Let chaos ring! [Semi-open, MT]

[Stoklomolvi]

[Simply telegram me for entry.]

Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
1122 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
259.62 Kelvin, Moderate snowfall

8 January 2015

Nakamura Koichi [中村こういち] was an eighteen year old immigrant from Kagetora who arrived in Vladistov only seven weeks prior on a cool, snowy day to work in a steel mill located in the outskirts of the city. Everyday, he walked from his apartment a block away to the mill, where he earned the same wages as everyone else; as expected in a socialist state, of course, though this veneer of equality hid the very real discrimination he faced at the workplace by not the company bosses but by the employees. Since the entire country had been extremely wary of Kagetora ever since the Third Stoklo-Kagetorian War, almost nobody treated a Kagetorian like an equal. Koichi did, of course, expect this after he left Kagetora in search of greener pastures after being rejected from seven workplaces, but he did not enjoy being left in the corner of the communal dining hall during his lunch. Unfortunately for Koichi, he was the only Kagetorian who worked at the mill, for he was the only one without a record of anti-Stoklomolvi political activity. He did have enough money to buy whatever luxuries he wanted, and his life here was satisfactory in comparison to his life in Kagetora. Koichi had marked off on a government roster that he wanted "unprocessed food materials," and thus every morning the government delivered vegetables and raw meat to his postbox each morning. Life was, for the moment, good.

Still, nothing could stay the same forever. His near-perfect world shattered one grey February morning when, while on the way to work with his bento in his pack, a drunken Stelimov man stumbled out from his apartment. As the man walked towards him, Koichi prepared to report him to the police as alcohol was illegal; as he began running, Koichi was chased by the now angry man with a metal pole. Arms swinging left and right, the man lunged at Koichi, and one sharp smack to the top of his head knocked Koichi out cold. He pissed on Koichi and shambled away, and Koichi bled onto the pavement while cars simply passed by the Kagetorian adolescent. It was only when a police officer arrived at the scene did he get taken to the Vladistov hospital.

He was discharged two weeks later. In the postbox he found two weeks' pay and rations for the day, but when he entered his house he found everything ransacked. His television, his computer, and his dining table were all split in half with some kind of bladed weapon, and in the bathroom he found that same formerly drunken man lying on the ground with an axe in his hand. Enraged, Koichi ran to his room, pulled out his Nagant M1895, and ran back to the bathroom. He aimed the pistol at the man, and fired a bullet through his left temple. Koichi dragged the corpse out to the front yard and threw him onto his rubbish can, and trudged back into his house, furious at the man and at the government for doing nothing. A week after this incident it would be discovered that the man had broken in mere minutes before Koichi had returned.

A day later, a search warrant was filed of Koichi's house. It was suspected that the man had been in search of something, for in the same day that man had broken into two other houses and had simply turned them inside out. Koichi, naturally, did not know, but nobody bothered to tell him. His anger grew daily, and by the day after the search he plotted to gather every Kagetorian in Vladistov and rise against the Stoklomolvi in search of equal rights for every person. While he did not know that the government was neither actively persecuting him nor his people, his message carried. Soon after, some hundred thousand Kagetorians prepared to march on the capital in the largest political demonstration since 1984.

Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
0249 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
268.44 Kelvin, Light snowfall

26 February 2015

Red Square, one of the most pleasant places to be on a cloudy February morning. At this hour, it was completely empty; everyone was at home in bed, sleeping soundly before a day of relaxation on Saturday. Koichi, along with precisely 142,924 other Kagetorians [he counted them an hour before], marched into the square, and within seconds of them suddenly appearing en masse the square's floodlights shone onto the crowd of people. Flags of Kagetora were raised on the statues in the square, while flags of Stoklomolvi were prepared to be burnt as a sign of protest against the supposed discrimination cast by the government. A rifle shot rang out.

Within minutes, scores of armoured cars streamed into the square, and military policemen pulled out their heavy weaponry and rifles. Throughout the entire spectacle the scene was completely silent. The first word was spoken by the Stoklomolvi military police commissar.

"By the orders of the government, you will be given three minutes to begin dispersing immediately. Such violence and challenge to the governmental authority will not be tolerated, and we will not relent. We warn you all."

With his statement finished, a single "Kagetorian" rose and walked out of the crowd. The commissar thanked him: "Your involvement was vital to our discovery of this little insurrection. Thank you, Li Peng [李鹏]."

Shocked at the betrayal, the crowd began to yell and scream. And Koichi, whose plan had been set into motion prematurely by one hour and three minutes, was burying his head in his hands. Three flags were ignited at once, and these flaming flags were thrust into the air as slogans and signs were displayed proudly. Most of them were peaceful statements, such as "Give equality to everyone, not just some!" and "It is time that we were treated like loyal citizens too!" Their actions, however, contradicted their words; after seven minutes of non-stop yelling, another gunshot was fired into the air. This unleashed hell. Kagetorians began scattering in the direction of the Kremlin, and seven of the armoured cars were fire-bombed by the now angry mob. Policemen fired their automatic weaponry into the crowd, mowing down hundreds of mostly defenceless civilians. The armed revolutionaries, however, spared nothing, and returned fire, killing dozens of police officers. As the commissar did not want to cause too many unnecessary civilian casualties, he would rely on shock and awe later, and retreated to the streets behind the Red Square as three armoured cars blocked off the bridge into the Kremlin. The People's Liberation Army Vladistov Garrison would arrive in three hours, having been immediately mobilised for the conflict. In the Kremlin itself, artillery was set up and prepared to fire by the Kremlin guards should the situation grow too dicey.

