Reborn a king: Project Kailash

by havok038

He returned to the turning point where it all began. Unbridled determination and a taste for vengeance against everything his Father stood for, the Golden Path and Sabal who double-crossed him. But in his restart, more fabric of reality began to peel away revealing the horrible truth and lies about Kyrat. Where myth became reality. Here in the Himalayas, the mountains were alive.

144. Project Kailash: Born a King - Book 1

Author's Notes:

Time to reconnect with the people (Side Characters). Starting with the former "main antagonist". I didn't have time to complete the next full-on chapter with Ajay in Shangri-la dubbed "Escape from Shangri-la", so I closed in with the short story series I've been working on in tandem years ago. I originally wanted to do a Pagan standalone story years ago, but because there were two stories ongoing at the time. I perished the idea.

This is the first part of a three-part anthology story occupying my short story slot denoted by alphabet after the numeral (Chapter 132(k)), that will cover the elusive background of Pagan Min in my best fictional interpretation. Ok, so it ended up reaching about 80k words instead.

Born a King – Book 1

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Part 1 – Crownless Prince

He was once known by another name.

A name that only as many as one's fingers could still remember among those remaining who had lived through the greatest adventure of a lifetime.

The story of a street rat who became a king.

The illegitimate child to Gang Min, the unwanted and undesired to the Min Family was left to fend for himself for as long as he could remember in the cold uncaring streets of Kowloon. His own mother, a woman who frequently sold her flesh not for the sake of livelihood or raising him, but the temporary relief from reality that opium and heroin could buy. He was nothing more than a burden unless he could beg on the street to earn that extra few coins needed for food, and she constantly reminded him for it.

As fate had deemed him unworthy of a future, life gave him nothing. So he was determined to rob them all blindly for it.

At times, he could faintly make out a figure that had brought him out of squalor. An English nun of an orphanage who were on equally hard times. Sister Agatha, if he couldn't remember the times, he at least remembered the person who was his surrogate mother for the excess heap that was his biological one.

She gave him a bowl of rice every morning and night, warm beds to sleep in, a chance to learn something beyond what letters and characters drawn on signs meant. It was here that he learnt for the first time what it meant to have gratitude. Yet life pulled a fast one on him.

It soon became clear that she had delivered him from misery not out of charity, but out of an ulterior motive. As a drug mule.

At the time, he didn't care. He only wanted to repay this person with anything he could do, even if he realized quicker than his fellow orphans. Because he didn't know that the same white powder that was sealed within that paper packet had been the source of his suffering, yet.

This harmless white powder had been consumed by some of the older orphans as well as wages in lieu of proper food which they willingly traded. And then, his young mind came to the conclusion.

That to them, to his mother and even Sister Agatha. This white powder was the true god in their house, not the one whose supposed likeness was carved into the statue in the chapel. It made sad faces smile, it made life worth living in their cess pit of a world. He had no idea of the implications this drug had towards shaping his future.

And yet, even in such an abysmal life, fate wanted to ensure he would have nothing. So, Sister Agatha would be killed in an ensuing drug bust by her employers. And he along with other orphans would find themselves displaced to a boy's home, which in British literature meant juvy.

His sentence was lighter than the rest, as he had never consumed the product like rest of the children. Which was no blessing, as it meant that he would be out on the streets sooner than the rest and without support. So he absorbed all he could in the public classes and made no excuses for himself. If his fellow inmates fooled around in arithmetic, he kept the teacher interested in teaching him even if he was the only one keen to learn. In English, he practiced even when it made a fool out of himself with the diction and pronunciation coming out whimsical due to his Cantonese base.

Out on the streets again, he did what he did best. Peddle drugs, but only as a means to survive. For part of him knew better than to sample his own product, the result would undo all his efforts as he spiraled down into the same outcome as all those who consumed it. His newly acquired knowledge of counting and reading had prevented him from being scammed by adults but had also brought trouble with his honest mouth. It was nothing the end of a beating stick couldn't straighten out, even if it never permanently welded it shut with his persistence. But he knew better than to put his faith in heroin as a livelihood and sought to move out towards legitimate work. Life had made him starving not for food, vice, drugs nor money. But knowledge, education bought power over all these things.

And as the saying went, "the pen is mightier than the sword". In a British occupied Hong Kong, literacy was everything. Education bought prestige, influence, and ears that would listen to a vision if he had one. But he needed something else if he was to proceed, legitimate background. Beyond the merits of hard work was another layering that defined their society. Clean records, influential families, and the typical nepotistic ties with relatives in high official positions.

There was only so much a street rat could gain from his identity and status. So he needed to adopt a family.

In the crime-ridden Kowloon, there were plenty of "good families" torn apart by the vices of gambling and drug abuse every day.

By "buying" the surname of one, he became Fang Geng. The Fang family that was ready to fall apart at any moment, had just been bailed out of a debt which would have crippled the lower middle-class family of eight, now nine. It was here that he would gain his first followers to a distant paradise in the future from the sons and daughters of Fang. He was their idol in lieu of the gambling addicts that were their parents, their Tailou (Big Brother).

Indeed, he did buy them treats and gifts on birthdays and celebrated small gatherings and outings on holidays. But Fang Geng as he was now known in the home registry, only saw them for what they were to him. An accessory, for he had not experienced the genuine love of family and was therefore oblivious to it, not that this fractured family would ever be whole again even if he tried to patch it up.

With newly established roots, Fang Geng pursued a proper education at a private school. Eventually enrolling himself in a prestigious school like King George V Foundation with his foster parents' names and signatures but with his money. There, he had access to a vast wealth of resources to pursue his higher learning with the name and roots of the school. He took up studies in History and Geography, Business and Economic studies, Religious and social politics even when they weren't part of his curriculum.

The teachers only saw a studious individual with a passion to learn rather than the voracious monster they were about to create. An A student had an unusual privilege within the school as he learnt, but also alienation by the classmates from influential families who clung to the glories and wealth of their ancestors than their own mediocre merits. It was here that he learnt the nature of pride against rationality. Not that Fang Geng ever saw much use in associating himself with them even when trouble came to him from his attitude. His only flaw it seemed was the lack of co-curricular activities which he outright skipped or neglected all together to continue his drug peddling part-time for funds. Not that his "parents" cared much for his ethics and discipline so long as their allowance pockets were filled by him for their daily gambling vices.

While he was harassed by rich delinquents for his lonesome disposition, they were nothing in his eyes to the real thugs on the streets who would kidnap you and sell your organs on a mere wrong glance or whim. No one suspected the top student to secretly be selling drugs. If they did, he would always threaten the Dean, a surprising customer of his, with having a scandal blowing up in his face during his term if he didn't fire teachers or kick out students that were in the know of something amiss with Fang Geng, now with a stylised English name, Gary.

Upon his graduation, at the age of eighteen. He sought employment which would guarantee his success. In Hong Kong, there was no employment like that of a public servant, the epitome of the "Iron Rice Bowl" analogy for job security assurance. So he joined the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, the British Military garrison of Hong Kong manned by British-trained locals but commanded by the Queen's men. The military and police organisations, it was in either of these two government branches where he would find both the muscle and power to escape his harsh reality, he could finally leave that worthless white powder behind. He chose the former as he was unsure of the level of screening, he was required to take to join law enforcement agencies.

After numerous rigorous of military training, he could be his own man now. Fang Geng distinguished himself as both an affable cadet and soldier towards his British Officers for his excellent English fluency compared to his fellow Hong Kongers and quick wittedness. He earned the companionship of a fellow cadets, Gideon Khoo, who would switch services to become Police Inspector of the Special Duties Unit later, and Sun Kwan, who became part of the general staff in the regiment after a decade of commanding a Saber reconnaissance squadron. People who would become powerful lieutenants in the years to come. He initially aspired to become the Regiment Commander one day and eventually retire to take up politics as an MP with a distinguished service record. Living in comfort and relative peace as his just rewards.

But his British overseers had other plans for his talents and wit. Instead of receiving a posting in the territorial army of Her Majesty the Queen, Gary Fang was approached by another branch of Her Majesty's Government. SIS, Station H. The former MI6 British Secret Service Division of Hong Kong.

It was they who had identified his falsified credentials with the Fang Family and his background in the drug trade. Not to call him out on it, but offer him an opportunity for advancement through unconventional means. As an embedded field operative.

Having received his first proper blood test and identification instead of the false ones he had his foster brother, Fang Gai do for him till now when entering the army. MI6 had identified him as a direct blood relation to the infamous "Tiger" Gang of the Min Crime Family. Having no knowledge of his extended family beyond his estranged mother whom abandoned him long ago, part of him was curious to know what he was like. This was the first time, his emotions betrayed him in the long run.

According to their archives, Gang Min was a ruthless man who ran a drug empire that spanned much of Southeast Asia, not limited to merely Hong Kong and Macau like the other Gangs and Triads. He had made his fortune through the Golden Triangle in the flow of the very Drugs Gary Fang peddled out on the streets as a child. He had power over the local police force and was even on friendly terms with the corrupt police commissioner, he had armed drug enforcers in the tens of thousands guarding his product and infrastructure, he even had ties with the then-separate People's Republic of China mainland who had allowed his product safe conduct through their Southern provinces with armed escorts for a cut even while their drug law enforcers were carrying out a drug war on their competitors. Interpol and British Intelligence were equally hampered by their attempts to shut him down. He also had informants amongst them and rival triads to know what they were doing and acted before them. The local police were too corrupt to have him tried or arrested.

Gang Min was untouchable except by natural cause.

But every strength has a weakness. With his advancing age, his enormous empire was to be passed on to his sons and daughters who would much rather fight amongst themselves for the inheritance than carry his will. Four children fought in a long-standing power struggle, and MI6 wanted to add a fifth that would break it. Gary Fang had found himself tied at a crossroad for the first time by others, even if that was an entire organisation breathing down his neck.

Once more, that cursed white powder had drawn him away from a good and honest career opportunity.

To further appeal to his new vocation as an undercover insider within the Min Triad, MI6 sponsored his further education at the University of Hong Kong where he studied political science and law. While on his weekends, he received his operative training directly from field agents and officers in station H. This was done under the premise of a "part-time" job that was not said to his fellow classmates. By the third year of his study and assumed rank of Lieutenant, he had been discharged from the Regiment under allegations of misconduct which was nothing more than a ruse to set him on his way.

Thus began, Gary Fang's mission into the Min families' operations as a hired administrator learning the money lending and laundering trade whilst keeping track of the play books in his operational area. His entry had been arranged by MI6 through the bribery of a weak head sector administrator by the name of Guan Min. Sharing the same name as the Triad Leader but of a distant branch family several generations apart. Gary would now adopt the surname Min after conducting a blood pact ritual with the older Guan Min.

Whilst numbers were not part of his formal studies, he had no trouble with sorting through them. His excellence in finding clerical errors and negotiating reasonable protection fees with businesses on the organisation's behalf earned him the attention of the Vanguard chief, the operations manager in corporate terms. Tooting him as a cunning tactician and diplomat between rival triad empires and local enterprises. Gary Min could achieve what an entire section of enforcers could with words alone, without a single drop of blood, and the gratitude of the party he talked with. But this was to no benefit of Gary.

Whether by design or coincidence, Gary's success had earned him the ire of the Red Pole Enforcers Units in Kowloon. Perhaps to make him seek out protection under the Vanguard Chief himself, Gary was not so easily shaken from his roots.

Gary pulled his first major play between the organisation he worked for and the one he was working in. Leaking the location of a rat under police protection that had sensitive information on the vanguard chief himself. Poising the man to personally lead the attack on what he thought was merely a police safe house. But was actually a British Armory which held military-grade weapons in preparation for a Communist Chinese offensive from Guangzhou.

By the time they realized, they came under attack by MI6 operatives and British Marines in plain clothes. Decimating much of the personal contingent of the Vanguard Chief who fell to the operatives to preserve the deniable existence of the armoury. Gary had however called this in advance to his superiors and presented his initiative behind his plan, thus allowing him to safely retrieve the Eldest Son of Min from the mix. Min Siu Man would return home grateful to his saviour and would finally gain an audience with the man himself, Gang Min. His father whom he had seen for the very first time in the flesh, did not appear to be the same person that MI6 and Interpol described him as. But rather, nothing more than an old man resolved to retire in life.

A dinosaur in a modern world.

A man who clung to superstitious beliefs and rituals, lending his ear to soothsayers and practitioners more than his legal advisors and competent operations managers. Whatever the triads and law enforcement feared in Tiger Gang, that time had passed decades ago. Gary smiled and greeted with great eloquence and style, but deep down, his first impression of Gang Min was no different to his other parent who had likely died in the street's years ago.

If his mother was a slave to the euphoria of drugs, then his father was subservient to superstition.

Poking at the physical phenomenon around one's self and making illogical deductions based upon emotion, luck and holistic interpretations. Although raising himself in a Christian background, Gary saw the monotheistic deity of the West as no different from the Taoist ones here. But the one group he hated more than both were the Buddhists and their teachings. From his point of view, the Gautama Buddha was a fraud selling mere fortune cookie wisdom, he never helped nor gave salvation. Only preached from an high pedestal and left the weak to their own devices. If the temple was as charitable and noble as they portrayed themselves, why was he and many others fending for themselves in such a manner? Not because they were ignorant towards their suffering, but indifferent. And so, Gary was indifferent to all those who spoke the word of Amitabha. He shunned monks who reached out for alms and regularly vandalised the temple exterior in secret. A behaviour that made his triad brothers baffled by, figuring he had a grudge with one of the abbots over something. In this, his father and himself were worlds apart, and so Gary resigned himself to disowning Gang Min as his real father. He was now a means to an end.

Upon meeting closely in leisure, Gang Min learnt a great deal about him and his character from multiple conversations. Though their ideals and backgrounds contradicted, Gang Min admitted his tenacity and hard work to get to where he was. Affirming that perhaps Gary was in some ways similar to himself when he was young, Gary couldn't imagine that, and he knew for a fact he was right. As his entire early life had been a result of Gang Min's indifference, the man till that point had not known who he was nor searched his background on things other than what he knew on surface.

Min Siu Man, the first son of Gang Min had reached a consensus with his inner circle to make his benefactor into a blood brother. Gary was promoted from desk jockey to a special strategy advisor within Siu Man's group as he vied for control over their father's empire against the other three siblings.

Gary was even invited to stay within the Min residence villa where he could entertain and advise Siu Man in managing his posse. As it became clear to Gary why despite being the heir apparent that his brothers and sisters were still eying his seat of power. Siu Man had no intellect to strategize, no tact for entertaining important allies and foreign guests. Siu Man was hot-headed and allowed emotion to cloud his very narrow judgement. In these traits, his siblings identified weakness to be exploited rightly. It was made worst by his eye for picking incompetent lieutenants and financial advisors who sucked up to him and often short-counted or skimmed money and assets off the profits. Gary was basically part of a crew to a sinking ship which didn't even acknowledge their situation.

It was here that he realised why none of the rivals in his department sought to foil his ascension, he was walking into the fire himself. But Gary was not one to let opportunity get away from him. He straightened the books, approached clients and associates to renegotiate their deals and interest rates whilst providing reasonable times for repayment.

As far as working ethics went, Siu Man soon entrusted much of their finance and human resource allocation to him. Unlike the tight wallet bean counters before, Gary regularly gave raises and hosted parties to maintain the morale of their enforcer departments. To the point that he was relied on to do their financing and monetary upkeep all together. Gary Min was a name that soon the entire organisation knew of and the gift in numbers and coordination he had. Including MI6, much to their disgruntle that he thrived a little too well in his environment and could go rogue at any time. He was so trusted by Siu Man that Gary could accuse his lieutenants of stealing from him or betraying him for his siblings, resulting in their removal.

But he was doing nothing short of being a useful errand boy to a fool. It could be seen from the point of view from the Young Masters and Ladies of the Household who challenged Siu Man that he was singlehandedly holding a crumbling pillar. He did receive a couple of offers from them to join their camps and refused, earning their ire and hatred in some instances. But he understood that working for any of the other children of Gang Min would lead to being devoured by their more competent followers, at least with Siu Man, he could freely move around.

What he needed more than anything if he was to ensure that, was access to Siu Man's ivory seal imprinted with his Chinese signature. The power of the seal basically granted him power over all of Siu Man's share of the finances and responsibilities within the Min Crime Empire. But search as he would, he never knew where Siu Man put it. Thus, came to the conclusion that he either left it in the hands of someone capable, or allowed it to be stored away by someone he trusted for safekeeping. Siu Man was stupid, but not that stupid to trust such a token in the hands of his lieutenants who squandered their upkeep.

It was on being settled into the Min estate that he became acquainted with the hidden princess of the Min Dynasty. The last living heiress of the once powerful Lau Crime Family, this extinct triad group had been absorbed twenty years prior by Gang Min after it was annihilated by Interpol and NNCC, China's drug police when their leader and his wife were murdered in cold blood. Gang Min swore to hunt those responsible, but in the decades following, he had yet to fulfil that promise and concentrated more on consolidating assets of the Lau Family. So she had been stuck in his guardianship ever since, remaining in the estate, leaving only when she desired some fresh air or her daily school studies.

Gary was warned from speaking to this Lau heiress, especially as a member of the opposite sex, it would infuriate Gang Min. Learning from an example of an enforcer that got too close and ended up thrown into the sea with a weight attached to his feet. Apart from the Triad leader himself, she only spoke directly with Siu Man and the other direct members of the Min Family. Only appearing at mealtimes with the family and their heads of organisation which Gary was not and stood outside or on business on Siu Man's behalf. The rest of the time, she was in a house by the courtyard garden and lake away from the traditional estate. She had her own set of attendants and guards surveying the perimeter, almost like some kind of exiled princess. Which in a sense, she was. Thus, Yuma Lau was often called the "Tiger's Canary". Alluring to Gang Min's nickname and the popular hobby by elderly gentlemen to raise canaries to sing the best.

Vicious rumours were passed around the estate attendants and gang enforcers that Gang Min was grooming her to be his new mistress. While Siu Man seemed to think that his father was doing something close, by betrothing him to the heiress which would solidify his rule over the house and the remaining Lau loyalists within the syndicate. At least through the assumption of his reasonably affable relationship to her despite the wide age gap between them as well. In any case, no one was allowed to socially interact with her intimately and the number of candidates for who held Siu Man's seal were down to his finger digits.

So Gary tried to press Siu Man into revealing his seals hiding spot by pushing a rush deal that required his seal of approval between them and a bank dedicating its services to them. Siu Man became aggravated on why it had not been brought up sooner as he was in the midst of pampering his mistress and told Gary to get it from Yuma. Thus, revealing to him that it was in the heiress's safekeeping.

