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Time for the United Kingdom to crush this united evil. :)
 
trekaddict said:
We have a saying that says: "Shut up and do better." :p :rofl:

That sounds like a great saying. And greece got killed a while ago, so I really don't care who wins. Unless if germany wins you'd update faster...
 
wilegfass said:
That sounds like a great saying. And greece got killed a while ago, so I really don't care who wins. Unless if germany wins you'd update faster...

Well, the next update is about 90 % done....
 
Chapter 10




September 10, around Midnight


“Let us talk then.” Stalin said. Von Ribbentrop could barely conceal his excitement, as his chances of both getting out of Moscow alive and not having to face the Führers wrath afterwards had just increased considerably. “As I said, Comrade Stalin, what I have just told you is only a preliminary proposal. The Führer proposes a full-sized conference either in Berlin or here in Moscow. “ Stalin nodded thoughtfully, his face still unreadable. “You said recognition of all Soviet Claims in Finland and the Baltic States. What exactly do you have in mind?” Von Ribbentrop cringed. Unfortunately he had to broach something to Stalin that he probably would not like. “We only want Memel and the surrounding province to return home into the arms of the Reich, we have no interests in the rest of the Region, same goes for Finland, except that we would probably want a Naval Base in Northern Finland, at the Arctic Coast, but that is a issue for the Conference.” Von Ribbentrop fingered his briefcase while Stalin still pondered the proposal. Unbeknownst to von Ribbentrop Stalin had already decided to agree, but if he was to negotiate favourable conditions for the Soviet Union he needed to create the impression that he was hesitant. He also disliked von Ribbentrop personally and simply enjoyed to see him sweat in the overwhelming warmth of the room. Finally he spoke and said: “I need to discuss this with the Polit Bureau.. But rest assured, I think we will come to a satisfactory agreement. Now, if you would wait in the embassy we have allocated to you we can speak again once the Polit Bureau has met.” Von Ribbentrop nodded and after exchanging meaningless diplomatic niceties with Stalin he was once again led through the maze of the tunnels, doors and checkpoints to the cars that had brought them to the Kremlin. Molotov was nowhere in sight, but von Ribbentrop knew that if he wasn't being briefed this very minute he had been listening in the whole time.

The German delegation was chauffeured to the German embassy, not knowing that the members of the Polit Bureau were meeting in the conference room they normally used. Stalin called the meeting to order. “Comrades, you all have heard the talk I had with that swine von Ribbentrop.” Everyone nodded the affirmative. “Now, what are we going to do about it? Can we really agree or will we only use this as a diversion to recover our lost territories?” No one talked, each aware that should they coincidentally say something that went against whatever Stalin had decided they could find themselves at a rather cold place in the remoter regions of the Soviet Union and no one had the desire to go there. Molotov was the first to muster enough courage to speak. “Comrade Stalin, I think that we should tentatively accept to the conference. I mean what do we have to loose? We have the chance to secure a temporary agreement with the fascists that gives us a free hand to recover our lost provinces and also gives us time to prepare for the real enemy.” he paused, obviously less than keen to say what he had to say next, and threw a usnure look at Stalin. “But Comrades, the chances are high that this might lead to war with the Allied Powers at some point. The British, and to a lesser extent the French are guaranteeing the independence of most of eastern Europe. While I have all confidence in the Red Army's ability to defeat them the cost could be enormous.” He anxiously waited for Stalin's reply.

The Dictator slammed his fist on the table. “Comrades, what Comrade Molotov just told us is true. But I think that the potential benefits outweigh the risks. The west is decadent and weak. The British and the French do not have the stomach to fight a prolonged war against bith us and the Germans, and their Armies are laughably small compared to ours, and now that America is in the hands of the traitor they are forced to rely on what they can produce at home. Believe me, in the long term the British are no threat to the Soviet Union*, and the potential pay-off's are enough to convince me. Tomorrow we will inform the Germans that we gladly accept.” He stood up and with that the meeting was over. No one had really expected to have much of a say in a matter of this magnitude, especially when Stalin's mind was already made up, and so none of the members were surprised that the 'meeting' had been so short. They all went back to their respective posts, only Molotov followed Stalin, as he had the feeling that he would have been summoned soon anyway. Stalin knew that Molotov was following him and noted the man's eagerness with a mix of pride at his protegee and annoyance because Molotov managed to read him this good. “Comrade Molotov, I want you to send a car to the German Embassy tomorrow. Tell them we accept, and that the conference will be held in Berlin.” Molotov doubted the wisdom of holding the conference in Berlin but knew better than to question one of Stalin's decisions, so he simply nodded and went back to his commissariat.

