Imperial Yamen (Meeting room for the Military)

[lloyd]

The first thought anyone would give to the large room was some kind of convention. Thousands of tables, some hidden behind partitions, some openly, some seemingly made to trip you. Kayeri gingerly picked through the military Think Tank of the Chinese federation, where the many generals and strategists came to form strategies, scenarios and tea parties. Kayeri wondered how you could think under this much noise--the council of Sachems back in Iroquois territory certainly wasn't this. However, as a whole the sachems were generally 20 years older than the young generals here, so that was kind of understandable. He didn't know exactly what he was trying to find here, but after all, these were some of China, korea, Indochina and India's brightest. Someone was sure to have some random epiphany at the right time. After all, "good fortune comes on those who do not ask for it." Ironically, this was something Napoleon had said just before his final defeat by the Austrians at Waterloo. One of Kayeri's quirks was his ability to remember ironically misfitting quotes when he needed good ones. Pouring himself a cup of tea from a group of arguing strategists, he sipped contemplatively. ugh, Jasmine tea.

[shi]

Having received an invitation to join in on one of the military think tanks, was suppose to be an honor only top officials received. High ranking officers, lieutenants and generals all came together to unit under a single roof to plan out the future affairs of the military aspect of their nations. Shi had only ever been invited a handful of times, and usually the meetings were always dominated by top officials. Senor members who had been in service much of their lives, and more often than not they never gave chance for other people to talk. This really didn't annoy Shi but there were times he just wasn't paying attention and the meetings had gone by quite fast.

He felt the cut on his check burn slightly as he came into the room. He felt pretty stupid for having fallen down the stairs luckily one of his attending had given him bandages before he left. Looking for an empty chair he quickly tried to seat himself to wait for the rest of the summoned officers to arrive. Like always Officers and very important people stretched around the military think tank. They waited for another few minutes before the meeting started. His aqua marine eyes stared at the one who he thought was the one who set up the meeting.

"So than, I kinda have an issue i would like to discuss. Our current standing in the world seems almost a joke everyone seems to be quite active Britannians, EU, even the Black Nights." He looked around the table while quite a few of the older men at the table shot him dirty looks. He stared absentmindedly at all of them thinking if he had done anything wrong but nothing came to mind. "Sooooo my question is, was the meeting set up so we can do something about it?"

[lloyd]

Kayeri glanced in surprise at the officer who had just come in and put everyone in a 3 yard radius to silence. He was certainly younger than the older officers, but that wasn't what was intriguing--it was his ability to immediately get everyone in that 3 yard radius to shut up. Normally, Chinese Confucian values required an older officer to talk to the younger before he could respond. Kayeri, as a prince, wasn't held by this, but this boy, at the very least, was audacious. But then again, as old people were apt to complain, young people generally said quite a lot but usually didn't say much. After all, in the words of General Dumouriez of the French Army, "Many words and a loud voice do not a great man make." But then again, General Dumouriez ended up being guillotined under the orders of Maximilien Robespierre (a gifted Orator) for Trying to defect to Austria. Dooby doo, that must have been fun. "Well, General," Kayeri began as he took a quick look at the soldier's credentials, "I suppose we are trying as we can...but do you have any particular idea how we can revive our standing in the world?"

The fact was that right now Chinese Forces were stretched out, like some Gulliver trapped by all sides by the diminuitive Lilliputans (OOC: Reference from Gulliver's Travels). Chinese Forces controlled parts of Europe, the Ottoman Empire, Madagascar, Southeastern Europe, India, the Korean Penninsula and Central Asia. The sheer fact of it was that Chinese Forces could not be freed up without weakening one area or another, and the lower quality of Chinese Knightmares required a huge numerical superiority to stand a chance. the chinese Federation had lost Russia only recently and now had an even larger border to defend, though the loss of Africa did free up some troops. If anyone wanted to do something, they would need to find troops somewhere. Kayeri had an idea...but it was good to see what this fellow would envision.

