A/N: So here is the next chapter of Global Conflict. Technically it's a prequel since it takes place before the Kyoshi Kōkūtai is even created. Enjoy!
P.S. Sorry for the formatting issues. I can't really figure it out.
October 15th, 1941
Northern France
Just another flight across the Channel, Zuko thought absentmindedly thought to himself as he sat in his cockpit. The Luftwaffe had gained air superiority over the English Channel for the time-being, and they were now conducting regular patrols across the area, eager to catch any stray RAF fighters.
He thought briefly of his cousin Lu Ten, who was off fighting the Bolsheviki in Russia, and his Uncle Iroh, who was spending his retired years running a café known as Die Jasmin Drachen in Stuttgart. The three of them had all shared jasmine tea at Iroh's café a year earlier in August of 1940, just before Zuko headed off to fight in the Battle of Britain.
Snapping himself back into reality, Zuko reoriented himself with his aircraft, a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-1, one of the first to leave the production line in Bremen. Unlike the Messerschmitt Bf 109 he had flown a year earlier, the 190 had a roomier cockpit, a wider landing gear track, and much more potent firepower, consisting of four 7.92mm machine guns (two in the nose, and two mounted in the wing root) and two outboard wing-mounted 20mm cannon. Its BMW 14-cylinder radial engine could take a lot more punishment than the Daimler-Benz V12 of a Bf 109. Zuko felt more relaxed in the Fw 190. To him, it was a more pilot-friendly plane. It would get the job done and still get him home.
As Zuko re-examined his instrument panel for the umpteenth time of the morning, he looked briefly at the picture he had attached. It was an old family photo he had torn in half. He had kept the half showing himself, Lu Ten, and Uncle Iroh, but had burned the half showing his father Ozai and his sister Azula.
The picture had been taken in July 1934, just a couple of weeks after the Night of the Long Knives. Ozai had recently been promoted to a Sturmbanführer (Major) in the SS for helping "eliminate the vile traitors to the Führer's rule," and Azula, who was nearing her graduation from the Hitler Youth, had been invited to join the SD, the sinister intelligence branch of the SS. Reinhard Heydrich, Chief of the SD and deputy to SS Chief Heinrich Himmler, had personally delivered the news to an ecstatic Ozai and his overjoyed daughter.
Zuko, on the other hand, had shown no interest in the SS or any Nazi-centric career. This drove a wedge between himself and his father and sister, with Ozai distancing himself from his son and Azula denouncing him as a traitor. The feud between the two siblings continued for several months until, in December of that year, Zuko packed his bags and traveled to Stuttgart to live with Iroh and Lu Ten.
Following in his cousins's footsteps, Zuko had decided that he wanted to become a fighter pilot and,with his Uncle's help, he enrolled in flight training. In 1937, at the remarkably young age of 15, he enlisted in the Luftwaffe. However, because of his adolescence, he was held back from the frontlines in the Spanish Civil War. Nevertheless, Zuko used his free time to hone his skills in the air. By the time of the Battle of Britain in 1940, he had qualified to head to the front. To his surprise, Major Adolf Galland handpicked him along with several other boys to join his fighter group Jagdgeschwader 26. In fall of that same year, flying the Bf 109, he scored his first kill, a British Spitfire. By the end of the year, Zuko had racked up 24 kills, and had become an Unteroffizier (Corporal).
However, he had shown a clear distaste for the Bf 109. Several times, he had ending up landing with his nose sticking down and on one occasion, his 109 had flipped over, nearly breaking his neck. Because of the 109's narrow undercarriage, it was a nightmare to take off and land in, and many of Zuko's fellow pilots had either injured themselves or died in accidents.
Thus, when Galland notified his pilots in March that they would be transferring to the Fw 190, Zuko was ecstatic to end his nightmarish stint in the Messerschmitt.
The next month, at Galland's recommendation, he temporarily transferred to the French town of Le Bourget to join the newly formed Erprobungsstaffel 190, a squadron designed to test the new fighter, iron out its problems, and approve it for full operational service in the Luftwaffe. Zuko found the Fw 190 a great pleasure to fly. Takeoff and landing was much easier than it had ever been in the Bf 109, and he suffered no accidents. A few problems were encountered, but overall, it was a remarkable aircraft.
