Chapter 10: The Liberation of Reine

Personnel: Erwin Absenkirch

Gallian General. Age 46. Born on the island of Reite, son of the Valkyria Urma Dross and a gallian sailor named Torfinn Absenkirch, Erwin uncovered his potential as a Valkyrur at the age of 16. As a male, this was extremely unexpected, but it earned him a lot of prestige among the community for being the first male Valkyrur after decades.

He was taught by the last male Valkyrur alive at the time: Aduin. Despite his entire community insisting that he upheld the policy of isolation and concealment, Erwin knew that times were changing, and that sooner or later the power of the Valkyrur would be uncovered again. Therefore he enlisted in the Gallian Army to seek allies. This search led him to meet General Belgen Gunther and, most importantly, his two closest friends: Wilbur Fender and Adrien Agusta.

As founder of the Gallian Special Service, and given his track record of victories, he is considered a hero already by the people of Gallia. He wants to create a world where the Valkyrur and the rest of humanity can live side-by-side, for which he needs leverage and reputation.


July 2, 1935.

After Fort Krest, the way to Reine was basically open, and now that the Gallians had finally cleared out the Kloden Wildwood, it was time for the first ever joint operation between Gallia and the Federation.

In the forward operation base Lindbergh, a camp that had been set up by the Ranger Corp in preparation for the final push, morale was overall high, mostly due to the rush given by the great success of Operation Eastern Wind. For not only the Edinburgh Army was advancing in the north, the armies of the other constituents were pushing hard into imperial territory.

What was best, they were already at the gates of a major city of the south: Korolev; cultural capital of the Rurikian people, which had a delegation among the various governments-in-exile that had signed the Europan Community treaties.

That government had already established some institutions in the liberated areas of the borders they had been recognized with the treaties, just like a smaller nation on their northern border: the resurrected Duchy of Simeria.

These new states meant that the allies wouldn't have to waste many troops to preside the liberated territories, as the new governments quickly organized their own militias and started the work to stabilize their new nations. This allowed the forces of the Community to appear as true liberators while they could keep using the roads they needed to push further East.

With news of these successes further south, the Edinburgh Army didn't want to appear less proficient, so the attack on Reine had finally been ordered.

As dawn broke in, Squad E and their GSS allies were waiting on a nearby hill, and in the distance they could see a long column of dust rising from the east of the city. When Claude looked inside his binocular, he recognized a column of tanks waving a small Gallian flag on their turrets, followed by a motorized infantry column. They quickly took position on the road that was supposed to be the main escape route for the Imperials.

"Are those...the Edelweiss tanks?" Claude asked amazed.

"Indeed." Kiril replied proudly, as he was also using his lenses. "Now let's see if the Imperials value their escape route."

"Hey, let me see!" Miles asked, as he was extremely curious to see those tanks. Claude passed him the binocular and the tank leader, after taking a quick look, made an amazed gasp. "Look at them go! They're so fast!"

Claude could see them well enough now that he had envisioned them, and indeed he was impressed, as well. "No wonder the General pushed so far behind enemy lines. Those tanks surpass even the more advanced models of the Empire in speed."

"Not that Erwin needs them to whoop the Empire's ass." Ramal said with enthusiasm. "But with those beauties, oh boy…"

"You really admire him a lot." Kai commented a little amused.

"By the end of this day, you'll understand why." Kiril concluded. "Is the fire support team in position?"

Claude was suddenly reminded that it wasn't just the mission that was at stake, but also his chance to redeem his past and replied firmly "Yes. Lieutenant Miller and her team are waiting for us to signal the tanks."

"And look, the fog is coming in right on cue." Raz observed, looking toward the city.

"Then that's our signal." Claude decreed. "We need to infiltrate the city and find the heavy tanks that the Empire is using to protect its command center. Squad E, move out!"

On that order, exploiting the cover of the thick fog setting in, Squad E and their attaches sneaked into the city. Most of the imperial garrison had sallied out to meet the Gallian force suddenly appearing on their eastern side, and the distant rumbles of tank cannons, explosions and finally the appearance of the Flying Theimers in the air indicated the intensity of the engagement. For now, that meant that the only Imperial forces left were defending the main square, where they had set up their own HQ.

The Hafen had also been brought in, but kept a block away from the central square. The job would have to be up to the scouts and those fast enough to get close, verify the identity of the tanks and then hide again.

