While Giulio was returning triumphantly from St. Petersburg, the military situation in Asia was only degenerating. The Chinese System Destruction strategy, on one hand, had only worked to an extent, but enough to make its damages, especially in Indochina, where both Chinese and Thai troops managed to penetrate in Laos and Cambodia, while provoking serious difficulties to the Europeans. Furthermore, the Chinese had managed to conquer Macau and the Indians had seized Pondicherry, leaving Goa as the last European holding in the Indian subcontinent - excluding the island of Ceylon, and Fort-Bayard (Zhanjiang) in China.
In the meantime, Giulio was assigned to the 26th Airborne Alpini Battalion "Monte Cauriol", part of the 4th Alpini Regiment of the Italian National Army. Thus, attached to the unit based in the town of Predazzo, Department of the Lower Adige (Trento), he received the command of a platoon of 50 male and female conscripts, coming from the Fiemme and Fassa Valleys - Italy had both male and female conscription, as it had to compensate for those states who did not invested in their military. There, he spent the summer going through intensive training and familiarising with his new unit, whose recruits, more or less of his age, turned out to be rather polite and respectful and to respect his authority without major challenges.
Finally, by the end of the Summer of 2013, the 26th was transferred from its headquarters in Predazzo to the Istrana Air Base, in Veneto, from where it was to be transported to Hanoi, European Indochina.
The departure happened on a chill morning, before the sunrise. Giulio and his platoon were waken up by the alarm in the barracks and after getting ready quickly, they packed their bags and got on the truck, which took them to the airfield. Giulio looked at his soldiers: many of them were very anxious, scared. Some were texting, probably their families or dear ones, letting them know of their imminent departure, others more enthusiastic, were taking selfies and still others were looking at each other, clearly fearful of what was to come.
Giulio himself had mixed feelings about that: a part of him, was not feeling ready, was tense and uncomfortable at the idea of being responsible for the lives of those 50 conscripts. Another part of him was enthusiastic at the idea of proving his own worth and covering himself with glory, honouring the ancestors. Ultimately, however, he could not help but thinking of his family and friends at home, hoping to see them all again.
"Everything fine, Sir?" Asked Sergeant Major Michele Dellantonio, the drill sergeant who trained the young soldiers and whom, with his 57 years, was by far the older member of the unit.
Giulio looked at him, with his big face, lively eyes and his grey moustache, while he offered his steel canteen, filled with grappa to Giulio, who accepted. "Was just thinking." He said, while having some of the drink. "Will we make it this time?"
"These are well disciplined and trained lads." Replied the Sergeant, drinking some too. "It's up to you to prove yourself a good commander.
Giulio shrugged his shoulders. "Then it will be up to Captain Mariani, who takes orders from Major Pozzi, who depends on Colonel Mariani, who depends on Brigadier General Martinat..."
"Yes, and so on until reaching President Sarkozy, who is the one sending us there. But following this reasoning it would be no one's responsibility. For us, you are the one in charge and we'll trust your decision."
"I'll keep it in mind." Replied Giulio, looking once again at its soldiers.
In the meantime, the truck stopped in front of the airplane on which they were to embark, an Alenia C-27J Spartan of the Italian National Air Force. Before embarking, however, Giulio decided to order his soldiers to align in front of him and gave a short speech:
"Soldiers,
In a matter of minutes we will embark on this airplane for Hanoi. As you all know, the 4th Regiment has been selected to be part of the Italian contingent that will counter the Chinese invaders and the Vietcong terrorists. This is a war to defend the honour and the prosperity of Europe and of its bright, enlightened civilisation against barbarism and obscurantism. You are like the Roman Legions of old, defending the Limes of the Empire." Giving that speech was stripping Giulio of all anxiety, replacing it by excitement and to an extent, enthusiasm. "Let's therefore show no mercy against terrorists and Chinese alike, for they have challenged our superior civilisation and for it they shall perish. Remember of this, soldiers, when you will be facing the enemy.
All hail Europa!"
"All hail Europa!" Replied the soldiers, with little enthusiasm.
