Damn. It has been a really long time since I updated this story. I really wish it wasn't so long though. Unable to get new hours at work so my writing time hasn't improved. But I'll keep on trying to get better hours. For now, I'm just glad that I've finally managed to get this chapter done. It's not much but it's better than nothing. It's sort of a filler chapter before the fighting begins in Vasel.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter.


(Note: I do not own anything. This is purely for entertainment purposes only.)

Later that day
Fort Amatriain Briefing Room

Welkin and Faldio soon arrived at the strategy meeting that Varrot had told them about. She, General Strydonck, and the other officers of the Third Battalion were also in attendance. They were all seated around this large oak table in the center of the room, covered with various maps, documents, and photos demonstrating some sort of battle plan or strategy that Strydonck had come up with. Once Welkin and Faldio arrived and took their seats, Strydonck began the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming. I'm not going to mince words here on our current situation: we are losing this war. And if something doesn't change, The Germans will soon be marching upon Randgriz within a week, which is where you all come in. The Third Battalion has been designated as a kind of firefighter unit. To deploy where they are needed, particularly where the fighting is heavy or critical to the war effort. You and your soldiers will become the "tip of the spear" for the Militia against the Empire. Today, you're all about to receive your first mission. Your baptism of fire, so to speak," explained Strydonck, plainly stating the rather grim circumstances that they find themselves in. He then gestured over to Captain Varrot to continue the briefing.

"I'll cut to the chase. Yesterday, the Great Vasel Bridge was captured by the Empire. It's a key strategic position that we can't afford to remain in German hands," stated Varrot.

"The Geat Vasel Bridge?" inquired Welkin.

Faldio then explained to Welkin, "It's a major drawbridge crossing the canal at Vasel. It sits on a highway that leads directly to the capital."

"Lieutenant Lanzaat is correct. The Vasel canal connects Randgriz to the North Sea. The bridge itself is part of the main transit artery that leads to Randgriz. And if the Germans control the city, they will be able to use it as the gateway for their march upon the capital. If they do so, Randgriz will fall, and the war is over for us. Which is why High Command has talked the Militia to take the city back," added Strydonck.

"But, General. With all due respect, how are we going to take on the German army?" asked one of the Third Battalion officers.

Another one inquired, "He has a point, sir. We've been running from these bastards since the war began. So now the Regular Army expects us to drive the Kaiser's minions out of Vasel?"

"We don't have a choice. We will lose this war if we don't take back this city. But we have an advantage over the Germans in this scenario: the enemy hasn't deployed the bulk of their forces to the city yet," noted Varrot, gesturing to a map of Vasel that lay before her, marked out with enemy positions.

Strydinck then explained further, "The Empire's advance has been swift, but their forces occupying the city are only advance forces. They're in Vasel to hold in until the main bulk of the German army arrives several days from now. Taking the city before they arrive will put a kink in the German's plans and end their advance into Central Gallia. So the Third Battalion along with one from the Regular Army will be deployed to retake the city and the bridge before the main German force arrives."

"General. What happens if we can't take back Vasel before the Germans arrive in force?" inquired another officer of the Third Battalion.

Strydonck was quiet for a few moments before he turned to look at the officer in question and reply, "Then...we'll eventually have to withdraw. We don't have the numbers to engage the main German force if it enters Vasel. Our only chance of stopping them is to take the city beforehand. But like I said earlier, if we don't take back this city, we are lost. We have no choice."

"Gather your men and whatever gear you'll need for urban combat. We set for Vasel at dawn tomorrow. It's going to be a long march to the city," finished off Varrot.

Just as the meeting ended, the conference room door suddenly opened. Walking through it was a rather portly man about fifty-four years old. Judging by his appearance, he was a high-ranking officer in the Gallian Regular Army. However, the man's uniform also displayed some traits which showed that he was a Gallian nobleman, if not one who seemed to think very highly of himself. In addition to his standard Gallian Regular uniform, he had a sash across his torso, a plethora of medals adorning his chest, and a feathered plume attached to his hat that was likely a symbol dedicated to the size of his ego.

"How quaint, the Militia holding a strategy meeting of its own," said the officer with distaste, ignoring the others in the room as he looked to General Strydonck, "How long were you planning to hide out in here, Strydonck?"

