If there's any conquest being made it'll be Kurt by Gerta, once she realizes he's The One. He's doomed once she sets her sights on him.
Stupid Luck and Happenstance.
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
If there's any conquest being made it'll be Kurt by Gerta, once she realizes he's The One. He's doomed once she sets her sights on him.
- - -Actually, i'm HOPING that Gerta doesn't exhibits more of the "unique" brand of Awesome/Crazy from her Dad. Considering her old man, Alcohol, her luck, Kurt and Elizabeth. . . . . .. Aand i better shut up.
Md139115
Banned
Poor Hans is still trying to figure out how he got to picking out wedding invitations.
Indeed, it wasn't that long ago, (in this period OTL & ITTL), that the last German Prince Consort was married to the Empiress. It would simply be a return to the norm after a break due to an unfortunate misunderstanding*.
*British understatement at it's finest.
Part 38, Chapter 479
Chapter Four Hundred Seventy-Nine
11th August 1945
Berlin
Kat was walking down the street with one of the young women that she had been attempting to impart as much knowledge and training as she could. As a reward for her hard work Kat had taken Ilse out for a meal in a fancy restaurant where she could show off the etiquette that Kat had pounded into her head over the last several weeks. It was a warm evening, good to be out in.
“Where were you yesterday?” Ilse asked. Like the rest, she had been recruited mostly for her physical resemblance to Gianna. Dark hair and medium height, around the age of seventeen. Kat had also been looking for a certain sort of intelligence and ruthlessness among those she those she had selected for training. The six who passed considered Gianna the seventh among their number. Did Gianna fitting in with them suggest a whole lot about her or the influence that Kat had undoubtedly had on her over the last few years. Then again it was not as if Gianna needed to hide the fact that she was orphaned. The other girls had that or abandonment in their past.
“The Empress sent me to keep an eye on a British Princess” Kat answered, “That took the form of learning to drive a Panzer.”
“Is that a joke?” Ilse asked.
“I wish it was” Kat said, “Those things are not sports cars and my calves were killing me this morning, I don’t see how men… What’s so funny?”
“The invincible Freiherrin Katherine complaining about muscle aches” Ilse said. The early days when Kat had made a point of running them into the ground had made an impression.
“No one likes a smartass” Kat said, “And that’s the sort of thing that might land you in Judenbach for the real hard stuff.”
“Really?” Ilse asked excitedly, that had gotten her attention. Kat realized as soon as she said it that Ilse wouldn’t see that as a punishment but as a chance to prove herself as Kat’s true protégé. So far, the training had been limited to what could be done in the city with them being returned to the dormitory every night. They were also seeing the Saint Petersburg trip as an exciting adventure in spite of the real dangers involved.
“Judenbach would be harder than you can imagine” Kat said, “There’s a reason why I happen to be the only woman to make it through.” Ilse didn’t respond to that, it was a conversation that they’d had before. Ilse saw no reason why she couldn’t be the second.
They turned and walked through the doors of the State school for girls. There but by the grace of God go I, Kat thought to herself, she’d seen the posters suggesting that people give to the less fortunate because but for a twist of fate you’d be less fortunate yourself. If not for Aunt Marcella’s intervention, it was likely the Kat may well have grown up in a place like this. The smells of public spaces found in large institutions prickled her nose as they made their way through the building, the strange combination of cleaning solvents and dust. Ilse was greeted back in the room she shared with the six other girls with questions and giggles. Gianna caught Kat’s eye with a slight smile before she joined them. Kat had offered her several better, or at least far more fun, ways to spend the Summer. But Gianna had decided that if these girls were going to risk their lives for her then she owed it to them to share more than just a chance to play decoy. Kat still couldn’t quite figure out Gianna’s motivations.
“The Headmistress asked to speak with you” One of the other girls said, Kat remembered that her name was Tilde.
“Thank you” Kat replied.
“For what?” Tilde asked. For all the cynical toughness that they tried to display these girls were still in the mindset that getting sent to the office of the Headmistress was the worst that could happen. Kat’s most sincere hope was that in spite of getting involved with her they wouldn’t be disabused of that notion too quickly.
