Xiangshu and Mizrad productions presents
Chapter I - Sudden Moves
24th August, 2015, 9pm.
Khairraat
24th August, 2015, 9pm.
Khairraat
Sunset, darkness had started to encroach on the great city of Khairaat, capital of the Socialist Republic of Xiangshu. Just as the sun was to disappear over the horizon the city burst into life with the soaring skyscrapers being lit up as bright as the stars themselves. The bustling city that never sleeps, the sound of cars, people and music roared through the night sky. During all of this spectacle the biggest political event was about to unravel itself in the capital. A black car was speeding down the streets of Xiangshu, escorted by police on the front and on the back. It was heading for the Palace of the Dragon, the largest palace in Xiangshu, former home of the great Xiangese Emperors but now the home of the leader of the Socialist Republic, Nuan Qing. The lady of steel, fierce and ruthless.
The car parked outside the palace, the grand gates opened and out of the car stepped a man draped in gold and navy blue, medals covering his chest. His name was Admiral Zhen Péng one of the most famous naval commanders in history, he was old and grey but still proud and remained the most celebrated living memory of the communist revolution that lead to the modern state of Xiangshu. He was known specifically for crushing the Republic fleet just off the coast of Xiangshu during the Communist revolution only 46 years ago when he was only 26. He had come out of retirement by the request of Nuan Qing herself, however, this information had been kept confidential from the public.
Zhen made his way into the palace which was regarded around the world as a architectural marvel. The building was twenty stories tall, red bricked and had a sparkling black roof; a typical Xiangshu architectural style of building. The path to the front doors of the palace had huge fountains and hedge sculptures. It was a dazzling place. Zhen was escorted into the grand palace through the front entrance and made his way along the long red carpet and up an elevator to the very peak of the building, Nuans quarters. As the elevators door opened a dark red room lay infront of him with a small, quaint desk and a huge portrait of the communist revolutionary Xu Xia, an old friend of Zhen. Sitting at the desk was the woman of steel herself. As she noticed the admirals arrival she stood and gave polite bow of the head while gesturing to the chair on the opposing side of the desk. The admiral obliged and took a seat. He looked around the room, it was red, mostly plain in terms of decoration, far from what he expected it would look like compared to the pageantry of the outside or other corners of the building. Even Nuan Qing herself, Premier of all Xiangshu wore a simple black outfit.
Both Zhen and Nuan smiled at each other;
'Welcome to the capital Admiral, it is an honour to see you again' Nuan said.
'The honour is mine, madame premier. What do I owe your summoning to the palace?' Zhen retorted.
A silence took hold as Nuan sat back on her chair, crossed her legs and reached for a glass of wine just within her grasp. She took a sip before exclaiming 'You are one of the greatest war heroes in all Xiangshu, we need your help. What I am going to ask of you is more than I could ask any other man. Only you have the popularity and vigour to carry out this task'
Zhen, trying to hide how he was flattered by the compliment leaned forward, placing one arm on the desk. 'What is it you would have me do?' he asked.
Nuan said nothing. She handed Zhen the orders that had been assigned to him.
'Do not tell anyone of this, do not show anyone the envelope and once you have read it... destroy it' Nuan commanded.
'Do I have your loyalty, Admiral Péng?' She further inquired.
'Now, and always' Zhen responded.
With that both esteemed leaders stood, bowed and admiral Péng made his way out of the palace. Nuan watched him leave the palace courtyard from her window and as he did she remarked to herself 'I feel the weight of history on my shoulders, and it is heavy'.
She stepped back three paces to look again at the portrait of the revolutionary leader of Xu. She had done so before but this time she felt a strange aura coming from it. Almost as though his hand was on her shoulder, helping her to guide her way. Xu was a strong leader, went from battle to battle, a great general and an inspiration to his people. This is the shoes that Nuan wished to fulfill.
Zhen got back to his car, as soon as he sat down he ordered his driver to take him back to his home in Guangying. As the car started to move Zhen pulled the envelope out of his pocket and looked up at the driver who was paying attention to the road. He pulled out a piece of paper which in big bold letters said 'Top Secret'. Zhen put on his glasses and as he read down the page his eyes widened. He looked up in shock and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He then turned to his driver, who was still driving,
'Better not go home, take me to the Admiralty' He said with a slight stutter.
The car parked outside the palace, the grand gates opened and out of the car stepped a man draped in gold and navy blue, medals covering his chest. His name was Admiral Zhen Péng one of the most famous naval commanders in history, he was old and grey but still proud and remained the most celebrated living memory of the communist revolution that lead to the modern state of Xiangshu. He was known specifically for crushing the Republic fleet just off the coast of Xiangshu during the Communist revolution only 46 years ago when he was only 26. He had come out of retirement by the request of Nuan Qing herself, however, this information had been kept confidential from the public.
