Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
My B.S. theory is that North as part of his assignment is told that Many is someone to keep an eye on and has been given the files that US Army Intelligence has on him plus redacted CIA files on other members of Manny's family.
FADE UP : SCIF room US Embassy, Berlin
Cpt. North is in a bare room seated at table with one light overhead, an unidentified man in a cheap suite is standing in front of the table.
Unidentified Man: Here are the files you need to be familiar with before you meet with Hauptman von Mischner.
A small but sizeable file is dropped in front of Cpt. North.
UM: This is the file on Hauptman von Mischner (larger file is dropped on the table) This is the file on his Father General von Mischner (Ret) (A still larger file is dropped on the table) This is the file on his Mother Helene von Mischner (nee von Richthofen) potentially the next Chancellor of Germany (an even larger file is dropped on the table along side a book) This is the redacted file that you have cleared for on his aunt Katherine von Mischner along with the biography of her by Gloria Steinman note you will not be allowed to write anything down that is in the files of Katherine von Mischner.
(More files are dropped on the table) the rest of the files are on his paternal Grandfather Otto Mischner the late head of organized crime in Germany and Europe through the railroad union, his maternal Grandfather Manfred von Richthofen AKA : The Red Baron, his girlfriend Suse Rosa von Knipsel who is rumored to behind the latest developments on tank design for the Bohemia Army that has been adopted by the German Army.
Cpt.North visually gulps as the Unidentified Man leave the room with the sound of the sole of shoes echoing on the way out.
Not the same thing at all.
From previous chapters we know Bas can fight, he has some boxing training, no real martial arts but is an accomplished street fighter, (normal brawling), we are also aware that he has a temper and an evil streak. That's not to say it will go all Bas' way, he will likely lose teeth and break bones in his hands or ribs the process, but I have no doubt, due to his pedigree, he will come out on top over a spoilt rich kid who walks like he is 8' tall.
We are also aware that USSF training is not up to the level of OTL. The odds, ITTL, are not in North's favour.
I'm guessing that Uncle Stefan is bound for the top job in the Heer, if not higher.
I am shocked!, shocked!, that you would besmirch this young lady with your sordid accusations!
(Would you prefer the Nussecken, the Quarkbällchen or the Mamba?)
You're dreaming. A 16-year-old kid who has won a few brawls against his peers is NOT the equal of a 29-year-old man trained in hand to hand and close quarters combat by US special forces. It would look like this:
Being taught by some one is not the same as being able to fight like someone. Thinking you are good just because you can pass the course is not the same as being good because you know how to do it. From the story so far, you don't think the US Special Forces are up to the same level as the troops in other countries, you have individuals like Ritchie and Parker who worked at it because they knew the alternatives and you have people like Capt. North who sounds like he passed the course as a ticket puncher.
Not a boxer myself, but I find this annoying whenever I hear it. Boxing IS a real martial art, just like all the other European martial arts. We're just too used to seeing tournament rules and not how it is used in actual combat. MMA is probably closer to non-tournament boxing. Marquis-of-Queensbury Rules were designed to make the sport more acceptable to polite society.
Normally, I would agree with you. It should look like that. However, Bas is not an untrained, or even inexperienced, martial artist. By this stage in his life, he has been trained in various combat techniques by experts at one of the German Empire's premier military schools. We also have to factor in anything that Bas may have picked up from his father & uncle. North, on the other hand, appears to have gotten his special forces qaulifications and then moved into a mostly Pentagon/military intelligence career track. His field experience may not be that great and he may not be as up-to-date with his refresher training as he should be, especially if he's trying to peddle movie scripts. North should still win, but I think it would be closer than North would like.
Look, I get it. You have a massive hate-boner for the man whose name this caricature is wearing. You want to see him punished for the crimes you think he committed IRL, even if it comes in the form of cartoonishly written fanfic.
Sadly, in real life the dragon usually wins.
The Rocky movies were so successful because in the first act, the dragon wins. In the second act, Rocky overcomes his self-doubts and adapts his style to meet the new threat. The third act shows Rocky defeating the dragon using his new found wisdom.