Strydonck stood up from his chair and faced the officer, identifying the other officer by replying, "General Damon. We just finished. We'll head out for Vasel in the morning."

Damon merely waved off Strydonck's words, noting, "Whatever. They're just country mice. Not like they'll be of much help."

"They'll probably be more helpful than your forces. The ones who couldn't hold Vasel or the bridge in the first place," countered Strydonck, walking up to Damon as he confronted the Regular.

Damon, to no one's surprise, seemed insulted by this and tried to call out Stryconck on this, saying, "Hey-"

Strydinck cut him off by reporting, "Regardless, Vasel is a major strategic target. Taking it back is crucial to the war effort."

"Well, see that you do," sputtered out Damon, having been defeated by Strydonck in words. Damon merely uttered his last sentence in an attempt to end the conversation on his terms. With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room with a huff.

With Damon gone, Strydonck decided to end the meeting, dismissing their officers. As the Militia officers shuffled out of the room to head back to their units and prepare for the march to Vasel tomorrow, Welkin walked alongside Faldio and asked him, "Who was that guy earlier?"

"General Georg von Damon. He's the Central Gallian Army commander," replied Faldio, his voice emanating a hint of distaste for the man he mentioned.

When Faldio brought up the army Damon commanded, he remembered something before looking to Faldio and inquiring, "The Central Army? Isn't that the branch the Militia was folded into recently?"

"Yeah. People say that the General's an aristocrat. He looks down on the common Militia," informed Faldio, not trying to hide his distaste for Damon.

"Well, that doesn't make much sense," replied Welkin.

"Exactly. Now that there's a war on, we should all be banding together to defend Gallian," said Faldio before stopping in his tracks. He threw his arms up in the air for a moment and let out an air of frustration before adding, "Who cares at this point if you're in the Regular Army or the Militia! It's pointless. The German army is bearing down on the capital; they're the problem!"

"I'm not disagreeing with you, Faldio," noted Welkin, worried he may have insulted his friend.

Faldio took a breath to calm himself down before looking to Welkin and saying, "I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just annoying, that's all. We're under attack, and the military is divided between party lines."

"Regardless, we still have to take back Vasel. But, maybe if we retake the city, it might cause a few things to change," said Welkin.

Faldio merely shook his head before replying, "I doubt that. But you are right in that we have to take back Vasel. We better get moving then. It's going to be a long march to Vasel."

"The next day, we march on Vasel. Once dawn had risen, we set out for the city and out for war. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough trucks to carry both the supplies and the soldiers, so most of the infantry was forced to leg it on foot. Marching alongside the tanks and trucks, we trundled through the main highway to Vasel. Behind us laid home, before us, laid a world consumed by war."

April 11, 1935
Vasel-Randgriz Highway

By noon, the Third Battalion was already halfway to Vasel. By the time they reached the outskirts, it would be around dusk, forcing them to camp for the night and rest from the long march. And all along the way, they would occasionally check the skies for any sign of any German planes, particularly any Stuka dive bombers. So far, they didn't see any sign of German or Gallian planes above them. So it appeared that they were in the clear for now. But with the Germans now controlling the skies above Gallia, it was very prudent to keep an eye or two upon the sky.

For now, the skies were clear. This allowed the convoy of tanks, trucks, and infantry to continue their slow march northward towards Vasel. In Squad 7's convoy section, Welkin commanded the marching platoon from the Edelweiss, which he was crewing alongside Isara. The infantry of the squad followed behind them, with the Shamrock and trucks carrying their ammo, supplies, and other gear. Welkin stood in the open hatch of the commander's cupola, looking at a map of their route towards Vasel. Alicia sat on the tank with him, helping him look over the path they were taking. Jack and some of the NCOs led the troops of the platoon, marching in loose formation behind the tank.

As for the Shamrock, this was the first time many of those in the platoon had seen it. The vehicle itself was one of the American Sherman tanks given to the Gallian military, repainted in Gallian colors and markings, with the blue and white camouflage painted in a traditional Darcsen pattern. It was done in honor of the tank's commander, Arianna. And from the looks of things, she and her crew had done a fair bit of work in modifying the American tank. She had taken bits and pieces from wrecked tanks and fashioned a pair of armored skirts for the sides and the turret. She also had one piece of metal put on the lower front of the Shamrock to act as a dozer and protection plate for the tank's vulnerable bottom armor.

