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The Indochina Expedition
Topic Started: Sep 15 2013, 12:43 PM (396 Views)
NRE
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman

Beijing, Eastern Empire....

The city of Beijing was bustling now like never before. Since its address to the people a few weeks earlier, Emperor Yu wasted no time in beginning his long reforms to the Empire and keeping his promise of putting the people back to work. Many had been quite eager to return to the work force if only so they could afford the bare minimum to ensure their survival. However, with so much in disrepair, the process continued at a slow pace and many of the project's projected completion dates were being pushed back due to various unforeseen problems that continued to plague the nation. In the forbidden palace, the Emperor's court stayed constantly busy organizing, financing, and implementing the many service projects the Emperor choose to begin through his re-industrialization efforts. A particularly busy Minister was Zhao Peng, the Minister of Treasure. The Empire was not broke, the civil war had frozen most of the Empire's assets it had during the Dominion Wars. Those some of those assets were eventually seize and squandered by the rebel forces, the bulk of the treasury remained intact. This included a sizable sum of money that the Empire inherited from the Dominion itself. Funds that had been given to the Empire for the construction and maintenance of the Dominion fleet. Money that had either been embezzled by Sovereign Shoa-Tu or money that simply did not get used due to the fact that the war was coming to an end.

However, while money was not an immediate concern for the Empire, it was a long-term problem as Minister Zhoa feared that they would not be able to collect enough taxes by the time the coffers of the Empire began running low. Another concern was trade, the Empire was face with the possibility that it had no current allies and foreign markets with which to trade goods and import raw materials. Its only true ally had been Thialand, a puppet state that paid tribute to the Empire through the unequal trade agreements they had with the Empire, that favored the Empire, as well as their willingness to exert the Eastern Empire's will in that region of Asia. These were concerns that had to be addressed immediately or else all the reforms and projects currently underway would be for nothing. Minister Zhoa requested an audience with the Emperor and Emperor Yu, understanding the immediate problems, called a meeting of his court. Seated before the Emperor, Minister Zhoa rose to speak.

"Your Imperial Majesty, the Imperial treasury is facing a long-term problem of running short of funds before we are projected to be at an optimal taxation level. Furthermore, we currently have no trade partners in the region or internationally. We seeks guidance from the Divine Above in guiding us towards a solution to this most disturbing problem."

Yu sat for a moment as he stroke his beard. "We have heard nothing from Thailand since the Dominion Wars is this correct?"

"Yes Emperor Above" said First Minister Chan-ho.

"Thailand was an important partner of the Eastern Empire before it join the Dominion. It was a mistake to neglect them for so long during that time. We fear that perhaps the Thailand government has collapse due to our neglect but without any direct communication we cannot be sure. Hmm, what is the state of our navy?"

"Your Imperial Majesty" Hua Ziyang the Minister of War replied, "the navy was left more or less intact during the civil war. There are several ships through the fleets that are in desperate need of repair but I am told there are at least two fleets that are combat ready should we need them."

"Good then have escorts and transport ships readied at our best port. We shall dispatch an army to Indochina to investigate the fate of our former allies. If they remain, then our army will send reassurances of our commitment to them and re-establish a line of communication. If the government is no more than the army will then search the region for a possible successor. Surely if Indochina is lawless once more there exists at the local level warlords and others with whom we can throw our support. Establishing a ally there will be fundamental to the Empire's own return to power."

"Of course your Imperial Majesty" Chan-ho replied, "we shall make the preparations at once....."

OOC: Just in case anyone was wondering this is NOT an expansion on my part.
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Whal
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Hanoi, Vietnam

For many, the various former entities which encompassed the region known as "Indochina", were little more than distant memories. Truthfully, very few individuals could even say they recalled a unified power(s) which at one point encompassed the areas that were once Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Yes, one could argue that the ever present shadow from the Eastern Empire and it's Thai Puppet could resemble a sort of influence on the residents of the region, but perhaps not. The Eastern Empire, with it's mostly sluggish bureaucracy and internal threats, and the Thai regime, with its crushing dependence on its ally, were never immediate threats to local powers within Indochina itself. As a matter of fact, locals were much more preoccupied with satisfying the domestic warlords and gang-bosses which so ruthlessly maintained power over every aspect of their daily lives. Indeed, any foreign expeditions from the Empire were always so far away in the thoughts of the Indochinese.

A much more serious threat would always be the various highly organized warlords and crime bosses which so manically exercised their will upon the majority. Many times over a local peasant would be forced to endure the pain of losing 2/3's his harvest to these groups or, possibly worse, one of his daughters. Lawlessness was the law of the land, and most transgressions were repaid with blood retaliation. The largest city in Indochina, Hanoi, represented the devil's den for the residents of the region, and once a month they were the scene of a bizarre yet highly intrusive aspect of life in Indochina: criminal assembly. The top warlords, narco-terrorists, human traffickers, and arms dealers would gather from all around to adhere to "matters of the state" which boiled down to who owned what and who would keep it.

One of these rising stars was Pham Chi Sung, a middle aged Warlord from the Northern provinces of Vietnam. Not particularly exceptional in any single trade, Sung rose to prominence by slowly phasing out all competition in his home regions and absorbing their operations. Soon he became the most powerful man in North Vietnam, and was rivaled only by his equivalents in Southern Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Sung was becoming increasingly irritated at the restrictions posed by his associates' presence, and he covertly plotted against them behind their backs. By the time of the monthly criminal assembly, Sung practically had their mothers in his pocket. No longer would he be forced to share Indochina with anyone.