Fearlessly, he approached the small house in the garden with documents to endorse and Siu Man's approval letter which allowed him passage pass the guards only for a brief while. Any more than an hour would lead to trouble.

And so, Gary met a young girl who was barely into her young adult years, a late teenager. Soft appearance yet with piercing eyes that were likely the inheritance of her late parents. She wore a school uniform of a prestigious catholic girls' school in the district but not the character of one. There was a certain cold air about her that regarded everyone around her as merely scoundrels, and the Min family were no exception. The extent of her outbursts was such that she even flared at Gang Min sometimes at dinner when he proved too invasive in her social life only for the old man to shrug off mirthfully. Gary's first impression of her wasn't too good either, deeming her nothing more than a spoilt brat who lived in a well her whole life. She knew nothing of true suffering and despair, only the notion of the virtual cage around her.

He explained his presence and purpose to her only for her to let out a scoff before pulling out the very seal he was looking for from a necklace and applied the mark on the documents. Then she demanded he leave her sight.

As he begrudgingly leaves with only the knowledge that Yuma kept it on her persons at all times, he noticed samples of literature which she had on the table. Prominent amongst the stack was the book of MacBeth, suggestive by its placement on the shelf. So he read a quote as she reminded him to vacate her sight and that such literature was beyond him as a mere scrub, in response to that challenge.

"Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear
And chastise with the valor of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round."

It was here in her bedazzlement that she realized he was an educated man unlike the rest of the Mins. At least in English literature which the Family scorned out of ignorance and supremacy. It was through Shakespeare that she found some measure of consolation to her predicament, as story driven as it seemed. Inquiring of his background more as a demand than a request, Gary disclosed his education background.

Which surprised the heiress as those who had an educated background would typically seek a guaranteed stable employment rather than this sort of questionable work. Unless he was in it for the cash, but given his youth no more than a few years older than her, he couldn't have easily lost a job and resort to this kind of work with triads.

Gary excused himself and left, leaving her without answering her intended inquisition of his motivations.

"You quote the mutual ambitions of Gruoch over Macbeth to usurp, but are they of mine… or yours?" The Lau heiress sharply pointed out in a foreign language that only Gary knew.

"Who knows?" Gary shrugged back in English so that none of the guards nor attendants could understand what they were talking about. He didn't deny his intentions as he walked back to finalise the submission of the documents for processing.

The Lau heiress was slightly intrigued by the work this Lieutenant of Siu Man's had put together and even showed more intelligence than a collective of half the people of the estate. Yuma Lau was more than aware of her place in the Min Residence and her purpose to Gang Min, but as she was now, there was little she could do. Only when coming of age could she break their backs and restore her parents' legacy.

And here was this man. A fox among wolves, who prospered through using the strength of others to achieve his ends. He was either a fearsome opponent to her ambitions of restoring the Lau Family, or a potentially invaluable ally.

Yuma had no doubt that she would meet him again. A week, he had returned with a fresh stack of documents as she predicted. As Siu Man had already told him where to receive the stamp, he told Gary to just get it straight from Yuma. Why it was in her possession was less of trust and more of a betrothal gift he prominently gave during her last birthday. Although, Gang Min had neither addressed nor corrected his son's behaviour that upset the rest of his siblings meaning that it was nothing less of an approval.

Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. These were basic quotes of the Art of War that had their merit, Yuma intended to be as close to Gary as possible to discern where his true loyalties lay. Thus, she would test him every time he came to endorse documents.

What she called "incentives" to give her chop of the stamp. Was what Gary called a nuisance.

But it was without a doubt that Yuma owned the seal of Siu Man and if stolen meant that there were very few suspects beyond him who acquired it. Gaining power over Siu Man's assets were proving more difficult that he had originally anticipated, but not impossible. As with all treasures, awaiting the bold.

As the need for stamps decreased with operations by the first daughter Min Wai Fong stylized as Grace Min began an aggressive takeover of much of the family assets through dominating the banks and thus the place where the money was stored. In a move that he could not counter alone, Grace's faction had forced Siu Man into a state where his position was in question amongst Gang Min's most trusted associates who would in turn be hers when she took charge. Gary's gamble had failed, and the sinking ship was being bombarded. He had only two choices left to him, join Grace in her earlier proposal or leave. Vacating would mean turning his back on everything, not just the triad undercover work, but the stable career he wanted to live out his days. He would be nothing more than a failed operativw to MI6, he couldn't let that stand. And so, Gary made a third option.

To travel to Burma. There, fortune awaited the bold.

Beneath the gray-area of legitimate profits made by sales and purchases, the heart of the Min empire had always laid in its main source of revenue opium, marijuana and heroin. The Min Families' golden goose, starting its humbler beginnings when the Min Family and an adolescent Gang Min had been displaced from their native Canton by the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Establishing themselves in the British ruled Kingdom of Burma as wealthy industrialists. Brick factories and machinery companies, the Min Family had once started out as magnates of commerce who blessed all those who did business with them.

But as Gang Min had put it, war changes people but never changes itself.

With the escalation of the jungle fighting between the Allied forces of Britain, America and Kuomintang China against the Japanese Imperial Army. The Min family found themselves heavily involved with supplying the Allies through logistics and medical supplies as well as modes of transportation through the thick and dense jungles.

But as the Burma Campaign began to have an onset on the trooper morale, the Allies resorted to measures that would keep fighting awareness within their men. The jungles had the ability to devour a man if he was ill equipped, everything from disease and irritants to general degradation of mental health. The Japanese were facing the same problem but had a solution in the form of a steady morphine supply. The Allies had been playing around with an experimental drug that would be recognised today as Amphetamines only for it to be hampered by shipment delays due to naval blockades.

The Allied Command identified the Min Families facilities as suitable for producing substitutes in the form of more basic morphine and heroin and had given them a British warrant to gear their factories towards the production of these combat drugs despite their implications later in the post war era. Understanding the urgency, the Min family obliged and converted their brick and medical facilities into drug producing laboratories pumping out stimulants and anaesthetics for the ailing troops in the frontlines. Under the supervision and careful guidance of military doctors, scientists and pharmacists, the Min Family made up for the shortages in medical supplies that effectively kept the soldiers in proper condition to stall the Japanese from taking Rangoon until the end of the war.

The end of the war saw Gang Min come of age, assuming his father's legacy of an exhausted workforce and empty coffers. For the Min Families' part in the war effort, their heroism and self-sacrifice went unanswered. Whitewashed by both the Kuomintang and the British Expeditionary Forces. This saw the beginning of Gang Min's distrust in the West for not honouring his parents' efforts and sought the means to build a stronger presence that the family deserved. The old ethics of patriotism and self-sacrifice no longer had a root in Gang Min's house.

With the departure of the Allies and British divisions following the Panglong Agreement drawing the boundaries that were a new independent Burma. The bulk of military equipment and weaponry had been discarded by the Allied forces and Japanese forces alike. Gang Min saw his moment to strike while the iron was hot. While passed off by the British, the Min Families' efforts were not unnoticed by the local Burmese who had survived from squalor and disease thanks to their efforts in free healthcare, one of the Min Families' public relations works during the war. In them, Gang Min had committed and loyal followers who would carry out his plans. While the Burma National army was busy reforming their numbers and formations, Gang Min acquired the military grade weapons and equipment to arm his people and facilities. Not just small-arms and field equipment, but artillery pieces, even armored vehicles and warplanes. And the government could do nothing as the national army was not ready to take up its responsibilities to protect the population from piracy and jungle rebel raids. Against their better judgement and the overwhelming appeal from the population who supported the Min Family, they gave him a grant to use these weapons he consolidated from the Allied caches to protect his facilities, remote villages and even carry out armed escort duties on behalf of the government officials themselves. While they were largely militia in formation, their true functions were that of mercenaries and that of a private army of Min. A bulk had experience as partisans against both British and Japanese armies as well as familiarity with the weapons they wielded. However, the local government eventually relented, as Gang Min had control over infrastructure that was pivotal towards the recovery of the nation itself.

Gang Min had effectively taken control over more than the share that was allotted to him without intentions of returning them. His infrastructure that was once for commercial industry remained in their drug producing state as he increased production not as a means to supply a departed army, but to sell abroad. In a recovering world where many faced financial and surmounting stress, Gang Min's affordable drugs became an avenue of escape. And he largely dominated the market for narcotics even before the rise of the Medellín Cartel in Colombia whom he had ties within the years to follow.

Even on his return to his native Hong Kong, Gang Min had arguably more loyal followers in Burma than surrounding him. He made trips back to Burma, annually in recognition of these enforcers and employees at a palace that was once belonging to the last Burmese King of the Konbaung Dynasty.

In his ailing heal, Gang Min was becoming weary at his age to travel such long distances and had arranged for Siu Man to take his place and gain the loyalty of his Burmese followers. Much to the latter's disgruntle as current wartorn Burma was in such a ragged state a decade after a military coup and rebellion by its states. And somewhere in the frying pan of constant infighting for control of Burma was an autonomous region controlled and protected by the Min Family that thrived even during the wake of the Civil War. A place where many sought the lone sanctuary provided by the Min Family. Plus, it could not keep with his extravagant lifestyle in Hong Kong. Gary however, was not so picky and he saw the benefit of travelling to Burma where he could gain the invaluable loyalty of the Burmese camp. And so, Gary submitted his request to take Siu Man's place as overseer over the Family assets in Burma.

Siu Man blindly endorsed this notion along with his posse who would much rather stay in Hong Kong than go to some backwater town with no access to many of the conveniences of a modern city. Although some of his more competent siblings could see a problem if Gary were to get what he wanted and protested to Gang Min. But as Gary was a blood brother to Siu Man, he was effectively familiar to Siu Man and the Min Family itself. While not as prominent as having Siu Man there himself, he was effectively the voice of the heir of the Min Empire. And even if he hadn't been, he was now for this one act of self-sacrifice on behalf of his blood brother, no one could publicly deny that.

Gary would pack light as there were few things in his possession. Having been questioned by his British superiors in MI6 why he felt the need to leave their area of operation without consent. To which he highlighted the benefits it had on a wider scope than Hong Kong itself.

For one, Gary could gain the trust of Gang Min and his inner circle in the long term, a trace on the source of Gang Min's income overseas and an inside tab on Burma (Myanmar) whilst the Tatmadaw Army was curbing the Karen and Burmese state rebellions that no other Western party possessed. Gary thus received their reluctant permission as he delved further into the rabbit hole with no guarantee to his safety or his status as an operative being compromised. They had no presence left in Burma and therefore could provide no direct support there other than an antiquated gadget that was state-of-the-art at the time. An encrypted satellite phone that fit the contours of a suitcase, this was the only means of reporting back to his superiors on the updates they demanded as well as requisition evac if required, although a rescue was dubious. Gary was fine on his own, he always had been.

Everyone in the Min Residence became aware of Gary's departure, including Yuma Lau who was quite disappointed she would not have anyone to communicate on the same intelligence as her. Although, Gary asked her what she would do when she came of age. To which she answered, spend the rest of her life hunting her parents' killers and make them suffer the same misery she did before killing them. The people she listed were a variety that if walking into a bar would only made a poor joke. A Hong Kong Publicist who had sold private information on her parents whereabouts and venue to the authorities, an NNCC officer who shot them when it was meant to be an arrest, and a French Interpol officer whose poor supervised management over the operation resulted in their deaths and ten years of nightmares of that day. The order in which she listed them only went from difficult to impossible, as most officials were already difficult to extradite from their native countries. She not only wanted to hurt them, but give their families the same despair she had. Only then could she find the solace to move on, for herself and for the loyal guard of the Lau Family to quench their shame, her dark intentions had shattered the impressions that she was just a spoilt brat who didn't know any better in Gary. She at least had a goal.

Instead of discouraging her, Gary commended her in saying that she had her work cut out for her as it would take her entire lifetime with the numbers she had persecuted for these crimes against her family. But questioned her on what she intended to do after achieving that. What if she achieved this revenge ahead of schedule as a young woman, what would she make of her life then? What if she couldn't achieve it in her lifetime, would she sow these ideas into her children to carry her will?

Yuma had no answer to that and only asked what he would do if in the same situation. To which Gary said rather unapologetically, he wouldn't come after them. He would instead build upon his institution and empire that was the Lau family regardless of the innocence lost, then when they saw the monster they created out of their folly and incompetence, they would take their own lives in regret or be haunted by paranoia forever. Gary showed her a much darker path that he was willing to take in the name of achieving a goal, he makes those who wronged him suffer not because he wanted to, but because of a result of their actions making it such that they were responsible for all that happened. That was the sensations that Gary would genuinely lavish when he thought about what he would do to his father's legacy.

And so, Gary said that after that, he would simply do what he wanted without a hint of apology or shame of his actions. For he was not responsible for how a person wished to treat or view him. And for the first time, Yuma felt the hatred that kept her going wane in his presence. She felt comforted by someone who too wished for suffering upon another achieve far greater results than she could fathom, even though they had yet to be achieved. But she knew without a doubt that Gary would achieve it. While he did not have the fighting prowess of the best or even an average enforcer, he had an unmatched wit and ingenuity. And he fearlessly strived for what he wanted, ready to lay all the cards down if necessary.

Yuma passed her wishes to him that he achieves what he wanted in Burma and also a Jade amulet for luck, something her parents had given to her as a child. She demanded that he return it to her in person when he returned in one piece. While Gary found that to be a tall order for a fragile piece of jewellery if he were to carry it around. He still took it and bid her farewell until the next time. Siu Man and his posse personally saw him off at the airport since that was the least he could do for the person who was spending a few years in a shithole like Burma for him. Giving him many useless trinkets as if they compensated for the troubles he was in for, Gary had the mind to sell them off for cash when he landed at his destination for proper currency or what accounted for that in Burma.

As the country was closed off to international flights, Gary would have to take a more private charter towards the region he was headed to that was landlocked between the states of Kachin, Shan and Mandalay. An autonomous region that operated out of the jurisdiction of the Military Junta, also known as the Tatmadaw Army, the Kachin Independence Army manned by the coalition of Kachin State tribes, and the Shan Seperatists protecting its provinces. Eight hundred thousand people of different ethnicities and religions called this sacred place home, and it was here that Gary would build his foundations upon the lost structures of Gang Min's failing empire.

Kalaviṅka, the land of fairies owned by the Min Family would become his.

---

Part 2 – The Strange Bird's Wonderland

Named after a celestial man-bird creature of Burmese mythology upon their advent of Buddhism, the place had been the place where the Min Family had run off to at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War and established a colony under the British Crown supervision. Since then, it had become an autonomous state after the Military Coup by the Tatmadaw Army decades ago and a sanctuary for political asylum seekers and non-Buddhist inhabitants stemming from Muslim Rohingya, Hindu minorities and the few Christian villages.

The only reason the Tatmadaw Army wasn't taking control was because the drug trade also provided a certain stability towards the upkeep of their massive armed forces. Furthermore, to take Kalavinka would mean fighting the Shan Seperatist army and Kachin Independence Army at the same time. As they realised the importance of this autonomous region strategically and the neutrality it offered to all three factions.

Gary landed in Rangoon before taking a cruise through the Irrawaddy River north where the region eagerly awaited the heir of Min to arrive. Gary was met by an escort named Win Thawda who was asked to bring him to the state as well as accommodate his safety and comfort on a steamboat river cruise. Due to the discrete nature of his visit, only Thawda and Gary were by themselves while the ship hosted other passengers of foreign descent. Mainly news correspondents, journalists and photographers trying to get the sights of ancient Burma while their structures still stood and to interview the heads of the belligerent states opposing the military-led government of Burma.

Thus, Gary was afforded the luxury of dining aboard the river cruise ship with the foreign war correspondents and nature photographers to traditional Burmese cuisine. Being unable to speak English, Thawda was initially hesitant to allow contact between Gary and the Foreigners until he conversed with them naturally in British English, proving that the son of Min was multi-lingual.

Gary also gained intrigue in one of the journalists named Cameron, an American who once worked for the New York Times before setting up a small firm with a partner, her fiancé to do journalism where the New York Times had prevented her from going. Her fiancé unfortunately didn't share the same sentiment of traveling to backwater and war-torn places where his health and life were constantly at risk but supported her decision to travel alone. Cameron's intentions in Burma were to capture the activity of drug trade which had widely been ignored by the UN Drug Control Commission. Believing that her controversial photos would shed light on what was really happening under the veil of the civil war that was currently going on.

Their conversations went from private to an almost flirtatious atmosphere due to the understanding of one another's hardships to climb to their place that they were in in society. Cameron owned her own firm, while Gary claimed he was Hong Kong businessman on overseas tour. Affable conversations ended unfortunately when Gary couldn't help but bring up what a coward her fiancé was to leave his wife to the dangers of this cruel world on her own, as he would never allow a woman he loved if any to go in harm's way, at least on her own. To which she ended it impromptu with lashing out in defence of him in a news industry they were in that was still largely male dominant. In Gary's interpretation, Cameron's "God" was her fiancé. Not just a slave in body, but heart as well.

Picturing her fiancé manipulating her to go in harm's way for his own convenience as he lived comfortably in the states, Gary couldn't imagine an any more disgusting pig than Siu Man. He was convinced that this man was smarter and crueller than she thought. After all, unlike Cameron, he had seen the underworld and living in it. But Cameron was content in believing in the good between herself and her husband-to-be.

The cruise was a week-long to their final destinations, as the ship came to dock at a scenic stop in an old place of Burma which was characterised as a mere sightseeing destination now and forever. Gary had arrived at old Bagan the empty city of temples and pagodas spanning the entire plain covered in low greenery. The foreigners were out and about exploring the empty stupas, buying exorbitantly expensive merchandise from the monks who peddled them from near the jetty. Seeing them had set off an irritation that made Gary walk back to the ship to wait for the departure even though Thawda encouraged him to at least look once.

It was more of a surprise to see Cameron return to drag him off even though their relations had waned with last night. She became convinced that he was missing out merely because of this barrier in their relations and brought him to see the ancient temples that at least numbered two thousand from as far as their eyes could see into the dawn light.

Gary was still not impressed by what he saw that Cameron was in awe of in these dated structures that were not even kept in maintenance, even the ones inhabited by some of the roaming monks who were the abandon city's only residence.

Cameron gave him a brief description on the city and its importance to Burma during its heyday and present. Anawrahta Minsaw, was the first king to unite Burma under what became the Pagan Dynasty. Where they stood was where the Kingdom began before stretching outwards towards all of Burma. Using the temples and pagodas that survived time as a reference, one could only imagine what a magnificent city it must've been when it was alive.

