The Irish Connection could raise interesting developments in the backstory of Jimmy 'Pop-eye' Doyle.
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Heroin is an "Organizational" enterprise and is highly territorial.
Supply is always an issue, and that is why control of the docks, railyards, and airports are always highly contested by various criminal groups.
Many times, agreements are made where the "Family" or "Fellowship" that controls the docks, yards, and airports will allow others to use them for a "reasonable fee", that is how Otto Mischner and the Railroad union was able to become so powerful in the first place, as everything that came into Europe, had to be moved by rail.
As for legal representation, no reputable lawyer or law firm wants anything to do with the drug trade as that will lose their more respectable corporate clients, and the lawyers that do represent drug dealers are looked down upon by other lawyers.
Politicians and Judges that may be willing to overlook some "Lifestyles and Non-Violent" crimes, will have nothing to do with Drugs and will pass laws that mandate long sentences for drug crimes.
Supply is always an issue, and that is why control of the docks, railyards, and airports are always highly contested by various criminal groups.
Many times, agreements are made where the "Family" or "Fellowship" that controls the docks, yards, and airports will allow others to use them for a "reasonable fee", that is how Otto Mischner and the Railroad union was able to become so powerful in the first place, as everything that came into Europe, had to be moved by rail.
As for legal representation, no reputable lawyer or law firm wants anything to do with the drug trade as that will lose their more respectable corporate clients, and the lawyers that do represent drug dealers are looked down upon by other lawyers.
Politicians and Judges that may be willing to overlook some "Lifestyles and Non-Violent" crimes, will have nothing to do with Drugs and will pass laws that mandate long sentences for drug crimes.
Part 148, Chapter 2690
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Ninety
30th June 1978
Munich, Bavaria
It was getting late and the card game that had been organized by Albrecht of Bavaria was showing no sign of concluding. Ben was bored as he had listened to the stories being told around the table and because he hadn’t been soaking up Albrecht’s wine cellar at the rate that the others had been, Ben was the only one not three sheets to the wind by midnight. The conversation so far tonight had been dominated by Albrecht’s opinion of the other King Albrecht confusingly out there. Ben had met Admiral Albrecht König von Richthofen zu Silesia and found that the two men could not be more different despite having the same first name. Of course Albrecht of Bavaria had seen Manfred von Richthofen as an upstart and rival, but now that his son had taken the throne it remained to be seen just what that meant for the two Kingdoms. Industrial Silesia and Agrarian Bavaria represented two different perspectives on the world. Most of all though, Albrecht of Silesia had politely declined Albrecht of Bavaria’s invitation to be here tonight.
While Ben didn’t abhor gambling like Kiki did, she said that entertainment shouldn’t come with a social cost whenever the subject came up, he didn’t see the point. Compared to flying a fighter-bomber betting a small fortune on a single hand of cards wasn’t much of a thrill. He could also think about how many better uses the amount of money he had seen being wagered tonight could be put to. It was entirely understandable why Kiki had no interest in being there. If Ben had his way he wouldn’t be either, Kiki had told him that because of the politics he needed to have a place at the table. Especially if he wanted Albrecht’s patronage for the upcoming project that the Universities had been proposing.
While the Landtag of Bavaria was where the official political power of Bavaria was supposed to be centered, the King’s Court was one of the key places where the horse trading behind the scenes took place. Both Ben and Kiki had spent a lot of time in Argentinian Patagonia which still used a system based on having been a Spanish colony. Most of the major decisions took place in smoke-filled rooms, people fought to be in the room as the doors were closed and the meeting began in earnest. While there were a lot of problems with a system like that, it was easy to see how someone like King Albrecht of thrived within it.
“Your wife doesn’t want you to bet big?” Albrecht asked, having seen how conservatively Ben was playing the game.
“More like not wanting to have to explain it if I lost big” Ben replied. Unlike most of the men at the table, he understood the real value of the Mark and things like weekends.
“Cannot disobey orders” Albrecht said and that got a round of guffaws from around the table. The fact that Kiki outranked Ben was not a secret.