Nonetheless, both the Rangers and the GSS were trained and capable of exploiting the environment to become invisible, and in less than 15 minutes they had already spotted all the real tanks from the decoys that the defenders had laid around to inflate their numbers, as Minerva had warned.

"All right. Now we got a general idea of where the tanks are." Claude said after all squads had reported in.

"I'm calling the fire support team, right now." Miles immediately reported. Only to reply a few moments later. "Wait...our signal is jammed. I can't get through."

"Uh?" Ramirez asked baffled. "But we need the artillery!"

"Try again, Miles." Claude calmly said.

"I'm doing it, but it's useless. We should get out of here before we're surrounded." Miles said, starting to get nervous.

"Claude!" Raz said below the tank, asking for orders.

"Calm down. For now, let's regroup and assess the situation." the Lieutenant calmly ordered.

"I think I saw a good point where we can dig in." Ramal said.

"Get us there."

Soon enough, the GSS led his allies inside the courtyard between a series of houses that formed a jagged square, and where they could indeed easily dig in, but they were also sitting ducks. A few minutes passed, and while the battle in the distance was still clearly raging, the Imperials inside Reine had clearly realized that there were enemy units in front of them, so they mobilized.

"Enemy reinforcements incoming from the west." Kai alerted.

"Trapped like friggin' rats. What are we gonna do?!" Raz asked angrily.

"We can't even contact Lieutenant Victor!" Miles reported after another fruitless attempt.

"This mission's a failure, Claude." Kai said fatalistically. "Only you can give the order to retreat."

"Hold on!" Kiril intervened, then showed a flare pistol that he had with him. "It's not over yet! I can signal where the tanks are if I just get close enough to them."

"Good idea." Claude said. "But this wasn't part of the mission. There's the risk our allies don't understand it. We need to inform them!"

"But how? We can't even call them!" Raz insisted.

Claude looked around. "The answer is…" he muttered, trying to find anything that allowed them to communicate with Riley without wasting the few flares that Kiril had.

Then it came to him. He looked up and saw the perfect chance. "There!"

Everyone looked up and saw a bell tower, with a few numbers on wood panels.

Miles peeked out from his seat and said "Oh, that's a signal tower. Back in the day, they'd switch up the numbers to send out messages."

"Snipers." Claude instructed. "Do you think you can hit the panels?"

"At this distance? Sure." Kai replied without hesitating.

"Then get ready. Once Kiril fires the flare, you'll have to make it displays the numbers 7, 1, 5."

"Roger that." Kai replied, even if she didn't know exactly how that would help them.

"I'm sorry to put this on you, guys. We'll give you all the cover you need." Claude finally said to the GSS.

"Thanks. Let's get out of here, together!" Ramal exhorted.

Claude smiled with renewed confidence. "Yeah. All right. Raz, provide all the fire support you can to the Sergeants."

"Come on, boys! Just tell us where you need to go and we'll get you there!" the Darcsen said with determination.


From his command APC, standing just behind the line of Edelweiss models, Erwin could see another Imperial tank being neutralized by another precise shot from Hasso's platoon. For real, these improved models had proven to be even more destructive than their progenitor.

As of now, the Imperials had lost 18 tanks, some were burning and others were simply knocked out, with their crews usually trying to make a run for it, but they had not even got closer to the Gallian formation. On that open field, the 82 mm cannons of the Edelweiss was proving to be extremely deadly. Plus the constant carousel from Gryphon was making short work of the enemy infantry and light vehicles.

With the situation under control, Erwin turned toward his staff officer at the radio. "Any news from the infiltration squad?"

"No, sir. But we received a report that the enemy artillery is firing at random around the area of the fire support team. They might have spotted them."

"Or triangulated their signal if our allies tried to hail." Erwin thought, then took another look at the battle. It was clear that the Imperial tanks had stopped and were even moving backward, afraid to get close to the Gallian counterparts. Then Erwin saw a flare suddenly erupt from the center of Reine.

For a moment he wondered, but then he saw explosions rocking the area beneath the flare and then several trails of black smoke started coming up, clearly coming from a large fire. Apparently, a hit on a few of the heavy tanks had been scored.

Between that and the fact that the forces in front of him were clearly on the verge of panicking, Erwin decided to dare for a push.

"Orwinger, do you copy?" he said in the radio.

"Orwinger, here." Asso replied.