British Embassy

September 11, 2:34 o'clock

The Head of Station R (Russia) was bewildered by the signal he had received from London a few days back. He had been ordered to have all of the popular entries into Moscow watched, the Airport, the Train stations, everything. He still did not know what the point of this was, but when one of his men had reported back in several minutes ago he had the distinct feeling that he was about to find out. A small knock on the door of his office told hem it was time, as only one person knew that he was the head of Station, and that was aformentoine Agent, named Ian Flemming.** “Ah Flemming!” he said. “What do you have for me?” “Well, Sir, it seems that the Jerries and the Ivans are meeting about something, I clearly identified Ribbentrop entering some of the abortions they call cars. I then decided to vacate the area, as some of the Smersh men there got a bit close to my hiding place.” The Head of Station nodded and directed Fleming to write up a report that would be sent to London once the communications room had finished installing the new cypher machines.



*I will prove him wrong of course.
** pure concidence. :D


[Game effects: None, but in a few days the alliance will be finalized. While this might seem a bit rushed you must remember that this is all hush-hush, and the longer they wait the longer the west has time to find out and devise countermeasures. I must also say that I am not exactly satisfied with how this chapter sounds. Apologies for the crappy quality of this. The part of the actual meeting of the Soviet bigwigs was supposed to be much longer, but it just sat there and wouldn't get longer, no matter what I tried. So I decided to use the leftover space to start the first secondary storyline. Again sorry for the suckage in this chapter. I need more coffee.]
 
that wasnt too crappy :D better than the crap my mind spews out for my aar... longer isnt always better, anyway.
 
Only Smersh?
What about that malevolent S.P.E.C.T.R.E?
 
Enewald September is correct, the first update was set on September 3rd.

Well not really a coincidence.


BritishImperial Thank you.


ColossusCrusher SPECTRE would be a bit overkill, at least SMERSH has a real life foundation. Let's just hope that Mr Flemming survives the war to write these books.
 
I am happy to announce that after recoivering from a serious case of writers block the next update is about 30% done.
 
Chapter 11






September 11, 11:34 PM

Location: Secret, somewhere in London

“This is bloody ridiculous!” the head of SIS screamed, throwing the crumpled report at the wall. The other man in the room, the head of SIS's foreign service, MI6*, cringed upon hearing this outburst, and closed his mouth again without saying something. Simon, the current head of SIS calmed himself down and said to Sir Martin, head of MI6: “Listen Martin. I know that your men in Station R risked a lot to get this, but the idea of a Soviet-German Alliance is simply ludicrous!” Sir Martin did not agree with this assessment. The data collected by Station R was inconclusive, yes, but in the end he had adopted the same stance the data and his old friend Churchill had suggested. He also knew that he took a big risk if he forwarded this officially secret report to Chartwell, but he was sure that if this came true Chamberlains Administration was finished anyway, if not earlier. If he was however to hand that report to anyone outside of the local waste dump he needed to calm his superior down. “But Sir, don't we have to follow up on that anyway? As far as I can tell whatever the Ivans and the Jerries are up to can't be good, even if it is only a trade deal.” Simon nodded. “That is true Sir Martin. Tell the head of Station R that he will continue to monitor the Situation and report when anything new comes up.” “Yes, Sir.”

Sir Martin stood up and left the Office, preparing to go back to his own.

