NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: first off this is closed, read it, post OOC: comments sure but unless NK/CG disagrees it's closed. If you want a bit of background to this then you'll have to go way back to a few threads a years or so ago, ta, Aust.

IC:
Alex stepped out of the low cave that had formed his home for the last few years. It was cold up here, deep in the heart of the Austian mountains and the snow lay thick beneath his feet. Behind him the mountain that had been given to the survivors of Nuevo Kowloon rose.

He had come out here for some natural light, inside the it was dark and dingy, barley lit except for some small lanterns. It didn't matter for most of them of course, most of the Nuevo Kowloonians here where Night timers, they found light hard to see with, and without a regular supply of day-glasses then they where pretty much blind.

They had survived here somehow, it had been almost 20 years since Palpatine the 3rd had been overthrown and the population of this mountain had grown from about20,000 to almost twice that, maybe more. He rembered the advice of the empress when they had been given the land.

keep hidden and start making babiesThey had sure done that. The community had survived, thrived even trading precious minerals and gems for food, the land was too steep to farm, and the few crops that they produced could not feed the growing numbers of mouths, they where eating themselves to death, literally.

The mountain was a network of passages, barley any of them other than his room lit. He wore NVG most of the time but seeing everything in various shades of green got wearing.

The sun had begun to set over the horizon; soon most of the survivors would be out and about. The problem was now that they need to expand, there where too many people in this one mountain now. Too many people and not enough materials to exchange for food.

A meeting with the new emperor, William, had been arranged but he had been too concerned with international affairs, there was, apparently, a substantial threat of invasion for Automagfreek. This had caused even more problems, the emperor was now demanding that they proved a tithe company a year, a thousand men.

And then the Austians of the closest villages had protested against any expansion of the survivors lands, calling the Nuevo kowloonians freaks and him a traitor. That hurt him the most, despite living among the Nuevo kowloonians for so long he still kept his notions of honor, no matter how foolish they thought it was, and still held the belief that he had to protect the emperor at any cost.

He heard footsteps on the snow behind him and turned, it was Dinh, wearing some of the last working pairs of day glasses, he smiled. He looked far older than he was, the years of stress and the trials of leadership taking there toll on him, he was 34 but looked 20 years older. He put a fag to his lips and took a deep draw. “It’s going to be a cold winter.” He said, in Austian, he was one of the few foreigners to master the language.

Alex nodded, “Do we have enough money to keep the venting operational?” He asked, “And to buy food?”

Dinh nodded, “Just, only just though, even with the grant the emperor gave us they’ll be precious little money around. If he’d just let us expan..” Alex cut him off,

“The judgment of the emporer is always correct.” he said stiffly, know in his heart that it was bollocks, he knew that in reality the emporer was just a man, nay a boy, like any other. Yes, he was genius but he was still a child.

“You know that’s crap.” Dinh told him, “You know that if we don’t get to expand within the year then we’ll all either overheat or starve to death, or we’ll be lynched, there’s been another batch of killings in Aust city you know, and entire house destroyed and 3 got killed in Tanka. Not to mention the riots last year ion Little Kowloon…You know the emperors a kid who doesn’t care for a load of people who are barley his subjects. Not when he’s got billions of pure Austian stock to go around. As far as he’s concerned if we all went and died he’d have a lot less problems. He wouldn’t have to conform to the terms of the armistice for one thing.” In the distance the lights of Aust city, the home of 2 billion people sparkled, high above the other lights the great searchlights that illuminated the place winked at them.

“No. He would never do anything so dishonorable!” Alex retorted, “The emporer would gladly lay down his life for any of his subjects. And once an Austian makes a promise, it’s for keeps.”

“IF you say so, if you say so.” They fell silent for a moment and then Dinh spoke, “you know I can’t hold the young ones back forever, if they don’t get this soon then there going to go out and take it. There’s too many here that have heard the stories of when they had there own country and where respected. when they didn’t get spat at on the streets and weren’t look down on.”

Alex nodded, “We all want that. I am sure that the emperor will stop the lynching and the poverty.” He said, not believing it, “he must.”

“He could just give us a bit of that nature reserve, that’s what he could do. Or at least us have the land down to the river, we could farm there and provide for ourselves. We could build a few houses and wouldn’t be so crammed in.” Dinh told him. “If he did that we’d be happy to raise an entire legion and we’d have no trouble. But will he?”

Alex looked out over the 12 or so miles that led down to the river, all this trouble over so little land, it wasn’t as though it belonged to anyone except the crown and a few peasant farmers.. “I’m sure he will, Dinh.” He said, “I’m sure he will.”

