NationStates Jolt Archive

NeoSuun Zhonghua was born from struggle. The NeoSuunist Party had committed guerilla actions against the failing Communist regime and had succeeded in overthrowing the corrupt bureaucrats; unfortunately, the opportunistic Rosians had conquered southern China during the upheaval. The NeoSuunists had settled for northern China and Mongolia, building up their strength in anticipation of the day when China would be reunited.

Today, the constant propaganda had finally come true. The Rosians had withdrawn from the Middle Kingdom, and Beijing now had authority over the south once again. The Rosian 'corruption' had been cleansed from China, with Zhonghuan laws being imposed over the newly reunified state. Humane Rosian prisons had given way to harsh labour camps where prisoners worked off their debt to the State; the entire legislative and bureaucratic apparatus of the south had been restructured to best serve Beijing's decrees.

Tibet had also fallen back into Beijing's sphere of control. The Lamaists found themselves co-opted by the State; the Dalai Lama's quiet death resulted in Beijing's puppet becoming the new Lama. Tibet's governmental structure was assimilated and reformed by Beijing, transforming Tibet into a Special Autonomous Region in name only. Combined with the acquisition of several overseas territories, the re-acquisition of Tibet was seen as an opportunity to implement the concept which the NeoSuunists held in great reverence; the concept of the Greater Chinese Empire.

The Congress in Beijing began passing legislation to bring the Empire into existence, strengthening the power of the central government and asserting claims over territories that were seen as potential provinces. Once installed, the Emperor would have ultimate power of edict, power to dissolve Congress, and ultimate personal command of the armed forces. The military would swear an oath of absolute obedience to their Emperor; if he gave them an order, they would fulfil it no matter the cost. The Emperor would be granted palaces across the Empire as well as large regular stipends to ensure his comfort.

There was only one potential Emperor: Dragon-Premier Chiisu Suun. The Howling Tigers sect claimed that they had determined an unbroken line of succession between Suun and Qin Shi Huangdi, meaning that Suun was the rightful Son of Heaven. The secular authorities simply used this lineage as a further excuse to install him as Emperor; the anticipation began to reach fever pitch as the day of his coronation approached....

"All hail Emperor Suun!"

The coronation had been an extravagant affair, featuring every famous name in Zhonghua. The Forbidden City had been packed with generals, admirals, air marshals, bureaucrats, provincial governors and celebrities; most had arrived in an attempt to be noticed by the new Emperor. Suun had been carried in on a palanquin allowing him to oversee his subjects as he moved amongst them, and was constantly flanked by members of the newly created elite Jade Guards. The ceremony was televised live across NeoSuun Zhonghua, allowing the citizenry to see their nation's official transformation to empire.

The coronation had consisted of political, military and religious leaders stepping forward to swear allegiance to the new Emperor. Every supplicant offered a gift to the monarch before Fan Dianrui of the Howling Tigers finally crowned Suun as 'Emperor of Greater China' and the 'Son of Heaven'. Suun was then led to a balcony overlooking Tiananmen Square, where hundreds of thousands of people cheered loudly at his arrival. He gestured for quiet before speaking.

"My people, we have reclaimed our position. The Middle Kingdom will be recognised as the centre of the world once again! We have reclaimed our place as the foremost empire in existence; we shall stand strong and proud for another five thousand years! Let our pride and strength cause all to cower before us!"

The crowd erupted into spontaneous applause before he continued.

"We have but one final part of the Kingdom to reclaim; it lies across the Straits. We shall soon reunite our Taiwanese brothers with us in one glorious populace; we have the Mandate of Heaven, and the reunification is what Heaven wills. Heaven decreed the reclamation of Mongolia, the reunification with the South, the reclamation of Tibet, the unification with Singapore; I have carried out the will of Heaven, and Heaven therefore smiles down on everything we do.

Heaven also decrees that we protect our friends. One of our allies is being threatened by injustice, they are being bullied and intimidated by nations who are showing their true colours by assaulting the less powerful. We shall stand up to them! It is our destiny to bring the rule of law and the stability of order to the world; let us begin with this. The greedy shall be cast down, their avarice smashed! They shall fear the dragon's roar!"

As part of the Zhonghuan military geared up to participate in defending Kreynoria, additional troop movements began to occur in the provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. Missile launchers were being moved up, airbases began humming with activity and supply centres were being stocked to full capacity.

The Imperial Information Network began reporting that the Emperor had graciously offered the authorities on Taiwan the opportunity to rejoin the glorious Middle Kingdom. The reports stated that His Imperial Majesty had recognised the importance of self-determination by offering Taiwan the opportunity to reunify smoothly and peacefully, but added that the 'rogue province of the Empire' would be guided to the correct decision if the authorities there proved incapable of reaching it themselves.

He read over the message once, twice, a dozen times. War was the only option. Taiwan would not be surrendered. He knew it was hopeless, The Empire of The Soviet Sith was no match for Zhonghua.
It had a navy with a dozen carriers and a decent force of support ships. It a pretty good naval airforce. But that was all. It's army had little modern vehicles and it's airforce consisted of numerous obsolete planes. Reforms had been planned as the economy boomed, but only the navy had been updated. Updates for the army were still on the drawing board.
What his feeble force did have was spirit. They were dedicated to the cause and would fight long and hard, hopeless or not. Fortifications had been set up and would soon be augmented.
For a moment, he imagined fantasies of his troops moving down thousands of enemies. He saw them holding on forever, not surrendering until the last man was killed...
But it was not the time for fantasies. Emperor Evahe Litok rose. He needed his military advisors and subordinates.
***
Sometime later a message of defiance went out to Zhonghua, a request for any sort of aid to Kreynora, and intructions to the soldiers and sailors of The Soviet Sith.