Ben had been promoted to Oberst on the strength of his work in defeating enemy air defense systems, he had no interest in the sort of full-time commitment that commanding even a Reserve Airwing would entail though, so he was unlikely to ever see another promotion as a Luftwaffe Officer. He was currently the Director of the Argelander Observatory and that was more than enough, though he had been getting offers to help establish new projects in other parts of the world. The most enticing one so far was from the University of Buenos Aires, an offer that Kiki had suggested that they should seriously consider even if it would take them away from Germany for a few years. The way she had said that last part suggested that she considered it a feature rather than a bug. It would get Ben out from under the direct influence of Albrecht of Bavaria and her away from the dictates of the Medical Service.
The implications of Kiki having been promoted to Generalarzt involved a bit more than just being the Director of the Ulm Military Hospital. She had learned that even though it was her intention to resign as soon as she retuned from Maternity leave, she would still be considered a Reserve Officer and be subject to recall until she reached official retirement age. It had also been pointed out to her that one of her mentors, Katherine von Mischner had left the Luftwaffe on a few different occasions only to return when circumstances called for it. At the age of thirty-six Kiki was still relatively young, and Ben figured that despite the politics the Medical Service didn’t want to burn bridges with her. This was because sooner or later there would be a crisis and everyone knew how she tended to react.
Going to Argentina was extremely welcome for both of them.
As the next round of bets began, Ben folded his hand. The cards he had been dealt were garbage, just a pair of fives, and bluffing with a bad hand was stupid.
“Not a sure thing?” Albrecht asked.
Ben just shrugged. “Sometimes it is just not your night” He replied, “I can do the math.”
“Is that how you are at the controls of one of your fighter planes?”
Ben noticed that the others around the table had gone silent. He had seldom talked about what it was like to be an Ace Pilot. It got everyone’s attention when he did.
“Flying an airplane is more of a game of skill” Ben replied, “You do everything until it becomes automatic, you don’t have to think about it because the plane is like a part of you.”
“Like your rifle in hunting?” Albrecht asked.
“Actually, yes” Ben replied.
30th June 1978
Munich, Bavaria
It was getting late and the card game that had been organized by Albrecht of Bavaria was showing no sign of concluding. Ben was bored as he had listened to the stories being told around the table and because he hadn’t been soaking up Albrecht’s wine cellar at the rate that the others had been, Ben was the only one not three sheets to the wind by midnight. The conversation so far tonight had been dominated by Albrecht’s opinion of the other King Albrecht confusingly out there. Ben had met Admiral Albrecht König von Richthofen zu Silesia and found that the two men could not be more different despite having the same first name. Of course Albrecht of Bavaria had seen Manfred von Richthofen as an upstart and rival, but now that his son had taken the throne it remained to be seen just what that meant for the two Kingdoms. Industrial Silesia and Agrarian Bavaria represented two different perspectives on the world. Most of all though, Albrecht of Silesia had politely declined Albrecht of Bavaria’s invitation to be here tonight.
While Ben didn’t abhor gambling like Kiki did, she said that entertainment shouldn’t come with a social cost whenever the subject came up, he didn’t see the point. Compared to flying a fighter-bomber betting a small fortune on a single hand of cards wasn’t much of a thrill. He could also think about how many better uses the amount of money he had seen being wagered tonight could be put to. It was entirely understandable why Kiki had no interest in being there. If Ben had his way he wouldn’t be either, Kiki had told him that because of the politics he needed to have a place at the table. Especially if he wanted Albrecht’s patronage for the upcoming project that the Universities had been proposing.
While the Landtag of Bavaria was where the official political power of Bavaria was supposed to be centered, the King’s Court was one of the key places where the horse trading behind the scenes took place. Both Ben and Kiki had spent a lot of time in Argentinian Patagonia which still used a system based on having been a Spanish colony. Most of the major decisions took place in smoke-filled rooms, people fought to be in the room as the doors were closed and the meeting began in earnest. While there were a lot of problems with a system like that, it was easy to see how someone like King Albrecht of thrived within it.
“Your wife doesn’t want you to bet big?” Albrecht asked, having seen how conservatively Ben was playing the game.
“More like not wanting to have to explain it if I lost big” Ben replied. Unlike most of the men at the table, he understood the real value of the Mark and things like weekends.
