Khon Pa, capital of the Kingdom of Zaida
"Sons and daughters of Zaida, We must take a stand against Minrozian oppression! Ever since they’ve banned slavery, we had to toil our own blood to work whereas should be done by the inferior slaves, bigods. Hear me! We Zaidans the Superiors are forced to work for benefits of our own oppressors – the Minrozians!" On top of a battered truck, a large man yelled into a megaphone in slightly accented, localized English. Behind him, on the Zaidan side of the area in which the protest was taking place, stood hundreds of thousands of men, women and children. Many proudly wore their native costumes, including the man with the megaphone, attempting to tell the Imperials they were directing their hatred against them. On the Imperial side of the protest area stood a large company of fully-equipped troopers from the 633th Motor-rifle Regiment, with a dozen combat mobility vehicles backing them up. Further to the rear were mortar crews, aerial combat drones, Yeman mechs and tanks, waiting for the protesters to do something stupid.
“We are Zaidans, the chosen race! We wish only the best for our great nation! When will they realize, without owning our slaves, we will be like leopards without spots! Practicing slavery is our way of life, it’s is our god-given right to do so! From this day, we will prevail against the heathen Minrozians for their barbaric practices!"
Behind him, the crowd cheered at his words, and the Minrozian soldiers grew uneasy. Many of the protesters brandished baseball bats, pipes and other improvised weapons. While they most certainly weren't nearly as well equipped as the Imperial troops, they were an enormous threat in the numbers they came in. Out of all the Imperial soldiers, Colonel Khorijin ‘Kori’ Maidari felt uneasy about it. She did not want to spark a rebellion; however, the safety of her men under her command held top priority. She couldn't even allow these maniacs even a chance to harm them. Next to her on the right is Corporal Chan, the burly Jonggoun machine-gunner who’s nervously twitching his fingers at the trigger of his PKM. Until he felt the reassuring pat from the woman colonel, calming himself down but he kept a lookout at the rowdy ‘protestors’.
“Orders, ma’am?” the conscript to her left asked his commanding officer, sounding bit anxious.
“Stay your hand soldier,” Kori replied “We don’t want to fight a full-on riot, let alone the slaver lunatics.” The soldier nodded solemnly at her response, clutching his Type-76M. She can’t blame him for feeling nervous, even the professional Regulars will also feel nervous at the rioting crowd.
Suddenly, a man in ragtag clothes and red bandanna leapt up on the truck, waving his machete in hand like a lunatic “LONG LIVE ZAIDA!” he screams in accented-English, much to Minrozians’ astonishment. Though their strict discipline of the Imperials troops prevent them from overreacting, lest one trooper shoot that man dead out of panic, until a loud gunfire is being shot from the crowd, causing the Zaidan protestors into panic or otherwise, turning them into a full-on riot in all directions. That’s not all, a large group of men with red bandannas from the Zaidan side appeared with their machetes and baseball bats, all charging at the Imperials, yelling their bloodthirsty warcries.
“OPEN FIRE!” Sergeant Wang yells as he started fire his Saiga shotgun at the charging madmen. Unfortunately, many died in the riot as more of these radicals with red bandanna continue to prop up around the Kingdom’s major cities, attacking Minrozian occupation forces. More corpses laid dead in the streets as many Zaidans joins the red-clad rebels in their hopeless assaults against their technologically-superior opponents. Many innocents including women and children are among the victims in the cross-fire.
“Gods! I pray this isn’t going to be like Khaydaristan.” Kori thought, making her short prayers to the Heavens before popping out of her cover and shoots down her pistol at hostile protestors.
Imperial Central Command of Zaida, Prasath, Prasath Island
Meanwhile at Prasath Island, the former stronghold of Royal Zaidan Army until the Island was taken over by the Minrozians in the early stages Invasion. The three Generals who commanded the Imperial Occupation Forces in Zaida, are not happy about the rebellions. As the leader’s displeasure has shown. The command is busy at work, responding to the calls of reinforcements since the advent of Zaidan rebellion.
“This is unacceptable!” General Tao Yang, the Military-Governor, who is the supreme commander of Occupation Forces in Zaida, grunts in dismay. He slams his fist on the Holo-map, “These barbarians shall pay!”
He was pretty furious about it as a proud Minrozian officer. But his competence kept him from devolving into a man-child, testament to his military training.
“Calm down Yang, I can understand your frustration. We all are,” General Mima Khagatai the commander of the Second Army assures her neko colleague, “But getting mad will get us nowhere. Y’know Zhongyang isn’t going to be pleased about this.”
“Hmph! I know.” Yang sighs as he finally calms down. “We’ll probably get chewed up by the Kuomintang as well. Y’know what they’re like when it comes to National possessions. I’ve heard enough of it especially issues concerning Heljmenistan and Khaydaristan.” He waves his hand dismissively at it. His tone is thicken with sarcasm.
