A/N: This story is a work of fiction and for entertainment purposes. All characters belong to their respective owners

Chapter 4: The Coming Storm

March 28, 1935

The North Sea, about 200 miles from Gallia

Ever since the war began, the Kriegsmarine was able to fully blockade Gallia from the sea. The small Royal Gallian Navy didn't have enough ships for a fight and the ships they did have were hit by Luftwaffe bombers in the opening stages of the war. So, the Germans have complete control of Gallia's coastline and have firmly secured a naval blockade. Everything was going well at first for the Germans.

That was until the Royal Navy and US Navy got involved.

The Royal Navy is still one of the greatest navies in the world and has made strides to try and help Gallia and break the blockade. However, with most of their attention focused on the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, the Royal Navy can only spare a few ships for the Home Fleet and helping Gallia so there was not much progress. However, thanks to a timely arrival with a US carrier and its collection of cruisers and destroyers, it provided a good boost of firepower that the Royal Navy needed. And the amount of aircraft that the carrier brought with it, made sure that any snooping Luftwaffe fighter or ship would think twice about getting close. However, the main issue is that many of the Luftwaffe is experienced while the American pilots have yet to taste combat, with many either being excited or nervous.

For one pilot, she was feeling both.

High in the sky, a formation of 4 F4U Corsairs was flying over the North Sea. They are currently on patrol to make sure that no Luftwaffe bombers or fighters reach Britain. They are also keeping an eye for any U-boats or ships too.

Leading the formation was a Corsair that while having the same color scheme as the other Corsairs, had some additional markings. A pattern similarly found on Darcsen clothing was on the tail and an image of the grim reaper was on the right side of the engine. The name "Charlotte Vandegrift" was written under the canopy and inside, said the pilot was currently bored.

"We are in a shooting war with the krauts and we have yet to see any of them," Charlotte groaned through the radio as they maintained their heading.

"Careful what you wish for ma'am. The krauts here are pretty damn good so they might give a tough fight," Someone said over the radio.

"True but still, better than just flying CAP all over and finding nothing. You would think that there is no war at all," Charlotte countered. She would never admit it to anyone, except for one person, but she was scared shitless of the krauts but also excited too since she wanted revenge. Revenge on what they did to her father back in the Great War, for everything they did to Darcsens in general.

'I would love to see the look of shock when those krauts see a Darcsen shooting them down,' Charlotte thought to herself. Just then a voice got her attention.

"Boss, I think I see some fighters. Two o'clock, low," One of the other pilots reported. Charlotte looked down and sure enough, she could see two fighters, flying at low altitude. From the profile and the engine design, they were Focke Wulf 190s, Germany's premier fighter who is at its best at low altitude.

"Looks like the krauts are out to play," Charlotte commented.

"And they are in their 190s to boot. That means they are in their element at that low altitude," One pilot replied.

"I don't think they see us yet too," Another chimed in, noting how they are just continuing on their course. It would seem they failed to notice the Corsairs high in the sky.

"What's the plan, Ma'am?" One of the pilots asked. Charlotte thought about it for a while. She was at the right angle to attack and she knows that not much can outdive a Corsair. She then came to a decision.

"Ok, myself and Seagull 2 will take them while the rest of you stay here. If there are more, best not to reveal all of our cards," Charlotte stated. She got "rogers" from everyone and then turned the stick to the right. The fighter banked to the right and began to dive to the German fighters. The Corsair, thanks to its gull wings, was perfect for this and as she got closer to the enemy fighter, she could see the iron cross clearly on them. She then pressed the trigger and 6 60. Caliber machine guns roared. Their armor-piercing ragnite rounds hitting the 190 in the fuselage, the fighter crumpling. The other fighter broke left to avoid being hit itself.

"Seagull 2, stay on me. It doesn't look like there are any more fighters up here so we should be in the clear. Stay on me," Charlotte said over the radio.

"Right behind you ma'am," The other pilot replied. Both Corsairs began chasing the 190 while the other two were high, keeping an eye out for more planes.

It was here that Charlotte really saw how good German pilots were as she was having a hard time trying to get on target. Every time she would be able to get the plane in her gunsights, the pilot would just be able to get out of it.

