Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
U.S. Senator Richard (Ritchie) Valenzuela the first Latino elected to a statewide office in California.
Kiki's problem is that she knows everyone is right especially Ben and she doesn't like it how they go on about her need to take on more responsibilities without thinking about the consequences to her own health and how it affects the people around her.
I can see after Louis Ferdinand steps down from being the Kaiser he is going to do a lot of traveling with Charlotte and Kiki is going to be more than happy to have Nella and Nan stay with her as much as possible, also Marie may find herself with an after school job helping out with the girls including Marai and Alexandrine.
Kiki's problem is that she knows everyone is right especially Ben and she doesn't like it how they go on about her need to take on more responsibilities without thinking about the consequences to her own health and how it affects the people around her.
I can see after Louis Ferdinand steps down from being the Kaiser he is going to do a lot of traveling with Charlotte and Kiki is going to be more than happy to have Nella and Nan stay with her as much as possible, also Marie may find herself with an after school job helping out with the girls including Marai and Alexandrine.
There goes Kiki again, completely failing to recognize the obvious when its beating her over the head with an entire forest worth of clue sticks.
Has she just overlooked her promotion to half-colonel? Wood. Trees.
And then when the penny drops she's going to mope about not deserving it...
The girl has, among other things, one of the worst cases of impostor syndrome going.
I really like the differences between Kat and Kiki, who both suffer from imposter syndrome, when getting promoted and/or decorated.
Kat (upon getting promoted): "Goddamn it! Why do they keep doing this? I wish they'd leave me alone. I'm going to get sucked into even more shenanigans because of this!"
(Shenanigans then ensue)
Kiki (upon the same): <crickets> *then clue stick FINALLY hammers something home*
Kiki: "Goddamn it, Daddy! People are going to think I'm getting special treatment because I'm your daughter!"
(Cue everyone in sight patiently explaining to her, again, that she has EARNED said promotion and/or decoration, much to her continued disbelief)
Kat (upon getting promoted): "Goddamn it! Why do they keep doing this? I wish they'd leave me alone. I'm going to get sucked into even more shenanigans because of this!"
(Shenanigans then ensue)
Kiki (upon the same): <crickets> *then clue stick FINALLY hammers something home*
Kiki: "Goddamn it, Daddy! People are going to think I'm getting special treatment because I'm your daughter!"
(Cue everyone in sight patiently explaining to her, again, that she has EARNED said promotion and/or decoration, much to her continued disbelief)
As I posted before, Kiki needs to be sat down and told that she has earned every promotion and every award that she has.
What is needed is someone that she knows, trust, and has the credibility to go over her record chapter and verse to show her that she hasn't received any undo privileges or favoritism because of her family and titles and if she did receive any favors it was because it was in the best interest of the service to do so.
If you read Kiki's service records without any mention of her name it will show that every award and promotion is well deserved.
The best person for that job is I think is her best friend's father Emil von Holz because his was the CiC of OKW and there is probably no one else who has received more awards then him even including Kat.
Peter can explain to Kiki that her presence and achievements in the JMS and the FSR has brought in new recruits to them and much more importantly increased funding from the Reichstag.
What is needed is someone that she knows, trust, and has the credibility to go over her record chapter and verse to show her that she hasn't received any undo privileges or favoritism because of her family and titles and if she did receive any favors it was because it was in the best interest of the service to do so.
If you read Kiki's service records without any mention of her name it will show that every award and promotion is well deserved.
The best person for that job is I think is her best friend's father Emil von Holz because his was the CiC of OKW and there is probably no one else who has received more awards then him even including Kat.
Peter can explain to Kiki that her presence and achievements in the JMS and the FSR has brought in new recruits to them and much more importantly increased funding from the Reichstag.
Part 117, Chapter 1948
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Eight
6th December 1969
Progue, Bohemia
There were several wedding traditions common in England or America that Birdie wanted, which Michael found completely foreign and confusing. He had called Kiki for help in talking to Birdie and she had done two things. The first was to tell Michael to just let Birdie run with it agreeably because while it was their day, all eyes were going to be on her. All Michael needed to do was have whatever suit he intended to wear ready on the wedding day and if he quibbled about the costs, it would end badly for him. The second was that she had to come to Bohemia herself. Kiki said that she needed to get out after having been cooped up in a cottage on the grounds of the new Winter Residence for the previous weeks. At least that was the reason she gave, though Michael understood that she had other things that she was hiding from for the moment.