[shi]

Shi sat upright in his chair when he heard someone address him. He looked to the other end of the table to see it was someone who looked to be about his age address him. He turned a confused glimpse back at the oldest man that was on the other side opposite to the other guy. He had thought that all this time it was that old man, who looked like he was about to close his eyes and die at any second, who was in charge of the meeting. He stared back at the other guy unsure of what to call him. "Well Sir? As far as i know are troops are divided on our frontiers right but i don't know if thats the best idea i mean we have a pretty big sized population and plenty amount of soldiers. So i thought that maybe we can pull back our forces to the more important vital areas.....OH WAIT A SECOND!"

He opened up the backpack he brought with him. Inside it was his favorite game sets, He moved Chess aside to pull out his Go table. "Now see this reminds me of one of the games i had with a friend." Shi moved his hands as fast as he could to form the descriptive area of what chinas military strength was at the moment. Now than form what i understand this is how were fighting right?" He moved some of his peaces back and he moved the enemy pieces how they would move accordingly. "Okay this is what happened while i was thinking about what you were talking about. Our forces may have lost power on the retreat but the enemy would most likely follow us...now with the retreating forces falling back by the time they reached the outskirts of China all our forces would easily be able to launch a massive immediate counter attack . . . and than taking advantage of the confusion we can also wipe out the enemy forces from other provinces. I think that can settle some our our domestic problems."

Shi went back into his backpack to find a note book his maid found for him a few days ago. " I also saw that we weren't making as much money as other nations but this can be solved most civilians work out in the fields we leave all our technology development to the soldiers which again is a reason why our forces are thinly spread out. But if we begin to manufacture Arms at a fast pace even if they are not as strong as Britannian products we should at least be able to compete with them financially, besides if that doesn't work out to solve our financial problem it does help our increase in troops. But i really cant think of how that can help us establish a dominance, sir."

[lloyd]

"..." Kayeri nodded as Shii gave his explanation. However, this general was saying what everyone else was saying--to simply draft conscripts into the army. If he were dealing with robots, Kayeri would most certainly agree. However, the problem with strategy games was that soldiers are not pieces. They have their own feelings, they have morale, they have loyalty. Though many soldiers had indeed survived the Africa campaign, their morale was almost desertion level--in another fight, those Chinese forces could not be relied on. Furthermore, war was no longer about infantry--the simple fact was that no matter how many soldiers you threw in, without Knightmare support, they would be chewed up in a few battles. The conscription and drafting of soldiers would be an unpopular move, one that would undermine the trust of these nations in the Chinese Government. Personally, Kayeri didn't care--but this would affect the morale of the troops and the local population badly. Shi WAS right about manufacture, though it would lead to the inflation that had helped the civilians afford cheap commodities collapsing as less of the factories produced these goods (instead creating Knightmares). If any kind of battle were to be fought, it would be to China's advantage if none of it were fought by the Chinese or on Chinese Soil.

...but what right had Kayeri to be skeptical? He himself was no soldier, and this general at the very least would have the vigor to at least slightly invigorate the Chinese Forces. Perhaps he would be able to make some wonders on the Western Front. "...well, General, recently Western Theatre Commander Huu Nyguyen just resigned on the African Front after his remaining forces retreated to the Ottoman Empire. Right now, the Ottoman Empire and Palestine are cut off from the rest of our forces. The Sultan's Janissaries are highly trained, but they have only a few Knightmares. We will need to relieve general Nyguyen's remnant forces. We've managed to reorganize a few armies at Islamabad, and we need a commander to lead them."

The Ottoman empire had always been deadweight to the Chinese Federation--but the fact that it was useless and the soldiers there few would make it all the more significant if they were rescued. For one thing, it would prove that the Chinese Federation cared for its soldiers, no matter how few, and its allies, no matter how weak. For another thing, this mission would require neutralizing Area 18. Area 18 had almost a thousand miles of border with the Chinese Federation, all of which China had to guard. if it were taken over, thousands of soldiers on that border could be freed up. Even better, China, as the guardian of Muslim Palestine and a supporter of the Muslims in India and Pakistan, was seen as a protector by most of the Muslim community. There was a high chance that Area 18 would see China as a liberator. This would be the perfect chance for this young general to show his vigor. Kayeri glanced at the general. "Well, General, are you interested in taking up that task?"