While boarding, Giulio was then stopped by a group of journalists who recognised him as a new member of the Italian Olympic Team:
"Excuse me, Sir." Called a journalist. "Aren't you a member of the Italian Olympic Team?" Asked one of them.
"How will your departure affect your participation to the Salisbury Olympic Games?" Asked another.
Giulio smiled and shrugged his shoulders: "There is no need to worry, gentlemen: by then the war will be over and we will be carrying the Tianzi in Chains to Paris."
Soon after, the airplane carrying the 26th Airborne Alpine Battalion "Monte Cauriol" departed, bound to North Vietnam. From one of the windows, Giulio looked down at his both adoptive and ancestral homeland, becoming smaller and smaller, as they moved East.
The trip from Italy to Northern Vietnam, was a long and boring one, especially as, in order to avoid being intercepted by the SCO Air Forces or anti-air defences, they had to move south, making a first stop in Aden, Federal Colony of Yemen and a second one in Colombo, Ceylon, before reaching Hanoi. Thus, Giulio spent most of it reading his book, then slept, then tried to socialise with the officers and NCOs, then during the last hours, he just lied on a small bunk, contemplating his Cappello Alpino,* with the black raven feather, waiting for time to pass.
"How long will it still take?" He then asked to Sergeant Major Dellantonio, whom he saw passing by.
"From what they told me, some three hours, Sir."
"Excuse me, sir." Intervened a female corporal from his unit, who was sitting close. "Will we be deployed directly in the battlefield?"
"Not really." Reassured Giulio, raising and sitting, "We will be deployed in Hanoi, as part of the 3rd Airborne Task Force, along with the 4th (Liverpool) Airborne Regiment, the 3rd Squadron of the French Parachutist Hussars and another bunch of artillery and armoured units. Our mission, in short, will be that of carrying on missions across enemy lines or intervene to help other forces in difficulty. So, easy life, as long as we're not deployed."
"I see." Said the girl, raising her eyebrows.
"Anything worrying you?"
"Ah, eh, not at all." She replied, with some embarrassment.
"There's no shame in fearing war. After all, we are all humans, after all and that's an unknown place for us."
"And with a commander who hasn't completed his training." Added another soldier, near them.
"That's also right." Replied Giulio, frowning. "But I doubt any officer can consider himself fully ready, until he hasn't met the battlefield."
"I just hope I will return home." Replied the girl, looking at the hat that Giulio was still holding.
"We will all return home and full of medals." Tried to reassure the young nobleman.
At those words, the old sergeant sighed, and without saying a word moved on.
Arriving in Hanoi, the Italians found a humid and hot city, surrounded by rice fields, whose core was represented by the Vielle Ville, the old city, once the core of the Kingdom of Vietnam and since more than a century already the colonial district, inhabited by the Europeans and other expats, along with wealthy Vietnamese. Outside it, were the modern business and industrial districts, along with other poorer neighbourhoods, inhabited by the local populace.
Giulio was surprised by the liveliness of the city, where life continued almost ignoring completely the ongoing war just a few kilometres outside its perimeter. In fact, the only sign of the existence of the war over seemed to be the frequent passage of soldiers, uniforms, either on foot or trucks.
Thus, as the first days in town didn't demanded any mobilisation of his unit, he began to spend his time visiting the many city's historical sites, trying local foods or hanging out in the colonial town, either flirting with the girls he would meet (both foreign and locals) or trying to make important connections.
Though he was always required, in his excursions to the city, to be in uniform, he managed to remain stylish even in that way. First of all, unlike most soldiers and officers, he would never use the field uniform, preferring to it the colonial service uniform, in white cotton, with the Pith Helmet, which in his case still carried the Alpine black feather. He would then go on personalising the uniform with non-homologated accessories, such as ties and pocket handkerchiefs.
He would then often spend his time at the Café Métropole, the café of the famous Hotel Métropole, the neoclassical hotel, nearly as old as the European rule, which served as a gathering venue for the colonial elite. There, he was to find company for most of his Asian stay...
"Excuse me, my friend." Called Giulio, referring to the Vietnamese waiter that served him every time he would be there.
"Yes, Lieutenant?" Asked the waiter.
"Who's that girl sitting over there? I noticed her already the other day and she's gorgeous. Also, looks familiar."
