Notes

Hi to everyone.

This story, you can consider it some sort of experiment.

When I heard about the upcomig (something like this^^) new VC game, all my memories about this fantastic series returned to my mind, pushing me to retake in hand an old project for a spin-off regarding a special elite force of the Imperial Army involved in the war between the Empire and the Atlantic Alliance in the southern front of Europa between 1935 and 1937.

There will be many german expressions, but I'll try to explain them with proper notes.

See you soon with the first chapter; for now, enjoy the prologue!

CJ Spencer!^^


PROLOGUE

At last, the showdown was come.

There was no more time for indecision.

He was there, in front of him, with his austere posture, the expansive dress and the icy glaze, partially hidden behind the glasses.

Behind him, instead, there was the future: of all things.

The war, the peace, the entire world: all of this was in his hands. In the right one, a gun, pointed directly toward his enigmatic ally, in the left one the final instruments with the power to decide the course of history.

The cold mountain wind passed through his dark, a bit long hair, visible sign of his heritage, the same heritage which influenced all his past actions, turning him into the kingmaker of an entire world's destiny.

«It's all up to you, Mr. Lewrandt.» he said pointing his own gun. «You must make a choice. Destroy this world, or saving it?»

He was right. There was no time for further indecisions.

A choice had to be made.

In search for answers, everything that could be able to help him to find the best way, he travelled back in time with mind, reading once again like a book all actions, emotions, losses and battles which leaded him there, in a godforsaken land, while all around him seemed to stop, freezing in the course of history.


Two Years Before

September 13, 1935

Naggiar Plains

The town of Mesticht, located in the northern Naggiar, was the main agglomerate in the Plains, and its capture was vital to secure a supply route to the main army in view of the upcoming decisive battle.

Even the Gallians were well aware of this, and they had deployed a great force in its defense, consisting of both the regular army and militiamen, strong enough to been able to repel the first attempt of conquest by the imperial special force of the Calamity Raven.

There was among the defenders the strong sensation of being really able to hold the position, depriving the enemy of an important route in their march for victory: but it was just an illusion.

On the third day, at eight a.m., the Colonel entrusted with the command of the defensive force was in the main room of the town hall, selected as provisory HQ, with his staff, looking at the town's map on the table.

«The Imperials resumed the attack!» said the radio operator in a corner

«Concentrate fire on the first line! If we manage to stop them till tonight, we'll receive support from the upcoming General Damon's forces!»

The soldiers obeyed, starting a dramatic battle along Mesticht's main road, and thanks to the enormous amount of ruins provoked by precedent bombings the guerrilla's style of fight selected by the defenders proved to be more than effective, making them able to hold the frontline

But when the Calamity Raven seemed about to retreat, something happened.

«The Imperial Army stopped to advance!» reported the radio operator. «Our frontline hold the line!»

«Contact the watch post three.» ordered the Gallian Colonel «Say them to attack with no hesitation! Let's throw this Imperial scum out from this city!»

«Yes sir!»

The operator called the selected post, but after the first attempt no one answered to his contact.

«Sir, I have no answer from the watch post three!»

«It's impossible! Try again!»

He obeyed, but once again no one responded.

Then, suddenly, the soldiers on the first line suffered a devastating assault by mysterious and scaring enemies, such as they had never seen before: they were dressed in dark, elastic-style uniforms, with the faces completely covered by strange helmets similar to the ancient ones. Their weapons were mainly tiny but deadly machine guns, most of them provided with silencers, and their movements were so perfect, so incredibly silent that when the Gallians found out their presence most of them where already dead, mainly stabbed to death with machetes or war knifes.

They were not more than a dozen of soldiers, but despite all they managed to create so great panic among the enemies that the first line collapsed in a few minutes, allowing a determinate counterattack by the Imperial army, which resumed to advance toward the town hall.

«What the hell is happening!?» shouted the Colonel when a stray bullet almost hit him. «Why have the shouts become so close!?»

«The first line is gone, sir!» said the operator. «The enemy is approaching us!»

«What!? How can be possible!?»

«It seems that the enemy has received reinforcements.»

«What kind of reinforcements could so easily subvert the course of a battle!?»

«I don't know, sir! They speak about… demons…»

«Close ranks! Form a new line! They must not pass!»

But the second, and even the third line collapsed even before being able to organize, and in a blink of an eye the battle almost reached the center of the town.

During the battle, one of the Calamity Raven remained wounded during a face to face melee combat, but while he was still pressing the wound one of his companions reached him.

«Don't move.» said with a gentle but icy female voice.

The newcomer put a hand over the wound, and as if by magic a pale light covered his entire arm, turning that big gash in a simple and painless scar.

«Is this… a miracle!?» he said with stunned voice

Meanwhile, the Imperial Army had almost reached the main square, closing the circle around the town hall.

«Do something, for the Valkurur!» shouted the Colonel «Stop them!»

Suddenly, dozens of smoking bombs entered through the windows, filling the entire room with a dense and white smoke. The officers almost didn't notice anything, because while they were still trying to understand what was happening a shadowy figure appeared inside the smoke, wielding a gun for each hand.

«What are you doing? Shoot him!»

They tried to obey, but most of them neither had the time to take their weapons, and with some simple, but at the same time deadly moves, the newcomer killed all of them in less than ten seconds, using something that one could consider a true martial art to maximize his killing power.

So, when the smoke finally vanished, the Colonel found himself alone, surrounded by the dead bodies of his comrades, the biggest part of them killed with a single, precise headshot.