Beijing

Emperor Suun seethed as Foreign Minister Bei Rongyi repeated the Soviet message.

"They dare....they dare hold up the reunification of the greatest empire in history?! They think that they can stand against us, the greatest power in Asia?! Wanfa!"

Defence Minister Qong Wanfa stepped forward. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Send orders to General Kun. These fools will rue the day that they defied us!"

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General Kun accepted his orders with unnerving glee; he had been one of the loudest supporters of the Imperial resurrection, and was intent on serving his Emperor as efficiently as possible. Orders and targets flowed from his HQ to the facilities in the three provinces closest to Taiwan.

Five days later, as night fell, ten divisions (540 aircraft) of Su-30MKK fighters escorted four divisions of H-6X bombers (324 aircraft) towards the Straits of Taiwan. Once they reached the coast, the armada split neatly in two; one half heading for Taipei, the other heading for Kao-hsiung.

Satellite-guided missile batteries positioned along the southern Zhonghuan coast began launching against identified naval facilities and coastal defences in an attempt to weaken Soviet resistance capability. Further north, the First and Second Fleets were ordered to begin preparations to go to sea.

Across Zhonghua, news of the assault was broadcast as 'the final act of reunification'; the Foreign Ministry provided the INN with a copy of the Soviet statement, denouncing it as a declaration of hostile intentions. The populace were told that Zhonghua had offered a peaceful hand to their wayward brothers. Propaganda transmissions were aimed at Taiwan's civilian population, stating that Zhonghua was coming to liberate them from unjust and selfish rulers; Emperor Suun simply wanted what was best for Taiwan, which was special autonomous status within the Middle Kingdom.

OOC: I am also allied with Zhonghua so I really can't help. However I can offer your leaders sanctuary in East Timor. The secret underground facility there was originally built for Hans Bek of Zeeeland should Zeeeland be conquered. However, I think he will not be needing it, and you are welcome, to hide your woman, children, and anyone else who might hinder the defense effort.

Off the south coast of Taiwan, Grand Admiral Helos was aboard his flagship, the Merick Ioor (named after a famous hero in the mythology of The Soviet Sith). He was not happy with his orders, but he could not disobey the Emperor. The entire Soviet Sith fleet had been ordered to flee. Aboard them were blueprints, key generals, and various other things.
There current orders were to see if Kreynoria would allow them access. A secondary choice was Sao Tome, although their simply was not enough space for the fleet there.
The Soviet Sith's greatest asset, it's navy, was not a factor in the battle for Tawian.
***
Without his generals and advisors, Evahe Litok felt like the only person in all of Taipei. They had not wished to leave his side, but he couldn't let them all die. Nor could he himself leave. With them gone, The Soviet Sith had a future. With him on Taiwan, the people would be inspired to fight.
350,000 Soviet Sith soldiers were well dug in across the island, ready to fight until the end. Another two divisions had been broken up and used to form the core of a Guerilla group which was ready to go into actions as soon as the conventional forces fell apart.
A counter-propaganda, aimed at keeping citizens loyal despites Zhonghuan claims, seemed to be working. Despite the bombings, citizens seemed to be remaining loyal and there was still order. Once the real fighting began, it was impossible to tell what side the civillians would be on.
As Emperor Evahe Litok waited for the inevitable, his thoughts turned to his own fate. He did not intend to die in Taipei, a hopeless, cornered animal. Nor did he wish to die some glorious death and become a martyr of sorts. But he did not feel he could abandon Taiwan, he hadn't lost hope that it would hold out yet....
Perhaps fate shall treat us kindly.

Edit: OOC: Heh, okay Kreynoria. I'd ask you take my leaders in and keep my shiny new fleet safe.

East Timor is open to the Soviet Sith ships.

OOC: Just remember that those Soviet ships will be sailing past the Zhonghuan superbase in northern Indonesia if they go straight south to East Timor; if they go around the outside of Indonesia and then hug the Australian coastline, they'll completely bypass Zhonghuan installations. Of course, you didn't hear that from me.

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Beijing

Emperor Suun listened intently to General Kun's situation brief, smiling as the general spoke of the putting to sea of the First and Second Fleets.

"General, remember that we are liberating our cousins, not slaughtering them. It is hardly their fault that they have been lied to by their separatist government for all these years. Any news of their navy?"

"None as yet sire. We anticipate that they are holding it back in preparation for a strike on us; there have been sketchy reports of a fleet movement, but I believe that our vessels can handle them in open battle."

Suun smirked. "Excellent. General, you may well find yourself with a Marshal's uniform by the end of this. May Heaven guide you to victory."

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With the bombardment in full swing and the Zhonghuan fleets moving into position, Kun began ordering the insertion of special forces. In parts of Taiwan where the Zhonghuan air force had achieved air superiority, An-224s began dropping paratroopers in coastal areas; their assignment was to do as much damage to military opposition as possible in order to clear landing areas for the main invasion force.