Bump

Tag

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Tag

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fine.

Bump for CG.

Mai Nan Vinh climbed out of the farm-truck, and looked over what remained of her field's irrigation system.
someone had come up during the day, and vandalized the seep-hoses and pumping station.
She walked out into the parcel (being one of the few privately-held bits in the Reservation's area...) and stooped at one of the genegeneered tomato plants.
she plucked off a leaf, held it up, and tasted it.

Herbicide. Homeowner's grade.

Someone thought it would be 'cute' to poison ten acres of tomatoes after cutting off their water.

She was not amused.

Her sons and daughters hopped off the back of the truck, and uttered noises of dismay-that she silenced with a motion. "None of that. just get to work repairing the damage." she snapped.

Da'o, her oldest daughter, went to check the livestock paddock.

Mai heard her scream, and went to investigate.

The animals had been cut up. Axes, maybe, or machete', or...

that wasn't a major concern.

the major concern, was a man of around fifty, holding her daughter's arms, while his partner seemed intent on getting the thirteen year old's knickers off.

This is probably unwise. Most sensible folk would know better than to try that.

Empress Beatrude's grant had come with few strings-one was a ban on military-grade weapons. Austian courts had exacted a fairly strict interpretation-however.

Mai wasn't always a farmer, she'd simply not been asked after the Asylum was granted, and really, a .38 Webley revolver isn't considered "Military grade" anywhere but her homeland.

She didn't warn them, she just shot them.

At thirty feet, even such a weak handgun can be lethal in trained hands, and Mai had taken to carrying it again on these expeditions-this was not the first time for the vandalism.

The older man fell with a third-eye between his baby-blues, the younger did not even see the shot that sent a 200 gr. slug of relatively pure lead into his heart through the space between shoulder-blade, and spine.

A potential rape situation, and vandalism, turned into a murder case that only got worse.

the men were not alone, and Mai's sons brought weapons as well.

a double-homicide turned into a pitched gun-battle as the sun sank on the horizon.

In a city, this would be a gang-war, or a riot, as neighbours arrived to join in from both sides of the "Reservation" line.
Placid contemplation and reserved negotiations had failed. In a city, it's a riot. In this rural district, it's something else-it's a range war.

The NK's had turned in "Military Grade" weapons-as defined under Austian standards.

Nobody, even after the first battle of Blood Pass and the fighting at the Bambino border really considered bolt-action, iron-sighted, five-shot rifles to be "Military" when the turn-ins were ordered.

The NK side of the riot had ranged-fire advantage, as well as night-vision in the growing darkness, and twenty years of suppressed fury. The Villagers and their comrades had rate-of-fire, and large magazines. Spray and Pray works on enemies that use Spray-and-pray, and do not use cover. it was turning into a one-sided massacre-and the side being massacred thought their technological advantage and "innate Superiority" was enough to tip it the other way.

For Dinh's government, things had just grown far, far, more complicated...

The report of the bloodbath didn't reach the emporer, who was away at Dumpsterdam but it did draw the attention of he local athoritys and the Nuevo Kowloonian relocation commity

This particular body was the one that was responcable for most of the Kowloonians problems with the lan, it was filled with a bunch of ex-Austian soildiers, the emporers fericly xeno-phobic cousain, 1 local village leaders, and Alem, the only represntive of the Nuevo Kowloonians in the 20 strong commitee.

Needless to say that when the commitee called a hurried meeting about the bloodbath he was outvoted 19-1 on a proposal that the 'criminals' be brought in by the army-a army tht is not famed for there treatement of anyone in there captivity.

A 25 strong list of those to be aprehended was handed to the ASS and it included Mai Nan Vinh, her daughter, her sons many of those who had joined in, but no Austians.

"...twenty five people. Great." Dinh looked over the list by the light of a small LED buried in the ceiling of his "Office".
"You're going to turn them over?" Alex asked.
Dinh frowned. "Maybe. There were over a dozen deaths last night before we could break up the fight... then again, I don't really think we need a domestic disturbance inside the Mountain-turn over Mai, and we're going to have real rioting."
He closed his eyes, and lit a cigarette, thinking.

Dinh suddenly grinned, and chuckled. "The Emperor wants a thousand soldiers from us, we might as well use that to our advantage. The comittee will have to argue with the Emperor to get custody, and that means they'll have to wait for him to come back from Dumpstedam. Eighteen of those people on the list are vets anyway-ours and a handfull who served in the Aust Naval detatchment after the war."

Alex looked astonished (as astonished one can, wearing NVG's). "You're going to Draft them?" he asked.

