Welkin looked over the small camp, the sense of despair practically oozing through the smells of nature. A week ago, no one had any reason to be afraid. No one had any reason to be afraid for their lives and the lives of those they loved. Now… now most of Gallia was afraid.

When the Empire invaded on the fifteenth, everyone knew it would be a hard fight. What no one had realised however was the duplicity of certain elements of the Gallian Army and Government. General Georg von Damon and Prime Minister Maurits von Borg concocted seemingly half-cocked plans for the national defence and practically invited the Empire into the Capital of Randgriz. The leader of the invasion, Prince Maximilian, rewarded both of them with the positions of High General and King of Gallia respectively.

A faint rustle of leaves and branches drew everyone's attention and rifles. For a brief moment, no one breathed. Then, to their relief, a voice called out: "Vaÿk Gålå."

Welkin sighed in relief, "Vaÿ wał." he replied, gesturing to everyone to lower their weapons.

As the group lowered their weapons, a man walked out of the brush. "Faldio, you just about got shot. Whatever happened to your mission?" Welkin asked.

Faldio gestured to the brush. "She happened." he simply said.

Welkin and the others gaped in shock, for standing before them was Princess Cordelia herself. "Your Highness!" Welkin exclaimed. "All of our reports from the capital had been that you had been executed by Borg."

Princess Cordelia gave a small sad smile. "I may have lived, but the members of my guard have joined their ancestors to a man." she quietly said.

No one knew what to say to that. Many just silently sent a prayer to the heavens of thanks and of hope. Cordelia though sighed, "What is the state of the resistance?"

Welkin slumped against a nearby log. "We're the only ones with a chance really since the other cells don't have a tank but we do," he replied before rubbing his eyes. "All of the Army's High Command defected to the Empire leaving the Militia and the ordinary Army soldier to carry on the fight. Captain Varrot of the Militia is acting as our Commander in Chief since she is the most experienced of all of us."

Cordelia nodded and sat down across from Welkin. "And how many of us are there?"

Welkin winced. "20 in this group while we're still establishing contact with the other cells but so far, we have maybe a thousand, maybe two."

Cordelia, perhaps for the first time since she had gotten into the camp, looked like the sixteen-year-old she was. "Against so many?" she asked, a pale look of fear and dread plastered onto her face. "What of the Federation? Surely they would be willing to help?"

"Scouts have reported that Federation troops have begun occupying Gallian lands, but are setting up their own puppet state under former General Gilbert Gassenarl as "King of the Gallians" as they are calling him." a woman behind Welkin reported.

Welkin nodded before gesturing to the woman who gave the report, "Allow me to introduce Alicia Melchiott. Formerly a Baker's Apprentice and Town Watch Sergeant of Bruhl."

Alicia bowed her head towards the Princess. "Highness." she intoned gravely.

Cordelia nodded absentmindedly, "We are caught between two powers who want nothing more than to have our lands for themselves. A conventional resistance may no longer be possible."

Faldio nodded. "Rock and hard place come to mind when describing our situation," he murmured before looking up sharply. "But perhaps there is hope for us yet." he mused.

The Princess stared at him, "What do you mean?" she asked.

Faldio shrugged. "It's just a thought, especially since I wasn't a political science major at university, but we have the just cause, the legitimate leader and both the Federation and Empire are putting the common Gallian under a great deal of stress. If we can show that we can win against the odds, we'd have a popular uprising in the making."

The Princess ran a hand through her long white hair. "I am not sure that would do much more than slaughter those we wish to save." she finally said.

Faldio glanced over to the Princess, "Highness, you may not have much say in that." he replied before holding up a hand to halt everyone's protestations. "Just walking through the streets of Randgriz before I found you, I heard many conversations about how if you were alive they would rise up and fight." he said before sighing, "They will rise up whether we rally them or not. But if we give them guidance, then we can minimize the losses compared to if we were to ignore them."

Just then a woman stepped out of the only tent in the camp. "Mister Landzaat's proposition may soon leave the theoretical and enter the practical." she said before looking at Welkin, "First and Second Regiment stand with us in their entirety and the Northern Army stands ready with the NCOs who didn't defect."

Welkin rubbed his chin, "Certainly a much larger force than I initially thought… how many are in the North, Captain?"

Captain Varrot pushed up her glasses, "Enough to fill ten Militia regiments completely and a partial eleventh."

Welkin was so surprised, he fell off the log he was sitting on, while many others also fell to the ground. "Four thousand soldiers! I thought we'd be lucky if we got five hundred from the Army!"

Captain Varrot wasn't done with the shocks, however. "There's also talk of a mass defection in Federation ranks of all Gallian born and Gallian sympathetic officers and soldiers."

Princess Cordelia looked hopeful. "Then there is hope that we might be able to win." she remarked before looking to the Captain, "What news beyond the borders?"

Captain Varrot shrugged. "Unknown at this time. Though Vinland did denounce the initial Imperial invasion," she replied before looking around. "Everyone best get some rest, tomorrow, the real fight begins!"

With that, everyone tucked in and soon drifted off. Cordelia, however, had difficulty in falling asleep as she knew the enormity of the task ahead and, as Faldio had said, she was the legitimate leader of Gallia, meaning that everything that happened was on her shoulders. Unbidden, a phrase entered her mind: "Wałċk Gålå." she whispered.

Gallia Rises.

I know, I started another project without completing any of the ones I've currently got going, but I've really been inspired to write this. I was just browsing Youtube and saw someone do a music video putting the Valkyria Chronicles Anime with Sabaton's song "Uprising" and the idea kind of exploded from there.

The strange words are of a language I've invented for this fic that I'm calling "Ancient Gallian" inspired I know

Vaÿk Gålå: Gallia Lives

Vaÿ wał: We live

Wałċk Gålå: Gallia Rises