Aside from the usual gear given to tanks, the Shamrock was also given a Gallian flag which they had put on the top turret of their tank. Thankfully, the crew of the Shamrock was using an American tank instead of a captured German tank as their vehicle of choice. If they used something like a Panzer III or IV, it would have only made the possibility of friendly fire more likely. That was often the danger with utilizing captured enemy vehicles: they could be mistaken for an enemy and fired upon by allied forces.

As for armament, this tank was armed with the American seventy-five-millimeter cannon It didn't pack the same punch as the main cannon of the Edelweiss, but it was still enough to hit back against other German tanks and support the infantry of Squad 7. In addition, the crew added an M2 Browning machine gun on a rail mount on the commander's cupola to deal with any attacking infantry. With these weapons, they made the Shamrock an excellent infantry support vehicle. The perfect foil to the Edelweiss as the primary anti-tank vehicle for Squad 7.

Each of the 7th Platoon members was armed with their weapons, wore a backpack stuffed with gear, and marched in a loose formation between their two armored vehicles. Given the distance that they had to travel and the weight of the gear they were carrying, it would be a rather long and tiring march.

"Hey, Sergeant Alicia," called out Jack to get her attention. When she turned to face him, he asked, "I'm not trying to complain about our current situation, but could you tell me how much longer we will keep walking?"

"I hate to tell you this, señor, but it sounds like you're complaining," commented Raphael.

"Look, I'm just saying. We didn't even have to march this far when I was in boot camp," shot back Jack.

Iohan merely chuckled as he pointed out, "If you'd prefer, I can have Dredger carry you to Vasel."

With that, Jack looked past Iohan to see the towering, armored figure of Dredger. The giant was now carrying a Gallian Maxim machine gun (modified for Dredger to use) and a large backpack full of ammunition for it. Seeing him carry this so effortlessly reminded Jack of this man's strength. To take all that armor, weapons, ammo, and gear by himself meant that Dredger must have immense strength to handle the strain. However, all Jack seemed to see was the large man and his imposing figure. And it intimidated Jack enough that he decided to drop his complaint and move on.

"I'm curious, though. What's a yanqui doing out here in Gallia? Aren't your people still preparing to send people to France?" inquired Raphael.

Jack countered with, "I could say the same for a Spaniard, a Darcsen from Romania, and his friend, Paul Bunyan."

"Who or what is this Paul Bunyan?" questioned a puzzled Iohan, raising one of his eyebrows in confusion. It was clear that Iohan wasn't familiar with the figure from American folklore, not that Jack could blame him.

"Long story. But my point still stands. Why would you join the Militia?" replied Jack.

Iohan merely scoffed as he pulled out a cigarette and lighter. Then, as he put the cigarette in his mouth and tried to light it, he told Jack, "I didn't exactly volunteer. A couple of goons in uniforms picked me off the street in Randgriz when the war began. What followed was a lot of questions, yelling, and then they told me I've in the Gallian Militia now."

"And what? They just ignored your seven-foot friend when they whisked you away?" asked Jack, gesturing to Dredger, who was ignoring the whole conversation. To Jack, he found it hard to believe that with Iohan having Dredger as a companion, it was that easy for Iohan to be dragged into fighting a Gallian war.

"Oh, trust me, they noticed him," answered Iohan, "But he and I are a package deal. Where I go, he comes with me, and vice versa."

"So what about you, Vargas? What are you doing here in Gallia?" inquired Jack, turning his head the other way to talk to Raphael.

Raphael was silent for a while before he admitted," My family moved to Gallia a few years ago. So let's say my father isn't welcome back home."

"Guessing that means he wasn't a fan of the Spanish government?" questioned Jack. Raphael merely let out a silent nod as an answer. Jack left it at that as he assumed that Raphael wasn't interested in telling him the reasons that led his family to become exiles from Spain. So he decided to remain quiet for the rest of the march, focusing only on making sure he got to Vasel with the rest of the Battalion. It was going to be a long march before they reached the city.

