Chapter Text
Weaponry: Lansealer Carbine
Designed specifically by the students of the GSS School at the Lanseal Royal Academy, the Lansealer saw its first prototypes coming out in 1933 and polished into the final version in 1934, gaining widespread appreciation by the soldiers of the Service.
The Lansealer is a fully automated carbine with a 20-rounds magazine and an innovative grenade launcher mounted below the barrel. This secondary weapon is able to fire explosive shells of 203 mm that are much more devastating than regular grenades, it also fires at much higher speed, which limits the possible parable but hits hard enough to make a truck explode immediately, thus making it useful even to disable tanks if the soldier manages to fire on the exposed radiators.
It’s also a very reliable weapon, able to fall into snow, sand or mud and keep firing anyway, making it perfect for the infiltration tactics of the GSS. The Gallian National Arsenal has bought the project and there are talks of making it the standard weapon for the Armed Forces, but its relatively long and expensive production cycle makes the transition too risky to do during a military emergency like the Imperial invasion.
Welkin observed through his periscope with a certain surprise. He himself knew that bringing the Edelweiss through the river with mistleweed was a gamble to say the least. Yet, it was a gamble that was paying off. They were actually pushing a tank of considerable weight through the water by just relying on that plant.
Still, there were many things that could go wrong: the mistleweed turf might have ended before they reached the opposite bank, or just shrink enough for it not being able to sustain the tank tracks. He didn’t doubt the mechanical part that had been handled by Isara, but still, even she might have missed something on turning the tank amphibious.
None of the two spoke a word as long as they were below the water. Isara was entirely focused on driving and trying to see if the mistleweed was still there beneath the fairly dark mantle of the water.
Then the trucks made a loud sound. The machine suddenly felt different. The siblings gasped in surprise, then Isara finally realized. “Welks...we did it! We are ready to get out on the opposite bank!” she said excited and moved.
Welkin finally drew a sigh of relief and then said “Then let’s get our friends here. Full speed ahead!” he said with a certain enthusiasm himself.
Isara put the pedal to the metal and the Edelweiss rushed up on the rise.
It emerged going at full speed, which even made it lift slightly from the ground and land on the ford with a loud thud. Welkin looked through the periscope and saw two imperial sentinels that were running away in panic.
Knowing that there was no time to waste, he took the hold flare pistol of his father from his pocket, opened the hatch and rose his arm as much as he could, then he pulled the trigger.
A red flare was shot upward. Despite the thick fog, it was still quite visible at a short distance, so it took only a few seconds before the two boats with the GSS strike force managed to reach the ford and the troops in black disembarked, among them also Sheila, who stood up quite much with her Militia uniform and her semi-automatic carbine.
“I must say, kid, that was impressive. Now let’s cover the younglings, shall we?” Lieutenant Coulson said.
“Right away. Isara, take us on the road.” Welkin instructed.
Isara adjusted the gear and moved the tank toward the access ramps of the city’s road. Meanwhile, Coulson turned toward the Corporals and the Engineer.
“You three lay low and wait for an opportunity. We’ll draw all the Imps we can away from the control room.”
“Yes, sir!” Kiril and Ramal replied in unison. Sheila nodded firmly.
Coulson then turned around and signaled his squad to fall behind him as they ran toward the bridge, which was around 800 meters north of their position. The fog was slowly dissipating as the sun rose ever more and there wouldn’t be long before the two sentinels that had fled their post would bring in their comrades.
Without waiting for the GSS, Welkin had Isara rush toward the bridge until they met the first Imperial tanks, still parked and being refueled through some ragna-crates. Truly a golden opportunity.
“Lieutenant Coulson, do you copy?” he asked on the radio.
“What’s the deal, Edelweiss?” the Lieutenant asked back.
“Do you have access to artillery fire?”
“You bet we do.”
“Then I’d like to recommend a barrage on this coordinates.”
Still following the natural bank of the river, Ramal, Kiril and Sheila were jogging and keeping themselves as closed to the vertical wall of stone and cement separating the city from the basin of the river. It didn’t take long before they started the sound of intense gunfights and then even the whistle of mortar fire, which only anticipated a huge rumble and a mixture of red and blue flames.