September 18, 8:00 PM

Ferry somewhere in the English Channel, about 10 miles south of Dover

Hans Maler was nervous, nervous beyond belief. Not that anyone who looked at him could see it. To the outside world he was Micheal Graham, salesman for a Southampton-based electronics Company that specialized in selling portable radios. This was meant to explain the radio he had in his suitcase to any casual observer, without them knowing that it was not only a radio but also a transmitter, issued to him by his real employer, the Abwehr. Hans Maler was a Lieutenant-Colonel in Germany's Military Intelligence agency, and hand-picked by Admiral Canaris to be the first of a string of Agents meant to infiltrate Britain in preparation for the War, although Maler did not know the last part. As far as he was concerned he was sent to infiltrate the more dangerous of Germany's two main enemies and as a good German Officer he did what he was told without questioning his orders. Maler was a graduate of the Prussian War School in Brandenburg, and had joined both the Reichswehr's Signal Corps and the NSDAP in 1931, facts that had both paid off when Admiral Canaris had sought to recreate the old pre-great War espionage networks in England. Maler had spent the last year in the Abwehr's very own training centre in Bavaria, where he had been taught everything from the mundane duties of an agent to Signals and close combat. At first the insistence of his instructors that violence was only to be used as a last resort had bewildered him, but as he got deeper into the training he had started to see the wisdom of this. No sense to lay a trail for Special Branch and MI5 to follow. Although he met Canaris only once the Admiral had been impressed by the young man's abilities, and by the end of the week Maler had found himself in the highest circles of German Intelligence.

He had spent the last two years training for his current assignment, working to become the perfect imitation of an Englishmen. He was still nervous though, as his desire to end up on the Isle of Wight was limited. So here he was now, in a rickety boat that was rolling heavily in the stormy seas of the English Channel, headed towards Britain, unsure if his incredibly flimsy cover would hold until he managed to create a new identity that he could use permanently, or better two, so that he could always fall back on one if the other was threatened. He knew that the likelihood of being caught was slim at best, considering that the English counter-intelligence services were a joke, suffering from chronic underfunding ever since the end of the Great War, and the Tommies also never expected an infiltration attempt on the route he was taking. From Dover he would take a train to london where he would arrive on Paddington Station. There he would find a deposit box where the final parts for his portable Radio where waiting for him. When he had been briefed on the Radio back in Berlin he had commended the ingenuity of the Engineers. On their own the parts were completely inconspicuous, only put together would they be incriminating, and even then only to a schooled observer. Nevertheless he was becoming impatient. Normally this was a bad trait in an agent, but on this occasion it was not too bad, as every salesman coming back from France of all places would be anxious to get home to good old England. He approached one of the attendants and asked: “Excuse me Sir, how long until we make Dover?” “Want to get home to the lady eh?” the attendant asked. “Ah yes, Sir, I haven't seen her in two weeks, and do you know how bloody impossible it is to get a decent cup of tea from the Frogs?” Both men laughed heartily at that, and continued to chat until the ferry docked in Dover.

Maler got off the ferry, knowing that if he met the attendant ever again he would have to kill him after all. Once on the train to London he finally allowed himself to ease down a bit. He studied the countryside and the paper he had bought before boarding the train. The London Times wrote primarily about the latest Polish-German squabble. Three days ago Hitler had started to make noise about the former German territories in Poland, almost openly threatening with war if these territories were not ceded to the Reich. The British had not reacted yet, and Maler suspected that their Prime Minister was simply unwilling to risk war over a few Polish Provinces despite the public outcry. Now even established conservative newspapers were starting to question the viability of Chamerblain's Administration, and if the Poles actually folded the English PM might stand on very shaky feet. If he guaranteed Poland's borders he would be dragged into a war he and as far as he knew the population did not want, and if he did not do anything he might be accused of kicking Britain's principles with his feet. Maler was largely indifferent towards this. He was working for the Fatherland, and he did not particularly care who was in charge of the Fatherland's enemies.




*for the sake of the story I assume that SIS has two subdivisions, MI5 for internal counter-intelligence and such and MI6 for foreign operations.



[Game effects: The Germans sent a spy to the UK. Relations are down.]
 
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Maler should probably be a bit more concerned about who runs the country he's spying in. After all a new leader might increase the counter-intelligence budget!