“Cannot disobey orders” Albrecht said and that got a round of guffaws from around the table. The fact that Kiki outranked Ben was not a secret.
Ben had been promoted to Oberst on the strength of his work in defeating enemy air defense systems, he had no interest in the sort of full-time commitment that commanding even a Reserve Airwing would entail though, so he was unlikely to ever see another promotion as a Luftwaffe Officer. He was currently the Director of the Argelander Observatory and that was more than enough, though he had been getting offers to help establish new projects in other parts of the world. The most enticing one so far was from the University of Buenos Aires, an offer that Kiki had suggested that they should seriously consider even if it would take them away from Germany for a few years. The way she had said that last part suggested that she considered it a feature rather than a bug. It would get Ben out from under the direct influence of Albrecht of Bavaria and her away from the dictates of the Medical Service.
The implications of Kiki having been promoted to Generalarzt involved a bit more than just being the Director of the Ulm Military Hospital. She had learned that even though it was her intention to resign as soon as she retuned from Maternity leave, she would still be considered a Reserve Officer and be subject to recall until she reached official retirement age. It had also been pointed out to her that one of her mentors, Katherine von Mischner had left the Luftwaffe on a few different occasions only to return when circumstances called for it. At the age of thirty-six Kiki was still relatively young, and Ben figured that despite the politics the Medical Service didn’t want to burn bridges with her. This was because sooner or later there would be a crisis and everyone knew how she tended to react.
Going to Argentina was extremely welcome for both of them.
As the next round of bets began, Ben folded his hand. The cards he had been dealt were garbage, just a pair of fives, and bluffing with a bad hand was stupid.
“Not a sure thing?” Albrecht asked.
Ben just shrugged. “Sometimes it is just not your night” He replied, “I can do the math.”
“Is that how you are at the controls of one of your fighter planes?”
Ben noticed that the others around the table had gone silent. He had seldom talked about what it was like to be an Ace Pilot. It got everyone’s attention when he did.
“Flying an airplane is more of a game of skill” Ben replied, “You do everything until it becomes automatic, you don’t have to think about it because the plane is like a part of you.”
“Like your rifle in hunting?” Albrecht asked.
“Actually, yes” Ben replied.
And never underestimate the kind of back-room politics that goes on during a hunting trip either...
(There are still parts of Austria where it is a real factor in politics, so I assume the same might be true for Germany too. Then again, most of their Länder capitals don't have the same kind of easy access to the traditional hunting areas some of the Austrian ones have. But certainly TTL, some forty years in the past, with kings still in charge, who likely have their own hunting grounds, and easy access with cars even if they are away from the cities...)
Albrecht is learning.
What he is learning is still a question, but he is learning.
Kiki and Ben will be welcomed with open arms in Argentina as they are both heroes of The Patangonia War against Chile.
If the University of Buenos Aires offer is about a new observatory then that means that they are going to be in a rural area, and Kiki would love to provide medical services in an area that people desperately needs them.
Kiki by now has realized that is the type of medicine she has always wanted to do, as evidenced by her stint at the small hospital in Bavaria where Ben’s observatory is located.
If that is the case, then get ready for the return of Martzel Iberia.
If the University of Buenos Aires offer is about a new observatory then that means that they are going to be in a rural area, and Kiki would love to provide medical services in an area that people desperately needs them.
Kiki by now has realized that is the type of medicine she has always wanted to do, as evidenced by her stint at the small hospital in Bavaria where Ben’s observatory is located.
If that is the case, then get ready for the return of Martzel Iberia.
Part 148, Chapter 2691
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Ninety-One
1st July 1978
Washington D.C.
It was Saturday morning, the first day of the long Independence Day Weekend. Because the Ambassador and his wife had gone to spend the week at a vacation house on a lake in Upstate Vermont, Tatiana was at loose ends until they got back next week.
A week earlier Tatiana had read a humorous column in the Washington Post about how Americans traditionally celebrated the holiday. Having cookouts in parks or their backyards that included bowls of mayonnaise-based salads left out in the July sun that had Salmonella bacterium the size of small dogs swimming around in them. Huge amounts of beer, soft drinks, and semi-edible food that had been cremated on a barbeque grill. The whole event culminated in setting off fireworks in a drunken orgy of destruction by the adult men as the children ran around completely out of control. This inevitably led to ending the night in the Emergency Room and/or the City Morgue. After all nothing was more American than having a Doctor trying to sew your digits back on after all the effort to find them before the dog ate them. It just made you want to wrap yourself in the flag and break out in bunting.