“They’re really giving it all.” Sheila said, intimidated and admired.
“Yeah, so that we could have our chance.” Kiril replied, then pointed something not far from their position. “Look. We can use that ladder and we will be at the control room.”
“All right, cover me while I go take a look.” Ramal said. He then passed his rifle’s girth over the shoulders so he could use both hands to climb the ladder. He reached the top and peeked over, only seeing imperial soldiers running around like headless chicken as their commanders tried to pull them into more cohesive formations.
However, the most important thing was that they were rushing toward the flaming tank depot, where Welkin and Coulson’s squad were torching every piece of imperial equipment and gunning down any soldier on their way.
Seeing the opportunity, the young Corporal finished the climb and signaled his friends to come up while he checked the surroundings. The others reached him, and so they found themselves in front of their objective: the bridge’s control room, now guarded only by five guards.
The two Corporals looked at each other, and already they knew how they intended to act.
“Sheila, we’ll take care of the scouts and the shocktroopers. We begin the attack when you shoot that lancer over there.” Kiril whispered.
“Got it.” she replied as she laid prone on the ground, behind a pile of rubble that granted her a good cover.
She checked the firing chamber and then aligned her barrel. As she stared down the sight, for a moment she wondered whether it was right to shoot someone in cold blood like that. Then the faces of her lifelong friends who had died the day before by the hands of the Imps showed up in her head and every symptom of regret instantly evaporated.
With deadly conviction, she made sure to have the head of the lancer perfectly sighted and she pulled the trigger.
The first shot hit the man right on the helmet. He buckled but didn’t seem enough, so Sheila promptly fired another shot that now certainly gave him to the eternal sleep.
Already after her first shot, Ramal and Kiril opened fire. They killed the two guards closer to them with shots worthy of a trained sniper, then they quickly used their grenade launchers to punch the sandbags behind which the other two were taking cover. The shells exploded with huge violence and sent even the sturdy wall of sandbags to fly backward. If the sheer shockwave had not killed those soldiers, the heavy bags had now crushed their heads and other vital organs.
Nonetheless, the GSS hurried forward, keeping their weapons pointed until they were sure all the Imperials around them were dead, and now they had control of the control room.
Kiril watched the bridge: the Imperial armored column was right in the middle of it.
“Now’s a perfect time, darling.” he encouraged.
While Ramal was checking the other side, making sure nobody returned from the heated battle occurring a few meters from them, Sheila went in and quickly analyzed the controls. She quickly spotted the powering system and the controls, so she immediately got to work.
In less than fifteen seconds, the ragnite engine of the bridge started roaring and so did the gears. Then, with the Imperials completely caught by surprise, the drawbridge started to fold.
Watching from behind a barricade with the rest of his soldiers, Erwin had started to think that they would have had to face the first wave anyway, so he was quite relieved when the bridge started to move with their wannabe foes on it. The Imperials screamed and hopelessly tried to escape from there, but the road beneath them quickly became a vertical wall that was impossible to climb. It was a scene of just a few seconds, but at the end of it, all Imperial foot soldiers and tanks were sent on the bottom of the Vasel river.
Then the bridge started coming together once again.
“Come on, our comrades still need help!” he proclaimed, telling the various companies to regroup and prepare to cross the cleared bridge.
As soon as the bridge returned to its viable form, it was Squad 7 the one to sally forth, with Largo and Rosie leading the charge. The whole 3rd Regiment rushed to the other side of the bridge, only to find that the whole strike team, including the Edelweiss, had gathered around the bridgehead and was calmly waiting for them, with a large number of smoke columns, charred tanks and Imperial bodies behind them.
“Took you long enough.” one of the agents quipped.
The Militias were stunned: it looked like that small group, with just a tank as support, had wiped out the entire armored corp.
“I figure you had everything under control, gentlemen, and it seems I wasn’t wrong.” Erwin complimented. He noticed that there was still all of them, with only two agents lightly wounded. “Excellent job. Are there any more Imps?”
