Nobody Here: Unfortunately, they won't intervene before the Fall of Fort Slava, most because they want the war to drag out and drain Marley of as many resources as possible. However, the Mid-East Alliance will return to fight in the Second Great Titan War.
ALN2: I actually haven't decided that yet. I know for a fact that the entirety of the Intercontinentia will be participating, as will Hizuru and Free Francia. However, I'm at a crossroads as whether to introduce Britannia and the Union into the fray, or save them for a sequel conflict.
NICHOLAS VERRELL: And they literally just did develop the Heinkel 177 (Or Mezsha II in this case). As for the Tiger I and II...I'm not sure if I want them to be in this story. Tiger II definitely not, its completely overpowered for the time period, and even I admit that its not very realistic that Eldia would develop them. The Tiger I is within Eldia's technological capabilities, but plot-wise is in a similar dilemma as the Tiger II. Without the teething issues and supply problems, the Tiger I is a pretty overpowered breakthrough tank, and considering that most wars are literally ABOUT breaking through enemy defenses, its just going to be a one-sided curb stomp.
January 2nd, 851
"Target distance, 2000 meters!" A voice said over the radio,
"Roger that!" The commanders of the other tanks replied, several Panzer III tanks all aligned their turrets at a singular wooden silhouette of what was meant to represent a Marleyan bunker.
"Fire!" The group of five tanks all fired in unison at the target, reducing it to rubble. Before long, an Eldian engineering officer had moved in to confirm the destruction.
Overlooking the scene, the brass of the Eldische Heer, including Alto, Armin, Erwin, among others, as well as Rosemary, the Eldian-Britannian engineer they had poached from William and Forester.
Rosemary's looks were much improved from the haggard-secretary they had picked up on the rainy streets of the Isles. She carried herself more confidently, and was dressing rather fashionably as well. She also looked much younger than many others had realized.
"There you have it gentlemen." Rosalie bowed, "A brand-new tank model to kick off the new year with. A 75mm cannon capable of ripping through nearly 100 mm of steel at ranges close to 2000 meters. Capable of sustaining top speeds of nearly 30 miles an hour, with advanced communications and optics for every tank we build. We can start production within the week."
The assembled officers clapped for the girl, who sighed in relief. With the demonstration over, the officers began to leave.
"You've outdone yourself this time." Alto congratulated the girl,
"Agreed. As long as we keep this under wraps, Marley won't be able to counter something like this." Armin agreed.
"You say that, but you two really pushed me to the limit with this one. Especially combined with the fact that the Panzer II had to be ready for production by November and that I was helping design every land-based vehicle the Military needed…" She sighed, "Speaking of - why the emphasis on an anti-tank role? I practically had to design half the tank around it. The additional weight, redistributing armor…" She listed off the various factors, "In my opinion, the Panzer III would've been just as successful with a lower velocity gun. Unless…" She gasped, "You aren't saying that…!"
Armin nodded, "It came in from Rosalie in the weeks following Istantiople. When the Mid-East started deploying Britannian-made Code-series tanks like the Code I and II, we started getting a clearer picture of what we might be up against when we eventually fight the Marleyans."
"I've seen the Codes, personally, I never liked them. Unreliable, too many blind spots, and too expensive as well. It was well armed in the places it could see and shoot from, and generally well-armored, but it performed poorly in virtually every respect." Rosemary said disdainfully, "Still, I see the point."
"Anyway, it all works out. Our factories are prepared to handle the load, and most of our major factories are saying they can produce almost ten per day." Armin said,
"Nearly 40 tanks a day huh…" Alto noted, "Anyway, you're not the only one who's had to work hard. Okida and Thomas are both excited about the new planes they have to show us. And the Hizurian Engineers want us to see their ships…" Alto sighed, "This is going to take up most of the day…"
The audience at the coast watched in awe as the first cloud of flame arose from the mock-up cruiser and the DB-51s signature diving sirens went silent as it pulled up from a successful bombing run.
"From the looks of it, the 250 pound bomb definitely scored a hit." Thomas noted, before grabbing the radio.
"Alright. Go in for a pass with your Thunder Spears." Thomas told the pilot, and the DB-51 moved for the second target, a mock up destroyer.
