The French stealth ship Dessaix, presumed lost, was found by the Germans off the Canary Islands a few weeks after the initial Transition, and it now spearheads the assault on Yamamoto's real target: Hawaii.

With the American defense crippled, the Japanese easily take Oahu and send a message to Washington DC, stating that any attempt to retake the islands will result in the wholesale slaughter of the population.

However, information from Wehrmacht Colonel Paul Brasch (whose physically disabled son is eligible for 'disposal' under the T4 program) reveals that Germany's true nuclear effort lies elsewhere, and the mission is placed on hold.

Hundreds of aircraft and warships, upgraded with new technology, duel in the waters and skies south of England; the 21st century ship HMS Trident, more valuable as a command-and-control centre than as a weapon, ensures that key German formations identified by Brasch are destroyed.

Wahabi and Baathist insurgents foment revolt across the Middle East and the Soviet Union, with enough time to train and equip its armies, has begun seizing the Afghan passes leading to India.

With the supercarrier Hillary Clinton all but useless in a fight, the 21st-century Japanese cruiser Shiranui (crewed by survivors of the Leyte Gulf) prepares to lead the Allied forces in what will be a very bloody retaking of the Hawaiian Islands.