Koichi led the rebellion, and marched forward with a flag in his two hands as his loyal supporters were shot down behind him. Two of the armoured cars were fire-bombed, while the remaining one attempted to drive away before an explosive detonated beneath its tyres and obliterated it from the inside out. Three of the policemen survived the attack. Koichi jumped into the air and thrust his flag pole into one of the officers' skulls, while the two others were shot to death by other revolutionaries. After around ten minutes of disorganised milling about, Koichi finally rallied the crowd together, and began to barricade the Red Square. Buses and civilian cars were overturned and lit on fire, while concrete benches and statues were taken down and set up around the perimetre.

As the rumbling of tanks could be heard in the distance, Koichi placed his revolver on the ground. Chaos had been brought, directly the opposite of his intention.

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Domestic News - Vladistov Riot

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Rioting by ethnic Kagetorians in Vladistov throws city into disarray
People's Liberation Army mobilised to deal with threat

A riot took place today in Vladistov, Stoklomolvi, after a protest describing apparent ethnic unrest by Kagetorians erupted into violence. Several dozen policemen and around three hundred civilians have been killed, with many more wounded. The current situation may prove difficult to defuse.

An informant placed in the group recalled that the leader of the rebellion was a man named Nakamura Koichi, a factory worker living in the northern sectors of Vladistov.

Further reports will be released as the situation develops.

Copyright 2015 Stoklomolvi Central News Agency. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.scna.gov.scf/articles/29678304/
© 2015 Stoklomolvi Central News Agency

[Stoklomolvi]

Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
0923 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
269.54 Kelvin, Light snowfall

26 February 2015

It was six hours since the revolt first started. Up to this point, there were no deserters, though with the square surrounded and cohesion amongst the group slowly wearing a way, the first man walked out around four hours ago through the south-eastern corner of the square to much approval from the police officers. Hundreds of others followed suit, though the Kagetorian ranks remained filled; 129,450 of the initial Kagetorians were estimated to be loyal supporters and would need either more time or more persuasion. Stoklomolvi armour had already enveloped the square, and infantry in trucks were preparing to forcibly disperse the crowd. As it was already morning, other citizens of Vladistov were awakening and watching the scene from their houses and from around the square, though police kept the traffic moving via detour around the square centre. Koichi was, as expected, reading his copy of Murasaki Shikibu's work The Tale of Genji, and was sitting at the base of the statue in the centre of the square.

He was by nature a quiet man, one who was not likely to use violence as a method to do anything. Ironically, it was he who started the very violent and bloody civil rebellion in Vladistov, and while the other Kagetorians were shooting at police officers and burning yet even more flags he sat without saying anything. Behind the barricade, he could see tanks moving around, but he said nothing to the oblivious Kagetorians who continued to throw stones and shoot their rifles. When he saw the first tank approach the weakened barrier, he stood up with his novel and walked towards the Kremlin, where the burning ruins of the armoured cars remained.

Not a moment later did the first tank crush the burning barrier. Kagetorians swarmed away, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at it the entire time, but this had no effect. Fifteen other tanks followed the first, which actually fired its main cannon into the crowd, killing several dozen people and wounding over two hundred others. Without hesitation, the tank commander in charge issued a "no quarter" order and began to mow down innocent civilians with his machine gun with tanks in the rear also firing their cannons. These brutal actions compelled the remaining Kagetorians to flee, and Koichi mixed himself into the crowd to escape to a nearby hospital where he would plan his next moves. Barriers all around the Red Square were broken down by People's Liberation Army infantry, who filled the square as they searched the area for any Kagetorian survivors to execute. They did find a family of four hiding underneath the ruined statue in the centre of the square, and while the family was begging for mercy a group of ten soldiers took them behind an armoured car and filled them with bullets. The carnage ended five hours later with smoke billowing into the air.

Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
0852 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
271.68 Kelvin, Light snowfall

27 February 2015

A day had passed with little activity except the square placed under lock-down, with no civilians allowed to exit or enter the square. A police barricade was set up around the north-western sector, which was from the perspective of a man standing in the square centre looking at the Kremlin the top left, as the remaining Kagetorians, who only numbered around 24,000 with the rest having deserted, refused to leave. They waved their placards and flags, and Koichi simply watched them from the inside of the hospital. He wanted the violence to stop; all he wanted in the first place was the freedom to live his life without getting his house torn apart, and yet this is what resulted. With the soldiers threateningly yelling at the Kagetorians with megaphones, Koichi could not stand and do nothing. He tossed his novel onto the ground and ran outside, where he noticed that PLA troops were advancing from the rear of the crowd as well.