Tatiana had asked if that was a joke only to be told that it was closer to the truth than most people in this country were prepared to admit. For Tatiana it was just another aspect of America that she didn’t understand. Back home there had been centennial celebration for the establishment of the Second Realm in 1971, but that occurring in mid-January didn’t lend itself to the same sort of outdoor celebrations. It was also extremely noticeable that the street festivals that were a regular occurrence in Berlin every summer were largely absent in America.
The thing was that Tatiana was too new at the Embassy to have anyone to socialize with. So she was left watching television in the Residence while there was hardly anyone else around. Nat that the prior weeks had been better. She had mostly been sent running errands for the Ambassador himself or accompanying his wife as she had gone window shopping on the various high street locations scattered throughout Washington. Who knew that this would make waiting on table in Boston seem preferable? It certainly drove home the point that she was at the very bottom of the totem pole in the AA and that would be true wherever they sent her.
Finally, there was what she had learned about what had happened to Anne Morgan, or whoever the Hell she actually was. Tatiana had done all the legwork in establishing that identity, only to have the FBI screw it all up. The thing was the involvement of the FBI had been what had enabled the identity to truly be sold to the US Government. Anne had moved from Belfast to Massachusetts where she was going to be a School Teacher. Tatiana had no idea what the angle of the BND was by having Anne doing that, particularly in a largely Working-Class school district north of Boston.
That was why she was in the Residence on the couch with the remote in her hand flipping from channel to channel, amazed at how many channels there were and how there still wasn’t anything on. For a minute, Tatiana watched a commercial for the Celebration of America Fireworks Display on Tuesday Night as hosted by Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, and the National Philharmonic on the National Mall. Tatiana figured that she would watch that for lack of anything better to do that night. Tatiana flipped to a different channel when the commercial ended, an ad for a used car lot was on with a man wearing a white suit and cowboy hat while riding a large pig. There were moments when Tatiana wondered if she had merely traveled to a different country as opposed to landing on a different planet.
“Have you seen Wilhelm Ziegler?” Tatiana heard a voice ask. Of course it was one of the Secretaries from the Chancery. Wilhelm “Billy” Ziegler was one of the BND Agents who worked out of the Washington Station on the top floor of the Chancery, and he was popular with most of the women in the Embassy Staff. Tatiana couldn’t stand him because she found him arrogant, stupid, and most of all, he was doing a job that was rightfully hers. The most obnoxious part was that because she was seemingly immune to his charms, he seldom passed a chance to harass her. Tatiana had being dealing with assholes like him her whole life and it only got easier once they gave her an excuse to inflict some real pain.
With an exasperated sigh, Tatiana turned the TV off. “No I haven’t” Tatiana replied.
“If you see him could tell him that…” The Secretary before she noticed the withering glare that she was receiving from Tatiana.
“No” Tatiana replied.
“Bitch” The Secretary said as she retreated.
Tatiana knew that her attitude today would probably not do her any favors. This wouldn’t be the first time that she had been unpopular due to word about her getting around. Considering how vapid Tatiana found most of them, she didn’t consider it a great loss.
With the television off, it occurred to Tatiana that she had the opportunity to get a few hours of extra sleep. That would probably be good thing considering how loud it was going to be at night over the next few days.
1st July 1978
Washington D.C.
It was Saturday morning, the first day of the long Independence Day Weekend. Because the Ambassador and his wife had gone to spend the week at a vacation house on a lake in Upstate Vermont, Tatiana was at loose ends until they got back next week.
A week earlier Tatiana had read a humorous column in the Washington Post about how Americans traditionally celebrated the holiday. Having cookouts in parks or their backyards that included bowls of mayonnaise-based salads left out in the July sun that had Salmonella bacterium the size of small dogs swimming around in them. Huge amounts of beer, soft drinks, and semi-edible food that had been cremated on a barbeque grill. The whole event culminated in setting off fireworks in a drunken orgy of destruction by the adult men as the children ran around completely out of control. This inevitably led to ending the night in the Emergency Room and/or the City Morgue. After all nothing was more American than having a Doctor trying to sew your digits back on after all the effort to find them before the dog ate them. It just made you want to wrap yourself in the flag and break out in bunting.
