From his mobile command vehicle, General Li Xingke, commander of the Imperial Ceremonial Guard, looked at the other hill, Northwest of his position, where the Europeans had entrenched themselves and were opposing a fierce resistance.
"We must send in the Guard, General." Suggested Brigadier General Zhou Xianglin, his military aide.
Li continued looking at the interactive map. "I was hoping the Army could at least open a passage in their defences before using them. Pierre Anou never had the fame of being a particularly competent General, after all.
"I am afraid that Anou has little control over the defence, by now." Objected Zhou. "In any case, the Gweilo* will soon break through the border, so better exploit the encirclement as long as we have it."
"Fair enough." Concluded then Xingke. "In this case, I'll lead the attack myself... Right there: in the position guarded by the Italians. They've dealt well with the Army's cavalry, let's see how it goes with the Guard."
Saying so, he took his helm and headed to the exit of the vehicle.
"Xingke." Called Xianglin. He turned. "Be careful."
Li Xingke headed outside, to the meadow in which the customised, green-red Gun-Ru knightframes were parked. It was around 10 a.m. but the unbearable, humid heat of the tropical jungle was already persistent.
"5th Squadron ready for action, General."
"3rd Squadron ready for combat, Sir."
Communicated the commanders of the two squadrons, saluting, as they saw him.
"Then order the troops to mount. We're attacking now and I will lead the charge."
After succeeding in surrounding the Europeans near the border, the Chinese force led by General Xingke, which included two squadrons of the Imperial Ceremonial Guard - the elite force in charge of protecting the Tianzi - had launched two major attacks against the European positions. However, contrary to all expectative, the Europeans were capable to repel both attacks, aggravating the situation of the Chinese, once that their border positions, which cut off Anou's force from the reinforcements and gave them artillery support, were being overwhelmed by Spanish and Scottish troops.
In the defence of what was now known as the "Devil's peak" (though it was by no means a peak), the Alpini were in the first line, with Captain Mariani's company being deployed on an advanced post, guarding the path that offered the easiest way to the top of the hill: the favourite spot of the Chinese armoured and cavalry units, as it offered the easier passage for their knightframes.
Giulio lit a cigar. He was sitting on a rock, looking down at the slope behind him, where amidst the rocks and burnt forest, were now lying many corpses and burning knightframes.
"That is a slaughter." Said Captain Mariani, who was sitting next to him.
"Cigar?" Asked him Giulio, offering one to him.
"Sure." Replied the officer.
Giulio, by now, barely looked like an officer, having thrown away his Chinese uniform and only wearing the olive-green undershirt with the cammo trousers. His face was painted with mimetic colours, while only the Cappello Alpino identified his rank, specialty and unit of belonging.
"Man, you look so much like fucking Rambo..." Noted Mariani, laughing.
"I know... And let Charlie know it too." Replied Giulio, laughing along. He then looked down the slope, noticing the knightmare frames of the Imperial Guard advancing. "Look there, more Chinks coming."
"Imperial Ceremonial Guard." Observed the Captain, looking at them with the binoculars. "Let's see if they are also good fighters or just good looking, ceremonial dolls."
"Right." Said Giulio, picking up an MG-3 gun and standing up on the rock. "Let's send some more Chinks to reincarnate."
When the Imperial Ceremonial Guard began its climb of the hill, it was immediately met by the intense fire of Giulio's platoon, which used on them both Panzerfaust, laser and automatic guns, preventing their advance and taking down many of their frames. Li Xingke, however, had expected such a move: for this reason he had send only a small portion of his units to attack from that way, sending the others to take a harder climb and encircle the Alpini.
"Galahad, fall back." Commanded Mariani, on the radio. "They will encircle us."
"Yes, sir." Replied Giulio. "But first, I take down the last." He added, once he had turned off the radio, pointing at a knightmare frame and firing at it with a rocket launcher.
"Good one!" Exclaimed Martina Zorzi, as the knightframe exploded and burnt.
They then fell back quickly, but not enough to prevent the Chinese from encircling them dedicating an entire squadron to their elimination, while using the other to strike at the rear lines of the Alpini, threatening to break their formation.
"Galahad, take the jungle! We'll fight them there." Commanded Mariani, while taking his platoon into the forest.
This, however, was to be his last order: soon, five Chinese frames were on his unit, using napalm to exterminate them. Their comrades could only heard the sound of the shoots being soon replaces by that of desperate, inhuman screams, followed by the smell of burnt wood and flesh.
All of them, watched that scene with terror, mixed to disgust.
"To the hell, if we die, we die fighting, the Alpini never run!" Shouted Giulio taking his troops into a trench.
"Sir, the Chinese commander is requesting contact." Informed his radio operator.
Giulio took the radio to reply: "What?"
"This is Captain Zhang, from the 3rd Imperial Household Cavalry Squadron of the Imperial Ceremonial Guard. I demand that you have mercy of yourself and your men and surrender. You saw what happened to your comrades."
Giulio took a long breath. He could still sense that horrible smell of his fellow Alpini burning and looking around, he could see the fear in the eyes of his soldiers. But this was no time to show weekness. He grinded his teeth.
"Captain Zhang, this is First-Lieutenant Galahad-Canossa, from the Alpini Battalion 'Monte Cauriol'. You can go fuck yourself and the Tianzi and the Imperial Household with you. We are the Alpini and we don't take prisoners. Di qui non si passa!"**
General Li Xingke was driving the main attack at the Italian positions, encircling the company of Captain Angelo Mariani, which he had learned was killed in action and was now breaking through the second line, after which, the passage for the Chinese Army would have been opened. Everything went according to the plans, he thought, now there was only an insignificant platoon that the 3rd Squadron had to eliminate...
"Li, you must fall back." Said alarmed on the radio Zhou Xianglin. "The 3rd Squadron... Well, it's no longer there."
"What?" Asked Li, checking on his interactive map. Indeed, the 3rd , officers included, was no longer on the map, while that platoon he regarded as insignificant, was still there and coming after them.
"This cannot be real." He said on the radio. "Do send me reinforcements and track down Captain Zhang."
"Captain Zhang is dead, Sir." Was the reply he got from his aide. "And soon you will be as well if you don't get out. The 32nd Mountain Brigade just surrendered to the gweilo and there's an airborne regiment already on the radar."
Li felt a strong, unbearable pain coming from his lungs, then the smell of the blood coming up through his nose and finally the blood spilling. He looked ahead of him, to his troops still fighting, then he saw a Chinese fighter jet flying above them, being chased and destroyed by a European one. Soon after, he noticed the first helicopters of the European Army targeting his troops. "Lucky bastards, we came that close..." He said, frustrated.
Giulio threw the colours of the 3rd Household Cavalry Squadron on the ground, ahead of him, as he looked at the men of the 5th and their General assaulting the European lines. He was proud of his unit: they had neutralised alone and with few anti-knightframe equipment an entire squadron of the Chinese Imperial Guard and now they were standing right behind the other one, about to launch another storm of steel and fire on them. His eyes fell on Martina, who was in the trench behind him, pointing her panzerfaust at the enemy. She was exhausted, yet she still managed to smile at him.
Slowly, he took the cigar off his mouth: "My gallant soldiers, good job so far, second round! At my signal!"
Before he could give the order, however, he saw the Chinese being targeted by three assault helicopters, arriving from behind him. The units that were not hit, immediately fell back and disengaged, retreating down the hillside as fast as they could, pursued by the European assault helicopters. In the meantime, from the allied positions, Giulio could hear his comrades rejoicing for the arrival of the relief force.
He took a long breath, then sat down, then lied, with his eyes staring the sky and a sensation of relief taking over his soul. He felt Corporal Zorzi hugging him tight: "We've made it! Thank God... and thank you!"
He was too tired to give a reply and limited himself to put a hand over her head. Just a few minutes later, however, they heard an olive-green assault helicopter landing close to their position, in a small open space at slightly more than a hundred meters from them. As he turned, he noticed it had the emblem of the Bundeswehr, the land army of the Confederacy of the Rhine and that of the 26th (Wurttemberg) Dragoons Regiment.
From it, came out a young blond colonel, dressed in a beige colonial uniform with a pith helmet and the ranks and badges of his unit, who walked in his direction. As soon as she noticed him, Martina stood up to salute him, while Giulio did not move until having him at few meters from him, at which point he sat and gave him a very informal salute.
The Colonel, whom Giulio instead, saluted him with the typical German formality, hitting the heels of his boots against each other, only at which point, Giulio decided to stand up, getting into the trench and greeting him in a proper manner.
"Honoured to meet you, Sir, I am Colonel Johannes Eugen Erwin Rommel, commander of the 26th (Wurttemberg) Dragoons." Said the officer, with a firm voice and a strong German accent.
"And I am Lieutenant Giulio Livio Ercole Ferdinando Lorenzo Edoardo Vittorio Maria Galahad-Canossa, 7th Duke of Danville, Marquis of Canossa, Count of Concordia and Noble of the Holy Roman Empire, at your service."
Rommel smiled and extended his hand. "Well, Lord Galahad, you may like a help to get out of that trench."
Giulio nodded, then took his hand and got out of the trench, then helped Corporal Zorzi. "Colonel, this is Corporal Martina Zorzi."
"Enchanted." Replied the colonel, kissing her hand. "I just wanted to say that I am impressed by your resistance on this side of the hill, is that cemetery of knightframes downhill all your job too?"
Giulio nodded.
"In this case, I must admit that the German soldier may have surprised the world, but the Italian soldier has surprised the German one."
"Your ancestor, after defeating the Brits in El Alamein in 1943." Noted Giulio, laughing.
"My great-grandfather, to be specific. Lieutenant-General Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox."
Both Giulio and Martina looked at him forcing a smile: they were just too tired to engage in a conversation.
"You will excuse me now." Continued the young Colonel. "I must go talk to your General. It's been a pleasure!"
With those words, Johannes Rommel saluted the two, then headed back to his helicopter, to reach Brigadier General Pierre Anou.
Following the arrival of the reinforcements and the breaching of the Chinese defensive lines, the 3rd Airborne Task Force was retreated from the front line and brought back to Hanoi, where they could rest and replace the many losses suffered.
In the meantime, on the Indochinese front, the Europeans took advantage of the destruction of the base to launch a large-scale offensive, penetrating in Chinese territory and advancing towards Chongzuo, which they besieged. This notwithstanding, the Indochinese front remained a complicated theatre, as the Viet Minh and Vietcong guerrillas caused them growing difficulties in the Indochinese hinterland and began to control some remote areas. Furthermore, to the West, Thai, Burmese and Chinese forces kept the Europeans under pressure and attacked Vientiane, in Laos. Likewise, difficulties continued on other fronts: in China, the last European bulwark, the city of Fort-Bayard, was conquered by the Chinese who overwhelmed the desperate resistance of the French Army and the National Guard. In India, also the defenders of Goa were eventually overwhelmed by the Indian Army, which only conquered this ancient Portuguese colony with great sacrifice of soldiers and materials.
By sea, instead, the Asians struggled to overcome the European Federal Navy, whom after inflicting a devastating defeat on the Southern Fleet of the Chinese Imperial Navy in the 12-days-long Battle of Beibu Gulf, blockaded the Southern Chinese ports. More fortunate, turned out to be the Indian Imperial Navy, which showed greater capabilities to protect its coastal waters and prevent the Europeans from imposing another blockade over its ports. In any case, from their colonies in Indonesia, the Europeans managed to cut off all maritime contact between India, Burma and Thailand and the Chinese Federation, by blockading - after obtaining the non-interference of Britannia, which controlled Singapore - the Malacca Strait.
While all those events were developing, two weeks after the raid the most valiant soldiers and officers who took part to the operation were received at the Governor's Palace in Hanoi to receive promotions, honours awards. Needless to say, Giulio was among them. During a solemn ceremony, in a hall decorated in Empire Style and with the portraits of the past Governors and painting showing the European colonisation, he was promoted from First-Lieutenant to Captain, with the act, signed by the Chief-of-Staff of the Italian National Army, being read by the Governor-General. The second time, instead, was for the awarding, still by the Governor-General, of the Gold Medal for Military Honour. On that same occasion, also Martina Zorzi received the Silver Medal and a promotion to Sergeant.
"Congratulations... Captain Galahad-Canossa." Greeted Héléne, after the ceremony.
"Thank you, Milady." Replied the nobleman, kissing her lips. While doing so, he noticed the jealous look that Martina, passing by, gave him. "Now let's have champagne and celebrate." He said, picking up two glasses from a nearby footman that was bringing them.
"It was your first time, right? How was it?" Asked Héléne.
"Which answer do you want? The ceremonial one or the true one?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Was her reply.
"It's been nightmarish. I saw my superior and my comrades burnt alive by the napalm, killed two people by cutting their throat and many worse things. War is Hell and hope to never find yourself in the middle of it."
The girl nodded. "I really hope you guys will keep us safe. You should see what the Gooks do with us Eurasians and with the Vietnamese that they regard as 'collaborationists'."
"I was told some stories by the colonial soldiers. I know what you're talking about." Replied Giulio, drinking some of his champagne. "Anyway, moving to happier matters, are you still going to that fashion event in Paris, next week?"
"In fact, I am not." Replied the girl. "I decided to join the Red Cross and serve as a nurse. My parents are criticising me for this, but honestly, I don't think it's fair to just sit and live as if nothing happened when every day you see trucks and planes carrying injured people and refugees to Hanoi."
"Well, I must say you have made a very noble choice." Replied Giulio. "But you didn't have to. I would have preferred if you stayed safe."
She shook her head. "I was really feeling compelled to act. Sorry. But I am sure I will be fine. I will be just working as a nurse, after all."
Giulio sighed. "Yes, I hope so."
The two remained in silence for a moment, then Héléne looked through the doors which faced the gardens. "The gardens here are so lovely. Would you like to go for a walk?"
"Good idea. Let's walk." Replied Giulio, offering her his arm. "Hopefully it won't rain."
During the following days, while the war continued near and far, Giulio stayed at the base in Hanoi, where he had received the fresh recruits from Italy and had to reorganise the company that was before commanded by Captain Mariani and was now under his command. Though this was a time-consuming task, he still found time for other, more pleasant commitments, such as hanging out at the Officers' Circle, at the Métropole, enjoying Hanoi's nightlife and especially spending his nights with Héléne, who was now undergoing the nurse training.
He also did not forgot the materials he had collected during his last operation and started studying them, with the help of Martina Zorzi (the NCO that was with him when he collected them had died in combat), who had some very basic understanding of Chinese but also a good level of general knowledge, thanks to her high school studies. Eventually, however, they found themselves forced to seek for the help of a specialist...
"The possibility of controlling someone else's mind? Really? There have been multiple experiments concerning this, but never the way you told me. I mean, Mk-Ultra, Montauk, Wewelsberg and all the known cases deal with how you manipulate the human mind with drugs, images, propaganda, but never through telepathy." To say this was Dr. Sophie Randle, and English neuroscientist who worked for the medical branch of Clément Corporation and happened to be in Vietnam to conduce some experiences.
"Well, what if I told you that the Chinese are doing this: studying a way to allow one individual to penetrate someone else's mind and assume control over it." Went forwards Giulio. They were walking in the huge Parque de l'Europe, a park near the city centre in French colonial style, where often Europeans and wealthy Vietnamese would go. It was a good place where to confuse themselves and avoid being listened.
The doctor raised her eyebrows. "Well, I would find it unlikely, unless you would bring me proofs. In any case, does the intelligence knows?"
Giulio shook his head. "Not that I know and yes, I have the proofs and I am willing to show you everything."
"Well then, in this case, it looks like the job for a neuroscientist."
Giulio smirked. "I knew that. Before I show you what I've got, however, I want to make something clear."
"Sure, I'm listening."
"I am aware that you work for the private sector and that if you will find what I have to show interesting, which I believe you will, you will want to share it with your company."
She shrugged her shoulders. "That's a possibility."
"I am fine with it, but I will expect a compensation, be it in shares of the company or participation to whatever use will be made of this. Needless to say, I want to be acknowledged among those who discovered it."
"Why just not asking money?"
"Because my family has plenty of it, that's why."
"Very well, we will discuss it after I will have seen the documents you have gathered."
Giulio took Dr. Randle to his car, which he drove to a working-class Vietnamese district. There, the young nobleman took the doctor into a house he had rented precisely for that meeting, where Sergeant Martina Zorzi, dressed in a female version of the white colonial uniform (with a skirt reaching her knees instead of the trousers), waited for them, with a briefcase containing all the documents and the book.
"I know this is not the Métropole Hotel, but I need to take all necessary cares." Explained Giulio, as he accompanied the scientist inside. "Now, Dr. Sophie Randle, this is Sergeant Martina Zorzi, my aide de camp."
"How do you do?" Greeted Sophie.
"How do you do?" Replied the girl, then turning at Giulio. "Captain, here are all the papers."
"Thanks." Replied Giulio, taking the briefcase and opening it over a carpet, taking out all of its content. "This is the book by Friar John of Montecorvino, these others are all the papers written by the Chinese, I am gradually translating them with her help."
"Truly outstanding." Commented the scientist, as she examined the documents, with Giulio sitting in front of her and the Sergeant on a chair close to the carpet.
"This is... Impressive." Said finally Sophie, after having extensively examined everything. "This Friar..."
"The first Archbishop of Khanbaliq, to be fair." Corrected Giulio.
"Whatever, thing is, he seems to have studied this 'Power of Kings' and hypothesised that you could produce it, but he lacked the knowledge to understand now. But those Chinese experiments show us that they may have come close to it so maybe, at a laboratory back in Europe, we may be able to develop something.
At this point, Giulio took back the book. "There are some conditions for this, however." He started. "First of all, 2 Million Euros will be paid to Sergeant Zorzi, second, the conditions I already mentioned: acknowledgement and participation or supervision of the project, or still, shares of Clément Médicale."
Sophie nodded. "We can see all of that, but again, I am a scientist, not a businesswoman. Yet, if you allow me, I can speak to my colleagues in Europe and make arrangements."
"Should we trust?" Questioned Martina.
"I believe so, Martina." Replied Giulio. "After all, it would be in no one's interest if the State seized such materials, which for know we will keep safely under our guard."
"So, do we have a deal?" Asked Sophie.
"We do." Replied Giulio, extending her his hand. She shook it, sealing an agreement, which, from that ugly and hot wooden house of Hanoi, was soon to change the course of history.
NOTES
* Cantonese derogatory term to refer to the Westerners (based on what I read around)
** Means: "By here, you shall not pass" It's the motto of the Alpini.