WesWorld

Well Giacomo thinks so at least.
[SIZE=1]Is he right? Tune in next time![/SIZE]

April 27th, Tripoli
The morning of the 27th dawned much like those before it, but the feeling at that one got walking down the street was much different than the days prior. Many had been working tirelessly throughout the night to ensure the events of the day went as smoothly as possible. All throughout both Tripolitania and Cyrenaica many polling places had been established, today he was one of the most important votes in the history of the provinces. The polls would be open throughout the day in order to ensure that all citizens had an opportunity to vote. At the request of the Italian government, many neutral American observers were present at each polling station to ensure proper practices were followed. Throughout the day many citizens filed through the polling stations casting their votes either in favor of or in opposition to the two provinces joining the Republic of Italy as member states. When each citizen had voted, their thumbs were painted to ensure that they would not be able to vote again. The voting was open to all those who would be allowed to vote should the province's become Italian states. Many took the vote as a matter of pride, an exercise in democracy and the power of the people. Many businesses offered discounts to those who could show that they had voted, it was that important to the majority of citizens regardless of how they were voting. As the day began to wind down, ballot workers began processing the votes with the American observers working in conjunction to oversee the counting. This wound on long into the night and the results would not be hinted at until the next afternoon.

Benghazi
All the decision to go ahead with a vote to become the Italian states was more popular in the west the eastern part of this area did not see this in the same light. While there were signifigent oil facilities, and therefor money, in the west there was greater ethinc divercity due in part to oil work moving peoples around. This had been a subject of much simmering tention, and was a consern raised at town halls dedicated to discusing the vote and its effect. However, the decenters on these grounds were clearly in the minority, so the vote was generally expected to pass here as well. However, there were several places where men gathered to plot their next move if the vote did pass. One of these meetings was graced by a most unusual presence. As the only Italian in a room full of Libyans, he stood out like a sore thumb. What he had to say at this meeting gave him much more popularity that his skin color would have implied. The crate of rifles that he brought with him only furthered the Libyans acceptance of what he had to say.

Rome
Alessadri Doge sat in his office, trying not to let the nervousness of that day's vote in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica show on his massive frame. The outcome of this vote he thought to himself represents the only way that I will ever become foreign minister. I hope the small man was able to adequately cover up what he tried to do in Napoli. Now all lies in the hands of a man in the guns he carries. We will see just how tolerant all Italians are when some decide to make them pay for what others have chosen.

April 28th
The cry of newspaper voice shouting "Extra, Extra! Read all about it!" Was not abnormal for a Friday afternoon. The headline of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica expected to join the Republic: Vote count points in favor of membership. was much different then normal friday news. Most paperboys ran out of copies.

OOC - it is amusing to imagine Americans monitoring polling stations on the shores of Tripoli.

Late Evening/Early Morning April 29th/30th, Napoli

*BAMBAMBAM*

Giacomo Petruzzo bolted into a sitting position, comforter thrown in the direction of the foot of the bed. The loud knocking at what he assumed to be his front door was not a welcome addition to the headache he was beginning to fully feel. Rain tapped against the glass...

*BAMBAMBAM*

Again a fist pounded on the door. More aware now, Giacomo checked his watch. In the poor light he could not tell the exact time, but around midnight was a good approximation. He reached into his nightstand and grabed two things, his detective's badge and a Beretta Mod.34.

He heard a muffled voice, to muffled to hear but enough to raise his suspicions. He managed to tiptoe to the front door...

*BAMBAMBAM*

"Detective Petruzzo?" A man's voice called from the other side.

"Who wants to know?" Giacomo responded. "I will have you know I am armed."

"If you look though your peephole," the voice on the other side said. "You will see a set of credentials."

Giacomo looked. A trio of words jumped out at him. He opened to door.

"May I come inside detective?" Lieutenant Gaspare Bartalotti asked "I think you and I have much to talk about."

Giacomo steped back and let the Servizio Informazioni Militare officer inside. He felt a little bit out of place, only in shorts and a undershirt.