"Ah sir, you definitely have good taste." Laughed the waiter. "She's Heléne Pham Dinh, daughter of a local magnate and a model, her mother is French, so she's a Eurasian.**"
"A model? That's why she looks familiar... PlayBoy maybe?"
"I believe so." Replied the waiter. "Would you want me to do something to get you in touch?"
"Sure! Just offer her..." Giulio opened his menu, looking for something nice.
"She more often refuses than she accepts, may I suggest a Mimosa?"
"Then let's go for that."
"At your orders, Sir." Replied the waiter, taking note and leaving her.
Shortly later, the waiter approached the girl, offering the drink and explaining to her who sent it. She turned towards Giulio, then laughed, shook her head said something to the waiter and refused it.
"I'm sorry, Sir." Said the waiter, returning back. "She said that if she was to say yes to every random individual in a uniform that offered her a drink, she would never be sober."
"Ah well." Started Giulio, laughing. "What if I go talk to her?"
"I would advise against that. I don't want the security to take you to the exit."
"Then is there any place where I can meet her?"
The waiter thought about it for a bit. "Actually yes: tonight at the Opera. She will be attending with her family. There will be a small social, after the event, so you may try to sneak in."
"Thanks, my friend!" Said Giulio, preparing to leave. "This is the check and this is your tip." He then added, putting two banknotes in his pocket.
"But you didn't even order..."
"Never mind. A bientot, mon ami!"***
Getting the invitations was not too hard for Giulio, though it demanded him the rest of the afternoon and neglecting his duties at the barracks. First, he went to the Supreme Command of the European Forces in Indochina, where he visited General De Marigny, a French Air Force Major General, member of the Order of the Dragon with whom he had made friends and who, upon some insistence, gave him his VIP invitation for the concert. Then, he returned to the barracks to take a shower and get changed, putting on a dress uniform.
"Going for another date?" Asked his superior, Captain Mariani, seeing him heading out.
Giulio tried to invent an excuse, but the captain continued: "Don't you even try, I know what you do in town at night. You're getting quite a fame.
"Sorry, sir."
The officer shrugged his shoulders. "This is not a summer camp, Galahad. It's a war and you are in the Italian Army."
"I know, Sir. Just as I know that I may soon be dead. That's why I try to take advantage now."
At those words, the officer stepped aside. "Can't blame you entirely, I would say the same if I was 18. Have fun. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thanks, sir!" Replied Giulio, saluting the captain.
Giulio headed to the theatre without even having dinner before, just having a coffee and a croissant at a café close to the theatre. The Opera of Hanoi was a beautiful, huge theatre, built in the style of the Opera de Paris in the first years of the colonisation of Vietnam. Once inside, Giulio went up the staircase which took to the noble floor and by extension to the boxes, where he had his place.
Soon after he arrived, he heard some people speaking and walking in and then he realised that he was being joined by Heléne, accompanied by her parents. Immediately, her father, thinking to be at the presence of General De Marigny, walked towards Giulio.
"Good evening... General?"
Giulio immediately stood up, hitting the heels of his boots against each other and taking the attention position, before extending his hand. "I wish I had that rank, but I am just the first-lieutenant Galahad-Canossa, Giulio Galahad-Canossa, 26th Alpini Battalion 'Monte Cauriol'."
"Ah, Galahad-Canossa, the Olympic athlete!" Exclaimed immediately the French wife of the Vietnamese magnate, while the girl looked at him appalled.
"Of course! Please, forgive my rudeness, I am Phuc Pham Dinh, this is my wife, Claire and my daughter Heléne."
"Enchanted to meet you." Replied Giulio, shaking hands with them. "I believe me and Mrs. Heléne saw each other earlier today at the Métropole."
"Really?" Asked Claire, surprised.
"Very quickly, we barely had the chance to talk." Explained immediately the girl, alarmed.