All Gary saw was a dead city, he reasoned that if anyone saw value in it, they wouldn't have left. Old Bagan was a shadow of its former self and an example of what theocratic mismanagement by the Buddhist clergy could bring upon a civilization. The monks treasured their falling temples more than the inhabitants that once roamed its sacred pavements. Gary couldn't find that as anymore conclusive to how two-faced Buddhism was in his eyes. Physical evidence was apparent from the damaged wracked by an earthquake years ago that destroyed most of the temples in the hundreds they could see even from where they were. In a state of disrepair, yet no effort spent to restore them.

But in face of his debate of ancient politics, Cameron stood strong. She believed that the kingdom was with its people, as they migrated so did the ancient capital. These temples remained as a reminder and memorial of the efforts made to build the city as it once was and allow them to move onwards wherever progress led them. Gary had no rebuttal, she was hopelessly optimistic in a place that had none. Then what did that mean for Gang Min who left the place of his rise only to live out his days in vanity and religion? Gary had no conclusive answer now that Cameron pointed this out. There was no proof to back her words, yet he was naturally drawn to accept it. Why worry about the darkness where light shines. There would always be dark, but there will also be light.

Gary's dark past had already passed, it was time for him to step out into a bright future. Gary sought her apology for his rudeness and was forgiven on the spot. He still thought the ruins were a waste of time, but perhaps Cameron was an example of his own monument.

The next day, along their transit through Irrawaddy River to their final destination Bhamo. Gary's destination was halfway through their trip at the large town of Tigyaing where land transportation awaited them. Gary received compliments from the other foreign tourist/journalists as they travelled further upriver, wishing him well on his business trip. Cameron took a photo of both of them with the help of Thawda from a polaroid camera and gave it to him as a remembrance of their tour through ancient Burma. This piece of zink paper capturing the moment on the river barge, this was the first present he had received from anyone.

Gary didn't notice until Thawda asked why he was crying on the Land Rover the later had brought out, only glad that Cameron was long gone and unable to see it. He placed the photo within his suitcase and prayed the moisture of the jungle wouldn't damage it in time to come.

Even with impressive suspension for an off-road vehicle, the dirt road hadn't made it any easier on the newly built Defender 110. For all the trouble they had through the jungle, Thawda had managed to get them there without incident.

Kalavinka, the large town province ruled by the Min Family. This small city hidden within the valley was surprisingly well established despite its remoteness and isolation from the other cities of Burma. Thawda told him that just a few hundred miles Northeast was the Chinese border to Yunnan where they've had frequent business with the PLA 14th Army Corp, particularly in textiles as the province always fell short on clothing despite their heavy industry in agriculture and machines.

Thawda wanted to drive straight to the compound where he would stay, but Gary insisted that he be driven around Kalavinka to better understand the city. At least before people started to recognise him as the son of Min. The city had an population of eight hundred thousand, fifteen thousand were permanently assigned to enforcer duties or as the people here knew them as the Vermillion Army due to the scarlet scarf around their collars that was easily distinguishable from afar. There was an army depot where all the vehicles were stored, several barracks, an airfield for fixed winged cargo and attack aircraft, a polyclinic for treatment, several markets and centres of commerce, a hotel for foreign visitors, as well as the famous brick factory and laboratory where the workforce pumped out the product and stored it within a vault. Thawda also pointed out the ancestral home of the Min Family where Gang Min grew up.

Gary began to notice a trend in the population which depended on the Vermillion Army for protection from the Burmese armed factions and the PLA in Yunnan, there were a total of eight wells dotted throughout the city as well as two water springs and a river flow from the mountain. But it appeared that the population surrounding these well were of a single denomination. Buddhists occupied the four central wells, Muslims had a water spring and two wells, Hindus held three wells, while Christians used one and a river for washing. Gary could already taste the bitter cold war these ethnic parties had with each other and who was supposedly the dominant "power" amongst the city factions. Even amongst scraps, people would fight for what was theirs.

Gary was eventually brought to his private residence, Kyaalhcain Palace. A remnant of the days of King Bagyidaw, the sixth King of the last dynasty before British rule. The palace was allegedly a secret rendezvous for playing with his mistresses, unfortunately, the Anglo-Burmese War had deprived him of any such joys as he steered towards fighting off the British at Bengal. The palace was completed, but the King was subsequently abdicated and replaced by his brother, King Tharrawaddy.

During British rule, it had been the home of several Imperial Governors until the time of the Burma campaign where it was lost to the IJA 33rd Infantry Division who chased the remnant of the Chinese Expeditionary Force. Then, recaptured by the British 11th Army group. Leaving a small token force while the rest of the composite army group of British, Indian, Chinese and American forces squeezed the Japanese forces elsewhere. A colonel took up residence in Kyaalhcain Palace until their departure, then Gang Min took it.

Gary roamed a palace compound like a guest, but its attendants served him like he was its King. Gary began to understand why Gang Min still bothered to come back here from time to time. It was like some kind of drug that he needed to boost his shallow ego from the populations' reverence of him. To the people of Kalavinka, Gang Min was their God. So it was to his impressions that such a notion disgusted him. He was glad that he came, because now he was going to undo everything his father had built and in the ashes rise something better.

Gary spent an uncomfortable night in the palace he wasn't used to out of formality before requesting that Thawda prepare the ancestral home of the Min Family for him instead. As nervous as this attendant liaison was, he expressed his wish to see Kalavinka through the eyes of his ancestors. Thus, a more spiritual journey, even if that wasn't the real reason. Thawda was only happy to comply as well as admire the young heir's comprehension. That and he could escape the stuffy pretense his father had installed upon he who occupied the palace, he was now seeing that Siu Man was missing out on everything he ever wanted, too bad for him. Staying in the ancestral house allowed him to also socialize with people on a more personal level as well.

As it did with the general debut to the people just outside of the Min ancestral home which had been empty until now. A young and sharp looking man introduced himself as Gary Min, third son of Gang Min. In these words, there were no lies and so his speech was carried out naturally. Siu Man had told him to pretend that he was him in his stead but Gary would make his actions his own and responsible for them himself.

He said that he was here to change their lives for the better in three ways. Improved quality of life, social renaissance, modernized industry and military. He wanted to make people of Kalavinka proud to live where they were. And his first act to prove his commitment he claimed was that he would stay within the Min ancestral home. If they had problems or questions, he would be there to answer them at breakfast, lunch and dinner times. In this, they sensed a great humility in him that resembled the Min Family of old before Gang Min and grew to respect him despite his youth. He welcomed advice at the same hours and those that entered his house would be treated as his guests. Thus, Gary's debut had left an impressionable mark on all of Kalavinka and on Thawda who had witnessed the makings of a benevolent king in him.

When the commotion ended and he was on his way to have dinner with the first batch of people lucky enough to speak to their young prince, Thawda expressed his conviction to follow him in whatever he wished to pursue.

And Gary's answer to that was, "Even killing Gang Min?" He said in a cruel way that peeled off the layers of benevolence he initially saw.

To which Thawda shuddered to even think of such a deed. But dare not question if this was what Gary truly desired. Gary instead demanded that he organise a review over their military assets, in other words, a parade of Kalavinka's military might on the assembly grounds for an inspection of men and equipment tomorrow.

Setting work cut out for Thawda to handle until midnight. Giving Gary time to unpack his things personally into a bedroom that had once belonged to his paternal grandparents. Gary hung his personal effects including a new addition to the lot of few items, a photograph upon the mirror at the dressing table. Just four days of knowing this woman had changed so much about him. It was the first time he wished someone other than himself well and safe travels.

What was the chances of meeting someone like that again? One in a million, not just because of the regions' instability, but of the worlds apart that they came from. This unrequited affection was a first for him.

Gary would close his eyes for the night and finally have a pleasant dream for himself for once.

---

Part 3 – Min Destiny

The next day, an assembly of fifteen thousand men formed the entirety of the Vermillion Army. The private army of the Min Empire, Gary had been prepared a vehicle to drive along the entire stretch of airfield where the militia had been assembled to be inspected in the military review. But Gary simply walked the entire stretch, stopping to only ask a soldier from every column how was he holding up, if he was being underpaid or being mistreated. The soldiers only expressed their delight for being spoken too and denied any allegations of deprivation of personal privilege, except one soldier who was promptly struck by a baton from his Sayagyi NCO and brought away for subsequent punishment. But Gary asked for that young man to be brought to his vehicle to be spoke to, so the unruly soldier was thrown into the car awaiting the end of the review.

Gary continued with the parade which ended with the only squadron performing an air flight demonstration on C-47 transports, P-39 Aircobras and P-40 Warhawks left behind by the Tactical Air Force and American Volunteer Group Aviators. Gary gave his compliments to the pilots who were seasoned to their aircraft although notice their youth unlike people of their profession. It seemed that their trade had been inherited from their grandfathers who were the original veteran pilots like their fathers before them. After his assessment, he thanked them for their hard work and had their superiors dismiss them along with a day of leave authorised by him. The Vermillion Army happily obliged to the free half-day they were given and dispersed after receiving their standing orders.

He returned to the land rover to find the brazen soldier with a bag over his head and the officer of said soldier's unit apologizing on behalf of the soldier for his rebellious attitude. Gary simply drives the Land Rover back by himself with them on board leading to a nervous tension for the two on board with him and Thawda.

At the Min residence, Gary demands that Captain Thakin Ma Lay remove the bag off Corporal Myat Sein's head as he reveals to the soldier the food spread on his table with Thawda to his right and the corporal's equally confused superior to his left.

He starts by complimenting Corporal Sein on speaking out on problems he perceived when nobody would. It took guts, and he liked people like that who weren't afraid to address the problems that were present. And as he observed, the Vermillion Army had many. Whilst telling them to eat and drink in his presence, Gary explained what he saw from the formation of the Vermillion Army with his own two eyes.

He saw rag tag militia wielding antiques for weapons, he saw them in danger of being overwhelmed by their better armed neighbours if a conflict ever broke out. And he saw the general exhaustion in their eyes from the lack of activity rather than because of long hours. They were enforcers of the product, but all they did was guard it. When trouble came knocking, the whole charade would fall, and the Vermillion Army wouldn't even put up a proper fight. In his explanation, Gary had convinced them that he was aware of their out-of-date weapons and equipment need of repair. Every weapon system was of world war two vintage, small-arms were bolt actions with occasional submachine guns, vehicles while impressive were M4 Shermans and M3 Stuarts with limited capabilities from aging optics and mechanics with very few uses in a jungle landscape or urban settlement. The cargo planes were in better shape than the piston-fighters but were running on cannibalised parts of other aircraft in a much larger fleet. In summary, the Vermillion Army's logistical capacities were running on a thread. Like any standing army, it was in dire need for modernisation and upgrades.

When asked how he knew so much about their equipment and formations by just a glance, he said that he was originally an officer in the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, the garrison regiment defending Hong Kong from military invasion. He was both trained and schooled on modern military tactics and strategy by British tactical officers with field experience as well as hone his understanding on the latest military equipment of which the Royal Hong Kong Regiment was thoroughly well-equipped despite being a militia. Unlike the Gang Min and the Min Family before and after him, Gary was a soldier and military leader. He understood tactics and military planning that the drug enforcer community didn't.

He asked Officer Ma Lay to state the Army creed and its priorities, and more importantly, their opponents. To which the Captain explained very clearly to him.

Aside from the big players in this Civil War, the Tatmadaw, the military state in power who was in charge of the provisional government and the PLA 14th Corp who had made numerous interdictions while the country was in disarray, there was the Kachin and Shan rebels in the north and east.

The ones that had more of a direct threat to Kalavinka were smaller nearby factions such as the Juhua Cartel, a Chinese syndicate with ties to the PLA near the Yunnan border to do some deniable wetwork on their behalf within Burma as well as act as PMCs for visiting Chinese officials. They numbered at around five thousand ex-soldiers who were holdouts from the Sino-Vietnamese conflicts left for dead by the PLA and almost as well equipped. Kalashnikovs, PKMs, SVDs, RPGs, land and river vehicles. They were small in numbers to only a Brigade, but their equipment was by far the best in the region.

Four Paths Movement, was a rebel group of Kalavinka itself that comprised of two thousand five hundred feathered warriors living in the Northern Highlands as bandits. They were an insurrectionist group misled by a figure whom they only know as the Kinnara. Another Burmese mythological creature being misused as a pseudonym for some crackpot dissatisfied with the way the city lived and threw a temper tantrum to get his or her way. In any case, they had effectively broken off all ties to the place of their birth.

Kayin Republic to the south headed by a disenfranchised Major Tiki who was once part of KNLA until they exiled him for his extreme radical behaviour and deteriorating mental health. Only for him to build his own pseudo-hermit state right next to them. The numbers to his Self-declared autocratic state were unknown but were estimated to be comparable to Kalavinka, he had absorbed a few villages into his fold already. He had even sent his people to attack the city before to gain more followers to his cause, he just didn't expect there to be an entire army protecting it. The people that were kidnapped to his so-called "Temple of Pain" never emerged whole again. They had long suspected him using narcotics to corrupt people, then again, they were also making narcotics in one form or another but not for their personal consumption. Like Gary, the people of Kalavinka knew the effects of the product were bad for them. But in a place with little natural resources, this was the only way to survive. This belief had been enforced by Gang Min over the decades.

When he asked Corporal Sein for his general life in the military, he could see that there was loyalty within the Vermillion Army to Gang Min. But overall, they knew very little about his social and family life. Gary decided it wouldn't hurt to share a bit about the Min Empire, at least his version of the story. As they had expected, Gang Min was a powerful man even in Hong Kong to its authorities. His blunders were more of greedy descendants, particularly pointing to his other four sons and daughters who had established their own holdings over Gang Min's assets in Kowloon. But Kalavinka remained largely unknown to them as well. They believed that it was some backwater place with a small distillery and some armed guards in a village. Which was the reason why they wouldn't come here, because they could not provide for their extravagant lifestyles.

When asked how Gary differed from them, he stated that he was a child of a mistress which, wasn't wrong. So he had no power and lived a relatively frugal life of an inhabitant of Hong Kong, albeit bottom feeder which he left out. He worked hard in his youth and carved a future out for himself, eventually gaining the position of Strategic Advisor to the Eldest Brother, Siu Man. The person who was supposed to come here. This gave them a poor impression of the heir even though they had not yet heard the rest of what Gary had to say or gripe about Siu Man as he enjoyed that even they saw him as the human garbage that he was. He also described a mysterious princess of Min estate, the enigmatic heiress of Lau, another Drug peddling empire. Who chewed Gang Min out every day with spiteful words without retaliation. Giving some colour to the birthplace of their benefactor.

He finally ended with his purpose here. He was simply coming on behalf of the heir of Min who had no interest in the people of Kalavinka and only his lifestyle. Gary took up this job as an obligation to rescue a brother, again, no falsehoods behind his words. But also to connect with the people who raised Gang Min and perhaps give them back something as well. It convinced the pair of Vermillion soldiers that Gary was definitely a better person to have in their city than that wastrel of an heir who had no redeeming qualities to the great Gang Min. Furthermore, they had the honor of speaking as equals to a son of Min as a guest in his house. Yet he had chosen to reside here than in the Kyaalhcain Palace which was rightfully his, it spoke much of his character that made both men believe that Gary Min was not just a second Gang Min but a great man in the making. He had an incredible destiny ahead of him, and they wanted to be a part of it.

It was such that they kowtowed to him like the ethnically Chinese Min family of old and swore absolute loyalty to him rather than repledging their allegiance to Gang Min. Gary was surprised at their lack of hesitation to do such a thing but believed in their readiness to follow him for now. So when asked what would he have them do, he replied that he wanted their Company to report to the Kyaalhcain Palace the following day to be personally trained by him into a competent infantry company. The two men left in high spirits eager to inform the rest of their unit that they had been handpicked by the son of Min to be the first trained in a new kind of army under his reforms.

Thawda provided Gary with the ledgers and financial books on their product sales and production as well as the upkeep of the troops and city. Telling him that they had no additional money to train the men nor buy replacements for the worn weapons and equipment in their inventory. The city improvements were only a fantasy as well. Gary laughed and said why would he pay for it all when he could have his neighbours do it for him instead. This made Thawda widen his eyes in disbelief, the state of Kalavinka wasn't exactly on good terms with its unofficial neighbours, not even the smaller factions. Furthermore, there were profit margins they had to meet at home. Kalavinka was still a source of revenue for Gang Min's coffers, so if it dried up suddenly meant that he was doing something wrong. The Min Family and its triad were largely convinced that Gary would merely sit and overseer the entire operation that was already working fine without interference. But Gary was intending to do more than just that, he wanted to build his own camp that rivalled that of the Hong Kong-based triad. And unlike them, he would have combat experienced soldiers, dedicated workers and doctors, as well as selfless people willing to do dirty deeds for him that most triad enforcers would cringe at. Kalavinka was where Gang Min got his power, it would be where Gary was going to get his too.

Gary was made somewhat too restless to sleep even though Thawda, the steward of Kalavinka was far more worried than him because he was clearer on the situation of their military, civil and financial aspect. Gary was determined to work on the parts that he was familiar with before proceeding on. He chose to walk out in the curfew hours until the tiredness set in.

He was certainly more active than the rest of the city that had turned in early from a long day's work and chow to fill their stomachs. Gary was given an opportunity to roam the silent streets under nothing but the twilight, realising why Kyaalhcain Palace was built here as the ancient king must've been quite a stargazer. In a supposedly empty street, he could hear soft pitter-pattering as shadows darted from cover to cover avoiding the attention of the night watch who were assigned to protect the streets and sound the alarm if something happened.

He followed these shadows thinking they meant ill intent within the city and tracked them around the corner to an alleyway where dumpsters were positioned to collect the refuse of the city. It when he saw the shadows lurk up to the bins and lifted their covers discreetly to acquire whatever contents was inside. It was then that he realised just from this action who they were and what they were doing. They were nothing more than children eating what they could scavenge within dumpsters.

He knew this even before the silhouetted became visible under the moonlight because he had once dumpster dived as a child. When punished by his mother for failing to fulfil quotas to buy drugs, she went into a fit of rage and beat him, or he could escape but go without supper. There was more than one time he went behind eateries to grab food while it was still hot after tossed out from unfinished dishes. He sighed to himself, because there was nowhere that didn't have misfortune like this. Burma, Hong Kong or anywhere else.

He came out into the light, but the noise he made scared them off and made them run off into the night in different directions. Even he couldn't catch them if he wanted to so he gave up the notion and approached the dumpster to see what was on the menu.

