XVI – DIFFERENT PRIORITIES


Imperial Palace of the Daughter of the Sun, Tokyo, January 7th, 1938, 8.04 hours

“I am honored by Your Majestys interest.”
Grand Admiral Isuroko Yamamota bowed deeply before the empress.
“Enough of these pleasantries, Yamamota, tell me the truth. There is resistance in the admiral staff against your plans?”
“Uh, yes, Your Majesty. Many ladies believe we should build the big battleships they lobbied for year after year. They think these ships still rule supreme on the oceans, and believe aircraft carriers and their planes not more than a nuisance, an auxiliary weapon at best. They strongly oppose the plan I forwarded to you last year.”
“How dare they? Give me their names, I will have them all beheaded.”
“Your majesty, please, they are loyal servants of the daughter of the sun. They argue only to achieve the best for the Imperial Navy, and thereby the fortune of the Empire itself. Its only that they are wrong about this.”
“I know, you explained this to me in a very clear manner, and I, other than these mice, understood quite well the significance of your arguments. So, if they dont believe in carriers and planes, they better learn to. I want to see the Admiral staff at once. Summon them immediately. I will ORDER them to stop arguing and to immediately implement your plan.”
“As Your Majesty orders.”
Empress Hirohita turned to a woman in the background, giving orders. Yamamota breathed deeply and slowly. The empress had a foul temper at times, she might really have her colleagues beheaded. Yamamota hoped the daughters of the sun wrath would never fall upon herself. But, and thats what counted, her plan would be implemented. 
“So, Yamamota, beloved servant, any changes to the plan?”
“No, Your Majesty. 8 new carriers will be build, and the training of air crews will start right away. The quality of the aviatrixes is the decisive factor here.”
“I see. Sounds obvious, they are no good if they dont hit the American warships, are they?”
“Your Majesty speaks lightly of war with the Americans. I knew this country. Its potential might is unbelievable. We can never compete with them. One has to be very careful not to awake this sleeping tigress.”
“A tigress is a dangerous animal, alright. But a child can poke it with a stick if it has eaten so much that its too fat to stand up. America is fat, and its teeth and claws are all but nonexistent. They lack the will for a diet to get ready to fight us.”
Nicely put, Yamamota thought, but true? The empress underestimated the Yankee ladies. Well, today was a good day. With her plan for a strong carrier force backed up by the full might of the empress, in case of war with the USA the Empire would at least have a chance. She was convinced a strong carrier fleet would defeat the US and RN battlefleets and control the pacific.
“We have to wait until these mice called admirals arrive. Do you care to meet me with swords in the meantime?”
“Sure, albeit I am not as young and alert as her majesty, and I will be easy prey.”
“Thats alright, Yamamota, its your mind I want to be quick and agile.”
The empress was really good with the katana and wakizashi, and fighting against her was usually a great honor. But rumors had it she met those who disappointed her with swords too – to the death. As no one dared to injure, at least kill the daughter of the sun, even when fighting for her own life, this was effectively the death sentence. 
Even while thinking that, it never occurred to Yamamota that she was serving a tyrantess behaving like a spoiled and bored child. The empress was the daughter of the sun, and that settled that.


Danas American Diner, Prague, Czechoslovakia, January 18th, 1938, 19.36 hours

Katrina Havrodova detested and despised all things capitalist, and these American style restaurant in the centre of her beloved city, so much liked and frequented by the Czechs, was very high on her list. Suppressing the workers and at the same time getting fat eating American burgers and steaks. And this Dana herself, an unbelievably fat woman in pink clothes! Even pink glasses. The decadence of the capitalists was unbelievable. Gospoda Stalina would change all that in the future, she was sure. The day of reckoning would come...
There! Her contact, who proposed this location, entered the restaurant. Petra Mueller of the KPD, the communist party of Germany, now prohibited in the fascist country, was a tall blonde, with striking features and slightly arrogant. That suited a girl of the working class not well, but Katrina saw the Germans behaviour as something typical of the Germans as a whole.
Mueller made her way to Havrodovas table and hissed:
“We must hurry. Its not secure here.”
“Well, you proposed this place, and...”
“Anyway. There is no time. Here are the documents we talked about. They are directly from a safe in the German ABWEHR HQ. Use them well. Gospoda Stalina must be saved.”
“What do you say?”
“See for yourself...”
Mueller lit a cigarette and puffed nervously, scanning the room with her intense blue eyes. Katrina scanned the documents. Looked real, alright. Typical German language, quite boring, and... what was that? A case file, Marshall Irina Tuchatshevskaya... no! A plot to overthrow Gospoda Stalina... reinstall the Romanovas... this couldnt be true. But, what if? These generals were ladies out of the old imperial army. No real communista ever trusted them. It was possible. The NKVD needed these papers, and quick.
She made a poker face.
“We have to verify this. I take it you have read this?”
“Sure, why else did I hurry to you?”
“I see. Well, stay calm. We will arrange something to get you to safety, Gospoda Mueller. Where do you stay now?”
“The Garden Towers Hotel, on the Small Side...”
“Ah, good. Go there immediately and stay there. We will help you.”
Mueller nodded, her arrogance gone. 
“And... and, you will save Gospoda Stalina? She is womankinds only hope and...”
“Be quiet. Rest assured, we will take the matter in hands.”
The Mueller must vanish. Permanently. Yes, Havrodova would arrange something nice. The blonde German left, and Havrodova rose too. She must get these documents to the embassy real quick.