Tatiana had asked if that was a joke only to be told that it was closer to the truth than most people in this country were prepared to admit. For Tatiana it was just another aspect of America that she didn’t understand. Back home there had been centennial celebration for the establishment of the Second Realm in 1971, but that occurring in mid-January didn’t lend itself to the same sort of outdoor celebrations. It was also extremely noticeable that the street festivals that were a regular occurrence in Berlin every summer were largely absent in America.
The thing was that Tatiana was too new at the Embassy to have anyone to socialize with. So she was left watching television in the Residence while there was hardly anyone else around. Nat that the prior weeks had been better. She had mostly been sent running errands for the Ambassador himself or accompanying his wife as she had gone window shopping on the various high street locations scattered throughout Washington. Who knew that this would make waiting on table in Boston seem preferable? It certainly drove home the point that she was at the very bottom of the totem pole in the AA and that would be true wherever they sent her.
Finally, there was what she had learned about what had happened to Anne Morgan, or whoever the Hell she actually was. Tatiana had done all the legwork in establishing that identity, only to have the FBI screw it all up. The thing was the involvement of the FBI had been what had enabled the identity to truly be sold to the US Government. Anne had moved from Belfast to Massachusetts where she was going to be a School Teacher. Tatiana had no idea what the angle of the BND was by having Anne doing that, particularly in a largely Working-Class school district north of Boston.
That was why she was in the Residence on the couch with the remote in her hand flipping from channel to channel, amazed at how many channels there were and how there still wasn’t anything on. For a minute, Tatiana watched a commercial for the Celebration of America Fireworks Display on Tuesday Night as hosted by Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, and the National Philharmonic on the National Mall. Tatiana figured that she would watch that for lack of anything better to do that night. Tatiana flipped to a different channel when the commercial ended, an ad for a used car lot was on with a man wearing a white suit and cowboy hat while riding a large pig. There were moments when Tatiana wondered if she had merely traveled to a different country as opposed to landing on a different planet.
“Have you seen Wilhelm Ziegler?” Tatiana heard a voice ask. Of course it was one of the Secretaries from the Chancery. Wilhelm “Billy” Ziegler was one of the BND Agents who worked out of the Washington Station on the top floor of the Chancery, and he was popular with most of the women in the Embassy Staff. Tatiana couldn’t stand him because she found him arrogant, stupid, and most of all, he was doing a job that was rightfully hers. The most obnoxious part was that because she was seemingly immune to his charms, he seldom passed a chance to harass her. Tatiana had being dealing with assholes like him her whole life and it only got easier once they gave her an excuse to inflict some real pain.
With an exasperated sigh, Tatiana turned the TV off. “No I haven’t” Tatiana replied.
“If you see him could tell him that…” The Secretary before she noticed the withering glare that she was receiving from Tatiana.
“No” Tatiana replied.
“Bitch” The Secretary said as she retreated.
Tatiana knew that her attitude today would probably not do her any favors. This wouldn’t be the first time that she had been unpopular due to word about her getting around. Considering how vapid Tatiana found most of them, she didn’t consider it a great loss.
With the television off, it occurred to Tatiana that she had the opportunity to get a few hours of extra sleep. That would probably be good thing considering how loud it was going to be at night over the next few days.
Last edited:
Wait... salespeople in the US actually do weird shit like that? I thought it was just a Hollywood thing.
Before cable was really a thing in the US ads, especially daytime and weekend broadcasts, were interesting. Not just Cal Worthington who operated out of Southern California either and was well known for the strange animals that appeared in his commercials. You had local businesses with very limited budgets trying to get the attention of the viewers.
They still do. A mate of mine was in San Diego back in 2010/11, and he said it was insane - you had these guys just staggering onto the set and screaming out the deals at Local Business X. He joked that even our cheaper ads looked awesome by comparison.
I like to speculate on IOTL people who show up ITTL and why they have different fates.