"Ok, maybe I underestimated them for a bit," Charlotte said to herself as she realigned herself to get another shot. Eventually, Charlotte thought, the German was going to have to make a mistake eventually.

Eventually, her patience finally paid off. The German fighter turned left and then dived, hoping that the dive would give it enough speed for it to getaway. That was a mistake.

Charlotte followed and used the Corsair's advantage. She was able to pick up more speed and finally was within gun range. She squeezed the trigger and finally the enemy fighter burst into flames.

"Gotta say, those stories and reports about those krauts being good is no joke," Charlotte's wingman said.

"Yeah, bet they are probably cursing down to hell if they knew that they were shot down by a Darcsen," Charlotte commented. While she was joking earlier, she never knew that it would be difficult but with the correct moves as well as with the right timing, any pilot would meet their end.

"Well, they have more flight time and by now some of them have combat experience. In this case, we were just lucky and caught them off guard. I doubt we are going to get that chance again," Her wingman stated. Charlotte nodded to this and reached to her other pilots.

"You guys see anything up there?"

"Negative. Nothing from our position must have been a recce flight if it was only two birds," a pilot replied.

"Alright, I think we had enough excitement for this patrol. Let's head back to the carrier."

The port of Portsmouth. Here, shipping coming to and from Great Britain is offloaded. It is also here that the location of the Royal Navy's naval base is and also the current home for the new modern carrier of the U.S Navy, the USS Essex. A new bread of carriers and thanks to the failure of Washington and more recently London Naval Treaties from being approved by the US Congress, the US was not limited in their shipbuilding and it was glad that it never did sign those treaties. The US built the Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown in record speed that the navy decided to go all out. Plans for new ships designs of carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines were submitted but the priority was given to carriers and battleships.

That is where Essex comes in.

Having been commissioned last year, the Essex was an upgrade from the Yorktown-class and adding some new features as well. These include a portside hanger lift to bring planes up faster, better ventilation, a larger hanger with the ability to carry 90 planes, better armor protection, and most importantly better radar and armament, particularly the 8 5in guns that were on the starboard and near the island of the carrier. All in all, the Essex can fight through hell and still come back.

That isn't to say that the carrier is by itself, it came with an escort of two battleships, the Washington and North Carolina, 4 cruisers, and 6 destroyers. This force was only supposed to be here for a joint naval exercise with the Royal Navy but now that went out the window thanks to the war.

Standing on the crow's nest was a man in his early 40s. He had short blond hair cut to Navy regulations and was wearing the standard working uniform for the US Navy. He is pretty tall, being 6 feet, and had a cigarette in his mouth. Beside him was a female officer wearing the same uniform but looked younger and the uniform had the Eagle, Anchor, and Globe of the U.S Marine Corp on her neck collar rather than the Navy emblem and while the male officer's uniform was more organized and in order, the female's uniform was not with her top buttons opened to allow her bust, which was pretty big, to be free and her sleeves rolled up. She also wore a scarf with the Darcsen design and her dark blue hair also emphasized the point.

The two watched as a Corsair came in and caught one of the wires on the carrier, allowing it to land safely. It then began to slowly make its way forward to the middle elevator to be brought down to the hangar.

"So, I heard your pilot got herself from kills Major Harper," The man said to the female officer. Major Victoria Harper is the current officer in charge of VMF-1112, the Fighting Seagulls. Their emblem was drawn by someone from Hollywood, it was a Seagull wearing a helmet with the Marine Corps emblem in a fighting position with boxing gloves and a cigar in its mouth. They were one of the first squadrons to take on the Corsair, which was a bigger improvement over their old F4F Wildcats they had before. The Navy was still apparently on the fence and for now, have adopted the new F6F Hellcat as their new fighter.

"Two German fighters got caught with their pants down. That just goes to show how relaxed they are as well as how far they are extending," Victoria replied. Until now, German fighters have only been regulated on the Gallian front but now it looks like they are testing British defenses. Since America is at war with Germany, it makes sense that Charlotte engaged the way she did.

"Even so, we need to be careful. It isn't a secret that we are here but I rather not risk a spy or agent sneaking in and sabotaging the carrier because a pilot of a bit trigger happy."