Gaspare hung his hat and long coat on the stand beside the door. "I do apologize for the lateness, or earliness if you prefer, of the hour. But it was necessary I contact you with the utmost haste. May I sit?" Without waiting for an answer, he sank into a wooden chair at the small dining table. "So, you have evidence that points to that unfortunate auto crash a few weeks ago to an attempt on the Foreign Minister's life?"

"Yes." Giacomo replied, hesitation clouding his voice How does this man know so much about all of this?

"And what if I told you," Gaspare continued, ether not noticing or not responding to the cautious tone of the response. "that you were right?"

Giacomo fumbled for a response, but only a splutter came out.

"Cant fathom how I know so much?" Gaspare pulled the response almost verbatim of of Giacomo's mind. "Let me assure you, I know what I am talking about. One does not get these sort of asignments for being block-headed. Do you recall the Monaco incident from last year?"

"I do." Giacomo said "Wasn't a large sum of money taken?"

"Indeed, and would you like to know how this connects to the attempt on the Foreign Minister's life?" Gaspare cast his line.

Giacomo bit. "Yes."

"Exilent." Gaspare replied "Go get dressed and grab what personal belongings you need for the next few days. We can send a man to grab additional thing that you may need. I think it would be best if we leave under the cover or darkness, you may have some new enemies."

Giacomo nodded, and returned to his bedroom to gather his belongings and some travailing garb. The rain continued to hammer away on the glass. I wonder were this is going to lead me.

Quoted

Originally posted by BruceDuncan
OOC - it is amusing to imagine Americans monitoring polling stations on the shores of Tripoli.

I didn't even think about that.

Naval Events, May 1944

The aircraft carrier Aquila is floated out of drydock in La Spezia following reconstruction. Her sister Europa was drydocked the month before to undergo similar reconstruction. The Giovanni Bausan has finished trials after her conversion to a light aircraft carrier and is transfered to the Indian Ocean squadron. The cruisers Sardinia and Sicily complete and begin trials, they are the last newbuit cruisers ordered at this time. The large armored cruiser Regina Elena also completes. The fastest capital ship in the Marina Militare, she will be assigned to the Indian Ocean squadron following trials. She will be conducting some foreign visits during her working up.[1]

[SIZE=1][1] If you're interested, let me know.[/SIZE]

May 22nd

A fire at a major naval shipyard today destroyed several MAS-boat type hulls that were moored slightly offshore. Foul play is not suspected, as it initial investigations point in the direction of fuel fume buildup and a untimely cigarette lighting.

OOC Note: The MAS-boat type hulls are the majority of RA's Hydrofoils. Given there insane out of periodness and the friction they have caused in the past, I thought it best they exit stage right. There will still be a small number left for experimental use, but they will be unarmed until it is period appropriate for them to be armed.

Events of June

2nd First pre-production variant of the S149/44 Self-Propelled gun is completed. Based on the chassis of the Triarii medium tank, this is intended to replace the majority of 149mm self-propelled carriages in service in order to standardize maintenance requirements between self-propelled guns and tanks. 105mm armed variants of the type are expected to see pre-production later in the month.[1]

6th Italian patrol aircraft note the fleet gathered for the Grand Alliance Torche exersize. Observations of the position of the fleet are noted to ensure that any Mariana Millitare ships in the area stay clear of the exersize zone. No close flights are conducted.

13th Investigation into the May 22nd fire that destroyed several pre-production hydrofoil hulls is closed. The initial assumption of a cigarette lighter igniting fuel fumes, which then ignighted fuel on the surface of the water from an improperly mantianed tank was proven correct. The fire is a major setback to the program given its recent lack of funding. It will take some time to restart the program and restore it to previous levels.

20th The MAS Replenishment Plan is given a increase in scope. Early versions of the plan called for about 50 new MAS boats to replace older types. The program has now been expanded from its initial 9 month run to 24 months to enable more old MAS boats to be taken out of service.