Kat just smiled and turned away. The sort of place that this was the Headmistress lived here along with her charges and a large portion of the staff. It was hardly a surprise that she would be in on a Saturday evening. As Kat walked down the hallway towards the office she could hear the echo of the heels of her shoes on the hardwood floors. At least her shoes were sensible unlike those monstrous torture devices with the high heels that Gerta wore. The thought of her friend brought to mind how silly Gerta had been the day before… Kat came to the door of the office she had been looking for and stepped through.
“Freiherrin Katherine” The Headmistress said in greeting, “I just wanted to say that I think that what you are doing is wonderful.”
“I’m sorry but I don’t agree with you” Kat replied, “You might as well have a Luftwaffe or Heer recruiter through here.”
“Do honestly think that doesn’t happen” The Headmistress said, “Perhaps not with young women but with young men that age they would be through constantly. At least you are honest enough to attempt to give them a grounding in what they are facing before thrusting them into the hard training that I'm aware you've done. You even sent that one girl you had already trained to help them. Gianna, is it?”
That was an odd spin on things. Kat had trained them the same way she had. Days spent training and learning followed by nights in familiar, safe surroundings. Kat just hoped that she had taught them enough and that they wouldn’t actually need it.
11th August 1945
Berlin
Kat was walking down the street with one of the young women that she had been attempting to impart as much knowledge and training as she could. As a reward for her hard work Kat had taken Ilse out for a meal in a fancy restaurant where she could show off the etiquette that Kat had pounded into her head over the last several weeks. It was a warm evening, good to be out in.
“Where were you yesterday?” Ilse asked. Like the rest, she had been recruited mostly for her physical resemblance to Gianna. Dark hair and medium height, around the age of seventeen. Kat had also been looking for a certain sort of intelligence and ruthlessness among those she those she had selected for training. The six who passed considered Gianna the seventh among their number. Did Gianna fitting in with them suggest a whole lot about her or the influence that Kat had undoubtedly had on her over the last few years. Then again it was not as if Gianna needed to hide the fact that she was orphaned. The other girls had that or abandonment in their past.
“The Empress sent me to keep an eye on a British Princess” Kat answered, “That took the form of learning to drive a Panzer.”
“Is that a joke?” Ilse asked.
“I wish it was” Kat said, “Those things are not sports cars and my calves were killing me this morning, I don’t see how men… What’s so funny?”
“The invincible Freiherrin Katherine complaining about muscle aches” Ilse said. The early days when Kat had made a point of running them into the ground had made an impression.
“No one likes a smartass” Kat said, “And that’s the sort of thing that might land you in Judenbach for the real hard stuff.”
“Really?” Ilse asked excitedly, that had gotten her attention. Kat realized as soon as she said it that Ilse wouldn’t see that as a punishment but as a chance to prove herself as Kat’s true protégé. So far, the training had been limited to what could be done in the city with them being returned to the dormitory every night. They were also seeing the Saint Petersburg trip as an exciting adventure in spite of the real dangers involved.
“Judenbach would be harder than you can imagine” Kat said, “There’s a reason why I happen to be the only woman to make it through.” Ilse didn’t respond to that, it was a conversation that they’d had before. Ilse saw no reason why she couldn’t be the second.
They turned and walked through the doors of the State school for girls. There but by the grace of God go I, Kat thought to herself, she’d seen the posters suggesting that people give to the less fortunate because but for a twist of fate you’d be less fortunate yourself. If not for Aunt Marcella’s intervention, it was likely the Kat may well have grown up in a place like this. The smells of public spaces found in large institutions prickled her nose as they made their way through the building, the strange combination of cleaning solvents and dust. Ilse was greeted back in the room she shared with the six other girls with questions and giggles. Gianna caught Kat’s eye with a slight smile before she joined them. Kat had offered her several better, or at least far more fun, ways to spend the Summer. But Gianna had decided that if these girls were going to risk their lives for her then she owed it to them to share more than just a chance to play decoy. Kat still couldn’t quite figure out Gianna’s motivations.
“The Headmistress asked to speak with you” One of the other girls said, Kat remembered that her name was Tilde.
“Thank you” Kat replied.
“For what?” Tilde asked. For all the cynical toughness that they tried to display these girls were still in the mindset that getting sent to the office of the Headmistress was the worst that could happen. Kat’s most sincere hope was that in spite of getting involved with her they wouldn’t be disabused of that notion too quickly.