"Working with General Lyla and Großadmiral Rita, we decided that if a DB-51 pilot wanted to achieve maximum efficiency against a naval target with its thunder spears, it needed to come in at a low altitude." Okida explained, before going on to detail how in some cases Thunder Spears could be used in dive tactics against areas like the deck or gun turrets as well. Making them an extremely effective replacement for the light bombs most attack aircraft used.
Meanwhile, the DB-51 ignited three of its thunder spears, sending them skimming across the water into the side of the hull of the destroyer, the DB pulled up over the destroyer right as the spears exploded, leaving large holes in the sides of the hull.
"...And that right there is what is called a 'direct hit'. Wouldn't you say so?" Okida said confidently, causing the officers present to gasp in disbelief.
Following the demonstration of the DB-51, Okida proceeded to give a brief overview of the MS-01, a transport plane designed to be able to both carry supplies and be utilized in airborne operations similar to the Marleyans and their Jutland-Class Airships before moving on to the Mezsha I and Mezsha II, two bomber designs of various classes.
"The Mezsha I and II are technically of the same line, but like Madame Rosemary's Panzer II and III, are designed to work alongside each other in different roles." Thomas explained, "The Mezsha I is lighter, faster, and suited for quick missions against small tactical targets, like airfields and enemy fortifications. In worse situations, in case there's a lack of MS-01s available, it can also be used as a transport. Its even large enough to mount a radar unit for reconnaissance or patrolling roles." As he explained, he allowed the audience to gaze upon the rather unimposing bomber. With its rounded glass nose area and look generally similar to that of airliners.
Thomas then proceeded to explain the Mezsha II, capable of carrying up to nearly 21,000 pounds of ordinance and lined with two 20mm autocannons, four 13mm machine guns, and one normal MG-34. All strategically placed for a near 360-degree defensive armament. Behind him was the bomber itself. Looking immensely more fearsome with its long sleek body, large twin engines, and assortment of machine guns and autocannons and flight tests over the previous year had shown it had an operational range of nearly 3,700 miles.
After the Mezshas, the two introduced their final aircraft, while not as impressive as some of the others, it was no less important.
"This is the PL.51 carrier-based torpedo bomber." Okida began explaining, "Admittedly, it's simpler than many of the other designs. But it makes up for it with sheer reliability and versatility. Its designed to carry both torpedo and bombs under the fuselage, and can also carry Thunder Spears underwing."
Alto stepped forward, "Okida, this is all good. If I'm being honest, I'm planning to approve it here and now. When do you think you can begin production?"
"You'll have the first batch at the end of the month." Thomas said confidently,
"Then congratulations, consider these design successes." Alto stepped forward and shook his hand and Thomas smiled.
Armin and Alto huddled into the car, "Well, that's yet another thing out of the way." Armin sighed, "Why were you so quick to approve them?"
"I have confidence in Thomas and Okida, and if being more prepared for a war with Marley means rushing a few things, I'll take my chances. Besides, we have a few years to sort out any teething issues anyway." Alto explained, "Now, there's one last stop we have to make before today's rounds are over. The inland docks."
Armin nodded, "I still can't believe how fast everything is being done. Over a year ago, I wouldn't have even thought any of this would've been possible."
Alto's face darkened, "We still have a long way to go. We only got as far as we did by selling our large resource reserves. Eldians are still in interment zones, people still fear that we'll suddenly end up bringing the walls down…" Alto shook his head, "We need to reach out to the people of the world directly. Change starts from the bottom up, not the other way around. If we can't change Paradis's perception in the minds of not just non-Eldians - but other Eldians not on Paradis as well - we will never be able to live peacefully."
"If only we had a way to reach out to those people." Armin said sadly, "Then maybe we'd have a shot at peace with the world."
Port Dasmeer, Paradis Island
"Here you go ma'am." A server slid Caterina her coffee, and Caterina nodded before taking it and sipping it gently.
It had been nearly half a year since Caterina had come to Paradis Island, and she was starting to go insane.
Her feelings for the island had turned from fear to wonder to a simple - and honestly, rather disappointing realization.
The islanders here were normal people.
Unlike her expectations, Eldia was not some wild new land to be explored, and its people were not the isolated but interesting natives that you would see in stories, but were perfectly normal and civilized people.