Interesting moves by Sir Martin, brave of him to go against the government like that, of course we know he's picked the right side but it must have been awfully hard to be sure of that at the time.
 
licking tea????

nice update, really liked that one. espionage and intrigue... i was reminded of the man with the golden gun in your description of the radio parts.

surely if relations are down, in game terms doesnt that mean that britain knows they have sent a spy, just not who it is... so are we to see british efforts to find him also?
 
Enewald (1) Maler isn't so funny over here.

British Intelligence sucks at that time, yes.


El Pip True, but at the moment even a new leader ( Now who could that be? :D ) can't do much, the network is still woefully incomplete. At the time I have about 4 of the ten spies operating domestically. In any case Chamberlain is not quite finished yet, however if the poles fold it is a step in that direciton.

Sir Martin goes against the sitting Gouvernment, but he set his bet on someone else long ago, and we can be sure that if the new administration takes power he will be remembered. He mainly switched sides because the SIS suffered from budget cuts while at the same time the commintments grew.

BritishImperial I just ahd to put that line in when I wrote it.


The different parts, that is a old trick I've seen numerous times over the years, but yes, it was inspired by that movie.

Enewald (2) Neither do I. :D


For the record: I rarely drink tea, simply because I am a coffee man.


EDIT: I was really tempted to call Sir Martin simply "M", but that would have been over the top.
 
coverjuly.jpg


The AARlander July 2008 is out, and your beloved favourite authAAR has written an article in it. :D
 
already read that. very good and worth a read. though while they are very fun, i would disagree that command and conquer is 'serious strategy' or whatever you said - after playing hoi i tend to think of it as tactical, and compared to the deep strategic depth of our favourite game its rather a case of spamming powerful units and sending them in an unbeatable wave, without much thought involved. or that might just be why im crap at them :D
 
BritishImperial said:
already read that. very good and worth a read. though while they are very fun, i would disagree that command and conquer is 'serious strategy' or whatever you said - after playing hoi i tend to think of it as tactical, and compared to the deep strategic depth of our favourite game its rather a case of spamming powerful units and sending them in an unbeatable wave, without much thought involved. or that might just be why im crap at them :D

TBH I think so too. but in this context serious was not meant as "serious games" but rather serious ammount of.
 
Chapter 12







September 19

Cabinet Meeting Room, Warzaw

President Moscicki dreaded the moment when his Minsiters would file into the room. The announcement he had to make would eventually destroy Poland as a nation. He knew that if he gave in to the German demands Poland would be ripe for the picking, but on the other hand if he didn't Poland would be destroyed for sure. The Polish Armed Forces stood no chance against the Wehrmacht, and help was not to be expected as Poland was surrounded by nations that were indifferent towards her fate at best and the President seriously doubted the willingness of the Allied Powers to start another war with Germany over Poland. So when the Germans had “asked” him to hand over the disputed provinces of the corridor he had already resigned himself to defeat from the moment the German Ambassador had left his office four days ago.

When his cabinet was assembled he simply stand up and said with a voice that he would have deemed to be clicheed in another time. “Gentlemen, I believe you know why I called you here. The question is, what are we doing about it?” The Chief of the Army, Marshall Rydz-Smigly slammed his fist on the table and yelled with his booming voice: “I say we fight! We have the choice between our honour and obedience to the Germans, and I know what I will choose!” The Minister for State Security jumped up. “Have you gone mad Marshal? They will destroy us within two months at best!” The Marshal jumped up, and it seemed that he was about to leap over the table and let the fists start to fly. Instead he just yelled: “AT LEAST WE WILL HAVE OUR HONOUR!” he then calmed down and said: “If we just give in then we will have lost our best positions and half our country without firing a single bullet! And who says these $”!§$!)§% bastards actually abide to whatever treaty they dictate?” Moscick now too stood and said: “But if we fight then our Nation will disappear completely and be ravaged by war!” The Marshal stood up again and simply said: “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” With that he stomped out of the room, not caring what the outcome of the meeting was, knowing that he would not like it at all. He did not plan to sit around when the Germans came and took over his nation.