"She saw an opportunity and took it. I hope you are not sympathizing with the Krauts James," Captain James Weber was of German descent. His family originally called Hamburg their home but moved due to not agreeing with the Kaiser at that time. He, along with his brother, was born in the United States and volunteered in the Navy and Army respectively to repay the U.S for letting their parents in. Now, he is the captain of the Essex while his brother is a tank commander in the Army.

Since the war began, there have been a few who have given him looks of doubt but Victoria shot them all down.

"Don't joke like that Victoria. There are some people here who are suspicious of anyone German. We have been lucky so far they kept it to themselves but that won't last long," James replied back.

"C'mon, everyone on this ship knows you aren't one of them. That's the reason why no one has said anything bad to you. Plus, you got me to back you up."

"I don't know if that is a good or bad thing," James stated, causing Victoria to lightly glare at him and punch him in the arm lightly. James and Victoria grew up near each other and she was her little brother's close friend. It was a surprise when he learned that her squadron was coming on board the carrier but she wasn't an unwanted face either.

"But, I'll talk to Charlotte about it. I think her enlistment is almost up to so I will have to ask if she wants to stay or not," Victoria stated.

James nodded and then something came to mind, "Didn't headquarters send that bulletin on accepting volunteers for the Gallian Royal Air Force, in particular for a Darcsen unit?" The Gallian Royal Air Force was decimated within the first few days of the war. As a result, their squadrons are scattered at best but there was an exception to this.

"Yeah, apparently the request was made by an air force commander in the south. They aren't getting many replacement pilots so one of them sent a bulletin to headquarters and it reached me. The strange thing is, they are mainly asking for Darcsen pilots," Victoria pointed out. This caused James to raise an eyebrow. Gallia isn't friendly to their Darcsens so why are they asking for Darcsen pilots?

"Either way, they are in need of talented pilots and since Charlotte is Darcsen as well, she could be a match," Victoria commented.

"We can have her as a representative. That way, she can have some leeway in matters. Plus, with this war, we are going to need a lot of experienced pilots if we want to win this fight," James replied. He looked out to the harbor, he can see naval ships docked, their guns silent and waiting. He knew that eventually, they will have to sail and fight but for now, they are on the sidelines. Having a pilot, albeit a trigger happy one, but a pilot nevertheless.

"Alright, I will ask her after her debriefing. Her marks in flight school are good and she has more flight time than compared to the other members in the squadron and….. Well, this will at least ease her questions," Victoria noted.

James nodded. Since the war began, Charlotte has been asking for any update regarding her husband, who was stationed as an embassy guard in Randgriz. So far, they know he is currently acting as an advisor of sorts to the Gallians but that is about it. Maybe being on the continent will be able to ease her questions and maybe her worrying.

"Very well. But don't force her if she doesn't. I don't want to lose many pilots if I don't have to," James replied, to which Victoria nodded. Outside of the reports that they get from headquarters, the information that is coming from the radio also matches those reports.

And that is something no one wants to be a reality.

Central Gallia

The invasion into Gallia was swift, not giving the Gallians anytime to mount any kind of defense or in some cases, didn't give enough time for their civilians enough time to leave as well. This resulted in many civilians being behind enemy lines and the German army would have to deal with them. While most civilians often kept their distance and reduced the amount of business that they had to do with the German occupiers, there were some who actually actively helped the Germans, causing many to give them ire and disdain. And of course, there are those who resist the Germans, some with guns and others with words.

The current situation is of the latter.

"Umpf," the kid fell to the ground. His head hit the ground and he was rubbing it as four shadows appeared before him.

"You got a big mouth on you kid. Why don't you take a hint and shut your mouth?" One of the soldiers, a Unteroffizier said.

"He is also a darkee too. Why don't we just shoot him and be done with it?" Another soldier stated out loud. The kid gritted his teeth as he adjusted his glasses. In Gallia, not many people respected Darcsens but there were still those who were not openly hostile. Now the rules have changed. Now, no one would come to the aid of the Darcsens and have stood by and watched as some were sent to camps, beaten, or worse.