Sung waited as the assembly progressed as usual, allowing each individual to speak his/her case. He even let his hated rival, Trihn Chi Huang, from South Vietnam lobby for access to northern rice patties - not like it would matter soon enough. Finally, when the last man spoke his peace, Sung rose from his chair and addressed the assembly.

"Gentlemen, I wish to thank you one last time for meeting here at this assembly" Sung paused as he scanned the room, "Working side by side with you these past few years has been an ever helpful learning experience. One that I am most delighted has finally come to an end...""

"Bah! Pham Chi Sung!" Trihn Chi Huang mocked from his seat, "Are you trying to tell us that the great warlord from North Vietnam is retiring? If so, then I welcome the sight of my own fat ass presiding over Hanoi." He finished with an uncharacteristically loud chuckle.

Sung smiled as he analyzed his rival's misguided delight. "You have always been an arrogant pig, Trihn Chi Huang. I am delighted to inform you the opposite is in fact true. I am not going anywhere, and in fact, your ass in going to end up in the dirt rather than this chair!"

Huang was livid, and criminal assembly or not, he was going to teach his rival some respect - or so he though. "Shoot that miserable rat!" He commanded to his lieutenant. The man remained stoic, and instead looked at Sung for what appeared to be a direction of orders.

"Fine, I'll do it myself" Huang yelled, reaching for the lieutenant's pistol. In an instant a brief struggle ensued and only ended when Huang's own lieutenant shot him in the face. Huang's obese frame slouched forward onto the table as blood ran down its side on to the floor.

Half the room looked on frozen, whilst the others smiled in delight as yet another major rival was out of the way. Little did they know they would soon join them. At the raise of Sung's hand, the room was ablaze with close gunfire and the slashing sounds of knife and sword blades. Terror ensued as bosses were executed by the very men they trusted to protect them. Once the bloodbath had subsided, Sung stood on top of the table among the carnage.

"From this day on, let it be know that Generalissimo Pham Chi Sung united the warring provinces of Indochina into a single unified state. We have entered an era of unbridled success and stability the likes of which Indochina has never seen."

He then turned to Huang's lieutenant. "Come, we have much to do."


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South China Sea, Several Miles off the coast of Quảng Trị...

The small expeditionary fleet that had set sail from the Eastern Empire was not only a few miles from a suitable landing position. It had been a long time since soldiers of the Empire had set sail for some far off land to fight in a war for their Emperor. Leading the expedition was one, General Chang. Chang, 12th son to the house of wu. His grandfather had been a great General himself, having fought successful campaigns in his time against the Empire's then enemy, the Veloryan Empire. His father however, had not been so lucky and was instead a commander during the Dominion Wars. Though little honor was brought to their house during those dark times, they remained prideful of their past. Chang's own exploits during the Imperial Wars back home in the Empire, for Emperor Yu had secured his command as a General in the Imperial Army. Looking out through his binoculars at the coast of Vietnam, he wondered what glories awaited him and his men. Leaving the outside of the ship, he moved deeper into inside until he came into a large holding area of the transport vessel, where most of his men lay ready for the fight. Calling them forth, they surrounded the General and awaited ot her what he had to say.

"Sons of the Empire, our journey upon the sea shall soon be coming to an end. For too long have our people been at war with ourselves, bathing the Empire in the blood of its sons and daughters. Now finally, his majesty the Emperor, son of heaven and lord of ten thousand years finally sits upon the throne. Peace, we have finally achieved peace and though it came at a heavy price, perhaps the heaviest we paid was that it came without honor. Peace without honor is stagnation and for the Empire to stagnate is for the Empire to riot. Long ago the Eastern Empire brought fear into the hearts of men. The very sound of our great war horns brought armies to their knees and forced kingdoms to crumble before us. For many, many out there in the great wilderness of Asia, it is believed that the sun has finally set upon our great Empire. That we are but shadow of former glory and that never gain shall we strike fear within our enemies."

"To them!" the General continued, his voiced raised "I say, come me and I shall show you glory. For it shall be by my húdié shuāng dāo, the most honorary blades of the Empire, that their life shall be forfeited. We have come to Indochina to seek the Kingdom of the Thai. Long ago allies to his majesty the Emperor, they have fallen silent and we must discover why. I see no honor in the men we will fight, but where we may not gain honor in battle we shall honor the commitments of the Empire and in so doing honor ourselves and our houses. So ready yourselves my men, we launch our landing parties immediately. Let none stand in our way and take none for prisoners. For the glory of the Empire!"

The men chanted back for the glory of the Empire and continued to do so for several minutes until at last they boarded the landing craft and prepared to launch for the beach shoes of Vietnam.
__________________________________________________________________

Several Hours later, the Quảng Trị settlement....