In August of the same year, he transferred back to JG 26 with the first batch of production Fw 190s. The next month, Zuko, along with Galland and seven others, took part in the 190's first combat engagement over the English Channel, where he shot down two Spitfires. His new-found expertise in the Focke-Wulf fighter eventually earned him both a promotion to a Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant) and a place in Galland's personal squadron from the next month onwards. Henceforth, he would fly with the other Experten.
As they neared the Channel, the radio began broadcasting the famous marching song Das Engelandlied. As the opening brass section finished, the pilots immediately began singing along:
Heute wollen wir ein Liedlein singen,
Trinken wollen wir den kühlen Wein
Und die Gläser sollen dazu klingen,
Denn es muss, es muss geschieden sein.
Gib' mir deine Hand, deine weiße Hand,
Leb' wohl, mein Schatz, leb' wohl mein Schatz,
Leb' wohl, lebe wohl
Zuko's thoughts strayed to his childhood friend and girlfriend Mai. They had shared a tearful goodbye and a passionate kiss before Zuko's departure to the front.
Denn wir fahren, denn wir fahren,
Denn wir fahren gegen Engeland, Engeland.
Suddenly, while the march continued over the radio, Galland stopped singing and called out,
"Spitfires, eleven o'clock low."
"Copy that, Dolfo," replied Zuko, using Galland's signature nickname. He leaned on the stick, nosing over into a slight dive.
Unsre Flagge und die wehet auf dem Maste,
Sie verkündet unsres Reiches Macht,
He leveled out behind the nearest Spitfire and pulled the trigger. 7.92mm and 20mm rounds tore into the British plane until it broke apart.
Denn wir wollen es nicht länger leiden,
Dass der Englischmann darüber lacht.
As Zuko pulled into a turn to avoid the debris, another Spitfire dropped in behind him and gave chase.
Gib' mir deine Hand, deine weiße Hand,
Tracers whizzed by his cockpit as the British pilot attempted to get a clean shot.
Leb' wohl, mein Schatz, leb' wohl mein Schatz,
Leb' wohl, lebe wohl
Zuko immediately jerked left and pulled back on the stick. His Fw 190 went into a diving turn that the Spitfire could not keep up with.
Denn wir fahren,
The Brit attempted to follow, but he still could not get a clean shot.
Denn wir fahren,
Finally, one of the Experten, Josef "Pips" Priller, dropped in behind the Spitfire and shot him down. Although Zuko could not clearly see behind him, he was rewarded with the sound of an explosion.
Denn wir fahren gegen Engeland, Engeland.
"Thanks, Pips!" he called out over the radio.
"No problem, Hotman," replied Priller.
Zuko smirked and rolled his eyes as he often did whenever he heard his nickname. He had earned it the previous year when he lost his temper after crashing his Bf 109 twice in one day when he attempted to land. Priller had coined it from his "hot temper."
As Zuko pulled out of his dive, he saw a British destroyer churning across the Channel, firing anti-aircraft shells at him. He immediately radioed the others,
"Schlageter Flight, there's an English destroyer down there. Is anyone up for a strafing run?"
Galland and Priller both replied with a "Ja!"
"Alright, boys," Galland called out over the radio, "Pips and I are going with Hotman. Everyone else, cover us!"
Kommt die Kunde, dass ich bin gefallen,
Dass ich schlafe in der Meeresflut,
Both Galland and Priller nose dived down to just 100 feet off the ground. Zuko followed suit. Flak burst menacingly around them, but did not deter them. The three Fw 190s closed the distance to the destroyer before opening fire.
Weine nicht um mich, mein Schatz, und denke:
Für das Vaterland da floss sein Blut.
The first pass crippled the ship's gun directors and most of its anti-aircraft guns, leaving it almost defenseless.
Gib' mir deine Hand, deine weiße Hand,
As they flew away, Zuko kicked the rudder and pulled on the stick, rolling into a tight 180 degree turn to make another pass. He jerked the stick back and forth, angling his Fw 190 to make the shots count. Satisfied, he switched to his 20mm cannon and pulled the trigger.
Leb' wohl, mein Schatz, leb' wohl mein Schatz,
High-explosive bullets raked the British destroyer, setting it on fire.
