Happy Birthday, Tanya

Southern Army HQ, September 23rd 1924

"Welcome to Southern Army HQ, Major Degurechaff" Ida saluted.

"Thank you, Captain Belser" Tanya saluted back.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Major" Ida began, "That's quite an accomplishment to get a unit up and ready in a month."

"Thank You" Tanya politely replied, "So...Dacia is preparing for war."

"They are" Ida answered as she opened the door to her office, "I suspect they will invade soon. Coffee?"

"Please and Thank You" Tanya answered as she took a seat on the couch. The coffee table in the middle had a map of the area and included chest pieces on it. A small stream of smoke came from the ashtray to the right.

"I suspect the Dacians will be invading through the high plains, the path of least resistance and the best strategic advantage" Ida stated.

"That seems obvious, so wouldn't it make more sense to invade from a place we wouldn't expect?" Tanya countered.

"Not when you have a numbers advantage" Ida answered before grabbing the cigarette and relighting it. She got up and walked to the open window, taking a drag on along the way.

"How considerate" Tanya thought, "That's a fair point. The Southern Army is only 70,000 men currently."

"Exactly" Ida said, "However, numbers aren't everything." She took a few more drags of her cigarette before pushing the butt into the ashtray.

"What do you mean?" Tanya said with a raised brow.

"Composition of the invading force" Ida said with a smile, "If the Dacians have an unbalanced army, they will be trampled."

"What a frightening smile" Tanya observed, "Are you suggesting the Dacians are not balanced?"

"Based on my intel, yes" Ida nodded, "All infantry really. It's like they're planning for a 19th century war in the 20th century"

"Might be a diversion. You really shouldn't be underestimating your enemy, Captain" Tanya chided.

"I trust my intel as it stands, but I suppose we will know once they make their move" Ida smiled.

"Yes, I suppose so" Tanya breathed.

As it turned out, the captain's intel was right.

September 24, The Dacian Invasion

"God, thank you for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Tanya rejoiced in the briefing room.

"What's up with her?" Lieutenant Colonel Rerugen asked.

"Captain Ida von Belser and her squadron have confirmed the absence of enemy air power" Tanya answered with a giddy smile. The Duke of Dacia had given her a birthday present in the form of live fire practice for her newly formed wing.

"Psychopath" Rerugen thought bitterly, "Even so, it's a force that's six hundred thousand strong. Your orders are to delay their advance until reinforcements arrive."

"I don't mean to be rude, but the Dacians are a pre-modern peasant levy. The four nearby divisions are enough to crush them" Tanya answered, "My wing alone is enough to defeat their vanguards."

"Do you know what you just said?" Rerugen asked.

"I do" Tanya answered, "It's just as Captain Belser predicted: a massacre of the Grand Army of Dacia~"

"The captain predicted this?" Erich thought while restraining his emotions. Did she really have this much foresight? Or worse, was she like the major in front of him?

No, she couldn't be like Major Tanya Degurechaff. But then again, one bad apple spoils the bunch.

Over Dacian Airspace

"Today's a great day" Ida thought to herself, "My intel was right and the Dacians are ill-prepared for a modern day war." Sometime ago, Ida and her squadron took to the skies for their daily scouting of Dacia.

Today was their invasion with six hundred thousand strong, a shame it was nothing but infantry.

"Tanya is going to have a field day" Ida chortled, "A perfect live fire exercise for her green horn wing."

"Commander, friendlies are arriving from the North towards our direction" Corporal Otto stated.

"That was quick" Ida commented, "Pixie 01, do you read me?" A moment of silence until there was a call over her radio.

"This is Pixie 01, over" the voice of a certain Major said.

"As expected, today is nothing more than a field exercise" Ida announced, "So we will not be assisting you today, allowing us to remain unknown to the world a bit longer. Thus I will be linking you further intel, including the location of the enemies Command Post."

"Understood, Angel 05" Tanya called. She felt her computation orb glow, as information transferred to her. When it was finished, she took a moment to analyze the data.

"Their Command Post is not a decoy?" Tanya thought, "This truly a great day. Maybe I should destroy their arms factory in the capitol to top it off~"

"We will see you back at base" Ida said, "May God bless us with a swift victory."

"She's said that on purpose" Tanya bitterly thought, "Amen." Tanya took note to watch out for Ida, her teasing might become genuine prayer in the future.

The last thing Tanya wanted was to work with another religious fanatic, especially one that came from her world.

It was a shame that Tanya didn't realize who was the true fanatic in this war torn world.

A/N: And next is the Nordon Campaign.