IOTL Elvis Presley was drafted in the US Army and sent to Germany where he got addicted for uppers, which led to his premature death at age 42 in 1977.
ITTL, he is not drafted and after his first manager, Colonel Tom Parker is found out to be Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, an illegal Dutch Immigrant and was subsequently deported, he got with the help of Greta on Wolvogle, new management that was honest and had his long term future best interests in mind.
Cal Worthington IOTL, was a B-17 pilot during WW II flying 29 missions over Germany, ITTL he flew B-17 missions in the Philippines and was the basis of a minor character in a novel by Joseph Heller, otherwise his life played out the same IOTL.
Judy Garland somehow cleaned up her life ITTL, and that is what by she is still around.
IOTL Elvis Presley was drafted in the US Army and sent to Germany where he got addicted for uppers, which led to his premature death at age 42 in 1977.
ITTL, he is not drafted and after his first manager, Colonel Tom Parker is found out to be Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, an illegal Dutch Immigrant and was subsequently deported, he got with the help of Greta on Wolvogle, new management that was honest and had his long term future best interests in mind.
Cal Worthington IOTL, was a B-17 pilot during WW II flying 29 missions over Germany, ITTL he flew B-17 missions in the Philippines and was the basis of a minor character in a novel by Joseph Heller, otherwise his life played out the same IOTL.
Judy Garland somehow cleaned up her life ITTL, and that is what by she is still around.
Part 148, Chapter 2692
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Ninety-Two
3rd July 1978
Kiel
The old Kiel Aerodrome was used by the Luftwaffe and Kaiserliche Marine. Originally built on fill provided by the construction of the Wilhelm Canal. It had seen quite a bit of expansion since then. These days it was a Military Airfield that many of the Carrier based Squadrons of the KM Fleet Air Command flew out of while their ships were in port. There were also a number of Luftwaffe Interceptor Squadrons based in Kiel to patrol the North Sea which had only grown in strategic importance as oil and gas reserves had been discovered right about the time that technology had enabled drilling on the open sea. Finally, there was the specialized squadron of Long-Range Reconnaissance aircraft that had feet in several different worlds. They were originally tasked with scouting vast tracts of ocean in search of enemy fleets in the Pacific War and had been largely a project of the Fleet Air Command. In the decades since the gathering real time intelligence and operational flexibility had seen the Luftwaffe and BND heavily involve themselves. The planes themselves had been purpose built by Junkers Aircraft and Motors AG to fly in the high thin air well over 20,000 meters. The result was an ungainly looking aircraft that had sacrificed everything in the name of efficiency. The narrow fuselage looked like giant pencil with absurdly long wings, the twin high bypass turbofan engines and fuel tanks were located in pods. It was a decidedly unglamourous plane to fly and it was not a surprise that they had been named after a high-flying vulture, the Gänsegeier.
That was where Martin Paget entered the picture.
Martin had grown up with the Franco-German frontier just over the fence of his back garden. His family had historically been on both sides of the line as it had moved around over the prior centuries, so he knew that it was only an accident of history that had put him in a position to apply to the Luftwaffe Academy. It had been there at Kaiserslautern where an odd incident and a turn a phrase had stuck him with the handle of Oxcart. In an era when the Air Forces of the world regularly flew at supersonic speeds, the image of the plodding cart pulled by oxen was considered something of a joke. It wasn’t until Martin had been assigned to fly a Gänsegeier that he had discovered the other aspect of the handle. Despite being slow oxen had several positive traits like being hardworking, dependable, patient, and unflappable. A man with those traits was considered perfect for flying in the Stratosphere, which already wasn’t without risk, while skirting the airspace of potentially hostile countries. Martin had found that he needed that patience as he had moved into the Commander’s seat and was least a decade older than the rest of the crew.
Seated next to Martin was Co-Pilot Rochus Gerstle who was of the opposite mindset. He was in his late twenties but tended to act like a twelve-year-old most of the time. A couple meters behind them in a separate cockpit were two more members of the crew. JoJo Struna, the Mission Specialist who ran the photographic equipment and electronic countermeasures while being a frequent target of Rochus’ brand of humor. Aside from Martin, no one was allowed to ever mention that Josefína was JoJo’s actual name which frequently came up during post mission debrief with BND Officers. Finally there was Leopold “Poldi” Wedekind, the Navigator and Radio Operator.