Giulio found the family to be very good looking: the father was a Vietnamese man, probably in his 60s, with grey hair combed back, an olive skin and a monocle, which combined with his dark grey pinstripe suit, gave him a somehow Western appearance. Claire instead was slightly younger than him, had dark hair, probably dyed and big dark blue eyes. Finally, Heléne seemed to have assimilated the best of both lineages: she had a white skin and the height of her mother, but had inherited the Eastern traits from her father, while her long wavy hair went down well below her shoulders. Giulio could also not help noticing her revealing red dress, which put in particular evidence, though without being anyhow vulgar, her curves.
"If I am not of any disturb, could I see the program for tonight? I decided everything at last and I couldn't look at what specifically is on schedule, though when I saw Gottschalk and Mussugorsky played by the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra, I decided that I couldn't miss it." Asked Giulio, politely.
"It's surprising to see an officer so passionate about classical music and culture in general." Commented Heléne, with some sarcasm.
"Well, mademoiselle, most officers are not related to the French Royal Family and heirs of one of Europe's oldest noble houses." Returned Giulio, keeping his usual polite tone, but revealing some bitterness.
"The... French Royal Family?" Asked Claire, surprised.
"My mother, madame, is Princess Charlotte de Bourbon d'Orleans, Royal Princess of France." Explained the young nobleman.
"Ah... Princess Charlotte... of course."
"Well, I believe we should sit." Suggested Phuc. "They are already turning off the lights."
The concert began with the playing of Mussugorsky's Pictures at an Art Exhibition, after which they played the Night on the Bald Mountain, before the break was announced.
"An outstanding execution." Commented Phuc, standing up and buttoning his jacket.
"I must agree, though I am not a big fan of the second composition." Replied Giulio. "But good nonetheless, after all, it's the Wiener Philarmoniker."
"Well, we will go have something at the café." Continued the Vietnamese entrepreneur. "Would you like to join us?"
"Of course, I will." Replied Giulio. "Mademoiselle Heléne, may I accompany you?"
"Ah well, sure." Replied the girl, without hiding some embarrassment. "My apologies for my previous behaviour." She then whispered, as they walked to the café. "But I had no idea you were..."
"A noble? A descendent from the Royal Family?" Was Giulio's sarcastic reply.
"Will I make sound it better if I say a gentleman? I really meant no offence."
"No offence taken. In your place, I would refuse to go out with most of my comrades myself." Reassured Giulio. "Many of them lack manners and appropriate upbringing, which the etiquette classes of the Academy cannot make up for."
"Anyway, changing argument, what do you make of the next composer we will listen to: Gottschalk?"
"Ah, the Brazilian Solemn March and the Nuite des Tropiques." Replied Giulio. "I know both compositions and I must say that my favourite is the second. The former is a triumphal march, celebrating Brazil's victory in the Paraguayan War, beautiful but I think Gottschalk's best comes with the second, which starts as a melancholic composition, but has a very... Caribbean finale, but I won't spoil it to you."
"Don't, indeed." Replied Heléne, smiling. "I prefer to have a surprise." In the meantime, they were photographed by some paparazzi who were in the hall and to which they did not pay attention.
"Champagne?" Asked then Giulio, as they entered the café.
"Sure."
"It's on me, then." He replied, heading to the bar, to order.
"There's no need." Objected politely the girl.
"I insist."
"Thank you." Said the girl, as Giulio gave her a glass of champagne."
"You're welcome." Replied Giulio. "Cheers." He then added, raising his glass.
"Salute! As you say in Italy." Replied Heléne.
"If I may ask, what have you found of Hanoi, since your arrival?" Asked again the girl. "I mean, as someone who comes from Italy."
"I'm from Virginia, originally, but I definitely consider myself Italian by now. Anyway, I liked Hanoi, I am just sorry to be coming here under those circumstances."
"I can imagine... This war is destroying everything. It used to be such a beautiful country."
"There will be better times." Reassured Giulio. "I am confident that we will teach the Chinese and their friends a lesson."
"I hope so. You must, they are barbarians, especially the Viet Minh and Vietcong. You know that they enjoy torturing and killing people like me and my family? They say that we are traitors and bastards, who are neither Europeans, nor Vietnamese. Last week they raided the estate of my uncle, in the Northwest of the country and... Better if I don't tell you, it was a slaughterhouse."
"You went there?" Asked Giulio, surprised.