As Kagetorian protesters approached the barricade, the commissar gave the order to open fire. PLA infantry shot their assault rifles into the crowd, killing several scores of them, though as the crowd realised that they had nowhere to go they charged at the barricade, fire-bombing it with their Molotov cocktails. The PLA retreated to the Kremlin, where they continued to fire on the raging mob as the tanks pulled back into the square from the north-east. Koichi ran with the crowd, his eyes widening in shock as he realised that the tanks were again sparing none and were now running over Kagetorians without stopping. Morale broken, almost every remaining protester finally left the scene, most being executed in front of the walls of apartment buildings as they left.

Koichi refused to stand down. As there were still around fifty Kagetorians left, standing in front of the tank column, he took charge. In a brazen act of either courage or lunacy, he ran in front of the tanks, waving his arms around in an attempt to stop them. By this point the Commissar of Stoklomolvi had taken note of the situation and ordered that all violence be stopped. Stoklomolvi troops ceased their fire. However, the tanks did not receive the order. While they did not move, causing Koichi to think that he was successful, they lurched forward. He did not retreat. Thus resulted in his unfortunate demise, with the tank treads crushing him repeatedly as they passed over him sixteen times. The fifty Kagetorians who remained were not spared; a single shot from the lead tank's cannon annihilated them.

The worst of the event was over.

[Stoklomolvi]

Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
1333 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
271.96 Kelvin, Moderate snowfall

28 February 2015

The snow was growing heavier by the day. Ever since the incident involving the Kagetorians, the SCNA reported almost nothing substantial regarding international events and the amount of traffic both pedestrian and vehicular dwindled to almost nil in the Red Square. Few people travelled to the Kremlin, as the government had ordered that security be increased in the provinces around Vladistov and martial law imposed in the city itself until the situation was resolved. Troops were shovelling day and night as the snow carpeted the entire city, though the ruined square would take days if not weeks to simply clean up, much less repair. Troop trucks milled about the city, ferrying dirt and infantry, while Kagetorians across the city began to flee to southern Stoklomolvi in an attempt to escape their old pasts.

Koichi's corpse, or rather what was left of it, lied on the ground beneath a thin covering of snow. The first soldier to dig up the snow covering him accidentally severed his head, leading him to throw the head into a small crater with his spade. Nobody paid any attention to him, and at one point his already flattened head was ground into a mush after a soldier inadvertently stepped on him as he was running to help a friend dig. It was not until a forensics expert who was examining the dead bodies that now littered the square stumbled upon the corpse that the identity of the corpse was discovered. However, since the body was virtually unrecognisable without DNA links, he left the body where it was and moved on.

A mass grave was dug in the outskirts of the city a day later, and within the next day the grave was filled to the brim with charred and mostly slightly rotten corpses. Several Kagetorians were occasionally spotted visiting the grave, invariably under watch of Stoklomolvi guards posted around the perimeter. Soldiers filled in the grave after getting annoyed by the increasing number of Kagetorian pilgrims. Martial law was lifted yet another day later, and for the first time in almost a week the SCNA updated their initial article to include casualty figures: 17,493 Kagetorians killed, 15,091 wounded; 1,200 soldiers killed, 902 wounded. Interestingly enough, the people of Vladistov were more outraged that the Kagetorians staged the protests in the first place, resisted authority, and killed the soldiers than they were about the massacre of mostly unarmed civilians.

Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
1121 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
258.24 Kelvin, Heavy snowfall

4 March 2015

The square had finally been cleared of corpses and the road was repaved. While the square was still a complete mess, with holes in the ground and statues toppled over, it was usable, though nobody did. People and cars began using the main road in front of the Kremlin again, and order was restored. In the grand scheme of things, in domestic terms, the event meant little. The Communist Party simply issued a statement saying that the rebellion was crushed and that no further reprimands would be issued for the incident. After one day of excruciating debate amongst top officials in the Stoklomolvi Media Commissariat, the SCNA documented the issue.

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Domestic News - Vladistov Riot

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Riots end, Communist Party issues statement
Red Square in Vladistov cleared of debris and rubble

After the rioting in Vladistov was brutally crushed by the Stoklomolvi government, leaving thousands dead and many thousands more wounded, restoration has begun in the Red Square that was very intensively damaged during the ordeal. After almost a weak of rapid labour and digging, the corpses that were strewn across the square were finally buried in the outskirts of the city, and the main roads around the square are now usable. The government is working quickly to restore the normal societal order in the capital of Stoklomolvi, and the people have been very supportive of its efforts.

In light of public concern for the situation, the Communist Party broadcast a message across multiple television stations, radio networks, and leading internet sites.

“

It greatly saddens us to see that our comrades have been forced to fight and die killing not criminals and undeserving scum but each other. It pains us to know that the conflict in Vladistov has ravaged the lives and schedules of millions of uninvolved people, and we will do whatever we can to rectify the situation. As rapidly as we can, we are repairing the Red Square and will soon move on to repairing collateral damage caused to residences and buildings near the riot. Commissar Vladimir himself will be overseeing the operation on foot and has stated that it is "his duty as the leader of billions of Stoklomolvi patriots to not stand idly and watch but participate in the rebuilding."

Rumours have been spreading amongst the population of Vladistov that extremely punitive fines will be imposed on family members of protesters and rioters. Other rumours state that the government will be seeking out and executing those connected to protesters. Let us state that not a single further disciplinary action will be taken against those involved. The protesters' cries will not pass unheard; we will be taking extra measures to ensure that Kagetorians are treated as equally as other ethnic groups are treated. We must stand together and march forward.

”

Soon after the declaration was issued, approval rating was reported to have soared to as high as 97% in many provinces with average approval rating hovering at around 91%, a 10% increase in comparison to the general 81% approval rating from two months prior. International reaction to the incident has so far been low, though the government expects to receive much censure internationally for acting "tyrannically" towards a peaceful demonstration.

Further reports will be released as the situation develops.

Copyright 2015 Stoklomolvi Central News Agency. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.scna.gov.scf/articles/30157824/
© 2015 Stoklomolvi Central News Agency

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Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
1121 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
258.24 Kelvin, Heavy snowfall

4 March 2015

Nobody ever saw it coming. Yasashii Kenta, the leader of the Kagetorian Kempeitai, visited Vladistov after the rioting ended and the news report was published, to much domestic uproar and harassing at the airport upon his arrival. After a few hours of the state media asking him extremely tough questions about operations conducted by the Kempeitai and his true purpose in Vladistov with information provided by the Stoklomolvi Intelligence Commissariat, Kenta was left alone as he mourned over the mass grave. However, most people would have expected him to act more wisely, as visiting Stoklomolvi directly after an incident involving Kagetora and not making a statement to the government was a very bold thing to do.

Kenta was wearing the greatcoat he had purchased from a foreigner's store when a Stoklomolvi infantryman walked up to him as he peered into the grave. With a single shove, Kenta fell onto the grave, and when he turned around he found himself staring into the barrel of a loaded Nagant M1895. He clenched his teeth as he reached for the dagger he hid in his coat, but the soldier was quicker than he was. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet barrelled into Kenta's head and exited out the back, leaving a puddle of blood forming around the entry and exit wounds. The soldier, unhesitatingly, picked up the bullet that he had asked a comrade to leave on the fence, placed it into the revolver, and walked away. The body remained undiscovered as snow covered it.

[Kagetora]

For some reason, the fates seem to love irony. The death of Yasashii Kenta, a man who had devoted much of his life to ensuring the streets of Kagetora would remain peaceful, had created some of the biggest riots the country had seen in decades. Downtown areas and residentials were overcrowded as people took to the streets in a revived anger at the hated Stoklomolvi. Many groups were already putting pressure on the Shogun to declare war on the communists in revenge for the murder of one of the most important Kagetorian individuals in recent history.

Imperial Palace

"... throughout the country are rioting in anger over the death of beloved leader Yasashii Kenta, head of the Kempeitai police force. Commutes are blocked up as the hero's brave men attempt to restore order in the capital and major cities. The outrage that the people feel, is generally being directed towards our western neighbors, and some groups have begun calling out for mili..."

Ienara shut off the television, lost in thought as the phones went crazy from the various ministries. The ministries of defense, law and order, foreign affairs, and internal affairs were calling out above the rest. Now would be time to begin making arrangements for what just happened. First, order needed to be restored within Kagetora before the Shogun could even think about the ramifications of the Stoklomolvi act internationally.

"Get me the minister of internal affairs immediately." said the Shogun to his secretary. For the first time in his career thus far, Ienara, the Shogun of an empire with over 5 billion inhabitants, knew what it meant to lead a country. Personal glory was not something you needed to pursue. The purpose of a leader is to protect his followers, from foreign powers, terrorists, traitors, and even themselves. Being a leader meant you had to make decisions for those who couldn't, the ignorant masses who knew nothing beyond what they learned from the government.

Perhaps the worst part of it was, Ienara was only 30. He had most of his life still ahead of him, and at least 20 years where the Shogunate would be under his control.

"Tokugawa-sama? You requested me?" came the voice of the Internal Affairs minister, bringing the Shogun out of his thoughts.
"Yes Kenichi. With the death of Kenta, we're in need of appointing a new director. You wouldn't happen to have any suggestions would you?"

Whether the minister had any suggestions or not didn't matter. The Shogun already had somebody, and both of them knew it.

"I have a few people that come to mind my lord, but who were you thinking of?"
"Izuyama Kaito. (伊豆山・海翔)"
Though he couldn't see the minister, the Shogun knew the man's brow was furrowing. Kaito was a local KPT commander who had gained national fame for the busting of a large smuggling ring in Edo harbor.
"My lord..."
"I know what you're thinking Kenichi. Why would I pick this man? He is nobody, he doesn't have the experience, he is too young. All are good points. But, we need to think about the people. Our country just suffered a loss, and now the people need someone to rally around. Kaito is a very nationalistic young man, a handsome face, and has fame and popularity. He is a natural leader. Any objections?"

With a short pause, the response came. "No my lord. I will begin the process immediately."

Next were the ministers of defense and foreigner affairs, to which the Shogun simply told them they know what to do.