“After we wrecked their tanks, the survivors fled like mad. If the 1st Regiment is already in position, they should be able to intercept them.”
“They are, but better warn them, anyway.”
Erwin quickly did that and then ordered the 3rd Regiment to stay there and preside the bridgehead in case the Imperials attempted a counterattack, while the 2nd went back to participate in the encirclement of the enemies still trapped on the western bank. However, by the end of the day the 1st Regiment reported that they had captured or killed a little more than 2.000 men, others had probably managed to slip through their line.
All things considered, what was left of the Imperial armored division that had spearheaded toward Vasel was completely encircled, with a very limited supply of ammo, food and fuel. The bulk of the Imperial Army was too far to assist them and would be stopped by the new line of defense that Gallia was already preparing on the other side of the Vasel.
It had been, by all accounts, a tremendous success. The trapped Imperials were still resisting, but it was just a matter of time before they starved to death or surrendered, and a sortie would have been extremely costly for them even if successful.
As such, the atmosphere among the Gallians was one of rejoice, that afternoon. In particular, most of the soldiers were cheering Welkin and Isara for being the ones to participated in the daring action that allowed the recapture of the bridge and the victory at large.
“Seriously, Welkin. Mistleweed? Only you could have thought of that.” Juno joked.
Welkin chuckled. “Lucky me that I passed all my Botanic exams. Besides, without Isara’s skill, we wouldn’t have crossed the river anyway.” he said as he patted his sister’s head.
Isara blushed a little and lamented without much effort “Welks, I’m not a baby…” earning an earnest laugh from the rest of the Squad.
“But seriously, I’m impressed you came up with water countermeasures so quickly.” an old Engineer, Knute Jung, commented with respectful admiration. “I never heard of a tank that can literally fare below a body of water.”
“Well, it may not have worked if the ford had been too deep. But I figured that if I applied something to counter the gravity and the pressure of the water…”
As Isara explained how she achieved an amphibious Edelweiss , Welkin spotted all of a sudden Largo and Rosie, who were being pushed by a stern Alicia.
“All right, you two. I think you have something to tell the Lieutenant?”
Largo sighed. “All right, all right. Lieutenant, I’m sorry I disrespected you. It looks like you know what you’re doing, I won’t discuss your orders anymore.”
Welkin tried to bring the mood to a cheerier one. “It’s okay, Largo. Your doubting was perfectly understandable.”
“Rosie?” Alicia said, staring at the back of the Corporal.
After taking a moment to gulp down her pride, Rosie finally spoke up. “Fine, I will follow your orders from now on.” then she added a hostile gaze toward Isara and Sheila. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll go along with some Darcsen.” and then she walked away.
“Hey, Rosie!” Alicia recalled, but Isara calmed her down.
“It’s all right, Alicia. I’m used to this.”
“That’s the point, though.” Sheila intervened. “We didn’t do anything to her, so why should we take her insults?” then she turned toward Largo. “Sergeant, do you have any idea why is she so picky with us?”
Largo scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, kid. Rosie has been like that since I met her. She never told me why and I never felt the need to ask.”
Sheila sighed, but then she assumed a more resolute tone. “That means we will have to get it out of her...eventually.”
Isara and Largo were surprised. “What do you mean?” asked the other girl.
“I feel like Rosie doesn’t hate us just because society told her to. There’s something...personal, below that hatred.” Sheila replied with a pensive expression. “But if we can find out why, maybe she will finally come around and see that we’re not some cursed animals, but normal human beings.” she added with some positivity.
“Do you really think so?” Isara asked with what seemed like a hopeful expression.
“Absolutely. I may not take insults without replying, but what I really want is that the Darcsens will finally be able to join society as equals.” Sheila replied with determination.
“That sounds like a wonderful wish.” Isara said with admiration and a smile that indicated she wanted in.
Sheila thus made a defiant and friendly smile to her. “Then how about we join forces, Isara? Let us fight for a future of peace and justice.” she said as she extended her hand.
