WS: Welcome to the Jungle [New Ausozera Only, IC RP]

[Tangaliro]

Important Assets //

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Weaving Spiders Come Not Here OOC Thread

Map of Namquoc (Circa 8.3.2018)

OP Speaking //

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This is the IC thread for the Namquoc-centric arc of Weaving Spiders, anyone already accepted in the other WS threads are accepted here. Relevant Information are listed below.

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WS: Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the jungle of Namquoc, the powder keg of mid-western Ophir and a long time battlefield between individuals and organizations of different motives and goals. Since a long time ago, it has been a front line between national independence and imperial colonialism, and a staging ground of class struggle in the reborn yet divided nation of Namquoc.

Syndicalist guerrillas of different revolutionary ideals infest the jungle, hunted by the Etat du Namquoc, or sometimes even the Peoples Democratic Republic, combined with the hostile environment of the jungle itself, the Namquocian jungle has become a place of danger and opportunity for outsiders. Every faction are looking for supplies and support, and are willing to reward their sponsors with different favors should they prevail in their struggles. If one is lucky enough, they may hit a jackpot supporting the right men, but should they make the wrong choice, what awaits them will be a series of misfortune, and in the most dire situation, death.

The jungle calls to all opportunists and adventurers of Ausozera to be its guest. If you happen to be one of those mercenaries and underground organizations roaming the lands of Ophir, and are brave enough to take the risks, welcome to the jungle.

The Second Namquoc War

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Current Situation //

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Since ancient times, Namquoc has been under constant influence of Tangaliro. It wasn't until Shun Empire's defeat against the Midlandais in the 1883-1885 Tango-Midlandai War that Namquoc has been free from the Middle Kingdom's influence, however, the price has been high, with the aftermath of the war marking the beginning of Namquoc as a Midlandai colony, and the many years of division and war that followed.

Right after the Second World War, where most Midlandai military assets in Namquoc had been diverted back to Midland to counter the Dominion invasion during the war, the Namquoc syndicalists have once again found Tangaliro, now a Proletarian Republic and their closest ally in the struggle for Namquocian independence. Under the material aid and training of the Tangaliroan National Army, the Namquocian Independence Party in exile in Tangaliro, nicknamed Nam Doc, waged a war of independence against the Midland colonial administration. The war eventually led to the liberation of the northern half of Namquoc. Under the lead of the Nam Doc, the Peoples Democratic Republic of Namquoc was founded based in the liberated north.

Seeing the widespread support of the Nam Doc in Namquoc. In order to contain the spread of communism in Namquoc, and to rid the still recovering Midland of the huge burden to maintain their rule over Namquoc, the Midlandai government raised a puppet regime in southern Namquoc under the name of Etat du Namquoc, initially ruled by a government comprised of Namquocian officers within the Midlandai Foreign Legion. The Etat du Namquoc boasted an independent Namquoc under capitalism and democracy, and soon antagonized the northern regime under Nam Doc. The two regimes, backed by different powers, soon entered a state of cold war rivalry.

In 1979, after the violent suppression of a democratic demonstration in the south by the Etat du Namquoc regime sparking a nationwide outcry across the entire Namquoc. The Nam Doc, confident in the social condition and military capability of the PDRN, believed that it was the time to reunify Namquoc. Following a condemnation against the southern regime's government on their atrocity against unarmed demonstrators, the Namquocian Peoples Army stormed across the border, to punish the imperialists and free the people in the south from their government's oppression.

The PANQ, supported by the local populace, soon tore through the defenses of their corrupt and incompetent counterpart and made huge territorial gains. As it became more and more evident that the north is winning the war, in order to contain the spread of communism, Midland, backed by Euphemie, Albion and Tauchmagne, finally intervened.

Despite the local support, the PANQ was no match against the coalition. Starting from 1981, the north began losing ground against the coalition force. Soon, they were pushed back to the pre-war border. Despite still recovering from the Second Grand Transition Period, Tangaliro, under the intervention from the military, issued a warning to the coalition, demanding them not to cross the border. The coalition, confident in their capability, ignored the warning. The crossing of the border has led to a full intervention from Tangaliro in 1982. Caught off guard by the huge and capable Tangaliroan National Army intervention force, the coalition force rapidly lost ground to the northern coalition. The war soon entered a stalemate near the pre-war border, with both sides incapable of striking a decisive blow against each other. Eventually, the Truce of Hoa was signed in 1984, temporarily ending the Namquoc War, with the pre-war border restored and enforced by both sides of the war.

With the Tango-Namquocian split in 1990, the PDRN was heavily weakened by the withdrawal of Tangaliroan supported. Tied together with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koryu, which also split with Tangaliro in revolutionary ideals following the Tangaliroan junta's purge of hard left elements within Tangaliro, the two nations together formed the Ophiric Revolutionary United Front in 1992, trying to cooperate to survive the increasingly hostile environment to the Ophiric socialist nations. The 2004 Tango-Namquocian Border Clash further worsened the nation's relationship with Tangaliro.

However, as tension rose between the two Namquocian nations in 2018, and Tangaliro's reassurance of support on the matter, it seems that a change in the situation is becoming imminent.

Current Situation //

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When the Namquoc Independence War broke out, the Midland government, upon realization of the futility of their struggle against the Nam Doc in preserving their colony, resorted to raising a puppet regime ruled by a government comprised of Namquocian officers in the Midland Foreign Legion, and that, was the beginning of Etat du Namquoc. The new military government, under the banner of Namquoc National Party, soon declared de jure independence from Midland, founding the Etat du Namquoc on the remaining colonial possessions of Midland in southern Namquoc. To rival their syndicalist northern counterpart, the Etat du Namquoc boasted an independent Namquocian nation under capitalism and democracy. The two regimes, backed by different foreign powers, soon entered a state of cold war rivalry.

While the southern regime became the representative of the democratic and capitalist elements of Namquoc to outsiders, in reality it was nothing more than a representative of the interests of colonial powers within Namquoc. Plagued by widespread corruption
and incompetent officials, the Etat du Namquoc was no match against their northern counterpart.

In early 1979, when the democratic opposition within the borders of the Etat du Namquoc launched a massive demonstration demanding the military government to fulfill their promise of a democratic Namquoc, the military government, paranoid of communist infiltration and their loss of power, resorted to violence against the demonstrators. The bloodshed resulted from the suppression of the movement caused an outcry across the entire Namquoc, resulting in the northern invasion against the southern regime. Lacking a competent and loyal military, the Republican Army of Namquoc soon faced massive defeats against the advancing NPA and guerrillas of varying ideologies in the south. Under the pressure of the sheer power of the PANQ and massive defection within their ranks, the southern regime rapidly lost grounds to the north. When the regime was on the verge of collapsing, Midland, along with several other nations, under the common aim to contain the spread of socialism in Ophir, intervened, turning the tide of the war around.

