Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

More importantly, what is the state of the French Empire?
And the Dutch one?
The Dutch..., trading of course, Rotterdam is still the big harbour at the end of the Rhine, a lot of german in/export goes through Rotterdam. As in OTL Germany will our No.1 trading partner. We would also be profiting of the german military might, aka have small army/airforce. The Navy would be bigger because of the colonies. Without OTL WW 2, the relations would be good, but always not very important to germany (the Netherlands are small potatoes on the world stage), that the Dutch/Germans are "close" is an given because of the geography.
 
Part 117, Chapter 1946
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Six



20th November 1969

Jena

“I don’t know what exactly to tell you Kat” Peter said, “All this seems to mean is that you are not as young as you used to be, and I am not surprised that this issue is one of the first things to come up. You hurt your back worse than you realized with that bit of street theater all those years ago, this looks like you managed to aggravate it again.”

Kat frowned at Peter, she had come to him for a second opinion and he just told her things that she already knew. Recently, she had injured her back again and the Doctor she had seen had said the same thing that Peter had, but only the broad strokes because beyond the injury itself the rest of it was heavily redacted. Peter Holz was the only Physician who knew what had actually happened all those years ago. Kat had taken a hard hit entirely because the alternative would have meant losing the peace at the end of the Soviet War.

“What can be done?” Kat asked.

“I know this is completely unnatural for you, but rest and allowing to heal on its own” Peter said, “The alternative is surgery that would severely limit the flexibility of your spine. That is something we want to avoid. So, get some rest, no heavy lifting, avoid strenuous exercise, and try to delegate some of your responsibilities for once.”

Kat held her tongue. Saying what she thought about Peter’s suggestions probably wouldn’t be a good idea. While he might be retired from his active role in the Medical Service, he could however still order her to follow his suggestions. Failure to do that could cost her dearly.

“I think that you were already informed of that a few days ago” Peter said, “And you were hoping that I would tell you something different.”

That had been her exact hope.

“No, that is the sort of thing a child would do” Kat replied, “I thought you might have some other ideas.”

“I also agree with the assessment of your regular Physician” Peter said, “You are remarkably fit for a woman your age. Of course, that is the real issue here, one that I have already said, you need to except the realities that come from being a middle-aged woman who has led an interesting life. I don’t think I need to mention that most people who know you think it is a bit of a miracle that you have lived for this long.”

“You don’t need to be obnoxious about it” Kat replied.

“I’ve known you for thirty years Katherine and have seen you at your absolute worst” Peter said, “That gives me a bit of perspective and the right to poke fun where few are still willing to.”

Kat doubted that Peter had really seen her at her worst. Those had been a few moments like the one in Argentina years earlier where she had been totally out of control. The aspect of that which she feared wasn’t the loss of control, it was how she had reveled in it. Or when she had shot those Russian sentries in Belarus after calling them out as liars because she knew what their intentions were. Kat had felt powerful and unstoppable as she was doing those things and they haunted her afterwards, even though she understood that those who she had ruthlessly dealt with had it coming. It suggested that she wasn’t as different from her father, or worse, Urban, as she wished she were.

“Always a Psychiatrist” Kat muttered.

“There has been considerable research into how we should treat the entire patient and not just the physical” Peter said, “Something that you knew full well when you asked to see me today.”

Kat hated it when she managed to paint herself into a corner like this. She sat there annoyed for a few minutes until Peter broke the silence again and changed the subject, sort of. “How are your children doing?” He asked. At least it was something she didn’t mind talking about.

“Josefine is still intent on becoming a School Teacher, Tatiana and Malcolm are doing well at University” Kat replied, “Marie is thirteen with everything that comes with that, keeping her and Sophie from bickering has become another job.”

“Now you are making me feel old” Peter said, “I still tend to think of them as small children, your biological children anyway.”

“If only they were” Kat replied, “Tatiana has been making a lot of choices that seem to be intended to upset me. Unfortunately, I cannot protect her anymore.”

“How bad has it gotten?” Peter asked.

“She has gotten herself involved with the BND” Kat replied, “Tatiana doesn’t seem to understand that my involvement with them when they were still called Abwehr was probably the worst mistake I have ever made. She has no idea how manipulative and controlling those people can be and refuses to listen to me when I tell her.”