Leb' wohl, lebe wohl
Zuko watched as the ship belched smoke and flame from its smokestacks, dead in the water. As he flew away, he heard a much louder explosion. Zuko rolled his fighter into a circle to get a better view.
Denn wir fahren,
The destroyer's magazine had detonated, ripping the ship in two. Zuko climbed for altitude and pulled alongside Galland and Priller before shouting "Horrido!" over the radio.
Denn wir fahren,
"Congratulations, Hotman! You just bagged yourself a destroyer!"
"Thank you, Dolfo!"
Denn wir fahren gegen Engeland, Engeland.
As the march's final chords played over the radio, the three pilots joined up with the rest of Schlageter Flight before heading back across the Channel to Northern France.
Fliegerhorst Abbeville
Abbeville-Drucat, France
Zuko lowered the flaps and the landing gear as he prepared to land. As his Fw 190 touched down, he held down on the brakes tightly until he came to a stop on the runway. He then slowly taxied over to the revetments, switching off the engine before sliding the canopy open. He unfastened his safety harness, pulled off his flight cap, and got out of the cockpit, using a special panel on his fighter's wing to support his foot. As soon as Zuko's feet were on the ground, his fellow pilot and friend Hans Von Henkel came running towards him. Only this time, he seemed a little shaky.
"Hey Zuko!"
"What is it, Hans?"
"Y-your sister's here to see you. S-she's waiting by the barracks." Hans muttered darkly.
"You alright, Hans? You don't look too good."
"I-I'm fine... S-she just s-scared me a little."
"Why don't you head over to the mess hall and get yourself some dinner. I'll handle my sister."
"O-okay." With that, Hans walked over with some of the other junior pilots to the mess hall. He was one of the younger new recruits. Although he was socially inept, Zuko took him under his wing. Often, when Zuko was not on patrol, they would fly together, and he would train young Hans in dogfighting.
Zuko frowned as he set off towards the barracks, tightly gripping his Walther P38 pistol. He had not had a "civil conversation" with Azula since before he ran away to live with Iroh and Lu Ten. That conversation had ended with both of them threatening to shoot one another.
He passed the revetments, watching ground personnel milling about, already refueling and rearming the fighters for the next mission.
"Hey, Hotman!"
Zuko turned and saw Priller running to him.
"What, Pips?"
"Where are you off to? And why do you have your pistol out?"
"My sister decided to pay me a visit."
"The evil schlampe in the SD?"
"Easy, Pips. She may be a complete arschloch, but she is my sister after all. And yes, she's in the SD."
"So why the pistol?"
"Well, the last time I spoke to her, she threatened to shoot me. I just want to be prepared in case she decides to follow through with that threat."
Zuko cocked his pistol to emphasize his previous statement before continuing,
"Besides, Azula has a habit of frightening people. Poor Hans looked scared out of his wits."
"Hans? He tried to talk to her?"
"From what he told me, she was standing right by the barracks, so it's not like he had a choice," he allowed himself to smirk a little, "And you know how bad Hans is with girls."
Priller chuckled.
As they neared the barracks, Zuko caught sight of three SD officers standing near a black car. One of them noticed him and muttered something to the dark-haired one in the center who turned to face Zuko, her lips drawn in a smirk. He stared into the amber eyes of his sister.
"My, how filthy you look in your uniform," drawled Azula, "Has the war made you uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?"
"Don't call me that!" Zuko retorted angrily. Priller glared at Azula and the other officers and flexed the fingers in his right hand, as though he was itching to pull out his pistol as well.
Compared to the past two years, Azula looked surprisingly different and far more intimidating in her SD uniform, complete with a trench coat, jackboots, and a death's head cap, the Totenkopf grinning ominously on it. Her cold and calculating pale face seemed sharper than ever and her amber eyes burned with the excitement and fanaticism of a true and loyal Nazi.
"Oh and put your pistol away, would you? I'd hate for, ah, a misunderstanding to ensue."
She gestured towards the other two SD officers, who turned to face Zuko and Priller. Both of them carried an MP40 submachine gun. Azula herself was reaching for a Luger. Recognizing the hint, Zuko holstered his pistol.