She nodded. "And I regret it every single night. I wanted to go with the police to see, well I don't know why and I really shouldn't have."
"It's alright, if you want to talk about it." Said Giulio, putting his hands on her arms.
She shook her head. "People think that I am frivolous because of my lifestyle, more often I just want to escape from what we see down here. You know, I think this is the general mood: of this place, of this city, of anyone who can afford it in Indochina, escape from brutality through pleasure and wait for what is inevitable."
"What is inevitable?" Asked Giulio, letting his hand slip to the height of her elbows. "We will crush those rebels, you will see. Everything will be fine."
"Wish I had your same optimism." Replied Heléne, with a bitter laugh. "Anyway, we should get some more drinks, it's rude to be so moody at a social event.
The young nobleman had just gone get the drinks, when he heard, from outside, the sound of the air bombing alarm, followed by the entrance in the place of a National Guard Officer, who climbed a table to give an announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, you must all reach the closest shelter and remain there until new order. The Chinese will bomb the city in five minutes.
Moved to the shelter below the Opera, the guests could hear outside the blows of the bombs falling on the city, sounding like thunders in a storm. The explosions were accompanied by the noise of the engines of the airplanes, soon followed by that of the Eurofighters, the Dassault and the Panavia of the European Federal Air Force - which Giulio could identify easily - , which began to engage the Chinese aircraft.
"There's an air battle, right above our heads." Observed Giulio with a smirk.
"The perfect context to play Wagner." Commented Heléne.
"Too bad the orchestra didn't bought the instruments down here. It will be quite a long time."
"Well, there's a way we can make it pass quickly." Whispered him the girl, provocatively.
"I think I know what you mean..." Replied Giulio, putting a hand under her dress.
"But not here!" She replied. "Come with me, I know where." She then stood up and pushed Giulio by the sleeve, who followed her to a more hidden corner of the shelter...
The Chinese raid over Hanoi had lasted for the whole night and brought considerable damages to both military and civilian structures, provoking many victims. However, the quick response by the Air Force, coordinated with the anti-air defences, had resulted in the Chinese also suffering heavy casualties in the operation.
While all of the units in Hanoi were deployed to counter the raid, however, Giulio had entertained himself the whole night with Heléne, in the shelter, leaving it only in the morning, when after the end of the operation, the curfew was recalled. He then greeted the girl's family and left the theatre, miracolously spared from the bombings, except for a cruise missile stuck right in front of it, and looked for his car, which for some reason had also been spared, with which he returned to the barracks.
"Hey, hey, hey, look who's back!" Shouted an officer from the French paras, when he saw Giulio heading back.
"Ah, it's Lieutenant Giulio 'Casanova' Galahad-Canossa!" Mocked a Scottish officer, who was sitting on a fence with the colleague.
"Hope you had a pleasant night, gents." Replied Giulio, touching his hat, as he drove in.
"Manning the anti-air gun isn't exactly fun, but sure." Replied another officer, from the Italian paras, who was sitting with the other two. "What about you, instead? Was it fun the concert? Did they made a special bunker version?"
"It was actually fun and trust me, time in the shelter goes on quickly when you are with a PlayBoy model. Have a nice day, gents!" Concluded Giulio, driving on.
"Stupid idiot." Said the French, with indignation.
"Yeah, a stupid, spoiled prick." Echoed the Italian.
Giulio headed then to the barracks assigned to his battalion, where he parked the car and headed inside.
"Good morning, Sir." Greeted the same female soldier he talked to during the flight. "Where were you? Yesterday we were left without orders. Are you okay? Were you stuck in the city? Here we've been quite scared."
"Were there any dead?" Asked back Giulio.
"Not really."
"Wounded?"
"Neither."
"Then, Corporal Zorzi, there's no need to worry. Now if you will excuse me, I must report to my superiors."
Giulio's superiors, including the commander of their task force, Brigadier General Pierre Anou, were all gathered in the board room, where Giulio reached them.
"Lieutenant Galahad-Canossa Giulio reporting in, Sir." He said immediately, saluting the officers.
"You are one hour later and have behaved, since your arrival here, as if you were on holidays." Said General Anou, sternly. "If you weren't needed, I would have already inflicted you an exemplary punishment."