“Tatiana is very much your daughter” Peter said, “You had to know that she would do something like this eventually.”

“That does not mean that I am happy about her being so stupid” Kat said flatly.

“You also said that Marie and Sophie are bickering.”

“It has been difficult for both of them” Kat said, “Sophie never thought that a different sort of life was possible. Then she met Marie and wants to be just like her. That causes her to regularly intrude on Marie.”
 
An excellent slice of life update showing how what happened over twenty years earlier is now effecting Kat and she doesn't want to accept it.
Kat should look to getting herself a hot tub so that she can relax her aching muscles.
Kat is of course is very concerned about Tatiana joining the BND but by now they should had learned from what Abwehr and Schultz did to Kat not to make the same mistakes again (Hopefully).
Marie doesn't understand that to Sophie she is her hero and role model and there should be a way that Marie can help Sophie to stand on her own and be her own self.
 
“Now you are making me feel old” Peter said, “I still tend to think of them as small children, your biological children anyway.”
I have long thought that far to many of my work colleagues and classmates look as if they still have 'The Wiggles' or similar on their playlists.
Kat should look to getting herself a hot tub so that she can relax her aching muscles.
Well, she has been to Japan...
Kat is of course is very concerned about Tatiana joining the BND but by now they should had learned from what Abwehr and Schultz did to Kat not to make the same mistakes again (Hopefully).
While the BND is, of course, very concerned about Tatiana getting into a risky situation abroad, getting hurt (or worse) and bringing down the Wrath of The Tigress upon them. Not to mention the very real possibility of Kat kicking off a shadow war.
Marie doesn't understand that to Sophie she is her hero and role model and there should be a way that Marie can help Sophie to stand on her own and be her own self.
I think Marie & Sophie will turn out OK.
 

ferdi254

Banned
OK the title „understatement of the year“ has been won by PM. On the last day of the year „who has led an interesting life“ to describe Kat cannot be beaten anymore.
 
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And any authors of Alternate History in this timeline will see that as an important date and not some random incident on a hill above Verdun.
 
Circa 2017:

The people in charge of the centenary of Souville Hill suddenly realise that Emil Holz is:
a) still alive,
b) still designing & riding motorcycles, and
c) looks as if he stopped aging somewhere in his late 40s/ early 50s.
 
Circa 2017:

The people in charge of the centenary of Souville Hill suddenly realise that Emil Holz is:
a) still alive,
b) still designing & riding motorcycles, and
c) looks as if he stopped aging somewhere in his late 40s/ early 50s.

I guess Germans can be rather stubborn and prideful....
 
Now I'm curious @Peabody-Martini , since the main Souville cast were supposed to died in those accursed mud OTL, what was supposed to happen to the others that was not historical domain characters ? The spymaster, the mad cavalry general and Kat ?
 
Now I'm curious @Peabody-Martini , since the main Souville cast were supposed to died in those accursed mud OTL, what was supposed to happen to the others that was not historical domain characters ? The spymaster, the mad cavalry general and Kat ?
Obscurity and tragedy. The idea that the General who might have led a nation to victory ITTL but never got a chance in OTL, or a genius and his family would have disappeared after falling into the clutches of a genocidal regime are painfully obvious scenarios.
 
c) looks as if he stopped aging somewhere in his late 40s/ early 50s.
It looks that way to many people ITTL because Emil is still living an active life though he is nearly 70. The truth is something that I have already alluded to, that Emil will be among the last surviving veterans of the First World War.
 
It would be good to see him make 2014 for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak. 2017 would be even better.
If you're allowed a bend of the rules of reality, then I think this should be it.
 
It would be good to see him make 2014 for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak. 2017 would be even better.
If you're allowed a bend of the rules of reality, then I think this should be it.
Kirk Douglas and olivia de havilland both made to 103/104 respectively.

Hell some people have made it to the mid110s so it is decently possible.
 
In looking over the list of the IOTL last surviving veterans of WWI it mostly consists of people who didn't see combat and in many cases did not leave their home country.
Having Emil being one of the last veteran will be very poignant and if the records of the others are looked at then Emil will be viewed as being "The Last True Veteran".
 