However, at the end of the day, with the counter intervention of Tangaliro, Namquoc remains divided. With the signing of the Truce of Hoa, Tangaliro and Euphemie effectively became the enforcer of the status quo. After the war, the military government, upon realization of its mistakes, has undergone massive reforms. The reforms resulted in rapid economic growth and huge improvement in the military's capability. However, the corruption within the government and the calls for democracy were ignored. Undergoing extensive reign of terror and political purges, the Etat du Namquoc managed to sustain a level of stability within its borders. The people of southern Namquoc deeply hated their tyrants, but they could do nothing about it, as the secret police are looming on the streets of every city, preying on even the slightest dissident. The only resistance against the tyranny of the National Party lies in the rural regions, but with constant sweeping from the Republican Army, the guerrilla activities remained too small to cause a harm.

However, with Euphemie dropping to its knees, and with the PDRN reconciling with Tangaliro, everything is now once again subject to change.

Current Situation //

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Like Namquoc, Koryu has also been under the direct influence of Tangaliro since ancient time. The Koryian state has since a long time been placed under the influence of the ancient Sinican Empires and the Roman Empire, developing a unique mix of culture between the two. However, eventually, the Tangaliroan side of its culture outgrew the Roman influence, leading to its cultural sinicization. Since then, Tangaliro has become the dominant influencer of the nation's history until the Shun Empire's defeat in 1894 Tango-Islei'ish war, which led to the Islei'ish annexation of Koryu.

A majority of Koryu's nationalists, refusing to submit to the rule of the Islei'ish, seeked refuge in Tangaliro, and, under their help, eventually regained control on the western half of Koryu when a Tango-Roman coalition liberated the nation from the Islei'ish during late Second World War.

After the war, Koryu was split between two regimes, the syndicalist pro-Tangaliroan Democratic Peoples Republic of Koryu, and the fascistic pro-Roman Koryian State. Due to various factors, including relative liberty, cultural proximity and popular support, the DPRK eventually gained the support of the majority of Koryu, and reunified the entire Koryu under its banner in the 1950 Koryian War with the aid of Tangaliro.

Being isolated from immediate threats and protected by Tangaliro on the sea, Koryu during the cold war focused on building its nation to a prosperous national syndicalist country, and has achieved a lot, being one of the most prosperous socialist nations beside Tangaliro in Ophir. However, its economic prosperity largely relied on the support of Tangaliro.

Its over-reliance on Tangaliro eventually became its bane. When Tangaliro fell to democratic oppositions in the late 70s, Koryu, suddenly losing its biggest sponsor, faced a huge economic collapse. Barely avoiding its demise, the Democratic Peoples Republic hardened up, seeking to pursue a way of self-reliance in building a syndicalist paradise for the state and its people, the nation went through massive economic restructure and political reforms, purging dissidents and asserting state control over every aspect of the nation, believing that by keeping everything in control, they can more flexibly develop its economy. The regression of personal freedom in Koryu eventually led to its split with the Tangaliro. Believing that it is now the beacon of syndicalism in Ophir, Koryu pursued a closer relationship with Namquoc, forming the Ophiric Revolutionary United Front.

Since the formation of ORUF, Koryu has sustained a fairly big garrison in Namquoc in aid of its southern comrades against their imperialist counterpart in the south.

Now, as Namquoc draws closer to war day by day, with the reconciliation with Tangaliro in place, Koryu is once again standing on the front line of the workers revolution, side by side with its old comrades.

As the first half of the year marking the 34th year since the signing of the Truce of Hoa comes to an end, with the Ophiric War in the background, the fire of war quietly resurged in the Namquocian jungle. The Ophiric Revolutionary United Front, comprised of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koryu and Peoples Democratic Republic of Namquoc, and the colonial powers-backed Etat du Namquoc, both aware of the ongoing situation between their neighbours, slowly turned against each other, backed by different foreign powers on and off the continent of Ophir, waiting for the perfect time to strike, to reunify Namquoc for once and for all under their ideals and visions for the new unified Namquocian nation.

With the rapid escalation between the two Namquocian states following a series of incident, it is slowly becoming evident to the world that the jungle will soon be engulfed in the fire of war and destruction, again.

[Tangaliro]

Prologue Side A: Eve of Destruction

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Place Unknown
Rural Hoa
Etat du Namquoc

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6/21/2018
8:30 PM IST

This is a collab post between me and Entrecaseaux, line breaks signify swap in authorship.

Inside a well-hidden shack in the rural region of Hoa, a group of people quietly seated in a room. The head of them was Deng Chang, waiting for the arrival of something, or maybe, someone.

"They should be here soon." Deng muttered to himself.

The radio next to him suddenly crackled to life, the men on the other side made a small but consistent knocking sound, Deng knew it was the signal for the arrival of his shipment.

"They arrived?" Deng picked up the radio.

"Let them in."

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Eric opened up the door of the small, inconspicuous but run-down shack. Just a few days ago Eric didn't think he'd be back dealing with the Tangaliroan spooks he'd come to know, but yet here he was. It was funny for him how fast things changed in Ophir. He liked it, it kept him on his toes.

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"Well, well, look who's there. Here we meet again, Mr. Eric." Deng stood up with a short but discomforting giggle.

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He sounds like he knows something I don't... Eric thought. "Yes, I have come to allow you to bask in my magnificence." He walked a bit further into the room, looking to see if Deng would offer a seat.

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"Here, take a seat." Deng moved aside and showed Eric a wooden chair. "Nothing fancy out there, but better than nothing."

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"I'll take it - had to deal with worse before." he said, walking over to sit down.

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Deng walked over to one of his seated men, the man stood up and walked aside without a word, Deng then sat down. "Before we get down to business, I would like to thank you for your service during the Ophiric War. The Euphemian scums are done for now, they never saw it coming." He tipped his glasses.

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"They fell apart fast. Even I was a bit surprised, guess Fernomics didn't work as well as they hoped. A pleasure though." Eric reached out to shake hands with Deng.

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Deng shaked hands with Eric. "Now, lets get down to business, shall we?"

"Theres no Euphemian patrol after us this time, but I've got a few other business to deal with in the days to come."

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Eric nodded. "Yes, let's get to business."

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"You may not have heard about it during your time in the Heart of Darkness, but the two regimes of Namquoc are on the verge of war against each other again. However, they still need someone the light the fuse for them, and your job this time is exactly that. A massacre in a village just north of the border occurred yesterday, but that was not enough. We need something bigger."