Back in the meeting room the cabinet members stared at the table, trying to move past the arkwardness that hung in the air. The President stood sat back down and said: “Despite what the Marshal says I fear we will have to accept to the German proposal.” He looked around and saw that most of them would most likely agree with him, but some seemed to be not exactly comfortable about it. Neither was he, but he had sworn an oath the protect and preserve Poland at all costs, and if the cost was a few provinces on her western borders then he had to do it. With the single dissenting voice gone he had formed his own opinion and he dismissed the cabinet. He had work to do. Surprisingly enough the Marshal had been the only one to openly voice his opinion, and in the depths of his heart Moscicki knew that he was right, but there was still nothing that could be done.


No.10 Downing Street, London

five hours later


Prime Minister Chamberlain was not exactly pleased with the news the Embassy in Warzaw had sent over the wireless. He was sitting in the Prime Ministers Office with Sir John, the head of SIS and discussed this recent, unpleasant turn of events.
“What annoys me most about this Prime Minister is that Churchill and his cohorts will jump on this like the vultures on a body in the desert. The must think that Jerry is granting them their fondest wish, and they will definitely try to use this mess to their advantage. Sir, we must do something, even it it is only symbolic.” Chamberlain nodded and said: “The British public does not want a war, despite Mr. Churchill's rants, but I agree that we must stand firm on this if we want to hold Herr Hitler at bay without having to fight him.” Simon nodded and said: “Yes, Prime Minister, but what? We can't very well tell them to give these provinces back to the poles now can we?” “No, we cannot. But Britain shan't be sitting around while they take over Eastern Europe. I've called in the foreign Secretary, he will join us momentarily. We need to discuss this with the foreign office before we can do something.” Simon sighed internally. He was not so sure about the public willingness to go to war again, especially since he had tasked the head of MI5 to ascertain what exactly the British populace felt about the current turmoil in eastern Europe, but he agreed that a war had to be avoided at all costs, as Britain would be hard pressed to commit equally much as they had done in the Great War. Too many would die, and he felt that a few polish provinces were a small price to pay to save millions of lives. He also shared the Prime Ministers views on rearmament. Building up the Royal Navy was fair game, but an Army too large for self defence might be seen as too aggressive. But he did not voice these thoughts as the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, was entering the office.

“Ah Halifax, sit down!” Chamberlain said. When the Foreign Secretary was situated at the desk he spoke: “I have asked my Polish Desk to prepare a summary of what we already know. Gentlemen, I must emphasize that there is a lot of guesswork involved, as we have next to no valid sources in Germany and Poland is in a state of political and civilian upheaval.” he looked at Chamberlain who simply signaled him to continue. Halifax cleared his throat and spoke. “As you know three days ago the Germans issued an ultimatum to the Poles. It essentially boild down to a threat of war, with peace in exchange for the disputed provinces in Western Poland. These provinces contain a large minority...” Halifax went on for several minutes, briefing his Prime Minister and the head of SIS on the matter. After several minutes Chamberlain said: “Thank you Lord Halifax. So Gentlemen, the question is what are we doing about this? When this leaks out the press and Parliament are going to scream for blood, despite the popular sentiment.” Chamberlain leaned back in his chair and appeared to be deep in thought. “I believe I know a gesture that might deter the Germans and won't force us to commit right away. I think that we should guarantee the borders Poland is in now. If we do the Germans will probably refrain from swallowing up the rest of the country.” Simon remarked: “Sir, what about the rumours about the Alliance with the Soviets?” Chamberlain made a dismissive gesture. “This is nothing more but a rumour, and I will tell the dear MPs so should they ask, and Gentlemen, this is the Governments official position on this, am I clear?” Simon nodded, allthough he did not agree. “Yes, Sir.”

[Game effects: The poles ceded the disputed provinces to Germany. This will seriously affect both the game and the Administration back on London, but I will deal with that in a future update. The immediate reaction is that I now have a GoI for rump Poland. For now I have two oral exams ahead of me, so it will be Thursday before I can work on this again.]
 
i think mr chamberlain is wrong :D he's being bloody complacent again :mad:

good luck on those exams.