Nikolai Kosciusko 5: Nikolai Kosciusko, #5

By Richard R Lockwood

Nikolai has broken his vow to never travel in time again, but the possibility of regaining an undamaged Earth was too attractive to resist. All of his people now have twins in the new timeline, including King George III, rescued from Old England and rejuvenated. All of Earth's old political problems from their old time of 1818 are still there, but Nikolai has overwhelming power so why should he do things the old way?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard R Lockwood
• Release date: Nov 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215652152

Richard R Lockwood

Was born in Miami FL. Worked for the University of Florida until I retired. Been married to the lovely Cecelia for 40 years now, proof that I'm a lucky guy. Now living on the Nature Coast in Citrus County. Enjoy all kind of wildlife, especially reptiles and insects, so I'm pretty sure I'm in the right place. When I'm not writing I enjoy wood carving. Both of the heads beside me in the picture are cedar from the Chassahowitzka Forrest. I also love to walk my dog Bark Anthony. Probably need to go do that now. A Chronology of the Twins Alternate Universe novels and some thoughts and rationales - https://www.ricklockwood.net/Chronology.html My Books on Books 2 Read - https://books2read.com/ap/RaZ9Br/Richard-R-Lockwood  

Book preview

Nikolai Kosciusko

Volume Five

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1

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Nikolai thought it might take five or six timeslips before they found an unclaimed Earth. Dominik and others thought forty or fifty, though Tadeusz predicted it might take hundreds. Hood and Parr had both been through long campaigns and voiced no discontent. Yermolov seemed happy just to have an opponent. Laurent Saint-Cyr was as unperturbed as ever, which also began to annoy Nikolai. Finally, in their seventeenth timeline, while Yermolov in his turn was demolishing the alien ships and constructions yet again, Hood sent the message back with Lieutenant Gould. "I invite the King of Chronos to his new home."

Nikolai knew Yermolov had enough carriers to get his 1st Marine Division to Earth and did not bother to recall him. As soon as the smaller ships of their defensive screen were locked down within Chronos he sent the order to Willaumez and made his way from the creche to Suma.

The new jump technology gifted to them by Suma Ortega allowed the radiation normally shed at the emergence to be bled off during the flight, but Nikolai was not sure how much to trust it with an object as large as Chronos. He had instructed Jean-Baptiste to jump to ten light minutes above Earth’s orbital plane. The moment Freya sensed their arrival in Sol System she disengaged the bands of Suma’s cradle and sped out the mouth of the royal entrance. Behind him he knew other carriers were exiting Chronos as well as other cruisers, but, as his father often said, Rank Has Its Privileges. Five minutes from Earth and he got his first report from Hood. ‘All seems normal and the date is February 10, 1818.’

So how old am I now? Does it matter? I’ll declare myself 21 on my next birthday and to hell with any quibblers. To hell with them anyway.

They had left behind the warmoons of the Strategic Division in their old time, ordering them into the sun to keep them from alien use. Hood’s 1st Tactical Division was still intact, but swollen for the moment with the officers of the rest of the Fleet. After celebrating their arrival for a few days that division would begin searching the surrounding star systems for anything suspicious. With the addition of Admiral Suma Ortega’s future knowledge Hood now had several other targets for his inspections.

Nikolai knew Parr’s 2nd Marine Division was right behind him as he sped towards Earth and called him. When Leon’s intent face appeared on a message screen on Suma’s bridge he said, Attend me. He knew Parr was just as anxious to get to France as Nikolai was to start on Pacifica, but the Commander merely said ‘Aye.’

Nikolai led the cruisers over the mid-Atlantic and straight to Saint Helena. It was early morning and the area showed a few soldiers and civilians about. A scan by Suma’s sensors identified Nikolai’s target inside a building and he was momentarily reminded of his father’s acquisition of this same man; it seemed so long ago, and the dark of night. Well, I don’t care if anyone knows what I am doing, but until this moment he had not been sure this world was that similar to their old one. Commander, he said to Parr, I’m sending you targeting for a gentleman down below. You will take him, rejuvenate him, and make him Count of Corsica.

Parr had been abducted from Belgium before the battle of Waterloo and knew nothing of exile on Saint Helena. Puzzlement briefly showed in his eyes, but he knew Nikolai by now and waited. Any Bourbons or members of Louis XVIII government that refuse to bend the knee to you, if they survive, exile them to Corsica.

Aye my lord, Parr signed off with a thin smile, guessing by now the identity of the man.

Though the world is immense, I miss it each time I strike at it, Freya repeated Suma Ortega’s adage, I don’t think you missed that time.