To: Commissar Vladimir Stuyonovich
From: Kanbei Shimada
Encryption: Null

Your country has made a grave mistake in the murder of an important and influential Kagetorian leader, an excuse which neither I nor my country can ignore. The execution of thousands of Kagetorian nationals is also a sin too grievous to ignore. How many more will you kill in your tyrannical regime? For how long will your people be oppressed?

By murdering one innocent Kagetorian, it is as though you have murdered all of Kagetora. You have made yourself an Enemy of the Shogunate. Now hear me. You have done so to die. The Shogun is with us and we are invincible. His soldiers will strike you down. His war machines will crush you under their treads. His mighty guns will bring the very sky crashing down upon you. You cannot win. The Shogun has given us his greatest weapon to wield. So make yourselves ready. We are Kagetorians, and today begins our Victory.

[Zagorias Federation]

"A la gran pu..." began Augusto Peña softly, Generalissimo of the Zagorias Federation, holding in his hands a newspaper where the international section had been headlined with "¡Matanza de protestadores stóklomolveño! ¡Más de 20.000 muertos!"

Several military aides of the dictator leaned in to take a glimpse of the eerie photo of mass graves, covered in fresh white snow, with parts of corpses poking out of the ground at random areas.

"Dios mio," said one aide under his breath, having caught a glimpse of the disturbing photo on the newspaper. He had known of government massacres in his very own nation, but nothing coming close to the scale of what had occurred in the communist federation of the North. Peña simply continued reading in silence, with his aides all gathered behind him, all standing in quiet.

"This is by far the worst protest I've read of done by Stoklomolvi," said Peña after a long moment of silent reading, "tanks. The military, armored police, and the murder of nearly 20,000 ethnic protesters. I'm sure this will spark some sort of international incident with the Kagetorians. Damned communists..."

The Zagorias Federation was under the tight grip of Peña's rightist military regime, and while the regime was not openly hostile to communists abroad, it was certainly waging its own "dirty war" against communists residing within the Federation itself.

"Los communistas tienen un gobierno insoportable para el pueblo (The communists have a government which is unbearable for the people)," continued Peña, "están protestando del gobierno. Habían maltratado, y ahora ellos están luchando... (they're protesting the government. They were treated bad, and now they are fighting.)"

The dictator looked up and out a large window, which had been letting in the morning sun's rays in to illuminate the room. Beside the windows were two vertically hung Zagorian banners, long blue flags which proudly displayed the striking white Zagorian star emblem. Outside was a normal, peaceful day in the capital city, Buena Suerte. Peña was deliberating whether or not it was worth it to bring his country into war...

[Stoklomolvi]

REFERENCE:[float=right]DATE[/float]
 
Encryption: None
To: Tokugawa Ienara et al
Subject: Declaration of War

So the Kagetorian monarchists finally see an opening to take action against our supposedly tyrannical and oppressive regime. You may have won the Second Stoklo-Kagetorian War, and you may have been able to launch a surprise attack against us during the Third Stoklo-Kagetorian War, but let us assure you, we will not allow Kagetora to strike at our innocent people in such a manner ever again. The allowance of our civilians to be slaughtered by your forces was an unspeakable disgrace that we will never forget. We shall not state that we will triumph, for this may or may not be the case; however, we will state that we will not be yielding a single millimetre of ground to you.

Thus, after consulting the National People's Congress and the Standing People's Committee, the vote held revealed complete unanimous support in favour of a reciprocal declaration of war against Kagetora. The vote was also held in the People's Assembly, which also turned out to be a unanimous vote. All three votes were recorded and broadcast live from their voting chambers. Should any questions be asked, feel free to direct them to the Stoklomolvi Foreign Affairs Commissariat. Have a nice day!

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Vladistov, Stoklomolvi
0549 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
259.86 Kelvin, Blizzard

7 March 2015

"Shit!"

Commissar Vladimir paced the length of his room, furiously rubbing his chin as he thought about what to do next.

"We only have two hundred and ninety three divisions mobilised against Kagetora in Beihaidao. This is not good. If they focus all of their manpower on Beihaidao, we have a chance of losing the island. We must take pre-emptive measures."

He ran out to inform the generals about his ideas, and they vehemently agreed with him; the Kagetorian military was undoubtedly similar to any ancient medieval army: it left the country the most vulnerable when it moved out to conquer some faraway land. Thus, Stoklomolvi would invade first while a spy or informant moved in to disable their nuclear weapons systems. Should this not be done, both Stoklomolvi and Kagetora would be engulfed in nuclear war.

Defensive preparedness moved to level 1 from 3. Nuclear launch protocol was moved to А from Б, and nuclear missile silos were put on high alert across the country.

[Arumdaum]

Once again, the power-hungry pigs seemed to be fighting over themselves. Kagetorian riots in Arumdaum's allied nation Stoklomolvi, and the death of the head of the Kagetorian Kempeitai, greatly hated by the Arumdaumin and Korean population of the country, brought to his end by a Stelimov soldier. As a traditional ally of Stoklmolvi, Arumdaum would obviously be helping against the Kagetorians. After the declarations of war upon each other, the two nations of Kagetora and Stoklomolvi would be fighting amongst themselves, again. The 4th Stoklo-Kagetorian War, it seemed.