With a certain enthusiasm on her part, Isara replied “All right!” and grabbed Sheila’s hand with energy.
The two looked at each other with a wide smile, for what promised to be a good friendship had just been born.
They stayed like that until they realized that it was all too quiet and then turned toward the bulk of their comrades gathered around the Edelweiss . Most of them was watching with curiosity, others like Alicia were smiling widely and then Welkin had his eyes teary.
“What are you all staring at?” Sheila asked defiantly while Isara felt a little pressured.
“Oh, nothing it’s just...Isara finally found a friend. I’m just happy.” Welkin admitted candidly.
“Welks!” his sister protested while trying to hide her face and the rest of the unit laughed amused.
March 19, 1935.
As Cordelia was sitting on the chair and Wilbur ran her and DeWytt through the issues they were about to discuss, a young page entered the office and quickly bowed. “Your Highness. Prime Minister. Ambassador Townshend and his delegation has arrived and humbly asks for an audience.”
“Please, show them in.” Cordelia replied kindly.
The page bowed again and went out to get the guests. Cordelia made a silent sigh and looked up to her mentor. Wilbur gave her an encouraging smile and nodded as he stood right next to her. This was going to be the Princess’ first real diplomatic meeting. After spending the last two years being tutored by Wilbur himself it was time for her, just a few months away from her official coronation, to enter the world of the real diplomacy, the one made behind closed doors and where threats and blackmailing were a constant.
The doors were opened by two other pages and thus came in the Ambassador plenipotentiary of the Atlantic Federation Jean Townshend. Beside him, Wilbur recognized the Chief of Staff of the Federal Army, General Edmunds of Edinburgh, and a young man who was probably the assistant of Townshend.
The delegation made a step forward and made a formal bow.
“Your Highness. On behalf of the Atlantic Federation, I thank you for granting us some time. I’m sure your duties to your country in this moment must be quite burdening.” Townshend started.
“It is I who thank you, Ambassador. We heard that the Federation is also facing a dire moment.”
In his mind, Wilbur approved of the Princess’ reply. The way Townshend had greeted was far from being a sincere consternation: he wanted to underline the difficulties of Gallia so that the Princess would be more inclined to subordinate her country to the Federation, but by answering that way, Cordelia had remembered that the Federation was faring no better and therefore was not in a position of strength as they wanted to believe.
Cordelia then graciously stood up, to speak with the delegation as a peer.
“So, I suppose you have considered the proposal of my faithful Minister?”
“The Federal Council has carefully reviewed the idea. Indeed, they found it quite the interesting concept. A Europan Community as the bulwark for a future peace is certainly something we all can agree would be a welcomed opportunity.”
“We are glad to hear it.” Wilbur replied. “Of course, this project will mean nothing if the Empire wins the war. As the founding stone of the communal project, Gallia is willing to sign a treaty of military cooperation with the alliance of countries that are victims of the Empire’s expansionist ambitions.”
“That’s the main reason of our visit.” Edmunds said politely. “Your unexpected victory at Vasel has not only saved your country, it has also rekindled the flame of resistance in all of Europa. Even our troops have been fighting with much more cunning and conviction since they heard about it.”
“We’re happy that the whole continent shares this joy.” DeWytt replied. “However, we can hardly defeat the whole Imperial Army on our own. We need to define a cohesive strategy to maximize our impact on the Empire.”
“On that matter...Mizzi?” Townshend asked to his assistant.
The young man pulled out a file and handed it to the Gallians. Cordelia nodded to Wilbur, who took and started taking a look at the reports and the maps that were inside it.
“As a sign of good will, the Council wanted to let yourself aware of our next move: as soon as the Imperial offensive loses steam, the Federation intends to launch a full offensive deep inside enemy territory. It will be the biggest military undertaking in our history.”
Wilbur finished looking at the maps and realized the point of this operation. “An attempt at taking Schwartzgrad?” he asked quite surprised. “With all due respect, isn’t this way too risky?”
“We are aware, Prime Minister.” Edmunds said stoically. “However, what other chance we have? The Empire has a larger industry and a far larger population than all of us. We can’t win a war of attrition.”
