Norsemen!

The Gunny and Yngvilder walked into the State house wanting to just have coffee and a leisure conversation with the Skipper and Jackson, but that did not happen.

“GUNNY!” A young officer ran to him and handed him a message.

‘Possible Russian attack made on left flank in Italy. Prisoners captured and are being interrogated. Will send follow up.’

“OH GEESH!” The Gunny said as he handed it to his wife.

“WHY? This war was OVER! We could of all went back to peace!”

Yngvilder read it with a frown.

“Seems like we will be at war with these Russian now!” She said flatly.

Gunny turned, rubbing his face with both hands.

“May be I can negotiate a peace with them.” He walked to the long table that was covered with messages, pieces of paper and maps.

“It depends on what they want,” Yngvilder said sitting down. “And from the looks of things...they want it all!” She paused. “Hell...they even tried to stop our ships from going to port... OUR OWN PORT!”

“So what’s the plan, Stan?” Skipper sat next to Yngvilder sipping coffee.

“You know as well as I do what the plan is, Skipper!” Gunny paused, then sat down, pulling a cup of coffee to him. “More lives lost.”

“What’s the matter with this world?” Gunny asked no one in particular as he looked at the table top in front of him.

“Nothing!” Skipper said, setting down his coffee mug with a loud noise and a frown. “It’s exactly the same as the one we left! There will ALWAYS be someone, somewhere, that wants what you have!”

“Just like Odien said!” Gunny spit out.

They sat in silence for several long minuets before Jackson walked up.

“I heard,” was all he said as he stood there.

General Birger sat in his command bunker he had specifically built for himself, complete with a comfortable bed, adequate lighting and even a small kitchen. Since he knew he would be there for a very long time he wanted to be comfortable, so he had the troops billeting areas made the same way. Each bunker complex had a radio for entertainment, to keep the troops informed as well with the new news reports that were coming out now. Then he started receiving messages from the rear on the Russians and what to do, it did not look good.

He called his officers in for a meeting and to get an up date on the Russians.

“What do we have as far as Russians hitting our lines again?” He asked.

“To start,” one senior officer said. “They have probed our lines several times in the past two days...ALL along the front on the northern border of Italy.”

“I can verify that, General,” another office said. “My troops killed a few when they stumbled into our lines, I think by mistake. It could be, they have poor leadership, that’s all.”

General Birger pulled at his short beard in thought.

"We need to find out at any rate. I want patrols sent out to find their lines, capture a few prisoners and bring them back. Capturing an officer would do nicely." He said.

"But, sir!" Another Senior officer interrupted. "Wouldn't this be an act of war with them?"

Berger chuckled.

"What do you think they have done with us so far?"

Lieutenant Vox had his ship, the NS Espen, tied to the docks taking on fresh provisions as they monitored the radio for messages on Russian movement. He heard plans fly over with the low growling sound of the engines, so he walked out onto the main deck to see them. They were a beautiful sight, he thought, and one day he wanted to learn to fly. It just looked like it would be so much fun! These were the land based planes so they had no huge floats on the bottom but were sleek and fast. There seemed to be four small planes escorting two large bombers heading south east......then it hit him. That was towards the Russian lines!

He went to his map on the table....there were two islands there; Corsica and Sardinia. He traced his finger east, across the open sea. They could be heading to the main land of Italy. Rome? But...no! There were only two bombers with escorts, if it was a bomb run they would have all we had in the air, so, could it be a reconnaissance mission? What were they up to he wondered?

The Hard Corps had been sent to Marseilles to reform and refit then wait further orders and had just off loaded from the NS Gorm. Halfdan had his officers take the unit of two-hundred and twenty-six soldiers (most of them were new members) to their billeting while he went to the command center to check on orders. Colonel Frode stayed with him to relay any orders they might receive but Sergeant Major Anderson, who was one of the original Marines that came to them, stayed with the troops.

"Did you try to promote Anderson again yet?" Halfdan asked Frode who smiled and chuckled, shaking his head.

"Absolutely! Yes I have." He smiled. "But he just WILL NOT take a promotion to officer."

"They have been here for what...ten or twelve years now? And he still insist on being enlisted!" Halfdan smiled. "But still a damn good man to have around."

"He all ready does more than any officer we have!" Frode said as he sat.

"Yes...but that mouth of his," they both laughed thinking of his cursing every other word.

"I know..I KNOW! He says that is how it was back in their own world." They looked at each other smiling.

"General Halfdan?" A radio operator stepped into the small shack holding a message.

"That's me!" He stood up taking the piece of paper from her.

"Well, looks like we have something to do now!" He began to read the message.

'You are to go by ship, NS Espen, to Sardinia; we think the Russians are building up a force on the eastern side of that island. Report any information you find. Leave day after tomorrow. You will return when you complete mission by coded radio message ...."To Valhalla"....'

Halfdan and Frode stood erect when they both heard booming in the distance and both knew what it was, the sounds of big guns. Rushing outside they stood near the door of the shack looking south at puffs of black smoke in the air over the far harbor. Then they could see the tiny dots that seemed to float across the sky as they approached from the open sea. Aircraft! But who's?

There was a loud siren that started blasting from the nearby air strip as they ran for the building that housed their troops. They had to get them out and into a bunker....if they could find one, the planes were heading straight for them.

"Get out! GET OUT! Take cover!" Frode yelled as the troops ran out of the building carrying their weapons towards a small sand bagged entrance near by. Halfdan stood there watching as the planes came straight for them in formation. He squinted to see what they were or who they were but only saw they were large single engine planes, much larger than their single engine fighters and they seemed to be moving very slowly. At that moment he saw tiny black dots dropping from their bellies so he decided to dive into the bunker as explosions shook the ground and split the ear drums.

Lieutenant Vox heard the anti aircraft guns and sounded General Quarters as soon as he could. The klaxon sounded loudly with all hands running to their battle stations making ready to return fire. He saw his second in command, a young female Ensign, run to her station near the bridge, then directing others to move faster. He raised his binoculars to see if it was the Greeks or Russians over head but the planes were unmarked, just a dark gray/green color. He then saw the bomb bay doors open and they started dropping bombs over the docks. Explosions racked his head with debris flying in all directions causing his sailors to duck for cover with pieces of wood and metal clapping onto the deck of his ship.

"FIRE! FIRE!" He yelled at the gunners and a deafening roar of all the smaller guns on ship opened up.

Immediately he could see smoke trails coming from two of the planes but he did not know if his sailors did it or if it came from the shore batteries. The two smoking planes veered off to the left, out to sea to ditch in the ocean but he wanted to capture the crew.

"CHIEF!" He yelled out the hatch from the Bridge.

"Launch one of our boats to get that crew!"

"Aye,aye,sir!" The Chief turned and started yelling commands as the small boat was lowered down the side. He noticed there were four sailors with weapons that went along.