“I believe that I have the authority to agree,” Turtledove said. “How long?”
“I think between a fortnight and a month,” Yamamoto said. “Long enough to get everything organised.”
Turtledove nodded slowly. “Very well,” he said finally. “We will send you back – Ambassador, do you wish to return as well?”
Yurina nodded. “Yes, thank you,” she said.
Turtledove frowned. “You’re a braver woman than I am,” he said. “Very well; the Canberra will return you to Japan, along with some proper communications equipment. Good luck.”
The Canberra sank slowly under the waves as she left the task force’s defence perimeter, not that it had been needed. Ark Royal’s radars had been clear; the Japanese hadn’t even been aware that they’d been present. They could have gone a lot closer to Japan without them noticing that they were there.
The task force turned south, heading away from Japan. The base at Truk had been damaged by the fighting, but it would suffice as a place to refuel and make new plans. Admiral Turtledove allowed himself a moment of relief; at least Yamamoto hadn’t refused the terms outright, or made ludicrous demands of his own.
“You did well, in there,” Menzies said. A jet would arrive to return him to Australia, but for the moment he was resting onboard the vast ship. “I thought for a moment that he would refuse.”
“He’s a pragmatist,” Turtledove said. “He understands that we would have had to go nuclear, or even just wait for them all to starve. If he can end the war for us, then fine; if not, we’ve lost nothing.”
Menzies lifted an eyebrow. “You have doubts?” He asked. “You, the commander of the force that kicked their behinds twice? You, the man who commands the Commonwealth Naval forces and treats all men and women as equals.”
“I’ve seen enough Marine operations to know that they’re far from easy,” Turtledove said, ignoring the last comment. “There are so many things that can go wrong, particularly fighting in close quarters where our airpower will be less useful than I suspect Yamamoto believes. Dear God; Yamamoto is brave, isn’t he?”
“You’re impressed,” Menzies said. “A hero of yours?”
“He was one of the finest naval commanders of the war,” Turtledove said. “If he’s lucky, half of the Japanese are going to regard him as a traitor, just for saving them from death – the total extermination of the Japanese people. If he’s unlucky… well, they weren’t joking about bamboo shoots under the nails as a torture method.”
Chapter Twenty-Six: A New Beginning
Forward Base
Kuwait
6th May 1942
Hanover sucked in the dry air of Kuwait as the hatch opened on the plane, allowing the hot air to wash into the plane. He waited the exact amount of time for the soldiers to line up, and then he stepped out of the plane onto the stepladder.
“Present arms,” General Flynn bellowed. Two hundred men, all from the 2nd Armoured Division, presented armed. “Salute!”
They saluted, as one. Hanover, a veteran himself, saluted back, and then saluted the flag. He stepped off the stepladder, still holding the salute, and stepped onto the small podium. Microphones and three small cameras were pointed at him, but the media people were keeping well back. This was for the soldiers. Everyone knew that.
“At ease,” General Flynn bellowed. He hadn’t wanted to do that, but Hanover had insisted. The last thing the troops would want was to stand at attention while he gave a speech, even the short one he’d written for the occasion. The men deserved better than a long speech in uncomfortable surroundings.
“Thank you, all of you,” Hanover said. It was sincere; it meant more to them than flowery phases. “Your work today should hopefully lead to a more peaceful Middle East in the future, one where the virus of Islamic Extremism has been stamped on before it ever truly developed. You have the thanks of thousands yet unborn, and perhaps the people here will appreciate us more.”
He smiled wryly. From the reports, the Iranians and Iraqis – having lived under Soviet rule for nearly a year – had been very relieved to see the British. He didn’t know how long it would last – not many Iranians wanted the Shah back and he didn’t really want to upset them – but for the moment the Middle East was enjoying a period of peace.
“There is one final task left to do,” he said. “We have to march to Berlin, and then Moscow, completing the task of eradicating fascism from the Earth. We have done so much, and now there is only one task left. For the day, however, everyone has a day on liberty.”
He stepped off the podium as General Flynn ordered a second salute, then the troops dispersed. Hanover saluted Flynn as he stepped up to him, and then shook hands firmly.
“It’s a honour to have you here,” Flynn said. “What do you think?”
Hanover glanced around Kuwait, at the results of nearly a year and a half of development. The makings of a formidable port were already laid, linked to the growing railway network, built with American-supplied rails. It wouldn’t be perfect, far from it, but a transport network would help boost the economy forward.
“It’s impressive,” he said. “I’m very pleased with it.”
Flynn grinned. “Blame Shahan McLachlan,” he said. “The man is a font of positive energy and an absolute disregard for the previously established rules here. Do you know that we have seven different ethnic groups in Arabia, all thanks to the Turks?”
“They’re still forcing out the Kurds?” Hanover asked. “What are we doing to do with them?”
“Shahan has been developing the fields of Arabia,” Flynn said. “As you know, he has two desalination plants and they’re both working hard. It’s not quite as simple as adding water, but it will help to feed everyone in Arabia.” He smiled. “Given twenty years, they might just succeed in forging a real country.”
Hanover nodded. “It looks as if he will get most of Iraq,” he said. “Iran’s provisional government, while committed to democracy, wasn’t keen on the idea of joining up.” He shrugged. “The Americans are planning to invest heavily, provided they continue their path towards democracy, so they won’t be a problem in the long term. In the short term, however… what’s the security situation like?”
Flynn grinned. “We have five divisions of armoured infantry that belong to the Republic of Arabia,” he said. “With the death of Ibn Saud, the Saudi tribe seems to have come apart, although it’s hard to be certain. Now that our satellites have improved, hunting them down if they pose a problem shouldn’t be difficult. I don’t think that there are any more worries from that quarter.
“In the north, the Russians have dug in along the Caucasus Mountains,” he continued. “They don’t have the ability to push an offensive against us any more, but we’re going to keep some troops in Tabriz, just to make certain. Unfortunately, they pretty much wrecked Baku before retreating, and the natives are revolting.”
“I’m sure they are,” Hanover said dryly. “Have they asked for support?”
“Not yet,” Flynn said. “The collapse of Soviet power led to a civil war. The mutual slaughter hasn’t stopped yet.”
Hanover nodded. “And the Jewish problem?”
“Shahan is supposed to be meeting with the Jewish leader now,” Flynn said. “God only knows what they’ll come up with; we can do without a civil war in our new ally’s territory.”
“No,” Hanover agreed. “Still, a peaceful Middle East is important, no matter how many noses get bent out of joint.” They reached the command building, neatly guarded by a British soldier, and stepped inside. “Is this building secure?”