Outside, the blonde Lady Mueller ordered a cab. In the back of the car she smiled to herself. Jane Bonda would be very, very proud of her, Major Ophelia Skorzeny thought...



NEW ORGANISATION OF THE US NAVY
Summary for Admirals Meeting, January 26th 1938

1st US Atlantic Battle Fleet
Admiral Stark, Norfolk
BBs New Mexiko, Mississippi, Idaho, 2 CA, 2 CL, 5 DD

2nd US Atlantic Battle Fleet
Admiral Benson, Miami
BBs New York, Texas, Arkansas, 2 CL, 5 DD

US Atlantic Sub Command
Vice Admiral Hewitt, Boston
7 SS

US Task Force 15
Vice Admiral Fletcher, Norfolk
CV Ranger, 7 DD

US Atlantic Transport Reserve
Admiral Ghormley, Norfolk
12 TP

1st US Pacific Battle Fleet
Admiral Nimitz, San Diego
BBs Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, 3 CA, 2 CL, 4 DD

2nd US Pacific Battle Fleet
Admiral Leahy, San Diego
BBs Oklahoma, Tennessee, California, 3 CA, 2 CL, 4 DD

US Carrier Strike Fleet
Vice Admiral Halsey, Los Angeles
CVs Lexington, Saratoga, Yorktown
BBs Colorado, West Virginia, Maryland
2 CA, 1 CL, 3 DD

US Task Force 14
Admiral Hart, San Diego
5 CA

US Pacific Sub Command
Vice Admiral Kimmel, San Francisco
10 SS

US Pacific Transport Reserve
Vice Admiral Glover, Los Angeles
12 TP



Navy HQ, Norfolk, Virginia, January 26th, 1938, 16.04 hours

Admiral Claudine Swanson smiled down satisfied on the new OOB of her navy. Up to now, the meeting with staff and the fleet commandresses had been a success. Swanson looked forward to the evening and the drinks. This was the moment Admiral Ephraima King choosed to make her stand, and the whole nice meeting went to hell.
“We cant seriously propose to the Lady President to build these behemoths! Their cost is immensely, and when they are operational, they will be obsolete.”
“Not again, Ephraima, please. You and Jo Anne Halsey got your so called “Carrier Strike Fleet”. Isnt that enough?”
Swanson wished King to the canon boat flotilla on the Yangtze Kiang, but she was at her staff, the goddess knew why.
“We have only three carriers in this fleet. And the planes are outdated. The budget for these big battleships could easily provide us with a dozen carriers instead.”
“Ephraima, dear, we discussed that over and over again. Aircraft pose no serious threat to well armed and protected battleships, and the Montana class will be the best in the world. If we ever get a budget for them, we WILL build the Montanas. There is no more need of vulnerable eggshells like the YORKTOWN. I knew you are convinced they are the future, and they will certainly be YOUR future. After Jo Anne, you will get command of the carriers. Satisfied?”
“Hell, no, serious, gals, going for these battleships is a mistake. You know what the Japs are doing...”
“The Japs, Lady King, are silly barbarians, running wild in China with their swords. Heard their Empress is into fencing with these things too. If they take them on a flight with them, on their dreaded carriers?”
Claudine and most Admirals chuckled. King and Halsey looked at each other, clearly angry.
Swanson had enough of that. 
“We discussed that already. Case closed. The bar is opened, ladies!”
“YEAH!”