As far as he could tell despite the overwhelming stench, beans, rice, and some scraps of vegetables were what comprised of the spread. Having worn himself out by walking a distance from his house, Gary reached into his pocket and pulled out a bar of candy which he had acquired from the Hong Kong duty-free while waiting for his flight, placing it upon the ground before returning to his home. After some steps away from the dumpster and around the corner, he heard the peeling of wrapper which meant that someone was indulging in the sweet and hopefully sharing it.

Gary knew he had his work cut out for him, but he at least knew who deserved his attention most.

The next morning, he demanded that Thawda organise a census over the population by the week's end. No one was excluded. No religious party, no one without a family, no one in their adolescence.

He also asked for access to some of the dry foods in the army storage, the last request baffled Thawda the most but he simply complied with his request.

Gary had breakfast with a stranger as he usually did and conversed a bit before excusing himself as he had business to attend to with the Vermillion Army. Gary arrived at the courtyard of the Kyaalhcain Palace five minutes early, but found the 13th Infantry company to be already assembled and awaiting his inspection. Captain Ma Lay brought him through the inspection of their kit and rifles, American M1903s and M1 Garands. A hodgepodge of weapons, some men even carried Karabiner Mausers or Arisakas which were family heirlooms to them. The weapons and equipment situation were far worst than he expected. However, their rifling and action were clean. But it could just be a one-time thing to impress him.

He had them conduct a parade drill followed by an inspection of their shooting proficiency at makeshift ranges in the palace courtyard. At fifty yards, nearly half of them couldn't even hit the target base. It was as he feared, the Vermillion Army was nothing more than a paper army. But could he blame them, no. They were given no resources to improve, no funds allocated to them to buy better kit. Yet they still remained loyal to Gang Min, albeit blindly, believing Gang Min to be some sort of living celestial. Gary was about to do fun things with 13th Company, his face showed it.

He started by dividing them into infantry sections with people of their relative heights consistent with one another, as per British Infantry doctrine. He had them all standardise their weapons to Springfield rifles, borrowing them or exchanging from other units and allotted them the standard amount of ammunition each. He then taught them stances to adopt in standing crouch and prone along with the proper way of holding and aiming a rifle. He demonstrated shooting excellence by applying all he said as he fired at a target from twice the distance they did, then taught them how to measure shot groupings and how to identify the best accuracy from a gun. He retaught them how to clean and maintain their rifles as well as what parts to treat with care.

And that was how the first day ended, with him setting standards and reorganising the 13th. They were sent home with advance payment at his behest and told to come tomorrow at the same time for the next lesson. To be trained and paid for it, the soldiers of the Vermillion Army were greatly perplexed by this as they still complied with the old system of paying for one's own training.

At dinner, Gary was visited by the Buddhist abbot who was a de facto leadership of the Buddhist citizens. Giving the expected pleasantries as one could expect from a person of his knowledge. The Abbot named Htut spoke about their ideology that believed in Gautama Buddha and the cycle of reincarnation, as well as the concept of Karma. Something that Gary knew but didn't respect, although he didn't show it and simply listened to what the Abbot wanted to say.

It was at this point when Abbot Htut began to confess his suspicions about the Muslims and Hindus, using old history as his evidence for their misdeeds and bad intentions. They were descendants of the INA forces who had fled after the defeat of the Japanese. A movement of Indian nationals to free India from British rule during the war and way before Gandhi arrived to the scene to preach with his non-violence protocol. Gary said he'd take it into account which finally let the Abbot stop badmouthing others and be on his way. At this point, Gary's appetite had just been spoilt. But he was sure someone else was as hungry as before. At the same time as last night, he brought with him a box full of dry foods, leaving it at the same spot after his presence scared away the shadows and leaving after opening the cardboard and peeling a wrapper to reveal the contents of the box.

The next morning after the usual breakfast with Gary's with a stranger, he went to the courtyard of Kyaalhcain Palace and taught the 13th Company fire movements, mainly the fire squad formations that he learn in boot camp, he instructed them of the procedure of each man and how to conduct a proper bounding overwatch to protect the fellow next to them with cover fire. In practice, this was wasteful on ammo conservation but ensured the safety of the section and reduced casualties. The last item of the day was teaching them how to communicate under fire and maintain visual awareness of their surroundings as accidents were more likely to happen than actual fatalities caused by an opponent. To better aid their understanding, he had spent the night drawing pictograms of how these actions were performed and under what situation were they most useful.

It was under his understanding that three-quarters of the company could not read let alone write. While they could speak both Burmese and Cantonese because it was treated as the main dialect here, both written characters were out of their reach. The only source of education they received in their tertiary years was home schooling at best. Making them chained to their fate without hope of advancement. It sickened him to think that his father had effectively enslaved the people who trusted his family. He would soon show the people of Kalavinka his crimes against them and their fathers and mothers, make them hungry for revenge like he was.

Intermittently during the lunchbreak, he paid a surprise visit to the Muslim blocks' Mufti. Arguably the only one of few educated people within Kalavinka. Because to understand Islam required daily readings from the Quran. Mufti Aasif bin Ishaf was such a man, originally a sergeant of the INA remnant that sought sanctuary here decades ago, he had dedicated himself towards spreading the teachings of Islam. Although he did not bar other ethnicities from learning Burmese or Arabic from him in his abode and also taught Hindu lore and their epics whether he was qualified to or not. Gary did not announce himself, merely sat in the presence of his students, young and old during his teaching sessions to absorb Aasif's ability to teach. Having some fluency in Burmese, he was able to understand some of the words written but not all of it.

At the end of the lesson, the Mufti approached him and spoke in fluent Cantonese whether he could be of service to the Son of Min. Gary simply shrugged and asked if he could buy him lunch to which he was most grateful. Lunch at the ancestral house of Min was one that was not by themselves, as Gary invited Aasif's closest pupils to eat with them and give a wider perspective of the Muslim corridor. Gary would learn that Aasif had apparently met his paternal grandfather in the flesh, Master Min Wing Nam, who had originally had a different surname. Had changed it at the behest of the locals to one of their choosing, without realising that Min was a common surname for Burmese Kings like the ones that went extinct after the British ruled. Aasif confessed that he had heard many a rumor about him from word traveling through the street and believed it all to be some hoax but was glad to be proven wrong.

Gary asked him to honestly state what Kalavinka lacked to which the Mufti responded without hesitation to with, "a school." Over his life in this city, he had seen many horrible things done as well as commit them in his early life. He saw his ultimate goal of building a school as his means of redemption and a way to restore hope to the people. On his departure, Gary promised him that he would build this school for the city and make him its principle on the condition that he give options for all languages and religions. The Mufti cried over such a simple request as he thought he was still decades away from achieving this feat and living long enough to see it bear fruit.

This meant a dedicated place to facilitate learning, more than just a venue, what was needed was books, writing material and stationary. The deep northern Burma had none of these, only the major cities would have them in stock. But to buy them needed money which Gary was still short on, he had the mind to just sell off the palace as it served as nothing more than a monument to Gang Min's vanity. He lived like a god in there while people were suffering to this extent outside those walls. Gary felt sympathetic towards the people of Kalavinka even though they didn't know they were suffering.

Returning to training the 13th Company, Gary was now going to teach them silent hand signals. And create a mock scenario of where he was located somewhere in the palace and they had to silently sneak up on him without giving away their position until they had properly encircled him. It seemed funny to the attendants who thought they were playing around, and perhaps they were. There was no real way to tell the difference. Gary had created an inevitable bond with the men of 13th company who would follow him into fire if he commanded it. Ma Lay too recognised this to be the display of leadership which a person of his appointment was supposed to have and strove to better himself for the sake of his prince and his Kalavinka.

Routine would soon develop over the weeks, morning he ate breakfast and taught the company one more new thing whilst testing them to see if they remembered past lessons. Visiting another de facto leadership of an ethnic camp, having dinner with them. Followed by his usual routine of handing out food to the street children who didn't even bother to wait for his presence to disappear as they lurked in the surroundings.

And on the second week, Gary made a declaration to his neighbours demanding a monthly tribute of funds for their own protection.

---

Part 4 – The Bluff

It wasn't their reaction to his letters but rather the response he was hoping they would enact. He even said that he would go through the trouble of sending a single company to destroy whoever didn't give their protection money to him, starting with the Four Paths Movement in the North. Amongst the four neighbours, they were a thorn in their side especially because they raided trading caravans between them and the Kachin confederates as well as the Yunnan border garrison.

Their masked leader, Kinnara was too long a menace towards her native Kalavinka. Gary had found evidence that Kinnara was once a pupil of Mufti Aasif and thus had sort of self-radicalised when she wasn't able to convince the city to make their own reforms to become better on their own. That is why Abbot Htut pointed fingers at the Mufti. The Vermillion Army tried to arrest her during Gang Min's last visit four years ago and so she fled. But she wasn't alone, a bulk of the city youth followed her into exile. As Gang Min was about to depart, he left her a gift outside the city. Her brother and mother's corpses hanging on the roadside, since then she had done everything to destroy Kalavinka with everlasting hatred. As his declaration would have most likely provoked her the most, Gary intended to make her see the error of her ways.

The son of Min was a most appetizing prey for the Kinnara. Dead or alive, she could savour at least some semblance of relief over her grudge with Gang Min. As Gary had promised, the 13th Company would be the one to join him alone in quelling the rebellion by the Kinnara.

Two weeks of training had turned the militia into proper soldiers in his impression. He used one more week to give them special jungle warfare training which he had learnt from a British military instructor who had played a part in the counter insurgency operation during the Malayan Emergency. While he didn't believe the stationary Royal Hong Kong Regiments needed that sort of knowledge, he shared it as a story to the young Gary.

While training was ongoing, Gary had Thawda draw out all the best kept weapons in their arsenal and surplus ammunition they had to be distributed to the 13th Company, for it was foolish to go under equipped. Although he had them pack light as there was to be a lot of movement through the Jungle.

The nights of giving free food had drawn more hungry children towards that particular alleyway, until they were no longer hiding and simply waiting for Gary to unravel the boxes that tripled in quantity. Gary tried something different this time, he took a snack pack of dried fruits and sat against the wall eating. Leaving it for them to decide whether his presence while they dove in for the food was important or not. But hunger overpowered reason, and simply treated him as nothing more than another individual eating from the free food portions.

He declared to them that today was the last day he would bring food to this place, making heads pivot towards him in surprise and disappointment at the miracle that was only just wearing off now. He then monologued on how he was going to war with the Four Paths Movement in order to regain what was lost to Kalavinka.

It was here that one of the street rats stood up to him and denounced his actions, declaring that big sister Kali was fighting for their wellbeing. Gary didn't refute nor deny what the street rats thought about Kinnara, but even so, Kalavinka would be trapped in this state of decay. The street rats became so confrontational with slurs and food thrown his way, so heated that it drew the night watch towards their location and set them dispersing onto the shadows with what food they could still carry.

The night watch checked to see that he was alright, but overall oblivious of what had caused the commotion there, filing it in their report as just another freak disturbance.

Gary returned to the ancestral home to find Thawda outside, asking him why he felt the need to do what he did. Eventually, these kids would have to see that the had no choice but to grow up and assume some responsibilities. Even if those job opportunities were narrow here. Gary responded that perhaps deep down, maybe he never grew up himself.

He was still that little kid looking for a home, looking for a family.

The next morning, Gary met the 13th Company at Kyaalhcain Palace courtyard where they had started to camp out, out of convenience. But today was a different sort of day, it was the day in which payment was expected to arrive and hadn't predicably so. The Four Paths Movement were now their first target, mobilizing out by the jeep and trucks provided to reduce the journey by a significant amount. Gary said a few words about how they had nothing to worry about and that they had achieve the standards that he had during his training, or even better. They were now marching off to destroy Four Paths Movement. But an idea like that sown by Kinnara cannot be destroyed even if every member of the rebels were killed. Therefore, to kill the idea, they were going to capture Kinnara. As tall as this order was, he had full confidence in their ability to carry out the plans that he had prepared to achieve this goal. He only asked that they give him absolute trust this one time, Corporal Sein roared his approval. Seen as a usual advocate against higher authority to be giving Gary their approval meant that it was worth it and so they did.

Driving off with the son of Min in the lead vehicle, many faces looked towards him and his party gone on their exploit to attack the Four Paths Movement in the Northern Highlands. Some sent their prayers, others shook their heads thinking that the son of Min would return broken and battered.

For the Four Paths Movement had garnered somewhat of a reputation known throughout Burma too. Living in the highlands, Kinnara had somehow connected with nature and attained an in-depth understanding of tracking. The rebels didn't use firearms at all but bows and arrows. In the dense jungle, this gave them a significant stealth advantage. That is if they could ambush an opponent and weather them down without expecting counterattack or flanking. But in the time that they were preparing, Gary had sent Thawda to the military occupied city of Mandalay to buy equipment for Corporal Sein's section that played a pivotal role in their attack.

The vehicles were some way from the base of the highlands even though the road had ended for them. He had them alight and build a camp in a secluded part of the highlands that were well protected by the cliffs to their flanks. Staying them for the night while he and the most agile soldiers he gave specialised training as combat trackers surveyed the surroundings.

The Highland ridges belonged to Four Paths, as it was the high grounds that dictated their advantage and accounted for most of their wins when being chased after. So all he needed to do was force them down into the valley that was a killzone. But to do that and keep them there, Gary studied his geography diligently. As this might be the home of Kinnara and therefore holding the home advantage, but he would slowly turn the natural defences of the highlands against them. Gary and the scouts were busy all night whilst the rest of the Company ate and slept well until the morning as per his instructions.

He returned and set them on their first task. Chopping dry wood to make a fire, their position at the base of the hill and the generally cool day had forced the smoke over the highland hills. Thus, suffocating fauna and with some luck, their hidden rebels. He then had them relocate to a safe location which he marked on the map and brought up Corporal Sein and his section who had special training of their own allocated to them. He had them survey the fire stacks in the cover of the vegetation while Gary repositioned himself to better manage the Company stretched out away from visual line-of-sight. All they had to communicate with one another were SCR-300 backpack radios that had a mere eight-mile radius which was hampered by the dense canopy of the trees. Even so, they were all under strict orders for radio silence.

The first signs of contact were made apparent to Gary when an investigation party was sent to survey and report back to the rest of the rebel force, only for Corporal Sein to attack them out of the bushes. With refined accuracy, the section took out fifteen men and women before the rest of the investigative party had fled to warn the main force of their numbers and arrival. As per Gary's orders, the section was not to pursue as they wanted to main force to be baited to attack this scout party that had crossed paths.

No doubt, gaining her attention from the fires. Kinnara would be cautious of how she approached this new threat at her doorstep. If it was a section of ten men as the scout party had reported in, that meant that a company was lurking nearby. She knew that if she could crush this group, then it would prevent the rest of the forces from coming to their aid on time and she would have time to organise a defence or attack if necessary. Although receiving the letter and its words were followed to the letter about the invading company of soldiers, Kinnara knew better than to trust the words of someone like him, especially a son of Gang Min.

And it was through Gary's manipulation that Kinnara acted in response to the letter threat he sent in the most predicable manner possible.

With the return of what remained of her investigative team, the Four Paths Movement moved as a whole army down into the valley. The smoke had long suffocated them out of their original habitat and out to a waiting area. Their contact with the very same section of scouts was instant as they fled on mountain bikes Thawda had gone through the trouble of buying all the way from Rangoon with what money Gary had from the trinkets given to him by the Triads. The feathered warriors of Four Paths were unsurpassed on foot through the highlands, as athletic as they were, they were no match for motor bikes. Giving Corporal Sein and his section the capabilities approaching most modern motorized reconnaissance units.

Kinnara directed her people to skillfully cut off the motorized section with her innate knowledge of the surrounding topography. Planning to pincer them at a valley mouth that led out of the highland range back to Kalavinka where she anticipated them reporting to their army. She was also cautious of where the Company attached to them was. Dividing her forces in two, each wing was still sufficient at fighting a company of soldier's head on. In a cat and mouse chase, Kinnara and her highland warriors could easily see the tracks in the ground from tire marks but were always short on their target even though terrain favored them on foot than it did to the bikes. These new units were moving through dense vegetation without losing speed, nothing she had seen before in the Vermillion Army.

The report of gunfire gave clue that the other half of her group had caught up to the bikes and attacked them. But as she approached with her forces to close the gap, the bikes stormed through them and drove all the way up the mountains instead. It didn't make sense to them or her why they could have escaped and instead go back to where they encountered them. But was forced to continue tracking the bike unit. Day turned to night as the visibility got worse, her people insisted upon her many times to return home but she knew the threat remained with the Bikes. Sooner or later, the Vermillion Army would get wise on their lateness to report in and dispatch a more sizable force to apprehend them while they were out of the protection of their highlands and fortified home.

So she sent half of her force to return home with most of the people less willing to continue their search while she tracked them down to a single discarded bike which had run out of fuel. This was good for her as it meant they would be forced to go on foot from now onwards. After a quick rest and breakfast, they closed in on the nine remaining tracks that soon waned down to eight and then six. The more abandoned bikes she saw, the more eager her men were to return the favor of making them go out of their hiding on this wild goose chase. But Kinnara sensed something wrong with the direction that the bike section was going, instead of a hiding area within the highlands, they were going in a very specific location.

Their home.

She had them rest up as much as they could to regain some energy for a fight which they thought wouldn't come if the bike unit had unfortunately stumbled upon their home garrison.

Up the cliffs to a familiar narrow path into a hidden passage between rocky cliffs, they could see the palisades that were their home.

The men were tired from their fruitless chase and wanted to return to sleep out the fatigue, rushing ahead of her back to their sleeping areas, to grab a bite from the fire pit or shower under the waterfalls.

Only for them to come under fire from the palisade itself. Firearms that the Four Paths didn't use, this meant only one thing.

That their home had been occupied by the Vermillion Army whilst they were been misled by the bike troops.

Around Kinnara, her people became frantic amidst the confusion of why their home was occupied and what became of the returning force of a thousand two hundred two days earlier? They had been trapped in a narrow passage blocked off by the very cliffs that protected them with no vegetation or cover to avoid imminent slaughter. For the Vermillion Army, it was like a mere shooting gallery. Under the protection of the log palisades, the feathered warriors' arrows were nothing.

Kinnara sounded the whistle to retreat into the forests where they could assume protection and avoid complete destruction. As the last man to retreat after ensuring that every of her companions surviving had passed her, she was unaware of what had caused the men out back to halt in their tracks not following her orders. Only to realise why they weren't, because they couldn't. The only exit from whence they came, had been blocked off by columns of mounted machine guns and soldiers with self-loading weapons. In a single salvo, they could cut down everyone and finally rid Kalavinka of that black mark upon its shame to Gang Min.

