Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

Vicky & Anna make a cute couple, so far at least, although the whole twin thing leaves P-M with a whole lot of potential for mistaken identity confusion. Papa Louis has a damn good head on his shoulders and he realises that family outweighs bigotry. That first meeting between Louis & Anna should be good, awkward, but good. It should be done in a less formal setting, like lunch. It would be hard to top the disaster that was the Ben interview. Or the resulting Charlie Fox that occurred later in his office. The biggest problem might arise from Anna's parents learning that their 'degenerate' daughter is in a relationship with another so-called 'degenerate' woman... and then discover whose daughter she is.

The Adriatic Q-ship escapade of Louis Jr. just got a hell of a lot more interesting. As for the Americans, remember that GWH Bush is still wanted by them for being a material witness and/or his potential involvement in the Augusta Incident, not to mention that they seem to have discovered his involvement in Mexico. Which led to America being dragged into that fiasco, along with the German & the rest of the LoN, and incurring human costs of that conflict. As they also seem to have pieced together his involvement in practically every thing else that has thrown egg on US faces (among others), and seems to be about to do a repeat performance in the Balkans, I think they want their rogue dead or alive. Emphasis on the dead part, given what Arbusto knows about US involvement in 'brushfires'. They might have only just figured out (officially) that GWH Bush & Senor Arbusto are the same person, after all, and had their "Oh Shit!!" moment when they realised the person that they have been hunting for ever since Mexico is the person that they used to funnel arms into Turkey, China, & Argentina.

Nice to see Zella & Louis meeting back up too.

Which brings me to Albrecht von Ricthofen, standing in Vietnam & watching the sea try to reclaim the land via air drop. Getting ready for a flight home & a long overdue family reunion. Which I sincerely hope happens, as my patented Demon Murphy sensor is starting to twitch.
 
The upcoming ESA Stella Domum program; love the name "Star Home". Really hope it evolves into truly epic, geostationary, orbital space habitats at the Earth-Moon Lagrange points.
 
The Adriatic Q-ship escapade of Louis Jr. just got a hell of a lot more interesting. As for the Americans, remember that GWH Bush is still wanted by them for being a material witness and/or his potential involvement in the Augusta Incident, not to mention that they seem to have discovered his involvement in Mexico. Which led to America being dragged into that fiasco, along with the German & the rest of the LoN, and incurring human costs of that conflict. As they also seem to have pieced together his involvement in practically every thing else that has thrown egg on US faces (among others), and seems to be about to do a repeat performance in the Balkans, I think they want their rogue dead or alive. Emphasis on the dead part, given what Arbusto knows about US involvement in 'brushfires'. They might have only just figured out (officially) that GWH Bush & Senor Arbusto are the same person, after all, and had their "Oh Shit!!" moment when they realised the person that they have been hunting for ever since Mexico is the person that they used to funnel arms into Turkey, China, & Argentina.
Bush in custody, but unable to actually uncover any skeletons, would be the best version for the US. Comatose, Locked In Syndrome, something along those lines.

Provided the Yanks get him, it's a big PR victory for them and the sort of thing that they could, with a bit of work, spin into a big International Relations Win too.
 
And Zella's rep is about to go up yet another notch with her bosses. She went to do a puff naval piece on one of the princes and somehow managed to be there when the REAL story breaks and that Q-ship gets taken. Her ability to be at the right place at the right time will continue to grow.
 
And Zella's rep is about to go up yet another notch with her bosses. She went to do a puff naval piece on one of the princes and somehow managed to be there when the REAL story breaks and that Q-ship gets taken. Her ability to be at the right place at the right time will continue to grow.
Just like her mother, wait does that mean Louis Junior and Zella are the next Emil and Maria?
 
Just like her mother, wait does that mean Louis Junior and Zella are the next Emil and Maria?
Not if Louis gets killed in a gun battle at sea :p

Not that I'm rooting for that or anything, I just think everyone who is reading into them being the "next Emil and Maria" is forgetting the title of the story.
 
I’ve thought that for a while now! Great minds
I can just imagine Kiki’s reaction to it, just horrorfied and with Ben basically trying to reassure her that its her brother and friends deciesion and that she needs to let them figure it out on their own. Just like Kiki needs to figure things out with their relationship.
 
I can just imagine Kiki’s reaction to it, just horrorfied and with Ben basically trying to reassure her that its her brother and friends deciesion and that she needs to let them figure it out on their own. Just like Kiki needs to figure things out with their relationship.
Meh, Kiki can either except it or lose both a brother and friend.

Kind of like Louis, she just needs to be told the situation in the right way, and while there are times for sugar-coating, there are times for bluntness too.
 
Meh, Kiki can either except it or lose both a brother and friend.