Zhen made his way into the palace which was regarded around the world as a architectural marvel. The building was twenty stories tall, red bricked and had a sparkling black roof; a typical Xiangshu architectural style of building. The path to the front doors of the palace had huge fountains and hedge sculptures. It was a dazzling place. Zhen was escorted into the grand palace through the front entrance and made his way along the long red carpet and up an elevator to the very peak of the building, Nuans quarters. As the elevators door opened a dark red room lay infront of him with a small, quaint desk and a huge portrait of the communist revolutionary Xu Xia, an old friend of Zhen. Sitting at the desk was the woman of steel herself. As she noticed the admirals arrival she stood and gave polite bow of the head while gesturing to the chair on the opposing side of the desk. The admiral obliged and took a seat. He looked around the room, it was red, mostly plain in terms of decoration, far from what he expected it would look like compared to the pageantry of the outside or other corners of the building. Even Nuan Qing herself, Premier of all Xiangshu wore a simple black outfit.
Both Zhen and Nuan smiled at each other;
'Welcome to the capital Admiral, it is an honour to see you again' Nuan said.
'The honour is mine, madame premier. What do I owe your summoning to the palace?' Zhen retorted.
A silence took hold as Nuan sat back on her chair, crossed her legs and reached for a glass of wine just within her grasp. She took a sip before exclaiming 'You are one of the greatest war heroes in all Xiangshu, we need your help. What I am going to ask of you is more than I could ask any other man. Only you have the popularity and vigour to carry out this task'
Zhen, trying to hide how he was flattered by the compliment leaned forward, placing one arm on the desk. 'What is it you would have me do?' he asked.
Nuan said nothing. She handed Zhen the orders that had been assigned to him.
'Do not tell anyone of this, do not show anyone the envelope and once you have read it... destroy it' Nuan commanded.
'Do I have your loyalty, Admiral Péng?' She further inquired.
'Now, and always' Zhen responded.
With that both esteemed leaders stood, bowed and admiral Péng made his way out of the palace. Nuan watched him leave the palace courtyard from her window and as he did she remarked to herself 'I feel the weight of history on my shoulders, and it is heavy'.
She stepped back three paces to look again at the portrait of the revolutionary leader of Xu. She had done so before but this time she felt a strange aura coming from it. Almost as though his hand was on her shoulder, helping her to guide her way. Xu was a strong leader, went from battle to battle, a great general and an inspiration to his people. This is the shoes that Nuan wished to fulfill.
Zhen got back to his car, as soon as he sat down he ordered his driver to take him back to his home in Guangying. As the car started to move Zhen pulled the envelope out of his pocket and looked up at the driver who was paying attention to the road. He pulled out a piece of paper which in big bold letters said 'Top Secret'. Zhen put on his glasses and as he read down the page his eyes widened. He looked up in shock and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He then turned to his driver, who was still driving,
'Better not go home, take me to the Admiralty' He said with a slight stutter.
The Helian ocean,
25th August 2015. 4am
Out on the Helian ocean was the 1st Fleet of the Xiangshu Navy. They had been there for two days and were waiting for orders as patrolled the Helian ocean. The skies were engulfed in darkness and the sea was as still. It was a particularly cold night, and disturbingly quiet on the decks of the fleet. The first fleet looked menacing as it patrolled the north of the Helian ocean, they were a pack of wolves looking for its prey.
The fleet comprised of mainly destroyers, 40 of them. There was also 4 aircraft carriers and the capital ship, called the Blue Dragon. Leading the fleet was Admiral Shen Fāng, a tall man who was exceedingly stubborn in nature. He was young however, and well built. His greatest skill was his ability to inspire soldiers with his good looks and charm, not so much for his actual tactical or strategic abilities.
He stood on the captains deck of the Blue Dragon, his hands on his back doing some stretches to keep himself awake, when new orders from Admiralty head quarters in Khairraat.
Shen was plagued with questions of why and what purpose it serves for Xiangshu however he did his duty and commanded the entire 1st fleet to make sail for Destinado Tierra.
Shen, now on the deck of the ship, was looking out over the horizon and as the sun started to rise in the early hours he could see a spec in the horizon.
'And so it begins' He muttered to himself as he held his hand around his back. As he looked outward on the vast expanse of sea he almost lost himself before being alerted by the captain of the ship that they had arrived at the optimum distance to begin the blockade. Admiral Shen turned to the captain and said 'send this to the government on the island' as he handed the captain a letter that read;
The fleet comprised of mainly destroyers, 40 of them. There was also 4 aircraft carriers and the capital ship, called the Blue Dragon. Leading the fleet was Admiral Shen Fāng, a tall man who was exceedingly stubborn in nature. He was young however, and well built. His greatest skill was his ability to inspire soldiers with his good looks and charm, not so much for his actual tactical or strategic abilities.