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How the fuck did Deng know I was down there? Fuckin' spooks man... he thought. "Ophirs goings down the shitter, huh? Must be if you want me to massacre a couple of villages. To be straight up with you Deng, anything that doesn't get me killed at this point I'll do. It takes someone with no real regard for their fellow species members to be a full-time mercenary in Ophir, and I stopped giving a fuck. What's your game plan?"

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"Well, as you may know, the ORUF, comprised of the PDR Namquoc and DPR Koryu, had a soured relationship with the State due to their disagreement with us in revolutionary ideal. My goal here is simple, to rid the State of the far-left threat seeking refuge in Namquoc, and to bring the two syndicalist states back under the wings of it."

"However, I must confess. This is not an act of the State, but rather an act by my own accord. Those in power of the State are too naive and merciful to realize the potential of the war, I had to take this fight to myself."

"However, such little inconvenience will not hinder my capability to make this a good deal for you. My grunts have sniffed out some rumours, that you are being pursued by the Ygarthenes, it is true, is it not?" Deng's smile became more discomforting.

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"I was told they would want to come after me - I've never actually ran into any of them though. They have their reasons for wanting me. As for your plan... extra-judicial massacres of innocent villagers, committed by non-state actors seems like something I would be rather cautious about. That's something I can do, but you better have a good plan."

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"We have got a few spare South Namquocian uniforms that we have borrowed from some unlucky bastards, good enough to disguise yourselves in. As for the deal, all we require you to do would be launching a false-flag attack, civilian massacre, a false coup against the southern regime, anything to give the north a reason to attack will do. After that, you are free to go, you can either choose to get out of here, or stay behind for a game of power and wealth."

"We may not have the State's sponsorship to reward you, but taking care of a few Ygarthene spooks is no big deal for us." Deng snapped his finger, several grunts walked in, all with body bags in their hands. The grunts silently placed the bags on the floor, then walked out of the room. "Check, if you please." Pointing at the body bags, he said with his usual smile.

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As the bodybags were brought in, Eric was in pure disbelief. Perhaps now he was beginning to realize, for the very first time, exactly what type of people he was dealing with. Eric did feel that he was being pressured to check one of the bags, and although he didn't really want to put a face to the people trying to hunt him down, he felt obliged to check the bag. He knelt down to open up the zipper on one of them, and the first thing he noticed was the smell.

The god-damned smell, he thought. As he looked at the first body, he asked "How long have these guys been dead for? They smell like you stored them in a takeout restaurants dumpster in Thang Long." He found himself looking at some middle-aged man, perhaps a bit younger than him. Dark black hair, a face showing agony, he deduced that this man probably bleeded out before dying. "This is some hardcore stuff."

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"How long have these guys been dead?" Deng turned to one of his grunts, the grunt shrugged. "Well, my friend, as you see, we have killed too much people to keep track of their time of death. This is not a part of our job, after all." Deng laughed it off, as if it were a joke.

"The Ygarthenes are gonna send more after you, but if you sign this contract with us, we will take care of all of them. Shouldn't take long, with the Imalakian government out of the way, and adjustment of Ygarthene policies in place, Ygartha's foothold in Ophir will not last much longer. Just another several hundred pounds of Ma'athist blood and flesh, and they are gone for good." Deng made the remark casually.

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"Well, I'm going to say they've been dead a while..." Eric said, being interrupted. "I've heard about these people. Hear they have some people in high places, people that even I would need external protection against. I see no reason not to accept your contract, Deng."

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"Very well, to be honest, this deal may be even better for you than you think." Deng laughed.

"Think about it, Etat du Namquoc is as stable as a powder keg, its people are dying to have their corrupt government removed. If you do it the right way, maybe you can end up becoming the leader of a revolution in the south, a foreign hero to liberate the southern Namquocian people from the oppression of a foreign overlord's puppet."

"There are many ways to solve a problem, though sometimes killing is the fastest way, your call, my friend, your call."

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"Sounds good. I'm in, then."

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"Very well, I would like to remind you, though, this contract is just a private contract between you and me, your operation has no connection to the State, and you should, as usual, keep the deal in secret. I trust you, but just to be safe, I have to tell you one thing. The night before yesterday, we were out on the field north of the border, two of my operators were not as obedient as I expect them to."

"They are not here today, and they will not be."

Deng stopped for a moment, staring straight into the eyes of Eric.

"Don't worry about it, though, as I said, you are free to go after you finish the task I give you."

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"I'll still accept this."

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"Very well, very well. You know, Eric, I always enjoyed making deals with you, not many people are willing to work with me these days. Some people, even those in the ISB, calls making a deal with me 'dealing with the devil', especially that chestnut girl. It has been increasingly hard to make a good deal these days, but you are different, you don't let those silly morals get in your way. I'm sure we will get along well personally."

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"I suppose even intelligence agencies have their limits, huh? Well, I personally have ran out of reasons to wish for the continued territorial stability of Namquoc so let's get onto our job shall we?"

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"Very well."

"Now that we've got our deal sorted out, it's about time for me to go. I've got other deals to make, and people to slaughter." Deng laughed, then stood up, briefly saluting Eric. "Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Eric."

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Eric stood up. "Pleasure doing business."

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Deng turned to the door and gestured the team to leave, leaving Eric alone in the room with the body bags.

[Tangaliro]

Prologue Side B: Soul Kitchen

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"Nanguo Ruan's" Namquocian Restaurant
Taiping District, Nanshan City, Nanman Province
New Sinican State of Tangaliro

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6/23/2018
9:20 AM SST

On the right hand side of a street in the Taiping district of Nanshan, a small Namquocian restaurant bearing the plaque "南国阮记"^[1] stands out from the adjacent local restaurants. In front of its entrance stands a short Oriental man in his middle age. He is Ruan Tianlong, the sixty-year-old Namquocian owner of the restaurant.

Not far away, an equally old figure appeared down the street.

"As early as usual, Hong?" Ruan waved at the man, who bears the surname Hong.

"Yeah, gotta keep up with morning exercises to keep in a good shape like you." Hong waved back.

"The usual?"

"Yeah."

Minutes later, Hong has already seated in the restaurant, Ruan moved into the kitchen to prepare his meal. As Hong casually waited, Namquoc War era Euphemian rock music quietly played in the background. While Hong himself is not a fan of Euphemian music, he very well understands the context behind Ruan's taste, the restaurateur himself was a South Namquocian veteran of the war, after all.

"Here, your drink." Ruan said as he put a glass of cool soy milk on Hong's table.

"Thanks." Hong took a sip. "Well, hows things been?"

"Like usual, the restaurant is going well." Ruan replied. "Well, hows Karl? Heard he's been deployed in Torch City." He is referring to Karl Wen, the adopted son of Hong whom currently serves in the Qinglong Special Operation Brigade.

"Don't worry about him. Kid's resilient and skilled enough to fend for himself, those Duirel bastards are not gonna get him that easily. Hell, he even told me last letter that his squad took out a junglestalker without any external help. He will survive anything fate throws at him."

"Thats good to hear." Ruan smiled.

"One Cha lua banh mi, ready to serve!" A loud and deep voice appeared from the kitchen. Ruan walked over and took the plate of Namquocian sandwich, then delivered it to Hong and sat down on the opposite seat. "Here, your meal's ready."

As the two chatted, customers began to populate the restaurant. Most of them are people of older age, coming for breakfast. Occasionally, there were students and young adults dropping by for a takeaway meal. All is peaceful in the city of Nanshan, despite the recent war just south of the city, Nanshan was well-protected against the fires of war as Tangaliroan forces slowly but firmly marched their way to victory.

The television hanged on the corner of a wall started broadcasting the news of the day. There were situation reports on the aftermaths of the Ophiric War, the Turmenistanian coup, and then, the situation in Namquoc.

"Tension between the two regimes of Namquoc continues to escalate as investigation on the border village massacre days ago continued." The news reporter reported as images of the Namquocian border buildup were displayed in the background. Ruan frowned. "I knew a second one will break out sooner or later when we signed the truce."

"Yeah, both sides are unhappy about the status quo, and none of them intend to resolve the split peacefully." Hong nodded. "From your knowledge as a South Namquocian veteran, which side do you think will win this war, Ruan?"

"Definitely the north. I have lived and served in the south, and I know how fucked up they are. Despite all those so-called reforms, the most pressing issues remained ignored. Their corruption and incompetence will send them to their grave." Ruan said, Hong noticed that Ruan clenched his fist as he elaborated about the issues of South Namquoc.

"Ruan, you are not thinking about joining the war yourself, are you?" Hong asked, worried. "I know that you have a deep feud with the southern government, and that you are still in a good shape, but we are too old for this. Let those boys in the army deal with it for us."

"Don't worry about it." Noticing Hong's worry, Ruan quickly relaxed his fists. "Sorry."

"It is fine." Hong said.

"But hell, this is going to be bloody..."

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[1] - 南国阮记 - "Nanguo Ruan's", Nanguo is the Sinican pinyin of Namquoc's name.

[Western Pacific Territories]

Gia Dinh, État du Namquoc
Safehouse #2, Western Districts
6/26/18, c. 9:20PM Local Time

The streets of Gia Dinh, capital of the puppet regime of the État du Namquoc, were places that were in most cases extremely compact and squalorous places to live. Almost like a miniature representation of southern Namquoc as a whole, these streets were places where one should be fiercely protective of whatever items of value they possess, no matter how little their actual value, and even those items which would serve no purpose for a thief should still be checked for rather often. Though the État du Namquoc was perhaps not the most secure place to live in, it did have some positives. Government reforms, however lacking they were in cracking down on corruption, brought massive economic success to the nation and increased the strength of it's all vital military and secret police. The negatives in the hearts of most citizens of Southern Namquoc far outweighed the positives though, especially regarding the military dictatorships refusal to allow for democracy to rule. In the rural regions of the northeast, there were some who had thrown their lot in with rebels who aligned ideologically with the government in North Namquoc. The more powerful military kept them in check, but even they and the highly feared secret police agents couldn't stop everything...

Enter Liêm Minh Văn. Liêm was a urbanite from the minor city of Ke Lanh in the west of the country, a slightly inland city about halfway between the cities of Gia Dinh and Hoa whose main sources of economic revenue came from a steel forging plant, local agricultural projects and the fishing industry. He had grown up as a relatively poor member of a small family, and in his early adulthood came to view socialism, and to an extent communism, as a solution to gripping economic poverty. Moving to the east of the country, becoming a moderately successful farmer and having communist rebels seize the area he lived in, he rather quickly decided to join the rebels, who embraced someone like Liêm warmly into their rank. With Eric having just becoming the de facto leader of the National Liberation League, simplified as the GDPD, Liêm had become the leader of a group of about twenty agents regarded as fiercely loyal and veteran foot soldiers that were embedded in the capital and awaiting further instructions.

Eric, in cooperation with Deng, had constructed a extremely optimistic plan that if successful would do massive damage to North-South relationships, if it didn't start an all-out war after it happened. Eric's quickly drafted plan called for a number of things to occur before execution of the plan, but if everything occurred as needed, this would be successful. His plan called for, in no uncertain terms, Liêm's twenty or so troops to quickly take over the Presidential Palace in the Government District of Gia Dinh, hijack a local radio station to announce the death of President Tran Nam Phuc by execution for 'crimes against the people', and then signal an order for a general offensive by all pockets of territory held by the GDPD across the État du Namquoc to eliminate military units in the field and generally capture territory to the maximum extent possible. There were problems, however.

The biggest one was how twenty disguised soldiers were going to seize the Presidential Palace, and the second concern was how they were going to pretend that President Phuc was dead when they knew that as the coup was planned to take place, he would be in the middle of a week-long vacation on the other side of the country, and that his status could quickly be confirmed. There was also the issue of hijacking a radio station, but some bribes and electronic equipment could take care of that. This would be for naught if they couldn't actually take over the Palace though, and the question of what if a noisy military officer discovered their ploy before the operation could begin was raised. To look more authentic, Eric had arranged to see if he could secure four MRAPs and an armored fighting vehicle from some depot a few dozen miles east of Gia Dinh and have them stashed somewhere in the jungle for use. Assuming Liêm determined that there was no way to conventionally move through the capital without being exposed, Eric had a 'final resort' to play. If the military's guards were too high, a rather large IED would be set off in a market area heavily frequented. This IED would distract the entire city's garrison and allow Liêm's men to slip through. From there, they would use the chaos to make their attack and accomplish their objectives. This was a gamble, one Eric would put alot of resources into.

Eric had also reminded every single member of the mission of one thing: He did not care how the raid was executed, so long as the Presidential Palace was secured and chaos spread throughout the entire nation. If they had to mow down half the city to execute the coup, it wasn't his concern. Eric, enjoying the benefits of being a stateless actor did provide a fail safe if the coup attempt failed. A couple randomly chosen soldiers would be given fake identity cards and other documents that would "prove" them to be from Northern Namquoc, and everyone was given a script to repeat if they were interrogated: They were soldiers of the XVIX Corps, 7th Army, Namquocian Peoples Army. They had infiltrated the country with the help of several high-ranking sympathizers. These sympathizers were in the civilian government, and they had come with orders to kill the entire government. With a plan as deeply thought into as this, Eric could only hope that his fail safes and elaborate objectives could be utilized and achieved.

As Liêm rested for the night and planned to go to sleep, keeping a couple men awake to act as sentries to guard from secret police no-knock raids, he was interrupted by a phone call from a number he didn't know. Liêm only used the most outdated phones he could acquire to negate the phone tracking techniques currently in use, using so-called burner phones. He didn't recognize the number, but presumed it to be Eric. Responding to the call, he was quickly met with Eric's voice. "We've acquired those vehicles you've wanted... well, correction, your transports have been changed. The best my men could do was three jeeps along with that AFV, the MRAPs are out. Their location will be made known to you when needed." And as quickly as that, Eric hung up. The nature of this coup affair was one of constant changing of strategy and specifics, and Liêm was a great situational adapter who could do something different on the fly: Eric saw that in him, and that was partly why he had chosen him for something as secretive as this.

[Liveia]

Prologue Side A: Hello Namquoc

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Place Unknown
Rural Hoa
Etat du Namquoc

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7/3/2018
3:19 PM IST

A helicopter with an Livean army symbol hovered gently over the ground, kicking up dirt as it stayed there. Two men hopped off from the grey helicopter, holding their helmets and rifles as they approached the Platoon Staff Sergeant with his Flecktarn Officer's uniform.

“Sir,” the shorter one of the two stoic looking boys said with a fright in him. The boys saluted, standing up tall and straight at the Staff Sergeant. The Staff Sergeant saluted back at them.

“At ease now. Welcome to the real war, boys. I heard you were reassigned from the backlines, is that right now?” He spoke with a deep voice, as if he’d seen some real shit.

“Yes, sir. Where do we sleep?” The taller one spoke, glancing at the Staff Sergeant.

“Don’t get too antsy now. You’ll be stuck with your platoon, and most of them are retards. The bunks are over yonder-” He pointed towards a large wooden cabin near the forest. “As for using the water closet, you’ll want to do that in the treeline near the water. Much better if you don’t want to smell like shit all day.” The two boys saluted again, and started walking towards their cabin. They looked at each other for a reaction.

“Hold on, you two. I didn’t get a name.”

“He’s Peter, I’m Erwin.” The taller one spoke, looking over to Peter. He had been terrified yet intrigued of coming here since the day he enlisted, but it was inevitable whether or not he was intrigued or terrified.

---

The two approached the cabin, entering through the wooden door. As they both entered, they saw the Platoon messing around with their phones and relaxing by the refrigerator.

“Heyo, I’m Peter and he’s Erwin.” Peter spoke, mimicking what Erwin said earlier. He set down his helmet on a empty bed, glaring at the grunts messing around, then glancing at Erwin for a reaction. A man with combed back brown hair turned towards the pair.

“Welcome, grunts. I’m your Sergeant, and I’m sure you’ve met the Staff Sergeant by now. I’ve only got one rule here, and that’s not to abandon your other soldier. You might’ve seen it on the news, but since we’ve got some people living under a rock-” He glanced over at a man drinking with two others- “that we’re just here to maintain the peace for now. Knowing Strobel, that’s a big ass lie.” They chuckled uncomfortably, still uneasy about what comes in the future. “Lunch is at one, don’t miss it.”

“Yeah.” Peter looked up at the television by the refrigerator. It was an image of President Strobel and Chancellor Holzer by the Capitol building, probably announcing some petty shit again.

He walked over to the refrigerator, looking inside, then glancing back up to see new footage of the war in Euphemie. He reached back into the refrigerator to grab a Bepola Light. A man walked over to Peter, kneeling down by the fridge.

“Psst, I’m Hermann, nice to meet ya. Just a tip, the Sergeant here is a hardass. Don’t try to give him shit or anything, or your in a world of pain. Also, don’t listen to Alex.”

“Who’s Alex?’ Peter pondered, trying to find the guy with the most “Alex” like face. Hermann pointed to a guy with four other soldiers, all laughing by the corner.

“Why not?” Peter questioned again, more intrigued. He was the guy the Sergeant mentioned earlier for living under a rock.

“He’s a dipshit, that’s why.” Hermann whispered, although he seemed agitated mentioning Alex. Peter nodded solemnly, walking back over to Erwin, cracking open a Bepola Light. He rested against the wall, looking around through the cabin and the bunks. As he leaned against the wall, he remembered his time back home with his parents. Obviously, better then whatever the hell this was. He could only hope for the best now.

[Liveia]

Prologue Side B: The Letter

---

Place Unknown
Rural Hoa
Etat du Namquoc

---

7/6/2018
6:15 PM IST

All around them, they were surrounded by nature. Whether it was the quiet cricket the forest made, or the green trees with pompous branches dangling down, Peter had a sense of wonder and fear all at the same time. He had never been one with nature, always either staying at his house or at school. Pampered for most of his life, Peter had a good career ahead of him after High School, but despite this he decided to join the Armed Forces, although his mother-

“Ey, Peter. You ever seen anything like this before?” Erwin asked, throwing around the leaves that floated above his head as if they were a toy. Peter looked ahead at Erwin, all the way in the front with the platoon leader.

“Once in a Zoo, I think.” Peter chuckled, looking back down at the dirt he carried with him on his black boots. He didn’t know how he got accepted, he barely had experience with anything other than a keyboard and a TV remote, but then again, wasn’t the Military there to change lazy asses like him into a fighting force? At least, that’s what his father said.

“Didn’t Strobel say that he wouldn’t send boots like us down here?” Hermann asked, unaware of the fact that he was being watched.

“Marshmallow, don’t you know that Politicians can’t keep their promises?” Alex, the joker of the platoon, chuckled as he teased Hermann. “Especially those gooks, the only reason we got sent here is to clean up the shit they couldn’t deal with.”

“Squeak, don’t talk shit about Tangaliro. At least with their squinted eyes they can still shoot better than you.” The hardass Sergeant, all the way in the back by Peter, pitched in, turning towards Alex.

In comparison to the Sergeant, the Platoon Staff Sergeant, who was up at the very front of the line, looked at some brush in the distance. He squinted his eyes, staring at the bushes. “I’ll be damned, if it isn’t-” He was interrupted by a short burst of shots that landed their mark on his chest. The Staff Sergeant clenched his rifle as he fell to the grass, firing into the treeline.

“Holy shit!” Erwin screamed as the Platoon rolled into the jungle grass, firing burst after burst into the trees. Peter crawled by Erwin, aiming at a figure on a tree. He pulled back his thumb, firing shot after shot into his torso. The figure fell and made a wave against the jungle brush.

Alex approached the Staff Sergeant, pulling him back into cover as bullets whizzed over head. He held his chest firm, preventing any further bleeding. The corpsmen, Hermann, ran over from the other side of the road, only covered by the sheer amount of bullets headed towards the other direction. He put two fingers against the Staff Sergeant’s neck and frowned.

“He’s fuckin’ dead!” Hermann shouted as he attempted to continue his chest compressions. Erwin turned back at the Staff Sergeant’s body. They met only yesterday, but Erwin knew what the future of this war would be now. He turned back to Peter, still firing into the jungle brush with bullets hitting trees above him.

[Tangaliro]

We Were Soldiers

---

"Nanguo Ruan's" Namquocian Restaurant
Taiping District, Nanshan City, Nanman Province
New Sinican State of Tangaliro

---

6/28/2018
9:20 AM SST

Life has remained normal for Ruan, but certainly not for the people who stayed behind in Namquoc. "ADLN launches the Spring Offensive", "SLF major offensives", "Etat du Namquoc Presidential Palace in Gia Dinh under siege", concerning news continued to pop up on the headlines of newspapers and the screen of television over the past few days. Are their consecutive occurrence mere coincidence? Or is it a planned signal for a storm to come? No one really knows. However, it is without a doubt to Ruan and many others across the continent that, at any moment, the war that briefly ended in 1984 with the Truce of Hoa, a collective memory for several Tangaliroan generations, may reignite.

Ruan stood by the entrance of his restaurant. Today is the Sinican Dragon Boat Festival, a national holiday in Tangaliro. Despite the good business potential for the day, he decided to give his employees a day off. He is not desperate for money, after all.

As usual, the familiar old figure showed up down the street, but this time with a young figure next to him. While "Nanguo Ruan's" is not open today, Ruan and Hong arranged a breakfast meeting for the day. Hong's adopted son, Karl, or as people in the military call him, Freak, returned the day before, they are going to celebrate his survival.

"Hows things been, Karl?" Ruan waved at the two.

"Ey, Uncle Ruan, things' been fine. I survived." Freak waved back with a smile.

The young man was in one piece, but Ruan can sense a subtle sorrow inside him. It is hard for one to go through a war of this scale without suffering any trauma, Ruan very well understands that. He didn't say anything, and led the two into the restaurant.

"Here, two bowls of Pho, on the house, in celebration of our big boy's survival." Ruan placed a bowl of Namquocian beef Pho in front of Hong and Freak respectively, then seated on the other side of the table.

"Thanks, Ruan." Freak thanked, then started eating. He doesn't mind about the food quality as much as some of his squadmates do, but he sure appreciated being able to eat something comforting after spending months on the battlefield.

Ruan wanted to ask Freak about his experience in the war, but decided to refrain from that, in the fear of triggering any traumatic memory of the Zhong'shi that just returned from the Ophiric War. "Well, I heard your squad slayed a junglestalker on your own?" He tried to bring up a topic without touching areas that would trigger any bad memory.

"We did, the thing was large, larger than usual, but we managed. That beast ravaged the Ma'athist positions and killed everyone there in that part of the jungle. It was an intense fight, but luckily no one in my team got killed." Freak took out his phone, scrolled through some news articles, then showed it to Ruan. "There, the record-breaking junglestalker mentioned in this one was the one we slayed."

"There were times where a few Imalakian Junglestalkers accidentally crossed through the border into South Namquoc, according to folks I know that served at the borders with Imalakia, they frequently needed air or vehicular support to bring one down. Your team did it without any external help, it was an impressive feat, kid."

"I thank you on behalf of my team."

"What are your plans for the month? I heard from Hong that you got a vacation."

"Yea, the Grand Marshal himself ordered a month-long vacation for the Qinglong Brigade. We are the first quarter to go on vacation, the other quarters of the brigade will get theirs once we return. I and a few squadmates of mine decided to visit Donghai for two weeks. After that, I will return to Dijing for the rest of my holiday."

"Thats good to hear, I have been to Donghai before, it is a nice place." Ruan nodded.

"Kid's actually back on the 21st already, but the military kept them in their barracks until yesterday." Hong added, taking a sip of the broth from the bowl.

"Well, you are back in one piece, take a good rest and enjoy your vacation." Ruan patted the shoulder of Freak.

"Thanks, Ruan." Freak nodded in agreement.

The three chatted on for hours. After Freak and Hong left, Ruan returned to his restaurant, cleaning up the table. He took a glance at the television, it is reporting the issuing of Augustan travel warning on Turmenista. Thinking about his past, he related himself with Freak.

Would be nice if I had the chance for a vacation after that war, he thought, but quickly shrugged it off and returned to his work.

Meanwhile, the chaos in Namquoc ensued.

[Tangaliro]

Bad Moon Rising

---

Place Unknown
Rural Hoa
Etat du Namquoc

---

7/8/2018
0:00 AM SST

...
I see a bad moon a-rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today

Don't go 'round tonight
It's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
...

A team of Namquocian Republican Army border guards drove across the countryside of Hoa, the city where the famous Truce of Hoa was signed to put a stop to the Namquoc War 34 years ago, as the driver quietly hummed to Euphemian Namquoc War era pop songs playing from the jeep's radio.

Over the past weeks, tension has been on the rise, both between the two regimes of Namquoc, and between the various insurgency present within Etat du Namquoc. The NRA garrison stationed at the border with the north has since then been ordered to remain on high alert for a while. However, following the order, the military buildup north of the border had stopped, over time, there were even signs that the north are slowly withdrawing from the border. While the order remained in effect, the poorly disciplined border guards have slowly ceased caring. The top brass of the NRA, busy dealing with the insurgencies at hand, did not bother to enforce the order either.

The weather has been terrible for the entire day, with heavy rainfall and constant lightning. If it wasn't to satisfy the commander, the NCO would rather stay indoor for the whole day. It is not like those commies from the north will attack tonight, the NCO thought to himself.

Suddenly, the jeep braked to a stop.

"Ly, what the fuck is wrong with you!?" the NCO, startled by the sudden braking, yelled at the driver, raising his hand, preparing to slap him.

"Sir, a body!" The driver pointed toward a body lying in front of the jeep.

"Did you fucking run into it?" the NCO, in a bad mood, held back his anger and asked in a threatening tone.

"No, no, sir, I didn't!"

Sigh, why is it always me that runs into shit like this, the NCO muttered to himself, he waved to a rifleman of the squad, telling him to get off the jeep and investigate the body. The rifleman nodded and did as told.

The rifleman knelt down to take a closer look at the body. The dead man was an NRA grunt, there was a large fresh cut on his throat, it seems his throat was slit brutally by someone just moments before their arrival. Just when the rifleman stood up, preparing to report his discovery, the swooshing sound of something broke the silence.

The NCO, familiar with the sound, immediately looked to the source of the sound, only to be met with an FZ-89B^[1] rocket propelled grenade flying toward his face.

"Oh fuck m-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, he was crushed by the force of the explosion with the rest of the jeep's passengers. The rifleman outside was thrown up by the explosion, burning hot scraps of his former ride piercing through his body as fire erupted from the destroyed jeep.

The rifleman hit the ground with a thud. Before falling unconscious, he briefly saw several men in ghillie suit walking toward him. One of two men at the front looked to his partner, the other man shook his head. The man then took out his radio, making a few clicking sounds before putting it back and gesturing the team to leave. As the rifleman slowly closes his eyes to his inevitable fate, he heard distant sounds of engines erupting from the other side of the border.

The whole incident remained unnoticed by the rest of the border guard, with the explosion covered up by lightning and the thunder that followed. However, in hours, the entire world will know that the Second Namquoc War, or as some would say, the re-ignition of the Namquoc War, has begun.

---

[1] - FZ-59B (五九年乙式反战车火箭推进榴弹炮) - An improved version of FZ-59 and FZ-59A, the Tangaliroan domestic production variant of early Valefontene WR-9. During the last Namquoc War, Tangaliro has supplied a huge amount of FZ-59B to PDRN and its army. After the Tango-ORUF Split, part of the remaining FZ-59B was used in reverse-engineering of Namquoc's own version of the weapon, it has since then been the main squad anti-tank weapon of the Namquocian Peoples Army.

[Tangaliro]

For What It's Worth

---

"Nanguo Ruan's" Namquocian Restaurant
Taiping District, Nanshan City, Nanman Province
New Sinican State of Tangaliro

---

7/8/2018
9:30 AM SST

"The night before, Northern Namquocian forces have broken the Truce of Hoa and stormed across the border, followed by a formal declaration of war against Etat du Namquoc and Midland two hours ago. The New Sinican State government has not commented on the issue yet." The news reporter on the television screen reported. Like many others in the restaurant, Ruan wordlessly stared at the television screen. He was not surprised by the news, many incidents prior to the day has already pointed to the re-ignition of the war.

"It has finally happened, didn't it?" Hong said, looking at the screen.

"We have all expected it to happen, it was just a matter of time all along." Ruan placed Hong's meal in front of him, then seated opposite to Hong as usual.

"I may be overthinking this, but aren't wars breaking out more frequently than they should lately? It is almost like someone is pulling the strings behind." Hong turned to Ruan, speaking in low volume.

"It is indeed odd, but not a matter we should concern about." Ruan nodded.

"The southern regime will fall. Midland's support may buy them some short-term advantage, but their corrupt nature will eventually become their downfall. I've been there on their side, and I know about it. The return of the Namquoc War has been inevitable, and it will be fought, for what it's worth." Ruan continued, but stopped soon to avoid worrying Hong again.

"For a former South Namquocian, you seem quite disgusted of your country of origin."

"My connection with them have ceased the moment they murdered my family."

"I'm sorry to bring it up."

"It is fine."

The two fell silent for seconds, then Hong resumed talking, however avoiding any topics regarding the situation in Namquoc. After Hong took his leave, Ruan returned to his work. Despite the war in Namquoc, life in Tangaliro seemed to remain as usual. Ruan, however, knows that theres a storm to come. Tangaliro has backed the northern regime last time, with the Tangaliroan military still in power, the New Sinican State will inevitably take her stand against Midland's intervention.

The night after, Ruan didn't sleep. He quietly stared at a photo frame in the corner of his room above the restaurant. The old wooden frame holds a photo of a rather huge Namquocian family.

Ruan, however, is the only one alive in the photo.

[The Enclave Government]

---

---

Firebase Bradenton
Coalition-occupied Namquoc, Greater Hoa Province
Republic of Augusta

---

8/9/2018
2:40 PM OWT

Char. Smoke. The snapping and cracking of supersonic bullets as they were propelled out of a mechanical hell by fire at two point eight times the speed of sound and into, in most cases, the mushy sod of Namquocian wetlands. In some cases, that bullet found a reception not of earthy mud but of blood, guts, and viscera. A scream would accompany the arrival, and the scream foretold the ultimate fate of both the receiver of this package. The scream, if continued, was one of agony. Agony implies a certain higher order of thinking than exists in the screams of the damned. The screams of the damned are short and earpiercing. They are silenced by the sudden cessation of bodily function, and often consigned only to the cacophony of battle in the man's fellow battle brothers. The loss is only noted when the battle is over, when the demons retreat back into the treeline and into their hovels. After a few weeks, one learns in Namquoc not to ask after the fate of a missing friend. Everyone knows their fate, even if they do not know when or where they received their package.

This is the reality the fighting forces of nations have faced for millenia. Different circumstances, different causes, different packages. But the delivery of death from one mortal to another was always the fundamental instrument. Today's weapons merely leave little room for a flesh-wound. You are either lucky, or you are dead. So far in this conflict, two-hundred and fifty one Augustans have come up short when their life was put to their luck. Two hundred and fifty one families have been warped by a war in a far off land that neither their fallen son nor his commanders genuinely believed in. The causes of North and South Namquoc were of even less importance than their independent governments. A capitalist army was fighting to sustain a Communist advance on a Republic supported by a Monarchy. The webs we weave when we once begin to deceive are complex indeed.

These are the realities that the men and women of the Republican Guard in Namquoc must face. The warriors of the Seventh Division live or die based on their luck. The end result may be a foregone conclusion - but to say the ends justify the means is to somewhat miss the point. The end is the means. These men must die to rouse a nation from a half decade of self assured slumber. These men must also win, to prove to the world's nations that the Republic is not merely an economic power. They must win convincingly yet bloodily. To veer too far into either direction would assure only direct intervention of their superiors to ensure a preferred result. That is the job of men like Colonel Revan Eden. They must ensure the desirable result that the faceless men in their high castles desire. Such is how Colonel Eden found himself mulling these ideas and notions to himself in a rocky helicopter overflying a battlefield that only twenty four hours beforehand had served his Coalition a loss, even if his nation was not directly involved. That inofitself was a failure, a failure that must be rectified. The previous nameless commander of the 88th Battalion was discharged once the dust had settled, and Colonel Eden put into his place. These thoughts placated the man's boredom until he landed at Firebase Bradenton with his cohort of support staff - Leftenant Haven and Private Sierra among them. Once the sliding door of the Phoenix was opened, the three were assailed by the stench of gangrene, the audible palor of moans, and the sight of the dead and dying. Eden responded to this by lighting a cigarette, and then pointing out where he would like his command tent pitched.

---

FIN

The UH-4 Phoenix is a heavily upgraded iteration of the UH-1 Hawk. UH-4s are utilized in Namquoc due to ease of maintenance and mechanical robustness.