However, Arumdaum had a very large Kagetorian population, taking up over a fifth of its population. A declaration of war upon Kagetora would likely bring along revolts and rebellions, causing disruption in the harmonious nation of peace. Production would likely decrease, as would morale. Kagetora was seen as an oppressive nation, as well as Stoklomolvi. The many pacifists would also as likely hold large demonstrations, and the public opinion of the government would decline daily.

To: The Government of Kagetora
From: The Government of Arumdaum
Subject: Declaration of War

Once again, the government of Kagetora has done wrong. By declaring war upon our close ally Stoklomolvi, you have also declared war upon our own nation. We feel that it is unfortunate that your nation would let its own people suffer. We have the people with us, and they are the most powerful weapon of all, and that is how it will always remain. Arumdaum's soldiers will burn down the Imperial Palace of the Shogun, and your people will be liberated from your oppressive regime.

Have a good day and may we have mercy upon your poor souls,
Le Magnifique Republique de Arumdaum

Kyoshin, Capital of Arumdaum

"Attention, people and citizens of Arumdaum! War has been declared upon the nation of Kagetora." Kyoshin was one of the capitals of Arumdaum, and most of the people that lived in this city were Kagetorian. People heard the news, and continued their buisness. By the end of the day, however, as they returned to their homes, there was much stress in the minds of the people. What would the government do to them? Would they start to secretly persecute them? A young ethnic Kagetorian, Kobayashi Yuki (小林・行き), started to eat his dinner of instant ramen, a food that he seemed to like a lot. Seventeen years of age and a student of Gaijin Daigaku, he did not like this news. He thought of a plan while eating, and decided that he would begin to carry it out.

The next morning, at his school, he carried up a sign and a loudspeaker. "DO NOT FIGHT AGAINST OUR MOTHERLAND! PEACE WITH OUR FOREVER TRUE HOME!" He did not really care whether Kagetora hated him or not for being born in Arumdaum. His friends were the first to join in to see what was happening, and other people gradually came to see what all the exitement was about. Yuki was a smart young man, he had skipped grades and was already enrolled in a university.

He was hoping to get some contact with some Kagetorian spies, so that he may gain their trust, and help them. His first plan, however, was to assassinate the prime minister, Minamoto Okada (源・岡田), who resided in the city. He was an old man, and one of his many grandsons attended here. Tanaka Ken (田中・健), who was one of Yuki's closest friends, very supportive of the young rebel's ideas, and a great tool to have contact with the prime minister. Of Arumdaum's over 170 million Kagetorians, the Kagetorian nationalists hoped to influence most of them, and to get them to start riots. The tranquil capital city of Kyoshin would be the headquarters of the organization, called "Kagetorajin no Aikokushin".

They had a bake sale the next day. They also sold some Kagetorian-style curry, and many people liked it, including the prime minister Minamoto Okada, who went there to see how one of his twelve grandsons were doing. He had no idea of their plans. He didn't really care that they were supporting a country which they were at war at. Besides, he himself was an ethnic Kagetorian, and he could speak both traditional and modern Kagetorian fluently.

Somewhere in Namhe Province (Namhedo, 南海道)

"ATTENTION! War has been declared unto the bastards in that tiny nation of Kagetora! We have carefully been assigned to attack them, their Ryukyu Islands; yes, that supposed tropical paradise of theirs, and take it for ourselves, until Kagetora submits to us in defeat. Okay, now move it! We must waste no training time! We must spend every minute, second, using our time to help in the war effort! Don't be little sissies, you got it ladies?!"

[Kagetora]

Northern Coast of Honshu

And suddenly there was a sound of rushing air, and cheering rose up from the camps, for we knew that now marked the beginning of the end of communist domination of our lands.

The Kagetorian military had massed itself in the northern cities of the main island. It was time to reclaim the territory they had lost to the communist hordes 70 years ago. Lines of mobile missile platforms suddenly opened up fire across the channel at positions where Stoklomolvi defenses were known to be. Along with the land based barrage came one from the sky, as several dozen dedicated missile plains began firing hundreds of GPS guided missiles at the static targets.

ABM systems as well as ABL systems were brought online, and the extensive defensive measures taken by the KPT were all prepared for the expected counter barrage. Airplanes were fueling in northern airbases, as they would be supporting the infantry as they began an amphibious invasion.

Pvt. Zhou, one of very few foreigners who served in the Kagetorian military, sat on the dock with his helmet in his hands and his rifle across his back. All around him, his countrymen were loading onto amphibious assault vehicles and hovercraft to begin the assault on the Hokkaido beaches. With a sigh of regret, the Stoklomolvi national swallowed the gum he had been chewing rather than risk getting caught spitting it out.

There was almost no chance of him getting to serve abroad, to show his loyalty to his adoptive country. Instead, he was to be part of the home guard, a job usually left to the KPT, until further orders came.

"Hey chinky!" came a call to from behind. Zhou turned around and saw one of his squadmates, Pvt. Ken Matsuoka, rifleman. The foreigner waited for his partner to plop down beside him before responding.

"What brings you down here?"

"What do you think? Seeing off all the boys. I've heard rumors the brass are beginning the Glorious Nationalist Crusade the Shogun's been musing about."