"Apologies, Sir."
"Just sit down and listen now." Continued the General, who had a map opened behind him. "Now, gentlemen, with all of us gathered here, our intelligence estimates that yesterday's raid must have departed from the Chinese airbase of Chongzuo, near the border. It is known that over there both the Air and Rocket Forces hold an important hub. Thus, this morning we have decided to launch Operation Becherny, to neutralise the base."
Everybody stood silent, except for Giulio: "Why did we have to name it after the French Hussars?"
"It's not after them and you better shut up." Replied Anou, resuming the explanation. "Now, the plan is rather simple: we will land our task force Northwest of the base, establish our own operative base, which the Alpini will protect, while our cavalry units and the Gordon Highlanders will go forward to attack the base. It will be a raid, aiming at destroying or stealing as much equipment as we can, while the intelligence will gather information."
"General Anou." Began then the Battalion Commander, Major Paolo De Cristoforis. "So, you want us to parachute in Chinese territory, hoping that we won't get detected, establish a base, attack the enemy base, all of this without being detected, to be then picked up and return to Hanoi. Have I got it right?"
"Yes, because the only other option would be to seize the Nanning-Wuxu International Airport and use it as a base. Thing is, the airport is further East and too dangerously close to Nanning." Replied Anou.
"Sir, but the area where you want us to operate is too close to the 145th Mechanised Brigade and the 43rd Armoured Brigade." Protested another officer.
"The intelligence should disable their radar system for enough time to allow us to carry on the operation." Replied Anou.
"But why don't we just land close to their base, we shell it, attack and then we use its structure to evacuate?" Asked Giulio. "It just sounds more logical and the time we would lose in getting our troops there and taking them out of there would be optimised."
"Galahad, you don't have..." Anou's attempt at silencing Giulio was interrupted by Major De Cristoforis, who instead agreed with the Lieutenant.
"Sir, I must agree with the Lieutenant: this would even allow us to use more troops for the attack, instead of leaving behind our entire battalion. "We do things more quickly, we inflict greater damage and it's easier to pull out."
Anou hesitated for a moment. "In this case, I will discuss it with my superiors. Gentlemen, I will update you later."
All the officers then, stood up to salute, as the general, after collecting his map, left.
Following that meeting, Giulio spent the rest of the day organising his platoon. First, he informed his soldiers that they were to see action very soon, news that they received with little enthusiasm, then he decided to give them some extra training, to make sure they would be ready to fight. Finally, at the end of the day, when he was about to send his soldiers to rest, his company commander, Captain Massimo Mariani, gathered the whole unit, to bring the latest updates:
"Ladies and gentlemen,
As you all know, yesterday night, the Chinese Air and Rocket Forces attacked Hanoi, striking both military and civilian objectives and causing a high number of casualties. In response, the Supreme Command has been elaborating a counter-attack, which will happen in 96 hours from now. The 3rd Quick Response Force will strike at the Chinese base at Chongzuo, aiming at destroying their air and missile capabilities, enabling a European offensive into Chinese territory. This will be a quick raid, expected to last for a maximum of 90 minutes. Anything above that will mean that we will be doomed. We are expected to reach the enemy base, cause as much damage as we can, collect information and clear out the runs, to allow the Air Force to rescue us. Details are to follow. I am aware it will be a difficult mission and most of you are just conscripts, but I have full trust in you, as my soldiers. I know you won't disappoint me or the fatherland.
All Hail Europa!"
"All Hail Europa!" Echoed the officers.
"All Hail Europa!" Shouted, finally, the troop.
NOTES
* A special type of hat characteristic of the Italian Alpini - the type of unit actually exist, though not Giulio's battalion. On Wikipedia, it is described as it follows: "The Cappello Alpino is made of grey felt a quarter of an inch thick. In the front the rim is flattened to protect the face from rain and snow. On the left and right side four small metal encrusted holes allow for an exchange of air. Around the lower half of the round top section a green-grey leather band and for officers a golden braid encompasses the Cappello. Inside the Cappello has a two-inch black leather band where Cappello and head meet."
** People of mixed European and Asian ancestry.
*** "See you soon, my friend."