Billows of smoke rose high into the air, a sight that could easily be seen for several miles around. The distinctive sound of fire was interrupted only briefly my random screams that were quickly silenced. The Empire's soldiers had came ashore quickly and wasted no time moving into wilderness, coming across a settlement about a miles or so inland, just off a small river. It was known as Quảng Trị by the local and had been for the most part a quiet settlement. They were fishermen for the most part and traded their fish, a good portion of it, to the local gangs for protection. While many of them did not quite get enough to eat because this, they did live in relative peace and their women were left well enough alone. This most tranquil scene however, was now only a distant memory to the few poor souls that were now still alive following the soldier's appearance in the area. They had come to the town in force and while it had not been their plan to completely sake and burn it, the misplaced gesture by the town's letter upon General Chang had led to a most violent end for the poor soul, his family, and now most of the town.

Cowering in a small basket, the young Nguyễn waited for the horror to be done. Her father had been slain before her eyes and she'd lost her mother in a small crowd. At the young age of 14 she was all alone and the eerie silence around her frightened her. Still, the silence was also her ally, perhaps....perhaps the men were gone. She had to make a break for it, if she could get the tree line she could disappear in the forest. Slowly she lifted the lid of the basket, setting it to the ground beside her gently. Tiptoeing out of the basket, she moved as stealthily as she could towards the trees. They were only a few feet away now, surely she'd make it to safety. Sadly she did not as a soldier grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the ground. Frightened, she found herself completely immobile as this man and a few others hovered over her. The look in their eyes was all she had to see, she knew without knowing what was to come. The men spoke in a language she didn't understand but when one went for his belt, she knew...she just knew. Closing her eyes she braced for what was surely the inevitable.

Then she heard it, she felt it, another body hit the ground. She opened her eyes and saw a fourth man, older and wearing a more decorated uniform. He stood over the other man, who now lay on the ground and looked as frightened as she did. She could not understand what was being said.

"What do you think you are doing" General Cheng said to the soldier of whom he'd thrown to the ground.

"The spoils of war sir, I just thought I was owed...."

"You are owed nothing but the chance of honor" Cheng said quickly back to him. "To defile this one is to defile yourself. I shall have none of that in my army, is that clear?"

The Soldier nodded and got back to his feet slowly, zipping his pants closed and taking his place back with the others. General Cheng turned to the ground and order two men to help her up. Tears ran down her face as she thanked him but the General did not speak her language just as she did not speak his. He could of course, guess what she was saying and responded, "I did not save you out of respect for your life. Your life was forfeit the day you were born young one. Yours is a diseased, filthy, and dishonorable blood. I shall not have any of the great blood of the Empire mixed and watered with your own." She did not understand a word but realized that when the General pointed to the tree line, he was letting her go. She did not question it but began running back towards the trees.

"We shall not fornicate with their kind, no more than we shall let any survive or be taken prisoner." WIth that he raised his pistol and with having to barely look in the girl's direction, he shot her right in the back of the head. Her lifeless body fell as her hand broke the tree line and into safety. The General, as he placed his pistol back in its holster, was then approached by his aid.

"General Cheng, we've interrogated the last of them. It seems a system of warlords and other criminals mostly lay the laws here in the region. The Thai Kingdom's administration crumbled and disappeared a few years back, near the end of the Dominion Wars as I gather it. Apparently the criminals gather in the northern city of Hanoi from time to time, no doubt to size up their enemies."

The General scratched his finely trimmed goatee. "It is not much, but we'll take it for now. Have the men burn the rest and tell the armor to start moving. We'll make for Hanoi immediately...."
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Whal
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Hanoi, North Vietnam

News of the Eastern Empire's troop landing had travelled fast from villager to villager in the wake of the sack of Quảng Trị. What the ignorant Chinese invaders had mistaken for a small, fishing village was actually a highly venerated cultural site encompassing one of the oldest temples in all of Vietnam. However, not even the temple stood now and all of Quảng Trị's villagers lay dead. Needless to say, the brutality of the Chinese soldiers was quickly a regional threat and word of their march on the capital sent a shockwave all throughout Indochina. Frightened civilians along the path fled their villages, taking little possessions, and flooded the strongholds of their local crime bosses. The local bosses, fearing the Empire's soldiers and further unrest, fled themselves in turn and headed directly to Hanoi. The countryside became devoid of Vietnamese and all roads leading to the capital were packed with refugees and hired guns alike.

The invasion could not have come at a worse time for the Generalissimo, whose recent coup d'état had just ended with the last independent stronghold falling to his forces around the same time as the Chinese landed. Indeed, Pham Chi Sung's Indochina was just beginning to take shape as the previously dormant Eastern Empire decided to go on the war path. The criminal assembly. or what was left of them, were horrified at the news. Weren't the Chinese supposed to be fighting each other? What was the Generalissimo going to do now? The questions were screamed by civilians at the guards stationed atop Hanoi's very high walls. In the end, the gates to Hanoi remained closed and the civilians were forced to return home. Many remained, preferring to fight the criminals rather than the Chinese. However, the Generalissimo had a plan for his people.

"Generalissimo, the refugees are starting to become violent!", Ngô Thành Giáp yelled, panting as he approached the Generalissimo, "What are you orders?"

Generalissimo Pham Chi Sung looked over the wall down at the clamoring mob bellow him. His soldiers tirelessly attempted to restore a semblance of order as they forcefully corralled the refugees into lines. More often then not the soldiers would have to move refugees by violently batting them with their rifle butts. Eventually the situation became too chaotic and a rather burly villager managed to knock a soldier off balance, disarming him. As the villager attempted to retrieve the rifle, he was executed by a bullet to the top of his head fired by a frightened soldier directly to his left. This aggravated the crowd beyond control and they began cohesively assaulting the soldiers.