“Heh, I’m not surprised about it, catboy.” General Yuelun Taichari of the Sixth Army quip, crossing her arms. “The Kuomintang bastards should come down and help us, instead of sitting down and whine like babies back home.”
“That’s an understatement.” Mima stated blandly.
“Tch! I wager the Chancellor is going to burn us for our incompetence.” The Neko general quip sarcastically, “His Imperial Excellency is in the foul mood about national security ever since the Talaikhan incident. I'm not surprised this uprising will enraged him more.”
He stares glaringly at the Holo-map which is full of Imperial Units and bases under attack, “Back to topic at hand, we got to do something about this rebellion before it spirals out of control for us to handle.”
“Look here, almost every major city in this Godforsaken kingdom revolted. Angkor, Napyidaw, Koh Island, Rangoon. It looks like we’re having a nation-wide revolt on our hands.” Mima observes the holo-map as the command centre is busy at work.
“Geez, Dear Gods Above, we’re gonna need some reinforcements from the Mainland.” Yuelun groans in frustration as she sips her flask of vodka. “I don’t think our detachments are enough for this.”
“I’m with Yuelun on this one.” Mima agrees.
“In that case, this gives me no choice. I’m authorising Army Order Sixty-six, effective immediately.” Yang affirms with his serious expression. His orders had made everyone in the room feeling perturbed. They knew what this order means; it means the Martial Law in Zaida is in effect, not to mention it’s a most brutal one at it. In other words, their answer to this rebellion is brute force.
“Sir, should we inform the Pearl Palace about it?” One operator pipes up, referring to the puppet government of Zaida.
The neko general huffs dismissively. “So…what can the puppets do? Complain all the crap they want? Hah! Well, this doesn’t change the fact we rule their asses. Now it is our responsibility to put the rebel scum in their place.”
“Y-yes sir.”
“Good.” Yang looks over to the other operator and start giving out orders. “Inform Zhongyang, we need more big guns. We must show the rebels, the might of the Motherland! And they shall live to regret it!”
Pearl Palace, Royal residence of the Zaidan Royals, Khon Pa
Queen Kanya, leader of puppet Zaidan government and an reformist idealist. Kanya was installed on the throne by the Minrozians after the invasion - on orders from Zhongyang. Despite her best efforts cooperating with the Imperial occupiers, she deeply resents the Minrozians for virtually controlling her country at their whims. But she understands it must be done since most members of the Old Zaidan regime are Pro-slavers, and slavery is illegal in the Qing Empire. Those who survived the Imperial purge have gone into hiding, waiting for their chance to strike. Her big brother Crown Prince Pol-orp is among them. Fearing for his life, she prayed to that he survives and somehow changes his mind on fighting the occupiers. So peace can reign in the Zaidan Kingdom. Alas…it will not come to this.
In her throne room, she now watching the news of the massacre of her people all over the kingdom, she was downright horrified. And she’s not the only one, her younger sister Princess Dewi, her best friend General Somsri Shwe and the rest of her loyal associates as well, all who are part of her Royal court. All of them together are personally against slavery but their unpopularity as puppets have hindered their process on the abolishment policy.
“This is terrible.” Dewi utters, putting her hands on her mouth in shock.
“There’s nothing we can do, Dewi. It’s inevitable that the people had chose to defy the Mings.” Somsri grunts as she angrily clenches her fist. “All thanks to the damn pale-skin bastards. Their very presence only serves to bring more trouble on our land.”
The officials behind them have started murmuring among themselves about it. They don’t know what to do. Part of them agrees that the Minrozians should not be in control in the first place, blaming them for the civil chaos in Zaida. On the other hand, most of them did collaborate with the Imperials, thinking they can change their country for the better. They stopped talking once Kanya raised her hand.
“Calm down, everyone. I know it is hard for all of us to take.” She said calmly. “But our old traditions of slavery have gotten deep in our people’s minds. This had made them stubborn to any changes which will benefit the Kingdom from the abolishments. Father, uncle Nato and uncle Krug had paid their price. It’s been three years…the Minrozians had virtually run our nation and we are its figureheads. I’m very ashamed to say this. And this…I guess it’s the punishment from the heavens…for our sins.”
“What do you propose we do?” One official asks fearfully. In response, Kanya sadly shook her head.
“There’s nothing we can do.” She admitted. This earns some gasps from the crowd.
“Fine. I’ll go prepare the Royal Defence Army and help the Mings out. They should be grateful for our help.” Somsri said, turning around and left the room shortly.
Dewi look at her big sister with concern. “Big sister…” She says, holding her hand on Kanya’s for comfort.
“I am sorry. This situation is out of our league to handle alone.” Kanya spoke morosely. “All we can do is to pray.”
May the Heavens have mercy on everyone’s souls.