"そうか？”

"I don't believe it. I think anti-Stoklomolvi tensions are still running high, and they're just spoiling for a fight."

Kagetorian Radio Broadcast to Arumdaum

Kagetorians of Arumdaum! You have committed a treason against the Glorious Shogunate of Kagetora! However, the Shogun in his mercy has decided to give you a single chance for redemption! If you wish for the Shogun to smile upon you, you must rise up and overthrow the traitors and foreigners who lord over you! You must return to the homeland, and protect her from its enemies!

The communists are destroying your national identity! Persevere through, and return to the glory that was once yours!

[Stoklomolvi]

Wangzoushi, Beihaidao [网走市,北海道], Stoklomolvi
0000 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
273.59 Kelvin, Light snowfall

1 April 2015

Private Nakagawa Nanako [中川·奈々子], a twenty five year-old Kagetorian immigrant from southern Honshu who arrived in the latter part of the twentieth century, marched alongside some nine thousand other ethnic Kagetorians as part of the 14th Kagetorian Rifle Division, a mostly ceremonial division that was marched about to calm Kagetorians living in the country. By this point, the original goal of the division was all but lost, considering how the majority of the twenty million or so Kagetorians living in the country were in open revolt due to their anger towards the Stoklomolvi central government's treatment of the protesters. While in total two thousand more protesters were killed in clashes with the police, the revolts did not cease and only grew worse, even though no other ethnic group was even considering revolting. Ultra-nationalists amongst the revolters wanted to overthrow the Stoklomolvi government and install a Kagetorian puppet state; of course, these people were not executed but instead tortured to the point where they became more docile than the monks who lived in the south.

Regardless of the overall political situation, Nanako was not pleased with her situation. Having been dragged out of her bunk an hour after falling asleep and being forced to parade around the city of Wangzoushi to quell the Kagetorian minority of two thousand there, she was about ready to desert and head back to the barracks when she suddenly fell to the ground. The entire city was erupting in flames; it was almost as if the world was collapsing and Wangzoushi was the focal point. After some fifty missiles landed in the city, she realised that the explosions were coming from above, not below, and that it was because of some random missile barrage that the large city was being destroyed.

On the grand scheme of things, the city of Wangzoushi was only one of over a dozen cities struck by the Kagetorian missile barrage. Hundreds of missiles landed along the coast, destroying farmhouses, civilian houses, military installations, and static gun defence posts. Fortunately for the People's Liberation Army, no nuclear cannon was touched, and out of the thousands of AA sites deployed around the eastern half of the island a total of twenty had been lost. Bunkers were manned and barbed wire was laid out. This was not the first time that Kagetora had declared war, nor would it be the last; defensive preparations were extensive along the coast of Beihaidao. Normally open civilian beaches had been closed for decades as the socialist government in Vladistov prepared for an inevitable clash with the titan in the east.

Nanako broke rank and fled from the explosions, as did the others. As she ran, buildings simply collapsed around her as missiles flew to strike at the AA emplacements scattered around the region. While soldiers around her were getting torn to pieces by flying shrapnel, she managed to duck under a pile of sandbags, shielding her from the glass and concrete falling on the streets. She looked up and saw nothing but black smoke.

The retaliation, then, was several hundred times the magnitude of the Kagetorian attack. For out of tens of thousands of silos located on Beihaidao and tens of thousands in south-eastern Stoklomolvi, cruise missiles were flung out like stones would have been tossed at a fifteenth century witch stoning. As every missile was either high explosive or cluster and together covered multiple times the entirety of the island of Honshu, there was no specific target set for each one. Simply put, the Stoklomolvi government simply wanted to cause as much carnage as possible. Such an objective was, obviously, a very simple one, although actual numbers of missiles hitting Honshu would be another matter entirely.

The Kagetorian foreign division was broken. Every member had been scattered or killed, and the survivors were running back to the barracks. Missiles did not seem to cease landing on the shores of the island. Nanako was stuck underneath a heavy sandbag, and with her equipment in her pack she could not stand up. After the commissar back at the base prepared a report for command at Beihaidaoshoufu, she was amongst those listed "missing" on the roster. She encountered trouble getting the sandbag off her, but after she did she watched as ethnic Stelimov Stoklomolvi infantry ran back and forth in the city. Ironically enough, the Kagetorian missile barrage killed off the entire Kagetorian population in the city but only managed to kill two other civilians and wound five.

Edo, Kagetora
0000 hours, General Stoklomolvi Time
281.78 Kelvin, Clear

1 April 2015

At around the same time the Kagetorians began their attack, the espionage agents inserted into Kagetora were activated. Having arrived as "immigrants" several decades prior, there was no suspicion of them being spies from the Kagetorian government. Their objective was, like that of the Stoklomolvi retaliatory barrage, simple. Disable the ABM system the Kagetorians had in place to make way for Stoklomolvi nuclear missile attacks and also disable the nuclear missile systems the Kagetorians had. Since Kagetora's nuclear missiles were based in space and in the sea due to lack of space on Honshu, throwing the system into disarray by disabling the main control centre for the system would enable Stoklomolvi satellite hunters and anti-submarine warfare ships to eradicate the remainder of the nuclear programme piecemeal.