'And normal people won't get me headlines.' Caterina sighed. On top of that, Caterina hadn't even been able to get a whiff of the military might that had repelled Marley's Titans. Supposedly Eldia was producing things no other military had even begun testing yet, but aside from the ODM Gear used by the ever present Garrison soldiers, Caterina hadn't even been able to get close to anything unique about the Eldian Army, or rather, she didn't even know where to start.
Caterina finished the last of her tea, and left the appropriate bills behind before grabbing her purse to leave.
'Another day of nothing…I should quit.' Caterina shook her head bitterly as she stalked out of the restaurant.
Dasmeer Inland Dockyards
"This can actually move under the surface of the water?" Armin said in amazement, staring at the submarine before them.
"Indeed. Arguably, one could call this the world's first true submarine." A Hizurian engineer explained, "See, many nations operate modest submarine fleets - even Marley and their allies do. But none quite like this."
The engineer went on to explain how the Type 51 varied from the traditional submarine.
"It takes much of its principles from ODM Gear, especially things like the snorkel. Not to mention that rather than bulky hydraulics systems, it uses pressurized gas formed by iceburst stone instead. Eldia's technology allows us to fill in a lot of the gaps which would make the Type 51 impractical." The engineer slid his hands along the sleek metal hull.
"We've planned a short journey through Port Dasmeer for your benefit, then we will take you to where the rest of the example ships are." Another engineer interrupted.
Alto nodded, and the pair were led below deck into the submarine and the crew of the submarine closed the hatch before them.
The engineer led them to the bridge of the submarine, where a young Eldian captain was barking orders at his crew.
"Officers on deck!" The engineer shouted, and immediately, the entire bridge paused to salute the new arrivals.
"Don't stop on our account, please. Continue what you were doing." Alto said politely, and the captain nodded.
"Descend to periscope depth! Don't scratch the sub on the bottom however! This is a river, not an ocean!" The captain yelled,
"Keep her steady!" A crew member said, and the chant was repeated several times throughout the submarine.
"'Keep her steady'?" Armin questioned,
"It's an informal way of saying everything is alright. They picked it up off their Hizurian officers." The engineer shrugged.
"Full speed ahead! Take us through Dasmeer itself!"
Caterina sighed, before taking a photo of the surrounding canal, Caterina stowed her camera away in her bag. She had made it a habit to carry it around, mostly, it was just pictures of titans working or the occasional Garrison member.
Just as she was putting her camera away, a metallic glint caught her eye.
'What the…?' Caterina questioned, leaning over the railing, she noticed that along the center of the canal, there seemed to be some kind of wake, as if one of the many boats were passing.
Immediately, Caterina's senses as a journalist tingled, and she snapped a picture of the wake.
Soon after, her suspicions became reality as a metallic periscope emerged from below the water. Gasping, she quickly snapped a picture before whirling around.
'Finally! I have something!' She thought eagerly, flagging down the first taxi she saw, she practically tore open the door.
"Just…drive where I tell you to!" She shouted at the surprised driver,
"Whatever you say, miss…as long as I'm paid." The taxi driver chuckled nervously.
"So far so clear." The periscope operator said,
"So…are we really under the Dasmeer canals?" Armin asked, "Won't people see us?"
"I doubt anyone will notice us. We're on silent running after all. I'm more worried about running over some poor person's gondola. Hence why we keep the periscope up."
"Silent running?" Armin questioned,
"The Type 51 has a back-up motor known as a 'creep motor' for when we want to operate completely silently. Helps avoid detection, although at reduced speed." The engineer explained.
"I see." Alto nodded, "How far until we're out of Dasmeer?"
"A few more miles. Not very far." The captain said confidently
Caterina spent the next ten minutes following the enigmatic wake along the coast, every once in a while catching sight of the periscope once again, and quickly snapping a picture.
"Ma'am…how much further?" The tired taxi driver said, "I have other customers…"
"I'll tell you." Caterina said, slapping another fistful of cash down in his hand. Sighing, the driver relented and got back in the cab with her.
Caterina continued guiding the taxi driver along the coast, until finally the taxi driver came to a sudden stop.
"Hey hey! Why are we stopping?!" Caterina said suddenly,
"Can't go any further." The taxi driver shrugged, "Take a look."
Sure enough, while the coastline continued, their road led into a cove surrounded by rocky cliffs, barbed wire, and Military Police.