[1]The S149/44 has a visual appearance similar to the Hummel, while the S105/44 will feature an enclosed and uparmored gun-house to enable use as an assault gun as well as a self-propelled artillery piece.

Late June, Rome

Giacomo Petruzzo still marveled at just how good some of the SIM agents were at there jobs. Despite his role as a control officer, Lieutenant Gaspare Bartalotti was a virtual master at getting what he wanted out of people. Giacomo still kicked himself for falling over the mention of the Monaco Incident when he first met Lieutenant Bartalotti, but it had turned out for the best so far. SIM had provided some very interesting pieces to the puzzle he had been assembling in regards to the attempted assassination of the Foreign Minister by the Camorra. SIM had recently acquired (or decided to share with him) that the same group of Camorra had possibly been running guns into Benghazi. Since the vote back in April, Benghazi had been host to those who spoke out most about the decision of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica to join the Republic. So far, the discussion had remained civil but SIM was clearly worried about something. The information regarding the Camorra's gun-running had only been given to him with the understanding that he was to provide all the intelligence he had on how they were doing such.

As Giacomo moved through data again and again, a pattern began to emerge. Somehow, the Camorra were able to still ship the crates of weapons as standard cargo, very odd when they were Esercito Italiano surplus items that did not seem to be going though a middle-man. The sales had been quietly halted when this was discovered. The only way it would have been possible to ship said weapons without a additional paper trail would have been with government approval. On a whim, Giacomo sent in a request for the list of doners for recent Napoli elections.

When that package arrived a few days later, Giacomo went over every scrap of paper. Only one figure remained fixated in his mind, that of a anonymous donor that had though official channels sent millions of Lire to the campaign of...the name rang many bells. Another request for papers was sent to Napoli Police. That batch contained most of the pieces needed to form the links between the gun runners and there political connection. Late into the night of the 29th, Giacomo assembled his report. The morning of the 30th found Giacomo asleep at his desk, the report with the picture of Alessadri Doge on the front waiting on Gaspare Bartalotti's desk. Gaspare would not make the journey to the office that day due to a fever that would not break for several days.

Meanwhile, late on the evening of the 30th, Alessadri Doge sent a telegram to Benghazi. I understand your colleagues are growing concerned about the coming days. Maybe it is time to give them a bit of room to express themselves.

Very interesting...

July 3rd, Benghazi

Mahdi Saqqaf huddled under a blanket to ward off the cold air of early dawn. Walking around during the early morning hours was one of the few times he found quiet these days, with a new baby at home and his new promotion at the city's oil facility keeping him around people who had what felt like nothing but questions. He followed his usual path though the city, winding by closed-up storefronts and sleepy looking houses. His path eventually lead to one of the city's predominantly Italian neighborhoods, and to its key feature, the small Catholic church that stood tall above the rest of the buildings. It was there he noticed a strange sight, two men crouched over a bag. Thinking nothing of it, he called out but softly so as not to disturb the occupants of the houses flanking the square. "Good morning friends, the day looks to be a good one. What brings you to this part of the city?"

The two men startled upright. The smaller of the two, which Mahdi saw was no more then 18 years old, took off running. The larger man hesitated. "You saw nothing friend, this is for the good of us all." He then backpedaled for a moment before turning around the corner.

Mahdi looked closer at the man's face, but before he could call out the man's name he was gone. Mahdi walked over to the bag, but as he approached he began to hear a faint ticking sound that got louder with every step. One look into the bag sent him running for the police station two blocks over, yelling at the top of his voice "BOMB! BOMB!"

Within half an hour, the Benghazi Police had cleared out the square and the houses in immediate danger. Barricades were erected to keep the throngs of people away from the danger zone, backed by police officers. A Lancia truck with Esercito Italiano markings rolled up to one of these barricades and several men got out, the Unità Esplosivi Smaltimento patches letting everyone know what they were there for. They began conversing with the police officers in charge of the area, who told them as much as the could about the bomb. Most of this information came from Mahdi Saqqaf, who was safely tucked away in the police station. The group of Italian solders returned to there truck to fetch equipment, and one of them approached the bag.