Using the Rocky movies as a template, say Bas picks a fight with not-North and gets his ass beat, badly. Bas learns he isn't all that, using the experience of humiliation to lift himself to heights he wouldn't have achieved if he had been handed an easy victory. Not-North can become his white whale, whereas for not-North, Bas was Tuesday.
Sadly, in real life the dragon usually wins.
The Rocky movies were so successful because in the first act, the dragon wins. In the second act, Rocky overcomes his self-doubts and adapts his style to meet the new threat. The third act shows Rocky defeating the dragon using his new found wisdom.
Using the Rocky movies as a template, say Bas picks a fight with not-North and gets his ass beat, badly. Bas learns he isn't all that, using the experience of humiliation to lift himself to heights he wouldn't have achieved if he had been handed an easy victory. Not-North can become his white whale, whereas for not-North, Bas was Tuesday.
Usually =\= always.
As already said:
Especially if it’s the initial shot.
As one example: an older friend of my family was in the Royal Navy back in the day. And he told me about a friend of his. This friend wasn’t anything special, just a standard rating, but when they were in a bar in Plymouth this older Royal Marine started giving him a hard time…and the rating socked him one. You’d expect the Marine to be the one who’d win that, but he got KO’d right away by a lucky hit.
It’d involve luck, but I could totally buy Bas managing a lucky hit to KO the guy.
Unless this version of North has been to the "Charm School" run by the CIA, and he just might have in one of those bright ideas we have seen by them so far, this is the type of person you send if you are trying to put something over on someone. Making it look like he is is a way to try and have them let their guard down and get them to think "He is to stupid so just ignore him" and they then slip up and he gets to find something out. However he is dealing with Manny here. Manny has been trained by the 1st Foot for the Special Protective Detail as a sniper and to head a team for protection. If you read the literature the Secret Service has on this, you will find that they are trained to look through how a person acts and to NOT take them at face value. Given his present job he would be briefed that they would be sending people to try this on him.
He also comes from the other side of the house from the direct action special forces like the Hellcats and Sealions. He is from the recon side. This is more in line with the USMC Force Recon, US Army LRRP, and good old fashioned cavalry scouts. If you have talked to any of these people you know they don't want anyone to know where they are and where they have been and what they have seen. They keep quiet to begin with. On the Recon side if they know you are there your mission failed, whether a sniper or just taking head counts.
He also comes from the other side of the house from the direct action special forces like the Hellcats and Sealions. He is from the recon side. This is more in line with the USMC Force Recon, US Army LRRP, and good old fashioned cavalry scouts. If you have talked to any of these people you know they don't want anyone to know where they are and where they have been and what they have seen. They keep quiet to begin with. On the Recon side if they know you are there your mission failed, whether a sniper or just taking head counts.
I'm not sure who this is aimed at, but you're the only one to have brought that up beyond "ah, the guy from". No one I've seen has passed judgement on those actions, so I'd say this is not the case. As for the description itself, is that really needed?
So you contradict yourself here.
You cite real life then reference a fictional creation as evidence.
In the author's own words:
This is written from the POV of a combat veteran. Someone with special forces training. The character's view is that Bas would be more than a match.
If this is such an issue for you, maybe this story isn't for you?
The other thing is that the timeline is written from the unreliable narrator perspective, so Manny has his own biases and prejudices playing into this.
Part 131, Chapter 2229
Chapter Two Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Nine
23rd July 1973
Schwielochsee, Spreewald National Park
It was a warm afternoon and Sophie was sitting in the sun. She had been swimming earlier that afternoon and was currently letting the sun dry her before she would change for supper. Doctor Berg had told her that over the Summer Holiday that she could have what adults secretly wanted, having few responsibilities and several weeks to spend doing as little as possible. What Sophie was supposed to do over this holiday was to act like a fourteen-year-old girl who lived in Tempelhof. It was far easier said than done. Sophie’s mind kept going back to everything that had happened over the first few days on holiday.
Sophie had thought that she had put one over on the camp staff, but it seemed that they understood a few things that she had not thought through. Once the three other girls arrived in the small cabin, she was left with the choice of sharing the contraband with them or the rather likely possibility of having them snitch on her. The chocolate covered coffee beans were gone in only a few hours and the rest was gone by Sunday afternoon. Ziska had found the entire thing amusing and had asked her “Just what exactly did you expect was going to happen?” when she saw Sophie’s dismay. Lina Kauffmann and Ilona Kirch were old friends though. If Sophie had to share with anyone, it would be them. Angelica who was in a cabin with other younger girls wasn’t happy to learn that everyone in Sophie’s cabin had gotten a treat while she had been excluded. When the rumors did reach the staff, Sophie had denied everything. As it had turned out no one could prove anything because the evidence had been eaten.