Across the Straits of Taiwan, one million Zhonghuan military personnel were converging on their deployment zones. The Zhonghuan government had conscripted a number of luxury cruise liners to increase the numbers that would be deployed on Taiwan once the main invasion began; these liners were now docking in ports to be loaded up for the crossing.

[TAG] for interest...

OOC: Heh, we'll assume they take note of any enemy position and stay clear :P

IC

All around Taiwan, reports of paratroopers and wild rumors spread abroad. However, the troops had their orders and would follow them. They were to remain in their carefully dug in positions and wait for the enemy to come to them. There would be no panicing, no chaos.
The 32nd Armoured Division, the only Soviet Sith division on Taiwan completly outfited with modern tanks and vehicles, had been ordered to patrol for paratroopers until the enemy began landing their strike force.
Morale still remained high among the 350,000 troops. No amount of bombing would deter them. Civillians too seemed to be remaining loyal. Law and order had yet to break down. Soon their resolve would be put to test
***
Grand Admiral Helos's fleet sailed on. So far, there had been no major disruptions. Enemy positions in Indonesia had been noted and were being avoided. They had recently recieved information that Kreynoria would allow them to dock at East Timor. That was their goal, then Sao Tome...
***
As Evahe sat in thought, General Ocas (the last General on Taiwan, who had been put in charge of it's defense) walked through the room's massive doors. Evahe glanced up, but did not seem to pay him much attention.

"My liege..."

"The fomality is uncessesary."

"As you wish. I came to report that everything has been deployed as you asked. Also, the enemy force is mere hours away now. Soon, the defenses will be put to the test."

"Very well."

Evahe looked away again. General Ocas knew what this meant and left as soon as he appeared.

With the main invasion force boarding their liners as well as the First and Second Fleets in position to defend the crossing, the bombing stopped concentrating on targets inland; their focus switched to any coastal defences which had survived the missile bombardment.

The special forces which had been dropped into coastal regions found their efforts hampered by enemy patrols, so their role became more reconaissance than sabotage. The propaganda campaign was stepped up by the mass dropping of leaflets by the Zhonghuan air force; the leaflets called on the Taiwanese to end the conflict by overthrowing their backward leaders. The leaflets also stated that all Taiwanese would enjoy Zhonghuan citizenship and the protection of Zhonghuan law; rather than being a small minor island, Taiwan would become an integral part of Asia's most powerful state, with all the privileges that come with such a position.

Already, things were going sour. The costal defenses had been badly pounded, but as a whole seemed to be holding. Other, inland, defenses were also largely intact. The Soviet Sith Army's morale still remained at reasonable levels.
However, the same not could be said of the civillian populace. Clashes were breaking and order was rapidly disappearing. Many loyalists remained, but the number seemd to be decreasing by the moment.
Attempts to reach Emperor Evahe failed. He, along with his company-sized unit of bodyguards, had simply vanished. Of course, the news was not released to the public. The blow to morale from it would be devestating, especially as the conflict began.

OOC: I've been having some computer problems over the last couple of days; more specifically, the motherboard decided to start dying on me. That's all been replaced and I just had the comp back, but as I have an early morning shift I'll be posting an IC response tomorrow afternoon (UK time).

Just to let you know.

The radio transmissions had enough range to reach anyone in Taiwan with an operational wireless set or internet connection; the frequencies being used belonged to Zhonghuan stations which had received 'special funding' from the government. This funding paid for the boosting of transmission strength and equipment to enable occasional hijacking of other frequencies. The transmissions were emanating from the Zhonghuan invasion force's communications frequencies; the broadcasts were designed to leave the Soviets in no doubt that Zhonghuans were crossing the Straits.

The Zhonghuan coastguard moved several vessels into the Straits as escorts for the cruise liners as they began moving into open water. Marines from the First and Second Fleets were sent out in landing craft to secure initial beachheads for the invasion forces; the fleet carriers provided air support for the marines, as did a number of Mi-24 Hind gunships deployed from airbases in Fujian and Guangdong provinces. The targets for the landings were the ports of Tainan and Fangshan in the south, as well as Kuanyin and Tanshui in the north; as soon as one was opened up, the invasion forces would be directed there. Any special forces teams which had survived encounters with Soviet patrols made their way towards the objectives to assist with the operations.

The Rotal Huahinian Air Force will be sending over support planes to help with the air defense of Taiwan.

OOC:Thanks Huahin. Do as you please with them.

IC:

Evahe had gone underground. He would not be martyred. Along with his bodyguards, he would hide and cordinate the resistance. With him to rally around, surely their resolve would remain strong. Now, he had to find a good place to hide...
***
Major Ocas was among the Soviet Sith troops stationed in costal fortification. They had been battered, but neither the morale or fortifications were broken. For days they had waited, bombs falling all the way. Now the time had come. The enemy troops would be landing literally any minute...

The first landings of Marines hit the beaches near all four objective ports with a large accompanying force of Hind gunships and supporting Su-30s from the First Fleet; as the marines began fighting their way onto Taiwanese soil, more landing ships brought in Type 63-A Amphibious Tanks to provide some extra firepower. Simultaneous drops of paratroopers behind the enemy fortifications were initiated in an attempt to cut off defenders from supply lines; the land-based Su-30s also began targeting enemy forces that were moving up to support the coastal defenders.