Kat just smiled and turned away. The sort of place that this was the Headmistress lived here along with her charges and a large portion of the staff. It was hardly a surprise that she would be in on a Saturday evening. As Kat walked down the hallway towards the office she could hear the echo of the heels of her shoes on the hardwood floors. At least her shoes were sensible unlike those monstrous torture devices with the high heels that Gerta wore. The thought of her friend brought to mind how silly Gerta had been the day before… Kat came to the door of the office she had been looking for and stepped through.
“Freiherrin Katherine” The Headmistress said in greeting, “I just wanted to say that I think that what you are doing is wonderful.”
“I’m sorry but I don’t agree with you” Kat replied, “You might as well have a Luftwaffe or Heer recruiter through here.”
“Do honestly think that doesn’t happen” The Headmistress said, “Perhaps not with young women but with young men that age they would be through constantly. At least you are honest enough to attempt to give them a grounding in what they are facing before thrusting them into the hard training that I'm aware you've done. You even sent that one girl you had already trained to help them. Gianna, is it?”
That was an odd spin on things. Kat had trained them the same way she had. Days spent training and learning followed by nights in familiar, safe surroundings. Kat just hoped that she had taught them enough and that they wouldn’t actually need it.
Last edited:
It would be a good idea for Ilse (and other women) to try. While nearly all would probably wash out and the ones that do succeed won't make a statistical difference in a loud, purely military SKA operation, also having highly trained squads which also include women in infiltration or other cloak-and-dagger type missions would be a huge asset.
An Abwehr training school (similar to how Kat was initially trained) would also be a great idea, if it isn't already implemented, for when you need a more discrete touch (as in not 'burn it down, kill the witnesses and hightail it out' type of discrete).
An Abwehr training school (similar to how Kat was initially trained) would also be a great idea, if it isn't already implemented, for when you need a more discrete touch (as in not 'burn it down, kill the witnesses and hightail it out' type of discrete).
Plus, even getting accepted is a good thing, because well, that is some damn tough training.
Eh. The candidates should have been in a great to superb physical shape already, or have outstanding skills in things like explosives, CQC, wilderness survival, etc.
I think the biggest loser amongst the Allies in the Pacific would be China, as they have already lost Taiwan to independence and is now allies with Germany, the nations of Indochina have always felt that China was their main enemy and they are now allies with Germany, Korea has been dominated through out the years by Russia, Japan, and China, and are going to regain their independence and now they are going to be allies with Germany, and China has always thought that Manchuria was a part of China but they fear that Manchuria is going to become independent and become allies with Germany (see a theme developing).
China probably sees themselves as being surrounded by potential enemies with Germany as the string puller.
China's only recourse is to ally themselves with another great power and the only one available is the United States.
This may cause problems as the potential for proxy wars may breakout and escalate into a superpower conflict.
China probably sees themselves as being surrounded by potential enemies with Germany as the string puller.
China's only recourse is to ally themselves with another great power and the only one available is the United States.
This may cause problems as the potential for proxy wars may breakout and escalate into a superpower conflict.
Part 39, Chapter 480
Chapter Four Hundred Eighty
12th August 1945
Near Gwangju, Chōsen
Tilo had arrived back with his unit just in time for the landings on the Korean Peninsula in an effort to encircle the capital city, whatever it was being called this week, that was evidently currently up for debate. It marked one of the few times that the Japanese had made a smart decision. The commander of the Division that had been garrisoning the city had realized that having a force of mostly German and British Corps closing in from the north and the Marine Infantry landing in the south while surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Koreans who hated them was not a tenable situation.
Now Tilo found himself standing on the side of the road as an endless line of SPz-2 APCs were slowly crossing the bridge over the rain swollen Han river. Once across the river the column had ground to a halt. It was said that these were General Rommel’s men, the same ones who had lost the race into Moscow by a hair. They were making up for that by blasting their way down the Korean Peninsula. A green bottle flew from one of the APCs, Tilo ducked aside but it still shattered at his feet. Tilo stomped in the direction of the APC, he intended to give whoever threw that bottle a major ass kicking.
“Why’d you do that asshole?” Tilo demanded. He saw the man riding on the roof of the APC was a big bruiser with a nasty grin on his face.
“Because you’re a snot nosed punk, that’s why” The man said.
Tilo looked at him, he was obviously spoiling for a fight and Tilo knew exactly who he was dealing with. He grabbed a portion of the man's clothes and yanked him off the roof of the APC to into the deep road mud. He landed like a sack of flour at Tilo’s feet.