She had been checkmated.

Now all that remained was the punishment she would receive before her execution. And thus, she stepped forwards to yield herself in exchange for leniency upon her people. Out from the machine gun emplacements, Captain Ma Lay took her under arrest and brought her to a shadow that loomed over them from above the cliffside observing the battle from on high.

The Kinnara, or Kali bint Aasif, the daughter of the Mufti saw the son of Min for the first time. Exuding the same oppressive aura of the senior Min, but without the eyes that looked down on his fellow man like a demi-god.

Gary Min introduced himself formally and asked her to join him in sitting at a folding table and chair set for a cup of Lehpet, the local pickled tea. Kali asked what became of the thousand two hundred that she sent back early and whether he had killed them all. As impossible as it sounded from her perspective.

Gary only answered after having a sip of the tea that Corporal Sein had specially brewed for him as he had been bragging about his family recipe. He informed her that they had surrendered after falling victim to the same trap that they did and were being held in another valley. Implying that since the beginning, the Company had slipped by them and occupied their home fortress while they were being misled around by the motorized section. It was a mistake to send half her force back, as it meant less people to deal with for the Vermillion Army. If she had just ordered them to return home like they asked, the Company would instead be trapped within the fortress with two thousand five hundred rebels trying to take it back until they were the ones surrendering.

Kinnara asked how did the Bike section move around the valley like they knew the place, causing the Four Paths warriors to miss them at every turn. Gary replied that being based at their highland abode where he had a birds' eye view of the entire valley, he was not subject to radio interference and with colored flares launched at every half-an-hour, Corporal Sein and the Motorized section indicated where their current position was and he directed them on their next checkpoint without encountering high elevation in ground or obstacles. Gary had kept the motorized section safe from harm with his directives and that of the 13th Company as well. Four Paths had come dangerously close to catching them when their tanks were running on fumes, but they made it. And in their patience and faith in him, were rewarded with a clear victory.

Kali asked what would become of her people and what sort of punishment would they receive, only for Gary to say that they would have none. At most, they will be kept under surveillance in an enclosed compound for a week to quarantine them for disease or infections, then they could go back to their family homes if they so wished. Kali angrily demanded why did he go through all this trouble just so that they could return home. Gary answered that if he had sent a letter to them allowing them back, there was no way they would trust the words in his letter. The price for conveying that message proper was the deaths of at least a hundred young men and women, but it carried his point across well. He did this to them with just a company like he said he would, what if he deployed three or even the entire army?

But under the toll the Four Paths Movement had endured over the years out in the wild, there was no sweeter sound that returning back home. Kali could not understand the logic, as he stood to gain nothing. Gary replied that he did. With news of the Four paths Movement defeated, the northern roads towards the Kachin tribes would now be open freely for commerce once more. He intended to work on a tariff-free trade agreement with the confederation of Northern Burmese Tribes after this. Kalavinka could then gain direct road access to East India where he could acquire industrial tools on a budget as the ongoing civil war in Burma had made it impossible to acquire any heavy machinery locally.

These were just some of the plans that he had thought up on a whim that were essential to a modernisation of the infrastructure in Kalavinka. Gary then told her of his promise to Mufti Aasif to build a school, but the number of educated people were few. That is where Kali came in as a suitable person to head proactive teaching curriculums. Kali, the leader of Four Paths became lost as Gary monologued the many grand plans towards their city home that were everything she wanted for the city and its people. She found it difficult to accept that the son of Min was nothing like Gang Min at all who only wanted slaves to his will.

Kali thanked Gary for giving her people a way out and most of all, a future. As well as the generosity of offering her a job that she would most certainly have loved to do. But declined and said that he could have her body to hang on the streets to put an end to the Four Paths student movement.

Even though things had turned out well for them in the end, Kali still could not rid herself of the hatred she had for his father and the brother and mother she could not avenge. Gary would have to put her down or she would never stop doing what she did, even if she was alone.

And then Gary said, "Are you just gonna let your family go unavenged?"

Implying that he knew about her situation well, then again he had conversed with her father before. Gary taunted her with information on what Gang Min was currently doing lavishing in a palace of an estate in Hong Kong and what he thought about the people of Kalavinka. Seeing the rage in her eyes that followed suit as she imagined it all too well. Her mind had become Gary's ally against her will.

Gary then tells her that she is not the only victim to Gang Min's actions or inaction depending on perspectives. And asked her how would she like a chance to kill his father?

This sentence sent a shiver down her spine and that of Officer Ma Lay who was there to hear it. She noticed the soldier shudder but did not murmur a single protest, realising that this soldier and perhaps more of them were loyal to Gary rather than Gang Min. Kali is confused by this notion that Gary would be willing to let his father die, or rather, he wanted him to. Asking him why, his response was the same, she wasn't the only victim. Understanding the meaning behind these words, Kali yielded all further queries on that subject. But did ask him how he would achieve this.

Gary took that as her interest in collaborating to achieve this end that they both desired and shared it to her his rough idea. At the end of his term, Gary would return to Hong Kong to assume higher office with greater trust from Gang Min due to his outstanding service, also granted a place within his inner circle. With Gary's success in Burma, Siu Man would've been able to keep his position in the status quo and be on his way to succeeding Gang Min. But Gary did not intend to dirty his hands for the act as much as he would love strangling the life out of the old man. Instead, he would whisper dangerous seeds of rebellion into Siu Man. Deceiving him into thinking that Gang Min was having second thoughts about making him the head leader and anointing another sibling instead. It didn't matter if Siu Man was the one to kill Gang Min personally, and claim the seat of power. Everyone would know it was him after Gary lays out the evidence. Naturally, with his patricide, the other children of Min would break away or rebel ensuing into a desperate power struggle for supremacy.

Gary would have no need to act further as all the noise and racket was enough for MI6 to coordinate with Interpol and the local police to have them arrested and seize their assets one after another. Without Gang Min, the Min empire would crumble as his children had none of the power that he did nor the relations with powerful influencers of Hong Kong to save the skin off their backs. Some might put up a struggle and form alliances with other weaker gangs, but that wasn't going to let them regain their former glory. Then, there was the heiress of Lau whose chance to rebuild had come.

As dizzy as she was from the scale of his plot, Kali resided herself to the fact that there was not long for Gang Min in this life. But her involvement would increase the odds in their favour or at least speed up the process, so it would be beneficial for her to trust in Gary's plans.

That moment, Gary had defeated Kinnara and her Four Paths Movement, but saved Kali and two thousand other youths from endless conflict.

The following day, Kalavinka would witness the return of the 13th Company and as well as the misfit band that had disappeared into the highland years ago. Allowed a brief moment to greet their relatives from a distance after so long, the population was quick to learn of Gary pardoning the transgression of the Four Paths Movement and had allowed them to reintegrate into the city.

Kali was also allowed to share a close moment her father though the Vermillion soldiers stood between them to prevent them from reuniting before their quarantine.

Returning to his own ancestral house, he was too tired to host any guests as he usually did and told the house attendants to dismiss the crowd forming outside. That night, Gary had a cryptic dream of an ancient Bagan Kingdom as Cameron had described it. He imagined he was in the place of a Prince and saw his father in the throne of a king and his half-siblings standing beside him. There was a sword in his hand with blood smeared all over. The head of a man resembling Siu Man in the other. He did not know what was expected of him, but he knew what actions to take after that. One by one, the princes and princesses of this Kingdom stood in his way, one by one, he killed them until only the King was left. Siting where he had from the beginning, not moving, not intervening in any way. It was just so typical of his behaviour, Gary thought as he plunged his sword into him only to strike an empty throne. Outside he walked, the Kingdom was in flames. Destine to take the shape that he remembered it as lone ruins.

And then, he woke up. With the ticking clock of fate set in motion.

---

Part 5 – A New World.

That morning, he sought breakfast alone only to find Thawda awaiting him to tell him some urgent news.

Apparently, word of his exploits had garnered the attention of his neighbours. In the face of a single company defeating and capturing two thousand four hundred warriors who had been a thorn in everyone's side, they gave in to his demands this once. Thawda reported a protectorate fee of precious gems and gold given to him by the other two powers. Juhua Cartel gave a trinket sum of Rubies, while Kayir's Major Tiki gave gold jewellery he had pilfered and added to his treasury. The envoys of both factions had delivered their payments on time, they were expecting to receive the next issue the following month or at least when they had figured out a deterrence towards Gary's newly reformed Vermillion Army.

They deliberately gave him raw or difficult modes of currency to properly buy new weapons or pay people. As they were aware he would funnel these tributes towards their new army expenses. But Gary had no intention of buying his weapons and equipment directly from the Military Junta in power, the Tatmadaw. Where that sort of currency had little or depreciated value with the saturation of ruby and second-hand jewellery were in the market. Now that new road access was available to him, he could find new possibilities to suppliers.

Naturally, he allowed the 13th Company to take a well-deserved leave to rest and recuperate. He had Captain Ma Lay promoted to a Major and put him in charge of organising a military reform committee to gather ideas and issues that needed addressing to their armed forces of which had plenty. Corporal Sein was given a chance to become a Sergeant, but refused that offer.

With some money in his pocket, Gary now considered approaching the Mufti to consult him on how he wanted his school built. Because there may not be another time before the wallet starts to shrink.

But the biggest concern right now was revenue for spending beyond the regular shipments set for the Min Empires' buyers. Kalavinka was not the only ones harvesting raw opium, their neighbours were all grabbing a bite out of the international drug market. But what Kalavinka had that most of its neighbours didn't was its own capacity to refine said opium into the more highly desired Heroin.

Again, this was thanks to the industry the Allies had set here thirty years ago. And while the Shan and Kachin states outstripped their production of raw opium, they had limited infrastructure to refine to heroin. However, Kalavinka's laboratories were quite outdated by this decade. Which was what Gary intended to solve quickly. There was also another source of revenue that he could profit from which the local factions both rebel and military government were in great need of.

Weapons and ammunition. In these remote parts, it was difficult to get such items unless imported from abroad or captured from oppositions. These were of greater value and demand in these parts and as such commanded a higher premium when purchased anywhere within the country. Best of all, Kalavinka had cargo planes to carry large quantities back at express times. Which reminded him that the upkeep for their aviation was also something he should take into account. Gary had no worries towards the current embargoes to arms as he was quite familiar with arms smuggling from Mainland Guangzhou Province to the Hong Kong triads.

These were ways on how Kalavinka could grow.

Never would he thought before that the very product that he loathed would be used to help people, his people. It was a contradiction that could only be debated heavily by philosophers.

Gary would invite the Mufti to discuss avenues on looking towards sourcing Indian industrial equipment. He was however greeted with prostration by Aasif and his pupils to express their gratitude in pardoning Kali for her sins. Even though Gary was pretty sure they or rather Gang Min wronged her by murdering her brother and mother, Aasif's family members too.

After having them sit, Gary exposed his plans for civil redevelopment. As to support increases in their industrial capacity to produce opium and heroin, it required much more sophisticated buildings and access ways than dirt roads and crude power lines. It would be nice if they could also have a telephone line as well. Gary had laid out for them part of his grand four-year plan.

The Mufti was hesitant to offer his assistance beyond the services of an interpreter as he had not returned to his native India since the Second World War. He was initially afraid of returning to a British ruled India to face punishment which at that time was the Red Fort Trials. But times had changed, the India he knew had become an independent India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Dividing the Hindustani and Muslim populations into their respective majorities to avoid more racial conflict. For all they knew, Aasif could be celebrated as a hero in his native province.

Gary decided to give him a long shot at fate and sent him on a plane ride back to his hometown for a month. The old Mufti could hardly believe what he was being given and wept once more. Gary gave Kali that opportunity too, but she refused saying that Kalavinka was where she was born and raised, just like her mother. Instead, she would focus her energies towards building this school in place of her father.

Gary summoned the Christian and Buddhist camps of the city each to personally share his progressive plans for their improvement. The Christians had no qualms, merely stating that they would pray for his success. But did however, give him many homemade trinkets to express appreciation. Gary instead imposed on them to like the good book said, "Help thy neighbour." Be it in tolerance or gifting meaningful items that others were short on.

The Buddhists on the other hand seemed on the verge of mass protest, not towards the renewal plans but on another subject matter entirely. It was clear that they were aggrieved by the very notion that the former Four Paths Movement members could walk away from all they had done without repercussions, "Karma" they called it. He had done something that Gang Min wouldn't have, they said to which he simply passed it off with a shrug. Which only made them more aggravated that he would not listen to them. Seeing that he would not listen to them en masse, they dispatched their leader, Abbot Htut to speak on that matter on their behalf.

And so, Gary was made to sit through another lecture from Abbot Htut. Who finally went on the subject of inquiring why he had spared Kali bint Aasif, who he still referred to as Kinnara. Gary simply stated that she was more useful alive than dead as it was a waste of manpower, plus, as the Buddhist head why was he so aggressive? It was bad for his blood pressure. He should've been grateful that he did not harm many young innocence over the bloodbath he could have raised. The Abbot was taken aback, but Gary had other news for him. As he stated that he also knew that years ago, it was none other than the Abbot who tattled on Kali to Gang Min. He even knew that the Abbot had roused this very entire crowd of Buddhists to look upon this decision with disfavour to what he perceived in Gary as weakness. The Abbot fell back in shock of the secret that he tried to keep all this time and begun to fear for his life. The Abbot was a rat.

Gary merely advised him that while he had difficulty trusting a rat, he would work with him for the sake of the other Buddhists who believed in his leadership. In other words, he was just a convenient tool for him to control the Buddhist majority. Gary knew much about his character and would look to him if anything were ever to seem amiss. After he said what was needed, the Abbot was dismissed and sent to disperse the dissatisfied crowd he had arouse.

With civil matters sorted through, Gary devoted his attentions to military affairs over the following days. In his review and Ma Lay's audit, it was acknowledged that a majority of the army felt dissatisfied not only by their poorly maintained kit and the lack of spares parts for vehicles, but also the general lack of combat action. The latest offensive by the 13th Company had been the buzz throughout the Vermillion Army, and the units were craving for Gary to bring them out on such operations in future. He understood their sentiment as a militia of Hong Kong himself, but going to war just because they felt like it had consequences and while the Vermillion Army had considerable offensive capability despite the lack of effectiveness, they were largely a consolidation of armed guards Gang Min set to protect his product and money-making infrastructure.

Training was the only thing that could off-set these fantasies for the time being whilst honing their skills and proficiency. So Gary called the committee to draft out new military reforms on his recommendations. Formations were now built in the standard British regiments of which Kalavinka had three. The 13th Company was now to form the basis of a Rifle Company and would act as training instructors for the tricks they had learnt over the two weeks with Gary. Gary had Corporal Sein pulled out of the 13th to form an autonomous reconnaissance group. While training was assigned, there was very little they could do in the way of replacing armaments, vehicles and equipment, yet.

Which was why Gary decided it was time to visit his Northern Burmese neighbours in the form of the Kachin state so that he could negotiate new trade agreements along the routes that had been freed up. And along the way, meet the leader of the Juhua Cartel. His military officers protested furiously against this decision. Its cartel leader, Wang Liang Tai was once a Commissar of 164th Division, serving as a field operative on Psy Ops campaigns in Vietnam to rouse insurgency amongst its minority tribes. At the end of the conflict, Liang Tai became so disillusioned, he refused to rendezvous with the withdrawing divisions leaving behind some scattered regiment. Cornered by the Vietnamese forces, he was forced into Burmese borders where he sought refuge in the west end of Shan rather than return through the province of Yunnan, China. His battalion, the last remnant of the trapped regiment stayed with him along with other Chinese soldiers the PLA had abandoned to the jungles.

There had been whispers that he had been met by Chinese officials on numerous occasions as well as escorted them under armed supervision. Gary surmised that apparently the Chinese Government found use for someone who remained in the jungles where their new and green narcotics police, the NNCC operated to keep most of the drug control under the wraps. But their efforts were merely formative and simply focused on keeping drugs from coming into their country and not through proper channels.

The Juhua Cartel seemed to provide that muscle and jungle knowledge they needed. And the PRC offered replenishment of armaments and equipment in return, but Gary could tell they were far from settling past grievances. They were merely using one another.

Gary reorganised the city garrison and patrolling units to a tighter surveillance before setting off to the state of Kachin just up the road from where they were. Even though Thawda had previous interactions with the Kachin state confederate, Gary had assigned him important management over the redevelopment plans and modernisation of their existing industry. His only escorts came in the form of Corporal Sein's bike section who rode close by and were enjoying the cross-country trip for every second of it.

As letters had been sent in advance, Gary had been greeted by officials at the town of Pajau with mutual respect as he had exchanged all the proper formalities to engaging in talks that would benefit both factions, although the Kachin state had the proverbial bigger stick of Northern Burma.

What caught their attention to Gary when all the previous envoys from Kalavinka had been met with cold air was his educated background. Particular his understanding of the English language as well as political sciences and law which would prove beneficial to them for petitioning the UN for relief aid and protest against the actions of the military regime against their tribes. Even they knew that Gary's penmanship could effectively be worth as much as thousands of warriors dying for their freedom and autonomy.

Gary was only happy to help smooth things out between them and the International officials. And started by translating what was written in the correspondence they'd received so far. He not only did that, but also gave legal advice that best suited their needs, making an impression on their Commander-in-chief. So enchanted by his knowledge, he was given a tour of their town and the commodities that they sold for revenue. One of the things appealing to Gary and in large the Kalavinka city was the towns cultivation of rice fields and sugarcane plantations producing staple foods and preservatives that many needed to survive. Thus, Gary's agenda in Kachin was to import food products to sustain his population. When asked what he had to offer, Gary told them he had no exports they were already producing themselves like opium or petroleum products. But he was in the process of building a polytechnic-style school as well as improving his polyclinic to hospital standards. And he would certainly be willing to arrange exchange student programs for their youth and medical care to their sick and wounded when needed. The Kachin officials found his proposal to be most interesting and settled on a preliminary agreement to supply Kalavinka with their food surplus and raw materials in exchange for access to his education and medical opportunities that they recognised as important to grow themselves.

With warming relations, he was invited to stay in town for another two days while they worked through the trade agreements with him at his leisure. Adding on to that, they also mentioned that a group of foreign media had settled in some of their accommodations to report on their findings in Kachin within this civil war. The fact that they had depended on him to read through the UN messages meant that the journalists and reporters were of no help or weren't going to involve themselves in what they considered partisan efforts against an existing government. They were probably having trouble with the foreigners as well, seeing as they only spoke English, whilst the Kachin tribes spoke Jingpho dialect and Burmese.

