This was covered earlier:
Except for the triplet part this was predicted by some of your fans.
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
The world may not be ready, but the world needs and deserves it.
Part 75, Chapter 1113
Chapter One Thousand One Hundred Thirteen
21st November 1954
Kleinberg, Silesia
Helene had returned home to run in the election under the banner of the Democratic Ecology Party, the party that she and Sophie Scholl had founded just a year earlier with the backing of Helene’s father. The truth was that they were only expecting to get a few percentage points and then they would go back to their lives. Sophie was going to be out of Government working on building the party and Helene would go back to teaching. They had a number of candidates across the country, those who had volunteered to take the time in what could only be considered a somewhat doomed effort. Mostly, they had encouraged their people to spend their time in the constituencies, talking to people and having fun. That was what had been happening over the previous month, Helene herself had come back home every chance she got, that was on top of her already hectic teaching schedule. She had hardly gotten to see Manny and Ina in that time, so it was just as well that Hans had hired some extra help around the house.
Tonight, Helene was sitting in the informal sitting room where her father had the television set up. Here in Silesia there were only two channels to watch, on both of them the elections were being covered exhaustively. That was unfortunate because at this point all Helene wanted was a distraction. Listening to the speculation by the Anchors about the major parties, the only mention of the minor parties was in the event of no major party achieved an outright majority and who would be best placed to play the role of kingmaker in the next Government. Most of that speculation revolved around the right of center National Liberals who were expected to have their best showing in a generation. Gerta had occasionally accused Helene of being conservative, the truth was that she only conservative by Gerta’s standards and Gerta fancied herself to be a bit of a libertine despite that not being remotely true. The National Liberals formed the largest group in the opposition, from Helene’s perspective they seemed to be living in the past before the First World War and their likely coalition partners were worse, mostly the monarchists and the fringe radicals who felt that universal suffrage had been a mistake. She also knew that history was seldom kind to those who attempted to put toothpaste back into the tube and obviously didn’t want to see the resulting chaos if that happened.
She must have fallen asleep because Helene woke up to her mother gently shaking her shoulder a couple hours later. Sophie was on the phone and to Helene’s shock her Party had won Breslau. They’d had a better than expected night. While still below the threshold percentage wise needed to have seats in the Reichstag they had still managed win in enough constituencies to gain a few seats in the Reichstag. The next surprise was that Helene’s parents were celebrating her win and that Hans was on his way to join her.
“We’ve had several diplomats and civil servants in the family” The Graf said, “I guess that this is just continuing that tradition.”
Berlin
Douglas was a bit confused when he woke up to the sound of ice hitting the window and noticed the feel of bodies on either side of him. The one to his right was obviously Kat and he remembered that the much smaller one to his left was Tatiana. She had been having nightmares and wasn’t yet articulate enough to explain them, just the expressing the feeling of terror and loss the she felt when she woke up. Tat had been coming to Kat and Doug for comfort, usually they had waited for her to fall asleep before taking her back to her own bed but tonight they had fallen asleep themselves before they had gotten the chance.
Careful not to wake either Kat or Tatiana, Doug carefully picked up Tat and carried her through the sleeping house to the room she shared with her brother. Malcolm was having no trouble sleeping through the night, so whatever was bothering his sister was clearly not affecting him. Kat and Doug had discussed their living situation and as much as they liked where they lived it wouldn’t be practical as the twins grew older. The solution seemed obvious when they thought about it. The development in Tempelhof was going to include the very sort of housing that they needed. A house that would be flexible enough to suit Kat’s rather unique needs, with extra rooms for the sisterhood as they came and went. Kat had said that she didn’t like the idea of moving further away from the neighborhood she had grown up in, that was the only argument she had against it.
After tucking Tat into her bed, Doug went back to his bedroom as carefully went back to bed trying not to wake Kat.
“How did we end up with such a sensitive little girl?” Kat asked as soon as Doug settled in. She had been awake after all.
“She’s her mother’s daughter” Doug replied.
“I’m not like that” Kat said, “Not at all.”
“I know you like to think so” Doug said, “But Tat is who she is, and I hope that she doesn’t have to hide that part of herself.”
Kat fell silent until she fell back asleep a few minutes later. Doug lay there thinking about how he had probably said entirely too much for a longer period of time.
21st November 1954
Kleinberg, Silesia
Helene had returned home to run in the election under the banner of the Democratic Ecology Party, the party that she and Sophie Scholl had founded just a year earlier with the backing of Helene’s father. The truth was that they were only expecting to get a few percentage points and then they would go back to their lives. Sophie was going to be out of Government working on building the party and Helene would go back to teaching. They had a number of candidates across the country, those who had volunteered to take the time in what could only be considered a somewhat doomed effort. Mostly, they had encouraged their people to spend their time in the constituencies, talking to people and having fun. That was what had been happening over the previous month, Helene herself had come back home every chance she got, that was on top of her already hectic teaching schedule. She had hardly gotten to see Manny and Ina in that time, so it was just as well that Hans had hired some extra help around the house.