The dark soldier was here, in front of him, but he seemed hesitant to finish the job; despite this, the Colonel almost collapsed in fear when he managed to catch a glimpse of red, deadly eyes under the black visor of the enemy's helmet.

«It's over» he said. «Order your men to surrender.»

The Colonel initially didn't answer, but when he saw once again his entire staff lying on the floor a surge of anger exploded inside him.

«You, goddam monster!»

In the exact moment when he put his hand on the gun's handle, however, a long, curvy blade appeared in the center of his chest, and he barely had time to find out the presence of another one of those dark devils right behind him before collapsing on the floor, dead, surrounded by his own blood.

In that moment, a desperate call for help came from the Gallian radio.

«This is the fourth line! They're overthrowing us! We're about to be exterminated! Do you hear me? Answer, please! We need support, and we need it right now!»

Then, the first dark soldier reached the radio, picking up the microphone.

«Your commander is dead. The HQ has fallen. You have only two choices, Gallians. Surrender yourselves right now and you'll be spared. Keep fighting, and you'll receive no mercy.»

At that point the Gallians, after an initial confusion, dropped their weapons and surrendered to the Calamity Raven, and when a white flag was hoisted over the town hall the battle was officially over.

«Falcon-1 to HQ. Falcon-1 to HQ.» said the first assaulter to his radio. «Objective taken. Repeat. Objective taken. The town is our.»

«HQ, clear» answered an old voice. «Good work, my boys.»

Then, both the dark soldiers took off their helmets, proving to be barely twenty years old young men, similar in age but completely different in appearance: the first one had short, almost white hairs, unusual red eyes and a gentle face; his partner, instead, had a grim, scaring face, a true mask of stone, surrounded by a bit long and dark hair, as much as dark were his icy, expressionless eyes.

The white-hair guy looked at the dead Colonel.

«That was not necessary, Kyle.»

«He was about to shoot you.»

«He would have never been able to do it.»

A sudden noise of footstep encouraged the two young men to turn toward the open door, and one moment later a cute, but somehow sinister girl approximately of their same age and dressed like them entered into the room; like the dark-haired guy she was cold, emotionless, and despite her gentle appearance her eyes in particular was empty, without any spirit, like those of a machine.

«Situation?» asked Falcon-1

«Two wounded, no dead.» she replied pushing a fringe of her long, dark hair out from her face

«And the allies?»

«They're safe. They say they'll take care of their own dead and wounded by themselves.»

«I understand. Typical of the Darcsen.» then he looked even his partner. «Well, the mission is over. Let's come back to the HQ.»


It was a clear and dramatic standoff.

All was happened when First Agent Kyle, in a fit of rage, had pointed his gun against one of the darcsens in front of him, a young man with pale skin and long hair, which however remained still without trying to escape or defend.

His two companions, an even more young darcsen and a female imperial officers, had immediately pull out their own guns, forcing Kyle's companions, the First Agents Jin Weinar and Clarence Stirling to do the same, and now in that tent in the middle of gallian countryside there were all premises for a bloodshed.

However, despite that dramatic situation, the Calamity Ravens' commander Dahau, remained still, observing almost emotionless the scene with a strange, almost satisfied glance.

That was the first time that Calamity Ravens had the opportunity to see the legendary Falkenkommand in action, and despite everything Dahau had been forced to admit that all those voices about that infamous special force were not exaggerated after all. Thanks to them, Mesticht had fallen in barely one hour, not to mention their vital support in the capture of Vasel and other operations all around Gallia.

However, like the stories said, their members had something strange, almost creepy: their eyes, in particular, were cold, expressionless, making them appear like a puppets' army. For them, the Empire was absolute, and fail was not an option: wherever they went, the Empire prevailed, with no records or official report to achieve or praise their victories.

A complete, terrible silence filled the air for countless seconds, then a powerful voice echoed.

«That's enough, Kyle!» said firmly but calmly an old imperial officer, with white hair and a long beard, entering in the tent. «Put that weapon down.»

Further seconds passed, but at last the young soldier obeyed, and when he finally lowered his gun all the other ones did the same.

«We missed you, General Lewrandt.» said Dahau

«I had been called to Ghirlandaio to receive new orders, Captain Dahau. It seems that our job here in Gallia is finished. The high command has ordered to our division to depart for a new frontline.»

Then the General spoke to his men.

«Prepare the squad. We leave immediately.»

The three soldiers then turned, but before they could leave the tent the darcsen saved by the general spoke stopped his companion.

«I have no regrets.»

«Gusurg…» tried to say the blonde girl, with no results

«I did it to save my… our people. And I would never expect that just a companion of mine couldn't be able to understand it.»

Then, Kyle turned once again, pointing his dark, frightening eyes directly into Gusurg's ones.

«A traitor is a traitor, no matter what reasons can he have. You turned your back to your comrades, you betrayed their faith in you, to run behind a dream that will never become true.»

«How can you say this!? You're a Darcsen too!»

«We Darcsen have done our time. It's time to leave this world to someone stronger than us. There's just one more thing that we can do, and it's disappear as fast as possible. Its's up to you to decide how: you can take refuge in your fantasies and die in shame and dishonor like the traitor you are, or you can try to do something to save what remains of your honor.

In any case, you're already dead. Like all of us.»

«Kyle.» spoke again the General.

The boy silenced for a moment, but before leave he wanted to say one last thing.

«If I could, I would kill you here and now.» then he left the tent.

«If I can, you have the strangest members in your squad.» said Dahau

«In the falkenkommand, you're not Darcsen, Imperial or vassal.» replied General Lewrandt. «Just a soldier.»