It had been a while since he'd seen anyone from a first-world country, so he accepted their invitation and was invited to a banquet that night.

While his men were guests at private households, Gary had the honour of being the guest at one of the head official's houses. For the banquet, Gary was given traditional Burmese robes laced with gold thread to mark his prestige as a guest of honour whilst being direct to their gathering hall.

This banquet had been paid by the Commander-in-chief of the KIO to host the Manaw Festival which was four months late, but was really a PR stunt to have the Kachin culture appeal to the foreigners present. Evidently, traditional Manaw festivals also were hosted for the settlement of accounts or meets between clans and Gary had so happen to grace them with a visit which made the event all the more auspicious.

This event promised traditional singing and dancing, along with ethnic food that was rarely served at the table. The Kachin tribes spared no expense for tonight's town gathering. Before the official commencement of the festival, the official introduced him to the foreigners who were delighted to speak to someone who could speak fluent English rather well. Hailing from all corners of the world, America, France, Britain, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, even Singapore had sent a journalist or correspondent here to talk about the Kachin resistance to the military regime and a background on their highland culture heritage.

Gray greeted them until he simply repeated phrases he used with the last group. There was one group that the official seemed to ignore for some reason. When inquired about it, he simply stated that they were party crashers. They had joined in with the official media party who had received the Commander-in-chief's support as well as a small payment in advance. These people were private journalists and small news agencies, parasites in the Official's view. Gray thought it prudent to introduce himself to everybody, who knew what he could learn from them and what the Kachin could to. The official reluctantly brought him over to be introduced, Gary showed no small amount of courtesy that he showed to the other media people with special sanction. Talked a little about himself and what he was doing here, while they shared a bit of their agencies as well.

"Gary…?" The voice spoke his name with such a sweet and familiar ring, that he turned around with an expectation to see who he thought it was and to realise that wishes sometimes do come true.

---

Part 6 – An Unrequited Love

The official had told him that he could ask for anything and they'd arrange it, so he held him to his word. But they never expected him to ask for this foreign woman to have a seat with him. They could only scowl at the person who had caused the most disturbance to their peaceful life that wasn't caused by government military raids.

Cameron was surprised to see him here, but Gary was even more surprised. Having expected her to leave this country sooner given the difficulty to requisition a flight out while the civil unrest brewed and visas within the country were becoming non-existent.

Before Gary had the chance to, Cameron asked how he was going with his business. He replied that he was working to improve the city of Kalavinka, figuring that none of the foreigners would've heard of such a place as he hadn't. Cameron on the other hand exclaimed loudly in surprise and even confirmed the little details that Gary had first heard about the place when he came here.

Apparently, Cameron had been lurking about the major factions to find a link to this mystical place. What the media specialised on narcotics developments called the Shangri-la of Opium, a place accounting for a mythical Forty percent of the present opium and refined heroin supply out of Burma. She even knew the Second World War history of that place and how it started, but not its location. And of course, who ran it. Upon spewing the details, she became suspicious of what Gary's work there was for and whether he had affiliations with the narcotic trade.

Gary stated that he was simply there in place of the higher ups of his organisation like most lower ranking workers. But his personal mission was to improve the quality of life for the people there, in this he was truthful to his heart and thus convinced her that Gary was genuinely a good man. To further increase the credibility in her trust in him, he stated he was here to exchange education and healthcare opportunities for additional food supplies with the Kachin tribes, as the latter's existing infrastructure was either insufficient or suffered from recent rocket attacks from the Tatmadaw to deny their use of their facilities. In this, Cameron's impression of Gary greatly improved. Stating that there were few people out there trying to do good in such places that others deemed as hell on earth.

In her heart, Cameron wished that she could be the megaphone to the desperate cry of people. Gary couldn't help but state that international communities didn't really care. That the foreign correspondents like the ones present here were simply here providing a service of information that the public had very little impact on. But Cameron didn't admonish him for it because sometimes she too felt that way but didn't know why it was. Gary could name a few right off the tip of his tongue but refrained himself as he wasn't trying to scrape and open wound.

Instead, he asked why she pursued this line of work and operated in such a manner. Cameron was hesitant at first from this inquiry but yielded that she had always felt unable to raise her voice when she was young and that could have prevented many personal tragedies in her opinion. She was also aware of many others in her position and many more still yet to experience that fate. So she chose to act, to lay a groundwork that would help them.

Gary noted that this style of behaviour had very little consideration for self-preservation and would achieve an insignificant amount compared to a government rallied initiative. If the United States or UN really cared about the situation brewing in Burma, they would've put the military junta on hold with threats of embargo, then dispatch their DEA and Narcotics control agencies to assert the drug problem. But they didn't, because someone was still profiting in their countries from all that drug money out on the streets. It lobotomised the strength of the lower income and least fortunate to raise their voice against the oppression of their governments too. Governments stood more to gain from closing their eyes, unless people like Cameron blew it out of proportion. She was unnecessarily increasing the number of enemies looking to waste her. Worst of all, she had no contingency plan nor backup from powerful political players in the senate who were anti-drug abuse. She was just one girl in a cruel and unforgiving world.

Gary didn't say any of this because it was pointless to dissuade her when many had likely tried before him. Instead, he enjoyed the moment that the Manaw Festival had started and the feasting began.

Around this time, the Commander-in-chief to the entire Kachin state movement spared a moment to speak with him casually. Although it was mostly a discussion about the geopolitical landscape of their region of Northern Burma.

When asked on his opinion, Gary simply stated that the only way to achieve autonomy whilst the wrestle with the Military Junta was costly, the Tatmadaw could not last long from a coordinated offensive of every rebel and partisan movement over a frontline that had been stretched too thin. That's why it settled for regular small skirmishes that were usually in their favour because of advanced military hardware. As impossible as this was for the different minority tribes who had their own agendas to unite, this was what the Tatmadaw had always feared. A war on many fronts. The Commander-in-chief's military advisors seconded his advice as the approach that the Kachin should have taken. But Gary corrected himself with an advocation against his earlier suggestion as well, to at least give some balance.

Because if the Tatmadaw fell, the ones feeling the sting wasn't just the whole of Burma, but the pharmaceutical conglomerates around the world. Opium was still critical to synthesize a majority of anaesthetics and painkillers as well as other medical compounds. Disrupting commerce even for a month within Burma for opium and poppy had a serious backlash towards other countries economy and healthcare policies as the price for medicine would inevitably climb. And then, the ones the international community would support would be the Tatmadaw, while the warring tribes and states would be the "villians" of this conflict. Gary had taught them with his insight that this stalemate between them and the military junta was what bought them time to build their foundations before declaring autonomy or even independence. It was a battle of endurance, who would last longer would be the victors.

The best possible outcome they could wish for in this time of rising tensions was an official draft for a ceasefire between them and the Tatmadaw military government. And the latter would only do that if they had sustained significant losses and acknowledge the Kachin states as a liable threat, or if they were willing to make concessions to the Tatmadaw in favour over the other rebel states. But this would mean that the Kachin state would have no allies amongst the other states.

A third option did present itself however, due to the nature of this civil war and the numerous ethnic cleansings carried out by the Tatmadaw. China had retracted their mutual relations with the Burmese Government in power, especially after the rise in discrimination against ethnic Chinese citizens. Taking advantage of these cold relations, their lack of intolerance towards the Chinese ethnicity as well as the proximity to the Yunnan border just next to them, the People's Republic of China could be a viable way of gaining economic and military support. Especially after Chinese relations with the West had skyrocketed due to the Chairman in power, Deng Xiaoping's efforts.

However, Gary also warned them not to get too chummy with the PRC and their PLA army as they were known to support communist insurrectionists throughout the region. Especially now that Tatmadaw was no friend of theirs anymore, it would be viable for a local Communist Party to take power for them. This could have conflicting interests in the long run, so if they were looking for friendly ties, it had to be a brief affair for both parties to get the best of it. The Commander-in-chief was so impressed that promised to personally supervise and sign the trade agreement between the Kachin states and Kalavinka as a sign of good will as well as offer safe conduct through their lands for further commercial opportunities in India and Bangladesh. Gary took advantage of this moment to ask Cameron to take photos of them together and interview the Commander-in-chief who was on too good a mood to realize who she was.

In this, Cameron was made witness to some of Gary amazing wit and ingenuity at engineering favourable situations for himself. He was clearly not a simple businessman working under the whims of superiors, but a person with the smarts and will to carve his own destiny if he so wished it.

With the improving mood of the night, the traditional rhythmic dance was a go with the tribal chiefs taking the lead. It was an equivalent to a party train that involved everyone present, so Gary was required to partake. But Cameron was already on it and pulled him up to join her in this activity that lasted for a good hour, they moved in a fashion that could only be described as a snake body traversing along the floor. Following the one-two beat of the percussion instruments. There were even members of the Kachin military in the mix holding their rifles in one hand in lieu of a sword that their ancestors would have carried instead.

A joyous crowd, and a smile of a woman he had been wishing to see again. For that moment, Gary savoured every second of it. In his twenty-plus years of living, there was rarely any event that he looked forward to and looked back on. Except now.

The second day was the time in which the foreign press had decided to depart for the Eastern state of Shan where they could get some word from the Warlord Khun Sa and his policies for the Shan rebellion. Cameron was also going to join them but would leave later in the evening. Once again, Gary's small moment of happiness was gone. It's not like there was going to be another chance of meeting for a third time, so he took the time to invite her through the marketplace.

Where there was a strange assortment of local and foreign goods imported from abroad or traded here. Where they came across strange local perceptions of these goods because of their lack of exposure. Like one time a peddler had tooted an iron as a portable hotplate, it was these instance where they could share a knowing laugh at their utility other than their intended purpose.

But the one product that the Kachin people were known for was Jade. Having discovered a vein years back, it became their greatest windfall yet. And with the proposal for temporary trade with the Chinese, who coveted Jade for auspicious reasons, this resource had its weight in leverage.

Jade however, was not found in Western society and thus remained largely unknown to them unlike their Asian counterparts. Cameron however, found their colour to be strangely fascinating and interesting. Holding up a Phoenix Jade Amulet that was on sale, letting the sunlight shine through the stone giving of a glow as if the stone was alive inside.

By the time she was done playing around with it, Gary suggested that she put it on. As he had already haggled with the seller and bought it for her. In her refusal to accept his gift, Gary took the amulet she put back and tired it around her neck. This was his thanks for her assurances back in Old Bagan. He also pointed out that Jade in Chinese superstition had Feng Shui properties that exuded Strength, Luck and Good Health bestowed upon its owner. The phoenix also represented these attributes strongly as well as carried strong Yang Energy, which Gary stated matched her hot-blooded personality as humour.

In a means to not be outdone, Cameron picks a similar amulet from the vendor and buys it on a whim for him. The one she picks is a Dragon amulet, she correctly identifies that the Dragon is also a intelligent creature but also just as hotblooded and possessive, gifting it to him. Gary took a while to process before telling her that a Dragon matched with a Phoenix was symbolism for a harmonious marriage, equivalent to a wedding proposal. Cameron appeared flustered for the first time, but Gary told her that he knew she misunderstood and gave her back the Dragon Amulet, telling her to give it to her fiancé. So that their marriage would be long and happy. She hesitantly accepted both amulets as the vendor wasn't going to take refunds. Gary told her that she didn't have to mind, as it was merely superstition. If it was real, Jade would be more valuable than it actually was. And this place would resort any means of solidifying their existence, even by producing narcotic opium as well.

It was the time of her departure, Cameron said her last goodbye to Gary on her way to the convoy of vehicles belonging to the Foreign press and associates she befriended along her trek. Gary was gracious enough to see her out, but surprised when she tossed something his way. A simple braided bracelet made of coloured strings, her gift to him. Running out of local money, she improvised and bought material to make this homemade bracelet that she had learnt to make as a child. Before waving out of sight as the convoy moved out of the dimming light.

To Gary, that simple bracelet of yarn and beads seemed more precious than any precious stone of Burma.

---

Part 7 – The Viper's Nest

On his departure, the Kachin officials wished him well on his return with the good news as well as the bestowal of sample produce that they gifted to him as trinkets to take back. Gary promised to do the same if they ever came to visit him in Kalavinka, at twice the generosity.

Corporal Sein and the bike section also had enjoyed their own bit of hospitality while he was here busy with business it seemed. But wouldn't tell him. Gary and his escorts were waved to on their departure with good relations established between them than previously existing.

Corporal Sein was wary of their next destination, as it could only be metaphorically described as a den of vipers. The type that favoured Burmese flesh most of all. Gary had brought them to the Myaway plains, where the Juhua Cartel had built an elaborate military forward operating base. Along with pillbox and trench formations, there were also artillery batteries and anti-aircraft gun emplacements to deter any foolish military forces from thinking they could get the jump on them. The fact that most of these equipment were brand new, highlighted the amount of investment the PRC had placed upon Wang Liang Tai, otherwise known here as the Commissar. His troop density was smaller than the other players, but his troop experience and training far outstripped even the Tatmadaw military junta forces and perhaps even the 14th Corp PLA. Their equipment was by no means second-hand PLA, but what the PLA was fielding to current Guard divisions and QRF forces. The Juhua Cartel forces stood out like a sore thumb, but they were largely ignored by the Burmese factions because no good would ever come out of stealing their land, revenue or equipment. But the same could not be said for the Cartel who had attacked the Shan rebels once for a death of their soldier along the borders, bombarding an entire village to make a point.

And yet, the Cartel did pay the monthly revenue to Kalavinka as Gary had asked them too previously. Albeit in conflict rubies, they had a local work force mined up for them. And now he wanted to visit them? Even Corporal Sein could sense that this would not bode well for them. If by shear size, Kalavinka could theoretically destroy the Juhua Cartel, but would never recover from it. Gary had insisted that he had some business with the Commissar and thus approached the wired fence checkpoint. Stating his credentials, he was let through after the checkpoint guards had received a confirmation. Driving up through the spiral of the compound, Gary assessed the surrounding fortifications which mimicked the American firebases of the Vietnam Conflict, their source of inspiration. Being that there was only flat land and no trees within two hundred yards of the compound, there was no place to stealthily assault this base and no cover to assume from the 360 degree overlapping fire positions. Only a conventional army could assault this base.

Gary was brought to a command bunker with an observation post on top. Corporal Sein and the Bike section were once again made to wait since they refused to disarm upon entry under the watchful eye of a sentry. Inside, he was made to walk through at a surprisingly well-furnished lounge that resembled a Shanghai high-society bar of the 50s. Many of the Juhua cartels' senior officers were in attendance watching a Chinese singing performance at the stage. And then, the man himself was before him. The Commissar had expected a visit, but not as soon as now.

Gary had chosen to revert to his ethnic Chinese for convenience of their conversations, but Wang Liang Tai spoke fluent Cantonese as well. And suggested he do the same, so he did.

Liang Tai was surprised to see that the son of Min was so young, given that Gang Min was approaching his seventies. Gary simply stated that he was confusing him for the elder Min, Siu Man. As it was clear that Liang Tai had done business with the old man before.

Smiling wryly like a predator whose prey had wandered straight into his den, he formally asked Gary what he could be of service to him for in an almost condescending manner. Gary reached into his suitcase and pulled out a picture of someone that looked like he had spent his entire life with a silverspoon in his mouth or silkpants to wear.

Liang Tai had expected him to negotiate some sort of agreement between their factions, instead, Gary was offering him something instead, a one-off trade deal, showing that he was not as naïve and trustful as he thought.

When Liang Tai asked who that was, Gary stated that it was a NNCC police officer. Further inquiring what that person had to do with him, Gary stated that he wanted him dead and his head as proof. Thus, a hit on a member of the People's Republic of Chinas' drug police division. Gary stated that this man was a decorated man back in China and had been involved in successful operations in Guangzhou where he nailed the head of the Lau crime family. He was simply making it sound even more difficult by the minute.

The last sighting of him was around the Golden Triangle where the NNCC operated and the Juhua Cartels place was likely a resupply or rest point for the police officers. Liang Tai laughed at the whole premise, as he was asking him to kill a lawman of China and ruin his relations for petty bribes. But Gary went on further to elaborate that this man, Inspector Wu De was a thorn in the side of the NNCC commission and having potentially stepped on too many shoes in the political party. He had become distrusted by the party after collaborating with interpol too many times. Thus, his death easy would be overlooked as natural cause, after all, Burma was a host to many diseases in its humid environment or freak accidents.

Liang Tai demanded to know how he knew these things, to which Gary simply stated that he had tracked Wu De's record from the other side of the iron curtain, particularly that of Western intelligence. Although not saying which, Liang Tai was able to guess was the British since he was Hong Kong-based.

Liang Tai said that pretend he were to accept this hit, what would he get out of it. To which Gary smiled knowingly and stated….

"Name your price."

Highlighting the value of this individual to him. Liang Tai let his mirth take him, such that it even caught the attention of the theatre that was ongoing. And asked what if he asked for him to hand over Kalavinka in its entirety.

Or…. Drawing his pistol and lining it to Gary's head, point out that he could just take it now from him. Gary casually pushed the pistol muzzle aside with two fingers and explained why that would be a bad idea. First, with Gang Min's coffers empty, he would send his Hong Kong assets to assert the cause and eliminate it. The Min Empire's wealth enabled it to do many things, from raising an army to bribing the Tatmadaw regime to destroy Wang's little paradise. In these threats, Liang Tai believed him wholeheartedly.

Then, Gary asked why would he want more of what he already had through Kalavinka, instead of what he truly desired. Catching the attention of not just Liang Tai, but his senior officers as well.

Liang Tai challenged him to convince him what he desired was in the invincible army he possessed, the ruby mining and opium harvests that made him powerhouse in his own right.

Gary stated that it was recognition for all he had done. Liang Tai scoffed, and stated that the PLA and Commissariat saw him as a liable threat. Gary corrected him in stating that it wasn't China he was gaining recognition from, but America.

In other words, Gary proposed a full-on defection to the United States.

As it stood, Wang Liang Tai and his battalion had a wealth of history, intel and experience from the Sino-Vietnamese War, of the PLA troop formations and China in general that the CIA and MI6 were in dire need of since they had no field agent presence in China itself. And Liang Tai could give them a total of thirty years of history back tracked. His defection could earn him and his loyal soldiers' full American citizenship, government issued housing and welfare, employment as military or intelligence advisors on China. And a chance to start afresh without worrying about being attacked in the night by either side.