Tonight, Helene was sitting in the informal sitting room where her father had the television set up. Here in Silesia there were only two channels to watch, on both of them the elections were being covered exhaustively. That was unfortunate because at this point all Helene wanted was a distraction. Listening to the speculation by the Anchors about the major parties, the only mention of the minor parties was in the event of no major party achieved an outright majority and who would be best placed to play the role of kingmaker in the next Government. Most of that speculation revolved around the right of center National Liberals who were expected to have their best showing in a generation. Gerta had occasionally accused Helene of being conservative, the truth was that she only conservative by Gerta’s standards and Gerta fancied herself to be a bit of a libertine despite that not being remotely true. The National Liberals formed the largest group in the opposition, from Helene’s perspective they seemed to be living in the past before the First World War and their likely coalition partners were worse, mostly the monarchists and the fringe radicals who felt that universal suffrage had been a mistake. She also knew that history was seldom kind to those who attempted to put toothpaste back into the tube and obviously didn’t want to see the resulting chaos if that happened.
She must have fallen asleep because Helene woke up to her mother gently shaking her shoulder a couple hours later. Sophie was on the phone and to Helene’s shock her Party had won Breslau. They’d had a better than expected night. While still below the threshold percentage wise needed to have seats in the Reichstag they had still managed win in enough constituencies to gain a few seats in the Reichstag. The next surprise was that Helene’s parents were celebrating her win and that Hans was on his way to join her.
“We’ve had several diplomats and civil servants in the family” The Graf said, “I guess that this is just continuing that tradition.”
Berlin
Douglas was a bit confused when he woke up to the sound of ice hitting the window and noticed the feel of bodies on either side of him. The one to his right was obviously Kat and he remembered that the much smaller one to his left was Tatiana. She had been having nightmares and wasn’t yet articulate enough to explain them, just the expressing the feeling of terror and loss the she felt when she woke up. Tat had been coming to Kat and Doug for comfort, usually they had waited for her to fall asleep before taking her back to her own bed but tonight they had fallen asleep themselves before they had gotten the chance.
Careful not to wake either Kat or Tatiana, Doug carefully picked up Tat and carried her through the sleeping house to the room she shared with her brother. Malcolm was having no trouble sleeping through the night, so whatever was bothering his sister was clearly not affecting him. Kat and Doug had discussed their living situation and as much as they liked where they lived it wouldn’t be practical as the twins grew older. The solution seemed obvious when they thought about it. The development in Tempelhof was going to include the very sort of housing that they needed. A house that would be flexible enough to suit Kat’s rather unique needs, with extra rooms for the sisterhood as they came and went. Kat had said that she didn’t like the idea of moving further away from the neighborhood she had grown up in, that was the only argument she had against it.
After tucking Tat into her bed, Doug went back to his bedroom as carefully went back to bed trying not to wake Kat.
“How did we end up with such a sensitive little girl?” Kat asked as soon as Doug settled in. She had been awake after all.
“She’s her mother’s daughter” Doug replied.
“I’m not like that” Kat said, “Not at all.”
“I know you like to think so” Doug said, “But Tat is who she is, and I hope that she doesn’t have to hide that part of herself.”
Kat fell silent until she fell back asleep a few minutes later. Doug lay there thinking about how he had probably said entirely too much for a longer period of time.
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Congrats to Helene on her victory, maybe she can bring up the fact that many military bases are ecological disaster areas full of toxic chemicals and unexploded ordinance that have been left lying around over the years.
She has the credibility to being that up because of who her father is, who her husband is, and her own record in the war.
And by the way ditch the name Democratic Ecology Party it is self limiting and you need a name that shows that it is not just an one issue party.
She has the credibility to being that up because of who her father is, who her husband is, and her own record in the war.
And by the way ditch the name Democratic Ecology Party it is self limiting and you need a name that shows that it is not just an one issue party.
You do know in the end that child will marry the Hohenzollern heir to the throne......
Ok, weird how politics works...
They were below the threshold to win seats, but still won seats?
This confused me a bit too but I think that we are talking that the national average vote would be below that level but that in certain individual constituencies there was a higher level of support which was enough to get them seats.
I don't think that karambit, picking pockets, safecracking, breaking and entering or surveillance and countersurveillance are Olympic sports. They'll probably be in different weight classes in Krav Maga. Pistol marksmanship is separate.
We don't really know the current election system they use ITTL for federal elections but in OTL Federal Republic's Germany each voter gets two votes, one for a direct representative for the constituency and one for a party. If a party gets less than 5% of the total (federal, not state level) vote they don't get any seats in parliament. But every directly elected MP gets their seat, no matter if the party is above or below the threshold. If they have a similar system ITTL this is how it could've worked.
Additionally, if at least tree MPs get directly elected, the 5% don't matter any longer, and the party will get all MPs they have a percentage for. (A 200 member house, party x gets only 4%, but 3 direct they can send a total of 8 MP. 3 direct and 5 from the list)
Part 75, Chapter 1114
Chapter One Thousand One Hundred Fourteen
5th December 1954
Berlin
“The outcome of the elections was quite good news for the Order of Louise” Kira said delightedly, as they discussed the events of the week with Kat, Lea and Antonia that Sunday afternoon.
This was a bit of a surprise to them. Everyone else had been watching the protracted negotiations that that were taking place after none of the political parties had been able to secure an outright majority in the Reichstag. It seemed like the outcome had left no one happy. Just the day before Kat had talked with Helene, who had found herself caught up in the talks with the Social Democrats because the five seats that DOP had picked up were suddenly critical in cobbling together a governing coalition. That put the DOP in a powerful position even though people had seen the green dots on the map and had go look up a party that those dots represented.
Despite the inconclusive outcome of the election, Kira felt that the Order of Louise had come out well because a record number of women had run for election and won. That included a number of members of the Order itself, something that had recently caused a stir. There were those who had suddenly realized that Kira as the Grand Mistress of the Order and Kat as the Dame Commander had garnered a large amount of political power and were looking at it as an unelected, unaccountable body. Kira had blown those concerns off. The existence of the Order was subject to renewal every time there was a new Grand Mistress and Louis Ferdinand could order it disbanded at any time.
“They like us when we do charitable work” Kira had said, “They like us a lot less when we make efforts towards there being a day when the need for that charity is no longer as acute.”
While Kat didn’t disagree with that, she had found that the higher she rose the greater the resistance she was receiving from above became. Men who had been perfectly comfortable with her as a living weapon became increasingly agitated by the thought of her in a position of authority. There was also the stark reality that she simply didn’t play the political game very well. While Hans was expected to be promoted to Generalmajor within a few years as is expected of someone in Walter von Horst’s crowd, Kat would spend the remainder of her career in her present position. If she got promoted at all, it would be to take on the role as the Commandant of Camp Thorwald outside of Judenbach. Important work, but far from the levers of power and very much a dead end.
“As much as we like hearing about that, there is the threat of backlash to consider” Antonia said, she had a far better understanding of the politics than Kat did. One more reason why Kat felt that she would make a poor replacement for the Princess.
“If we worried about what men had to say about every decision, we made we wouldn’t accomplish a whole lot” Kira said, “But we also wouldn’t offend anyone either.”
“I wouldn’t say that it is as clear cut as that” Antonia said, “Yes, our opponents will pounce on anything we do. They would probably also call us a waste of resources if we did far less and them having the option of ignoring us wouldn’t stop them from doing that.”
Kat was in perfect agreement with that but knew that she could struggle to be as articulate about that. There was one aspect of this that she understood even if Kat did not know exactly how go about doing it.
“How do we take advantage of this situation?” Kat asked. Judging by the expression on Kira and Antonia’s faces, that had been the right question to have asked.
Washington D.C.
Paul Finley knew he had a serious problem the instant he got word that he had been reassigned to Archives. Hell, when word reached the Division of the recently renamed Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the U.S. State Department that he had been in charge of was being audited Finley knew that he was in trouble. There were too many irregularities within the Division itself and in the past the Inspector General had always bought his line about how they sometimes needed to cross certain lines to get results. This time, the I.G. wasn’t interested in listening and everyone was wondering exactly how high up whoever Finley had pissed off was. The overpowering smell of rotting paper and mildew were a sign that whoever it was, they were very high up indeed. Just for the life of him, Finley couldn’t think of what he might have done.
“About time I finally got some help down here” Dwight, the Head Archivist said as he led Finley through the chaotic stacks with a pronounced limp. The blizzard of paperwork that the State Department and the hundreds of Embassies and Consulates generated had to go somewhere.
Finley kept his mouth shut, the rumors that were floating around that if he could have been cleared for field work then he would have been sent to whatever particularly delightful garden spot that State arrange. It would be a tossup as to whether it would be hot and sticky or freezing cold, either way it would have included cannibals if possible.
“I hope this bum arm isn’t a problem” Finley said, hoping that Dwight would complain and give him an excuse to leave.
“It’s no problem” Dwight said cheerfully, “I got this courtesy of that son of a bitch von Wolvogle. Fiberglass, the latest thing.”
Dwight knocked on his leg and Finley heard the hollow thunk. Whoever had exiled him here had clearly done their homework beforehand.
5th December 1954
Berlin
“The outcome of the elections was quite good news for the Order of Louise” Kira said delightedly, as they discussed the events of the week with Kat, Lea and Antonia that Sunday afternoon.
This was a bit of a surprise to them. Everyone else had been watching the protracted negotiations that that were taking place after none of the political parties had been able to secure an outright majority in the Reichstag. It seemed like the outcome had left no one happy. Just the day before Kat had talked with Helene, who had found herself caught up in the talks with the Social Democrats because the five seats that DOP had picked up were suddenly critical in cobbling together a governing coalition. That put the DOP in a powerful position even though people had seen the green dots on the map and had go look up a party that those dots represented.
Despite the inconclusive outcome of the election, Kira felt that the Order of Louise had come out well because a record number of women had run for election and won. That included a number of members of the Order itself, something that had recently caused a stir. There were those who had suddenly realized that Kira as the Grand Mistress of the Order and Kat as the Dame Commander had garnered a large amount of political power and were looking at it as an unelected, unaccountable body. Kira had blown those concerns off. The existence of the Order was subject to renewal every time there was a new Grand Mistress and Louis Ferdinand could order it disbanded at any time.
“They like us when we do charitable work” Kira had said, “They like us a lot less when we make efforts towards there being a day when the need for that charity is no longer as acute.”
While Kat didn’t disagree with that, she had found that the higher she rose the greater the resistance she was receiving from above became. Men who had been perfectly comfortable with her as a living weapon became increasingly agitated by the thought of her in a position of authority. There was also the stark reality that she simply didn’t play the political game very well. While Hans was expected to be promoted to Generalmajor within a few years as is expected of someone in Walter von Horst’s crowd, Kat would spend the remainder of her career in her present position. If she got promoted at all, it would be to take on the role as the Commandant of Camp Thorwald outside of Judenbach. Important work, but far from the levers of power and very much a dead end.
“As much as we like hearing about that, there is the threat of backlash to consider” Antonia said, she had a far better understanding of the politics than Kat did. One more reason why Kat felt that she would make a poor replacement for the Princess.
“If we worried about what men had to say about every decision, we made we wouldn’t accomplish a whole lot” Kira said, “But we also wouldn’t offend anyone either.”
“I wouldn’t say that it is as clear cut as that” Antonia said, “Yes, our opponents will pounce on anything we do. They would probably also call us a waste of resources if we did far less and them having the option of ignoring us wouldn’t stop them from doing that.”
Kat was in perfect agreement with that but knew that she could struggle to be as articulate about that. There was one aspect of this that she understood even if Kat did not know exactly how go about doing it.
“How do we take advantage of this situation?” Kat asked. Judging by the expression on Kira and Antonia’s faces, that had been the right question to have asked.
Washington D.C.
Paul Finley knew he had a serious problem the instant he got word that he had been reassigned to Archives. Hell, when word reached the Division of the recently renamed Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the U.S. State Department that he had been in charge of was being audited Finley knew that he was in trouble. There were too many irregularities within the Division itself and in the past the Inspector General had always bought his line about how they sometimes needed to cross certain lines to get results. This time, the I.G. wasn’t interested in listening and everyone was wondering exactly how high up whoever Finley had pissed off was. The overpowering smell of rotting paper and mildew were a sign that whoever it was, they were very high up indeed. Just for the life of him, Finley couldn’t think of what he might have done.
“About time I finally got some help down here” Dwight, the Head Archivist said as he led Finley through the chaotic stacks with a pronounced limp. The blizzard of paperwork that the State Department and the hundreds of Embassies and Consulates generated had to go somewhere.
Finley kept his mouth shut, the rumors that were floating around that if he could have been cleared for field work then he would have been sent to whatever particularly delightful garden spot that State arrange. It would be a tossup as to whether it would be hot and sticky or freezing cold, either way it would have included cannibals if possible.
“I hope this bum arm isn’t a problem” Finley said, hoping that Dwight would complain and give him an excuse to leave.
“It’s no problem” Dwight said cheerfully, “I got this courtesy of that son of a bitch von Wolvogle. Fiberglass, the latest thing.”
Dwight knocked on his leg and Finley heard the hollow thunk. Whoever had exiled him here had clearly done their homework beforehand.
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To anyone who has ever been stalled for long periods by a bureaucracy check, it does have a certain karmic joy to see it.
And the best detail?
...... The Archives Section JUST has to deal with the decade Audit and Accounting of the documents stored.
.... Aand Dwight will find to his pleased surprise that his last decade of service will be in the Archives of the Navy in Pearl Harbor for all his dedicated work, and he has the next month to show the ropes to Finley before leaving.
.... Because it ALWAYS can get worse, no?