The only plan Nikolai had made with Parr was for him to seize the government of France, leaving the details to him. When he was confident of success, when the Grand Armee of France once again obeyed him, he was to release the Italian brigades and Thracian marines for Murat to use in Italy. When Murat was back in control of Italy, Alexander Ypsilantis was free to use the Thracians to oust the Turks, though Nikolai had cautioned him about trying to make himself King of Greece. Alexander agreed, their plan would be the tried and true method of moving in with wealth and power and letting people who wanted things done come to him. With the Turks smashed, the Balkans would erupt, any island of stability would be noticed and eventually listened to.

Nikolai was eager to regain California and begin the founding of Pacifica, but he knew Dominik was headed there with all six brigades of the Legion, and there was nothing there now that could withstand even one squad of his forces. Tadeusz would have possession of suitable sites for factory complexes within the hour, as would Voskresensky in Alaska. The Fleet creche would regain its home in Oksana where he could easily visit it, but as for the Fleet itself...

Nikolai had not been told of his father’s plans for Hawaii and had only gotten the impression that it was to stay unspoiled. Well, Nikolai had no intention of spoiling it, but it would make a fine addition to Pacifica and an excellent home for the Fleet, both the Academy when it was reborn, and the Headquarters. To his mind it was better than Corfu, even without the world’s best surfing. All the Scythians who were not assigned to Chronos or bodyguard duties had been told to follow the King, he led them to Oahu and Kaneohe Bay on its northeastern side.

Scythian officers had cruisers and the women of two companies were in fighters. The other companies were following in transports debouching from carriers in orbit and as soon as they reached the atmosphere their gun platforms and air boards began to fill the sky. Once things calmed down in Europe the Fleet Marines would arrive and take over security functions from the ladies, but until then their instructions were to keep foreign military out of the area and make friends with everyone else.

He left the Scythians zipping about in the air of their new home with an added instruction to learn to swim and surf in their spare time, then headed to Alaska. Commander Yermolov had sent the 3rd and 5th Brigades of his Division ahead and stayed behind with the 1st to ensure a thorough atomization of any life signs in the alien attacker’s system. The 3rd under Kotlyarevsky began to arrive at Earth orbit in their carriers and then descend upon Cook inlet in their cruisers and gunships.

Valerian Madatov had been given an ultimatum; he could be dropped on Ivan Paskevich’s doorstep in Tiflis to explain his resemblance to a Russian/Armenian cavalry general, or become King of Armenia. He had made the sensible choice and he would lead the 5th Marine brigade to the southern Caucasus when he arrived in a few minutes. Nikolai had no worries about his friend and turned his attention to Anchorage.

Nikolai had liked his father’s renaming of Anchorage to Koz, and it certainly fit as one end of the Koz Way, but Dora was to be Duchess of Alaska, and talking it over with her had led them to agree to name her capital Romanov. It would throw doubt and confusion in the minds of the Romanovs in Petrograd, and reinforce her claim to that name for her children. Nikolai had no idea what would happen if the truth about their parentage ever became known, and no wish to learn. He wanted the Russians that followed Dora to be more or less content with her rule, and he knew many still harbored doubts about her.

But as he planned for their new timeline he realized he liked the name Koz more and more. It was perfect for the Capital City of House Kosciusko, even if it had been his father’s idea. He had always felt he might rename San Francisco, may as well start fresh in their new time. The Koz Way would pass to the east down the central valley as soon as they rebuilt it, and a loop would connect it to his new city. The city itself would also grow in a different manner. He had been pleased with its exponential growth in their old time, but in this new time he thought a more orderly pattern might make for a more pleasing final result.

But before that there was one great need; housing. The thousands of his people crammed into highliners in orbit were not suffering, but they had been cooped up for almost three weeks. As their king he had a responsibility to take care of them and he felt it strongly. He had decided along with his engineers that apartments were the fastest way to relieve the pressure on the highliners. Kugel and his assistants had orders to begin producing apartment towers in all sizes as their first priority. Women with children would be the first to receive apartments and their absence from the highliners would be quickly appreciated. Those who just wished to leave also had the option; if they removed their name from the apartment list they were given a shuttle and an au revoir.

Voskresensky seemed to have things under control at the former Anchorage; he was unloading factory seeds onto a vast, fairly flat alluvial plain south of Romanov while a squad of marines guarded his perimeter. Nikolai knew Kotlyarevsky’s other marines would be searching in circles around them, disarming anyone truculent and informing all of the new management. Dora, now the Duchess of Alaska, would keep possession of her apartment in Chronos and her MicroLux would allow her to visit anywhere she pleased. Satisfied with his inspection, he turned south.

George III, now styling himself George Hanover, Duke of Oregon, had left his son William in charge of his new fief and had gone directly to London. During planning he had convinced Nikolai to leave the British in possession of western Canada, arguing that while it was of great value to Canada, it added little of value to Pacifica and might cause a great deal of ill will in England. Nikolai, feeling generous towards his new noble, had gone along, reasoning he could always take it later. In either case it would probably fill with the English.