"ENOUGH"!", Sung screamed through a loudspeaker. The crowd and the soldiers fell silent and looked upwards.

"My brave Vietnamese, sons and daughters of Indochina, the time has come to forget the transgressions of the past! No longer shall you scrape and toil for months only to loose your harvests to the landlords! No more shall your daughters be taken from your arms bound to prostitution, nor shall your sons be taken from you to join the local warlord's garrison! No, my fellow Indochinese, we will emerge from our dark past together, standing over the corpse of our hated enemies from the Empire! Yes, a dark storm is approaching from the south, its shadow covering the land in death and destruction!", the Generalissimo preached to the crowd. Soon everyone was focused intently on their self-proclaimed leader.

"However, today is not the day to despair, my brave Indochinese! No, today represents the first day of our independence from outside tyranny! A day where each and every Indochinese can proudly proclaim they stood with their brothers and sisters against the Chinese invader! What say you, my brave Indochinese? Will you fight with me against these barbarians who claim divine right over the other peoples of Asia?! Take up arms with me!!" Sung screamed, raising a rifle over his head.

Soon the entire crowd, soldiers and civilians, began cheering and raising their fists in the air. The soldiers began helping the civilians up from the ground and a heavy nationalist sensation filled the air. By the Generalissimo's orders, hundreds of crates were unveiled and opened by the soldiers. Inside were a myriad of small arms and explosives.

"Simple, my dear Ngô Thành", the Generalissimo said, turning to the young man, "Opiate of the masses."

"You intend to arm the populace, Generalissimo!?", Ngô Thành Giáp yelled in astonishment, "This is insane, Sir!"

Pham Chi Sung smiled wide and laughed, "Hurry up and get those weapons distributed, General Giáp", he said putting his hand on Giáp's shoulder, "We need to be ready to welcome our guests!" The Generalissimo continued laughing as he walked away.

"A general?", Giáp muttered to himself in disbelief. He shook his head, smiled, and prepared for the Generalissimo's war.

Below him the soldiers began handing out weapons to the able bodied men of the crowd. There was such a nationalistic fervor among the crowd that should the Chinese crest the hill that moment, none would have been spared by the vengeful Indochinese. Within a short while the capital would become an impenetrable fortress of trenches, barbed wire, and machine guns. The angry soldiers and militia awaited the Chinese arrival.



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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman

It took a day or so to march from their landing zone to the city of Hanoi, in which time the warriors of the Eastern Empire across various pockets of criminal militias. None of them stood a chance and their mangled bodies were left visible in the Empire's wake, ensure none followed were they marched. By the time they finally checked the city, it was very evident that they'd been alert to the Empire's presence and that a united effort to resist had been organized. Finding a vantage point to his liking, General Chang order the troops to camp for the time being. This was a strategy all to itself, in both using the intimidating numbers of his forces to hopefully break the resolve of some of those protecting the city as well as to give him a chance to size up his enemy. For that purpose, scouts were sent out to survey the city itself along with the individuals guarding it.

After his command tent was setup, General Chang had his own effigy of the patron God Guan Yu unloaded from some of his personal things he'd brought with him for the expedition. Lighting some incense, the General prayed to the patron God of War. Religion was a new concept for the Eastern Empire as it had been banned for generations prior to the Dominion Wars. Following the Dominion Wars and the outbreak of the Empire's own Imperial Wars, Shoaism had developed and was embraced not only by Emperor Yu but all those who served under him to restore the Empire. Now it was being promoted throughout the Empire, temples to the Jade Emperor, Shoa Conn, and the Pantheon of Gods that served him were being erected.

Within the hour the scouts had returned, General Chang was alerted and he ordered the men in. "So the city is guarded by peasants" he said bluntly after hearing the scouts reports. Exiting his tent he walked a few feet forward and then stopped, staring out to the city that lay only a mile or so before him. "A cautious man who order our forces to surround the city" he stated to his aide, "surround the city and blockade. We could easily starve the people into submission and win without firing a single shot. While not entirely glorious, such a tactic is not without some degree of honor to be had. Still, it seems rather cowardice than cautious in my mind. No, I prefer to simply march our army straight through the middle and devour everything that lay in our path. A glorious battle that would be yet our enemies has neither skill nor honor. I'd never think to waste our great warriors on such a battle, knowing full well those fools out there could get lucky enough to shed some of our blood."

The General stroked his goatee. "Still, fight we may have to if we are to get any results here. Yet, if I am to fight, I wish to know the name of my enemy so that I may call for him on the battlefield. His head shall be mine and his body, I shall have the crows feast on." the General turned to his aid, "We shall prepare a message and have out swiftest scout send it to the enemy. It shall be their one and only chance to bargain for their lives." With that, the General's quickest scout was summoned and after having his aid dictate a letter, the scout was instructed to deliver it personally to whomever was leading the city's defense. With the sun beginning to set in the distance the lone soldier walked confidently towards the city, knowing full well he was being followed by the riffle of many defenders. He used the rolled parchment in his hand as his wife flag, holding it proudly ahead of him as he moved towards the city.
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the Wallace Islands
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 *  *  *
Message from the Foreign Secretary
 

Message reads in part:

We are deeply concerned by your significant movements into Indochina and the presence of your forces so close to our maritime borders. While we have no specific claim or interest in Indochina, we would regard any further movement from Indochina into the Indo-Australian archipelago as threatening. We request that you clarify your intentions in the region.

