The Events After Bruhl Approximately 1200 Hours ("Noon") 13th April 1935
Acting Sergeant Alicia Melchiott was the highest ranking, unwounded, member of the Bruhl Militia at the rally point for the rear guard. She had Captain Van Allen's drill book, and was consulting the roster. Some of her comrades had to be listed as KIA or WIA, she was not yet willing to mark the many unaccounted-for members of the Town Watch and the local Militia Company as MIA, or worse yet POWs. Alicia glanced up when Nina Streiss made a "tisking" noise as she unstrapped a perforated helmet from one of Alicia's fellow team leaders in the Bruhl Town Watch. Brusquely she wiped away the copious blood from the militia man's head wound, applied a field dressing, then wrapped a bandage around it tightly to reduce the bleeding.
"Quit moaning and sit still Noce! You'll just spill more of your blood over yourself. Pain is Good, it means you are still alive. Better to have a hole in your helmet, rather than in your brain pan. Remember, what doesn't kill you makes you Stronger!" Private Streiss stated bluntly as she continued to dress some lesser wounds of Militiaman Wordsworth.
Only eight other members of the Bruhl Town Watch, and the Militia Company were present for duty; a dozen more had been loaded upon the last wagons and other vehicles that comprised the last refugee column that was likely to be getting out of Bruhl ahead of the Imperial invaders. Despite multiple warnings, and finally an evacuation order, too many people had remained in Bruhl, or the surrounding farms and ranches. Those who had hoped the threat of war would blow over were paying a terrible price for procrastination.
For a moment Alicia was distracted by that young man, now climbing off that tank and walking toward her. Pretending to ignore him she ordered a very young militiaman, Montley Leonard, to assist Noce Wordsworth into the back of a truck containing several other wounded people. Montley was extremely pale and seemed shaken by the sudden violence that had disrupted the tranquility of Bruhl. She wasn't sure if Montley had graduated from school or completed his training with the militia. He had attended several drills recently, and although he was not wearing a uniform, he was carrying a hunting rifle, and had been standing in the gaggle of remaining militia.
Noce protested weakly that he was the senior member of the Town Watch, but he stammered, and his speech was slurred. When Nina slapped him on the butt and told him to "Suck it up buttercup" he allowed Montley to guide him over and assist him into the bed of the truck. Somewhat sluggishly the other people in the truck made room for their fellow citizen. Acting Sergeant Melchiott asked Mister Schoenfeld to please get in his vehicle and start heading west away from Bruhl before the enemy caught them here, because it was just too dangerous to wait for any more stragglers.
Mister Schoenfeld's truck was puttering off, and the first of the horse drawn wagons was following, when Welkin Gunther walked up. He gazed passed her at the chaotic jumble of vehicles, now all trying to move at once. Alicia Melchiott dashed off before he spoke. She went to where two older men were arguing, and she started trying to restore order. An explosion back in Bruhl got everyone's attention, and suddenly they were willing to obey the directions of the woman in uniform. Though a bit tattered, the Sergeant's Stripes on the brassard she wore on her left arm, perhaps leant her a bit of gravitas, as she dealt with the mostly older folk who were driving the carts, wagons, or other vehicles.
It was her nature to be polite, and courteous to these frightened villagers, her neighbors, and many of them customers of the bakery where she worked. Yet it was her responsibility to protect these folks now, so when necessary she met stubbornness with determination, and in short order got the refugees moving away from their homes with a prudent degree of urgency. She tasked the various members of the militia, and some hastily armed volunteers to provide security, and more importantly to keep the convoy moving.
Reluctantly she approached Welkin, then abruptly demanded, "Well, what are you going to do?"
"It is the duty of the Bull to protect the Herd," He said, leaving her speechless as he turned away and climbed aboard his tank.
Alicia was about to climb on the tank after him and make it clear to him, civilian or not, his tank, and his infuriating self were under her command when she heard an ominous noise. The growling menace of an Imperial tank approaching the saddle between the hills west of Bruhl, through which the road west was channeled. Soldiers of the Osterreich jogged along both sides of the road as the Imperial PzKpfw LT-26 crested the brow of the saddle. There was a sharp crack as the main gun of the Edelweiss spit fire and a shell streaked several hundred meters, punching through the bow of the tank and erupting through the top of the turret just behind the mantle of the gun. The enemy tank ruptured like a pumpkin blasted by a shotgun, spewing fire and smoke.
Several of the Imperial "Schultze" were knocked to the ground, most of the others were frozen in shock. The co-ax machinegun of the Edelweiss chattered as the turret smoothly traversed back and forth, stitching a "Z" pattern through the enemy soldiers. They dropped like ten pins. Several cowered in the ditches along the side of the road, others crawled away, or slunk back behind the crest of the saddle. One forlorn individual lay in the open, his legs twitching as he emitted a bloodcurdling wail, he had nearly been torn in half by the spray of machinegun bullets. His comrades quailed, unwilling to brave another potential burst of machinegun fire to go to his aid. The bodies of several other Imperial soldiers lay sprawled on the ground, dead or severely wounded.
A fickle wind blew the smoke from the burning Panzer toward Alicia and the Edelweiss. It smelled like ragnoline, burnt oil and roasted pork. The hapless enemy soldier continued to wail, but he was growing weaker. More horrified than she had been during her first tastes of battle in the streets of her hometown, acting Sergeant Melchiott ran off, to urge her charges along. Afraid the next people to die might be some of her neighbors, rather than the nameless invaders she had just witnessed being snuffed out in an instant. Or worse, lingering in torment, abandoned by everyone, maybe even God.