George’s wife Charlotte had recently delivered him a new son, Henry, and she felt no need to travel from her apartment in Chronos. She and Dora had known each other for decades and had easily settled into their new roles together, particularly now that both had recently given birth. The two new duchesses had lunch or tea together every day and admired each other’s children’s progress.

He went down the coast at a moderate pace in Suma and noted the presence at Mary’s Port up the mouth of the Columbia of William’s yacht and the cruisers and gunships of the 4th brigade of Parr’s 2nd Marine Division, the former African Brigade still commanded by Sidney Smith, though Sidney had gone to London with the Duke. It was almost certain that Parr would have difficulty seizing control of France, and an English brigade would have caused uncertainties and divided loyalties and in any case was thought unnecessary by Parr. He had the 2nd Brigade which was almost entirely French, two Thracian reserve brigades, and the help of Murat and two brigades of Italians.  But, he was facing the greatest resistance. Nikolai sent him a message asking for a report at his convenience and was not surprised to get a call.

I am appalled, Nikolai, to see France so humbled. Four foreign armies upon her soil, and France paying ransom.

I told you it was going to be bad.

I have made progress.

Tell me.

My men descended upon the Tuileries and Versaille, a few other palaces where friends of my former self were willing to guide us. Wellington and Tsar Alexander are now my guests.

Have you told Alexander he is losing Poland and Alaska?

Not yet. I thought to summon him to breakfast tomorrow and give him another helping of humiliation.

Wellington is the British Ambassador to France?

I have merely added guards to his door.

The 5th and 6th Legion brigades are ready if you need them. There is nothing in North America to worry me.

You worry about me? I am touched.

Of course I worry about you. Both of us love mad schemes, when at least one of us should be sensible.

You have Dominik for that. The man is steady as a rock.

True. If you don’t need help, Ciao.

Nikolai tried to imagine the scene in France right now. Gunships and cruisers would be traveling over the country destroying foreign cannon and ammunition dumps from above while foreign soldiers watched helplessly. At Le Havre..., he wanted to see it and ordered Freya to find him a view from a ship there, moments later it was on the display. Every foreign warship was under attack, but a gentle sort of attack. The main mast of each had been punched through by ion cannon and each ship was covered by a tangle of rope and broken spars. It would take days to fix, but anyone watching from their decks or ashore was getting a clear message. The English would begin the new era limping home in their obsolete warships.Things had changed.

2

The transports they had brought with them disgorged their cargoes of shuttles, touring cars, and gun platforms, then went into service for passengers between Koz and Warsaw and Paris. The next day unusual couples began appearing in the touring cars and along the waterfronts, and Nikolai was pleased to announce that rejuvenating your twin qualified a citizen for an extra rejuvenation pill.

The BabyLux model had been left behind for the more efficient highliners when designing the ships for Chronos, but surveys of the citizens of Pacifica showed its popularity. Some respondents, remembering their recent exodus, preferred the security and safety of a ship to the windows and balconies of the apartment towers. A new model of 40 suites that left out the single cabins of previous models was produced by Tadeusz’s new mass factories at San Jose; citizens of the new kingdom had the option of a ship or an apartment, both began appearing around the bays of Koz a week after their arrival.

Two weeks after their arrival he called his first Pacifica Council meeting in a new custom BabyLux with 20 large suites and a large comfortable salon with a central table. The royal yacht floated a kilometer above Koz as the nobles arrived, then made their way in from cruisers and MicroLuxes.

When they found their places at table, Laurent Saint-Cyr, the new Duc de Californie du Sud, sat to his right, with Dominik to his right. George Hanover, Duke of Oregon, sat beyond Dom. Izabela Czartoryska, Information Minister for House Kosciusko, was not on the Small Council, but sat to one side and recorded the meeting for possible later news reports.

To Nikolai’s left sat his queens; Zbyslava, newly honored as Countess of Tahoe, and Siroon, once again Countess of Galapagos. Dorothy Romanov, the Duchess of Alaska, sat to their left. Nikolai had reached a decision with Dora; he felt he had honored her and provided for her children enough. There would be no resumption of their former relationship, secretly or otherwise. He had no anger towards her leaving him and understood and sympathized with her position, but he was now a king with two queens and wanted no more drama in his House. She had smiled and agreed it was for the best, then revealed she had plans to make Aleksey Yermolov Count of Kodiak, and perhaps more.

Nikolai remembered saying, I can think of no better fief for the man, as he watched her elegantly take her seat at Council, then looked around at the others before rapping a knuckle on the table to call them to order. "Welcome to our first meeting. I am not expecting reports from you today, except for my Ambassador to the Court of Saint James. Some may think it strange to find you in that position, George, both here and in London, but it makes sense to me and I think it’s working out. It