Kind of like Louis, she just needs to be told the situation in the right way, and while there are times for sugar-coating, there are times for bluntness too.
I think she would except them, just that it would be like one of those typical sibling ‘gag me’ moments, though she would worried that that if they break up it could cause issues with their friendship but if everything turns out okay, then i think she would leave it.

though I think that Zella and Louis Jr are very good for each other, being independent people, would help them with any issues of separation in their travels and Louis being as smart as he is, would leave Zella feeling like she’s with someone stupid. Granted Zella would find herself restricted in working in the media as if they should marry, she would find herself having to stay away from incidents such as in Poland and also that she can’t be too opinionated, but if maybe she could take over the position that Kat’s friend from the US has as the royal media person.
 
What happened with the two guys in us us special forces and richie valens? One of them died, the other? And richie?
 
I think that Zella and Louis would be great with each other but there may be an unforseen problem ahead of them and it is coming from Romania.
King Michael is from the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen a Cadet Branch of the House of Hohenzollern.
The rules of succession at this point in time IOTL stated that if there were not any males in the direct line of succession then the Crown of Romania reverts to the Main Branch of the House of Hohenzollern.
King Michael has only daughters IOTL the oldest being Margreta born in 1949 and is 17 years old and is ineligible to inherit the throne unless the rules are changed.
The Romanian Orthodox Church may not sign off on any changes to the rules of succession and the Romanian Chambers of Deputies and Senate need to change the law and without support of the Church they may be reluctant to do so.
As someone with too much time and too little sleep, I think that there may be some pressure put on Kaiser Louis Ferdinand to have his namesake son marry the oldest daughter of King Michael hence the the hints from Louis Ferdinand and Charlotte to young Louis about starting his own family, but once again this is coming from someone who has too much time to think and too little sleep...
 

ferdi254

Banned
Nothing against some nice torpedoes but if the other guy has rockets you both end up at the pearly gates just at different places in the queue. Not to say you will end in the same place but...

Being tends to be final😋
 
yellow Volkswagen Camper Microbus with the logo for ARD Berlin painted on the sides

While things are likely to be different in this timeline, in OTL the various regional broadcasters that make up the ARD each have their own names like WDR, SWR, MDR, NDR etc.
292px-ARD_Karte.svg.png


It is the regional broadcasters coming together to form the ARD like some public broadcasting Voltron rather than the big entity they form having regional offices.

Of course there is no reason this has to be the same in a different timeline and even if it is the names of the various regional broadcasters would be different and the regions they cover. But if it is anything like OTL "ARD Berlin" would not be a thing.
 
While things are likely to be different in this timeline, in OTL the various regional broadcasters that make up the ARD each have their own names like WDR, SWR, MDR, NDR etc.
292px-ARD_Karte.svg.png


It is the regional broadcasters coming together to form the ARD like some public broadcasting Voltron rather than the big entity they form having regional offices.

Of course there is no reason this has to be the same in a different timeline and even if it is the names of the various regional broadcasters would be different and the regions they cover. But if it is anything like OTL "ARD Berlin" would not be a thing.

Actually I wouldn't be so sure. TTL's Berlin didn't suffer a massive population decline after being destroyed, occupied and then divided for nearly 30 years. The city will be way larger ITTL than in the OTL 60s and more important as the capital of the German Empire* at the heart of Europe. Arguably even more important than OTLs current Berlin. It is very much possible that there will be a special ARD Berlin division. Especially because OTLs regional broadcasters are mostly divided along state lines and originate in the various studios formed in the post-WW2 occupation zones which didn't happen ITTL.

*and the German state of Prussia, I assume.
 
But if it is anything like OTL "ARD Berlin" would not be a thing.
That is the result of lazy writing on my part considering where I live and the issues with public radio regionally. That was why it should have said "ARD's Berlin affiliate" but things like that was why some authors have invented entire cities.
 
Part 107, Chapter 1749
Chapter One Thousand Seven Hundred Forty-Nine



9th September 1966

In transit, over the North Atlantic

There were several Special Forces Teams on this plane as it flew out of Fort Drum bound for points unknown, which was typical. The mission’s details were need to know and right now apparently, they didn’t need to know anything. They had been told that they needed to be on their best behavior, just they hadn’t been told why or where they were going. Again, that was typical. Something to do with international cooperation in the form of being observers, whatever that meant according to the rumors. Which was a euphemism for wherever they were going, odds are they were not going to find much enjoyment in it. Parker had an even bigger stick up his ass than usual and some of the things he had said suggested that this whole thing was political in nature. Still, it had to be far better than the recently concluded military exercise that they had been involved in that had taken place in the big empty part of the map known as rural Nevada. Ritchie had found that it embodied the old joke about being where men are men and sheep are nervous. Hot, dusty, and hundred-degree heat during the daytime. There had also been issues with waking up and finding that one had acquired a sleeping companion during the night in the form of a rattlesnake. Not the best way to spend the summer and they had barely had a week of downtime before being loaded onto this airplane.