The other thing that happened was that everyone was amazed that she had ridden her bicycle the hundred kilometers from Berlin. After having done it, Sophie didn’t think that it was that big of a deal. She had memorized the route and had made good time, so it had only taken her about six hours to make the journey. It had resulted in her being a bit of a heroine for a couple hours before everyone moved on to other things.
Then Sophie heard a commotion as a boat passed from the Boy’s camp. Everyone knew that the other camp was there, just a few meters away. A hedge of thorn bushes and a tall fence separated the two camps and woe be unto anyone who dared to contact anyone on the other side unless it was an expressly sanctioned event. Marie Alexandra had gotten into a lot of trouble a few years earlier when she gotten caught after lights-out speaking with some boys through the fence. Sophie had realized that if she attended a co-educational school then these boys would probably be her classmates and the strict rules separating them seemed archaic and pointless.
The rules were the rules, and it was just a coincidence that whenever boats left the boy’s camp, they just happened to almost always pass close to the beach of girl’s camp. Marie Alexandra, who was seventeen this year and was regarded as being more like one of the staff than just another camper was standing there, glaring at the boys who were bending the rules. Some of the things they were saying were directed at Marie. Sophie knew that they were going over the line with what they were saying, and Kat had warned her that any group was only as smart as the stupidest person within it.
After a few minutes they passed out of earshot and were paddling away, across the lake. Marie just shook her head and muttered something about “Idiots.” When Sophie asked her about that later, Marie said that the way that boys their age acted was a real disappointment for her. Sophie realized that she really didn’t have the experience as to whether or not Marie was correct about that.
Silesia
“You must make sure that you have a weapon in your hand when you die” Mathilda said solemnly, “That way the Gods understand that you are truly a warrior.”
“I have few doubts about what the Gods would think of me” Manfred the Elder said with a smile. “And I know that I have the most important and dangerous weapon that a man could possibly have with me at all times.”
Mathilda gave Manfred a puzzled look and he tapped the side of his head.
“The Japanese believe that intention is what makes something a weapon” Manfred said, “It is something that I have found to be true.”
Mathilda nodded, understanding what he was telling her.
He found talking with Mathilda to be interesting. She had lived the first decade of her life living and breathing beliefs that were old when the Romans crossed the Rhine into what would become Germany and had discovered the limits of their empire in the Teutoburg Forest. Oddly, the girl was concerned about Manfred who she felt deserved a seat in the Feast Hall of the Gods but might be denied that honor because against all odds he had lived into old age.
It was a nice distraction.
Manfred the Younger had written a letter asking his advice in handling a particularly thorny issue. It seemed that he had an American Officer who was something of a clod causing trouble, the sort of trouble that involved young Sabastian Schultz and the sort of fight that everyone would lose if it ever happened. Manfred the Elder knew that Sabastian was a hothead and it seemed that this American had made a joke that implied that an up-and-coming Class from the Wahlstatt Institution was a bunch of cowards. If anyone had reacted it would have been an International Incident regardless of the outcome.
Not that Manfred the Elder didn’t think that Sabastian didn’t need a bit of sense knocked into him, he just didn’t want it to destroy the boy’s future in the process. He really needed to get Tilo Schultz up to Silesia as well. Johann Schultz had been Manfred’s friend and business partner. The two families had been closely associated for decades and it was long past time that more formal arrangements were made.
23rd July 1973
Schwielochsee, Spreewald National Park
It was a warm afternoon and Sophie was sitting in the sun. She had been swimming earlier that afternoon and was currently letting the sun dry her before she would change for supper. Doctor Berg had told her that over the Summer Holiday that she could have what adults secretly wanted, having few responsibilities and several weeks to spend doing as little as possible. What Sophie was supposed to do over this holiday was to act like a fourteen-year-old girl who lived in Tempelhof. It was far easier said than done. Sophie’s mind kept going back to everything that had happened over the first few days on holiday.