Nightfall
Several Miles From Vasel

The Gallians had set up their camp in a wooded area for the night. Here, they would rest for the night before they launched their attack against the German troops in Vasel. They used camouflage netting and the canopies of the trees to try and hide from any German scouts or possibly any Luftwaffe planes flying night patrol routes. However, with sentries posted on the outskirts of the encampment, there was little that the Gallian Regulars and Militia could do aside from eating some rations, checking their weapons and gear, and catching a few hours of sleep.

For Squad 7, they were encamped near the center of the woods. Their area was littered with oak trees, with gaps in between being the canopies covered with the camouflage netting. The Edelweiss and the Shamrock were parked on the southern portion of the encampment. Isara, Kreis, and Leon were working on the two tanks to make sure they were combat-ready for tomorrow's assault.

"I got to say, Gallian rations are a lot better than what I had to eat back in boot camp," complimented Jack as he ate a set of rations for dinner.

Largo soon added, "Yeah, the ingredients are fresher usually because they have less distance to travel. One of the few benefits about fighting a war in your own backyard."

"Yeah, if you ignore that, it's your backyard that's currently burning," commented Iohan, the cynic he is.

Then, seated next to Largo, Rosie took a break from eating and commented to Iohan with a glare, "Yeah, yeah. Just keep your opinions to yourself, darkie."

Iohan didn't even bother to respond, continuing to eat his food. His friend Dredger, however, wasn't so silent. Dredger sat next to him, no longer wearing his armor, showing him in his Gallian uniform (the one that was tailored to fit his physique). And with it, he showed what his face looked like to the members of Squad 7. His buzzcut black hair had a distinctive scar line that started from the top edge of his forehead and ran back and down to the right side of his head. He also has some scarring on his left cheek, likely from burning. Lastly, he had a relatively thick mustache and goatee, shaving the rest of his face. In short, even without the armor, with his physique and facial appearance, Dredger wasn't the kind of person one would want to mess with on any given day.

The group was soon joined by Father Hendricks, clutching a Gallian Mauser M1889 and a rag in the other hand. As he sat down to clean his rifle, the others took notice of it, with Jack being the first to inquire, "Um, are you planning to join us in the fight, Father?"

"I am, yes. I may be a priest, but I am also a Gallian and a member of the Militia. I fought in the last war before I became a priest, and I'll be fighting alongside the rest of you in this war," explained Hendricks, moving the bolt back on his rifle to clean the inside of the barrel.

"Isn't there a little line in your book that says something about killing people?" asked Rosie.

Hendricks merely chuckled before commenting, "Well, yes. However, it's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps."

"But doesn't taking up arms go against your vows as a priest? Even back in Spain, you would never see a sacerdote as a soldier," added Raphael. Growing up, Raphael's parents raised him to be a Catholic, as did many families in Spain. He remembered his lessons even now, especially the part where the priests told them, "thou shalt not kill." He found it hard to believe that a priest would be willing to kill when his religion teaches them that violence is wrong.

It was then that Hendricks stopped cleaning his rifle. Putting the gun and the rag down, he looked at Raphael and said, "We live in dark and troubled times, child. The sad truth of it is that peace never truly lasts. Despite efforts to prevent it, eventually, men's anger will boil over somewhere and drag countless innocents into the infernos of war. As much as it is my duty to provide spiritual aid, it is also my duty to defend my flock against evil. A shepherd must look after his flock and fight off the wolves."

"Wolves don't carry rifles, priest," commented Iohan, "But I look forward to seeing you bring some of your "divine wrath" down on them just the same."

"No one asked for you to comment, darkie. So why don't you just stay quiet?" complained Rosie, clearly irritated by Iohan.

"I don't recall you being the one in charge," corrected Iohan with a smirk, "So, unfortunately, I don't have to take orders from you, Stark."

Dredger chuckled at Iohan before saying something in a foreign language, clearly mocking Rosie in support of Iohan. It didn't take a genius to see that from Rosie beginning to fume, and this conversation wouldn't end well if they continued to spar verbally.

"I'm going to leave before this gets ugly," stated Jack. He had no intention of getting in the middle of this argument. So he merely grabbed his meal and decided to find a more quiet spot where he could finish it in peace.