Urbano De Laurentis began to sweat despite the cool morning air. From the description he had been provided, this was a mechanically triggered device. Those were always tricky. He arrived at the bag and set down his tools on the ground next to it. Carefully opening the bag wider reviled the bomb, a few sticks of what could be anything from dynamite to black powder topped by a clock which had several fuses leading to the back. Urbano began examining the bomb and its trigger, acutely aware of the continual ticking of the clock which was growing closer to twelve. Finally reaching a conclusion of his thoughts, he grabbed a pair of small pliers and reached into the bag. A single bead of sweat rolled off his nose and onto the face of the clock, which read 30 seconds to twelve.

...
Cutting the 5 right wires will deactivate the bomb...
Cutting the 5 wrong wires will set off the bomb...
You have 50 wires to choose from and 30 seconds to do so...

July 4th, Rome

Alessadri Doge arrived at his office early, a old habit from his schooling days. As usual, his secretary was away getting breakfast but she had already layed out several items on Alessadri's desk. He picked up the newspaper, and a headline on the left side grabbed his attention immediately.

Quoted

Bomb plot foiled in Benghazi
Yesterday, a bomb was discovered outside a church in a predominantly Italian district of Benghazi. The device was successfully prevented from a unplanned detonation by a Unità Esplosivi Smaltimento technician. However, due the instability of the device owing to the improvised nature of its construction, it had to be detonated in a controlled manor on site. This resulted in moderate damage to the church's entrance, but the building overall was dreamed structurally sound. Nobody was harmed by the explosion. The device was discovered in the early morning hours by a citizen on a morning walk. Benghazi Police are asking anyone with information on this plot to come forward. More details on Page 6.

Doge, eyes lancing pure furry in the direction of the unoccupied office furnishings, crumpled up the entirety of the newspaper. "Those blubbering sub-human fools!" The newspaper flew across the room. Doge scribbled a note angrily, took it to the secretary's desk, and stormed out of the office. When the secretary returned, she found a note that read Going to Napoli for personal business, clear my schedule.

Benghazi
Ashfaq Darzi knew the pounding on his door meant only one thing, police. He knew this moment was coming since his co-worker at the oil facility had spotted him placing the bomb. With nowhere to run, he had simply waited. The pounding on the door continued, but Ashfaq did not move. Finally, with a resounding crash, the door burst open and Benghazi Police officers burst into the room. Ashfaq moved to stand, but the motion drew a flurry of shouts as Ashfaq became aware of someone behind him right before a rifle but impacted his skull. Ashfaq fell face first onto the floor, body limp as he passed out.

Hmm. And one would have thought that all was well in the new Italian province.

I do hope that they keep the suspect alive long enough to get some useful information from him.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

Hmm. And one would have thought that all was well in the new Italian province.

I do hope that they keep the suspect alive long enough to get some useful information from him.

Alive, yes. Enjoying his time, not so much.

OOC Notes: Warning, somewhat graphic. I do not endorse the use of the techniques described. News of this event will not spread, provide for the story-line only.

July 4th/5th, Benghazi

With a low, soft moan, Ashfaq opened his eyes. Or at least, he thought he did. Blinking, he became aware of a faint, diluted light. The back of his head was throbbing, and he felt caked blood on the back of his neck. Slowly, he began to understand just where he was. Cloth, he thought, there is cloth over my face. He attempted to flex his arms, but they would not move. What felt like rope cut into his wrists. The same feeling returned when he tried moving his legs. I must be tied to a table, he thought. A voice that he though must be his whispered softly. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

A professional, aristocratic tone replied. "How nice of you to join us Mister Ashfaq Darzi. Did you enjoy your rest?"

"Where am I?" Ashfaq though he replied.

"That depends on how much you talk." The voice said. "Tell me what I need to know, and your say will only be a minor inconvenience for you, a doctors visit if you will. If you do not, then you will experience hell on earth."

Ashfaq slowly became aware of some of the sounds in the room. Off to his side, a fire crackled. Some liquid bubbled with an out of place merriness. The footsteps that he presumed belonged to the body of the voice paced the room. By far the most terrifying sound was that of metal on stone. Someone was sharpening a knife. "What do you want from me?"

"Who asked you to plant the bomb?" The voice was off to his right. A liquid sloshed in its container as the man stopped.

"Nobody" Ashfaq said "I did it on my own."

The voice laughed. "My associate must have hit your harder then he told me. Surly you do not think I believe that you are smart enough to do this all be yourself? Tell me, are you afraid of drowning?"

Ashfaq felt his body tip backwards, and then something terrifying began to happen. He was underwater. A breath, his mind screamed, need a breath. But no breath was forthcoming. His mussels struggled with as much strength as they could muster against his bonds, he needed to swim up. No air was coming, the struggling intensified, all reason fled the body's mind as instinct forced every fiber in it to struggle for air. Blackness began to envelope him, then suddenly air flooded over his face. With a spluttering cough preceding it, cool damp air flooded his lungs. The coughing continued.

"I see the answer to my question is a yes." The voice said "Now tell me, who asked you to plant the bomb?"

"Nobody." Ashfaq's reply was far less steady this time. "Nobody."

"Is seems you are hesitating, perhaps you need some additional persuasion." The voice replied.

Ashfaq felt himself submerged again and again, each time being removed just before he blacked out. He continued to tell the voice that he acted alone.

After what felt like the hundredth time, something was retrieved from a surface nearby. "It seems we need to try something else." The voice said calmly. "Tell me, do you have children?"

Ashfaq felt a knife touch his chest between his pectoral mussels and slowly begin sliding down his body, so sharp the even with light pressure his skin was parted. "No." Fear filled his voice.

"Would you like to?" The voice said as the knife continued down Ashfaq's torso. It continued "Would you like to be able to please a woman?"

Ashfaq could only nod, his voice was paralyzed by fear. The knife reached his groin.

"Then I will give you one last chance to answer before I ensure you can do nether. Who asked you to plant the bomb?" The knife dug into Ashfaq's groin.

"Camorra!" Ashfaq howled in pain. "CAMORRA! It was the Camorra." The blade withdrew. "A man came, with guns," Ashfaq gulped "promised us a nation of our own if we helped kick out the Italians."

"We are all countrymen fool, but only one of us wishes to keep it united." The voice moved away from the table. "Thank you for your cooperation." A door opened and closed again. Ashfaq broke down into gasping sobs, blood pooling on the table underneath him.

Outside the room, one SIM agent turned to another. "Get me Lieutenant Gaspare Bartalotti and the Napoli Chief of Police."

July 6th, Countryside outside of Napoli.

Giacomo Petruzzo and Gaspare Bartalotti stood behind a Napoli Police car, several other uniformed officers around them. The house they were in front of belonged to the head of the Camorra, a vertically challenged man named Floriano Terzo Ermacora. The evidence they had uncovered had been overwhelming that Ermacora had been, with the help of local groups, attempting to insight rebellion in Benghazi following the vote in late April. The confession of the Benghazi bomber had filled in all the needed gaps. A judge had issued the warrant for Ermacora's arrest, and the Napoli police along with SIM agents were now in place to carry it out. The judge had been less then sold on Alessadri Doge's link to all of this, but had authorized that if he was found in the company of Ermacora that he could be detained for questioning. Giacomo and the others had come heavily armed, given the amount of weapons the Camora had transported to Benghazi there was no telling how heavily armed the house was likely to be. The weapons cache in Benghazi had been seized by police there earlier in the day, along with the arrest of several leaders of the Camora backed group.

Gaspare turned away from his pistol and looked at Giacomo. "Are you ready?"

Giacomo nodded, and clutched the warren tighter in his hand. "Let us begin." With that, he signaled to the accompianing police officers and they began walking to the front of the house.