Wilbur quickly looked at Cordelia and then DeWytt. Both of them nodded to give him their consent for him to disclose that part of the plan while he returned the file.
“Then allow me to propose an alternative.”
The federal delegation looked intrigued. “Very well. What is your proposal?” Townshend asked.
“True, the Empire possess a larger manpower pool. However, not all of those people are that willing to fight for it.”
“What does that mean?” Edmunds asked.
“In the last decades, our Intelligence managed to reach out to several independence movements active in the Empire. There are several peoples at the periphery that would rather have their own independent country. If you wish, we can put you in contact with them and prepare collaboration governments for this offensive.”
Townshend mumbled and passed a hand on his chin. “Interesting. We focus our offensive on the west and southern areas of the Empire and set up new independent countries. That would earn us both new volunteers and raw materials for the war effort.”
“Precisely.” Wilbur confirmed. “Aiming directly for the capital is too big of a gamble, especially considering that you can’t possibly reach the city before winter sets in. But if you focus on creating new allies and take away the breadbasket of the Empire. It won’t matter how many more men they have when they will not be able to feed them.”
Townshend exchanged a few glances with Edmunds. Clearly, the General found the idea of the Gallian Prime Minister extremely convincing. By giving the peoples at the edge of the Empire their freedom, the Federation would secure its rear and claim the morale high ground as it kept occupying the richest regions for the Empire.
“I will deliver this proposal to the Council. I will inform you of their answer as soon as I receive it.”
“In all honesty, I hope they accept it.” Edmunds said, for he wasn’t prohibited from expressing an opinion on the matter. “I know many think that prudence will only get us all killed, but I think this strategy has better chances to succeed.”
“Then we bid you a good day, and good fortune to your soldiers.” Cordelia concluded the meeting with these words.
The federal delegation bowed again and then left, leaving the Gallians to make their own considerations and Cordelia to draw a sigh of relief.
“Your performance was immaculate, Your Highness. My sincerest compliments.” Wilbur said with a smile.
Cordelia returned the smile. “It is all thanks to your tutoring, Prime Minister.” then she returned serious. “General DeWytt, any chance that we can go on the offensive?”
DeWytt pondered as he spoke. “Vasel was certainly a welcome success and we suddenly removed one of the Empire’s few fully motorized units. However, it is way too soon to talk about an offensive, even if General Absenkirch is going on a spree behind enemy lines.”
Exploiting the huge gap in the imperial lines that had been created by the destruction of the 4 th Armored Division at Vasel, Erwin had taken the two mobile regiments of his Division and was conducting a long-rage search and destruction of imperial depots or even more isolated units. Just an hour before a report had come in that they had engaged and annihilated a foot infantry regiment and their support tanks, but now the 1 st and 2 nd Regiment of the Division were already returning to Vasel to reunite with their comrades of the Militia.
Erwin was hoping that the Imperials would get cold feet after such a shock and would slow down their advance, but for now Gallia was still on the defensive, no doubt about it.
“Also, if the Federation intends to launch a counterattack, they will first have to stop or at least make sure the Imperial offensive runs out of momentum. It might take a few months before they are in a condition to bring forth their plan.”
“I see.”
“Well, it may not be all that bad. Mr Agusta just received a report from his factory: they are positive they can produce five new Edelweiss models in 30 days. If we wait two or three months, we can have a full armored squadron armed with the most advanced tank around.” Wilbur said on a positive note. “Not to mention, we just sent away the candidates for our brand new Air Force.”
DeWytt hummed impressed. “Right. If we manage to keep these resources a secret until the time for a counteroffensive comes, it will be a shock to the Imperials.”
“Which means, we will have to exploit our advantage.” Cordelia added.
“Speaking of which…” Wilbur said more cautiously. “I know it was biased, but in light of General Absenkirch’s success at Vasel, have you considered the idea of giving him the position of Marshall?”
“I have listened the rest of the War Council.” said DeWytt. “Of course, given their long-standing rivalry, General Damon is firmly opposed, and nearly half of the Council is still reluctant to elevate a...well, forgive me, Prime Minister...a commoner.”