[shi]

"Well, General, recently Western Theater Commander Huu Nyguyen just resigned on the African Front after his remaining forces retreated to the Ottoman Empire. Right now, the Ottoman Empire and Palestine are cut off from the rest of our forces. The Sultan's Janissaries are highly trained, but they have only a few Knightmares. We will need to relieve general Nyguyen's remnant forces. We've managed to reorganize a few armies at Islamabad, and we need a commander to lead them." Shi immediately nodded, he wasn't sure of what was really going with the domestic affairs in China, in fact he was spending more time than he should watching global news. The events outside the world felt a little bit more worrisome than the domestic affairs.

Shi had thought about why that was often and it seemed like it was always the same answer. Shi wanted to go out of china to travel in the world to meet new people but the only possible way to do that was if you were affiliated in some way with Royalty, politics, or if he was in the military and that was one of the reasons he was in the military to begin with. Flipping the pages through his notebook to see if he had written down anything that concern the western theater in China.

"Well, General, are you interested in taking up that task?" He thought about how affective his appearance on the western front would be he might be able to gain morale if he managed to win a victory with the troops and than use the win and turn it into a snowball effect to capture the rebellion.

"I have to say as tempting as it might sound, i don't think its a good idea to continue fighting the growing belligerent force in our state. In fact i think this calls for a different approach and it goes back to our economy problem. The areas that are rising up to cause rebellions are actually in a great poverty, famine is soon to follow, and inflation will even go up soon our currency will be so worthless it would make more sense to use it as kindling since the winter season is about to be approaching. Anyway i think its time that a few representatives go out and remind them that their our people and we want to help them not crush them."

Shi flipped through a couple of his pages trying to find the appropriate notes he had written down. "If we manage to even call a temporary cease fire within our own state we can try to work compromises. We need to expand the resources we have at hand and use them efficiently. Besides by the looks of things it doesn't seem that the belligerent forces that are rising are natural if anything this seems to be more like what Zero did, over one hundred years. Plus i wouldn't put it past Britannia to do something like this either. We need to form an alliance against those two forces. maybe with the EU our military strength is quite stretched out and if we work a truce or better yet an alliance well i really believe that we can protect our countrymen from being exploited like they were a hundred years ago."

[lloyd]

Kayeri felt himself brighten slightly. This fellow WASN'T just an armchair strategist. After all, war was only a facet of victory. "Hmm...that is true," Kayeri said out loud contemplatively as he examined the map. "You are right that our military resources are strained--and you are also right in that at the moment, peace is the best option. We must win this war without fighting in it. We will not be able to hold the Balkans for long--it is safer if we offer it to the EU as a truce and attempt a combined attack. When, though, this alliance is made, General...where would you suggest in Britannia we attack?" There were two obvious choices. The first were the African territories that once belonged to the EU and the Ottoman Empire. These colonies were loyal only to the EU, and so it would have to be a predominately EU force that would attack Africa, saving the Federation the worst of the war. Though there was no guaranteed success, it would definitely make either Britannia weaker (in the case of victory) or make the EU even more reliant on the Federation (in the case of defeat). The other choice was Area 6. Once a part of New Portugal and New Spain, Area 6 seemed a loyal part of Britannia--but in fact was a volatile land. Once ruled by a Republic, Gran Colombia, Area 6 remained heavily hispanic and Catholic--both things that put them at odds with the Anglocentric Britannia. If the EU and the Federation would provide Knightmares to Area 6 and provide Political and Economic Pressure, there was a high chance that Britannia would be forced to divert troops from Africa, Area 11, Area 18, and other potential targets. Even better, the chinese Federation probably wouldn't have to fire a shot. If this general could pinpoint either one of them, he would definitely deserve a seat among the elder generals.