The first task, however, was to actually locate the headquarters. Since the agents did not actually know where the headquarters was, they simply snooped around for information before finally encountering yet another espionage agent who knew the location but not the plan. Afterwards, they simply waited in the city for the cruise missile barrage to arrive before moving to disable the system; they would camp outside the headquarters to monitor suspicious movement.

[Kagetora]

All around the country, anti-missile installations began to announce a few hundred thousand targets to be inbound. Immediately, ABM systems located on ships off the south western corner of Honshu began releasing their ordinance at the Stoklomolvi missiles, followed by ABM installations on the land, both static and mobile. As the missiles began to fall from the sky, screams began to rise up from the dense population centers around the nation. In Kyoto, several cruise missiles all impacted the local headquarters of the Kagetorian National Bank, bringing the massive skyscraper crashing to the ground, taking the lives of hundreds of civilians.

In every city, firefighters, Kenpeitai, and ambulances rushed around, helping the wounded, restoring order, and putting out fires. Here and there, gunshots of automatic weapons could be heard as the police brutally subdued looters.

"Niisan! Neechan!" cried a young girl in the middle of the streets, with a bright red backpack and navy blue uniform.
"Come on Risa!" shouted a boy about 16 with a girl a few years his senior a short ways away.
"Niisan!" screamed Risa as she ran towards her older brother.
The 3 siblings set off at a sprint, the brother carrying little Risa on his back, all heading towards the nearest subway entrance.

In the north, F-22s and B-2s began launching from airbases as the heavy ABM and ABL systems in the area kept the runways and hangars intact. They would be the second wave in the invasion of Hokkaido, and the third would be the amphibious assault.

Directly to the west of Kagetora, the Typhoon Fleet waited, all planes fueled, weapons systems online, and crew at battle stations. According to the battle plan, they would go and neutralize the significant fortress city of Zhongnanhai, but no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.

Aboard the CKS Kintora, Prince Tokugawa Inari stood in front of a small shrine. He had already washed up, and was completing an ancient Kagetorian ritual of battle. He bowed once.

"Tokugawa-sama. The order has come."

He bowed again. And one more time, before slowly clapping thrice.

"Send the order through the fleet. We embark immediately."

[Seathen]

Yorkdon, Seathen
2nd of April
0634 Hours

The light snow blanketed the small city in the early hours of the morning. Nothing stirred nor moved, it was just too cold to venture out so early in the winters morning. Except two men, both dress in large black coats, they ventured away from their warm beds to the deserted park in the centre of the city. Usually so green, full of joyful kids and Mr whippy parked in near the duck pond. The winter had changed all that. The leaves and people were gone for the season as the cold, snow and fog had settled in for the long winter.

Both men took their own separate ways to the Park. One walking from a sedan that was parked a kilometre away, while the other came from a small flat a block away. They have met like this many times before throughout the year and they both have grown accustomed to the early morning walk. Every morning was the same; the tall middle aged man with his dog would arrive first at the great oak tree in the centre of the park. Then about three to six minutes later the second man arrived.

“Have you go it” The man by the tree asked eagerly at the approaching man. He stood there holding the leash, the Labrador ignored them both as she explored a nearby bush.
“Ha. You seem bright and chirpy this morning Marcus” the man replied cheerfully. But then Marcus had never seen him not cheerful, whatever the occasion the Director of Seathen’s Intelligence Service (SIA) always seemed calm and in control. He pulled out a grey cardboard folder from his coat and handed it over to the tall man. The man snatched it quickly and quickly scanned the papers.

“I don’t know Mark, this country seems too strong, plus the public aren’t going to like me pushing Seathen into a war in my first few days of being Prime Minister,” He said, never taking his eyes off the contents of the folder. Mark watched silently for a few seconds, rubbing his hands together to try and get some feeling back to them.
“Marcus we need a free trade deal with Kagetora and the extra land from invading Stoklomolvi. You will be seen as a hero protecting the helpless citizens who are being slaughtered.”

Marcus lifted his gaze to stare into the Directors eyes. “I don’t know. We could..”
“listen Marcus. This would be simple. Stoklomolvi is already engaged in a war, plus none of its citizens even support the government. It will be quick and easy and allow more living space for our People to inhabit.”

Marcus stared out onto the frozen pond. It had only been a couple of days since he was elected in as Prime Minister now he had to plunge the Nation into war.
“Ok You win Mark. Get some of your assets working in Stoklomolvi and Arumdaum. And Meet me at Parliament House for a security Council meeting.”
“will this pass in Parliament though” Mark asked as he shivered from the bitter cold.
Marcus just carried on staring out over the frozen lake.
“No they will not. My party has over 50% of Parliament. This will pass easily.”
_________________________________________________________________________

To: Kanbei Shimada
From: Hon. Marcus Horton. Prime

We would like to propose an alliance and a free trade deal that will prosper both Nations. With a Free Trade agreement we will happily exchange it for support in the current war against Stoklomolvi. May you consider this proposal as it will prosper both Nations.

Your Faith Fully
Hon Marcus Horton
Prime Minister of the Republic of Seathen
Leader of the United Conservative Party