"That is not that bad of an idea. In fact, killing you might get some people to enjoy our presence here. Besides, no one is going to care about one darkee dying," The Unteroffizie said as he cocked his submachine gun. The kid's eyes widened and he started to shake. People on the street that were watching or passing by began to look away. While there were a few in the crowd that didn't like Darcsens, that didn't mean they want to see them being killed in public. And all the kid did was state that they didn't do anything to the soldiers who accused him of stealing a watch that he was wearing on his hand.

The Unteroffizie raised his submachine gun and the kid closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable burst of fire until the sound of rifles clicking stopped with a voice calling out.

"What is all of this?" The kid and soldiers looked up to see a German officer, an Oberleutnant, and behind him were three soldiers armed with Kar98K rifles and they were pointed at the four soldiers. Besides the German officer was his aide who has had their sidearm pulled out and aiming it at the soldiers.

"O-O-Oberleutnant von Einzbern! We were just putting this Darcsen in his place. He stole that watch and deserved to be punished," The Unteroffizie stated.

"Is that so?" Einzbern replied. He then looked at the kid and walked towards him. He then knelt down so that he can look into the kid's eyes.

"What's your name?" Einzbern asked.

"Zeri," Zeri replied simply and to the point.

"Zeri," Einzbern repeated and then turned back to the soldier, "And you saw this person steal the watch?"

"Well, no sir but there is no way a dark hair could have an expensive watch like that. He had to have stolen it," Zeri glared at the soldier but the German officer said something that surprised Zeri.

"That is your only evidence?! Have you no shame?! No honor?! To accuse someone of stealing without having any evidence to back it up?! Get out of my site. I will handle this myself, Einzbern stated firmly. The soldiers behind him aimed their rifles and the soldier who was harassing Zeri left, grumbling.

Einzbern sighed and then looked over at Zeri. He then approached him and offered a hand. Zeri was hesitant at first but then took his hand. Einzbern helped him up and dust him off.

"You should get out of town. Tonight if you can," Eizenbern said quietly. Quiet enough that only Zeri can hear. Zeri looked at him with wide eyes but Einzbern's eyes signaled him to be quiet.

"Leave through the east of town. There aren't many guards there," Einzebern whispered. Zeri just nodded and then he began to walk away.

Einzbern watched Zeri walk and then a voice brought him out of his mind, "Sir, was it ok to help that Darcsen? This could affect your standing."

Einzbern turned around to face the officer who spoke up. It was his executive officer. She wore the standard officer field uniform with knee-length combat boots. On her chest was the badge that was the infantry assault badge, having just received it after assaulting a difficult position. Her short red hair poked out of her field cap and her red eyes were looking at Einzbern's red eyes with worry and concern. This Unterfeldwebel Henrietta Wenzel, who has been with him since he entered the army 4 years ago.

"In war, standing doesn't mean anything. A bullet or shell can kill without hesitation and if you die with the only glory in your mind then you deserve death. It is our actions that will determine the future and to me, harassing someone who did nothing wrong will give the wrong idea," Einzbern replied. While he did not really love Darcsens, he didn't approve of the treatment they got. He is one of the few who judge those on their actions and not on where they are from or born. He has instilled this with his soldiers and while some accepted this, some did not. Thankfully, Henrietta agreed with his philosophy but was worried when he butted heads with command.

"I understand that sir but there are many who do not share that view. It would probably be best to just keep it to yourself for now," Henrietta urged. Einzbern sighed but nodded.

"That might be the best for now. Also, before this, you were saying something about our orders?" Einzbern asked. Henrietta nodded and pulled out of her pocket a piece of paper.

"A runner delivered this. You were not present so the runner gave it to me.," Henrietta stated. Einzbern took the paper and opened it. After scanning its contents he nodded.

"It looks like this war might be over soon. Our battalion is being ordered to reinforce the force in Vasel. Intelligence states that the Gallians may attempt to retake the town so they want to be sure that the Gallians don't get lucky," Einzbern summarized the orders.

"I see. Well, this is good news then, the capital of Randgriz is over the Vasel Bridge so we would have a straight shot to the capital," Henrietta replied.

"Quite true but there is a small flaw in your thinking Henrietta," Einzbern noted, causing Henrietta to raise an eyebrow.

"A cornered enemy is the most dangerous enemy. And now that the Gallians are cornered, they are going to be quite the dangerous enemy.

Randgriz

While there is an ongoing war happening, that does not mean that businesses are not still running. Even after being under constant bombings, there were still shops and stores open to provide a sort of normalcy in the city. While this was still happening, the city's underground also took this opportunity to sell goods that are currently out of stock or in some cases, would never be found sold in Randgriz.

In one of the shadier parts of the city, there is a local shop that is still open. On the outside, it looks like a normal antique shop that you would normally find around the city. However, this is only a front as the store really is a place where criminals or those who want something illegal can get their hands on them. In this case, this store specializes in selling firearms that are not locally made.

Inside the store, there was an old man reading a newspaper. He was in his mid-fifties and he had some grey hair coming out amongst his brown hair. He wore glasses and was dressed in a white long-sleeve button-up shirt with khakis and suspenders. To his right, was his female assistant. She was a Darcsen with a Darcsen designed armband over her right arm and her dark blue hair cut short. She wore a red shirt tucked into her khakis and suspenders and she was currently taking inventory on her notepad.

Suddenly the bell on the front door chimed, signaling that someone had entered the shop. Both of them looked up and were quite surprised to see a man in what appeared to be a military uniform enter, holding a catalog in his hand and a toothpick in his mouth. The dirt still on his uniform as well as the dents in his helmet showed that he had recently come off the front lines.

"What can I help you with today, sir?" The old man asked in a calming tone. The soldier just looked at him and smiled.

"Just browsing is all. I heard you guys have a nice inventory of some exotic merchandise and I am very interested in seeing it," The soldier replied. He also handed the old man a slip of paper. He took it and looked at it, his eyes widened for a second before nodding.

"Very well, sir. If you would follow me," the old man said. He then looked over to his assistant who nodded and went over and locked the front door and switched the open sign to closed. The three then went to the back of the shop and opened a back door. Stepping inside, this room held the real products of the shop. On the walls, it was layered with an assortment of firearms, from rifles, to even machine guns, there was everything you needed. On one of the walls were boxes of ammo for the guns.

The old man walked behind the counter that separated them from the guns and asked, "Ok, since you know what this is all about. What would you like?"

The soldier looked around for a bit, eyeing the selection, and said, "Let me get that 19 pump action right there." The soldier pointed to the shotgun behind the old man. He went to get it but the soldier continued, "Also, that Model 1907 too."

The old man looked over to his assistant and nodded. The assistant then got the gun from a shelf and placed it on the counter.

"Going to also need that old Lewis gun too and that SMLE too," The soldier said, flipping a page from the catalog in his hand. They got the guns and thought that was it until the soldier continued.

"Going to also need that Colt Monitor and Thompson sub-machine gun," The soldier pointed.

"You want the stick or drum mags?" The old man asked as he got the submachine gun while his assistant was making sure none of the guns would fall off the counter.

"The drum mags," was the reply the old man got as he then reached to get the drum magazines.

"Also. gonna need that sten gun. The one without the wooden stock," The soldier pointed out. The assistant went and got it while the soldier walked over to the counter that displayed the handguns and revolvers.

"Also going to need this Webley and Enfield Revolver," the soldier pointed out. The assistant pulled out the revolvers as the soldier eyed a Colt 1917 revolver.

"Mind if I take a look at this 1917?" The soldier asked. The old man nodded and pulled it out and handed it to the soldier. The soldier took and worked the cylinders and checked the hammer. The way he was doing it showed that the soldier was no stranger to firearms of this design.

"You got this is black or nickel, a bit too shiny to have on the battlefield," The soldier asked, handing the old man the revolver back.

"I believe I do sir," The old man replied.

"Good, going to need one. Also, mind handing me that 1895 lever action,"

"Do you want the one the chambered in the 30.03 or in the 7.62 Russian?" The old man asked.

"The 30.03," The soldier answered immediately. The assistant got the rifle and handed it to the soldier. The soldier took it and then aimed down the rifle and worked the lever. The assistant looked in fascination as the soldier brought the lever-action up to his ear and worked the lever, to see if there were any inconsistencies. Satisfied, the soldier placed the rifle amongst all the other guns and looked around.

"Finally, I'm going to need that Springfield 03 and the Enfield 1917," The soldier stated. Once the old man got both rifles and placed them with the other guns. After everything, the old man and assistant were looking at quite an arsenal.