It was odd that of Michael’s entire family, the only one seemed interested in accompanying him to the pistol range was Kiki. Unfortunately, he found out that she had something in mind other than shooting paper targets. Getting drawn into a conversation about her most recent promotion just so of happened.
“I just don’t understand you” Michael said, “No one does.”
“Why does Poppa not wear anything of his uniform that shows any kind of Rank?” Kiki asked in reply.
“The two situations are not comparable” Michael said, “He is the commander of the entire Military and cannot be seen as playing favorites or interfering with the chain of command.”
“Yet he wears a Luftwaffe uniform when he plays that role” Kiki said, as she slid a magazine in her pistol, a 9mm service weapon as opposed to the bull barreled twenty-two match pistol that Michael was using today.
“He was involved with the Luftwaffe before he became Emperor” Michael said, “And his flight instructor’s badge is something that he has always been proud of. He could wear all the Service Orders he is entitled to, but he knows that would actually be doing what you tend to assume people think you do.”
Kiki frowned as she heard that as she put on her earmuffs. Michael barely had time to get his on before she started shooting at the targets. What she was doing wasn’t target shooting, it was putting as much lead as possible in the direction of the target. It was what you did when you were fighting a war, or in this case blowing off steam by making a lot of noise. Looking at the posters as they were reeled back to this end of the range, he could see that Kiki had generally hit the targets near the center. While it was hardly shooting that would qualify in competition, it was easily within what was referred to as minute-of-dirtbag.
“Why would you be angry about advancing your career?” Michael asked, “I was never given that chance.”
Michael had commanded a Panzer Company in Korea finishing the campaign as a Hauptmann. However, becoming King of Bohemia had ended his career in the Panzer Corps. He was the Commander in Chief of the Bohemian Army and Landwehr, technically a Field Marshal but he was still reminded occasionally that it was a largely honorary position. He certainly didn’t have the authority of one. Kiki worried about not being taken seriously, that was Michael’s reality. Most of the time, it felt like Michael was forever a Hauptmann with absolutely no hope of further advancement. Michael got the impression that if Kiki had gotten her way then she would probably be the most overqualified Lieutenant, or whatever the equivalent was, in the entire Medical Service. Which he thought was rather strange, but then, so was Kiki.
“They didn’t bother to tell me ahead of time” Kiki said, “They just went ahead and did it because they thought that I would try to decline the promotion. I thought that they had made a mistake in the first couple letters they sent me.”
“And would you have declined the promotion?” Michael asked.
Kiki paused for a second before she asked, “What does that have to do with anything?”
Michael gave her a sardonic look. He knew that their father had warned her that one day she would find herself handled in a manner that was the direct result of her being difficult at times. It seemed that day had come.
“They expect me to be the Executive Officer of the 34th Medical Services Regiment” Kiki said, “The Regiment is only a unit in name only, in peacetime it is spread across several hospitals and clinics in Berlin and Brandenburg.”
“You mean that you get to move about freely in the place you already live?” Michael asked, “Take on whatever cases interest you if you like? And that will be your career for the next couple years as you learn how to lead a Regiment? My heart bleeds for you Kiki.”
“There is more to it than…” Kiki started to say only to see that Michael had put on his ear protection, making conversation impossible.
As Michael took careful aim at the targets, careful to keep track of his breathing and heartbeat, he considered what Kiki had said. He was familiar with 34th Medical Services Regiment. In Korea they had been attached to the 4th Panzer Division, meaning that the 5th Panzer Brigade had regular dealings with them. Like the rest of the 2nd Army Corps, they were considered a premier unit. Someone high up clearly saw the potential of his little sister. Too bad she couldn’t see that in herself. Instead, she constantly questioned the validity of the action as if she had not earned her current place. It was Kiki’s own particular brand of insanity and it was mostly harmless, even if she could be absolutely infuriating at times.
6th December 1969
Progue, Bohemia
There were several wedding traditions common in England or America that Birdie wanted, which Michael found completely foreign and confusing. He had called Kiki for help in talking to Birdie and she had done two things. The first was to tell Michael to just let Birdie run with it agreeably because while it was their day, all eyes were going to be on her. All Michael needed to do was have whatever suit he intended to wear ready on the wedding day and if he quibbled about the costs, it would end badly for him. The second was that she had to come to Bohemia herself. Kiki said that she needed to get out after having been cooped up in a cottage on the grounds of the new Winter Residence for the previous weeks. At least that was the reason she gave, though Michael understood that she had other things that she was hiding from for the moment.
It was odd that of Michael’s entire family, the only one seemed interested in accompanying him to the pistol range was Kiki. Unfortunately, he found out that she had something in mind other than shooting paper targets. Getting drawn into a conversation about her most recent promotion just so of happened.
“I just don’t understand you” Michael said, “No one does.”
“Why does Poppa not wear anything of his uniform that shows any kind of Rank?” Kiki asked in reply.
“The two situations are not comparable” Michael said, “He is the commander of the entire Military and cannot be seen as playing favorites or interfering with the chain of command.”
“Yet he wears a Luftwaffe uniform when he plays that role” Kiki said, as she slid a magazine in her pistol, a 9mm service weapon as opposed to the bull barreled twenty-two match pistol that Michael was using today.
“He was involved with the Luftwaffe before he became Emperor” Michael said, “And his flight instructor’s badge is something that he has always been proud of. He could wear all the Service Orders he is entitled to, but he knows that would actually be doing what you tend to assume people think you do.”
Kiki frowned as she heard that as she put on her earmuffs. Michael barely had time to get his on before she started shooting at the targets. What she was doing wasn’t target shooting, it was putting as much lead as possible in the direction of the target. It was what you did when you were fighting a war, or in this case blowing off steam by making a lot of noise. Looking at the posters as they were reeled back to this end of the range, he could see that Kiki had generally hit the targets near the center. While it was hardly shooting that would qualify in competition, it was easily within what was referred to as minute-of-dirtbag.
“Why would you be angry about advancing your career?” Michael asked, “I was never given that chance.”
Michael had commanded a Panzer Company in Korea finishing the campaign as a Hauptmann. However, becoming King of Bohemia had ended his career in the Panzer Corps. He was the Commander in Chief of the Bohemian Army and Landwehr, technically a Field Marshal but he was still reminded occasionally that it was a largely honorary position. He certainly didn’t have the authority of one. Kiki worried about not being taken seriously, that was Michael’s reality. Most of the time, it felt like Michael was forever a Hauptmann with absolutely no hope of further advancement. Michael got the impression that if Kiki had gotten her way then she would probably be the most overqualified Lieutenant, or whatever the equivalent was, in the entire Medical Service. Which he thought was rather strange, but then, so was Kiki.
“They didn’t bother to tell me ahead of time” Kiki said, “They just went ahead and did it because they thought that I would try to decline the promotion. I thought that they had made a mistake in the first couple letters they sent me.”
“And would you have declined the promotion?” Michael asked.
Kiki paused for a second before she asked, “What does that have to do with anything?”
Michael gave her a sardonic look. He knew that their father had warned her that one day she would find herself handled in a manner that was the direct result of her being difficult at times. It seemed that day had come.
“They expect me to be the Executive Officer of the 34th Medical Services Regiment” Kiki said, “The Regiment is only a unit in name only, in peacetime it is spread across several hospitals and clinics in Berlin and Brandenburg.”
“You mean that you get to move about freely in the place you already live?” Michael asked, “Take on whatever cases interest you if you like? And that will be your career for the next couple years as you learn how to lead a Regiment? My heart bleeds for you Kiki.”
“There is more to it than…” Kiki started to say only to see that Michael had put on his ear protection, making conversation impossible.
As Michael took careful aim at the targets, careful to keep track of his breathing and heartbeat, he considered what Kiki had said. He was familiar with 34th Medical Services Regiment. In Korea they had been attached to the 4th Panzer Division, meaning that the 5th Panzer Brigade had regular dealings with them. Like the rest of the 2nd Army Corps, they were considered a premier unit. Someone high up clearly saw the potential of his little sister. Too bad she couldn’t see that in herself. Instead, she constantly questioned the validity of the action as if she had not earned her current place. It was Kiki’s own particular brand of insanity and it was mostly harmless, even if she could be absolutely infuriating at times.
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Even that won’t stop her as Kat has already shown that having children is not that big of an impediment to advance in the service.
By now it should be clear that Kiki is one of many who are in the future should be in contention to be the Head of the JMS and actually her title is going to be the chief roadblock in getting that job.
The problem with Kiki is she is in an internal feedback loop that only an external event can breakthrough it, and that is why I think that only Emil and Peter can reach her.
Michael did an excellent job in pointing out that Kiki is by her over thinking not seeing the big picture.
On another issue what is the state of Supersonic passenger airliners?
IOTL around this time Boeing was working on the 2707, Concorde was the Anglo-French project and the Soviet Union was working on their own SST.
I can see Imperial Russia trying to work on it as a way to gain prestige but for Great Britain, France, and the United States there could have been feasibility studies that shows without massive government subsidies any SST project is doomed to failure.