Gaspare moved to the side and joined a small mixed group of SIM agents and Napoli police who moved in the direction of the rear. "Its time" he told them.

Giacomo was first to arrive at the door. He made sure that the other officers were in position, all had weapons drawn and two men carried shotguns. He exchanged nodds with the men, and then knocked violently on the door. "Floriano Terzo Ermacora, by order of the Judge General of Napoli and the Italian Republic, you are hereby charged with crimes which warrant your arrest. These crimes include intent to insight rebellion in an Italian Province, providing arms to such end, and attempted assassination of a elected representative. You and any associates have 30 seconds to declare yourselfs and exit the building with your hands in the air or we will enforce the warrant without regard to the safety of your property." He could hear a similar speech finishing from the backside of the house. A baited silence took hold, not a sound was heard over the wind. Suddenly, a shotgun cocked behind the door followed by a bang. The door exploaded into splinters, one officer was caught by the fringe of the cloud of scrap and fell screaming. One of the officers carrying a shotgun discharged it though the newly destroyed door, and the inhuman cries that followed let everyone know the round had found flesh. Giacomo lead the charge into the house, kicking open the remains of the door. Another man stood at the top of the stairs, his pistol barked. The round missed, Giacomo's did not.

From the back of the house similar sounds erupted. Giacomo and two other officers ran up the stairs, and quickly noted that only one door was ajar at the end of the hall. The trio approached cautiously, and paused before the shotgun-wielding officer kicked the door wide open. Before the trio moved though, somebody on the other side of the wall panicked and discharged a rifle. A shotgun blast answered and the rifle wielder crumpled to the floor. Giacomo and the other two officers entered the room. Two chairs were arranged in front of the fireplace, both occupied. One held the diminutive frame of Floriano Terzo Ermacora, the other the massive form of Alessadri Doge. The former looked totally calm, the latter looked as if he would sell what was left of his soul to vanish into thin air.

The former spoke. "Can we help you gentlemen with something?"

Later that evening....
Alessadri Doge sat solemnly in a cell located in the Napoli central police headquarters. I have lost everything he thought to himself. Everything I have worked so long for, gone in an instant of stupidity. Why did I stay for more then a day?When confronted with the overwhelming evidence that tied him to Floriano's actions and how he would be brought to trial on the same charges, he did what he felt was the most rational thing; make sure that Floriano spent the rest of his days rotting in jail. I never should have trusted him, but I had little choice back then. So much ambition but not the capital to utalise it. The night saw Alessadri sit alone, by morning he looked shallow. Alessadri's meeting with the prosecutors of Floriano Terzo Ermacora's crimes put to rest any doubts they had about convicting the Camora leader.

Quite interesting developments.

Great stuff. I can't wait to see where this leads.

Thanks guys, now for a interlude of some other news.

Some Events of July:

The Army begins testing of a AB.42T Armicustos transport that has a 81mm mortar mounted instead of its normal compliment of ten men. This is meant to give a fire support asset to motorized forces without slowing them down. Another modification that replaces the 20mm AT Rifle with a HEAT rocket launcher also enters prototype testing. It is unknown when each type will enter service, if at all.

Naval Yards around the country lay down the first five units of the Fleet Logistics Upgrade program. These are a single class of ships that are configurable for a variety of uses. It is expected that the program, which is currently ten ships, will be replacing the majority of the current converted fleet support auxiliaries within the next 18-24 months.

The modernization of the MAS fleet begins, with twelve MAS.4429 and eight MAS.4490 beginning construction. These represent the first MAS boats built in over ten years, and are coupled with an anticipated downsizing of the MAS force in the near term.

The Fiat C.1600 centrifugal turbojet is officially announced. Having undergone testing for the last several months on a modified Caproni motorjet airframe, the engine represents a great stride froward in aircraft propulsion. Fiat and Caproni also announced that the first aircraft designed around the engines as opposed to being modified from older testbeds are slated to fly early next year.