"Our allies are starting to clear out the heavy tanks in the city. Do you think we have room for a counterattack?"

"Judging by how they're running, I say we have a shot."

"Then let's do this. I'll have Gryphon hit them with everything they got."

"Yes, sir. All right, gentlemen! Split up and hit them on the flanks!"

Erwin quickly contacted the remaining planes of Gryphon and ordered them to aim at the heavier imperial tanks, those who could seriously penetrate the Gallian armors if they got too close. Meanwhile, Asso divided his 20 tanks in two squads: one advanced slowly from the front, keeping the Imperials engaged while a second squad detached and started rolling on the right. Soon, the Imperials found themselves savaged on the flank by the row of Gallian tanks that fired while on the move, a testament to the excellent new stabilizers of the improved models and the skill of their gunners. In less than five minutes, the entire Imperial armored force was completely out of commission and the few survivors simply threw their guns down and their hands in the air, leaving it to the Gallian infantry to sweep and capture them.

That also allowed Erwin to finally reach the city at full speed, though the moment he got there with the tanks following he saw more imperials hastily leaving the city. Their column tried to fight, but after the first few troops were gunned down, the others realized it was pointless and surrendered as well.

After sweeping even those guys over, the Gallians proceeded toward the city center, and it was there that Erwin saw the first Federal soldiers, gathered around a tank of their own, and with Ramal and Kiril waiting around it.

As soon as the two GSS saw the APC, they stood up and started walking toward it. Erwin quickly dismounted to go and greet his pupils, only to see that they were covered in cinder. Still, they made the salute as if it was nothing.

"General Absenkirch. Sergeants Kiril and Valt reporting for duty." Kiril said nonchalantly.

"What happened here? Did you fire those flares?"

The two quickly explained what had happened, which made Erwin sigh in exhaustion. "You asked for artillery fire on your position in order to take out the tanks? You know, boys, if you want a medal, there were already plenty of reasons."

The guys started laughing and even Erwin chuckled.

"We really missed you, sir." Ramal said happily.

"Likewise, boys." the General replied proudly as he patted them both on the shoulders. "And you were missed by the rest of the Division."

The two chuckled then turned around, so that Ramal could show the team that had just liberated Reine. "General, may we introduce you to our allies and newfound friends: Squad E of the Edinburgh Ranger Corp."

The Feds were actually quite shocked and puzzled. Mostly because Erwin was clearly not how they imagined a General of his fame to be. Still, when they were introduced, Claude clacked his heel and ordered everyone to salute, an order that was quickly followed.

Erwin calmly returned the salute and then presented himself in a friendly manner. "Greetings, Squad E. I'm General Erwin Absenkirch of the Gallian Special Service. My Sergeants wrote to me about you, but I must say, you proved even better than their gossiping left to imagine."

Claude smiled and scratched his head embarrassed, a mixture of modesty and the slight confusion that the General's attitude brought onto him.

"Oh...it's an honor, sir. But really, the praise should go to the artillery team. They were the ones to take out the tanks. And...from what I see, you also did your part solidly."

"Then let's just agree that everyone did their part." Erwin concluded. "Now, have you informed your Command, already?"

"Yes, sir. We're waiting for reinforcements to preside the city."

"Then, after this, would you mind accompanying me to your base? I have a few matters to discuss with your commanders."

"Of course, sir." Claude replied with a salute.


By late morning, Reine was under complete Federal control, ready to be handed back to the restored government of Wesel, while the Ranger Corp had reassembled at Lindbergh Base, and while the troops were welcoming with their newly arrived allies, Erwin and his two pupils were brought straight to Colonel Borswood, the commanding officer of the Ranger Corp.

For now, Claude, Kai, Raz and Miles were gathered in the former's tent and were spending some time relaxing when Claude suddenly realized that the other three were heading outside.

"Where are they all headed?" he asked, a little confused.

Just a second later, the entrance of the tent rustled and none other than Riley walked in.

"Good timing." she said. "Now we can talk in private."

"Riley…" Claude said amazed and caught off-guard.

"Mind if I sit down?" she asked with a slight frown but an educated tone.

Bumbling a little, but still happy that this opportunity was coming up, Claude smiled gently and replied "Oh...be my guest!"

So Riley took the stool that was in the tent while Claude sat at the edge of his bunk bed.

"July 15th is coming up soon." Riley said.