The others on the APC looked down in shock that someone had just done that. The man was still trying to get his wind back. One of the other men atop the APC jumped down and Tilo saw he was dealing with a Hauptmann.
“I know that Oberfeld Schultz is a pain in the ass, Oberfähnrich” The Hauptmann said, “But what you did was uncalled for. Who are you anyway?”
“Oberfähnrich Schultz, Sir” Tilo replied. The Hauptman looked closely at Tilo and realized the truth about what had just happened.
“Damn” The Hauptmann muttered. At that point, Jost who had been forgotten in the mud leaped to his feet and tackled Tilo. More of the men jumped off the APC unsure of exactly what they were going to do. There were some other Marine Infantry around who were potential combatants if this turned into a brawl. Hans eventually manage to drag both of the Schultz brothers to their feet, effectively ending it.
“Halfway around the world and you two are continuing your beef with each other” Hans said, “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is?”
“I wouldn’t know” Jost said, “Tilo never started a fight like that before.” Hans didn’t know from the tone Jost was taking if he was angry or proud of his brother.
“Whatever, Jost” Hans said, this matter wasn’t worth getting anyone higher up involved. Jost getting demoted would pose a problem for Hans because experienced noncoms didn’t exactly grow on trees and Tilo being from the Marine Infantry would probably get a firm admonishment to not do that again followed by an attaboy. Hans sighed, “Shake on it before I change my mind and call the MPs.” Both the Schultz brothers looked surprised that Hans had told them to do that, before doing what Hans asked.
A few minutes later Tilo rejoined his friends. They were slapping him on the shoulder, sibling and inter-service rivalries playing out. “Why did you throw that bottle?” Hans asked.
“I didn’t” Jost answered.
“Then why did give the impression that you had?” Hans demanded.
“I didn’t think that Tilo would actually put up that much of a fight” Jost replied, “He was a little punk the last time I saw him.”
“When was that?”
“I don’t know” Jost said, “Three or four years ago before he got conscripted.”
It was obvious that Tilo Schultz had changed in that time, that should have been expected if he had come as far as he had with the Marine Infantry. Hell, how much had the surviving men of the Souville Regiment changed in the last few years.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The celebration in the city was in full swing as Doug made his way through the crowded streets. His understanding was that the Koreans intended to declare a republic as soon the city was completely liberated. All that remained was a few Japanese administrators who were expected to formally surrender the city in return for safe passage to ships waiting in the river. If the rumors that Doug had heard were true, then that was only the illusion of safety.
Doug was photographing the street scenes. The streets were definitely electric with the throngs of people moving about. It was said that was the reason why the city had been bypassed even though there was no resistance. He heard a string of firecrackers go up just a few meters away. He saw the smoke and red paper flying among the feet of the crowd. The noise reminded him uneasily of Russian machine guns.
12th August 1945
Near Gwangju, Chōsen
Tilo had arrived back with his unit just in time for the landings on the Korean Peninsula in an effort to encircle the capital city, whatever it was being called this week, that was evidently currently up for debate. It marked one of the few times that the Japanese had made a smart decision. The commander of the Division that had been garrisoning the city had realized that having a force of mostly German and British Corps closing in from the north and the Marine Infantry landing in the south while surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Koreans who hated them was not a tenable situation.
Now Tilo found himself standing on the side of the road as an endless line of SPz-2 APCs were slowly crossing the bridge over the rain swollen Han river. Once across the river the column had ground to a halt. It was said that these were General Rommel’s men, the same ones who had lost the race into Moscow by a hair. They were making up for that by blasting their way down the Korean Peninsula. A green bottle flew from one of the APCs, Tilo ducked aside but it still shattered at his feet. Tilo stomped in the direction of the APC, he intended to give whoever threw that bottle a major ass kicking.
“Why’d you do that asshole?” Tilo demanded. He saw the man riding on the roof of the APC was a big bruiser with a nasty grin on his face.
“Because you’re a snot nosed punk, that’s why” The man said.
Tilo looked at him, he was obviously spoiling for a fight and Tilo knew exactly who he was dealing with. He grabbed a portion of the man's clothes and yanked him off the roof of the APC to into the deep road mud. He landed like a sack of flour at Tilo’s feet.