Wang Liang Tai's suspicions of him being an agent for MI6 were now confirmed. But the question of what his real objectives here in Burma remained a mystery to him. Gary stated that if they really mattered to the Chinese government, they would've been brought back to China to be judged. Instead, they were just left here because it wasn't economical to bring them back as coldly as Gary put it, earning ire in the background.

Liang Tai stated that it wasn't enough of an assurance for him, as it was merely the word of mouth from a single operative and not a senior member like the Station H director, Gary's superior. Gary simply stated that he was leaving this option available, in the meantime he would instead contact the MI6 Division in India to negotiate their defection if they so choose. Leaving his seat and making his way out himself as the cartel enforcers, young and senior were too surprised by his proposition.

Liang Tai demanded what meaning did Inspector Wu De have to him in particular, that he would go out of his way to hunt this lawman by any means necessary.

Gary simply said that it was to give peace to a young girl who witnessed her parents murdered in cold blood. Gary bid them good day and walked out alone.

Liang Tai broke into laughter thinking that he would do this for a mere little girl. But it also showed that he had principles and would follow through with them, that was proof that Gary would abide by his world as ruthless and calculative as he was.

Liang Tai made no attempt to stop him from leaving, and simply sent an officer to inform Gary in advance that he would consider his offer. When Gary emerged unscathed, the Bike escort were confirmed of his gift of tongue and wit. And while he had negotiated nothing other than offer a deal, Gary had effectively ceased any hostile intent that the Juhua Cartel could have had towards them.

It was now time to return home for them. As they drove away from the firebase with good vibes, anxious to return to relay the good news of their trip.

But while they were away, Kalavinka had its own fair share of surprises.

---

Part 8 – And on the Third Day…

Expecting a joyous return, they were welcomed by the first signs of Kalavinka from the black smoke of burning rubble and vehicles. Kalavinka had been attacked severely while they were away.

Gary told his escorts to think of nothing but securing the city and ascertaining the extent of the damages. As the attackers could still be within the premise, Gary made them dismount and head to the back end through the Christian corridor. Having learnt this secret back entrance from the French Deacon Gaël Delisle who had his fair share of escapes from authorities.

He found the Christians being rounded up by insurgents he had no recollection of, but Corporal Sein knew their vacant eyes and red sashes anywhere. They were the Kayir fighters of "Mad" Tiki, the slaves to the will of Major Tiki's delusion of a state, the Kayir Republic.

Gary carefully observed their surroundings from a high enough vantage like the morning bell tower and concluded that there was at least a hundred fighters in this block alone. From the smoke patterns and continuous fighting, he guessed that the Vermillion Army was still fighting this demented force of these Kayir cult forces. Gary was no longer going to call them anything but that as their actions had spoken louder than words.

Having considered his options, Gary decided that their equipment and numbers were too few to coordinate an effective rescue of anyone. His first objective was to sneak his way to the Min Ancestral Home where he had a stash of weapons imported from Thailand in transit to Rangoon. This would give a significant advantage to the Bike Section with him to the SKS carbine and assorted weapon-tooting cultists.

As he moved through the streets carefully with the section, who should he bump into but the very street rats who traversed the streets at night. Saving him and the section from a patrol that passed by out of their line of sight. Giving his thanks, the leading orphan, Gabriel offered his expertise in guile. Using small crevices in walls and behind stacks of goods to lurk past the patrols to the Min residence that had not been pillaged yet. Gary did ask why he had such a name like that, as small talk only for him to mention that it was given by his parents at his baptism by Deacon Delisle. Unfortunately, his parents died during a riot stampede and he was left in the care of the Deacon. But it was difficult for the chapel to raise him in when he got older, so he left on his own accord. Since then, he had been scavenging for food. And the one providing the most for them was Kali, before she became Kinnara. Which reminded him that with Kali and the former partisans of the Four Paths, the Muslim corner or at least the Vermillion Army Barracks should be safe. Gary had no intel on the Buddhist district, but he had to prioritize the Christians first.

Safely returning to the Min Ancestral Home, Gary unlocked a secret basement which had been used as his safehouse for all his wet work equipment and unlatched a crate of rifles to be issued to the Bike Section.

CAR-15 carbines with new thirty round magazines, M203 grenade launchers, as well as M72 launchers for anti-armor purposes. These lightweight selective fire weapons augmented the section that had been originally equipped with bolt action rifles and submachine guns when ammo was available to an unparallel firepower for their region. Adding to the weapons he issued, each of them were equipped with American PASGT kelvar vests, another state-of-the-art body protection device for its time. Having Gabriel contribute to a stealth reconnaissance role despite him wanting to use a weapon too, Gary was not about to let a child become a soldier or else the cycle would never stop. He provided him with a compact TRC-215 walkie-talkie to communicate with him constantly of what lay around the opposite street or around the bend in advance.

After giving brief technical handling of the M16-style weapons, he had them all rest until the cover of night was upon them. All through out, were screams and gunfire as the cultists culled his people. However, Gary needed to be patient. But remained the only one keeping watch through a hole in the wall until nightfall. When the sun went down, Gary set them in action.

The Christians had been rounded up to be assessed for who was worthy to receive anointment by their preachers in the Way of Tiki at the desecrated house of god, the Chapel. Deacon Delisle had been tortured into revealing the location of the children he hid as their young and gullible minds were of interest to Tiki as servants and sacrifices, but he would not yield, cursing in his native language. The aged deacon who had once come in during the Indochina days had seen his fair share of violence that made the cultists' actions pale in comparison. If it was this much, he could still handle it.

The preacher, an acolyte of Major Tiki acting as leaders to his army had been responsible for his pain. And killed five people from the herd they had captured in the chapel to make his point to him. Having about enough of his silence, he was about to make more people suffer on his behalf when a firefight broke out nearby. Cultists seconds later ran in frantically reporting to the Preacher that assailants had cut them down with brutal efficiency. Possessing powerful weapons they'd never seen before and sustaining hits that should have killed them, Immortal warriors, they exclaimed in their demented interpretations of the situation.

The preacher took a look outside and saw that the fight had just come to the outside of the chapel where his cultists fought a desperate fight against eleven soldiers that had the Vermillion Army uniform but were a lot cleaner than the rest and moved differently from the ones they've faced till now. He ordered the group of cultists with him to barricade the doors as he picked up people to use as hostages. After a minute of automatic fire and the screams of dying cultists, so too did the noise marked by an eerie silence that followed. There was some movement outside the heavy door but nothing loud like bashing it.

Then, an explosion detonated and blew the door off its hinges. Sending them all into shock from the blast wave. Canisters that were marked as smoke dischargers rolled in and released a cloud of thick smoke into their faces. Then shadows moved in exploiting their lack of sight and disarray, discharging shots from handguns at point blank range. Blowing the cultists' brains out, leading to the preacher being the only one left as he fired back wildly clipping a shadow as he screamed his faith in the Way of Tiki and how he would not falter.

The sound of a Browning pistol cocked to the back of his head frozen him, as he turned to see he had been checkmated by a man in a gas mask. Shooting him caused blood to splatter all over his breathing apparatus, but as the smoke cleared, there was no longer a need to have it. So Gary removed it as did the rest of the section, leaving the Deacon and the Christian people of Kalavinka surprised at who had saved them.

After freeing them from their bindings, he called for the men to take up arms out of necessity. Something that they had previously been told not to do as there was already an army present and to prevent armed rebellion in the city. They scavenged the armaments off the dead cultists while Gabriel tended to the Deacon and Gary listened to what the celebrant had to say about their situation. The attack had apparently started somewhere around third day, there was a massive gathering at the checkpoint of people who claimed to have escaped the Kayir Republic. Some of which were people who had been abducted years prior and so it was left to Thawda to decide what to do with them in Gary's absence. He arranged for them to be quarantined as per Gary's instructions, even allowing visits from some of the family members to see their people. But at night, the refugees broke the quarantine area and attacked the checkpoint and other major perimeter defences allowing a whole mass of cultists to storm in virtually uncontested. It was by Kali's assertion of the air that raised the alarm and roused the Vermillion Army to action before they too were slit in their sleep leading to the Cultist Army of Tiki ending up in a stalemate with the barracks and depots isolated from one another. They estimated that there was around five thousand who had made up this assault that no one had expected. Especially Gary, who had always thought that Major Tiki was just an exile from a major rebel group with dangerous ideas, not the raving lunatic that his followers project. And thus, did not account for the shear madness of this assault that yielded him nothing but heavy losses, it thus made Gary conclude that Major Tiki was a nut. And lunatics were far more dangerous than madmen because they had nothing to lose and were unpredictable.

It was clear that Major Tiki had not thought well of his demands of tribute and decided to attack Kalavinka while he was away, or maybe that was just a coincidence.

With the Christian quarter free, Gary moved out with the Bike Section while the armed Christians protected themselves in the chapel. The Deacon gave orders to fortify their holy place and set up a triage for the wounded. But Gabriel followed Gary out against the Deacon's demands.

The next quarter where he faced resistance was in the Muslim and Hindu quarter, the cultists were outright killing those who spoke the word of the Quran as they mixed themselves amongst the Hindus who protected their identity. Gary was done with subtle tactics and decided that they would storm the enemies with all the noise that would draw the cultists to them. With Gabriel as rooftop overwatch, he called out incoming cultists on the walkie talkie seconds before they came into view. Leading to their demise at the hands of pre-planned saturations of automatic fire. This new type of warfare where communication played a huge factor in knowing beforehand when the enemy was down to the exact movement had been an eye-opening experience to the soldiers of the Bike Section.

Twenty minutes later, they had freed pockets of Muslim and Hindus. Gary asked them to do the same as the Christians but rendezvous at the Chapel rather than their homes. Then, Gary was on to the last place which was the Buddhist seclusion that was twice the size of the other two denominations. But arrived to hear aggressive fighting going on between the cultists and someone.

And that someone was the 13th Company led by Kali adopting the moniker of Kinnara again. As they closed in and flanked the cultists led by a preacher as well, the fight that the Kayir cultists put up was even more helpless than the other two contingents. As surprised as they were to see who had returned, and ashamed that they had failed him in defending the city. Gary called it quits and asked them to instead report useful things such as the status of the city. Kali reported that the Vermillion Army had secured a supply between the depots and barracks, allowing for them to provide a proper counterattack to challenge the cultists who assaulted them and the depots, after clearing up the last resistance, Major Ma Lay and the Vermillion Army were poised to liberate the Kyaalhcain Palace that had fallen under siege by another group of cultists. Kali offered her leadership to help liberate the populated centres and had started with the Buddhist quadrant but had uncovered something sinister.

She wouldn't tell him what it was as the combined arms of the 13th Company and well-equipped Bike Section swept the remainder of the resistance and liberated the Buddhist people who seemed more surprised than the other faiths when Gary was present amongst the liberation force. Kali demanded the location of the Abbot, but the monks of his shrine refused to say. Leading to her threatening them by the knife to the nape of their necks. Gary asked her to stop as he asked her what this was about. To which Kali responded that the Abbot collaborated with the cultists in culling the other denominations and had provided the preachers of Tiki with accurate maps of the city layout beforehand.

Kali presented her proof by wrestling the monk to the floor and revealing a crude map in his garments that matched one he recovered from the cultist preacher. Gary called for the sergeant major of the company who responded immediately to his request, ordering him to place the monk and his associates when they have captured under detention for judgement. A platoon took the monks away as Gary organised a liberation of the rest of the city as well as the capture of as many cultists as they could. Confusing Kali why he wanted to take prisoners when these people were lost in their minds. Gary explained that he did not know enough about the cultists and what drove them, he heard before that they were victims who had been drugged and lobotomised by Major Tiki into loyal slaves. Maybe it was possible to reverse these effects by providing proper treatment, then he would have rescued more people than were lost today. Kali was amazed by his forward-thinking attitude albeit more optimistic than she wished, as if his time here had changed him gradually but not for the worst. So, she complied with his orders.

Gary then bestowed her full-pardon and commissioned her into the Vermillion Army as a Lieutenant on the spot, giving her military power within the Vermillion Army assets. Ordering her to capture the Abbot for a public trial as his fate was not merely decided by her whim alone.

Gary on the other hand would be heading to the airfield to have the pilots perform CAS and forward observer missions whilst at the ground control. By himself, Gary had very little in the way of fighting prowess like Corporal Sein and Kali, but he could coordinate forces in large numbers and did just that. Taking a short trip to the airbase that had been unscathed thanks to its 24-hour guard and security features, he scrambled the fighters to get a better aerial picture of the City and its surroundings to ensure that the Cultists didn't have a reserve force nearby that could catch them off guard. Keeping close contact with the aircraft on the radio, Gary had a mortar battery fire a barrage of illumination flares in a particular sector whilst directing the aircraft to different attack vectors beforehand. Thus, even in the absence of modern night vision devices or infrared sensors, they could still effectively attack anything that was luminated by the flares in that limited window. As they swept every sector, they came into luck as the fifth try had found them a convoy of embarking infantry who were stunned by their cover of night revealed by flares followed by machine gun and rocket attacks by close support aircraft like the P-39s and P-40s.

The fight that the legacy pilots had been waiting for all their lives had come as the son of Min made them so effective against the two battalions worth of embarking men and vehicles that they fled into the jungle. The mortars continued to fire off illumination for their sighting. Five minutes of non-stop strafing in the night had broken the cultists' resolve from the night terrors the fighters were to them. Checking in on their fuel gauges, Gary ordered those past half tank to RTB while the rest continue their sector surveillance of new targets. But next approach had a complex situation described by the remaining pilots as army units chasing civilians who were fleeing through the rice fields. Gary ordered them to strafe the front of the civilians to stop their escape as they carried out his order to the letter and overwhelmed the fleeing civilian mass with firepower blasting at their path.

Gary could only guess that that was the 13th Company chasing the Buddhist clergy and collaborators that were fleeing from justice. Whatever the results, Gary would have to wait as he hailed the pilots to return to base and ordered the cargo plane squadrons to be on standby until he returned. As he adjusted with the radio frequencies, he happened to match one that sounded like it was used by the cultists themselves. Zeroing in on it, he could hear that the cultist was speaking to some sort of invisible leadership surveying the battlefield from a safe distance.

Explaining that they were unable to capture or hold Kalavinka and had fallen victim to the schemes of a man with Gary's description they hailed as demonic entity wearing human skin. Making men impervious to bullets, wailing night terrors that swooped in from the dark, soldiers knowing exactly when they were beforehand. Something had changed in their initial assault, it was as if Kalavinka itself had come alive and repelled them who invaded her lands and hunted her peoples.

The mysterious figure answered their failures personally by gunning down the dispatches and telling them that they will be cleansed and stripped of their positions as his most dedicated servants which would be given to those who could do better.

Gary interrupted their transmission by informing him that the City was his again and that he, Major Tiki was lucky the aircraft were now refuelling. If not, he would have asked them to home in on this radio chatter and bomb him out of existence. Major Tiki spoke with a strange zeal in his voice, declaring him to be a heretic of the highest order. And why he did not accept his faith or the spread of his "truth" through his city as if he were in the right. Gary entertained him for a bit by saying that religion was overrated and that he would soon be visiting Major Tiki at his abode with the same courtesy that he afforded him. Major Tiki cursed him not as the son of Min but addressed him as the Usurper King. Making Gary realise that Major Tiki was far more deluded than he thought that man had lost his mind to the Jungles and his own mismanagement of substances. With transmission cut from the invaders' end, Gary had no longer need to speak. The so-called Kayir cult calling itself a Republic and Kalavinka were at War.

Gary arrived in time to meet up with the clean-up crew surrounding the last group of cultists who had tried to storm Kyaalhcain Palace only to get pincered. Some cultists rushed to their deaths under a hail of fire whilst wailing their refusal to surrender, while others stood aimlessly as if they'd just lost their leash before being neutralised by the soldiers who brought them into a secure compound for questioning later.

He found Thawda amongst the survivors who had defended Kyaalhcain Palace as best he could with the little garrison he had. Thawda expressed his compliments for Kali that he didn't before for she had alerted him to the incursion with precious seconds to successfully thwart a raid to capture the Palace. Gary was simply happy he was okay, which meant a lot to Thawda to hear that from him and confirming his loyalty to him.

The fighting died down before the dawn approached to clear the sky of the nights veil. Revealing the damages done to the city, although merely superficial. It was the civilian losses that concerned Gary the most as he had witnessed more than a hundred bodies across his mission to liberate the city.

But as the dawn rose, Kalavinka was theirs once more to the Victors.

---

Part 9 – New Order

Gary had taken up residence in Kyaalhcain Palace for once to access the damage reports coming in from every part of the city. To give the population additional assurance in this time of relative peace, he had them all make camp within the very compound of Kyaalhcain Palace with him. Its attendants were hurriedly serving the population who were in need of food, water and medical treatment. But Gary had made his point that they were in no safer hands and literally nothing could hurt them now.

He didn't believe it until Thawda double confirmed it with him, that the brick factory and heroin laboratories remained largely untouched, not even scathed. Indicating that the Kayir cult had been after the population more than the narcotics itself. This exhibited the danger that the cult posed to Kalavinka and what his actions had caused to the city, by demanding tribute or was it the point of communicating with them by correspondence in the first place.

Major Ma Lay and the Vermillion Army had counted as many as eight hundred prisoners of war in their quarantine compound at the army base. The Deacon informed him that over two hundred people had been killed in the pilfering conducted by the cultists. Corporal Sein told him that the Abbot and eleven of his Monks caught escaping had been captured under custody and awaiting judgement.

Gary dispatched orders for a Captain Dinqu to take a platoon of men to the take the cargo planes to the Indian border state of Assam to buy emergency rice and medical supplies. Gary provided them with the proper funds to carry out this important relief mission even though he was advised against it by Thawda. However, Gary said that he would take responsibility for the deficit that Gang Min would notice soon.

Using the satellite phone, he made the call to Hong Kong in advance. So that the Triad Leader would know what happened before he found out himself.

The call reached the Min residence where who of all people answered by Grace Min. Who curtly asked who he was and when told passed him off as a forgettable person now that he was gone. Asking how he was in that shithole that was Kalavinka, Gary had to suck it up and answer truthfully. Picking his words carefully, he said that it was an unusual place with interesting people and that they should have been the ones to come here instead. Grace scoffed at the notion and asked what he wanted, Gary had no choice but to ask that she pass the phone to Gang Min and what it was about. To which Grace mocked him for being unable to manage one Measly settlement at the edge of Burma. All this time, the people around him were listening to the voice of the daughter of Min belittle them and him. Becoming unbearable, but more so for him. Grace made it a point that his refusal to her offer was his ambitions backfiring, she could have given him everything, even way to her bedchambers. But now, she was happy to declare that she was right on top of the race in succession. Siu Man had mucked up again by knocking up some official's daughter and being forced to wed her, enraging their father with his carelessness. The more he knew about the tragedy that was the Min household. Even the people around him could sense the disarray of the Min clan.

