Grand Alliance

“For good or for ill, but you are here, that much you will inevitably come to realize and believe, just as we did. And being here is a matter of grave concern, not simply for your own fate, or the lives of the men you command, but for the fate of this world. Do you understand what I am saying now, general? You are no ordinary man here-not in this time and place. This is the Western Desert of Egypt in 1941. You know what is happening here now, and why men with names like Wavell and O’Connor are before you. And you will soon hear of another familiar name-Rommel. He is here as well, and undoubtedly up to the same old tricks that confounded the British for years in this campaign. But you can change all that, General Kinlan.”

“Change it?” Now Kinlan remembered his own impulsive vow to Major Sims, that he would kick Rommel’s ass half way to Berlin if he found him.

“Yes,” said Fedorov. “That is the real dilemma now. We faced it, talked endlessly about it, debated it, and then we realized we could not remain here in the midst of this terrible war without choosing sides. And General, there was some contention among our ranks over that choice. There were those who were very embittered over the hostility and enmity that has grown between our nations in our day. It was a struggle, but my Admiral held firm and eventually opted for reason in the face of all this insanity.”

“Admiral?”

“Leonid Volsky. You have heard of this man?”

“Volsky. He’s the commander of the Red Banner Northern Fleet, or at least he was before your ship went missing.”

“Correct, and he was to transfer to the Pacific Fleet just as the incident at the Diaoyutai/Senkaku Islands ignited hostilities there. That little squabble was going to become something that would eventually devour the entire world. The missile attack you experienced was undoubtedly a part of all that, and your presence here may be the only safe ground you could have found for your men and vehicles. You know damn well that there would have been a second strike, and a third if your air defense prevented that.”

“Is that what you were here for, Battle Damage Assessment?”

“No General, you must understand that I was never there-never in that time. I was here all along, with my Marines and helicopter, and we were out here doing exactly as we have told you, looking for General O’Connor. You see, when we found ourselves here, in this time, we realized there was no way we could stand apart from this conflict. We had to take sides, one way or another, and knowing that Russia and Britain were allies once eventually guided our thinking to the right path. So it is as I have told you. My ship is out there right now, waiting for my return. Kirov is cruising with Cunningham’s Royal Navy fleet, and ready to do battle in support of the British here-and it is a grave hour indeed. Believe me, General, it’s all in shreds and patches now, but you will piece it together soon enough, just as we did, and the quilt of your understanding could save your country now-here-in 1941.”

Chapter 2

Shreds and patches… That was as good a way to put things as he could fathom. Here he was, a king of shreds and patches, just as Hamlet put it. Yet he wanted to shout at this man as Hamlet’s mother had… ‘No more! Your words are like daggers, please no more, sweet Hamlet. Angels in heaven protect me with your wings!..’ A ragtag king he was, lost, completely out of his world, but a king indeed. That was what this man was saying to him now, that he was here and that meant something. He had a responsibility here, and it would begin with the same choice this Russian Captain had made, to be or not to be, here and now, in this war, taking up arms against a sea of trouble and by opposing…

“You’re asking me to fight here… now?”

“Where else?” Fedorov gave him a thin smile. “We fought. We were misguided by a headstrong Captain at first-the very man I replaced. His was a hard line, and he had no love of the West, or the British. But my view was that if we could somehow prevent the enmity between our nations from ever taking root after this war, then we might prevent the one that comes after, the searing fire that you have only just escaped. Understand, General? You are here. This war is here as well. Your countrymen fight even as we speak. We have joined them. That decision should be much easier for you.”

Popski was following the essence of this, but could not see why this Fedorov would have to try and convince a British serving officer as to which side he was on in this damn war, and he said as much.

“I’ll admit I had my doubts about you when you gave us the rough treatment up front,” he said to Kinlan, “but forgive and forget, General.” This man here seems to think he needs to persuade you to take up sides here, as silly as that may seem.”