He stood on the captains deck of the Blue Dragon, his hands on his back doing some stretches to keep himself awake, when new orders from Admiralty head quarters in Khairraat.
- Code: Select all
'The first fleet is ordered to sail for Destinado Tierra, blockade it and demand the Islands government to surrender within 12 hours of the message being sent'.
Shen was plagued with questions of why and what purpose it serves for Xiangshu however he did his duty and commanded the entire 1st fleet to make sail for Destinado Tierra.
Shen, now on the deck of the ship, was looking out over the horizon and as the sun started to rise in the early hours he could see a spec in the horizon.
'And so it begins' He muttered to himself as he held his hand around his back. As he looked outward on the vast expanse of sea he almost lost himself before being alerted by the captain of the ship that they had arrived at the optimum distance to begin the blockade. Admiral Shen turned to the captain and said 'send this to the government on the island' as he handed the captain a letter that read;
- Code: Select all
Government of Destinado Tierra, the Socialist Republic of Xiangshu has encircled your clutch of islands and have begun a blockade. Any ship that attempts to make port will be sunk, any aircraft that attempts to land will be shot down. Our demands are simple; yield the islands to us. You have 12 hours from when this letter is sent to meet our demands. If you fail to meet our demands we will take it by force, regards, Admiral Shen Fāng of the First Xiangshu fleet.'
The captain ordered a group of 6 soldiers to land on the capital island to deliver the message to the government.
As the blockade settled in, minutes went by and the events that had only just taken place went viral on the internet. The age of the internet meant stealth and blocking communications was impossible. From the far west in Naybra all the way to the far east in New Tyran news was coming in about the event as it began to unfold. Social networking sites exploded with the hashtags #XiangBlockade and #TerraTerror It had already been tense enough without the entire worlds eyes on Xiangshu and Destinado Tierra. The question that still plagued not only Shens mind but now the entire world was; why this is happening? And much more importantly, how will other nations react?
Khairraat, The palace.
25th August 2015. 9am.
25th August 2015. 9am.
Khairraat was still alive at 9am. The sound of the eternal living city still boomed louder than ever. However the weather had started to turn. In the early hours nobody saw the sun rise. There was only a chill followed by a heavy rain storm and the piercing sound of thunder before the flashes of bright lightning.
Back at the palace Nuan was sitting in her desk, she was wearing a black dress, makeup covered her face and she decorated herself, not with medals or a variety of fabrics; but a pin, the symbol of the communist revolution. She gazed into thin air with her teeth digging into her nails as she was in deep concentration. It was as if she could not hear the rain storm that pelted her window furiously. She looked down on a piece of blank paper that lay before her. The threat of Mizrad haunted her. She knew that Mizrad have and invested interest in protecting this small archipelago, the prospect of going to war with Mizrad was all too real in her mind, she was prepared for the worst. She respected the Mizradian armed forces. But she gambled on the speculation that they were too weak to interfere in the conflict. Nuan knew the consequences if Mizrad dared to send a fleet southbound for Destinado Tierra and the chaos it would cause.
Nuan began to write her statement on the blockade of Destinado Tierra, it read;
Back at the palace Nuan was sitting in her desk, she was wearing a black dress, makeup covered her face and she decorated herself, not with medals or a variety of fabrics; but a pin, the symbol of the communist revolution. She gazed into thin air with her teeth digging into her nails as she was in deep concentration. It was as if she could not hear the rain storm that pelted her window furiously. She looked down on a piece of blank paper that lay before her. The threat of Mizrad haunted her. She knew that Mizrad have and invested interest in protecting this small archipelago, the prospect of going to war with Mizrad was all too real in her mind, she was prepared for the worst. She respected the Mizradian armed forces. But she gambled on the speculation that they were too weak to interfere in the conflict. Nuan knew the consequences if Mizrad dared to send a fleet southbound for Destinado Tierra and the chaos it would cause.
Nuan began to write her statement on the blockade of Destinado Tierra, it read;
My fellow Xiangese people, Your government today has initiated a blockade of the clutch of islands in the Helian ocean. They are ours by rights, we claim them and we will oppose anyone who refutes these claims. We insist that the fellow governments of the world that you no longer insult us with the name 'Destinado Tierra' and you refer to it as 'Xiangese Baowei'. We wish no aggressive or military action to take place. However, if it is warranted our armed forces will act to defend Xiangshu's claim to the island. May Xu's light shine upon you all.
The stage was set and Nuans plans were becoming reality. As she finished writing her announcement she sat back in her armchair. The board had been set up and now the great game was about to begin.