As always, Zhonghuan military doctrine called for the extensive use of PsyOps. The First Fleet flagship, the carrier Emperor Suun, featured a large transmitter, which was attuned to known Taiwanese frequencies; it was powerful enough to override those frequencies, but only within a small radius. The First Fleet had been moved into range of the coastal defenders near Kuanyin and Tanshui, and was now using the transmitter to broadcast the Zhonghuan national anthem along with various messages; the defenders were told that their choice was to either return to their homes peacefully or be slaughtered.

Evahe, safe and hidden, heard the news bit by bit. Little, if any, of it was good. Citizens were giving in and armies smashed to bits. The men were fighting valiantly, but they were no match in a conventional part. Most regiment and larger sized forces were now cut off.
Most major facilities had fallen, and all major ports were no longer in Soviet Sith hands The last major Soviet Sith force was ready to defend Taipei until the last man, to die like their comrades had. But it was futile.
A strong guerilla movement seemed to be the only chance for victory. The seeds had been sown for it to grow. Yet so much remained up in the air...

The only comfort for the Empire of The Soviet Sith was that their fleet, along with key personel, was safe in a Kreynorian base, if not on it's way to Sao Tome.

With the Zhonghuan invasion achieving success and troops closing in on Taipei, humanitarian facilitators were being sent into towns behind Zhonghuan lines to evaluate the civilian situation. The facilitators then reported back with estimates on what was needed in terms of food, medicine and other supplies, allowing the military to begin relief efforts. The secret police also started moving agents into Taiwan to assess possible insurgency problems.

A message was also sent to Sao Tome, stating that if Soviet Sith forces on Taiwan surrendered, Zhonghua would allow them to leave along with anyone else who wished to leave before Taiwan was annexed.

OOC: I may be gone for a few days...but this is pretty much wrapped up. So if I don't reply, sorry, I should be back in a week.

It was over. The remaining Soviet Sith units had surrendered and would soon be leaving Taiwan. It was the only logical thing to do, after seeing how they had been slaughtered. They could fight on another battleground, if at all...
Evahe himself was undecided. After seeing how things had turned out, it would probably be most logical to leave. But he was not one to quit so easily. The insurgency was still ready to go into action, despite the surprisingly fast collapse. There were still those who remained loyal.

What would be best for the Empire as a whole, Evahe wondered. What would be best for him?

Despite the fact that Taiwan was still not officially Zhonghuan, the surrender of the Soviet Sith forces set the wheels at the Resettlement Ministry into motion. Ministry offices in Zhonghua's crowded cities began locating families who would be most likely to successfully spearhead the outright Han colonisation of Taiwan; those families who agreed to be relocated to the island received generous stipends from the Ministry, providing them with the funds they would require once they reached their new home.

On Taiwan itself, the Resettlement Ministry was already identifying potential settlement sites as they kickstarted their vision for Zhonghua's 'wayward province'. The armed forces were continuing to treat civilians with the utmost respect and courtesy; they paid for what they took, and began helping with reconstruction efforts. Meanwhile, the Zhonghuan Foreign Ministry dispatched a communique to Sao Tome.

The communique stated that Zhonghua was prepared to offer the Soviet Sith government a non-aggression pact as well as preferred trading status and various other economic incentives in return for formally signing Taiwan over to Zhonghua. The communique went on to state that Zhonghua regarded the whole Taiwan situation as a 'regrettable stain on bilateral relations', and that Zhonghua had no intention of pursuing hostile relations with the Soviet Sith once Taiwan was officially handed over.

After Taiwan's official annexation by Zhonghua and the alliance with the newly-free states of Vietnam and the Philippines, the government of Zhonghua began to look inwards. As the original Imperial ministers stepped down and their children assumed the positions of their parents, they took stock of the Empire's situation. What they saw brought them grave concern; the Emperor was becoming more and more isolationist, often refusing to speak to cabinet members and handing down edicts which would only complicate matters for the regime. The Emperor also became aloof to the situation of the general populace; the population began to lose their faith in their monarch as the government ministers were always addressing problems that the Emperor was expected to attend to. Without the Emperor to provide leadership, many government officials began looking elsewhere for inspiration......

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Beijing

"The Emperor is a liability. I believe that he has lost the 'Mandate of Heaven'."

Many of the Zhonghuan cabinet looked in shock at Kristan Zhao; the young Singaporean had been elevated to the cabinet for his loyalty to the Imperial ideal. When Zhonghuan troops had arrived in Singapore, Zhao had stepped down as Prime Minister of the small nation and handed over control to Beijing. Ever since then, he had developed great influence with several government departments, not to mention his known friends in the military and his popularity with the general public, who saw him as an idealistic 'champion of the people' after he had stepped in to address several pressing concerns. Zhao looked back at the cabinet and continued.

"Look at the facts! Zhonghua has grown substantially in recent months; Taiwan is now part of the State, while Vietnam and the Philippines have requested Zhonghuan peacekeeping assistance. The Empire was all well and good while it was Chinese, but now we have more and more non-Han joining our ranks. We need to reorganise."

Defence Minister Qong Wufeng nodded. "He may be correct. The Emperor's way of ruling is starting to chafe in certain areas; the Resettlement Ministry did an excellent job in Xinjiang and Tibet, but we cannot carry out the same operations in territories which are separated from the mainland by water. Besides, you have heard the rumours; the Emperor has not been seen for over a week now. No-one at the Forbidden City will tell us what is going on, and to be honest a few generals have hinted to me that they find it difficult to follow an Emperor who is not around. The whole Imperial ideal was a pure and blessed concept, but I fear that it has been lost in the power-lust of one man. The Emperor demands a larger and larger Empire; we cannot continue at this rate."