Henry Thomas Edgars,
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
Republic of the Wallace Islands
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Whal
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
 *  *  *  *  *  *
The arrival of the Emperor's soldiers upon the doorstep of Hanoi was a gloomy sight to behold for the city's defenders. Indeed, the Generalissimo's speech had diverted much of the population's anger away from his "government" and towards the Eastern Empire's soldiers, but all the peasant conscripts in the country couldn't save his rule from complete annihilation. No, the city's peasant militia and criminal thugs needed a miracle if they were to save their lives and establish their own nation. Perhaps that miracle had arrived in the lone Chinese scout who appeared outside their city gates.

General Giáp had not noticed the scout's arrival, focusing on the city's defenses instead, and was only alerted when an aide rushed to his side. The aide explained the scout possessed a single white piece of parchment and demanded an audience with the city's commander. Fearing the restlessness of his men on the walls, Giáp rushed to the wall and peered over the edge.

"What is it you desire, enemy of Indochina?" Giáp called out to the scout.

"My General and Master, Chang Wu, wishes to meet personally with the commander of this city!", came the reply. "My General wishes to stress this is your only chance for survival!"

Giáp took a moment to analyze the situation. He could order the scout shot for his insolence, but that would surely destroy any chance for a peaceful conclusion. He could meet with the Chinese General, but that put him at risk of being captured or worse. He needed time to discuss the matter with the Generalissimo before giving an answer. He told the scout he would have his answer by nightfall.

In his council chamber, Generalissimo Pham Chi Sung enjoyed an extravagant dinner as General Giáp explained the current situation.

"So you see, Generalissimo, the nature of our situation is extremely precarious", Giáp explained. "If we meet with this General we risk our lives, yet if we remain behind our walls the enemy is liable to invade or starve us out. How can we be so sure the Chinese aren't planning treachery in offering us this supposed olive branch?"

Generalissmo Sung finished his meal, and waved for a servant to remove his plates. He looked at Giáp with a smile before speaking.

"The Chinese are always treacherous, my dear Ngô Thành", Sung replied coily. "So in order to deal with them we must also be treacherous."

"'Please elaborate, Generalissimo?", Giáp asked confused.

"Simply put, General, we will meet our enemy on neutral ground and listen to his proposal. Should he offer terms we shall consider them, but should he desire to assassinate or capture us it shall be his undoing", Sung said with a fiendish smile.

Giáp still looked confused, but the Generalissimo continued, "Have you ever heard of fulminated mercury?"

"No, sir, I fail to see how chemistry can save us here", Giáp replied.

"Back when my operation manufactured methamphetamine we stumbled upon a substance so innocent, yet so destructive it bordered on military genius", Sung continued. "Harmless to the touch, the tiny crystals explode with deadly effect when considerable force is applied - such as throwing the substance to the ground. We shall each carry a handful of crystals with us to the meeting. Their relatively small size will go unnoticed by all who attend, and should the enemy attempt to harm us, we will take them all down with us."

Giáp's eyes widened in fear and disbelief. He was terrified of the proposal and he was beginning to question the Generalissimo's sanity. However, he simply sighed realizing he wasn't likely to survive the entire debacle regardless.

"Do I have a choice?", he questioned half-heartedly.

"No, General", Sung replied quickly, "Now, go deliver my answer to the Chinese envoy."

General Giáp left the Generalissmo's chamber with a lump in his stomach. He delivered the message to the scout, crawled into his bed, and managed no sleep throughout the night. He severly dreaded the meeting that morning.



Edited by Whal, Oct 20 2013, 08:53 PM.
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The scout returned as swiftly to his comrade's camp as he had left and delivered the arrangement to General Chang who was enjoy a meal with his officers while the rest of his troops also feasted in various circles. Taking a sip of his drink as the scout detailed the demands of the enemy, the General smiled. "I may have underestimated my enemy. He may be not as foolish nor as cunning as I had previously thought." Suddenly he slammed his fist of the table causing the contents on the table to shake and let out a hearty laugh for which his officers quickly followed suit. "There may be an honorable battle yet boy" he said through his chuckle. "We must be vigilant though. no doubt our enemy has chosen a neutral location in order to attempt to get the upper hand."

"You think they may attempt to attack us?" the General's closest aide asked.

"I know they might" the General said confidently, "but whatever they have plain may be a secondary plan just in case they fear for their lives."

"Which they should!" an officer said which prompted the others as well as the General to chuckle more until the General finally held up his hand.

"That may be true but it would be dishonorable to kill them when we've already offered to parley. No, we shall meet them at the point they've requested and we shall make them our offer. That being said, I will want our best two snipers in position just in case our hosts do indeed try to double-cross us."

The men smiled

"An have our men ready to march on the city as well" the General said finally. "I want it burnt to ashes and the ground salted, should we be double-crossed....."

________________________________________________________________

The message sent from the Republic of the Wallace Islands to the Eastern Empire was received and although the Foreign Minister debated on whether or not to even show it to the Emperor, he at last relented and presented before his majesty. Surprisingly, Emperor Yu was most calm when receiving the message, a drastic change from the usual fits of rage and disgust that so many of his ancestors had displayed in previous generations. After a few moments of thought, he finally dictated a brief but to-the-point reply.