That was a throwback to what they had just accomplished in Reine, and the meaning behind 7-1-5.

"Remember how excited we'd get for the Starchild Festival?" Claude said with a fond remembrance. "We'd all run up the clock tower, and the first five kids to reach the top would ring the bell." then as memories strolled in, he continued. "I remember the winner got to wear a Starchild medal. And every year, you wore yours with pride...I always looked up to you."

"I loved that festival." Riley finally replied. "Almost as much as I loved winning."

"That's why I knew you'd recognize the signal." Claude replied, still with his carefree tone.

Maybe amused by how calm Claude was, Riley finally cracked a smile and said with a little embarrassment "You dingus. For all you know, I might have forgotten.

"Not you." Claude replied confidently. "There is no way you would forget those memories."

"You really do trust me, uh?" Riley replied, a little moved. Then narrated with more seriousness. "The only reason I didn't retreat was out of stubborn pride. I was this close to leaving you for dead, though. Honestly, I didn't think you'd find a way out. And yet...here we are."

"Well, aside from gaining your attention, I was having a hard time thinking how I would send you the coordinates. Fortunately, Ram and Kiril were with us." Claude said humbly.

Riley became a little ashamed. "Uhm...is it true that they fired those flares at point blank?"

"Yeah. They would fire right above their heads and then sprint away. Honestly, I don't know where they found all that courage. They were almost caught a couple of times by your barrage."

"I see...remind me to apologize to them." she said with some regret, then she stood up and continued with more optimism. "I canceled my transfer request, by the way. I'll give you another shot. At least until I confirm you're not a Scaredy-Claude anymore. And it's your job to prove it!"

Claude stood up as well. "It's a little late, but I look forward to working with you." he said and extended a hand.

Riley looked at it, made a shy smile and finally, after facing a fear that had gripped her heart and mind for too long, she reached his hand. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, smiling after finding again their friendship after all that time.

Then they heard a certain commotion outside, they even heard someone yelling at the crowd to gather around the command tent.

"What's going on?" Riley wondered.

Claude quickly came up with a suspicion. "Let's go and see."

They left the tent and joined the stream of troopers heading toward the command tent. As the soldiers recognized Claude, they let him and Riley pass. Indeed, at the front row there were also Minerva and the Lieutenants of the other Squads, all gathered to listen to the Command Staff, assembled to make an announcement with Absenkirch at their side.

"Everyone." Colonel Borswood said loudly. "As you've seen, in the spirit of the Europan Community, today Gallia sent his best soldiers and its best weapons to assist us in this battle. Not only that, but during these months, it was their indomitable defiance of the Empire that allowed us to first stop the enemy invasion and then gave us an opportunity to fight back.

"As such, the Federation has decided that it's high time we return the favor. I'm sure you're all aware that Gallia has been recently deprived of the city of Fouzen. That city hosts the largest ragnite deposit in all of Europa, therefore it is vital for the entire alliance that is retaken from the Empire's claws. Command has decided to deploy the Ranger Corp as an expeditionary force to Gallia."

An amazed murmur rose from the crowd.

"Wait...does this mean…?" Riley asked in a hushed tone.

"We're all going to Gallia in order to assist with the liberation of Fouzen. We depart tomorrow morning, after resupplying and resting. I expect all of you to treat our hosts with the respect and regard they deserve."

"We're...going back to Gallia?" Kai asked with a contained, but very happy tone.

Raz didn't hold back instead. "Yeah! That's right! We're going to bring the fight to the Imps!"

"Glad to hear you're all excited." Ramal's voice suddenly said from their side. The members of Squad E turned and saw the two GSS smiling at them.

"How does it feel? You haven't seen the homeland for nearly two years, right?" Kiril asked gently.

"More like a decade, for me." Riley said with a bit of nostalgia. "Is it still beautiful as I remind it?"

"It is. And it will be even better when we will finally kick the Imps out." Ramal replied confidently.

"Damn right it will!" Raz commented.

"Lieutenant Wallace!" the voice of one of the officers called suddenly, making everyone turned around in curiosity, while Claude quickly gave his attention. "A moment of your time, please." the officer then said politely.

"Yes, sir." Claude replied promptly. "Guys, go help with the preparations. I'll be right back."

"Sergeant Schulen." Ramal said instead, earning Kai's attention. "Sorry to disturb you, but I am working on a new tactic for our sniper. Can I ask for your advice? It will only take a minute."

