John Schettler - Three Kings

But it didn’t happen that way, and we had everything to do with that. Kirov, this entire odyssey, Orlov, that mission to Ilanskiy, all of it. Then he realized that he, himself, had been at the heart of everything that had happened to forge that chain of events. Yes, Orlov jumped ship, or so he now secretly believed, but I was the one who insisted we go after him. I found the stairway at Ilanskiy, and whispered that warning in Sergei Kirov’s ear. I was the one who insisted we go after Karpov too, and now Kazan is involved in all of this. I was the one who sent Troyak and Orlov on that raid in Siberia, and that’s how Orlov found that Devil’s Teardrop. This is all my doing! And now look what’s in front of me, the British 7th Armored Brigade from the year 2021! My God, the power this unit has at its disposal could influence the entire outcome of this war, and all the history that follows it.

What should I do? It’s going to happen one way or another, with or without any action on my part. These troops were set to move out from their base at Sultan Apache. If so, then they were going to head north to ports that might be able to accommodate the movement of this tonnage. That would be a chancy move with the war heating up as it was, but they’ll try. Yes, they’ll try, and if they do go north they will run right into the thick of things, demigods on the field of battle, the Desert Rats, echoes from the future, born of a past that was playing out here and now, reincarnated in a form and shape so potent that it could change everything. They could save Egypt, prevent England from being knocked right out of this war if things continue to unravel here.

Fedorov had been deeply troubled by the news that Gibraltar had been taken, and the shadow looming over Malta. The dominoes were falling now. He knew the history so well that he could easily see the most likely outcome of these events. Even now, Admiral Volsky was out to sea with Kirov to try and bolster the British fleet as they faced those impossible odds against a combined Axis naval force twice their size. That fight we can win, he thought. With Kirov, and with Kazan out there somewhere, we can unhinge the growing Axis naval power and reset the balance here as it was, restoring the Royal Navy to a position of naval supremacy.

Yes, that we can do, but what about Rommel? How do we influence events on land? That was the dilemma he had discussed with Admiral Volsky. The Germans took Gibraltar, and they’ll likely take Malta now. Rommel will get all the tanks, fuel and supplies he needs here, and what if the Germans reinforce him further? What if they make this place their major war effort for all of 1941? We can win the war at sea, but how in god’s name do I stop Rommel?

There were two ways, one an indirect approach that was within their power-logistics. If we establish naval supremacy here, then we can sink any troop transport the other side puts to sea, and cut off Rommel’s supplies. That was one thing Kirov and Kazan could easily accomplish, particularly with the stealth of the sub.

Yet can we do this before the German force footprint here becomes too large for the British to oppose Rommel’s advance? Now he remembered what Admiral Tovey had confided to them before they put out to sea to look for their battle. He revealed that Turing had sent word that BP had wind of new German troop authorizations for North Africa. They were going to send the troops they had used to smash the Rock of Gibraltar, put that hammer in Rommel’s hand by augmenting his force with 1st Mountain Division and a newly reconstituted Grossdeutschland at full division strength! Those units and others, like the 90th Light Division, were now earmarked for North Africa, and they just might get here before this naval situation is resolved to our satisfaction. Then all we could do is try and make their lives miserable here, by cutting off their seaborne communications with France and Italy.

He considered that, and realized the Germans now had many more options open to them for supplying a force here in North Africa. Tripoli was the first port they would use, but they also had Oran, Algiers, and now the narrow straits of Gibraltar to Tangiers. Getting supplies to Egypt from those ports would be much more difficult, but if the Germans were determined… There was even the possibility that they could create an air bridge, like they tried to supply the 6th Army at Stalingrad.

And how to stop Rommel from smashing his way to the Suez Canal before Kirov and Kazan can make that vital difference? A logistics war is a long, drawn out affair, a way of killing your enemy by starving and smothering him. But there was another way, the direct solution to the problem, right here!

The answer was now right in front of him, all around him in the thundering rumble of heavy tanks and IFVs. The Desert Rats had come home again, by chance, fate or design, and if they do move north Fedorov now knew what had to happen. They would find the British holed up in Tobruk, and by god, they would learn the horrible truth of what had happened to them the hard way and, after the madness passed, they would fight. He was as certain of this outcome as he could possibly be.

So you see, he thought. You can stand here worrying about revealing this insane truth to this world, that men from a future time were here to take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them. Shakespeare had something to say about everything, he thought, smiling inwardly as his anxiety settled down around this conclusion.

It wasn’t up to him after all. Kinlan was going north, and he was going to fight for Great Britain in this war, and that was that. He doesn’t know that now, and he certainly won’t believe a word of it should you try to tell him, but that’s what will happen. So all you have to do, really, is go along for the ride. In fact, that won’t be our choice either. These men have us now, and they certainly won’t apologize, send us back to the KA-40, and wish us farewell.

Perhaps General O’Connor and I can do something about that first, before Kinlan takes that hard road north. Then he smiled again, wondering how O’Connor was going to take in the sight of a battalion of Challenger 2 tanks! Standing there in disbelief was one thing. Putting your hand on that Chobham armor, hearing that big 120mm gun fire, and the thunder of this force in attack-well that was quite another thing entirely, and it will make a believer of O’Connor in short order. He won’t understand it at all, but he’ll see it with his own eyes, and seeing is believing.

It would be good if I could somehow spare both Kinlan and O’Connor the shock and confusion of everything we went through to get this far on this amazing journey. Then he thought of something he could do that would make a very strong argument with Kinlan. Something very simple.

All he had to do was convince him to look over his shoulder!

Brigadier Kinlan gave Popski a frown as he turned from his Staff Officer. “This is already wearing out my patience,” he said. “Now, I’ll give you one more chance to tell me what you are really doing out here, and if I get any more of your nonsense, Major, I’ll lock you and this whole troop up for good! You’re standing there wearing a British soldier’s uniform you must have dug up at a surplus store, and you think you can make me believe your regular army? Alright, have it your way. You know what happens to enemy combatants found behind lines, particularly someone trying to pose as one of our boys?”

Popski had a look of shock on his face, but before he could say anything Fedorov tugged urgently on his arm. “Major, he said quickly. “I need to speak with this officer, and I need you to translate everything I say, faithfully, and without question. Can you do that?”

“I’d just as soon give him a piece of my own mind,” said Popski in Russian, “rank or no rank. The man is going bonkers on us if he thinks we’re his enemy. What’s gotten into him? He’s no British General I’ve ever heard of, nor have I ever seen anything like this lot here!” He gestured to the vehicles still passing them in a long, steady column.