NationStates Jolt Archive

The small force, consisting of one Mao Zedong II ship and several Gagarin shuttles onboard, lazed forth through the stars. The Governor of Luxembourgia SSR had dispatched another survey mission, per orders from the Politburo, and as a result, a survey team, escorted by one Mao, the NDS Ho Chi Minh, was sent forth.

The Minh's crew was working at their stations....when suddenly-

"Captain. We have a planetary body, up ahead. Appears to be an M-Class world, suitable for habitation. Prelims indicate some form of life, basic jungly biomes. Wanna have a looksee?"

The Captain, Henry Kung Jameson, said, "Go ahead. I'll prepare a survey team, and a Gagarin to go down onto the surface. XO, you have Acting Command."

The XO nodded, and soon, the Minh was held in orbit around the planet. A Gagarin shuttle was launched, and soon was underway on its own power, moving through the atmosphere on its own power.

It landed in a clear patch of jungle, in a spot near what seemed to be a farm of some kind.....

Jameson got out, and two Kurosawa Armor Suits and a People's Acolyte followed him. They were surrounded by thick jungle, as far as the eye could see. They decided to move forward, and seek soem answers.

They got them soon enough. Something seemed to be moving in the bushes.....

That something turned out to be a lizardlike being. It approached the Kurosawas, with what seemed to be a musket of soem kind.

Jameson said to the Acolyte: "Commissar, tell him that we mean no harm."'

The Acolyte waved his hand in the signature Jedi Mind Trick, and said, "We come in peace. We are from the Workers State of New Dornalia. We are visiting at this moment. We ask to see who is in charge of your polity."

The lizard seemed to understand the Acolyte's mind trick, if not the language. It backed down, and put down its musket-which revealed itself to be a percussion cap musket of some kind-and its torch, which it had been conducting slash-and-burn agriculture with. It began talking rapidly in some kind of language.

The Acolyte replied, "Comrade Captain, it seems to think were firendly enough. However, it asks what we are doing here."

Jameson replied: "Tell him we are on a peaceful mission of exploration."

The Acolyte said this, using the Mind Trick again. This time, the creaturee nodded, and began replying back.

Jameson said, "F**k this. Can you do some kinda Universal Translation trick?"

The Acolyte said, "Well, maybe."

Another mind trick. This time, the creature spoke in what seemed to be Indian Accented English- "..so as I was saying......who are you?"

Jameson said, "I am Captain Jameson of the Ho Chi Minh. I come in peace. Can I speak to your leader?"

The farmer laughed, and said, "You mean the Prince!? I pay that Scumbag half of my fruits every year! To him, I am some poor peasant. You might have better luck with the Mayor, though."

Jameson said, "Perhaps.....can you take us to him?"

The farmer said, "Yes. It would be wise.....the enemy is about. I don't know who sucks more ass....the Prince Regent and his taxes or the Alv'ans, and their raids. The town is safer....follow."

The farmer encouraged the team to follow. Along the way, he said, "Name's Ajjhadiaw."

Jameson said, "How about Ajie?"

The farmer said, "That'll do. By the way, crazy machiens you got there. YOu pay tax on those?"

Jameson said, "Heavens no! Tell me.....do you wish you could commit regicide?"

Ajie said, "No, man! He may tax me, but he does occasionally provide us a gift every Katar Eve. And his soldiers are awfully nice."

Jameson thought: "Make mental note...tell these farmers about Maoism...."

The team walked into the town, elicting odd looks from the people within, and mutters from children and worried old persons of "monsters," and "war machines..."

Soldiers on the street, wearing garb that resembled a mix between Aztec and Thai warriors, marched down the streets, armed with longer-barreled percussion cap muskets. They eyed the team with suspicion.

The farmer wandered up to the Town Hall. He then walked up to a man collecting fruit and berries. He began talking to the man, and an argument erupted.

Jameson walked up to the man, and yelled, "Unhand him, capitalist fiend!"

The man who was collecting berried said, "The f**k you want? You want some of this? Somebody's gotta collect the taxes!"

Jameson then said, "Not when these taxes interfere with the livelihood of the Workers and Peasants!"

The taxman said, "Well! Guards! Ice this bitch!"

Several burly lizards with revolvers began firing back at Jameson, who then ducked and rolled, firing back with his laspistol. The laspistol took one down, but it merely made the others angry. Eventually, the Kurosawas began pouring railgun shots at the guards, and soon, a bloody mess emerged.

The taxman said, "Holy....fine! The man gets six more weeks. But he'd better pay up."

An important looking person then ran out, and said, "The hell is going on!?"

Jameson said, 'I am-"

The man said, "Holy f**k! So much blood! Who are you!?"

Jameson said, "I am Captain Jameson, from the Workers State of New Dornalia. I wish to meet your Prince Regent, and ask him why he drives his people into poverty."

The man said back, "Hey, hey.....look, I don't want no trouble. You'll see him as soon as I can arrange a caravan. Just don't kill anymore people, M'kay?"

Jameson said, "Fine."

A caravan was arranged, and soon, the mayor began to escort the team through a winding jungle trail.....

The winding trial seemed to go on forever. Hours passed, as carts driven by burly pack animals and burly lizards hauling heavy loads on their backs walked by the caravan. Many times, the crew had to use machetes to hack through dense underbrush. The science officers found ample opporunities to study the local life whenever the caravan stopped to rest.

One stop, however, proved to be very violent. When making camp, distant war whoops were heard. The lizards pulled out their muskets, and began scanning the treeline. Crude hand grenades and large scythe-like implements were pulled out.

Jameson asked, "The he-"

The leader of the force said, "Quiet!"