Wilbur sighed in frustration. “This again…”
“I know Erwin since you all fought under General Gunther. If it was for me, I would have already given him the position, for he’s clearly the best we have, but…”
“Yeah, yeah...well, I’m sure Erwin won’t take long to make the more reasonable ones see that he’s the only real choice for that.”
March 23, 1935.
The search and destruction was a total success. The Imperials now had to rebuild their logistical chain in Central Gallia and had stopped any major offensive. Now the Gallians only needed to wait a month or two until the new equipment rolled in and the Militias started making experience with the minor skirmishes along the front before going on a counterattack.
As such, Erwin had decided that now it was the moment to do the one thing that he actually feared: go back home to the island of Reite.
As he dismounted the ferry that had brought him to the harbor town alongside his escort detail of four GSS agents, Erwin felt both nostalgia and a fair amount of anxiety for what he was about to do.
Even more so when the inhabitants noticed and recognized him. Word soon spread that the only male Valkyrur around had just returned.
Reite was quite a large island, but since most of it covered by the huge mount Halspitz there were only two settlements: the harbor town that gave the name to the island and then the town of Biele, at the base of the mountain, where the secret tribe of Valkyrias actually lived, using the harbor town as her door to the world, one they could easily control.
It was at that town where Erwin was going. A village where, right now, there were only adult females and at most some male children, but so far none of them had awakened the blood of their ancestors. They would still grow and become the inhabitants of Reite, with the goal of keeping the island’s secret as such.
As soon as he reached the first houses, the population was at first amazed of seeing him, then they greeted him happily, going around him to ask how he was doing.
“Papa!”
Among the crowd of women surrounding him, only one caught his attention as the ranks opened to let a young girl run to him. Erwin lowered and opened his arms, catching her as soon as she jumped on him. Then he hug her with all the strength and kindness he had.
“Merne. I’m so glad to see you!” he said almost crying.
She pressed her little arms around his neck and made an affectionate grumble.
That was Merne, third and last child of his. It didn’t take long for the rest of the family to show up, and Erwin’s mind made a leap when he saw a woman with silver-blonde hair and the crimson eyes.
“Erwin!”
“Vyrka…” the General replied, moved as he finally saw his wife again after months.
The two adults moved toward each other until they could embrace, with Erwin still holding Merne in his left arm. He kissed his wife on the cheek and rubbed the back of her head gently.
When they broke the hug, Vyrka turned around, toward the many younglings gathered in the street. “Kids! Your father is here!”
Soon enough, a young boy of 15 with the same eyes and hair colors of Erwin ran in.
“Father!” he said, walking toward him with open arms.
Erwin smiled, put down Merne and went to hug his second son. “Sigurd. Let me take a look.” he said after they hugged. After seeing how toned and robust his son was coming up, he clapped his shoulders and proudly said “Look at you. Strong as a mountain.”
“I’m the son of a war hero. I have to look good, at the very least.” he joked.
Erwin chuckled. “Well, I’m working so all of you will grow up in a world of peace. You should keep training for your own well-being more than anything.”
“That’s what we’ve all been saying him.”
Erwin rose his head and finally saw the last member of his family. His pride and joy: his first daughter Hilde, 18 years old and the only one so far who had awakened as a Valkyria and was thus showing a single strand of silver hair on the left side of her blonde hair, which were tied into a small bun on the back.
He went and hugged her, however he also hesitated to let her go for a moment, because he knew full well that, by the end of that day, she was probably going to leave. His smile probably gave something away to her, because she asked “What’s wrong?” even if lightheartedly.
“I’ll tell you later. First, how are the girls?” he asked.
Hilde smiled and nodded for him to follow. Erwin did the same to his escort detail. They were then brought into a fairly large hut, which was the local orphanage.
It wasn’t exactly populated: right now, there were only a dozen kids inside, but Erwin was interested in one of them, for she was the first rescued children from outside Gallia. Hilde went in and called warmly.
“Angie.”
A little girl, no more than 7 years old with pink hair and eyes, ran to her, then she saw Erwin.