Official Communique
The Eastern Empire
The expedition into Indochina is no concern of your government. The Eastern Empire has business with which it is attending and shall speak no further on the situation.
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the Wallace Islands
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 *  *  *
Message from the Foreign Secretary
 

Message reads in part:

Be advised that we have a naval task force stationed in the South China Sea. Our ships remain in international waters and are only present to protect our interests in the archipelago. We shall make no attempt to interfere with your operations in Indochina. We have no interest in your internal affairs.

Henry Thomas Edgars,
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
Republic of the Wallace Islands
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Whal
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
 *  *  *  *  *  *
"I'm so going to die here..."

General Giáp constantly thought to himself as he waited with the Generalissimo inside the tent. His hands and legs shook slightly and the crystals in his pocket felt much larger than they actually were. Even worse still, the calm nature with which the Generalissimo composed himself made Giáp even more self conscious. More than anything he just wanted the Chinese to arrive to relieve the stress of waiting.

Generalissimo Pham Chi Sung waited for his enemy's arrival sitting comfortably in a large leather chair at the edge of a long table. He was unafraid of the Chinese, for Sung had stared death in the face throughout his life as an organized criminal. No, the meeting with the Chinese commander would be just another trial in his struggle for life and death. No one had given Sung anything; he had to work for everything that he'd accomplished thus far, and even the Eastern Empire would stand in his way. If he was to go down then he would go down fighting. However, despite Sung's defiant nature, General Giáp seemed very tense.

"Courage, General", The Generalissimo said reassuringly to Giáp. "Otherwise, the Chinese will smell your fear from across the table."

General Giáp worriedly turned to the Generalissimo. "I can't help it, sir", he replied nervously, "I suppose I'm prone to being nervous."

"Don't be", Sung replied confidently, "I doubt these cowards wished to summon us just to waste our time. I'd wager they have a proposition for us."

"What if they don't?", Giáp replied, looking between the Generalissimo and the entrance.

"Then be thankful we brought fulminated mercury with us", Sung replied with a chuckle.

General Giáp faked a smile, but he was still on edge. Eventually, he accepted that he would probably die that night, but he told himself to be strong for his people. This might be their only chance to form a legitimate government. It wasn't long before a Vietnamese soldier alerted them that the Chinese had arrived. Tensions were high as the Empire's soldiers walked through the camp, and with the city in the distance, the Indochinese were eager to defend their homes.

The Chinese entered the tent to find both men sitting; they did not rise to greet them. Instead, Sung merely glared at the Commander before speaking.

"Welcome, sworn enemies of Indochina", The Generalissimo exclaimed. "What can we do for you today?"
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman

Three Chinese men walked into the tent, the two younger men who flanked the older gentlemen were merely aides and the older soldier was in fact General Cheng himself. They had come unarmed, or at least they were primarily unarmed. Entering the tent it was visible that each man carried small, twin blades holstered on their backs. Approaching the table they, rather abruptly, unsheathed the blades and plunged them into the table itself, forming a line of blades between them and the Indochinese men across from them. The each blade bore the seal of the Empire. Underneath that, each pair bore a different symbol representing the name of the house each man represented. No doubt General Giáp clutched his crystals a bit tighter during the whole affair but luckily did nothing to activate them.

"I am Chang, 12th son to the house of Wu and a loyal General to the son of Even, Emperor Yu of the Eastern Empire. We have, as agreed, come unarmed and are willing to parley for your lives."

The General mixed little when it came to his words, he believed he was on the upper hand and whether or not that was true was of no concern to him.

"We have you city surrounded, I am told there are few true soldiers among the men and women" the General Chuckles a bit when he mentioned the women, "you have defending your city. My men will kill ten of your own before they fall in battle so no matter your numbers, we will prevail. However, in truth we did not come to slaughter your people. We came to seek out the Thai Kingdom that had swore fealty to the Emperor before the Dominion Wars. We owe them much and have come to repay the debt. I understand it, however, that the Kingdom fell during the war and that none remain to claim the throne."

"That would be correct" Generalissimo Sung replied coldly, "that old-world order no longer exists here. It is men like myself that now bare the future of this land in our hands."

The General raised an eyebrow as he looked Sung over. "That may in fact be true and while you are not of the Empire you appear of true Asian pure blood and not the muddled blood of those dogs that have mated with the weak Western races. The Son of Heaven, has no intention of enslaving your people nor does he wish to slaughter them. I can tell that you are strong man, you have by whatever means necessary, gain the admiration of your people. For why else would they foolishly stand against us, the Eastern Empire. That Empire which has outlasted the great Veloryans, the Assassins, and the Sakha. The Eternal Empire that has and shall forever be the protectors of the Asian peoples."

"So for this, I come with one offer and one offer only. Take it, and you save your people from what I assure you shall be a complete massacre. Refuse it, and I shall be sure to find you on the field of battle and it shall be my blade that you see last in this lifetime." The General's tone was coldest at this point in the conversation before lightening a bit as he laid out the terms they'd come to give. "The Son of Heaven is willing to accept your people and what leadership you have. The Lord of Ten Thousand years shall even support you through whatever means necessary to build a nation here in Indochina. However, know that this support shall come with a price and that you shall be indebted to the Emperor until such time as your mortal chains are broken or he is gracious enough to set you free."
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Pham Chi Sung was unafraid of the man standing so proudly before him. Years of intimidation tactics, muscle flexing, and empty threats were always sent his way by competitors who wished nothing more to induct change through fear. However, this time Sung was aware that such threats were most definitely backed with a sharp row of teeth. The Chinese were correct that the city was surrounded, but the Generalissimo recognized his enemies' immense hubris was also their greatest weakness.