Sophie had thought that she had put one over on the camp staff, but it seemed that they understood a few things that she had not thought through. Once the three other girls arrived in the small cabin, she was left with the choice of sharing the contraband with them or the rather likely possibility of having them snitch on her. The chocolate covered coffee beans were gone in only a few hours and the rest was gone by Sunday afternoon. Ziska had found the entire thing amusing and had asked her “Just what exactly did you expect was going to happen?” when she saw Sophie’s dismay. Lina Kauffmann and Ilona Kirch were old friends though. If Sophie had to share with anyone, it would be them. Angelica who was in a cabin with other younger girls wasn’t happy to learn that everyone in Sophie’s cabin had gotten a treat while she had been excluded. When the rumors did reach the staff, Sophie had denied everything. As it had turned out no one could prove anything because the evidence had been eaten.
The other thing that happened was that everyone was amazed that she had ridden her bicycle the hundred kilometers from Berlin. After having done it, Sophie didn’t think that it was that big of a deal. She had memorized the route and had made good time, so it had only taken her about six hours to make the journey. It had resulted in her being a bit of a heroine for a couple hours before everyone moved on to other things.
Then Sophie heard a commotion as a boat passed from the Boy’s camp. Everyone knew that the other camp was there, just a few meters away. A hedge of thorn bushes and a tall fence separated the two camps and woe be unto anyone who dared to contact anyone on the other side unless it was an expressly sanctioned event. Marie Alexandra had gotten into a lot of trouble a few years earlier when she gotten caught after lights-out speaking with some boys through the fence. Sophie had realized that if she attended a co-educational school then these boys would probably be her classmates and the strict rules separating them seemed archaic and pointless.
The rules were the rules, and it was just a coincidence that whenever boats left the boy’s camp, they just happened to almost always pass close to the beach of girl’s camp. Marie Alexandra, who was seventeen this year and was regarded as being more like one of the staff than just another camper was standing there, glaring at the boys who were bending the rules. Some of the things they were saying were directed at Marie. Sophie knew that they were going over the line with what they were saying, and Kat had warned her that any group was only as smart as the stupidest person within it.
After a few minutes they passed out of earshot and were paddling away, across the lake. Marie just shook her head and muttered something about “Idiots.” When Sophie asked her about that later, Marie said that the way that boys their age acted was a real disappointment for her. Sophie realized that she really didn’t have the experience as to whether or not Marie was correct about that.
Silesia
“You must make sure that you have a weapon in your hand when you die” Mathilda said solemnly, “That way the Gods understand that you are truly a warrior.”
“I have few doubts about what the Gods would think of me” Manfred the Elder said with a smile. “And I know that I have the most important and dangerous weapon that a man could possibly have with me at all times.”
Mathilda gave Manfred a puzzled look and he tapped the side of his head.
“The Japanese believe that intention is what makes something a weapon” Manfred said, “It is something that I have found to be true.”
Mathilda nodded, understanding what he was telling her.
He found talking with Mathilda to be interesting. She had lived the first decade of her life living and breathing beliefs that were old when the Romans crossed the Rhine into what would become Germany and had discovered the limits of their empire in the Teutoburg Forest. Oddly, the girl was concerned about Manfred who she felt deserved a seat in the Feast Hall of the Gods but might be denied that honor because against all odds he had lived into old age.
It was a nice distraction.
Manfred the Younger had written a letter asking his advice in handling a particularly thorny issue. It seemed that he had an American Officer who was something of a clod causing trouble, the sort of trouble that involved young Sabastian Schultz and the sort of fight that everyone would lose if it ever happened. Manfred the Elder knew that Sabastian was a hothead and it seemed that this American had made a joke that implied that an up-and-coming Class from the Wahlstatt Institution was a bunch of cowards. If anyone had reacted it would have been an International Incident regardless of the outcome.
Not that Manfred the Elder didn’t think that Sabastian didn’t need a bit of sense knocked into him, he just didn’t want it to destroy the boy’s future in the process. He really needed to get Tilo Schultz up to Silesia as well. Johann Schultz had been Manfred’s friend and business partner. The two families had been closely associated for decades and it was long past time that more formal arrangements were made.
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