Delta Force barracks, Atlanta Georgia, February 11th, 1938, 10.20 hours

“Yeah, this is Special Agent Tucker speaking. Oh, Lady Hoover, Mam. Yes, the thing we talked about at new years eve... yeah, okay, Mam, on the way, yes. Goodby, Mam.”
Beyonce placed the receiver down and turned to Amy, which was, what else, eating a sandwich.
“The Old Dragon has given the go. So, lets get things started.”
“Mmhh, so we have a scientist willing to play bait and all?”
“Yeah, one Lady Jane Oppenheimer at Chicago Institut of Technology. I will catch the airship to Chicago this afternoon, while you get everything ready down here. Which squads do you propose?”
“Floras and Gails, I suppose. They are on duty today and they have trained inhouse combat. They are eager to meet these SET chicks.”
“You infested them with your stories on the bad fascists, Amy. And we still dont know for sure its the Germans.”
“I would bet my grandmas gas station in Texas its the Germans...”
“You never told me about this grandma...”
“If she knew me working for the crats in Washington, she would probably shoot me.”
“I see. Okay, Amy, if its really the SET we are up against, I want us to really kick ass.”
“We will. Send them right to hell and...”
“No. Thats the point. No deadly force. Hoover didnt authorize that, and besides, we need the gals alive as evidence. If we catch them and they are German soldiers, there will be hell to pay.”
“Havent thought of that. Wouldnt taste good in Frau Hitlers dirty mouth, would it? Real nice, I am starting to like the idea...”
“Oh, Amy, if the goddess smiles upon us, it might be even this Skorzeny bitch...”
“I doubt that. She was officially at The Pride of Breslau, she wont work here now.”
“To bad... but maybe, one day...”
“Beyonce, Beyonce. You are not really wishing to meet the Germans are you? Or have I succeeded in the end?”
“You are bad influence...”
“Aint that the truth. A sandwich too? No? Well, I could use another one anyway...”


Lubjanka building, Moscow, February 27th, 1938, 3.05 hours

Ilona Shmikova looked at the assembled officers. Young and determined, eager faces meeting her gaze. Ready to serve the state, to serve Gospoda Stalina. Wasnt the NKVD the sword and shield of the party? And was Gospoda Stalina not the head of the party? And Gospoda Stalina was in danger, or so it seemed.
“Gospodas, I must inform you there exsists a plot to overthrow the party, reinstate the Romanovas and kill Gospoda Stalina. Our great sister has trusted me to deal with the traitresses, and I trust you, my sisters, to accomplish the task at hand. On this handout you will read the names of the traiteresses and their current location.”
The NKVD gals read for a while, whispers rose.
“Yes, its the military. We never trusted them, and right we were. Your mission is quite simple. Take them all in custody. And get the interrogation rooms ready.”
Their officresses went to work eagerly. Ilona made a stern face, appropriate for the grim situation. She didnt believe the “ABWEHR” documents for a second. But this was a golden opportunity to clean up Red Army, and eliminate a possible rival to the parties power. Gospoda Stalina herself had trusted her with the operation. Altough no longer guest in Stalinas bedroom, Ilona was still in favour with the great sister. Very well, a new opportunity for her, alright. There was only one thing worrying the Russian beauty. The Stalina obviously really believed in this conspiracy. Her paranoia jumped at this like... yes, like a madwoman. Was Stalina mad? And what meant that for the party, the Soviet Union, the Rodina?
She banned these thoughts from her mind. But they would return in the coming months, as the purges got really underway...


“STALINA PURGES SOVIET ARMY”
Moscow. Hundreds of soviet generals and high ranking officers of the Red Army were arrested in the last week. Russian press reports about a plot to kill the Stalina and...”
International Heraldress Tribune, March 3rd, 1938


Park around Chicago Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, March 6th, 1938, 12.52 hours

The beautiful scientist in the thick pullover threw back her long, curly dark hair. She was discussing vividly with two other ladies. Dagmar Kleikamp approached the three ladies, a cigarette between her lips.
“Excuse me, may I have a light?”
The dark haired one turned and looked confused.
“Ah, what? Oh, excuse me, sure, here.”
“Ah, thanks. Beautiful hair, my lady. Have a nice day, and thanks again for the light!”
Kleikamp continued on her way. The scientist had turned again. She heard one of the others say: 
“Who was that?”
The third one opinioned:
“Probably an english gal, Oxford accent and all that. And these boots are clearly London.”
Dagmar Kleikamp smiled to herself. Her English upper class accent was perfect. Well, it was highly unprofessional, but she had this small ritual, on the day of the capture, approach the victim and ask her for a light. She had done it every time, and never anything happened. The same here.
Tonight, Lady Jane Oppenheimer would wriggle in her bounds and whimper in her gag, probably throwing about these beautiful black curls in the process.
The SET Major started to hum a melody, a German one. No one would recognize it here. Altough she wished to see real combat, she started to have fun here in America. It was after all amusing to collect these decadent bitches, their bodyguards inclusive, and turn them into helpless bundles destined for the Reich.
Jane Oppenheimer would join them soon.