Part 117, Chapter 1949
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Nine
14th December 1969
Fife Airport, Near Glenrothes, Scotland
Scotland in December was exactly as miserable as it sounded to anyone familiar with the climate. Waiting at the airport in Dave’s car listening to the rain drumming on the roof was about all there was to do. Parker hoped that this drove home to Dave what the spy-game was really all about, endless waiting for something anticlimactic to happen and this wasn’t actually cloak and dagger so much as Parker waiting for Sigi to show up. Oddly, the only thing about this that made this interesting was the presence of Dave, who had insisted on giving Parker a ride to the airport from the set of Skyfall. Unlike nearly everyone else on the set Dave had spent some time in Africa with the British Army so when Parker didn’t feel like talking, he knew not to force the issue. That made him the easiest person involved with the production to get along with.
When Parker came to work as a consultant for the British Division of MGM and the ongoing production of the latest James Bond film everyone had looked at him as if he was some sort of rock star. He had actually worked in the CIA and U.S. Army Special Forces as an Intelligence Officer. The truth was far less interesting though. For most of his career in the CIA, Parker had spied on one part of the U.S. Government on behalf of another part of the same Government. The final debrief that he had endured at the hands of the CIA had driven that point home when they had told him that he wasn’t to talk about anything deemed classified. It had occurred to him that he didn’t actually know a whole lot that would be too big of a secret. The CIA didn’t particularly trust the Special Forces or Army Intelligence, someone stop the presses, Parker thought sourly to himself. That wasn’t exactly news to anyone in the CIA, U.S. Army, or any of the Congressmen who were supposed to oversee those organizations on Capitol Hill. The fact that the CIA had sent Parker and John Casey to spy on the 1st Special Forces Group would just be a bit of an embarrassment to whoever had ordered it and questions might be asked about if that was really the best use of taxpayer dollars.
Parker had told Sigi that with his resignation from the CIA and Army, both of them were now free to tell their respective Government to blow their pretentions and rivalries out of their collective asses. She had laughed at that but said that her telling Louis what her plans were made things a bit more complicated on her end. Parker understood that much, however he also knew who Louis was and how it was small wonder that he had not heard back from Sigi in the following days until she notified him that she was going to meet him in Fife. He was sure that she would have an interesting story to tell.
Not feeling like waiting in the car anymore, Parker opened the door and stepped out into the cold rainy afternoon. He hoped that Sigi would get here soon, it seemed like it got dark absurdly early in the day this time of the year in Scotland. Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity, the sound of an approaching airplane’s engines filled the air.
The airplane came into view. Parker recognized it as a light transport used by the German Airforce whose name translated to Crane, it was high winged with a boxy fuselage that had a T-style tailplane and fixed forward tricycle landing gear. Two turboprop engines mounted high off the ground completed the picture. Its ungainly appearance was belied by its ability to take off and land nearly anywhere. It touched down on the wet concrete of the runway and rolled to a stop before taxying to the tarmac where Parker and Dave were waiting.
“My God” Dave mumbled to himself as the ramp dropped open and a dozen men who Parker recognized as German Paratroopers stepped out. A smaller figure, a woman, stepped away and was yelling at them as the engines spun to a stop allowing for regular conversation.
“What is she doing here?” Parker said.
“You know who that is?” Dave asked.
“That is Kat Mischner, the Prefect of Berlin” Parker replied, “Before you even think of asking her, yes, Andrea Herzog was based on her, but don’t be stupid enough to bring it up.”
It was at that point that Sigi ran down the ramp, hugging and kissing Parker as soon as she saw him.
“What is going on here?” Parker asked.
“I told you I needed to talk to my brother” Sigi replied, “And he wanted to help us.”
“What?” Parker asked as he noticed a man in grey pilot’s coveralls step out of the airplane. Louis himself, and that explained why there were Paratroopers aboard along with the Tigress.
“So, you’re the American spy who managed to sweep my little sister off her feet” Louis said, clearly amused to play the role of the older brother here. Sigi had said that he had quietly helped her throughout her childhood and teenage years. He had made sure that she was able to make the most of the opportunities she was presented with and it wasn’t until Kristina had found evidence of her paternity that Louis had entered her life completely. He took a moment to shake Parkers hand.
“Who is he?” Sigi asked when she noticed Dave.
“This is Dave McCullum” Parker said, “He happens to be working on the same movie I am.”
“A bit of an understatement there” Louis said as he introduced himself to Dave who was surprised by his sudden presence. “By the way David, I loved you in License Renewed.”