"Adiós, compañero," said Raphael to Jack as he left the group.

Meanwhile, Welkin, Alicia, and Faldio were under a camouflaged tarp discussing the current plan devised by Strydonck to take back Vasel. The Gallians needed to take back both the eastern and western sides of the city to prevent the German advance. The key to their plan was control over the Great Vasel Bridge. If they controlled the bridge, they could stop the Germans from advancing to Randgriz, knocking Gallia out of the war. They would secure the western portion of the city before securing the eastern part, both already occupied and fortified by the forward units of the German army.

Thankfully, Strydonck had gathered a sizable force to take back the city. In addition to the 3rd Battalion and several other Militia units, he had managed to secure a regiment of Gallian Regulars from Damon (likely with a lot of negotiating), with Strydonck in direct command of them alongside the Militia. Among these units was a sizable number of tanks that they hoped would be enough to counter any German armored vehicles within the city. The Gallians had a number of their Light Tanks and American-made Shermans with them. However, the latter only had the seventy-five-millimeter cannon, with the Gallian anti-tank variants mostly destroyed during the opening weeks of the invasion. The good General had also acquired artillery and aerial support for their attack. He wasn't sure if it would be enough, but at this stage of the war, any support was better than no support.

"If Strydoncks's plan works, we should be able to secure Vasel in a few days. By the time the main German force arrives, they'll find the city back in our hands, and their advance stalled," claimed Faldio, feeling a bit confident about their odds, "but it still won't be easy. They'll likely have fortified the city, and they'll be expecting us to attack sometime."

"So they'll be waiting for us. It will mean that the Germans be fighting much harder," commented Welkin, "you said it before; Vasel is critical. We know it and so do the Germans."

"I guess it shows how we're really in this war, Welkin. It doesn't feel that long ago that we were fighting in Bruhl," reminded Alicia, the memory of Bruhl's fall to the Kaiserreich still fresh in her mind.

Welkin couldn't help but agree with her, though he pointed out, "I know the feeling. But Bruhl was more or less a skirmish in comparison. It's going to be a full-scale battle. Which means more is on the line. And it also means that a lot can go wrong."

"It pays to expect the worst. Especially in war," said a female voice. The trio looked in the direction the voice came from and saw a Gallian Regular officer approaching them. Recognizing the long dark hair, earrings, and lipstick, Welkin and Alicia recognized her as none other than Lieutenant Isabella, the Gallian officer they encountered on the road to the capital.

As she approached, Welkin greeted her with, "Isabella. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Well, that's hard to imagine, considering I'm part of the detachment the army sent to take back Vasel. Looks like you and I'll be fighting side-by-side in this war after all," explained Isabella.

She admitted that it was a relief for her to see Welkin in a Gallian uniform, though she did have a silent hope that she would have seen him in a Gallian Regular uniform instead of a Militia one. It wasn't because she had something against the Militia like some of her fellow officers. But she knew how the aristocratic commanders in Gallian High Command regarded the Militia: as cannon fodder for the "real soldiers." So Isabella had hoped that if Welkin Gunther were in the Gallian Regulars, it would allow him to avoid perhaps being subjected to that kind of prejudice. Especially if said prejudice came from a particular individual, she knows.

"You two know each other?" inquired Faldio, surprised by their acquaintance.

"We met her after we fled from Bruhl. She was heading to the front when we passed her convoy," explained Alicia, providing some clarity on the issue.

"And I'm guessing that Welkin didn't think it was important, which is why you never brought it up, I imagine," summarized Faldio, with Welkin's expression confirming everything. Faldio continued, "Then again, Welkin never was one for explaining this kind of thing. Especially meeting the daughter of General Damon."

"Wait, what?" asked a surprised Welkin, immediately looking to Isabella for an answer.

Isabella's reaction to Welkin's surprise confirmed what Faldio had already said. Her cheeks became slightly redder due to the embarrassment, and she subconsciously twirled a lock of her hair as she diverted her gaze from Welkin. Finally, after a few moments, she put her hand down, looked back to Welkin, and informed them, "I'm afraid that Lieutenant Landzaat is correct. My full name is Isabella von Damon. General Damon is my father, although he and I rarely see eye to eye on most things."