Dinh's grin widened, "Yup. Beatrude's assimilation policy- Kowloonese who enlist have their prior record wiped and '...are immune to pursuit for offenses prior to entering active Austian service...', it was so she could use our Navvies to train yours during the military rebuild. Since there was no 'age limit' specified in the Edict, I can draft every name on that list, including the ones under the age of sixteen. They'll have to survive boot-camp, but since Beatrude's successor segregated those, it's our people handling the training. William's order dated last week demanded a thousand troops-I can mark off Mai, Eddie Vanh, and Li Huang as Cadre for the new regiment, since all three of 'em held positions as Recon Marines, draft-and-order the younger ones to report to the centre at Bambino City, and with your chop on this..." He printed out a stack of documents, "...the troops sent to 'arrest' them may end up playing duty-driver/delivery boy to the segregated induction centre in Aust city."

Alex frowned. "Dinh, you're talking about drafting a twelve-year-old." he said.

Dinh shrugged, "I wasn't much older, and I accounted for five ASS before they got me-and that was a lucky catch at that-it took twenty of them, and the only reason we met at all after the base was flattened here, was that I was being nice. I could've let Shivers bleed to death in that knocked-over building, and run riot in your backcountry for weeks, like Alpha Company did... only it's hella harder to nail one man, as opposed to chasing one hundered twenty-eight."

Alex looked at the forms on the table in front of him, "Why do you need my signature again?" he asked.

Dinh's grin widened, "Because... you're technically the Liege Lord out here-I'm just an elected functionary, a fancy administrator-you've got Noble Privelage, and any document of Enlistment or Conscription requires you to sign off."

The commitee whern't to pleased about what had happened, there first responce was to attempt to get by the decision by contacting the 2nd in command of the military, (The emporer being the first) however even once he had been contacted they ran into problems with Alex.

Aust has a lot of old rules lying about, much like most aincent countrys it has no formalised constution just a buildup of old laws and rules that have never been repleaed or had been found to be useful.

One of these Alex used to come into play now. During the Antartic wars, several centurays ago, Aust had trouble filling the armed forces, the Austian army is a entirly 'volouteer' force after conscription and at this time conscription would have been too costly to organise.

SO the emporer at the time, Himon, decided to issue a royal pardon to those who joined the Army, Navy and, now, Airforce, for as long asthey where in the ranks. This had never been replealed and had been found to be a useful tool to recruit tough soildiers. Of course there where disaplin problems at first but those where quickly ironed out after a few exacutions.

This was the law that they where now using to get there people out of trouble, as long as they where in the armed forces for 3 years they could then leave, excempt from all crimes. The document that allowed the kowloonise to become refugeese only reiterated that law.

needless to say the commitie where not happy, they new they had lost this time and they wanted revenge. It was the Emproers cousain who thought up the soloution.

"It's this Phin guy whos giving us problems," he said, with carcteristic slowness, the others replied in affermative. This was a secret meeting and odviously Alex wasn't invited.

"If we get rid of him we'd be fine, he's the one holding us in cheak." Again the others agreed with him, not realising what he was getting at, "Then why don't we just conscript him, that's have them up in arms, with no one to restrain him, we get lord Alex in as well, he owes some millitary time as well."

They nodded realising what he was getting at, "Now then they wouldn't have any leaders, we still need another 10,000 soildiers though," then he grinned, it was not a nice grin, "How many kids the age of that lass who got raped are in there?" He asked.

"10,000, maybe more," replied one of the Army officers, smiling as well, he began leafing thorugh his pages of the conscription rules for the Austian army then found a chapter, "Here it is, Artical 156B: Age of soildiers peritted in his Majistys Royal navy,, any man or woman aged 12 or over may be admitted into his majistys navy in occupations suitable for there age. Theres far more but thats the important bit."

The Prince smiled again, "We have the right to conscipt anyone we wish, so we just take there kids and there leaders, they have noc choice but to obay, I doubt Alex has got round to getting anyone else to join the army. We get a list of the kids, put there names and info on the draft papers, get Alex to sign it and where done. That'll really piss 'em off, they riot, we send in troops and kill the lot of 'em."

He smiled and lay back in the seat, "Get the papers done as soon as possable, as soon as there done we send ASS recruiting partys in to drag the nippers out, any trouble and we shoot the parents. Split 'em up, get 'em on board a battleship, and there out of the way. See if you can get that girl on one commanded by Morfoot." Morfoot was a infamous captain that was only out of prision for rape because he was a relation of the royals.

The commitie reached there decsion, 19-0 Alex was put on the memos as absent.