Everyone was strapped in as the big plane accelerated down the runway. “Good luck Ox” Air Traffic Control said as the wings generated enough lift to carry themselves and the plane aloft. There were no surprises with this mission. They were to fly the down the Atlantic, skirting American Airspace hopefully getting a look at what the US Military, the Navy in particular, was up to. A few hours earlier the General who commanded the Airwing had hinted to Martin that if he messed up the 4th of July parties of the USAF Squadrons based along the American Eastern Seaboard then that was going to be the icing on the cake.
Washington DC
After doing nothing all weekend, Tatiana had grown bored.
As it had turned out, aside from the cleaning staff, nearly everyone else had made other arrangements. That left her lots of time to sleep, watch television, and little else.
That was why Tatiana was there when the call came.
“Is this the new girl?” Billy asked.
“I have a name you know” Tatiana replied.
“Yeah… Whatever” Billy said, “I need your help.”
“Why?” Tatiana asked.
“Why not?” Billy asked in reply, “I heard talk of what you did before. You want to spend the rest of your career carrying the wife of the Ambassador’s purse, that is a great use of your time.”
“What the Hell would you know?” Tatiana replied. While she couldn’t stand what the Ambassador had her doing, there was no way that she was going to talk to the likes of Billy about that.
“It doesn’t matter what I know” Billy said, “Do you want to sit around in the residence or be out in the world doing something that is real?”
Tatiana knew what the answer to that was, she wanted to be doing things that mattered. Still, she had the warning from her mother and Aunt Asia at the back of her mind.
3rd July 1978
Kiel
The old Kiel Aerodrome was used by the Luftwaffe and Kaiserliche Marine. Originally built on fill provided by the construction of the Wilhelm Canal. It had seen quite a bit of expansion since then. These days it was a Military Airfield that many of the Carrier based Squadrons of the KM Fleet Air Command flew out of while their ships were in port. There were also a number of Luftwaffe Interceptor Squadrons based in Kiel to patrol the North Sea which had only grown in strategic importance as oil and gas reserves had been discovered right about the time that technology had enabled drilling on the open sea. Finally, there was the specialized squadron of Long-Range Reconnaissance aircraft that had feet in several different worlds. They were originally tasked with scouting vast tracts of ocean in search of enemy fleets in the Pacific War and had been largely a project of the Fleet Air Command. In the decades since the gathering real time intelligence and operational flexibility had seen the Luftwaffe and BND heavily involve themselves. The planes themselves had been purpose built by Junkers Aircraft and Motors AG to fly in the high thin air well over 20,000 meters. The result was an ungainly looking aircraft that had sacrificed everything in the name of efficiency. The narrow fuselage looked like giant pencil with absurdly long wings, the twin high bypass turbofan engines and fuel tanks were located in pods. It was a decidedly unglamourous plane to fly and it was not a surprise that they had been named after a high-flying vulture, the Gänsegeier.
That was where Martin Paget entered the picture.
Martin had grown up with the Franco-German frontier just over the fence of his back garden. His family had historically been on both sides of the line as it had moved around over the prior centuries, so he knew that it was only an accident of history that had put him in a position to apply to the Luftwaffe Academy. It had been there at Kaiserslautern where an odd incident and a turn a phrase had stuck him with the handle of Oxcart. In an era when the Air Forces of the world regularly flew at supersonic speeds, the image of the plodding cart pulled by oxen was considered something of a joke. It wasn’t until Martin had been assigned to fly a Gänsegeier that he had discovered the other aspect of the handle. Despite being slow oxen had several positive traits like being hardworking, dependable, patient, and unflappable. A man with those traits was considered perfect for flying in the Stratosphere, which already wasn’t without risk, while skirting the airspace of potentially hostile countries. Martin had found that he needed that patience as he had moved into the Commander’s seat and was least a decade older than the rest of the crew.