"So, which one do you want?" The old man asked, expecting the soldier just to pick one. His answer surprised the old man and assistant.

"All of them," The soldier stated calmly.

"All of them?" The old man asked again, surprised as he looked at all the guns.

"Yup, and I am going to need about 6 boxes of 30.06, 45ACP, 30.03, and 9mm ammo each too," The soldier stated as he looked at the stack of ammo. The old man motioned to his assistant, who was still in shock, and she made her way to get the ammo boxes.

"Now, I usually don't ask but do you mind me asking, what is it that you need all this firepower?" The old man asked.

"I actually do mind very much," The soldier replied and then sent the old man a look and the old man can tell this soldier was no ordinary soldier and the man decided to keep his mouth shut.

The door opened and Isabella looked up to see Andrew walk out of the store with a shotgun in hand, he was followed closely behind holding an unusually large amount of guns with one carrying a lot of ammo boxes. They approached the jeep Isabella and Lina were waiting in and both of them just looked in amazement at the guns this place had.

"Just put them in the jeep. Thanks again," Andrew said to the two and they began to load the jeep with the guns. Andrew reached into his bag and then pulled out an envelope. Once all the guns were loaded onto the jeep, he handed it to the old man, who opened it and then nodded.

"Thank you for your business," The old man stated with a nod. Then the man and girl walked back to the store.

"I am not even going to ask what this place is," Lina muttered as she still looked at the guns.

"Best you don't. And I hope you will keep this a secret too Isabella," Andrew asked.

"Of course. Though, you really didn't have to do this," Isabella noted, causing Andrew to scoff.

"Giving the militia old weapons that can barely pass as being usable is not something I can get on board," Andrew replied. As they were retreating, Andrew was horrified to see that the guns the militia were using were far from serviceable and the fact they were expected to hold was downright the most idiotic thing he has seen.

"There should be enough ammo here for a platoon. The ammo supply will sort itself out so there should not be an issue," Andrew said. Isabella nodded.

"Again, I am thankful that you did this. This should give some a better fighting chance," Isabella noted.

"Alright, in that case, I guess this is where we part ways," Andrew noted, extending a hand to Isabella. She took it and gave him a firm shake.

"It was an honor sergeant. Hopefully, we both live long enough to celebrate this war's end," Isabella replied.

"Woman, I think you will live through this. After seeing you fight, you are a tough nut to kill," Andrew replied back. Having fought a retreating battle, Andrew can tell Isabella is different from your standard Gallian officer. She has more guts and she is more versed in strategy than your run-of-the-mill Gallian officer, who got their position through their family connection.

Andrew then looked at Lina and said, "That also applies to you too Lina. Don't go dying out there."

"Y-Y-Yes, sir! Thank you for all the help so far!" Lina replied. Over the past few weeks, Andrew has seen that Lina was a capable fighter. After getting through her fear and getting the courage, Lina is a capable fighter and is one hell of a shot if given a rifle.

"Now, you happen to know where I am going next? I know I have to report to another unit but I was never told which one," Andrew asked Isabella.

"I do. You are to report to a Gallian unit near the town of Vasel. As you know, that town is pretty much the last stepping stone from Randgriz so it is important that we retake the town. These are the papers with your orders," Isabella said. She then pulled out the orders from her pocket and handed it to Andrew.

"Also, the officer in charge….. He is a very good and close friend of mine. Consider this a personal request but please make sure he doesn't die," Isabella stated. Andrew can tell how she said that and her voice shaking means this guy might be more than just a friend to her but didn't say anything.

"In war, I can't make promises but I will do my best," Andrew replied.

"That is good enough with me," Isabella said. The both of them then saluted each other and Isabella got into the jeep, started the engine, and drove off with Lina waving goodbye.

Andrew waved goodbye back and as he looked at the orders, he finally came across the name of the officer that he is going to be working with now and said his name aloud to himself.

"Second Lieutenant Kurt Irving."

Well, as I said before, the updates will be a bit more consistent. Now, we are getting close to the beginning of VC3. Next up, Kurt and Andrew meet for the first time and thus begin their journey forward. Hope you guys like the chapter. See you guys in the next update.