"I see Heydrich finally let you out of Berlin. Is he going insane too?"
"Very funny, brother," retorted Azula, now closely examining her nails, "He's promoted me to his new adjutant in the new RSHA. Now, we have the power of the Gestapo, SD, and even the Kripos at our fingertips. So you'd better watch your step and win us this war, because I hear Göring's not to happy with you."
Hot anger bubbled within Zuko as he thought of the fat Reich Marshal who commanded the Luftwaffe and had mercilessly castigated its pilots for failing to raze England to the ground a year earlier. He drew out his pistol again and pointed it at Azula.
"Neither you nor that fat fool know anything about what goes on beyond our borders, so shut up!"
Some of the other pilots began turning stares at the ensuing standoff. Some continued walking while others stopped to watch.
"Put the gun away Zu-zu," Azula stated calmly, "Or my men will riddle you with bullets."
To emphasize her statement, both officers cocked their MP40s, while Azula had drawn out her Luger and was now pointing it back at Zuko.
Priller put a hand on Zuko's shoulder, "Zuko, I think it's best if you do what she says."
Seething, he holstered his pistol once more, turning to leave. Azula wasn't finished, however.
"By the way, Father still thinks you're a pathetic coward and a failure for refusing to follow in his footsteps in the SS."
Zuko clenched his teeth as he and Priller walked towards the mess hall, "You can tell Father that the only cowards in our family are both him and yourself, you schweinhund!"
Azula laughed unkindly before walking back towards her new Mercedes-Benz. Her fellow officers followed her and they all piled in. Zuko watched as they drove away, relieved that the conversation was finished. He made a mental note to write to both Uncle Iroh and Lu Ten and continued on his way to the mess hall, eager to toast another day's success.
A/N: Hey guys, just to let you know, I'm not dead. I've just been dealing with school stuff. Now that I have a minute amount of free time, I will be updating/revising this story once in a while, and I'm in the process of rewriting Kyoshi Rising, so I'll see you around soon.
Credit goes to Mark Karvon for the Fw 190 cover image.
-As implied, Zuko is a pilot in the Luftwaffe, but he doesn't fit the category of "fanatical Nazi" unlike Ozai and Azula.
-Oh and another thing, currently Zuko does not have his scar. He will have it later on.
Historical notes for the detail-savvy:
-The Night of the Long Knives was the purging of the leadership of the SA (Brownshirts). Basically, Hitler carried it out to gain key allies and ensure his survival as Chancellor of Germany.
-Experten was the term used to describe high-scoring Luftwaffe pilots. Unlike the Allied air forces, the Luftwaffe did not follow the standard Ace system (5 kills = Ace). Pilots were generally awarded the designation if they scored a high amount of kills.
-Schlageter was the nickname of JG 26 during the war and was apparently derived from Albert Leo Schlageter, a WWI veteran and Freikorps (the sort-of spiritual predecessor to the early Nazi Party) member who was executed in France in 1923 on charges of attempted sabotage.
-The RSHA (German abbreviation for the Reich Main Security Office) was formed in September 1939. It combined the SD, the Gestapo, the Kripos (Kriminalpolizei) and other agencies into one organization and was placed under the direct control of Reinhard Heydrich.
Endnote: I know I may get some crap for this, so I'm sorry that I made Azula a Nazi. But seriously, in this time period, she would absolutely join the party. Anyways, I may update this regularly as I find ways to improve it or iron out any errors.
-Lyric translation for Das Engelandlied:
1. Today we want to sing a little song,
We would like to drink cool wine
Where glasses should be clinked,
For we must, we must be parted.
Refrain:
Give me your hand, your white hand,
Farewell, my darling, farewell my darling,
Farewell, farewell
For we sail, for we sail,
For we sail to take on the English, the English.
2. We show our flag and it blows on the mast,
It proclaims the power of our realm,
For we no longer want to suffer,
That the Englishman at us does laugh.
Refrain
3. If the news comes that I have fallen,
That I sleep in Davy Jones' locker,
Don't cry over me, my dear, just think:
When he shed his blood, it was for the Fatherland.
Refrain
German swearword translation:
schlampe = slut
arschloch = asshole
schweinhund = pig-dog