The others on the APC looked down in shock that someone had just done that. The man was still trying to get his wind back. One of the other men atop the APC jumped down and Tilo saw he was dealing with a Hauptmann.
“I know that Oberfeld Schultz is a pain in the ass, Oberfähnrich” The Hauptmann said, “But what you did was uncalled for. Who are you anyway?”
“Oberfähnrich Schultz, Sir” Tilo replied. The Hauptman looked closely at Tilo and realized the truth about what had just happened.
“Damn” The Hauptmann muttered. At that point, Jost who had been forgotten in the mud leaped to his feet and tackled Tilo. More of the men jumped off the APC unsure of exactly what they were going to do. There were some other Marine Infantry around who were potential combatants if this turned into a brawl. Hans eventually manage to drag both of the Schultz brothers to their feet, effectively ending it.
“Halfway around the world and you two are continuing your beef with each other” Hans said, “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is?”
“I wouldn’t know” Jost said, “Tilo never started a fight like that before.” Hans didn’t know from the tone Jost was taking if he was angry or proud of his brother.
“Whatever, Jost” Hans said, this matter wasn’t worth getting anyone higher up involved. Jost getting demoted would pose a problem for Hans because experienced noncoms didn’t exactly grow on trees and Tilo being from the Marine Infantry would probably get a firm admonishment to not do that again followed by an attaboy. Hans sighed, “Shake on it before I change my mind and call the MPs.” Both the Schultz brothers looked surprised that Hans had told them to do that, before doing what Hans asked.
A few minutes later Tilo rejoined his friends. They were slapping him on the shoulder, sibling and inter-service rivalries playing out. “Why did you throw that bottle?” Hans asked.
“I didn’t” Jost answered.
“Then why did give the impression that you had?” Hans demanded.
“I didn’t think that Tilo would actually put up that much of a fight” Jost replied, “He was a little punk the last time I saw him.”
“When was that?”
“I don’t know” Jost said, “Three or four years ago before he got conscripted.”
It was obvious that Tilo Schultz had changed in that time, that should have been expected if he had come as far as he had with the Marine Infantry. Hell, how much had the surviving men of the Souville Regiment changed in the last few years.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The celebration in the city was in full swing as Doug made his way through the crowded streets. His understanding was that the Koreans intended to declare a republic as soon the city was completely liberated. All that remained was a few Japanese administrators who were expected to formally surrender the city in return for safe passage to ships waiting in the river. If the rumors that Doug had heard were true, then that was only the illusion of safety.
Doug was photographing the street scenes. The streets were definitely electric with the throngs of people moving about. It was said that was the reason why the city had been bypassed even though there was no resistance. He heard a string of firecrackers go up just a few meters away. He saw the smoke and red paper flying among the feet of the crowd. The noise reminded him uneasily of Russian machine guns.
Last edited:
Tilo slightly outranks Jost but that has more to do with the sideways move that he made.
That actually it's highly inexact and ill analyzed.
The Independence of Taiwan here is actually a rather sane measure, specially considering that ethnically and culturally the local Taiwanese are very, VERY different from the Han Chinese in the mainland.
Integrating Taiwan with Continental China it would have become the Asian version of OTL Ireland, with the potential for near genocide as the preeminent Hakka Chinese ethnic group and the native Taiwanese would have been considered as "Barbarians" at best and collaborators/Traitors at worst, with the associated treatment.
Also its ONLY Taiwan what became independent, certainly not Manchuria, and all points that Lang and the German forces will return Manchuria to Chinese control once its pacified.
Furthermore, given the geometry of things, it's highly probable that the Germans will return Tsingtao to Chinese Control post War, the East Pacific Fleet being relocated into Taiwan for motives of protecting the nascent country's independence and the strategic position of Taiwan in the Asian Pacific.
At this point only an idiot would try to control Korea, and the Chinese also felt the same than the Koreans during the years of Japanese Occupation and abuses. Also an Alliance with the Americans would be doubtful, as the Chinese tend to keep grudges and a LONG memory, and each time that they contemplated an Alliance, they would remember the American Cargo ships traveling with American cargo to Formosa to feed the Japanese Guns and machine.
They would smile, make Business with the Americans and even host industries of American origin, but in their roots, they would remember World War II and remember WHO bled and died to kick off the hated Japanese Barbarians, and WHO kept selling the stuff used to kill Chinese and Asians by the Japanese.