Taking a moment to look General Chang over, he finally spoke.

"You entered Indochina under a pretense of violence and exploitation, General. How do you possibly expect my people to work with the Empire when you slaughtered an innocent village of men, women, and children who would have so graciously accepted you as liberators? It is the truth, that had you arrived with more peaceful means you would have encountered a much more subservient people. Look around you, General. Do you know what country you have invaded? Vietnam has resisted Chinese pressure for hundreds of years! Even if you eliminate me my people will never relent."

Sung played the only card he had. Although he was aware he couldn't win the current engagement, the Generalissimo knew the Indochinese would be the most ruthless of insurgents and would fight the Eastern Empire until one side was completely eradicated. He desperately attempted to barter for any type of leverage in the negotiation; If not to gain some profit for himself, but to stem the tide of hatred his people felt towards the Chinese.

Rising from his chair, the Generalissimo walked towards the swords plunged into the table. He noticed their fine craftsmanship and eloquence; indeed, the Empire treated their own very well. However, where the Chinese were arrogant, the Indochinese were practical and resourceful.

"While I do not share my people's immense hatred of your Emperor", Sung continued, facing Chang at an extremely uncomfortable distance, "I will not agree to exploitation without profit for those who matter. You owe the Indochinese concessions, concessions I will most graciously accept on their behalf."

Turning again to fancy the sword, Sung continued, "How does the Emperor treat his friends, General Chang?"



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The General only smiled, his grin wide and his eyes ablaze. Whether from the exciting prospect of war unending or from the fact that he knew he could make a deal, one could not easily tell. Personally, he cared very little for personal wealth though he came from a well-off family back home in the Empire. Money, possessions, property...none of it was a true testament of a man because none of it was eternal. Wealth lost its luster, possession riot with time, and property is easily taken. No, for the General there was only one thing he prized and that was glorious battle. To defeat ones enemy, to win one's own battle, that was eternal. The more glorious the battle the more people would talk about it and talk about it still long after the last man to live the battle had perished. Obviously, the Generalissimo was a man cut from a different block though the General expected very little else.

"The Son of Heaven is not one to easily forget those loyalist to him" the General stated finally. "The wealth of his personal treasuries flow like rivers, the stake higher than mountains. Why, the gold alone could be melted and poured into your streets, covering all your capital's roads and still more would remain. His majesty has taken many things from the dark times, including wealth that came from abroad intended to fuel the war machines but was instead hidden away. If you were to swear your loyalty to him, he would ensure that a thousand generations of your lineage would want for not. He would sit you on a throne of gold, encrusted in jewels, and share with your own men the great cache of weapons at his majesty's disposal. Guns, artillery, tanks, trucks, aircraft...the bounty is far beyond your wildest imagination...."

The General paused. He could tell that the man who was before him was interested but he was also cautious over what the General was trying to sell him. After all, there had to be a catch to it all, there was always a catch.

"Loyalty, of course, is not as simple as some may think" Chang said finally. "It is one thing to give your life to his Imperial Majesty but it is another to give your people. I have seen this fair lands and I know that it sits in squander. The people want more than you could ever given them alone and his majesty is willing to help. To do so, however, his majesty will require that everything needed here must come from the Empire. He will ensure prices are low and delivery is fast, why he will even give things freely to show his generosity to the people. In the end, however, his majesty will require that the businesses of the Empire alone control the markets here. It is a price that you may not wish to pay but in truth, it is but a small price compared to the limitless wealth his majesty is willing to invest here with the Indochinese people."
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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The Generalissimo eye's were wide and fiery with greed as General Chang recounted the Eastern Empire's vast riches. Growing up his entire life in poverty, stuck in a small fishing village which sat on the outskirts of Hanoi, Sung had always dreamed of reaching a status far from the conditions of his youth. An honest days work was quickly disregarded and Sung inevitably joined his villages local criminal gang where he quickly rose to prominence. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and those months became years of hard, brutal criminal activity to which Sung adapted himself to be everything from a trained killer to a shrewd businessman. Eventually, his efforts led him to become the largest crime lord in all of North Vietnam, yet still his rivals stood in his way of true success and power. Their elimination provided him with the greatest vehicle for wealth, power, and influence - the nation-state.

With the Chinese expedition onto his land, Sung faced his greatest challenge to his dreams. Whether the Eastern Empire would burn his new kingdom to the ground, or take it for themselves he had not known, but he never shied away from fighting for what he wanted. Despite the odds, the Generalissimo was a man full of natural intelligence, pride, and insurmountable ambition to achieve his own personal glory. Perhaps, he and General Chang were not so different in that aspect, but where Chang wished for it on the battlefield, Sung sought it in a much bigger picture. The Generalissimo yearned deeply to rule with power and vast wealth, perhaps to rival the emperor himself one day. For that, Sung would play the Emperor's game. His loyalty would grant him all the wealth and power he could possibly want for a time, but eventually Sung would break free from his harness and challenge even the Eastern Empire for dominance. He might have to sacrifice some of his people, his pride, even a little of himself, but he would be remembered as Indochina's greatest leader.

