This seems like the most logical place to put such a thread, since it's a work of fiction. Mods: If it proves to be the wrong placement, forgive me.
I saw this posted on a different website, and I thought it might be interesting to see what we get when we put it before NS Forum residents. It's the first few posts of this timeline (caution: the site except for the index page likes to go down a lot lately). I'll leave the open end after the very important opening info from the original (i.e. up to Santa Anna's alternate-history death). Try to keep it realistic and (I'll hold myself to this after the OP) please limit it to one date per post. I only placed multiple dates in this first post to make it through the most important parts that set up the scenario.
23 February 1836
In Texas, a Japanese immigrant of Samurai lineage named Eto Kuragawa is among the volunteers to hold the old mission known as the Alamo.
2 March 1836
Eto Kuragawa is named a colonel in the Texas state militia by Texan president Sam Houston.
3 March 1836
The letter confirming Kuragawa's rank was misread due to hasty and poor penmanship, he is actually deemed a captain.
6 March 1836
Kuragawa composes two letters, one in Japanese and one in English, and cuts his fingernails, placing the cuttings into a small box with Japanese lettering. He then drops over the wall after an argument over whether to hold the fort or take the fight to the enemy. With him he carries a matching katana and wakazashi the Texan defenders name "Alamo Knives". Going over the south wall, he uses his superior swordsmanship techniques to kill over 150 Mexican soldiers (including a general) who are unable to reload quickly or effectively use bayonets in such close formations. Kuragawa only dies after cutting a deep wound in Santa Anna's left leg. The Mexicans name him "Viento del Diablo" and worry that there are more like him deeper in Texas.
8 March 1836
Santa Anna's leg is amputated after infection begins to set in.
14 March 1836
Word of Kuragawa's bravery and valor reach Sam Houston, who promotes him posthumously to the rank of Colonel. Several of Kuragawa's samurai relatives arrive in Texas and offer their services to the fledgling Republic. Houston asks them to train the Texans to fight with the unorthodox sword and knife fighting techniques.
21 April 1836
At the Battle of San Jacinto, the Texan militia wipes out a much larger contingent of Mexican soldiers almost to the man. Santa Anna is left alive only when Sam Houston prevents over a dozen Kuragawa relatives from retribution. His deformity of having only one leg and shame of having lost to a much smaller force are only barely excusable in the eyes of this samurai family, and they swear that his death will be by their hands. Santa Anna signs over control of "Texas" to the colonists but does not specify the boundaries.
26 April 1836
When word of Santa Anna's humiliating defeat reaches Mexico City, civil war erupts between Santa Anna's supporters (mostly in the northern areas and the capital) and various other factions: one in Oaxaca, one in the Yucatan, and one in Veracruz.
16 August 1836
Texan militiamen claim everything east and north of the Rio Grande, west of the Sabine, and inside of the old Mexican border. Their military establishes a formal cavalry unit while the Kuragawa family establishes a large ranch near Brownwood known as "Little Nara" after their home province in Nippon.
Kuragawa family members that decide to emigrate to Texas begin building a large yet traditional Japanese castle as the main building on their ranch after their paper homes are blown away. They are also asked by the Texas government to make samurai swords for the Texan officers and train cavalrymen in the ways of Samurai swordsmanship, Bushido, and hand-to-hand fighting techniques.
17 June 1837
"Little Nara" is now home to over 500 people who mostly live in log or mud-brick homes. The completed section of the main part of the castle is home to the leaders of the Kuragawa family and home to the cattle in their ranch, estimated at 30,000 acres total but with different sections officially held by multiple members of the clan. A class of 30 Texan officers arrives to begin training in Samurai swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and other Eastern disciplines. Multiple forms of hand-to-hand combat are practiced in the Combat School, and a strange chimeric form of bar-fighting, several different forms of martial arts, street combat, African tribal fighting techniques, and boxing begins to arise.