"Oh, you didn't know Welkin?" asked Faldio, realizing he had just revealed the whole thing.

Welkin sheepishly answers, rubbing the back of his head, "It never came up. She never told us her last name when we first met."

"I suppose I should have. We could have avoided a lot of awkwardness," suggested Isabella, "but rest assured that whatever you've heard about my father, I don't share his views, especially those regarding the Militia. But, unfortunately, many of my fellow officers don't share my regards in this matter."

"Well, at least it's good to know some of the officers in the Army like us," noted Alicia.

"There's more of us than you think. Not everyone in the Regulars thinks that the Militia is lesser. At least those along the lines of my fellow Lieutenants and me. Our superiors are of a different mind," explained Isabella, trying to support Alicia's comment.

"Regardless, it's a comfort to know we'll be fighting alongside you tomorrow," replied Welkin. He was glad to be going into battle alongside a familiar face, even though he didn't truly know Isabella all that well.

"The feeling is mutual. I've always wanted to fight alongside a Gunther," added Isabella.

All of this was interrupted when a Gallian Militiaman approached the group, saluted, and announced, "Lieutenant Landzaat, Lieutenant Gunther. Captain Varrot wants you to see her in the command tent. They're going over the final preparations for the assault tomorrow."

"Alright, we'll head there at once," replied Faldio, returning the militiaman's salute.

Welkin then looked at Alicia and told her "You should probably get some sleep, Alicia. We're going to have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Already on that, Welkin," replied Alicia as she walked back to her tent, emitting a light yawn.

"I suppose this is my cue to leave. See you on the battlefield, Lieutenant. And good luck," said Isabella before turning to leave.


Spanish to English Translations

1. "Señor" - Sir

2. "Yanqui" - Yankee

3. "Sacerdote" - priest

4. "Adiós, compañero" - Goodbye, mate

In advance, before the first bit of combat in Vasel for the next chapter, there will be a few changes to what I have in mind for the Gallian infantry classes from the game. For one, to maximize their flexibility, they will be given access to some additional weapons. For example, each unit will be given a pistol as a fallback weapon. The Shocktroopers will be given light machine guns, Engineers will also use shotguns, and Lancers will have a carbine or submachine gun to fall back on when they run out of shots for their lances. Another change is the weapons here for Gallia will be a mixture of both weapons from the game as well as historical weapons used by the Belgians and Dutch during WWII. Some other classes of infantry will also be added later on at some point in the war, such as Grenadier (from VC4) and one I have created simply called officer, for individuals such as Welkin, Faldio, and Isabella. Basically, individuals designed to command troops in combat, usually armed with pistols and swords but can pick up a rifle or submachine gun should the need arise.

As for the members of Squad 7 (including the OC's I've got here, such as Raphael, Iohan, etc.), their backstories will be revealed later on, such as with the report "Ellet Embedded" in the game. Basically, I'm trying to space out revealing details instead of just doing it all at once. That, and I'm also trying to make sure they get time in the story, making them just as prevalent as established characters like Largo, Rosie, and Zaka.

I also plan on updating the author's note with a list of weapons used by the Gallian military at this point in 1935. The list will include small arms such as rifles, sub-machine guns, machine guns, etc. I'll also expand the list to include things such as vehicles, tanks, cannons, aircraft, and even some ships as well. I figured that with having Gallia in an AU version of real history, I should at least make it clear what it is that their military is armed with by this point in the timeline. For that, I will have their arsenal include weapons from the Valkyria Chronicles series as well as real-life weapons used by Belgium and the Netherlands during WWII.

Also, this is just a last-minute thought but what are your thoughts on Damon having a daughter here? I remember reading about it on the wiki and the artbooks that Damon had a daughter and two thoughts ran through my head. The first was the surprise that Damon had a daughter, let alone a kid at all. The second was a thought I only ever uttered in my head, and that was "Wait, this guy actually reproduced?"

Here I decided to give Damon's daughter an actual appearance in this story and she has relevance to the plot. Will reveal more about her as time goes on.

As always, leave a review on what you think of this chapter. And if you want to talk to me about this story or have a question about it, please send a PM and I will answer this as best as I can. For now, see you next time.

- Heinkelboy05