Foreign Minister Bei Ruiyan cleared his throat. "All well and good to say here, but what do we do about it? We cannot go against the Forbidden City without support! Unless we act decisively, we could all be shot as traitors!"

Zhao chuckled. "Do not worry, we have our cover story. The Emperor will be declared mentally unstable; we already have several of his doctors in our pocket. As Justice Minister, I can have the Emperor removed from power due to mental instability as long as we have unanimous cabinet approval. Then we can dismantle the Imperial apparatus and return to our party's roots."

"NeoSuunism?"

Zhao shook his head at Finance Minister Wei Qiantan. "No, that is what led to this abomination of an Empire. I mean the ideology that NeoSuunism corrupted. We will reform the party into the Eastasian Communist Party; the Empire will be reformed into the United Eastasian Republic. The UES will rid Asia of Zhonghuan imperialist rule, and instead bring about a united Asian polity which will be able to decide their own destiny together. We will show the Zhonghuan people the merits of divesting ourselves of imperialism; as it is, we are no better than any other nation when it comes to expansionism. Vietnam and the Philippines are already under left-wing governments; my discussions with their leaders show that they are willing to back us in this endeavour."

The rest of the cabinet mumbled amongst themselves before reaching a decision. Wei Qiantan cleared his throat. "When do we begin?"

(OOC: The People's Republic of China has never existed in EII, so Communism is something fairly new to EII China.)

The Forbidden City

Yao Tanren glared at any servant foolish enough to make eye contact as he strode towards his quarters. He had been the Emperor's bodyguard for the last few years, but now he had been pushed to breaking point. In a sign of his ever-growing detachment from reality, Emperor Suun had accused Tanren of plotting against him with a consortium of foreign nations; the Emperor would undoubtedly forget about this and carry on as if nothing had happened, but Tanren was becoming weary of the almost constant abuse handed out by the aging monarch.

When the Emperor had been the Dragon-Premier, Tanren's father Tian had acted as bodyguard, dying in the line of duty when an Uighur separatist had attempted to assassinate the Premier over the Xinjiang situation. In recent months, the sons and daughters of the first cabinet members had slowly taken their parents' positions as the original NeoSuunists aged and became unable to perform their duties. Rumours had reached Tanren's ears of idealism among the younger cabinet members; the Emperor had heard these rumours as well, but had long forgotten them. Tanren wondered if the new generation of leaders would be interested to hear his opinions on the current state of the Emperor....

Shanghai

Kristan Zhao yawned loudly as his butler ushered the visitor into the lounge; it was the middle of the night, but apparently someone had arrived at the gates to the estate demanding to see him. The butler bowed deeply as the guest entered.

"Yao Tanren, sir. Will there be anything else?"

"Some tea, please. Then you may retire."

"Very good sir."

Kristan gestured for Tanren to sit down. "Please forgive my appearance, I don't usually have visitors this late in the evening. May I just say that I thought you would be in Beijing, protecting the Emperor."

Tanren snorted. "His Majesty doesn't entirely trust me these days; I'm surprised you haven't heard about my scheming with foreigners to kill him. I am no longer permitted to be in the same building as the Emperor while he sleeps, in case I try to murder him!"

Kristan rolled his eyes. "His madness has slipped that far?"

"It has. In a few days he will forget about this latest delusion and I will be his trusted bodyguard once more; I for one am tired of this constant instability. I have heard that I am not alone in this."

Kristan accepted the tea from his butler and waited until the servant had left. "You are correct in that assumption. The cabinet feel the same way you do; the Emperor has lost the Mandate of Heaven, and it is up to us to remove him."

Tanren's face dropped. "Have you any idea how difficult that would be?! The Imperial Guard would never allow it, neither would the courtiers! Their loyalties lie with the Emperor, not with the nation; they would oppose any attempt to remove him. Regardless of that fact, how would you bring the military to heel with such a plan?"

Kristan chuckled. "The military exists to protect the nation and its citizens. Several generals have already pledged their support to the Emperor's removal; what good comes from serving a ruler who no longer distinguishes friend from foe? What possible use is a ruler who seals himself away from the rest of the nation and exists in his own private fantasy world? The Emperor is the greatest obstacle to prosperity because he refuses to acknowledge Zhonghua's problems! The government ministers have solved every crisis while he festers in the Forbidden City and quietly grows ever more insane; it is time for a change. Where will your loyalties lie? Are you with the Emperor, or are you with the people?"

Beijing

"Guess who came to see me last night."

Ruiyan shrugged at Kristan. "Huangdi travelled forwards in time and told you to usurp the Emperor."

"Actually, it was Yao Tanren. We had some rather constructive discussions, and I now have a good indication of just how insane our beloved monarch is. He currently thinks Tanren is a foreign agent bent on assassination."

"Currently?"

"Apparently this delusion will disappear and he'll get a new one. I'm thinking of starting a pool on what it'll be; Tanren's keeping me informed of everything that goes on in the Forbidden City."

"Put me down for.....he's a Norwegian lumberjack. What are are you going for?"

