Part 134, Chapter 2295
Chapter Two Thousand Two Hundred Ninety-Five
14th May 1974
Caribbean Sea
Lighting a cigar, Louis was standing on the fantail of the USS Gridley he was having a moment of contemplation as he looked up into the night sky. Few people understood what it was like to be on a ship out at sea far from the noise and light pollution of the cities. That was especially true here in the Caribbean where it felt like the night sky was a crystal bowl that arched just overhead.
Louis Ferdinand Junior’s understanding was that the US Navy had grown tired of the game that they had been playing and had decided to just invite the small flotilla he had been a part of to join the exercise. Of course, that was with the understanding that the Americans would be devoting everything they had to learning the capabilities of the three ships. Louis had discussed it at length with Akihito and Amedeo, the three of them were sticking their necks out here. If the Americans learned too much, they would have a serious problem. But if they hid everything, they would just be burning fuel while their hosts kept them carefully contained. Akihito had pointed out that they needed to find a balance and Louis wasn’t inclined to disagree. In the meantime, he had remained aboard the Gridley to iron out some of the minor details and that had lasted into the early morning hours. Compared to the Grindwal, the Gridley was massive. The crew was proportionally larger as well.
Louis knew that there were members of his family who would be all over him if they knew what he was doing at the moment, but it was one of those when in Rome sorts of things. In Havana, what were arguably the best cigars in the world were readily available at prices that even the lowest ranking Sailors could easily afford. Naturally when the Grindwal had left port there had been hundreds of boxes on board. Louis himself had bought several boxes along with some cases of fine aged rum that he and his XO, Isaak Lehr, were keeping in the “Doomsday” locker which only the two them had keys for and both keys had to be turned at once. It was the most secure place on the ship and the other items that they shared the space with, which oddly looked like industrial garbage disposals, were secured in their lead lined cases, and wouldn’t do the rum or cigars any harm. Louis had seen how the crew had run through what they had brought on board within a few days of leaving port.
“Enjoying your morning Mister von Preussen?” Louis heard Captain Carter ask.
“It has gotten early, hasn’t it” Louis replied, “Want a cigar?”
“My wife would kill me when word of that inevitably gets back to her” Carter replied, “Enjoy your freewheeling life as a young bachelor while you can.”
Louis was aware that Carter didn’t actually mean that last part.
“An extra one for me then” Louis said.
“You still think that our respective Governments have gone mad?”
“No more than usual” Louis replied, “It is just when it comes to the implementation that it causes a lot of trouble.”
“I understand that your brother got involved this time” Carter said, “I guess the Navy is sort of your family business.”
“The Navy was a big part of what my great-grandfather was about, he was buried in the Naval section of a military cemetery” Louis replied, “In the years since, my Grandfather was an Army General and my Father was an Airforce Reserve Officer, Freddy was in the Pioneers… Sort of like your Army Corps of Engineers.”
“Quite a history of service in your family” Carter said.
“That is one way to put it” Louis said, “Sometimes I think it has more to do with feeling useful more than anything. If you have ever seen some of the things that, Michael, my other brother gets up then you would probably understand.”
“Isn’t he the one who imagines himself to be King Arthur?” Carter asked.
“It is far more involved than that” Louis replied, “And there is absolutely nothing imaginary about it.”
“To live in a world where Knights, Kings and Queens are still a thing” Carter said, “It would almost seem romantic if you were not aware of the blood-soaked history behind it.”
“At least two of my sisters would agree with that” Louis said.
“The Doctor and the Revolutionary?” Carter asked.
“I would say that Rea is mostly harmless” Louis replied, “I do however think that the boosting Universities in Krakow and Lwów are closest thing to her actual aspirations made real, long term.”
“And your other sister, Kristina, getting your highest medal for valor without ever firing a shot” Carter said, “That drew the attention even from my church.”
“It is not that simple, not at all” Louis said, “Kiki is an idealist and willing to walk through fire for what she believes in. That is not always a good thing.”
“Even I can understand the nobility of her purpose” Carter replied.
“That is easy, from a distance” Louis said, “I have known her my entire life and have a different perspective.”
“And just what is that?” Carter asked.
“Kiki, Princess Kristina, is possibly the most dangerous person that I have ever met” Louis replied, “And it is entirely because she would blow up the world if she thought that it was necessary to save it.”