I think that there has been a misunderstanding of my post.
PM has stated in a earlier post that China was very displeased that Taiwan was not returned to them but was giving their independence by the western powers and IOTL the idea of Taiwanese Independence is a fairly new idea dating back to the Seventies.
As for Korea, it more like the Chinese government seeing Korea being in Germany's sphere of influence instead of China's.
As for Manchuria, it is more of perception that Germany is going to support a bid for independence by Manchuria then there is actual proof that is going to happen.
American merchant ships did not supply the Japanese after the war started, and the Americans did supply China and made loans available to them ITTL.
I don't know if the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) was ever formed ITTL but IOTL it was started before this war was begun ITTL.
And there was a very strong China Lobby IOTL and there is no reason for there not to be ITTL.
I know that there is tendency for some of us to want this timeline to be an "American Screw" and for others of us for it to be less of a "Germany Wank" but that is up to the author of this timeline to decide what direction this timeline will take and for the rest of us to enjoy.
PM has stated in a earlier post that China was very displeased that Taiwan was not returned to them but was giving their independence by the western powers and IOTL the idea of Taiwanese Independence is a fairly new idea dating back to the Seventies.
As for Korea, it more like the Chinese government seeing Korea being in Germany's sphere of influence instead of China's.
As for Manchuria, it is more of perception that Germany is going to support a bid for independence by Manchuria then there is actual proof that is going to happen.
American merchant ships did not supply the Japanese after the war started, and the Americans did supply China and made loans available to them ITTL.
I don't know if the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) was ever formed ITTL but IOTL it was started before this war was begun ITTL.
And there was a very strong China Lobby IOTL and there is no reason for there not to be ITTL.
I know that there is tendency for some of us to want this timeline to be an "American Screw" and for others of us for it to be less of a "Germany Wank" but that is up to the author of this timeline to decide what direction this timeline will take and for the rest of us to enjoy.
From my understanding, ITTL the USA came out of WW1 with nothing to show but casualties and worsened relations with both the Central Powers, who they fought against, and the Entente, which they pretty much forced to surrender after they barely dipped their figurative toe (and were smacked by the Germans). The Crash followed and got them further bad press in Europe. After, they had some sort of under-the-table influence war with Germany in South America (in which the result probably favoured the Germans more), then some people in the US together with the British (I'm not actually clear here if it was only the British, some people in the British Gov. together with some people in the US Gov., or some people in the British Gov. together with some US industrialists) tried to support a faction of the Spanish Civil War and were exposed (but not to the public at large). As a result the USA became much more isolationist diplomatically and militarily, but more active commercially.
So it's possible that the US didn't try to support China either militarily or otherwise, but preferred to continue and increase trade with Japan (and the Soviet Union, and the European Allies).
It's not a US screw, per se, as much as the OTL US foreign strategy (giving loans and selling military equipment -the US land-lease wasn't for free in any way of the word- to one side, then joining in after halftime and altering the balance heavily) going wrong. It's just not a US wank like the last century was IOTL
Last edited:
Part 39, Chapter 481
Chapter Four Hundred Eighty-One
14th August 1945
Rural Missouri
One of the hard rules of politics is that to have a say you have to get elected first. If you neglect that fact, you can flap your gums until the cows come home and no one will care. That was why Harry Truman was going to County Fairs, Grange Halls or any other venue that had some constituents willing to listen for more than five minutes. While he was doing this, he had noticed that the County Sheriff’s Deputies and City Police were out in force. The bombings that had started in Georgia had spread throughout the South in ever escalating rounds of violence. Truman suspected that some of those bombings involving the Klan on the receiving end were actually some damn fool getting drunk and setting off their own bomb by accident. Not that he would say it aloud, Missouri might not exactly have fallen within the Confederacy but there were a lot of folks about who wouldn’t appreciate that observation.
So, it was bread and butter issues, things that people who lived here actually cared about. Truman also had a whole lot to say about the Dewey Administration, this latest business of declaring war on Japan this late in the game. No one was fooled by that. The Russians were playing hardball regarding their assets in the United States and the debt that the Soviets had run up. The Germans were talking a massive rail project linking Europe to the Far East, an unbroken series of rail lines from Indochina in the south to Russia in the north stretching west to the markets, factories and ports of Europe. Perhaps a decade from now the world’s largest economic zone would be rolling and America would be on the outside looking in. And with the war winding down the Wall Street was headed for a correction. When Truman had been the candidate for Vice President he had heard speculation that the bill for the war was going to come due in Berlin. If that happened while US was in the doldrums then it may just be a case of the US sneezing, Berlin and London catching a cold, then that rebounding across the Atlantic in a full-blown case of pneumonia. Something that Dewey seemed oblivious to.
