So…I need to clarify some stuff, as while they make sense in my head, if you don't speak German and only watch SW, or are only familiar with the Japanese or British/American side of WW2, the following terms will probably need some clarification, so here's a glossary;
Jagdverband [JV 37/JV 39] (Lit. Hunting Association)
Veteran Air Squadron made of Wizard Aviators who are configurated in a 2 man heavy fighter instead of Bombers [Est. 10 - 16 Planes]
Jagdgeschwader [JG3] (Lit. Fighter Squadron)
Mixed Pilot Wing made of Witches, Wizards and Regulars [Est. 30 – 50 planes]
Streikgeschwader [SG44] (Lit. Strike Squadron)
Wizard Strike Aircraft Wing made of Close Air Support Aircraft, usually crewed by at least 1 Aviator. [Est. 30 – 50 planes]
Also, for the sake of this story, Kurt is Minna's Cousin, who is an Aviator Wizard in this world, and perished in Operation Sternengebunden (Chp 2).
==0w0==
"Warlock of Bifrost"
With the loss of the Major Airbase in Calais, Gallia, majority of the the forces had been shifted to the last remaining bastion in Gallia that is directly connected to Brittania, Dunkirk. However, due to extremely limited space in Dunkirk, all of the Wizards, with the exception of a single Jadgeschwader, is relocated to Ramsgate, Brittania, creating a new protected supply channel from Ramsgate to Dunkirk, with the Strait of Dover as more of an escort lane instead of an actual channel.
While there are still active holdouts in Bruges, Belgica and Brest, Gallia, they are more of an unofficial resupply port, as the troops there are are not charged with any duty, rather they are simply given free-will to protect the lands as they see fit.
MAY 1944
Ramsgate Naval Aviation Base, Joint Task Group 144 | JTG 144
Oberst Lucas Petrov
A long sigh escaped Lucas' lips as he sits in his newly made office, consisting of a grand space, a tall fish tank, 3 large Mahogany and Granite desks, puffy leather work chairs and 2 3-person sofas. All in all, it looks like an office belonging to a Chief of Staff or even a Country Leader. If it was purely the environment that he had to himself, one might speculate that he had no place in even being remotely stressed, and yet here he was, massaging his head.
The loss of Calais Airbase is a major setback in the recovery of Gallia, approximately 2 years worth of operations and sacrifices down the methaphorical drain. However this wasn't the reason. The problem is that during the attack on Calais, or Operation Sternengebunden, as the higher-ups are calling it, there was supposed to be 2 Joint Fighter Wing (JFW), the 501st in Folkestone and the 508th aboard their Carrier Group in Dunkirk, that would support the defence. However, due to some conflicting orders from the Central Headquarters in Brittania, the 508th JFW Carrier Group left a day early, returning back to their point in the Atlantic Ocean, and the 501st were 'supposedly' on a routine reconnaissance mission into the west of Baltland, as ordered by Central Headquarters.
When the attack happened, neither JFWs were anywhere close enough to assist. When the so-called 'Orders' from Central Headquarters were brought up, all mentions of such orders mysteriously disappeared. This lead most to believe that it was an intentional act of ignorance and negligence, creating a rift between the Wizards and Regulars versus the Witches. Or at least, making it wider that is had already been.
Now comes the crux of the matter. Lucas could swear that he has the waffle pattern of the receiver end of the phone imprinted on his ears from all the calls he's been receiving over the last week alone, mostly from panicked newly assigned leaders who were unable to control the in-fighting, to straight-up denial of service from many ground crews and bases from allowing Witches to rest and rearm, causing an overall detriment to the war effort.
Luckily, most of the in-fighting had been verbal, or minorly disruptive at best. Which was a godsend to Lucas, as if he had to deal with active and physical in-fighting, he would have a hell of time trying to even organize a supply run for potatoes.
*Knock knock*
"Come in."
The door opens to let in a young man in an Officer's Luftwaffe uniform with blond hair and light grey eyes. In his right hand he appears to be grasping an arm, a thin one at that, so definitely not one of his Wizards. Lucas looks at the young man and beckonds him in, gesturing to the sofa directly in front of them, in the middle of the room.
In comes the young man and his captive, a witch in a Luftwaffe Mechanic's Top, and nothing but a pair of white panties. The witch had similar features to the young man, and had her hair in a bubischnitt style. Both of them had Oberleutnant epulattes.
A few seconds of silence passes before Lucas decides to break the silence, since neither of his guests seems to be willing to speak. "Well? What's this about? Did you get someone pregnant, Erich?" He asked the young man with a smirk.
"WHAT?! NO! I- ahem… No sir, this my younger sister, Erica."
"Oho? Erica Hartmann? With the 501st Joint Fighter Wing?"
"Yes sir."
"Well, tell me what this is about."
"Well, you see, I was just completing my daily tasks when I heard a minor alarm go off in the southern gate, so I headed over there to see what the fuss was about, then I spotted this miscreant bowling over the guards and running in my direction, so I nabbed her and brought her over."
"And the guards just…let you bring her in?"
"Well no, I ran over here, escaping their notice…"
"Right… well, what do you have to say for yourself frau?"
Erica sat there twiddling her thumbs with a pout, listening to what her brother had to say about her, but startled into awarness when she realized that Lucas had turned his attention her way. "Err, well I was just gonna say hi to brother Erich on my way back to Folkestone, but at the gate, the guards just shoved an MP40 in my face and told me to leave! Well I couldn't not say hi, so I just dashed in anyway."