Yet, on the other hand, war was still necessary, especially in Area 18. "General, you are right in that we should not attempt to take back Africa. However, our enemies in Area 18 are not Rebels, but Britannian forces. As you have said before, General, there is no point in fighting the belligerents in Africa--they are more loyal to the EU than China and/or Britannia. However, the fact remains that the Ottomans and the Middle Eastern Confederation have been allies to the Federation, and General Nyguyen's forces need to be rescued from the Britannian blockade. At the moment, our other generals are already overstretched and recovering. And imagine what our soldiers and their families back home will think if we leave their children and fellows to rot in Turkey? For the sake of morale and the trust of all citizens of the Federation, we MUST rescue the Ottomans and our soldiers. And that is why I ask, once again, that you take this command." Walking over to the command desk, Kayeri drew out one of the many assignment keys. Long oblong boards with an inscription of the current job or authority, these had been parts of the Chinese Government since the Zhou Dynasty as small wooden plaques. Nowadays, China had certainly gotten more high-tech--nowadays, these assignment keys were small data drives with info on the current assignment and an encrypted data key that would give certain security clearances and the ability to issue orders¹. Bowing slightly, Kayeri held out the key. "General, I ask that you accept--if not for the strategic sense of the situation, then simply for morale."

==============================
¹
The thing the guy's holding. In actual Chinese History, it was simply a little notebook where an official kept notes while presenting to the Emperor, and which he submitted if the report was taken into consideration (since the Emperor generally had extensive security). It took me forever to find the image, since i couldn't write chinese onto my computer, and i had to look up "imperial wooden board". Ridiculous.

[shi]

"General, you are right in that we should not attempt to take back Africa. However, our enemies in Area 18 are not Rebels, but Britannic forces. As you have said before, General, there is no point in fighting the belligerents in Africa--they are more loyal to the EU than China and/or Britannia. However, the fact remains that the Ottomans and the Middle Eastern Confederation have been allies to the Federation, and General Nyguyen's forces need to be rescued from the Britannic blockade. At the moment, our other generals are already overstretched and recovering. And imagine what our soldiers and their families back home will think if we leave their children and fellows to rot in Turkey? For the sake of morale and the trust of all citizens of the Federation, we MUST rescue the Ottomans and our soldiers. And that is why I ask, once again, that you take this command." Shi watched silently as the one who had organized the military think tank walked over to retrieve something. That said object was handed to him as the chairman spoke directly to him again. "General, I ask that you accept--if not for the strategic sense of the situation, then simply for morale."

Shi looked over the object again, this time trying to go into a serious thought. He felt bewildered that the person he had just meet today, had a similar mind set. This was actually a really good thing, he found someone he could connect with in China other than his servant. But still the thought of going out to the front lines was a rather dangerous prospect especially considering they were up against a very powerful and dominant force one that had managed to conquer the world. Still the people of China had learned their lessons from before a hundred years ago and this time the history was gonna change in their favor. Although he had to ask for a few requests before he went off.

"If this is what needs to be done than we have no other choice. Sir, i will go out to the front lines themselves and fight on for the people of China. We need to send word to the belligerent forces that exist in China to do a temporary cease fire, we just need to have them agree, Ill send word to have an Alliance be drawn between China and the EU." He stood up and accepted the object he held before him and placed it inside his bag. " But i do have a few requests nothing unreasonable. One i wish to have my servant accompany me during the trip, two i would like to request that I am sent a few able body knightmare pilots to the help with the campaign in Area 18, after all we will be fighting Britannia, the creators of Knightmares. And finally if its possible that you lead the Chinese Airship to help coordinate commands. I will leave immediately, if my requests are met."

[lloyd]

Kayeri nodded. These requests were perfectly logical. "Alright...general, please hand me the assignment key for a second." taking the key, Kayeri plugged the bottom into a computer as immediately, a readout began displaying the various supplies given. "At the moment, the force I can assign consist mainly of Gun-ru and Gangfeng. We can, though, lend you one of the surplus Akatsuki. As for Air support, you can request them from the Western AirFleet Headquarters in Islamabad. And also, we will be giving you these." Kayeri brought up an image of a large knightmare frame, almost a tank in its massive shape. "the Bamides knightmare frame used by Area 18. We received a few a long time back--if we provide the locals with these, they may see us as a liberating force and thus work with us. Your soldiers will be mainly Muslim, so please try to keep their regulations in mind. Otherwise, I bid you good luck. Any questions?"

[Sakura Shizuka]

~Topic Complete!~

Kayeri Brant: (1089 words, Normal RP), 109 EXP, 109 Credits
Shi Banryu (1838 words, Normal RP), 184 EXP, 184 Credits

Credits have been added, feel free to add on the EXP to your signature