14th May 1974
Caribbean Sea
Lighting a cigar, Louis was standing on the fantail of the USS Gridley he was having a moment of contemplation as he looked up into the night sky. Few people understood what it was like to be on a ship out at sea far from the noise and light pollution of the cities. That was especially true here in the Caribbean where it felt like the night sky was a crystal bowl that arched just overhead.
Louis Ferdinand Junior’s understanding was that the US Navy had grown tired of the game that they had been playing and had decided to just invite the small flotilla he had been a part of to join the exercise. Of course, that was with the understanding that the Americans would be devoting everything they had to learning the capabilities of the three ships. Louis had discussed it at length with Akihito and Amedeo, the three of them were sticking their necks out here. If the Americans learned too much, they would have a serious problem. But if they hid everything, they would just be burning fuel while their hosts kept them carefully contained. Akihito had pointed out that they needed to find a balance and Louis wasn’t inclined to disagree. In the meantime, he had remained aboard the Gridley to iron out some of the minor details and that had lasted into the early morning hours. Compared to the Grindwal, the Gridley was massive. The crew was proportionally larger as well.
Louis knew that there were members of his family who would be all over him if they knew what he was doing at the moment, but it was one of those when in Rome sorts of things. In Havana, what were arguably the best cigars in the world were readily available at prices that even the lowest ranking Sailors could easily afford. Naturally when the Grindwal had left port there had been hundreds of boxes on board. Louis himself had bought several boxes along with some cases of fine aged rum that he and his XO, Isaak Lehr, were keeping in the “Doomsday” locker which only the two them had keys for and both keys had to be turned at once. It was the most secure place on the ship and the other items that they shared the space with, which oddly looked like industrial garbage disposals, were secured in their lead lined cases, and wouldn’t do the rum or cigars any harm. Louis had seen how the crew had run through what they had brought on board within a few days of leaving port.
“Enjoying your morning Mister von Preussen?” Louis heard Captain Carter ask.
“It has gotten early, hasn’t it” Louis replied, “Want a cigar?”
“My wife would kill me when word of that inevitably gets back to her” Carter replied, “Enjoy your freewheeling life as a young bachelor while you can.”
Louis was aware that Carter didn’t actually mean that last part.
“An extra one for me then” Louis said.
“You still think that our respective Governments have gone mad?”
“No more than usual” Louis replied, “It is just when it comes to the implementation that it causes a lot of trouble.”
“I understand that your brother got involved this time” Carter said, “I guess the Navy is sort of your family business.”
“The Navy was a big part of what my great-grandfather was about, he was buried in the Naval section of a military cemetery” Louis replied, “In the years since, my Grandfather was an Army General and my Father was an Airforce Reserve Officer, Freddy was in the Pioneers… Sort of like your Army Corps of Engineers.”
“Quite a history of service in your family” Carter said.
“That is one way to put it” Louis said, “Sometimes I think it has more to do with feeling useful more than anything. If you have ever seen some of the things that, Michael, my other brother gets up then you would probably understand.”
“Isn’t he the one who imagines himself to be King Arthur?” Carter asked.
“It is far more involved than that” Louis replied, “And there is absolutely nothing imaginary about it.”
“To live in a world where Knights, Kings and Queens are still a thing” Carter said, “It would almost seem romantic if you were not aware of the blood-soaked history behind it.”
“At least two of my sisters would agree with that” Louis said.
“The Doctor and the Revolutionary?” Carter asked.
“I would say that Rea is mostly harmless” Louis replied, “I do however think that the boosting Universities in Krakow and Lwów are closest thing to her actual aspirations made real, long term.”
“And your other sister, Kristina, getting your highest medal for valor without ever firing a shot” Carter said, “That drew the attention even from my church.”
“It is not that simple, not at all” Louis said, “Kiki is an idealist and willing to walk through fire for what she believes in. That is not always a good thing.”
“Even I can understand the nobility of her purpose” Carter replied.
“That is easy, from a distance” Louis said, “I have known her my entire life and have a different perspective.”
“And just what is that?” Carter asked.
“Kiki, Princess Kristina, is possibly the most dangerous person that I have ever met” Louis replied, “And it is entirely because she would blow up the world if she thought that it was necessary to save it.”
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