The Generalissimo looked at General Giáp with a smile and a nod. Then he responded to Chang.

"The Emperor is most generous", Sung said quietly, "Indeed, the Empire's offer is one only a mad man would refuse in my current situation. While there has been heinous transgressions against the Indochinese by your men as of late, General, I feel the people will come to regard the Eastern Empire only as close friends and allies in due time. You will find the people of my country to be among the most dedicated of allies, and our loyalty will come easily should the Emperor grant us what such loyalty warrants. Yes, General, I do see a prosperous future for both our peoples such as long as you do not take us for fools."

"If Indochina is too work closely with the Empire then it is to be treated with the respect it deserves as a friend and ally. There must be no more abuses of my people by the Empire's soldiers under any pretense of honor-based insults. You may not truly regard us as equals, General, but if our partnership is to blossom then you will treat the Indochinese with respect. Should you adopt this simple request, then Indochina shall be firmly entrenched on the Emperor's side and shall accept trade only from his businesses. Respect and supply us, and you shall never regret your decision."

The Generalissimo again approached the sword Chang had emplaced in the table. Placing his hand on the cool steel of the blade, Sung pressed down hard and slide down a few inches from its hilt. With an outstretched hand, he beckoned the Empire's envoy to solidify the pact in blood.

"What say you, General?", Sung inquired.
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An oath of blood....my my, this man knows more than I gave him credit for the General thought to himself as he looked at Sung, his blood-soaked hand outstretched before him. A smile grew on the otherwise stoic face of the General as he reached to the blade of his dagger, gripping its cold steal firm in his hand until blood began to trickle from his palm as he pulled it out of the table. Sheathing it on his belt he then put his hand it Sung's, and the two men shook.

"Your people are not Chinese, but they are Asian" he said firmly. "They have not be tainted by the stench or watery blood of the Europeans and other, weaker Western bloods. So long as they stay true to this and view the Empire has their primary benefactor, then his majesty will not forget this obedience lightly. Your streets will soon be paved with gold, your rivers shall flow the finest beverages, and your women...heh....your women will no only youth and beauty."

The General then began to chuckle, a chuckle that soon grew to a boisterous laugh to which his men joined him. Even the Generalissimo and General Giáp joined and the whole room was filled with hearty laughter. The two men discussed some smaller points about the agreement with General Chang agreeing that no further aggression and indeed would be leaving soon enough though more soldiers could be sent in the coming months, to help train Sung's men to use the weapons they'd be receiving and help to build a more professional military for his new country. Some of the riches promised to Sung personally would also be coming on the next trip to Indochina, the General made sure to assure him of this.

Within a day of the agreement the people of Indochina saw the Empire's men leave almost as abruptly as they had arrived. For the men under General Cheng's command, they left with a bit of sorrow in their hearts. After all, many had hoped to see a true challenge, to gain honor for their houses. While there had been little honor to be had the General understood the importance of what had been done in Indochina. With a trade partner now secured, the Empire's economy could more easily rebound and once rise to unquestionable power.
Edited by NRE, Nov 22 2013, 09:40 PM.
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Hanoi, Vietnam

The deal struck between the Generalissimo and General Chang would set Indochina on a completely new coarse. While Sung may not have won his country complete and total independence, his deal with the Con Emperor would quite possibly make Indochina one of the strongest and feared state's in the Asian continent. However, all of this was secondary to Sung's main goal of achieving immense personal wealth. Indeed, his first priority when the Eastern Empire's first shipments arrived was to secure his own personal affects and bullion. In a week, Sung became among the richest men in East Asia.

Additionally, the Eastern Empire made it possible for the Generalissimo to back his wealth with immense power and authority. In the days after the Chinese expedition had been concluded, thousands upon thousands of tons of military hardware from the Empire had been shipped into the Protectorate's ports along the Vietnamese coast. Hundreds of Chinese military advisers had also accompanied them and soon Indochina's ragtag gang of criminal solders and peasant conscripts began to be replaced by the makings of a professional army. The Generalissimo would inevitably need it, for almost as soon as Indochina's pact with the Empire was announced, the Generalissimo's regime faced serious opposition politically and socially. Acting quickly, Sung formed the Indochinese Kuomintang Party, the country's single and only political party based solely on the Chinese nationalist model of almost a century ago. The party nationalized all businesses, cultural, religious, and social organizations, as well as the military itself. With an iron-grip, Sung commanded the new "Puppet" of the Eastern Empire.

Opposition wasn't completely eradicated, however, and several rebel movements began to gain followings in the countries remote countrysides. The re-emergent communist Viet-Cong, and the nationalist Khmer People's Front became increasingly irritating problems for the Indochinese state, and routine classes between the groups and the military became routine. Foreign relations also suffered, as only the Eastern Empire could really be summoned, but Generalissimo Sung received massive amounts of aide from the Emperor and the Protectorate flourished in other ways. Quickly, the Indochinese became a very real threat to their neighbors who weren't friendly with the Eastern Empire, and eventually contact would have to be established. Therefore, Sung passed legislation which allowed Indochina to negotiate minimally with foreign powers.

The future stability of the region hung in the balance, as the continent's nations anticipated the Eastern Empire's agenda.
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