"I reckon he'll soon believe that his government ministers are overthrowing him to establish a socialist superstate. I don't know why, but I get a feeling about these things..."

The two of them were joined at the water-cooler by Qong Wufeng, who was sporting a self-satisfied grin. "Guess what I was just told."

"Please, enlighten us."

"Field Marshal Kun is willing to join us. That's the entire Southern Command, as well as the commanders in Taiwan, Singapore, the Islands and our allies in Vietnam and the Philippines on our side. Our only obstacle now is our lack of support in the north. Admittedly, I haven't tried approaching any of the northern commanders yet."

Kristan nodded. "Well, get to it. The sooner we're ready, the sooner we can get rid of that old embarassment."

"He has absolutely no recollection of his accusations; now he thinks I'm his son. It would be laughable if it wasn't so important."

Kristan nodded at Tanren. "Agreed. What do you think he would do if we asked him to abdicate?"

"He'd have you all shot and promote the courtiers to government. The state would collapse within the week, as they have no idea about anything except kowtowing and embezzling."

"Embezzling?"

"Half those courtiers have misappropriated some sum of money from the state coffers. I have no hard proof, but...."

"Nothing would surprise me. So essentially we'll have to eliminate them. What about the Imperial Guards?"

"As I told you before, they would fight to the last man for him. It will be bloody. If we fail, we're all dead."

Kristan looked at the other cabinet members. "There you have it. Testimony from the Emperor's personal bodyguard himself. We cannot leave him on the throne for much longer. Wanfeng, have you garnered any further support for us?"

"The generals in the north are stubborn traditionalists. Our only way to secure support from the northern commands would be to install our own supporters."

It took a few weeks, but gradually all northern commanders who would have opposed the coup were weeded out and subjected to various accusations. Corruption, embezzlement, dereliction of duty and gross incompetence were all used against the traditionalists; in the face of evidence gathered by Security Minister Feng Kaizhen, the officers often had no choice but to submit to enforced retirement.

In their place, more pliable officers were promoted to the northern command structure by Qong Wanfeng. General Tan, commander of Beijing's defence, found himself replaced by Field Marshal Tsu, an old friend of Kristan Zhao from Singapore. With the officers in place, units from the elite 1st and 9th Armies began to be transferred to northern Zhonghua, assuming command of bases in and around Beijing.

The government ministers still held out hope that the Emperor would come to his senses and abdicate when presented with the opportunity; in case he took a stand against them, they had plans to evacuate the areas around the Forbidden City in case they needed to forcibly remove him.

Emperor Suun watched Kristan Zhao with suspicion as the Justice Minister entered the throne room; Tanren gestured to where Zhao should kneel.

"I will not kneel."

Suun's eyes widened. "How dare you disrespect me! Kneel before your Emperor!"

"You stopped being my Emperor a long time ago." Zhao gestured at the shocked courtiers with disdain before continuing. "These spineless cowards will not say it, but I will. You are losing your mind, and you are no longer capable of ruling this Empire. You have lost the Mandate of Heaven. We all realise it, and now it is time for you to abdicate, to save Zhonghua from any further embarassment."

"Kneel before me!"

"You are obsessed with your own power! Someone comes before you with unpleasant news and you simply keep demanding that they kneel! You embarassed Zhonghua when you did this to the leader of Vietnam; he is an ally, but you demanded that he kneel before you! Your government officials, myself included, managed to placate him and prevent any loss of friendship, but you almost lost us an ally with your pathetic demands! I ask you one last time; abdicate, for the sake of your nation."

"Tanren, remove this former minister from my presence."

Tanren shot a glance at Zhao before bowing his head. "Yes, Majesty."

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Tanren escorted Zhao to the gates of the Forbidden City and looked back at the palace.

"I suggest you gather whatever support you have and prepare for the worst. He does not abide betrayal; he will order your execution."

Zhao nodded. "I understand. What about you?"

"I will do what I can. Before you go though...."

He handed Zhao a CD. "Recordings from the palace security cameras. If the people want to see what their Emperor's been up to, the worst of it is on there."

As the gates opened to reveal a military escort waiting, Zhao smirked at Tanren. "If you honestly think I'm leaving you here at his mercy, you have another thing coming. There is no need for you to remain here."

The Imperial Guardsmen were caught off-guard as a car swerved through the open gates; Zhao pulled Tanren inside and the vehicle quickly headed into downtown Beijing.

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"That was unnecessary! I could have..."

"Died? Yes, you probably would have, with that maniac around."

Zhao tapped the speed-dial on his cellphone. "Wanfeng? I have Tanren, and Suun refuses to abdicate. It appears that Operation New Promise is on."

The Defence Minister hung up and turned to Field Marshal Tsu. "It's time."

The citizens in Beijing looked around in shock as the general warning alarms began to sound; in accordance with procedures, everyone in downtown Beijing left what they were doing and began making their way towards assigned shelters. As the first citizens began bunkering down, the military bases in and around Beijing began to empty.

Across Zhonghua, television schedules were disrupted as urgent news bulletins from the state media broke in.

"We are receiving reports from government sources that Emperor Suun has, and I quote, 'become incapable of maintaining power'. We have been given security footage by the government which displays their evidence of this claim; having seen the footage myself, I can confirm that His Majesty does indeed seem to be suffering from some sort of ailment...."