“Oh, mister Absenkirch!” Angie said happily.
Erwin smiled at them. “Hello, girl.” then he turned toward the officer of his escort. “Well, Captain? Aren’t you going to say hi?”
The officer stood there for a moment, then he calmly removed his iron mask, the helmet and the headscarf, revealing a young man with short black hair and grayish eyes. That young man smiled at her dearly.
“Kai!” she said happily surprised and rushed to him.
Kai knelt down and received her. “Actually, it’s Forseti now.” he precised. “But I’m still happy to see you. Do you like it here?”
Angie nodded eagerly.
“The ladies here are so good to us and the food is so good.”She said, but then she also expressed a doubt. “But...I still miss my brothers and sisters back home.”
Kai sighed, retaining a nostalgic smile. “I understand that. You know, I have a little sister, too.”
The girl was suddenly captured by curiosity “Uh?”
“I haven’t seen her in...well, from before I saved you.” he said with a slightly guilty tone. “I have left a burden on her, on my friends...sometimes all I want is just to go back to them and say I’m sorry.” then he tried to sound a little more determined. “But first I need to help create a world where girls like you will never be taken away again. After that, I will go back to them.”
Angie put her hands in front of her mouth, as if she was suddenly shocked, then she suddenly dashed forward and slammed into Forseti, trying to hug him entirely with her short arms.
“They are waiting for you, too, Kai. I’m sure you will go back to be good friends.”
It seemed completely out of nowhere, but Angie was just that spontaneous. Erwin couldn’t hold back a smile as he saw the stoic Forseti hug the little girl.
“Wherever she goes, she’s able to bring joy.” Hilde commented on his side.
Joy. As Erwin realized that it was time to do his job, that was a sentiment that evaporated quite quickly.
“Hilde, I have an announcement to make. Can you gather all the Awakened in the Grand Hall?”
“Sure thing, dad.” she replied candidly.
Thus, nearly half-an-hour later, a total of 38 Valkyrias of a wide range of age were all gathered in the large house used for reunions since ancient times.
As the women sat on the steps cornering the center of the room, Erwin started speaking while Forseti stood composed behind him, listening.
“Ladies, what I’m about to say might be...unsettling. But the world is changing, and we simply cannot ignore what’s going on outside of the island any longer.” Erwin began. “I believe all of you remember why Angie and other girls like her had been brought here by Captain Forseti?”
“Because the Federation intended to use them as damn batteries.” one of the adult women said in disdain.
Erwin nodded. “Indeed. They would be used as part of a secret plan that the Federation has been preparing for a while expecting the next war with the Empire. I was aware of the plan, but I never knew that the Federation would resort to such measures to get their power source.”
“Father, what actually is this plan?” Hilde asked.
Erwin sighed and started explaining. “A few years ago, a Gallian scientist discovered a new method to use ragnite by causing an implosion. It allows it to create an almost endless amount of energy, which has potential to become a solution to any energy war...and the catalyst for unfathomable destruction. Which is basically the premise of the Federation’s plan.”
The audience kept listening with ever more alarmed eyes.
“The idea is to build three ships with this technology, then slam them into the Imperial capital when winter sets in and the Crystal Sea become a huge land of ice, which is usually an impenetrable barrier. However, so far the only way to create a ragnite implosion that the scientists have found...is to use the power of our ancestors. Finding a Valkyria, modifying her and slamming her inside the reactor needed for this method is, right now, the only practical solution.”
“So you’re saying that they will not stop.”
The one to speak was Thereia, the oldest Valkyria of the island at 73, though given the slow aging of her people, she still looked only a little more than 50.
With her words, everyone started to see where Erwin intended to go and he noticed that.
“Correct. Unfortunately, we can’t go back on this plan: it might be our best chance at taking down the Empire once and for all. Because let me remind you: the Federation might have been twisted, but the Empire is also employing a Valkyria, perhaps even more. If they win and Reite falls in their hands...I’ll let you imagine what they would do with all of us.”