Explanation of some Abbreviations, Foreign Words, Military Terms, etc.
KIA: Killed In Action (combat), WIA: Wounded In Action, MIA: Missing In Action, POW: Prisoner of War
I use the "Military" (aka "European") Clock: 24 Hour Clock: so 0900 Hours is "9 o'clock" in the morning, 1545 Hours is "Quarter to Four" in the evening / 3:45 PM
Osterreich: German for the "Eastern Empire" (what most Western Europan nations, especially the Atlantic Federation call the East Europan Imperial Alliance)
(In my stories the Osterreich is a blend of pre-World War One Germany, Tsarist Russia, and Austria-Hungary with mostly Germanic elites similar to the Junker class of those nations prior to both world wars; although significantly more prominent before the Great War. Many of whom venerate the Valkyria. The most powerful nation is Novo Valar sort of a mix of the Grand Duchy of Novgorod, and the Russian S.S.R. in terms of territory. In terms of history, very roughly a conquest by Teutonic Knights over the Slavic indigenous people, similar to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 A.D.)
PzKpfw: Panzerkampfwagen: "Armored Fighting Vehicle" "LT-26" is based on the Imperial Light Tank in the game, and the historic T-26 of the USSR, and the LT-35 built by Czechoslovakia.
An Alternative History of the Valkyria Chronicles on the Gallian Front
Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to read my tale. I enjoyed playing the Valkyria Chronicles quite a bit. Even more I enjoyed the Characters depicted. However, in real life I served as a "Regular" in the US Army, and as a member of the National Guard later in life. I have experienced very realistic training, deployments to many and varied lands. I have also experience combat and earned my C.I.B. (Combat Infantryman's Badge). Some anime and manga are more realistic than others, of course their primary goal is to entertain, as I hope to entertain You. It is often the little things that most annoy me, such as a "Squad" with 40 soldiers, commanded by a Lieutenant, and the next element in the Chain of Command is a "Regiment" commanded by a Captain. So, it will be mostly those "little things" that I will be "Altering" in my Alternative History of the Great Europan War, on the Gallian Front.
The Valkyria Chronicles is the property of Sega. As are the primary characters. To which I am adding my own unique characters (and sometimes versions of historic figures), locations and events. I am doing this purely for entertainment and I will not make any profit from what I am putting online here.
What Is The Same? What is Different?
I will be beginning my story with "The Events After Bruhl" and following a more detailed timeline than the Scenarios in the Game, or in the Anime series. I will not be using the "Character Classes" from the game, Focusing instead on the Characters Personalities, although I will make some minor changes to the "Traits" that in the Game are used for "play balance".
Just as in the Game, I am setting my tales in an Alternative History & Continent. There is no USA, only some Avalonian colonies on the continent known as Terra Nova. Due to the Darcsen Calamity the Middle East was (and remains) horribly devastated, and almost totally depopulated. North Africa, and the equivalent of southern Italy sank like Atlantis. This means no Islam, and no discovery of Petroleum in the Middle East. Only recently has Petroleum been "discovered" supplies are limited, mostly Avalon and the Nordenvolk control the supplies of it. The nations of Europa use Ragnoline now, before that coal, hydro-power, and some motor vehicles use Ethanol, or less frequently methanol. In Europa Argon & Castile did not unify to become "Spain" a much weaker effort at sending "Conquistadors" resulting in no "New Spain" however, the Aztecs fell to disease and attacks by the other indigenous people they oppressed. Slavery, as we think of it from the 1500's to the 1800's did not happen.
Some of the technology and equipment in my tales will be much closer to "Our Worlds" 1935 Technology. Ragnite and its effects on technology and science will be significant; and a major motivation for the renewal of the Great Europan War. Ragnite deposits in Gallia are a major reason that nation is coveted by both the Osterreich and the Atlantic Federation. Historically, in the mid-to late 1800's Britain, France, Germany, and the USA made significant advance in refining Aluminum, especially the technology to refine Aluminum out of Bauxite (before that Aluminum was more expensive than Gold!) the scarcity of Aluminum in Europa (and the alloy Duralumin) results in most aircraft still being frames being made of wood, the skins being doped fabric. It is extremely unsafe to use Ragnoline with Flammable wood and Fabric aircraft! Avalon and Gallia are two nations that have the most production of Aluminum, and thus some aircraft with Aluminum frames, and in some cases aluminum skins.
In the mid 1800's it was discovered that Coal could be "salted" with Ragnite to produce more energy (and Heat), however, the high heat generated has resulted in some limitations to the broader use of it. Both the Imperials and the Atlantic Federation have already exploited the easily accessible deposits of Ragnite in their territories. Avalon (Island(s) WNW of the Atlantic Federation, Nordstrom (West of the Empire, not on the maps), and Gallia have rich deposits of Ragnite, as well as rivers more suitable to produce hydro-power (also Aluminum) making their people far more materially comfortable, and the Envy of Both the Imperials and the Atlantic Federation!
Gallia (in my stories) has a population of about 30,000,000 people, it is about the size of Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) + Switzerland combined; and I am making the terrain roughly resemble that with "Switzerland" to the South/East, the Barrious Waste (not actually a desert) to the East, and the rest to the north & west.
If people ask, or if it becomes important to the story, I will describe a bit more the world I have built as a background for my stories.