

'...the skill of the Marxist-Leninist soldier, conscious of his historical mission...', he thought bitterly. After ten days of war, he has only seen trembling Belorussian adolescents asking themselves why they are going to die so far from home, and poor Ukrainian farmers trying to find a way to survive a MLRS artillery bombardment.

Colonel Yankov continued his motivating speech: "After the sound victories in the so-called Federal Republic of Germany, the time has come to inflict the final blow to the remains of the once proud armies of the European slaves of America! The collapse of NATO is getting near, and we will not stop now, no matter what sacrifices are needed, just a few steps before the final goal of freeing the oppressed German workers from their slavery!"

'...the time has come to inflict the final blow...', pure bullshit. His infantry company had 40% losses, no food, and fired his last antitank missile four days ago. Without replacements and supply, the best they could hope was to survive until the arrival of the second echelon reinforcements.

But of course, there was no way to make his commander at least consider the truth. A single word of disapproval and he would find himself under trial, with a one-way ticket to Siberia.

Colonel Yankov was now approaching the final part of his speech, in an unstoppable crescendo; ".....and once again, Comrades, I call on your unwavering faith in the way traced by Lenin, to bring this epic struggle to the unavoidable conclusion predicted by Karl Marx! The fall of the capitalistic system!"

"FORWARD, COMRADE COLONEL!", Captain Zhilin shouted in unison with the other officers.