A deep silence followed. Despite their relative isolation, the Valkyrias were not blind to what was happening in the outside world and the brutal reputation of the Imperial hierarchies.
“Therefore…” Erwin said with a heavy heart. “I’m here to ask if there are any volunteers to take the place of Angie and the others.”
Now the Valkyrias started to look around. None of them certainly wanted their young brethren to be used as tools of war, it simply was too inhumane. However, many seemed to hesitate, with the deeply rooted isolationism carved in their minds.
“I’ll go.”
Erwin closed his eyes and made a silent sigh. He had feared for that voice to be the first and it had happened. He turned around and saw Hilde standing up, her fist tightened and her face anxious but with a fire burning in her eyes.
Everyone else looked at her with admiration and maybe confusion.
“Hilde! Sit down!” Vyrka immediately ordered her in panic.
“No!” the daughter retorted. “How can we ask anyone else to do something so risky if your family stays back? Besides, father is right: the world is changing. Our powers will soon be known to all once again, and humanity will react to them.
“If we keep to ourselves, what do you think the world will feel about us if not suspicion and fear? I will not let that happen! I won’t sit here while other girls like Angie get tortured and used as tools of war! If my sacrifice will open the path to a world of peace...then I will do it.”
Erwin listened to those words with a mix of pride and anguish. When silence reigned again, he spoke up.
“Hilde...at the end of this mission...there is most likely death. You need to know that.”
The young girl gulped silently. “I understand...but I stand by my decision.” she replied and walked away from the seats and next to her father. The mother couldn’t hold back the tears but she used all her strength to stay silent.
Erwin looked at her daughter and only made a calm nod when she returned a strong gaze. On the sideline, he noticed that Forseti was completely stunned.
“I will go, too.”
The next to speak was Vurne, a woman in her 40s who had long desired to leave the village. “Sounds like I can finally get out of here without risking to be caught.”
She then walked up to Erwin as well. Hilde gave her a smile, that Vurne tried to ignore but she smirked anyway to herself.
“Ah, gods be damned.” Thereia said annoyed. “I can’t let the youth go to waste like that. Coming through.” she said as she walked down the steps of the audience and then walked up to the group of volunteers.
March 26, 1935.
Waiting at the access of the Anthold port, Adrien looked at the clock in his pocket. The bus was supposed to arrive in two minutes, and so it did.
Erwin was the first to come down, followed by a group of three women and then by Captain Forseti, all in civilian clothing, but Adrien recognized Hilde.
The embarkation of the three volunteers and their ‘caretaker’ was to happen as discreetly as possible. Even Adrien was wearing the clothes of a middle-class employee of the port, waiting to get aboard the transatlantic boat anchored at the pier behind him. A ship directed to Vinland.
“Everything set?” he asked to Erwin quietly.
The General simply nodded, then looked at his daughter again. She gave him a reassuring smile and quickly reached his hand.
“I’ll make sure they are all treated humanely.” Adrien tried to reassure.
Erwin made a weak smile. “I know you will, old friend. Thank you.”
“All right, ladies.” Adrien then said. “Let’s not make the ship wait. All aboard.”
And as the three Valkyrias walked away, even Hilde had to avoid looking back again. There might have been spies in the port and they were already risking enough by having two of the most famous Gallians in the world walking around.
Erwin could only look with a broken heart as he knew that this was probably the last time he would ever see his daughter. A thought so unbearable that he decided he needed to distract himself, by stopping Forseti for a recommendation.
“Captain. I think you know how important those three are. Make sure they reach the end of Project Cygnus alive.”
Forseti avoided the military salute but made a respectful bow with his head. “I will protect them with my life, sir.”
Erwin nodded and Forseti started walking away. But then he stopped in his tracks, pondered for a second and finally turned around, reaching inside his jacket and taking out a letter.
“Sir...If I may...I know the chance is probably not even there, but...if you ever happen to meet my sister while I’m away…”
“Say no more, Kai.” Erwin reassured him by taking the letter and putting it away.
“Thank you.” the Captain concluded before heading for the boat.
Erwin stood there until the ship disappeared in the distant horizon.