Kai clearly felt that it was an excuse, yet her heart told her that she had to go.

"Of course."

Ramal and Kiril exchanged a glance of understanding, so while the latter went to help the rest of the team, the former led Kai behind a secluded corner among the many tents.

"What is this about, Ram?" she asked, just slightly suspicious.

Realizing that the cat was out of the bag, Ramal spoke frankly. "Sorry to take you away like that, but the General had something to give you, and it would have been to difficult for him to move around discreetly."

"Uh? What's going on?"

Ramal took one last look around before reaching inside his jacket. "What I'm about to show you, must not be said to anyone else. You hear me?" he said severely.

Kai was starting to get mixed feelings, but she nodded firmly.

It was at that point that Ramal brought out the envelope. It wasn't signed or anything, yet Kai's pupils shrank as a huge suspicion reached her mind. She took the letter as gently and as rushed as she could and avidly opened it. Took out the paper and started reading.

"My beloved sister,

How are you? I know it sounds stupid, even egotistical, considering that I've disappeared from you. Unfortunately, I still cannot tell you what I'm involved in, at the moment, but given the emissary I've chosen, I'm sure my smart little sister can figure it out quite easily.

For now, I want you to know that I am on an assignment the details of which I cannot disclose, but rest assured that I'm far from danger.

Which is actually a curse, because not a day goes by that I don't think about you and the dangers I thrust you in. Once my assignment is over, know that we will most likely see each other again. When that time comes, I can only hope you will forgive me for all I put you through. You would have every right to be angry, so allow me tell you now that I love you, from the bottom of my heart.

Please be safe Leena.

Your brother."

Barely had she read the final line that a tear fell on the paper. Leena's eyes were just dropping water like a fountain and she immediately wiped them with her cape and put the letter out of their way to avoid damaging it even more.

"My brother…?" she said, still unable to process the entirety of the situation. "Is he…?"

Ramal made a nod. "He is working with the GSS and the General. As I said, I can't tell you the details, but he's safe. Before leaving for his current assignment he left this to the General in case he ever met you."

Leena sniffed and sobbed lightly. "I see…" she said, with a smile suddenly appearing on her face. "So he's alive…I'm happy to hear it."

"He probably said something similar in the letter, but he misses you a lot. Me and Kiril met him a couple times, and he talked about you extensively." Ramal said to console her.

"I see...thanks." she replied eventually with a moved smile.

"Now...I know it sounds a little heartless, but orders dictate that I ask you to destroy that letter. We cannot risk even the tiniest leak about Kai's whereabouts." the Sergeant then said cautiously.

However, Leena looked at the letter, closed her eyes and finally ripped it in two with ease, then proceeded to break it even further until the letter was reduced to bits, leaving Ramal actually stunned.

"Well that was easy." he commented.

Leena smiled. "I don't need a letter to remind me of him. All I need to know is that he's alive and well. And if that piece of paper compromises his safety...well, I can wait until he comes back." she said with unexpected serenity.

Ramal processed those words then chuckled. "You truly have his same resolve. All right, now let's get back to the others before somebody starts wondering."

Leena nodded, and separately, they left that corner and returned to their duties.


July 3, 1935.

Hilde was strolling around the small garden of the base, trying to get her mind off.

The day after, they were going to execute the first test of the implosion reactor, meaning that she was going to have her first experience as a living battery. For how much she felt ready and willing, a part of her was still terrorized.

So it was with a certain relief that she eventually spotted Kai sitting on one of the benches, reading a newspaper, much like he did every morning. She smiled and walked up to him.

"Morning, Cap!" she greeted cheerfully.

Kai literally jumped on his seat. "Woah…! Oh, Hilde. Good morning." he replied after readjusting himself.

"Wow!" Hilde said with emphasis. "Did I actually catch you off-guard? What are you reading that got you so distracted?"

Kai chuckled embarrassed. Indeed, being the head of security made the situation quite shaming, but it seemed like he didn't care too much about it.

"It's because of this." he said, showing the first page and inviting her to read it.

Hilde sat next to him on the bench and saw a front page reporting with large characters about the first ever joint operation between the Federation and Gallia, which had brought the liberation of Reine just the day before.

And below the title, occupying the center of the page, there was a picture, with several soldiers and officers of both nations among which Hilde quickly recognized her father.