Bump

Bump

Bump

Dinh examined the documents, then, he pulled up a current-copy of the Regulations for Sailors and Marines.

"Well?" Alex asked, coming in with a hot cup of coffee.

Dinh was grinning, wide and a little bit scarily.

"Alex, Ban and Arierre-Ban. They've drafted you, me, and ten thousand more. The Regs and the Law permit it. Effective Date is set for the thirtieth-even the famed Defense Ministry can't process the paper any faster than that." Dinh was still grinning.

Alex set the coffee down, "Okay, I'll bite. Why are you smiling?"

Dinh stretched his arms up, and popped his back. "What I told you, ban and Arriere-ban... The conscript lists hit most of the adult population over the age of twelve. The rest are officially "Dependents of Military Personnel" if William doesn't overturn it. The funny part is, the Current regulations require the Austian Military budget provide housing, education, food, and full medical for Miltary Dependents of active-duty personnel. Further, Conscripts retain all fiduciary rights for the term of their service-that's about six times what we were getting in settlement-aid per capita...and by conscripting who they conscripted, the 'no-military-grade-arms' portion of Beatrude's order is rescinded."

Alex frowned, "They would have to be landholders for that to apply." he said.
Dinh grinned, "I have about ten thousand forms for you to sign, if you want to do it individually, or we could just do it as a single grant-as the local Liege, you have the right raise serf to freedman, and provide limited grants that are in keeping with both the letter, and spirit, of the law."

Alex frowned, "come-again?" he asked.

Dinh pulled up a document. "The other members of the Administrative Council may be 'traditionalists', but they know squat about Austian Feudal land-law. Beatrude posted this area as a 'settlement zone', posted you as the Liege lord, and left the rest of it alone- You know, in a way, I'm glad this happened, we were looking for permission where you really don't need it." He slid a document across the desk. Alex picked it up.
"You can designate anything in your holding to be a Freeman's hold-including the Mountain. A freehold pays tax to its leige collectively-which has been how we've been doing it from day one. Freeholders need only the permission of their immediate liege-lord to make improvements-that would be you, and Freeholders conscripted under the law they're using must have their property protected from all loose nobles, merchants, and Bandits-by the Army. the legal definition of 'bandit' in the laws would include those arseholes the other night... and it's retroactive. which means that the Austian Army has to keep out anyone you want them to keep out, and is fiscally responsible for maintaining any material improvements-that's fields, farms, mines, manufactories, forges, etcetera...for the duration of the holder's term of service-that means the Army has to keep the lights on, water running, halls clean, and riff raff out. In addition to providing subsidies for housing, educating, and maintaining the dependents." He flipped his glasses closed, and lit a smoke, which blazed up for a moment in Alex's NVG's before the tubes corrected. "Basically, they just made the Army responsible for thirty thousand civilians because of a law that was written to get the Emperor a couple companies of archers for the Antarctic Wars...a law that was never repealed... you also might realize something else-until I was drafted by the Comittee, only our Navvies held full Austian Citizenship. With that draft, the comittee has just neutered themselves-because Slaves, Serfs, and Non-Citizens can not be Conscripts, only Volunteers-a law from the bad-old-days of GDODAD, written to preserve Noble's privelages while providing an inducement for loyal service among the lower classes... since I can be drafted directly, without going through you, Legally, I'm a full citizen, as opposed to an Immigrant, Refugee, or Serf-as is every single 'loonie in teh Mountain, since the draft order covers every single family here."

Alex sat down heavily. "THat means..."

Dinh's grin widened, "It means you're a Count, with the legal holding of an Archduke or Margrave-over forty thousand full citizens in your holding,with a Ban of eleven thousand-strong going to the Emperor. Since your title travels with you, but your holding remains here, you're entitled to a stipend from the Emperor for the use of your Citizens in his Armies of one tenth your last tax-levy-assessment, per man."
He waited for that to sink into Alex's consciousness, then, he added, "Payable in Gold, gems, useful items, additional lands, or Precious metals, at your discretion... tell me, how many of that council actually studied their Oaths again? I think the Council's just cost the Emperor's exchequer a fair chunk of change... and you were marked as unavailable for the vote when they did it."

He brought a book out. "B'rer Rabbit, Alex. they done throwed me in the Briar Patch-I don't have to get volunteers, because citizens can be drafted, you dont' have to get their permission to open the South Tract, because you own the land under the Edict... we don't have to get permission for anything that doesn't require a noble to get the Emperor's direct buy-off, because the bulk of your holding is no longer Serf, it's Citizen-which nullifies the authority of the Comittee entirely. They done put themselves out of a job."