14th December 1969
Fife Airport, Near Glenrothes, Scotland
Scotland in December was exactly as miserable as it sounded to anyone familiar with the climate. Waiting at the airport in Dave’s car listening to the rain drumming on the roof was about all there was to do. Parker hoped that this drove home to Dave what the spy-game was really all about, endless waiting for something anticlimactic to happen and this wasn’t actually cloak and dagger so much as Parker waiting for Sigi to show up. Oddly, the only thing about this that made this interesting was the presence of Dave, who had insisted on giving Parker a ride to the airport from the set of Skyfall. Unlike nearly everyone else on the set Dave had spent some time in Africa with the British Army so when Parker didn’t feel like talking, he knew not to force the issue. That made him the easiest person involved with the production to get along with.
When Parker came to work as a consultant for the British Division of MGM and the ongoing production of the latest James Bond film everyone had looked at him as if he was some sort of rock star. He had actually worked in the CIA and U.S. Army Special Forces as an Intelligence Officer. The truth was far less interesting though. For most of his career in the CIA, Parker had spied on one part of the U.S. Government on behalf of another part of the same Government. The final debrief that he had endured at the hands of the CIA had driven that point home when they had told him that he wasn’t to talk about anything deemed classified. It had occurred to him that he didn’t actually know a whole lot that would be too big of a secret. The CIA didn’t particularly trust the Special Forces or Army Intelligence, someone stop the presses, Parker thought sourly to himself. That wasn’t exactly news to anyone in the CIA, U.S. Army, or any of the Congressmen who were supposed to oversee those organizations on Capitol Hill. The fact that the CIA had sent Parker and John Casey to spy on the 1st Special Forces Group would just be a bit of an embarrassment to whoever had ordered it and questions might be asked about if that was really the best use of taxpayer dollars.
Parker had told Sigi that with his resignation from the CIA and Army, both of them were now free to tell their respective Government to blow their pretentions and rivalries out of their collective asses. She had laughed at that but said that her telling Louis what her plans were made things a bit more complicated on her end. Parker understood that much, however he also knew who Louis was and how it was small wonder that he had not heard back from Sigi in the following days until she notified him that she was going to meet him in Fife. He was sure that she would have an interesting story to tell.
Not feeling like waiting in the car anymore, Parker opened the door and stepped out into the cold rainy afternoon. He hoped that Sigi would get here soon, it seemed like it got dark absurdly early in the day this time of the year in Scotland. Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity, the sound of an approaching airplane’s engines filled the air.
The airplane came into view. Parker recognized it as a light transport used by the German Airforce whose name translated to Crane, it was high winged with a boxy fuselage that had a T-style tailplane and fixed forward tricycle landing gear. Two turboprop engines mounted high off the ground completed the picture. Its ungainly appearance was belied by its ability to take off and land nearly anywhere. It touched down on the wet concrete of the runway and rolled to a stop before taxying to the tarmac where Parker and Dave were waiting.
“My God” Dave mumbled to himself as the ramp dropped open and a dozen men who Parker recognized as German Paratroopers stepped out. A smaller figure, a woman, stepped away and was yelling at them as the engines spun to a stop allowing for regular conversation.
“What is she doing here?” Parker said.
“You know who that is?” Dave asked.
“That is Kat Mischner, the Prefect of Berlin” Parker replied, “Before you even think of asking her, yes, Andrea Herzog was based on her, but don’t be stupid enough to bring it up.”
It was at that point that Sigi ran down the ramp, hugging and kissing Parker as soon as she saw him.
“What is going on here?” Parker asked.
“I told you I needed to talk to my brother” Sigi replied, “And he wanted to help us.”
“What?” Parker asked as he noticed a man in grey pilot’s coveralls step out of the airplane. Louis himself, and that explained why there were Paratroopers aboard along with the Tigress.
“So, you’re the American spy who managed to sweep my little sister off her feet” Louis said, clearly amused to play the role of the older brother here. Sigi had said that he had quietly helped her throughout her childhood and teenage years. He had made sure that she was able to make the most of the opportunities she was presented with and it wasn’t until Kristina had found evidence of her paternity that Louis had entered her life completely. He took a moment to shake Parkers hand.
“Who is he?” Sigi asked when she noticed Dave.
“This is Dave McCullum” Parker said, “He happens to be working on the same movie I am.”
“A bit of an understatement there” Louis said as he introduced himself to Dave who was surprised by his sudden presence. “By the way David, I loved you in License Renewed.”
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