"Father…" she mumbled, feeling a surge of nostalgia inside her heart.

"Yup. And just on the other side…" Kai said, pointing his finger onto one of the Federal soldiers: a woman with a large sniper cape and a hat covering most of her head but it could not hide the long hair. "There's my sister."

Hilde suddenly widened her eyes and gasped for the pleasant surprise. "Wow! She must have done a good job for being in the same picture as the higher-ups...and are these guys…?"

"Yes. This one is Claude, then there's Raz and…" he mumbled confused. "actually, I don't know what she's doing over there, but this one is Riley Miller. She is the one who discovered ragnite implosion. She's the reason for this entire project."

Hilde took a good look at all of them. Those were the people with whom Kai had spent his infancy and most of his youth. Then she finally realized why Kai was so interested in that photo. "Isn't this great? Not only you know that your sister is alive and well, she is also a hero." she said merrily.

Kai chuckled. "Never had a doubt about it. But I had no real news about her, so I'm glad some finally reached me. I hope Erwin gave her my letter."

"My father doesn't make empty promises." she reassured. "I'm sure you reached out to her."

"True. I do wonder, though, how she reacted." he replied with a mixture of anxiousness and hope. Then he decided to change the topic. "What about you? How do you feel? Tomorrow is the big day." he asked, not hiding a hint of preoccupation.

Hilde tried to appear as cheerful as possible. "I'd lie if I said I'm not scared, but I can't back out now. So many people have been working hard to conclude this Project while I mostly just sat around. I can't betray their work now."

"But if their work was even slightly flawed, then you-" Kai protested with a visible fear in his eyes.

"It won't be." she replied with confidence. "I met many of them. I know I'm in the hands of some of the brightest people in the world. It won't kill me."

Kai just surrendered to her determination, but still proclaimed "It better be. If anything goes wrong, I will get you out of that hing myself."

Hilde smirked mischievously and put a finger on her chin. "What's that, Cap? Are you worried about me?"

She didn't fail to notice that Kai needed a couple seconds to reply "Of course. After all, I promised it to your father."

It clearly wasn't the first reason, but she decided to play along. "You really respect him." she commented with admiration.

"When I met him, I had already lost faith in the goodwill of human beings. He showed me that another world is possible, and I intend to do everything I can to help achieve that world." he replied with the devotion of a dreamer.

"I guess that's true. Dad has a special spark in him." she said with a fond remembrance.

"Yes, but...well, you're a very nice person, Hilde. I don't want you to die in any case." he added, strangely keeping his face turned toward a completely different direction.

Hilde felt a pang in her chest, followed by a warm feeling. If that was the best she could get out of him, she wasn't going to complain. "Glad to hear I have a guardian angel." she joked.

Kai kept his gaze away for a few moments, then turned around, not having completely got ridden of a smirk. "Mind if I accompany you for the rest of your walk?"

Hilde smiled and offered her arm for him to play the gentleman.


July 6, 1935.

With Townshend waiting next to him and Cordelia in front of the two, Wilbur quickly checked his clothing, saw that it was immaculate and assumed a composed posture on the small pedestal that had been prepared at the single outpost on the border with Wesel.

Soon enough, the tanks of the 1st Regiment of Erwin's Division rolled in, followed briefly after by the Ranger Corp, with their Federate tanks and gear, marching proudly inside while the whole of the 3rd Regiment was assembled to greet them. In particular, Squad 7 had been put in the front, being the most renowned unit of the Regiment.

As soon as the Federate guests had reached the front of the Gallian welcoming party, Cordelia started speaking via a microphone that had been planted in front of her.

"Greetings, brave soldiers of the Edinburgh Army. I am Princess Cordelia gi Randgriz, and on behalf of the entire Gallia, I wish to extend you our most heartfelt welcome and gratitude for your assistance in defending our homeland. This is a most fateful moment, for Gallia has always striven to maintain its neutrality, but as a terrible enemy looms over us, we are ready to accept that we cannot simply stand on our own. Your presence here marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of not simply Gallia, but the whole of Europa. Let us write that chapter together as we defend the freedom of the continent as brothers-in-arms. Once again, thank you. And welcome to Gallia."