Seated next to Martin was Co-Pilot Rochus Gerstle who was of the opposite mindset. He was in his late twenties but tended to act like a twelve-year-old most of the time. A couple meters behind them in a separate cockpit were two more members of the crew. JoJo Struna, the Mission Specialist who ran the photographic equipment and electronic countermeasures while being a frequent target of Rochus’ brand of humor. Aside from Martin, no one was allowed to ever mention that Josefína was JoJo’s actual name which frequently came up during post mission debrief with BND Officers. Finally there was Leopold “Poldi” Wedekind, the Navigator and Radio Operator.
Everyone was strapped in as the big plane accelerated down the runway. “Good luck Ox” Air Traffic Control said as the wings generated enough lift to carry themselves and the plane aloft. There were no surprises with this mission. They were to fly the down the Atlantic, skirting American Airspace hopefully getting a look at what the US Military, the Navy in particular, was up to. A few hours earlier the General who commanded the Airwing had hinted to Martin that if he messed up the 4th of July parties of the USAF Squadrons based along the American Eastern Seaboard then that was going to be the icing on the cake.
Washington DC
After doing nothing all weekend, Tatiana had grown bored.
As it had turned out, aside from the cleaning staff, nearly everyone else had made other arrangements. That left her lots of time to sleep, watch television, and little else.
That was why Tatiana was there when the call came.
“Is this the new girl?” Billy asked.
“I have a name you know” Tatiana replied.
“Yeah… Whatever” Billy said, “I need your help.”
“Why?” Tatiana asked.
“Why not?” Billy asked in reply, “I heard talk of what you did before. You want to spend the rest of your career carrying the wife of the Ambassador’s purse, that is a great use of your time.”
“What the Hell would you know?” Tatiana replied. While she couldn’t stand what the Ambassador had her doing, there was no way that she was going to talk to the likes of Billy about that.
“It doesn’t matter what I know” Billy said, “Do you want to sit around in the residence or be out in the world doing something that is real?”
Tatiana knew what the answer to that was, she wanted to be doing things that mattered. Still, she had the warning from her mother and Aunt Asia at the back of her mind.
Hmmm. Tatiana is about to do something impulsive.
This might not turn out badly!
This might not turn out badly!
You do realize with the last phrase
She might be part of this to just take a person like this down a peg or two or three, maybe even a body part or two.
The real fireworks begin when the United States finds out that the reconnaissance flight lands in Cuba, and that Germany has a full fledged support base there.
There is a big difference between ships from foreign countries navies making port calls in Havana, to actually basing German military units, even if they are support units 90 miles from American shores.
I hope that Tatiana gets caught by the Americans, because it has been noted many times by many people in this thread that she is just like her mother, Kat.
The problem is that Tatiana has never comprehend the massive price that Kat has paid for it, and a stint in the Boston MCC is nothing compared to what Kat has faced.
Tatiana will not face what happened to Asia because unlike Asia, Tatiana does have Diplomatic Immunity, and more importantly the United States doesn't want to wake The Tigress.
Hopefully, Tatiana will find out that she was nothing more than a distraction, decoy, a tool to be discarded once she was longer useful by those who got her in this mess in the first place.
There is a big difference between ships from foreign countries navies making port calls in Havana, to actually basing German military units, even if they are support units 90 miles from American shores.
I hope that Tatiana gets caught by the Americans, because it has been noted many times by many people in this thread that she is just like her mother, Kat.
The problem is that Tatiana has never comprehend the massive price that Kat has paid for it, and a stint in the Boston MCC is nothing compared to what Kat has faced.
Tatiana will not face what happened to Asia because unlike Asia, Tatiana does have Diplomatic Immunity, and more importantly the United States doesn't want to wake The Tigress.
Hopefully, Tatiana will find out that she was nothing more than a distraction, decoy, a tool to be discarded once she was longer useful by those who got her in this mess in the first place.
Someone is going to cause an international incident, possibly by shooting down the Gänsegeier over international waters, thinking they're inside US airspace.
And Tatiana's career as a courier, decoy and/or rat-line cutout begins.
edit:
Asia had diplomatic immunity as she was travelling openly on a diplomatic passport. The US was ostracised for years by the International Community because of the FBI violating those treaties. They even had to swallow their pride over Gia rescuing Asia with her merry band of Spetznas.
Last edited: