Giulio was driving his car, an Army-owned Alfa Romeo, through the highway that from Hanoi led North, crossing the Red River, to the airport, where he was supposed to pick up the representative from the Clément Corporation.
"You don't need to know the name. This person will find you." Explained Sophie Randle, when addressing the arrangements made by the company. So, he went, imagining that he would be faced by some boring businessman, in a black suit, who would keep him for a couple of hours or more talking about numbers and trying to reduce his share of benefits. Yet, he needed to do it, annoyed or not.
Reaching the International Airport, he went immediately to the gate of the Metropolitan Arrivals, where the flights from Europe arrived. He then checked the arrivals and made sure to be on time: he was, as the flight coming from Paris-Charles De Gaulle International Airport had landed only fifteen minutes earlier. Thus he stood next to the arrivals exit, waiting for his contact to appear.
There were not many people entering Vietnam, by that point: the war had ruined the tourism industry and many companies had already started pulling out of Indochina, especially after the brutal murder of European colonists by the rebels. Thus, most of those entering were Vietnamese who had traveled abroad or Western residents.
"Excuse me, sir." Called at some point a girl with long light-purple hair, a pair of big glasses and wearing the uniform of the Pyritanée Militaire National Militaire de La Fléche, who came in his direction pushing a chart with two luggage on it. "Are you Captain Giulio Galahad-Canossa?"
"I am, mademoiselle, and I assume you are..."
"Anna Clément!" Replied the girl, loudly and cheerfully, extending her hand. "I was sent by my father to discuss your discovery."
"Ah, of course..." Replied Giulio, trying to make sense of that surprise, shaking her hand.
"I know you must be confused." Continued the girl. "But I can assure you that I know of everything and that I am fully prepared to discuss your instances."
"Yes, yes, I guess so." Replied Giulio, still unconvinced. "Will you allow me to take your luggage?"
"There's no need." Reassured the girl.
"I insist." Replied Giulio, politely.
"Well then... you're too kind." Thanked Anna, smiling at him.
"You're very welcome! Now, I have parked the car out there, I assume I should take you to the Metropole, right?"
"Of course. My father said I should stay there."
"Well, it's probably the nicest, or one of the nicest hotels in town. Plus, it's basically an institution for colonial life." Explained Giulio, as they headed to the car.
Thus, Giulio took her to the car and began to drive back to the city.
"I've seen some of your publications, by the way... Including your article on Britannian Counterinsurgency Campaigns. I was impressed." Started Anna, as he was driving.
"Oh really? I'm happy to hear. I've always had a more 'academic' side, so to say." Replied Giulio.
"I know, I saw your CV, to better say, I figured out your were likely not a brute. To be fair, I would like to ask you some questions about that article, since I'm having to write an essay for school."
"Well, I will be happy to help." Agreed Giulio. "By the way, I must congratulate with you. The Pyritanée of La Fléche isn't a school for anyone."
"Thanks! People say I got there because of my father. To be fair, I must thank my fascination for engineering... And my IQ test scoring 140."
"And a complete lack of modesty, I feel like adding." Teased Giulio.
"Sorry, I didn't meant to brag."
"Don't worry." reassured the young nobleman. "'Modesty is the only flaw I can pride myself for not having.'"
"Oscar Wilde?" Asked Anna.
"Nope. Gabriele D'Annunzio." Replied Giulio, with a smile.
"Right, D'Annunzio. I have some deficits in literature."
Finally, they reached the Métropole, where Giulio left her, to return to his duties until later in that day, when they agreed to meet again.
Giulio went, as by plans, to meet her again by dinner time, when he decided to put on one of his suits, in replacement to the uniform (he preferred not to be seen around doing business in uniform). Anna, on the other hand, had put a slim, light purple dress with matched with her hair colour, and was waiting for him seated in the hall.
"What a beautiful dress!" Complimented Giulio, as he reached her. "I hope I am not late, I really tried to be as fast as I could."
"Don't worry. You are perfectly on time; I came down earlier."
"I really hate to make people wait." Said Giulio. "Well, should we go? I haven't made a reservation but today restaurants shouldn't be very crowded."
"May I actually suggest this one?" She asked, showing one, on her phone. "I've never been in Vietnam and I was curious to try the local cuisine. Plus, it looks nice."
"Yes, sure, I tried it a couple of times and I think it's absolutely worth!"
They headed to an elegant, modern Vietnamese restaurant, located in the city's business district, on top of a skyscraper that gave view over most of the urban area and part of the countryside. A rather spectacular view for a sunset.
"I still needed to check out the kitchen of this place." Said Giulio, as they sat down. "I come here for drinks, sometimes, but never to eat."
"Also, I noticed that this part of the city isn't particularly known abroad. I mean, my father mentioned it because of business, but otherwise I hardly hear of it."
"True. It's because the city's cultural life, the nightlife and all of that happens in the Old City and in the colonial districts, which are the ones also sold to the tourists. I myself hardly come to this side of the city. Still, we've got a nice view."
"We definitely did." Replied Anna, smiling at him.
In the meantime, a waiter brought them the menus and they began to choose their dishes and drinks.
"Should we order a bottle of white wine?" Asked Giulio.
"Giulio, I'm fourteen..." Pointed out Anna.
Giulio shrugged his shoulders, laughing: "My father made me taste wine for the first time when I was eight!"
Anna laughed along. "My father is a bit stricter when it comes to that... But well, I am not, so let's ask for the bottle!"
As they started eating, Anna Clément thought it would be good to at least introduce the main topic that they had to address, though she would have preferred to do it at a different time.
"By the way." She started, in a moment in which both fell silent. "I thought you may like to know about that matter you presented to Dr. Randle."
"Of course." Replied Giulio. "I did not bring up the matter because I thought you might be tired from the trip, but then if you do, I am happy to discuss it."
"Maybe we discuss the details tomorrow, but I think it's fair that you know at least of my father's position."
"Sure."
"Well, both me and him examined the documents and the reports sent by Dr. Randle. My father in origin thought it wasn't worth the effort, but I thought otherwise. After all, if the Chinese are after that technology and if it actually exists a Geass Order, as it appears, it must be worth something."
"I'm following." Replied Giulio, who listened attentively to what she had to say.
"We thought that you not being a neuroscientist, nor a physician, neither an engineer, it would be complicated to involve you actively in the project. However, we would still be willing to give you credit for discovering the sources of this. Obviously, we will avoid mentioning how you failed to bring them to the Military, which would get you in trouble. We are also willing to grant you shares of Clément Médicale and your friend Martina would get her 2 million Euros."
Giulio nodded. "Sounds like an honest deal, but I would still like to have access to what I have found. Should this power turn out to be something feasible, it could make all of us extremely powerful and I expect to be able to benefit from this."
"You will have access to the studies, as a partner of the company." Reassured Anna. "And well, I will work at that myself, so you may have a friend inside." She added, blinking with her eye.
Giulio smirked."I had no doubt we would be good friends since you arrived. As for the rest, instead, marvelous, let's then formalise everything tomorrow and I'll bring you everything."
"Perfect, do we meet at the hotel and do it during the breakfast?" Asked Anna.
"Let's do it after." Replied Giulio. In a safe venue that I know. the Metropole has some good listeners."
"I see, fair enough." Anna made a pause and looked at her empty glass. "Should we get more wine?"
"Sure, let's cheer." Agreed Giulio, taking the bottle and pouring some wine into Anna's glass.
Following the formalisation of the agreement and the handing of the materials, Anna Clément remained in Hanoi for four more days, during which Giulio took her around, to visit some the most important spots of the city and the places where Hanoi's posh night life took place. Finally, after spending few pleasant days in Indochina, she departed, back to Paris, while he returned to his regular military life.
In the meantime, the situation in Indochina continued worsening. By the end of Fructidor* Chinese, Thai and Burmese troops conquered Vientiane, after over two months of urban fighting, and now penetrated in Northern Laos.
This victory, however, had costed very high casualties for the Chinese as well, leading the Eunuchs to replace the commander of the Chinese and Allied forces with Li Xingke. Unlike his predecessor, he only sought to occupy only a few strategic bases in Laos and Cambodia, from where to support Viet Minh and Vietcong guerrillas. This was a tactic that proved way more effective, with most European forces not being prepared to COIN** operations in the jungle and with those militias spreading terror amidst European colonists and Vietnamese loyalists, by attacking and brutally murdering members of those communities in the countryside.
As a result, by the end of Brumaire*** of that year, the Europeans evacuated Phnom Penh and what they still held of Cambodia, increasingly hard to defend, concentrating their efforts in Vietnam and what was left of Laos.
This succession of military disgraces also saw Giulio participating to a number of highly ineffective counter-insurgency operation, whose repeated failure took him and other like-minded officers to study Britannian COIN Doctrine and from there, develop a new model of warfare for Indochina.
"Look here, Héléne, this is Le Figaro: 'European flag lowered (probably forever) from Phnom Penh. Those left behind now fear for their future. President Nicholas Sarkozy minimises: Tactical Retreat' What do you think? Will he get impeached before the end or after the end of this war?" Giulio was sitting with Héléne at a fancy, Liberty-style café at Parque de l'Europe, having breakfast and as she had reached him with some delay, he took the opportunity to take a look at the newspaper.
"Not exactly a nice way of saying good morning, Giulio, especially when part of my family is stuck in Phnom Penh, at the mercy of the Gooks." Replied the girl, with a bitter tone.
He then lowered the newspaper and looked at her: she looked exhausted, tired and on point of crying. "I'm sorry, dear." He then said, standing up and hugging her. "Here, have a seat. I'm sure they will be fine, the Red Cross is still trying to extract civilians from there.
She shook her head. "I am in the Red Cross and I know they're not! They just can't! The Gooks have already started with the mass executions..."
Giulio sighed. "They will manage, somehow."
"The only way, Giulio, is that we kick their ass out of our country, that's how." She sentenced, grinding her teeth.
"We will, Héléne, we will, I promise."
She took a long breath and finally sat down.
"Well, how are proceeding your studies on counter-insurgency warfare?" She then asked, now more calm.
"Pretty well." Replied Giulio. "Continental breakfast, by the way?"
"Yes, let's go for it."
Giulio signalled at the waiter. "I was saying, I have been studying what the Britannians did against Che Guevara and Fidel Castro in Latin America and the so-called 'Hearts and Minds' strategy."
"Hearts and minds?"
"I prefer to call it 'carrot and stick'." Replied Giulio, with a smirk. "Guerrilla militias depend, to survive, on popular support. So, the principle is: remove the base for their support and you'll make them collapse. Me and my colleagues are now working at making our superiors accept our approach."
"And in all of this, you speak of carrot and stick because..."
"Because I plan on forcibly displacing certain hostile populations, destroying their villages and executing the leaders, which is the stick. The carrot is compensating the more cooperative and loyal elements, improving their conditions of life and other measures of the kind, which will, at once, strengthen our control over the territory and presumably undermine their loyalty to the guerrillas. There won't be another Phnom Penh." He concluded, taking her hand.
She smiled back. "I cannot say I support being brutal with the population, but if inflicting a controlled amount of suffering on some people can spare many more from things that would be worse, then maybe this is the way to go."
"Ideed, I mean, why not trying?" Concluded Giulio. "After all, everything so far has clearly failed. Speaking of which, you will forgive me if I leave today at around noon, but I will need to meet with my colleagues, as we are planning some 'reshuffle in the administration.'"
"Of your unit? Giukio, Giulio, you and your diabolic plans." Replied Héléne, laughing. "Anyway, it's not a problem, I will go to the mass at 11:00."
"Ah, true! It still feels weird to me seeing people going to the church so freely here in the colony, while back in Europe is still considered a crime."
"Hopefully, that will change too, at some point." Concluded Héléne.
After spending the morning with his lover, Giulio went to meet with his colleagues at their usual gathering spot: the Bavarian brewery Munchen, located in the city centre. A typical Bavarian brewery transplanted in the capital of the European Indochina, the Munchen was elected both by the officers and by many soldiers as the informal mess for the members of the 3rd Airborne Task Force, whose members had not hesitated in homaging the owners of the place with placards, emblems and small flags of their respective units, which now decorated the walls of the place. Furthermore, in that space, the officers had a safe haven to meet when they wished to do it far from General Anou's eyes and ears, as was in that occasion.
"'Morning, Sir!" Saluted an Alpino, when Giulio entered the place. He was at a table with Martina and another female soldier and before they could stand up, Giulio signalled to them to remain comfortable.
"There's no need, please." Said Giulio, with a courteous smile.
"You weren't at the base, this morning." Noted Martina, revealing some of her jealousy.
"Personal matters, Sergeant, were you looking for me?"
"Well, no, not really, never mind."
"Anyway, I must meet with my colleagues now, enjoy your beers!" Cut short Giulio, leaving for the upper floor, where his colleagues were seated.
He headed up through a wooden staircase to the upper floor, where there were several private rooms, all characterised by walls in wood and typical Bavarian decorations on them (painting, plates, deer heads etc). His colleagues were in one that looked down at the busy Rue de Marengo.
"Hey hey hey! Look who's here!" Exclaimed a familiar voice, as soon as he entered.
"Massimiliano!" Exclaimed Giulio, going to greet his friend.
"What suicidal instinct brought you to Vietnam?"
"Well, nothing special, just the 'Piemonte Cavalleria' joining the party. I was with the 'Cavalleggeri di Lodi' in Ceylon, but nothing happens there and there was this opportunity to get a promotion had I joined the III Squadron here, so here I am as a Major commanding a Squadron."
"Congratulations! And welcome to the party, then."
At this point, intervened Colonel Charles de la Croix de Castries, General Anou's second-in command: "Captain Galahad-Canossa, since you two already know each other, allow me to introduce you also Major Eberhard von Kriegshaber, from the II Battalion/1st Tiroler-Jager Regiment, of the Austrian Army."
Giulio shook hands with the other Austrian officers who were there, then finally sat down, ordering the lunch and a beer.
"Very well, gentlemen." Resumed the Colonel, as they were all seated. "I believe you all know the reason for which I have gathered you here: we must get rid of Brigadier General Pierre Anou."
At those words, all the officers looked at him astonished: it was what everyone thought and wanted to do, but nobody expected Anou to be backstabbed in that way by his second-in-command. The officer continued: "As we all could test on our own skin in the last operations, not only Anou is an incompetent, but he is clearly a danger for us and our soldiers."
"Agreed. In the last operation he sent my squadron to be decimated." Echoed Major Isabel Connolly, from the South Irish Horse Regiment, Irish National Army and only female senior officer sitting at that table.
"So, this is a plan for a mutiny against our commander?" Asked Marcantonio perplexed.
"Does it trouble you, Mr. Visconti-Gonzaga?" Asked him De Cristoforis.
"Not at all, I just thought it's an interesting way to begin my Vietnamese adventure."
Indifferent, De Castries continued: "Now, we have all filed uncountable complaints against Anou, without results, so I have decided to take the reins of the situation myself and set up a plan to sabotage the next mission, so that we can discredit him for good."
Those words, however, did not convince his colleagues, who began to discuss between themselves.
"With all due respect, Sir." Intervened Giulio. "Do we really need to sabotage an operation? This will have consequences for the whole Indochinese Campaign and it will cost us men, equipment and affect the troop morale."
His objection was followed by many other officers agreeing with him.
"Gentlemen, Mrs. Connolly, if I had found an alternative path, I would have taken it." Insisted the Colonel.
"Yes, but this one will take us directly to the court martial." Replied Major von Kriegshaber."
"Only if we are discovered." Corrected De Castries.
"Which isn't hard, considering that the old bastard has a lover in the Intelligence." Replied a Scottish officer.
"Wait, what?" Asked De Castries.
"That's what I ask too, what did you just say, Captain Graham? A lover?" Asked Giulio.
"Eh, well, that's just a story I've heard from a friend in the Military Intelligence. In short, he's got a lover in there. Apparently, the guy is a junior officer, but I don't know much else..."
"The guy?" Asked another officer, appalled.
"This can make a scandal that will be remembered." Noted Giulio.
"Knowing how the upper spheres of the Army are when it comes to this, it may be enough to have him kicked out of the war theatre and maybe even of the Army." Added Marcantonio.
"Yes, but we should collect proofs." Noted the Colonel. "Which may not be the easiest thing to do, especially if the man is in the Intelligence.
"Well, we can try. It's still a better plan than having our troops slaughtered to discredit him." Objected the Irish officer.
"I can try to collect some more information." Suggested the Scotsman.
"And I volunteer to help." Echoed Giulio, amused. "Let's call it 'Operation Falling Rainbows.'"
"Jesus, I thought this was the military, now it's feeling like a stupid high school..." Commented the Austrian officer, covering his face with his hands.
"We try to keep a playful atmosphere." Replied Giulio, with a smirk.
"You try even too hard." Replied Major De Cristoforis, immediately.
"Yes, but I'm sure you would miss it, if I stopped."
Thus, they continued their lunch, discussing about their plans and then slowly switching to more cheerful and informal matters. In the meantime, in the lower floor, where regular clients and soldiers were consuming their meals, the TV was displaying some leaked footages, showing how several war crimes being committed by the European Army against the Vietnamese population. Indeed, soon Pierre Anou would have had to manage a much bigger scandal than the extremely petty one being set up by his officers...
NOTES
* Around the 20th of August.
** Counter-insurgency warfare.
*** Around the 20th of November.