Footage of the Emperor yelling wildly before collapsing in tears was played, followed by the Emperor accusing various officials of conspiring with foreigners, then a few minutes later hailing the same officials as his closest allies.

"Justice Minister Kristan Zhao has presented the constitutionally required agreement of the entire cabinet that His Majesty is unfit to govern for health reasons; the footage certainly supports their decision. However, we have received reports that the Emperor has refused to abdicate and is declaring that he will 'crush the foul serpents of betrayal'. Our correspondents in Beijing have confirmed that the Imperial Guardsmen are manning the walls of the Forbidden City in apparent preparation for war...."

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The streets of Beijing were empty, save for the rumble of tanks and APCs as the government forces moved in on the Forbidden City. The scream of aircraft and the steady thumping of helicopter blades filled the air as the air force began overflying the ancient fortress; state media carried live feeds from Beijing all across the nation.

Kristan Zhao wasted no time in granting an interview to the state news channel; he reiterated the government's position, and detailed more instances of the Emperor's failing stability. He urged all civilians to stay as far from downtown Beijing as possible, adding that the Emperor obviously cared more about his own position than the health of his nation.

As government forces surrounded the Forbidden City, the Emperor sent orders to the Guardsmen to fire on all traitors and deserters. He added that he expected them to fight to the death for their Emperor; there may only be two thousand of them, but they would go down in a blaze of glory. As a government officer began to address the defenders, an overzealous Guardsman opened fire. The officer fell off his tank wounded, and the government forces began returning fire. The state media immediately began reporting that the Emperor's forces had committed treason by resisting the government and shooting a military officer....

The Imperial Guardsmen initially stood their ground against the government onslaught, but as government reinforcements arrived many Guardsmen threw down their weapons and surrendered. After all, it was two thousand of them versus the entire country. The government controlled the skies over the fortress, and there had been no preparations for a siege; they would have been starved out in less than a week.

Government forces poured into the Forbidden City as the gates were opened, apprehending various courtiers for treason and demanding to know the location of Emperor Suun. The wailing of several courtiers gave an indication of the monarch's fate, which was confirmed when troops entered the throne room; Emperor Suun was slumped in his throne, blood splattered on the floor and a handgun lying close-by. The Forbidden City was quickly cordoned off by the military, while state media announced the Emperor's death to the nation.

While the aging monarch's death was cheered by a large number of people, the majority of the nation accepted the news with sombre regret. He had embodied everything good about Zhonghua in his younger days, but as he aged he had grown more and more indifferent to his nation as well as his people. The government ministers held a press conference within the hour, announcing that the Emperor's painful deterioration and its effects showed that no one person should be permitted to hold so much power over such a powerful state. As the Emperor had no heirs, the end of the Suun Dynasty was announced, as was the end of the Imperial system which had led to such an unfortunate outcome. Justice Minister Kristan Zhao would become Acting Premier until a new order for Zhonghua could be brought about.

After the press conference, Zhao and the other ministers held a private video conference with the leaders of Vietnam and the Philippines; with the Emperor dead and Zhao in 'temporary command', the dawn of the United Eastasian Republic was drawing near.

Official communique to Zhonghua government, via Norwegian embassy in Beijing

On behalf of the Kingdom of Norway, I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to the mourning nation. I would also like to inquire as to when the funeral will be held. May the soul of Emperor Suun rest in peace from now untill eternity.


Most deepest regards

King Harald V of Norway

Official communique to Zhonghua government, via Norwegian embassy in Beijing

On behalf of the Kingdom of Norway, I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to the mourning nation. I would also like to inquire as to when the funeral will be held. May the soul of Emperor Suun rest in peace from now untill eternity.


Most deepest regards

King Harald V of Norway


Official response from the Zhonghuan government

We appreciate the sentiment extended to us by Your Majesty, as these have been most trying times for all of us. The funeral will be held in a few days time, but it will be a private internal affair. We apologise for not extending invitations to foreign leaders, but we have several pressing concerns which make it impossible for us to hold the funeral and extend hospitality to foreign Heads of State.

Foreign Minister Bei Ruiyan

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The Emperor's funeral was rather understated. considering how important he was to the nation. The simple fact was that his mental decline and subsequent instability had left many people wishing to put the whole experience behind them; a mausoleum was erected in Beijing for the public to visit his body before it was buried, but attendance was much smaller than expected.

A few days after the funeral, the leaders of Vietnam and the Philippines arrived in Beijing along with the provincial governors of Zhonghua; state media reported that they were meeting with the central government in order to hammer out the new post-Imperial administration. After a week of 'negotiations' (much had already been worked out before Suun's death), a special session of Congress was called to announce the decided direction for Zhonghua.

The state media in Zhonghua, Vietnam and the Philippines interrupted all programming to bring 'a momentous announcement' from Beijing.

The room was packed with reporters buzzing about what was so important; they got their answer when the Zhonghuan cabinet walked in and took their seats, followed by President Dinh of Vietnam, President Maglacas of the Philippines and Acting Premier Zhao of Zhonghua. Zhao took the podium and addressed the waiting media.

"We are gathered here to inform you all of a decision that has just been passed through the legislative branches of all three nations involved in this conference. You are about to be privy to the signing of the Beijing Compact, an official treaty which marks a new era in Asia, and indeed the world as a whole.