She stepped back and a quite spontaneous clapping rose from the Feds. Then Cordelia stepped aside and allowed Townshend to take the stage.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind welcome. Gallia has already done more than anyone else to protect Europa from the tyrannical ambitions of the Empire. Today, we state our commitment to the ideals of the newly formed Europan Community by fighting at your side to restore the integrity of Gallian territory."

Then it was Wilbur's moment to speak.

"Friends from the Federation. I know you're probably tired from the marching, and the task ahead of you will not be an easy one, so I will be brief: for the longest time, our countries have actually had their own share of disagreements, but they have always been able to coexist. We may not see the world in the same way, but we value the same things: freedom, peace and safety for our homes and loved ones.

"It was with that spirit that we pushed for the creation of the Community, and it was with that same spirit that we have broken our long-standing policy of isolation in order to stand by your side, to the side of every soul in the world that craves freedom. I hope that will be the same thought pushing you from today onward.

"With that, I bid you welcome to Gallia. I hope you will enjoy your stay."

Another lukewarm applause followed, and the assembly started to disband as the Gallian engineers gathered their gear and led the Feds to a nearby terrain where they could build a quick camp before they proceeded toward Amatrian the next day.

Wilbur then called for Squad E and for the two GSS Sergeants that accompanied them while he waited for them alongside Squad 7.

"So this is the Ranger Corp." Welkin commented as he watched the mass of Federal soldiers. "I'm kinda curious to see them in action."

"I'm more curious about the Gallians fighting in it." Alicia added.

"Oh, I think somebody is waiting them for another reason." Rosie instead commented amused as she looked at Sheila and Isara waiting on the front row, with the former clearly anxious to see her beloved one again.

Predictably enough, Ramal and Kiril emerged not long after, leading Squad E toward the Prime Minister. But before they could reach him, Sheila huffed relieved and ran toward Kiril, who didn't hesitate to accelerate a little and meet her halfway for a hug.

Ramal smirked and walked past them, leading his former hosts and now guests toward the Prime Minister. Squad E also looked at the two Darcsen teens with a bit of fondness.

"Must be nice having someone waiting for you like that." Riley commented.

"Well, it's not the same, but we got the Princess herself to welcome us." Raz said with a little bit of his smug pride.

They eventually reached Wilbur, Townshend and Squad 7 behind them. Ramal saluted his Head of Government and reported. "Sergeant Valt reporting back, Your Excellency. This is Squad E of the Armored Ranger Corp. May I introduce you to First Lieutenant Claude Wallace, from Hafen." he concluded and stepped aside to allow Claude to make his presentation.

"Your Excellency. It's an honor to be back to Gallia."

"Wilbur made a quick nod with his head. "And Gallia is grateful to have you back, even if for a short stay. Your contribution to our safety cannot be understated, Lieutenant."

"Indeed." Cordelia added with a gentle tone. "You may be fighting for a stranger army, but you do that in service of your homeland. It is a story that touched many hearts in hour homeland."

"Your Highness." Claude remembered that he was in front of the royalty and made a bow with his upper body. "You humble us with your kind words."

While they proceeded with the presentations, Ramal took the chance to sneak past them and reach his friends of the Militia and drew a sigh of relief.

"Welcome back, Ramal." Welkin greeted with his nice attitude.

"Seems like you made the headlines even out there, kid. Congrats on coming back alive." Largo added.

Ramal chuckled. "I've been missing you guys."

"Oh, we've been missing you too. Isn't that right, Isara?" Rosie asked as she tapped the young Darcsen girl's shoulder. Isara was startled and started blushing a little.

"Woah. What happened to you, Rosie?!" the Sergeant asked baffled.

"I know, I know." Rosie replied. "Look, I've had time to reflect, lately." she simply said.

"Well, good to hear." Ramal said with genuine appreciation. Then he finally turned toward Isara, the one person he definitely wanted to see again the most. He decided to approach her friendly. "Is that true, Isara?"

"Oh...ehm, yes." she replied timidly, way too timidly. "Rosie has changed a lot in these few days. And...uhm...it's nice to see you two again."

Ramal then noticed that the entire squad was observing the two of them as if that was some kind of comedy, and he, who already had two relationships in his life, didn't take long to put the pieces together.

While that made him extremely happy, he wasn't going to put up a show in front of everybody. "Just you wait until you meet our new friends. I'm sure you're gonna have a lot to discuss about." he proposed in order to deviate the attention.