Hohenzollern Castle
If the dead cared about timing, security or any one of a thousand other things then they were very quiet about it. Kat observed as the caskets were loaded onto a lorry to be taken to the train station. They gone quietly into exile, saved by the cynical games for power that had happened within Russia and Leon Trotsky making a deal as a hedge against Stalin’s increasing paranoia. Almost thirty years later they were all dead and Trotsky was still living on a Greek island no more welcome in Russia then he had been before the Soviet War. For what it was worth, their remains were going home.
“It will mean a lot to Jehane that you came” Kat said to the man standing beside her. RCMP Chief Superintendent Lamar had arrived the day before with a dozen of his men. Their red tunics drew many curious looks from the castle’s staff.
“I was shocked to learn that the girl was still alive” Lamar said, “The understanding was that she had died with her family.”
“That was necessary to give her some breathing room from the Soviets and the surviving Romanovs” Kat said, “She couldn’t have handled her relative’s ambitions and it’s doubtless that the NKVD would have made another attempt to kill her.”
As they watched the casket of Henry Thomas draped in the Canadian Red Ensign was set in the bed of the lorry. Beside it was the one that Kat presumed belonged to Tatiana Nikolaevna. Kat had admired her since Gianna had told her the story of her rebuilding her life and final minutes. Now staring at the wooden box that held her remains Kat just felt nothing, which was a disappointment.
Berlin
If they were going to risk their lives for her then Gianna was going to get to know them as people. That was her thinking, Kat was frightened of getting too close to people that she might have to order into danger and that affected how she did things. Kat had offered to send her to Paris for the summer with Helene’s younger sisters or spending it at the beach on the North Sea, but Helene had declined. Instead she was spending it doing the training and the practical lessons that Kat was dishing out. There had originally been twenty girls including Gianna, but Kat had ruthlessly weeded out the ones who didn’t measure up. Gianna had helped them as best she could but finally there were only six remaining. Ilse Tritten had been abandoned when she was only a few hours old and had known no other life, she had a desperate need for Kat’s approval. Tilde Messerli and Kristine Lehrer had been removed from terrible situations later in life. Tilde talked freely about starving due to parental neglect like if that was normal. Asia Lawniczak, Judita Schovajsa and Magdalena Foerstner had lost everything in the war. Magdalena was a quiet, bookish girl who insisted that everyone call her Leni. Judita had been the oldest of ten but her parents and siblings were gone in an instant when falling bombs pulverized the building they rented an apartment in, she’d been the only one dug out alive. Gianna had no idea what had happened to Asia, she simply refused to talk. It had sunk in that part of the reason that they had been selected in the first place was that no one would miss them.
What did it mean that Gianna had gained such ready acceptance among them? They had seen the scars on Gianna’s back and side and had only asked where those had come from once. Gianna had answered honestly, they were from when the NKVD had shot her after wiping out her family. There were no more questions at all after that. She was one of them and to Gianna’s surprise she had actually found that she enjoyed their company.
Now Kat had sent word that they needed to be prepared for travel tomorrow morning. It was time for the trip to Saint Petersburg. Gianna looked at it with trepidation, the prospect of traveling to a city in a foreign country was exciting but she was going to be burying her parents. How would the others react when they found out that she was actually Jehane Thomas?
14th August 1945
Rural Missouri
One of the hard rules of politics is that to have a say you have to get elected first. If you neglect that fact, you can flap your gums until the cows come home and no one will care. That was why Harry Truman was going to County Fairs, Grange Halls or any other venue that had some constituents willing to listen for more than five minutes. While he was doing this, he had noticed that the County Sheriff’s Deputies and City Police were out in force. The bombings that had started in Georgia had spread throughout the South in ever escalating rounds of violence. Truman suspected that some of those bombings involving the Klan on the receiving end were actually some damn fool getting drunk and setting off their own bomb by accident. Not that he would say it aloud, Missouri might not exactly have fallen within the Confederacy but there were a lot of folks about who wouldn’t appreciate that observation.
