Second Front

Author’s Note:

Dear Readers,

Karpov started it, beginning his own Second front against Japan when he first began stalking the Kido Butai. Now, with the arrival of the United States military in our tale, the real Second Front in the West is about to be opened. But first, we have unfinished business off Sakhalin Island. The battle that has been looming on our radar screens for some time is about to begin. That and other naval action in the Norwegian Sea will start us off, and then we will move to Operation Torch, which will cause dramatic changes in the West as the allies finally go on the offensive.

As 1942 proceeds, our intrepid Mister Fedorov realizes that the history they once lived through is being re-written, and he has concerns as they approach the time when Orlov made his fateful jump from that KA-226. After much deliberation, he thinks he sees another possible paradox looming, but realizes that he must have the cooperation of Karpov to do anything about it. The two of them put their heads together on this as we reach the final segments of this installment, and Fedorov has a plan. Yet he does not count on the whims of the Siberian, and things take a most unexpected turn that, among other things, will be complicated by a most unwelcome visitor in the skies over Siberia. Finally, we get to hear from a couple characters that have been missing from our tale since Paradox Hour—Pavel Kamenski and Ivan Gromyko.

There’s a lot more action to come in Season 4. Should this line of history continue, the Allies must now fight their way into Algiers and Tunisia, while O’Connor and the British 8th Army must push Rommel from the other side. In the east, Manstein’s offensive pushes to reach the Volga and link up with Volkov’s Orenburg Federation, while Sergei Kirov, his very life at stake now, struggles to regroup and reequip the weary Soviet Army. That season will take us deep into 1943, and all the great military action as both sides finally match one another, and the outcome of the entire war rides in the balance.

For now, I hope you enjoy opening up that Second Front.