Then, a sniper shot fell one of the lizards. The lizards returned fire with their own guns and a general melee started. Jameson observed how after a lizard fired, one would cover for the man as he reloaded in two man teams, all working within seconds of each shot. It seemed these people knew the ways of jungle warfare, and it showed, as sniper duels and close-quarters fighting with pistols and rifle butts and blades emerged; a sort of Vietnam scene, fought with Napoleonic-US Civil War tech. Lizards lept trom tree to tree, sniping at their enemies as they all kept moving to try and avoid disaster.

Soon the enemy, suffering greatly, left.

The lizards then began taking trophies from the enemy, cuttign off heads and stealing goods. Then, the head of the lizards said, "Be careful, little ones. They will be back later. Pack up, follow!"

Jameson signaled for the men and science crews to follow. Soon, they were moving, this time, irregularly and with great paranoia....

The force eventually made it to the capital, Kol'tssien. The leader of the forces guarding them presented a parchment paper to the guards outside the massive gates of the walled city, and they were let in.

The city itself seemed to be a maze, a jumbly, narrow, alomst grungy landscape that would make the builders of the traboules in Lyon proud or would be familiar to the Dead Rabbit Gang from the old Five Points, circa 1848. The Kurosawas seemed to be jostled about by the lizards, who were very tall, muscular, and like most aliens, seemed to have an animalistic air about them. Everywhere, the newcomers seemed to draw attention, as they marched forth to the massive palace in the center of town.

They reached the palace, and soon, the guards let them past. Past large murals depicting old wars and famous heroes, and past rows of guards marching by in neat rows, and past rows of what seemed to be servants cleaning up, they soon reached a massive golden door, with one old lizard in front. A few minutes later, they were let in.

The scene inside was a massive throne, gilded and with silver trimmings. Everywhere, murals of heroes and statues of great leaders and battles and hunts flourished. A lizard in fine, yellow clothing and a gold headress sat stately, clutching a massive cudgel.

The leader of the forces said, "Bow."

Jameson did so, and so did his retinue. A few more minutes of talking, and the Prince Regent bgan to address Jameson, saying, "I understand you are a traveler, from a distant land. What is your name?"

Jameson said, "I am Captain Henry Jameson, of the Workers State of New Dornalia. I come in peace. I do not wish to hurt your citizens. I simply wish to ask for trade and political relations between our two nations."

The Prince Regent then said, "Where is this, again?"

Jameson said, "New Dornalia. It is a multiplanetary Workers State, we have traveled from a local possesion, the planet of Luxembourgia."

"Intriguing-do go on. Tell me, what do you have to offer?"

Jameson said, "Full citizenship in our land, a good standard of living for you-"

The Prince Regent pointed to the Kurosawas and said, "I mean those. Where can I get some of those?"

Jameson said, "Well, they are made by us, at the Shirow Design Bureau's factory in Workingmans Hold, Luxembourgia. They are fine machines, Kurosawa Infantry Support Armor."

The Prince Regent said, "What guns do they have?"

Jameson said, "Railguns-they are firearms that use two magnetic rails to push a round out of the barrel at very high velocities, and machine guns-rapidly firing guns."

The Prince Regent then said, "Hmm.....may I see one of these 'railguns?'"

Jameson looked reluctant, but the Prince said, "Look. I am a royal, but I am one of the strongest in the Kingdom of Kol'tssien. I can do this."

Sighing, the main railgun was detached from one of the Kurosawas, and presented to the Prince. The Prince lifted it up, holding it like an M60. He said, "Not bad. I shal require-"

A few rounds were given to him, and the railgun's 20-kg power and ammo pack placed onto his back. He began strutting around like Mick Jagger, and soon, he sighted a bird and shot it, dead on. Amazingly, the gun pushed him back only an inch.

The Prince then quipped, "A bit heavy. Otherwise, jolly good. I shall ask, respectfully, of course, that these kinds of guns be made for me and my armies. We are at war at the current moment."

Jameson said, "The Alv'ans, right? A farmer told me."

The Prince said, "Good job. Say, they didn't tell you any tall tales about excess tax, did they? I say 30% isn't that bad......"

Jameson then winced, resisting the urge to lecture him, but he then said, "Well....some I met cannot pay. Your Workers and Peasants seem to suffer a bit. Could you not turn the taxes down a little? I have seen people grovel like beggars in front of the taxmen!"

The Prince said, "Hmmm.....well, I do have to keep my armies going, and I do need to be comfy. But, I do suppose we are running a surplus, the Treasurer told me this. So, I could cut some taxes."

He then called for a scribe, who said, "Dictate this. There will be a general tax decrease of 5%, seeing as how our economy is doing well."

Jameson said, "It's a start....but still...."

The Prince said, "Hey, there's a war on, Captain. I suggest you do not forget this."

Jameson then kept silent. Then, he said, "Hmm....if I had access to some craftsmen, and magnetic rocks, and iron, I could make something."

The Prince said, "Then it shall be so! You will have any resources you need to make these guns. Also, please, tell me more later about your technologies-I must run."

He then left, leavign Jameson to be escorted to what looked like a gunmaking shop.

Jameson soon began talking to the workers inside the shop, which resembled a very huge version of his Metal Shop in High School. This did not dissuade him, instead, he simply went on to explain to the workers inside how railguns worked, and how they could make them using magnets and electric batteries. The magnets weren't hard to get; but making the batteries was the tough part.

Meanwhile.....at night....

Explosions rumbled throughout the city. The Kurosawas and the men joined the Palace Guards, as they soon woke up and began to patrol the city. Feral war chants could be heard, and it was clear the enemy had arrived.

The Kurosawas tussled with the enemy warriors; the humans used their lasguns and grenades and the lizards their own guns to take out the enemies that had apparently begun to sneak inside.

"Sappers...." Jameson thought. That was the only way they could've gotten in.......