"Ugh…trespassing is trespassing, Oberleutnant. If the guards or any higher ranking officers do not give you permission, then you are still liable for punishment." Lucas sighed once more before standing up, gesturing to the two to do the same. "Oh well, I need to go over anyway, Erich, go prepare the Kurier for take-off. I need to go see Oberstleutnant Wilcke anyway. As for you Oberleutnant, come with me." The Kurier being an AGO Ao 192 B, a small Karlsland twin-engined Swift Transport and Utility Aircraft modified with an internal rail to carry 4 Strikers on the back.
==0w0==
30 minutes later, Lucas, Erich and Erica sat in the Kurier transport craft, carrying some goods from Gallia, as well as the 501st's Pay. The flight was a short one, no more than an hour, but it was very awkward, as Lucas had essentially spanked Erica multiple times during the flight as she had attempted to sneak chocolate from the goods box that wouldve been ment for them anyways. Erich had essentially turned his brain off and had shut his ears and eyes from the scene. It may have been punishment, but it was still embarrassing to watch.
Ignorning the sobbing Erica, who had her reddened bum in the air trying to rub the pain away, Lucas got up and went into the cockpit, listening in to the pilots attempting to get clearance to land in Folkestone. After several fruitless back and forths, he decided to step in and take over the radio.
"Folkstone Base, this is Oberst Petrov aboard the Kurier callsign 'Mobelwagen'. Requesting landing space on primary runway."
"Understood Mobelwagen, this is 501st. Cleared to land."
"Thanks Herr Oberst, witches are so testy these days, so hard to get clearance to do anything, even when it's for their benefit!" A pilot exclaimed as he manouvered the craft to align with the runway heading.
"Can't blame them…we do it to them too, even when I clear them personally, sometimes the radio operators will still give them a runaround. I wish we can get this whole thing settled so we can focus on the main problem, the damned Neuroi."
==0w0==
Folkstone Castle Airbase, 501st Joint Fighter Wing | 501st JFW
Oberstleutnant Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke
Minna's stress level has been on an all-time high for the past 3 months. Since the failure that was Operation Sternengebunden, Concessions upon concessions had been raining on her head, and she has to fight tooth and nail to even stay ever so slightly above the red. The budget, along with all the benefits that had been given to them just 4 months prior, courtesy of Oberst Petrov, had been slashed immensely. For the current month alone, it would appear Air Marshal Maloney got his wish, and they had been given a big fat 0 pounds for their actual budget. Minna and Mio had sacrificed all of their Salary for this month to keep the Unit's expenses safe, and even then, they were feeling the effects whenever something broke.
Now Mio had gone back to Fuso for some reason, leaving her to carry the brunt of the unit on her own hands. Minna, in her own little office, choked back a few tears that threatened to escape at the as she wallowed in the stress of it all. Suddenly her door slammed open, sending a wildly careening brunette into the room. "Minna! There is a transport from Ramsgate! It's the Wizards, im sure of it! They're coming for revenge!"
Minna furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at one of the most level headed witches she has in her squadron. "Are you… drunk, Trude?"
"Wha- no, I'm not drunk Minna! There really is a transport coming in from Ramsgate! They said that-." She stopped as she listened to a different message.
"What? Trude, what did they say?"
"Oh no…It's the head honcho himself…"
"Head honcho? Of what?"
"It's Oberst Petrov… he's on board the transport, and basically told us to clear space, because they're going to land whether we clear it or otherwise."
"Ah shit."
==o.0== evening
A light fog drew over the air as Minna watched the Kurier taxi near the hangar and do a sweeping turn to face away from the castle. She, alongside Hauptmann Barkhorn stood at attention when the side door of the aircraft popped open. When Petrov stepped off the aircraft, he then received a very loud and bold welcome.
"Guten Abend, Herr Oberst! Welcome to Folkstone Castle!" The duo essentially shouted in his face with a salute.
Seeing an opportunity to mess with them, Petrov gave them a stink eye and refused to say or do anything that would allow them to return at rest. He hmm'd and haww'd over their uniform like it's an inspection and got really close to them, staring them in the eyes. Eventually, he got the reaction he was looking for in Minna, which was an audible gulp and wildly shaking eyes, while Gertrude stood stoicly, albeit having a slight tremor in her saluting hand. He took a step back, and returned the salute. "At ease."
"What can I do for you Herr Oberst?" Minna asked, still looking a little shaken.
Petrov hmm'd for a bit before turning his head over to the aircraft. "Oberleutnant! Bring the prisoner forward!"
The duo look at each other briefly. Folkstone Castle, while there is technically a dungeon, has no prison facilities that can be used to hold anyone. "Herr Oberst, we are not an authorized Prison Facility, we are not able to take and hold prisoners here."
"Oh you'll take her back."
Out from the plane came the 2 Hartmanns, but with one peculiar thing, Erica had been handcuffed and was walking forward with shackles on her legs.
"Erica? What-?" Gertrude questioned as she turned back to Petrov.
Petrov, in turn, simply gestured to Minna. "Let's bring this up to your office shall we? I have a few matters to discuss with you, several rather…sensitive."
==0w0==
Eh, the ending was a bit rushed, but I had little time to actually make it before I had to do somehing else. It would seems that things are at a formal yet somehow informal manner, but that should ease up in the next chapter. Unfortunately, when you start near the top, things don't always go according to plan.
Do drop some reviews? I kinda need to know where I should be going with this one.