[Tangaliro]

We gotta get out of this place

---

Place Unknown
Rural Hoa
Peoples Democratic Republic of Namquoc

---

7/10/2018
8:00 PM SST

Ma Tianfang carefully sneaked past another Namquocese village. It has been 20 days since the village massacre, if he didn't play his death, he would have been a goner like his partner. However, his gratitude for survival aside, something continued to unsettle him every day and night. For a man like Deng, it is certainly unusual of him to just walk away without double checking his target's death. Deng has made such a rare yet deadly mistake, it is almost like he allowed it on purpose, and if he did so, it can mean nothing good.

I must get out of this place. Tianfang thought to himself. He checked his belongings. In order to avoid suspicion, he left his South Namquocese disguise and rifle behind, now everything he has left is a pistol, a few magazines and emergency ration to last for a few more days. He tried his best conserving his ration foraging from the wilderness and at times steal from the locals, however, in desperate times, he still had to consume what little preserved ration he had brought with him.

And I must get out of this place quick. he added to himself, looking at what remains of his belongings. The longer he stays here, the more likely he will run out of food. ISB safehouses in the region are not a choice, as Deng's grunts can be lurking anywhere. Just walking into the Namquocese is a terrible idea as well, should anyone happen to have seen and remembered his face from 20 days ago, he would be very likely a wanted criminal in the region by now, not to mention the poor relation between the PDRN and Tangaliro since the 2008 border skirmish. If he was caught by the local militia, or in the worst case scenario, the PANQ, he is guaranteed done for. The only viable choice for him would be to cross the border, or hope for the best that what Deng did in that village twenty days ago would trigger a war, leading to Tangaliroan intervention. By then, he can just approach the nearest Tangaliroan deployment, and be escorted back to Tangaliro.

To be frank, he disliked the thought of relying on Deng's atrocities for his survival, but he had no other choice. Since the 2008 Tango-Namquocese Border Skirmish^[1], the PANQ has heavily reinforced its border with Tangaliro, crossing the border is becoming far harder than it used to be.

As he carefully planned his next action behind the treelines, a PANQ convoy passed by. It is not the first convoy that Tianfang observed recently. He has already lost count on how many convoys he has seen on his way here. Almost all of them headed south, with only a few exceptions the heading other way, usually carrying wounded soldiers. Combined with the sounds of gunfire from the border, Tianfang suspected that the war has already broken out, but he decided to play safe, remaining in hiding until, hopefully soon enough, the day when a Tangaliroan convoy moves through Namquoc.

---

Fortunate Son

---

"Nanguo Ruan's" Namquocese Restaurant
Taiping District, Nanshan City
Nanman Province
New Sinican State of Tangaliro

---

7/10/2018
8:30 PM TST

---

"One bowl of pho, and a bottle of Xinjing Bingyang Soda^[2]." a lady in her early 30s sat down in a corner of the restaurant, then ordered. Her name is Qian Shuang, a personal friend of Ruan and a usual customer of the restaurant.

"One bowl of pho, and a bottle of Xinjing Bingyang, coming in." Ruan replied without even taking a look. Qian has been a frequent customer of the restaurant since a long time ago. She always entered at around half past eight in the evening, picking the same corner and ordering the same thing, one bowl of pho and a drink. Ruan is so used to her orders, that he doesn't even need to look back to know it's her.

One of the chefs quietly confirmed the order, then started preparing the meal. Ruan opened the fridge next to him, took out a bottle of soda, then delivered it to Qian with a straw. Qian thanked Ruan for the drink, then started looking through her phone for news and messages.

"One bowl of pho." minutes later, Ruan delivered the bowl of pho to her, then sat down on the other side. "It's been an entire week since your last visit, something happened?" Ruan asked. While Qian doesn't come everyday, it is still rare of her to be absent for the whole week. In Ruan's memory, even if she was busy at work for the entire week, she would still pay a visit at the weekend, however, this time things turned out different. Since the Sunday of the week before, she didn't show up at the restaurant until today.

"Don't mention it, the week was a huge mess," Qian whined "we had to deal with some important order from a major client while a portion of the company was on vacation, you don't know how many hours have we worked overtime to get everything done before the deadline. I truly wish I could be running my own restaurant like you do, opening for business and closing it anytime I want. The pay may not be as good, but at least I still get to sleep." she yawned. It isn't the first time Ruan heard his personal female friend whining about her job and her hope to open up her own restaurant. Since a year ago, Qian has started expressing her wish to become a self-employed restaurateur. While the plan remained a mere thought, Qian frequently consulted Ruan on how he ran his restaurant. Ruan was more than happy to share his experience with his friend, and genuinely wished her success, not matter how long it takes.

"Well, you can run my restaurant for me." Ruan suddenly said.

Qian was surprised by the sudden offer of Ruan, but soon giggled, thinking it was a joke to cheer her up. "You are joking, right?"

"I'm not."

"W- what?" Qian looked at Ruan in disbelief.

"I know it sounds sudden, but I am going on a long vacation soon, and I need someone to take care of my restaurant while I'm gone. You know I cannot just leave this little place of mine and my employees to rot. We know each other for long enough, I think I can put my trust in you."

"B- but I have no experience on it, wouldn't handing your restaurant to one of your employees be a better choice?" Qian was happy with the offer, but being a friend of Ruan, she was more worried that she would jeopardize Ruan's business.

"You never know until you try for yourself, as I said before, it is easier than you think." Ruan reassured her. "I only need you to keep the restaurant up and running, Chen and the rest knows what to do. I'm not going to let you do it for nothing as well, just pay for the rent, ingredients and salary, rest is all yours."

Qian carefully thought about the offer, but eventually accepted. "Where are you going, Ruan?" she asked.

"Somewhere far far away. Don't worry, I will return." Ruan said, but deep inside, he knew that he was lying.

---

Context notes:
[1] - 2008 Tango-Namquocese Border Skirmish - The 2008 Tango-Namquocese Border Skirmish is a border skirmish between the Peoples Democratic Republic of Namquoc and New Sinican State of Tangaliro in the year 2008. PDRN, under the request of the Tangaliroan Second Revolution Committee-in-exile, attempted to cross the border and overthrow the Tangaliroan government in the border region to give the Tangaliroan hard left a foothold in taking over Tangaliro. The skirmish has led to further souring of ORUF-Tangaliroan relation, and the cut off of Tangaliroan aid to ORUF countries until the re-ignition of the ongoing Namquoc War. The border skirmish eventually ended with a decisive Tangaliroan victory, preventing further aggression of PDRN.

[2] - Xinjing Bingyang Soda (新京冰洋汽水) - A Tangaliroan orange-flavored soft drink, it stands out from other soft drinks of similar flavour by using orange jam and orange oil for flavoring instead of flavoring agent. The drink is mainly popular in Xinjing, and is sold in other parts of Tangaliro as well.