Part 117, Chapter 1947
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Seven



27th November 1969

Plänterwald, Berlin

It was a cold, rainy day that was threatening to turn to snow later and Kiki was opening the letters that had been delivered to her cottage, the ones deemed important for her to respond to anyway. Unfortunately, she had been unable to focus as the shortening days made her just want to hibernate, or at least sit by the fireplace with a good book and tune the entire world out until at least next spring.

The cottage had been built because her father had understood how much Kiki needed a place to retreat to when things got to be too much for her. He had also never really liked her living on the Meta. Admittedly, the stove on the barge had never been particularly effective in keeping the damp chill out and the cottage had an actual kitchen. Both those things were welcome changes now that it was basically winter, and Kiki had already found herself snowed in once so far. Fortunately, the cottage had the very latest in wiring with the power lines unaffected by the weather. It had showed however that she needed to keep the pantry stocked in case that happened again.

All of that had been a welcome distraction because so much of the rest of Kiki’s life was a complete mess. She had only managed to talk to Ben a few times since they returned from Japan, everything that he had neglected over the prior weeks had needed to be dealt with. He had thanked Kiki for her effort to finally make peace with his mother. Still, all was not well between them, the argument in the Carolines was something that they were having trouble getting past. Talking to her father and stepmother about that had been a mistake. They had told her that no relationship was perfect and required a great deal of work. As if she didn’t already know that. And they had agreed with Ben in that her obsession with what others thought of her was unhealthy and the fear that apparently drove many of her actions just made things worse. Ben had told her the truth and she needed to process it so that she could move on.

That happened to be why she had been hiding in the cottage for the last few weeks, letting the world come to her in dribs and drabs which she could handle. Not that the world had stopped though. Far from it. Nella and Nan had decided that the table in the cottage was the perfect place to do their studies. It was far from the roving eye of their mother or the Royal Tutor and Kiki didn’t object if they did something fun instead for a bit. Then there was Suga coming around with Mirai and Alexandrine. Kiki’s nieces were always a joy when they came to visit. The last time Suga had come around, things had taken a turn when she told Kiki that she thought she might be pregnant again and wondered if it was too soon. Kiki had no idea that Freddy and Suga were even considering having another, it seemed that nature may have decided for them. Suga said that she was hoping for a little boy.

With great reluctance, Kiki went back to the stack of letters. They were mostly requesting her time or asking if she would grant an interview. There were a few bills that would need to be taken care of. Near the bottom was an official looking envelope from the Medical Service Headquarters in Koblenz letting her, Oberfeldarzt Kristina von Preussen, know that she was on leave pending reassignment. Hardly a surprise there, not even them messing up her supposed Rank again. Kiki knew she would need to get that sorted when they got around to issuing her new orders.



Los Angeles, California

Everyone was seated around the table for Thanksgiving Dinner and the spread of food was unlike anything found in New York where they had a vastly different idea of what was traditional. Ritchie was still a bit disappointed that Lucia had been called in to work because one of the other employees had some convenient illness and couldn’t make it in themselves. His mother was saying grace and talking about all the things she was thankful for this year.

“We are especially thankful this year for Richard coming home, for real this time” Concha said concluding.

“At least she finished before dinner got cold this year” Mario said, earning himself dirty looks from Ritchie’s sisters.

Coming home, Ritchie had discovered that he hardly knew his youngest brother. What was especially surprising was that Mario had described him as this bigger than life hero to everyone in the neighborhood. Now he was back, and it was clear that Mario had a hard time figuring out how to square that with Ritchie’s career choices. It wasn’t like if Ritchie would be expected to work odd jobs or be a migrant farm worker like their father had done when there were far better options available. Law Enforcement wasn’t what anyone had in mind though. The LAPD had a reputation in Pacoima and Ritchie becoming a part of it had not sat well to say the least. Bob had even asked if he had lost his mind, had he forgotten what had sent him fleeing into the US Army in the first place? Ritchie hadn’t, he also remembered the reason why a handful of Detectives had a beef with him at the time, because Bob had pissed them off before skipping town himself and he had taken the heat for it.

That was just how things had worked out. Ritchie had found himself attending the Police Academy with the promise of a future slot in the Tactical Division if he completed that and spent the requisite time in Patrol. He was also interested in continuing his education, mostly because he had no interest in being a grunt of one sort or another for the rest of his life.
 
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