An acupuncture specialist sets up a clinic at Little Nara and begins a local Health Department that builds sewers for the burgeoning town. Water is boiled and traditional sanitation techniques are practiced. A large rice crop is planted in the nearby fields alongside wheat, corn, and other products.
9 December 1837
After a beating on the head, a Texan officer at the Combat School draws up plans for a rudimentary repeating rifle. However, due to the lack of machine tools and manufacturing equipment in Texas, it will be some time before his plans can be converted into a working prototype. Little Nara now has over 600 people, complete with a Shinto shrine, a Buddhist temple, and a small Sohei monastery. The Kuragawa Castle is large enough that over half of the town now lives there and an outer wall is begun around the outermost perimeter of the proposed outer limit if the building. When completed, the projected castle and town built inside the wall would theoretically hold just over 50,000 people.
6 April 1838
Kuragawa cattle and farming operations do unexpectedly well. The clan shares resources and work together to continue construction on their castle and town. Almost all Texan officers carry a Katana, Wakazashi, or both. Eto Kuragawa's letter from the Alamo is finally received by his family. Among other things, it notes that Jim Bowie had figured out the means for making Damascus steel and shared it just before falling unconscious. A request in the letter is to follow the process provided and try making a set of Samurai swords out of Damascus steel and see how they perform. It also notes that Texans are quite honorable, and that outside of Japan they are the most honorable people he has ever known.
14 October 1838
A Lipan-Apache Chief makes a visit to Little Nara to settle a territorial dispute with Texan settlers. Because of the honor and non-white heritage of the Japanese in that settlement, the native Americans do not attack the settlement and instead use the town for trade and political purposes.
6 February 1839
Shimazu Narinobu proposes to the Tokugawa shogunate that their study of international diplomacy be put to use by making contact with the new Republic of Texas. Because of the novelty of the Republic and need for international contact, Tokugawa Ienari reluctantly agrees.
17 August 1839
After unique cultural items from Texas arrive in Kuragawa homelands (including science textbooks, black powder revolvers, various kinds of peppers, cowboy hats, and a Bowie knife), word of this Japanese colony spreads quickly throughout Japan. It is described as everything from an enigmatic fortress to the best hope for an overcrowded Japan. Shimazu Narinobu, daimyo of Satsuma province, orders several of his retainers to Little Nara after seeing some of the military technology for himself. He hopes that they will be able to learn modern combat skills and experience in technology and engineering to bring back to Satsuma.
10 October 1839
Representatives from the court of Tokugawa Ieyoshi arrive in Austin and establish an embassy. Their diplomatic inexperience is obvious, but the good reputation of Little Nara and the fact that they are the first nation to officially recognize the soverignety of the Republic of Texas make them a welcome sight.
1 November 1839
Acupuncture, rice, and sewage systems are now prevalent in all larger Texan towns. Japanese ambassadors are surprised at the level of awareness the Texans have of Japanese culture, and begin writing back to their Shogun to request a treaty of trade.
16 April 1840
Tokugawa Ieyoshi decides that Texan ships may have trading rights at Nagasaki *if* they will share naval technologies and allow Shogun-approved students to study at Texan schools. Tokugawa Ieyoshi also offers to pay for the foundation of a university if it is based at Little Nara or Austin and if Japanese students are allowed to attend at any time.
27 September 1840
The University of Texas is started at Little Nara with the provision that additional funding will be acquired soon and that Japanese students will be allowed to study there alongside native Texans. With a Japanese population now just exceeding 3,000 statewide (including over 900 at Little Nara itself), this initially seems a curious condition to the faculty.
16 February 1841
Santa Anna dies a mysterious death. His hands are grasping his sword, which is plunged through his own abdomen. They know it is not a suicide because his head is found nearby, separated from his body as if by a guillotine. Panic ensues as rival warlords and governors begin to hear about Santa Anna's demise.
Have at it, NSG!