With the passing of Emperor Suun, an old era has ended, and it is best to leave it in the past. If we attempted to continue the Empire, we would only dishonour its ideal; to this end, we are here to announce the end of the Empire. In its place will rise a new power, a power formed by the union of Zhonghua, Vietnam and the Philippines; a power which will be known as the United Eastasian Republic. For the past few days we have been discussing the future of Asia, and it is only through total cooperation that we can continue to serve the people of our region.

The UER will respect the rights of all citizens, regardless of any 'difference'. The UER will take the power away from distant organisations and put the power back with the people. This is all being done to bring about the best possible situation for our citizens; the UER will return land, industry, and quality of life to our dear citizens, all of whom have suffered at some point from various flaws in previous governments. We will rule in the name of the people of the UER, we will act in the best interests ofthe people of the UER, we will serve the wishes of the people of the UER.

In a few short weeks, there will be elections held to decide the membership of the new People's Congress, as well as the new Premier of the UER. It is time that the people of Asia stopped fearing war, famine and oppression; we will ensure that peace and prosperity fill their lives. Thank you."

The three leaders were then shown signing the documents to bring the UER into existence; the vast and bloated Zhonghuan Empire was now being reorganised to a sleek and efficient Eastasian Republic.

The elections to the People's Congress were held without incident and with great transparency; the only possible flaw was that all candidates belonged to the Eastasian Communist Party, the entity created from the union between the Workers' Parties in Vietnam and the Philippines, along with the NeoSuunist Party in Zhonghua.

With the new federal system in place, the Republic contained 37 constituent states: Zhonghua provided 32, followed by Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines, with the final state being a union between the Marshall and Marianas Islands. Each state elected two senators to the Supreme Soviet (upper house); the seats in the People's Soviet (lower house) were apportioned out to the states according to population, with all states receiving at least one representative.

The elections for Premier saw Kristan Zhao sweep to victory with a convincing majority, with Dinh and Maglacas both becoming Joint Vice-Premier. Zhao was also elected Chairman of the ECP in a party-only ballot; his Singaporean background did him well in the selection process, as it was felt that a Chinese leader could have been potentially divisive in the initial formation of the UER.

With the new government system in position and a regime elected to power, the Foreign Ministry began reviewing all diplomatic agreements made by the Zhonghuan Empire in order to achieve a more 'ethical' foreign policy. The first act was withdrawing from the NPTO; the organisation was no longer relevant to the UER, so it was time to reposition the state's allegiances. All UER forces in Kreynoria began pulling out and returning to the Motherland as a result.

The countless agreements reached with the now-Kingdom of Norway were retained, as the Kingdom was deemed an acceptable party to deal with. Although they were a monarchy, they had proven honourable; as a result, the UER was content to continue the warm relationship. Great discussion erupted when the subject of the Japanese Empire was raised; in the absence of a conclusive decision, the treaties with Japan were allowed to continue until a proper decision was reached.

The government also voted to extend new ties of friendship. In the Pacific, the newly-free revolutionary state of Koror was offered diplomatic recognition and assistance, despite the potential frostiness which could erupt with Elephantum over the decision. In addition, the UER also extended friendship to the Union of Communist Republics; it was only natural that the two states should become allies, given their mutual aims and political ideologies.

The internal reforms were enacted with careful precision; the overhaul of the nation was being done slowly so that the new reforms would not be such a shock to the people of the economy.

In agriculture, farming villages were turned into "cooperatives"; the village would act as one large production facility under the auspices of a manager, who would be appointed from among the villagers. The cooperatives would keep enough food for themselves to live, then the rest would be sold to the government for a fair market price. Incentives such as production bonuses and holiday pay were introduced by law to make longer hours seem more attractive, but the government didn't hold out any hope of them leading to a massive boost in output. As long as the cooperatives produced a reasonable amount, the government was satisfied. The cooperatives would also be visited monthly by government inspectors to ensure smooth running and that figures were not being manipulated.

In industry, the government took over the running of all major industries, but left their old managers in charge. The industries were still expected to be profitable, so there was no guaranteed job-for-life; if you were lazy or underproducing, then you would be fired to make way for someone who could do the job properly. Once again, performance-related bonuses were introduced in an attempt to increase efficiency and production, with monthly inspections to ensure that everything was above board.

The services industry was left alone, with small businesses being allowed to continue in private hands. As long as the businesses paid their taxes, the government was content to leave them alone. This was part of the government's desire to limit the amount of central planning in the economy; it had not worked well in previous attempts that they had heard of, so supply and demand continued as the law of the economy until the government developed a more efficient and reliable way of running the economy.

With Malaysia's formal departure from the Kingdom of Norway and subsequent membership of the United Eastasian Republic, the government in Beijing turned its attention to societal engineering.

History was revised to emphasise the shared cultural and developmental aspects of the member states; disputes between now-member states were acknowledged and seen as 'bumps on the road' to final cooperation. Citizens in all states were encouraged to regard themselves as 'Eastasian', with such definitions arising as 'Chinese-Eastasian', 'Malay-Eastasian', and 'Viet-Eastasian' among others. Citizens were also encouraged to use their names with their given name first; all government ministers and Soviet members changed their names accordingly, but the practise seemed ignored by a large number of Chinese-Eastasians, who accepted the change in their leaders but took as long as possible to change their own.

Holidays were renamed and rescheduled to accomodate all Eastasians, and the new 'Revolutionary Week' was introduced in August to commemorate the founding of the Republic.