Indeed, Squad E was about done meeting with the politicians, and they were starting to turn toward Ramal and those who, they realized, were the people the two GSS talked so much about.

"Come on." he invited.

Squad E quickly gathered and waited for the 7 to approach. As commanding officer, Welkin was the first to present himself.

"Excuse me. Second Lieutenant Welkin Gunther. I believe we have a couple of common friends." he said in a friendly tone.

Claude returned the salute. "First Lieutenant Claude Wallace. Indeed, you must be Squad 7. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"They're the heroes of Vasel and Barios?" Raz asked a bit skeptical.

"Yes they are, Raz." Kiril said, emerging from behind with Sheila. "Don't let their appearance fool you: each of them is a true warrior."

"Well, we have learned to trust you and Ram." Leena said in a more diplomatic tone.

"Glad to hear you're already getting along." the voice of Erwin suddenly came in. At one point, he had walked next to the politicians. "Because starting tomorrow, we will begin joint exercises once we get back to Randgriz. If we want to retake Fouzen with minimal damage and losses, we need to learn how to fight as a single unit."

"We won't let you down, sir." Claude said with determination.

"Speaking of which…" Wilbur said, then turned toward Cordelia and Townshend. "My lady; Ambassador, we should head back to the capital right now. After all, we have to finish the preparations."

"Preparations for what?" Raz asked.

"Raz, that's not our place to…" Leena intervened severely, but Cordelia interjected.

"Please, it's all right. Mr. Fender was simply referring to the ceremony for my coronation.

"Oh, right." Riley intervened. "I heard it will occur in a few days. It will also serve as the proclamation for the Europan Community."

"Indeed." Cordelia replied kindly. "And I hope you will be in the capital, to assist."

The invitation honestly caught all of them by surprise.

"That's very generous of you, Your Highness." Claude replied gratefully. "If our duties will allow it, we would be grateful to partake in the festivity, as citizens of Gallia."

Cordelia made a smile and a nod. "Then I wish for your stay to be as pleasant as possible. Farewell, now."

Townshend took a moment to speak with Squad E, as well.

"Lieutenant Wallace. We didn't get the chance to talk, but I wanted to congratulate with you for your recent success at Reine."

"Thank you, Your Excellency. Thought we wouldn't have done it without the assistance of the GSS."

"Well, that's the entire point of the Community, isn't it? To use everyone's strong points so that the Empire will never be a threat again. Anyway, I heard the operation to retake Fouzen would need a few days to be planned and executed. I think there will be plenty of time for you to visit the capital. Please, just remember that you represent the Federation, even if you are native Gallians."

"Of course, Your Excellency. We will make sure not to cause any diplomatic incident."

"Very good. See you soon, Squad E." the Ambassador said before leaving.


The first meeting between Squads E and 7 was overall cordial, with both sides eager to share their unique stories and views on the war. Claude and Welkin found themselves kindred spirits, both for their temperament and their quirks about nature; Raz butted heads against Rosie and Largo, but it all came down to a friendly banter; Kai quickly came to worship Alicia after the latter prepared some of her special bread for the entire Ranger Battalion.

Finally, after people started going their own way, Ramal found a moment where Isara was alone, taking care of the Edelweiss as always.

"I forgot how dedicated you are." he commented.

Isara gasped and turned around, then jumped on her feet. "Ramal! Hey! Uh...can I help you?" she said almost panicking.

Yet, the more he saw her like that, the more he fell for her.

"Just wanted to talk, if you have a minute." he said nonchalantly.

Isara seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then assumed a more relaxed attitude. "Of course. We didn't get much time, today."

He chuckled. "Yeah, we got a lot of work ahead, and we have a lot of catching up to do, too."

"So, how was working with another tank crew? Miles and the others seem like good people." she asked in a friendly way.

"Oh, they are good and reliable people to have around, but honestly...I've missed you." he said a bit careful.

Isara froze for a second, then she replied fondly "I missed you too, Ram."

Seeing that she was interested, Ramal went in. "Hey, do you have the right to a shore leave? Me and Kiril are entitled to five days, given the nature of our last mission."

She pondered for a moment. "Well, I actually never took one since the war started. I never felt the need."

"Seriously? You need to take a break, you know? Would you like to come with me to Randgriz?"

"Oh. I would really like it."

"Good. Just tell me when it's most convenient to you." he concluded with a smile.

"Yes." she replied with a radiant face.