"So it is military…" Caterina nodded before looking up at her driver. "Thank you, but I'll be getting off here."
"You sure? This is a Military base. I don't think they'll take too kindly to foreigners snooping around." The taxi driver said,
"I just want to look." Caterina fibbed, "I'll catch another ride or walk back."
"Suit yourself." The taxi driver shrugged, Caterina handed him the money and got out of the car, and the cab sped off as if the driver couldn't leave fast enough.
It wasn't until the taxi was long gone that Caterina realized how badly she'd messed up. For one, they'd followed the…'thing' for miles along the coastline.
'Worst case scenario, maybe I could claim I got lost and ask for assistance…' Caterina thought to herself, but right now she needed to figure out how to look over that fence…
The submarine finally pulled to a stop near a pier where it surfaced.
"Your highness, I'm afraid this is where we get off. After this, the submarine will once again head in-land for further testing and maintenance." The engineer explained.
"Thank you. I truly enjoyed this ride." Alto said, shaking the engineer's hand.
"We enjoyed having you, your highness." The engineer bowed as he led Alto to the hatch, and giving him one final salute as Armin and Alto climbed out.
To their surprise, Jean proceeded to help Alto and Armin off the boat.
"Jean? What are you doing here?"
"Historia told us to pick you two up." Jean told him, "Then Kassandra told us that you might be here. Floch and Connie are here as well."
Alto vaguely remembered Historia saying she wanted to talk to him following their inspection of all the new weapons.
"Finally, we've been waiting for you two for ages." Floch ran up to them,
"Where's Connie?" Armin asked,
"By the car. He's driving." Floch stated,
"Connie? Driving a car?" Alto scoffed, "Forgive me if I find this hard to believe, but six months ago Connie still thought cars were some kind of foreign cow."
"Yeah…but he wouldn't let up on us about it. Eventually, he bugged Jean so much that he finally got to drive us back home." Floch scratched his head, suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, a light flashed suddenly, and he was instantly on alert.
"Floch?" Armin said, only for him to notice Alto had similarly tensed up, as had Jean.
"We're being watched." Floch stated,
Alto nodded, "They're in that tree over there."
"A spy?" Armin wondered aloud, right as Floch stepped forward, and launched himself towards the enemy.
Caterina barely had time to react as a long thin wire impaled the wood beside her, causing her to squeal in panic.
'Oh no!' She thought in a panic, right as she was suddenly tackled off the branch and forced into the ground.
"Ow! Hey!" Caterina complained,
"Shut it you Marleyan dirtbag." The boy on top of her said harshly, and Caterina heard the distinct sound of a pistol being cocked.
"I-I'm not Marleyan. I swear! I'm a reporter from the Western Union!" Caterina tried explaining, stammering out of fear as well.
"Nice one Floch." Two MPs as well as Connie and Jean approached the two.
"Its no problem." Floch dragged Caterina to her feet,
"Another Marleyan spy? You'd think they'd know when to give up." Connie groaned
"I'm not Marleyan! I'm from the Western Union!" Caterina said with a bit more force.
Surprisingly, it was Alto who spoke up. "Well, either way, this is espionage. Search her and find out who she is." Alto ordered, and the MPs saluted and nodded. Taking her camera and passport.
"Caterina Stardust, hm?" Alto said as he read off her passport, "Well, welcome to Paradis."
Panzer III - The Panzer III (despite it sharing the namesake of the Wehrmachts Panzer III) is synonymous with the Panzer IV developed by Germany in 1939. Having a similar look and carrying a 75mm high-velocity cannon (like the one used on the Panzer IV F2 and onwards)
Panzer II - The equivalent of the original Panzer II with a 20mm autocannon. It is designed for a light and fast infantry support and reconnaissance role, along with Eldia's existing stock of assault guns and armored cars.
Mezsha I - Equivallent of the Heinkel 111 (He-111) which fufilled many roles similar to the ones listed in the chapter.
Mezsha II - A strategic heavy bomber identical to the Heinkel 177 made in the 1940s.
Type 51 Submarine - A diesel-electric submarine based on the Type XXI fielded by Germany late in WWII, albeit in this version many of its issues (such as the generally poor design and reliability of many of its parts) have been sorted out, making it extremely reliable unlike its counterpart.