Ritchie was sitting in his seat trying to ignore the turbulence that he had always hated. This being a transport plane all the seats faced inwards, so all there was to see was Huck Spooner’s ugly face because he was sitting directly across from him. Earlier, Huck hadn’t been amused when Ritchie had suggested that they were going to Greenland to conduct physicals on polar bears. That cut a little too close to home, because with their luck it could totally happen. They’d had a lot of experiences where they had gotten on an airplane and found themselves in exactly that sort of situation over the last few years.

Eventually, Ritchie fell asleep, only waking when the plane touched down.

“No talking, among yourselves or to anyone else” Parker said walking through the cabin as the ramp at the back of the plane dropped open, “Got that.”

Outside, it was a cool night and the feel of the air was humid, like if there was a lake nearby and there was a strange, almost intangible, smell that suggested that they were far from home. There wasn’t a whole lot of detail to see though. Ritchie could see that they were on a military base because he thought he saw what looked like a jeep driving on the opposite side of the runway but little else as they were shoved into the back of a waiting truck that had the universal cloth covering over the back. Minutes later, the truck stopped, they wearily climbed out and were ordered to fall in like recruits. Out of long habit they did with no thought, there was a bit of grumbling, however. Mostly because all any of them wanted was a few hours of uninterrupted sleep in a bed that wasn’t moving.

“This is going to be home for the next few weeks” Parker said, and something about the way that he seemed guarded caused the hair on the back Ritchie’s neck to stand on end. What wasn’t Parker telling them?

That was when a skinny black and white dog ran up to them as a bizarrely comic counterpoint to the mood of the Green Beret soldiers. Ritchie recognized the sort, not particularly bright but loved everyone he met instantly. As they waited, the dog was sniffing at their boots, his whip-like tail wagging.

----------------------------------------------------------------

“Rauchbier!” Kiki called sharply.

Why couldn’t have the Americans arranged their arrival for a more civilized hour? Kiki thought to herself as Rauchbier ran back to her side.

She had picked Rauchbier up on her way back to Laupheim, as the former mascot of the 5th Helicopter Wing he was welcome in pretty much any military installation run by the FSR. He had spent the summer ferreting with Rolf in the Hohenzollern Province which was about as fun as it got for him. There was also a bit of a business aspect to it as Rolf was trying to develop a Swabian Windhund and had asked Kiki if Rauchbier could contribute as it were. Kiki was certain that Rauchbier probably hadn’t minded that one bit either.

Upon arriving in Laupheim, Kiki had been told that the refresher training was just to make sure that she wouldn’t be baggage to whatever FSR teams she worked with in the future. Her reputation made that somewhat academic, but she had still needed to check certain boxes before she could start in Anhalt. Now, she had been pulled away from all of that because it was felt that the best thing that she could be doing was diplomacy. In the interest of world peace, the equivalent of a Platoon of American soldiers from one of their elite Special Forces Groups had arrived in Laupheim to train with the KSK. It was noticeable that Judenbach wasn’t interested in hosting them. Finally, because Kiki had encountered them in China and the United States, she was selected to be their Liaison while they were here.

When she saw that pompous ass Jamison Parker step off the plane, she knew that whatever reward she got for doing this had better be worth it.
 
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Oh my. Poor quiet, patient, gentle Ben may be about to get some competition.
I don't think so. Kiki thinks he's a prick.
Parker dislikes likes Kiki based on the propaganda re: the European class systems that he got fed growing up, coupled with his experiences with his fellow entitled rich people in the States. Rauchbier's presence will just confirm these in his eyes. The worst thing is that Parker doesn't recognise that he exhibits a lot of the worst traits himself (Jonny knocked quite a few off him, remember?), or that the US class system is probably worse. Getting a close up look at how Europe works in TTL might come as an eye opener in regards to the differences. Richie will have a few minor comments to make to Parker over them. Either way, Parker is too much a Patriot to consider a relationship with "The Enemy" which is what he has been conditioned by training to think of the Germans. I do however see Parker getting his arse shot up & Kiki saving his life, resulting in a personal detente of sorts between the two.

So, while I think shipping Kiki/Parker is out of the running, there is an outside chance of Rea paying her sister a visit and really throwing the Yanks for a loop with her political crusading attitude. Possibly attracting the attention of, if not Parker, then possibly Richie. Hell, Vicky getting outed & the entire Imperial Family closing ranks and publicly supporting her during their visit would really throw the socially progressive cat among the reactionary pigeons.

And I would absolutely LOVE to see Parker damn near shit himself & go all paranoid when Kat shows up to inspect Laupheim and their guests. From memory, he still doesn't quite believe that she is a legitimate bad-ass, partly why he keeps underestimating Kiki as well. The sheer amount of respect the Tigress is shown by literally everyone else on base might just get that point through to him.
 
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