So, it was bread and butter issues, things that people who lived here actually cared about. Truman also had a whole lot to say about the Dewey Administration, this latest business of declaring war on Japan this late in the game. No one was fooled by that. The Russians were playing hardball regarding their assets in the United States and the debt that the Soviets had run up. The Germans were talking a massive rail project linking Europe to the Far East, an unbroken series of rail lines from Indochina in the south to Russia in the north stretching west to the markets, factories and ports of Europe. Perhaps a decade from now the world’s largest economic zone would be rolling and America would be on the outside looking in. And with the war winding down the Wall Street was headed for a correction. When Truman had been the candidate for Vice President he had heard speculation that the bill for the war was going to come due in Berlin. If that happened while US was in the doldrums then it may just be a case of the US sneezing, Berlin and London catching a cold, then that rebounding across the Atlantic in a full-blown case of pneumonia. Something that Dewey seemed oblivious to.
Hohenzollern Castle
If the dead cared about timing, security or any one of a thousand other things then they were very quiet about it. Kat observed as the caskets were loaded onto a lorry to be taken to the train station. They gone quietly into exile, saved by the cynical games for power that had happened within Russia and Leon Trotsky making a deal as a hedge against Stalin’s increasing paranoia. Almost thirty years later they were all dead and Trotsky was still living on a Greek island no more welcome in Russia then he had been before the Soviet War. For what it was worth, their remains were going home.
“It will mean a lot to Jehane that you came” Kat said to the man standing beside her. RCMP Chief Superintendent Lamar had arrived the day before with a dozen of his men. Their red tunics drew many curious looks from the castle’s staff.
“I was shocked to learn that the girl was still alive” Lamar said, “The understanding was that she had died with her family.”
“That was necessary to give her some breathing room from the Soviets and the surviving Romanovs” Kat said, “She couldn’t have handled her relative’s ambitions and it’s doubtless that the NKVD would have made another attempt to kill her.”
As they watched the casket of Henry Thomas draped in the Canadian Red Ensign was set in the bed of the lorry. Beside it was the one that Kat presumed belonged to Tatiana Nikolaevna. Kat had admired her since Gianna had told her the story of her rebuilding her life and final minutes. Now staring at the wooden box that held her remains Kat just felt nothing, which was a disappointment.
Berlin
If they were going to risk their lives for her then Gianna was going to get to know them as people. That was her thinking, Kat was frightened of getting too close to people that she might have to order into danger and that affected how she did things. Kat had offered to send her to Paris for the summer with Helene’s younger sisters or spending it at the beach on the North Sea, but Helene had declined. Instead she was spending it doing the training and the practical lessons that Kat was dishing out. There had originally been twenty girls including Gianna, but Kat had ruthlessly weeded out the ones who didn’t measure up. Gianna had helped them as best she could but finally there were only six remaining. Ilse Tritten had been abandoned when she was only a few hours old and had known no other life, she had a desperate need for Kat’s approval. Tilde Messerli and Kristine Lehrer had been removed from terrible situations later in life. Tilde talked freely about starving due to parental neglect like if that was normal. Asia Lawniczak, Judita Schovajsa and Magdalena Foerstner had lost everything in the war. Magdalena was a quiet, bookish girl who insisted that everyone call her Leni. Judita had been the oldest of ten but her parents and siblings were gone in an instant when falling bombs pulverized the building they rented an apartment in, she’d been the only one dug out alive. Gianna had no idea what had happened to Asia, she simply refused to talk. It had sunk in that part of the reason that they had been selected in the first place was that no one would miss them.
What did it mean that Gianna had gained such ready acceptance among them? They had seen the scars on Gianna’s back and side and had only asked where those had come from once. Gianna had answered honestly, they were from when the NKVD had shot her after wiping out her family. There were no more questions at all after that. She was one of them and to Gianna’s surprise she had actually found that she enjoyed their company.
Now Kat had sent word that they needed to be prepared for travel tomorrow morning. It was time for the trip to Saint Petersburg. Gianna looked at it with trepidation, the prospect of traveling to a city in a foreign country was exciting but she was going to be burying her parents. How would the others react when they found out that she was actually Jehane Thomas?
Didn't we play a big part in taking the Peking wall as well? Or is that just propaganda?