As politely as he could muster, Gary asked that the phone be passed to Gang Min to report in on the events that had transpired at Kalavinka. Grace wished him good luck as he was calling in at a bad time before handing the phone to a servant who brought the phone to the triad leader himself.

And then, the scolding began. After informing him of what happened to Kalavinka, who was the aggressor and what sort of plan of action he took. Gang Min was infuriated that he spent part of the profits on something as "worthless" as relief aid, asking if he thought he was the damn St Johns or Red Cross. So long as the factories and labs weren't damaged, people could always be replaced. That's why he allowed all manner of religious denominations to seek refuge in his family land. Gang Min expressed his disappointment in him, saying that he thought he would know better than to waste money on such worthless endeavours.

In his silence, Gary quickwittedly answered with thanks to Gang Min for reminding him his place and mission before his anger took hold. Gang Min grunted and said that he will let this blunder on his end slide this once, if he were to fail again, he will have to send someone he trusted over there to monitor him 24/7, which was not what either of them wanted. Gary promised that he would return the money he owed and the next payment on schedule, apologising for reporting such bad news. Gang Min dismissed such events as water under the bridge, telling him in a casual manner about what was happening in Hong Kong. Specifically, about Siu Man's libido causing trouble, Gary simply commented that he was just like his old man. A hero in many ways (manly), earning Gang Min's mirth at his humour and brighter perspective despite his location. Gang Min expressed that he wished his son were as hard working as Gary, sometimes even that Gary was actually his son.

Gary simply stated that he had always considered Gang Min as a father to the triad clan. After five expensive minutes of small talk, Gang Min hung up on his end. Gary smashed the phone into the table on his, after bottling his emotions up the entire time.

Looking around him, Thawda, Sein and Kali had borne witness to the true nature of Gang Min and his opinion of them. As well as Gary's status as a substitute of Siu Man and apparently not a son of Min.

Thawda demanded to know who he was then. To which Gary responded that he was a Son of Min just not one that was recognised. Explaining that he was a bastard born from a discarded mistress who had fallen into an addiction of heroin. Detailing his life at her hands and soon passed on to the hands of other adults who could not be trusted. Until he finally pieced together that the only one he could rely on was himself.

He had built himself into a military man in the Royal Hong Kong Regiment only to be recruited as an operative in MI6 to destroy Gang Min's empire from within, only because MI6 thought it was convenient. In other words, Gary meant to undo everything his father stood for. Which conflicted Thawda whom had lingering allegiance for Gang Min. Gary then elaborated that he had worked his way upon the social hierarchy of the triads until he eventually became a close confidant to his half-brother, a legitimate heir to Gang Min's empire. Who was fortunately for him, a dunce and had no neck to rule in Gang Min's place. That did however not dismiss the possibility of any of Gang Min's other children from usurping him with their own faction strength. Grace was among the strongest contenders, the woman who taunted him. His placement here was to keep Siu Man on the top, but also to travel to the very source of Gang Min's power.

It was here that Kali understood that Gary was no spawn of Gang Min, but an ally. Myat Sein had already sworn loyalty to Gary in place of a leader he'd never met. Thawda exclaimed that he was shocked at how he would think to strike down his own father. Gary responded that he had no father, no mother. He was a bastard, but Gang Min had made him this way. He didn't care what means he had to use to destroy Gang Min, he'd do it. At least that was his original mindset until coming here. Gary expressed that he believed that the people of Kalavinka should have the right to decide how they wanted the city to grow, not by an old man thousands of miles abroad. He didn't own them, and they didn't owe him their gratitude for living. Gary still sought his revenge, but he believed that no one else should suffer like he did. Nor should they of Gang Min. he reminded them that it was the Min Ancestors, Gary's grandfather that worked to make the world around him brighter and Gang Min abused their gratitude to his family for his own ends. The only one prospering from Kalavinka was him. Gary wanted to change that, and he wanted them to help him make that a reality.

Thawda continued to hesitate, but Kali was all for it as was Myat Sein. Even some of the attendants who had listened in closely expressed their delight after hearing the horrid things Gang Min said on loudspeaker. Gary held out his hand to Thawda, imploring him for his invaluable help. To which the later finally yielded and asked that he be forgiven for his lack of faith.

And then, Gary freely explained his grand vision for Kalavinka that would ensure that it would be self-sufficient and prosperous even in times of strife.

Afternoon approached, and the Abbot and his clergy were brought before Gary for judgement. There was no need to scare them, as they were already shivering from the wrong, they had wrought upon the people of Kalavinka. As traitors and sell-outs. Standing witness was not just senior members of the community and military, but the entire population who had been protected within the compound of Kyaalhcain Palace.

Gary and a few representatives from the community, Deacon Delisle, Kali bint Aasif, Thawda and Colonel Durga sat at a panel before the Monks and their Abbot much to the surprise of the Buddhist community who protested. But were silenced before Gary laying out their crimes against the city and its people, along with evidence of these acts in the forms of physical proof and eye-witness reports. Hearing that the Abbot had been responsible for their losses caused the crowd to go mad demanding justice upon the monks.

Gary then asked if Abbot Htut or any of the monks would like to plead guilty and receive leniency to their sentencing. To which the monks begged shamelessly that they were in the wrong which only upset the Buddhist worshippers even more. Abbot Htut however, wouldn't roll on his stomach and publicly denounced Gary as not being a son of Min. As he shared no attributes similar to his father and was therefore not qualified to lead them. Gary casually stated that he was indeed not a son of Min which shocked the crowds. As he further said that the idea of being a child of that man was utterly revolting. Silencing the peoples as they couldn't process their heads around this sudden declaration.

Abbot Htut took advantage of this confession and demanded why they had to follow Gary if he wasn't a sire of Gang Min. And that's when Kali, formerly Kinnara silenced him and proclaimed that it was not Gary who was not a son of Min, but Gang Min instead. Her former comrades were the first to support her and he who she deemed worthy of her faith. And so did the other peoples who had personally felt his kindness and believed he was genuinely like the original Min, Master Wing Nam.

Between Gary and Gang Min it was not difficult to see which was better. This was the cycle of Karma that Abbot Htut had ironically spoke of as it applied heavily to him in particular. Having won the populations' hearts and minds despite his true origins, Gary had succeeded in winning Kalavinka. Abbot Htut realised he had lost and shamelessly begged even harder than his fellow monks for Gary to have mercy as the crowd shouted louder for his execution as he rightfully deserved.

For once, Gary turned to Kali to let her decide their fate as an open sign of trust and full confidence in her as a companion.

Abbot Htut was not only made to stare up at the worst possible person to judge his fate but be looked upon for his crimes against her family as well.

Kali started by proclaiming that the monks will be banished from Kalavinka as they had no heart for the motherland. Knowing that these monks exploited the charity of others to lift them on their feet, they wouldn't survive out in the wilderness of the Burmese Jungles. She was seconded by the people's roaring approval as the monks had done more than look down on the other faiths and even incited trouble for them, and when those in desperate need of help appeared before them, they always turned a cold shoulder. It was a fitting end for them. Whilst remaining as a small gesture of mercy to be spared physical punishment or death. If they survived, they would most likely tell the black tales of Kalavinka and its people who casted them out into the harsh cruel world. Or they would be ignored as blabbering childish nonsense, as Kalavinka was merely hearsay legend.

She however did not include Abbot Htut as a part of what these monks were condemned with. Knowing his tenacity, she was sure he would plot revenge in the long run. But she didn't just want him to die, she wanted him to suffer for the deaths and torture of her brother and mother. Making the Mufti watch helplessly as his wife and son were killed. And she had just the punishment for him.

Taking a shot of heroin as the soldiers she ordered held him down against his will. She injected him with the very poison he killed them for. Abbot Htut would be stripped of his cassocks and made to do hard labor, his punishment and payment for his days work was the Heroin he was made to cultivate from Opium. Kali wanted Htut to become a hopeless addict and lose all cognitive thought and desire beyond receiving his daily shot. The people shouted their approval of her judgement as they had their fair share of grievances with the Abbot when he was in power before. And while he was not killed, he wasn't exactly living either.

Kali showed to Gary that Kinnara wasn't just a name, but an expression of her anger personified in reality. Such a fearsome woman, his victory over her was indeed a fluke.

Gary stood and proclaimed that Htut would be the only one to receive his daily ration of Heroin unless he didn't fulfil his daily quota. Knowing the withdrawal symptoms of heroin would be agony for the man who had built his power from deceit and treachery. He wondered if he did the same to Siu Man, would he be considered a monster?

Dismissing Htut to begin undertaking his new duties and the monks to be banished. Gary took the opportunity to update his people on the long-awaited good news and possibilities that awaited them in the months to come, he also disclosed his plans for major reforms that had only been discussed with many of the representatives of the quarters with great iteration and passion. Then he asked if they would share his vision with him, which came in the response of overwhelming applause and cheers. Gary thanked them all for their support and highlighted that they had much work ahead of them as well as to fulfil the previously outstanding quota.

But he also wanted them to have time and recuperate, so he declared that for an entire week of paid leave on a period they would come to call Unity Week. Acknowledging the actions and heroism of the Vermillion Army and the citizens in taking to the defence of the city under fire. Gary was to host a public banquet within the Kyaalhcain Palace in everyone's honour, which was within the grocery list that he gave Captain Dinqu on his flight to Assam.

Thawda observed how brilliantly he swayed the public and wondered if he was truly the son of Min they had all been waiting for. That Master Min Wing Nam had once dreamed of having from his bloodline? Thawda's opinion of Gang Min being in that category was becoming distant as Gary Min seemed to show the attributes that his Grandfather had spoken of.

Whatever Gary Min had to show for his intellect and cunning, it was by no means shallow.

---

Part 10 – The City of Min

While Gary was able to distract the people with welfare unheard of and recognition for their efforts with incentives. And his charisma in appealing to them as a capable leader.

The fact still remained that the integrity of their defences were severely outmatched. Gary had made rush reforms to improve their combat efficiency with what they had, however they saw first-hand how vulnerable they were to a surprise attack like the one concocted by the Kayir cult.

What astounded them was the report on how Gary had made use of these assets in a way that outstripped their imagination. It was as if he was a Great tactician or general incarnate from an ancient time. But this was mainly because Gary acknowledged his own insignificance and ability on his own.

The other talk of the Vermillion Army was Corporal Sein and the Bike Section who had been equipped with unusually potent weapons and equipment. It exhibited the effectiveness of modern-day equipment fielded by most first-world armies like the United States. Colt carbines was lighter than a submachine gun, yet more accurate and as powerful as a self-loading rifle. Body armor that could stop bullets that would pierce sheets of steel, and radios that were handheld but just as powerful as backpack ones they had. Yet, these were only troop implementations, what about modern equipment and weapon systems of the 1980s?

Corporal Sein bragged that him and the Bike Section were like Gary's Royal Guard. A notion which Gary easily dismissed as those were the title of King's men. Joking that they were far from that category by a long shot, he was getting all high and mighty just because he had kit that not even the Tatmadaw's best troops were fielding. But he saw the substantial boost in confidence these gave. CAR-15 rifles and body armor in general were oddities in Burma, and strictly one-offs. Yet, it didn't stop the senior members of the Vermillion Army to try requesting for something similar to issue out. But it wasn't just the rifles that were difficult to procure, but its one-of-a-kind ammunition that wasn't very prevalent here in Burma and had strict quality mil-spec standards as well as temperament to humid weather like theirs. Gary knew this because the Royal Hong Kong Regiment fielded a small quantity to select scouting elements, even the Police had some in their armory kept for the SDU. M16 rifles were indeed the gold standard of selective-fire small arms, albeit a strain on the wallet for something just as efficient as the common Kalashnikovs with better reliability here. But that was the point of having something that no one else had which gave it its edge.

With the official integration of Kali into the Vermillion, many of her former followers applied to join the Vermillion Army and were simply awaiting Gary's approval since he had the final saying power. Indeed, he identified the former feathered warriors for having superior tracking and scouting abilities. Deeming it worth investing in their training and indoctrination. He would set the paperwork to commission a new cadre in the Vermillion Army that would integrate small scouting squadrons into each company. These units were called Combat Tracker Squadrons or identified by their acronym CT, built on the principle that was similar to the ones that Sun Kwan led in his Reconnaissance Squadron within the Regiment. He left their firearms and equipment training to Major Ma Lay who had been put in charge of a new Combat Tactics School which allowed for the implementation of new tactics and training economically to the existing units. The 13th Company had been converted into a Company of training instructors. However, Gary expected much more from them than what they would of the potential recruits and trainees. And would subject them to constant lessons to increase the professionalism of his army.

There was much that Gary wanted to do that involved traveling out to gain access to materials and resourced that Kalavinka lacked, but he understood that there was a priority list to abide by. His people needed him for emotional support just as much as he was there to physically enact policies. This was his understanding of leadership in Kalavinka.

The objectives of MI6 were suddenly appearing distant to him. Even though he promised to give a regular monthly report of the situation. He surprisingly could learn more from a phone call to the Min Residence than Interpol or MI6 could trying to tap into it, so he was still useful to them. He just hoped they would remember he didn't sign up to be a spy forever.

With a change of pace, Gary was to host a banquet at the private Kyaalhcain Palace which meant lavish food, drinks, dancing and some gambling as well. As far as projects went, this was far more relaxing than what he was doing daily. And so, Gary took pleasure in being the party organiser.

He had invitations printed to all residence the following day. For the army, he made them play a lottery system for who would get to attend on each Companies behalf making it fair for everyone whilst maintaining security. The winner was made to listen to the requests of the company who would likely ask them to bring as much booze back as possible. Gary would hear that Myat Sein was not one of these lucky ones as one of the Bike Section members won instead, much to his dismay. Kali however would represent her father as the head of the Muslim and Hindu quadrant.

Speaking of peoples, the business with Major Tiki remained outstanding only for a moment. As he gave orders for the fighter bomber squadron to bombard Tiki's Temple which was an ancient temple stupa from a bygone era he used as his headquarters. Some retaliation for attacking his city while he was away, Major Tiki would return to find his home under the same conditions. From there on, it was likely that the cult would relocate to a safer location in the jungle where they couldn't identify their HQ. Gary was once again reminded by the inefficiency of fixed wing aircraft in jungle environment where the trees provided canopy everywhere. That's why the Vietcong and NVA had eluded the US forces for so long in Vietnam, their only redemption was sophisticated technology and advancing infantry tactics.

One innovation that evolved there was that of helicopters, the ability to bypass terrain in ferrying troops and exfiltrating them. There weren't many places that offered helicopters commercially, neither on the black market. Although one place did come to mind that had surplus from their victory over Saigon. It was difficult for a lone autonomous city to make friends with big powers, however, it was easy to get things if money wasn't a problem and military corruption was prevalent.

Gary didn't bother with these things as he organised the banquet at Kyaalhcain Palace and only emerged on the promised day itself. All those invited were dressed in their best ethnic attires, Deacon Delisle in his vicar collared shirt and long pants, Kali in a Anarkali-style dress which she inherited from her mother and partly where she acquired her name, rather than the Hindu Deity who hunts evil. With the power gap left by former Abbot Htut's forced removal, Gary ordained the most senior member who identified as Buddhist to become their representative and his support. Although the man was already in his eighties and was passive, which was to Gary's preference.

The Palace itself had received major cleaning of its structure and repainted to the colour was thought to originally be there. Gardens had been trimmed, water features were maintained. Tables were built to accommodate the congregation, whilst many sitting mats were laid out to make efficient use of the space. Entertaining troupes had been hired from a travelling nomadic tribe in a nearby region to perform their acts. Film tapes had been acquired for movie entertainment on a large projector screening, featuring some of the latest movies on local regional screens such as Prem Rog from Bollywood, the sci-fi spy flick 007 Moonraker, and the Hong Kong martial arts film Si Dai Cheut Ma or Young Master, starring Jackie Chan. And of course with entertainment for all ages, there were gambling tables, because what else would they do in the remote of Burma for entertainment.

Mahjong, Big Two, Pai Gow, Blackjack and Poker. Under the ambient lighting and luxurious furnishings, it was like a casino in the jungle. Gary brought a little of the high roller life that he had witnessed in Macau while consolidating their cut of the profits at the hotels and casino. The world was funny like that, it forbade narcotics yet legalized gambling was equally as harmful and would ruin a man's life faster than the slow poison of the drugs.

Gary played a high stakes game against the deacon who had an impressive bluff and had beaten five players before him, he accepted the challenge of ending that streak. Playing five draws, four wins against seven losses to Deacon Delisle. Mocking him that he was a man of god yet gave in to vices to which the Deacon retorted that he wasn't actually ordained. Gary made a bet with him if he could win the next game he would have to acquire proper license. Delisle showed the first signs of a twitch of his left eyebrow that gave Gary the indication of the Deacon's tell, using that to his advantage.

They played a final game which had attracted a large audience. Deacon plays a Fullhouse, as the other players folded leaving tension as Gary stared at him with mild inactivity, before revealing a Straight flush with his hand. Closing the game as he lured the Deacon into continuing to play against him after their numerous folds.

Gary gained around a two hundred thousand Kyats from several games which he declared would be used to buy the next round of drinks to the joy of the audience. Delisle's side of the bet, he could do it any time he wanted, and Gary was okay with it. As the night progressed, Kyaalhcain Palace shone brighter a place that people could come together rather than the sole abode of Royalty.

Eating and drinking his fill, Gary found himself more tired of the activity than he thought he would be and found a quiet place to retire. Closing his eyes on a seat by a balcony exposed to the night sky, the smell of incense from afar used to make the place smell nice and keep the mosquitoes away had a pleasant odour. Making him fall into a sleeping trance again.

He dreamed he was not at the Bagan Kingdom anymore, but this very place centuries ago. At Kyaalhcain Palace. Exiled decades after losing his crown to another who sided with British outsiders he had failed to defeat. And now, someone had stormed into the Palace, slain the guards one by one and came to him at his dining table. This figure had no form, only black smoke and brimstone radiating from its body. In its right hand made of dark obelisk stone, held a knife stained with blood. From its victims and from itself, as it wept.

Its eyes glowed red, this figure, this demon was only recognisable for what it used to be by the Dragon Jade amulet he had given to someone else in another time or life. He asked who this demon was and what past enmity they had.

It claimed it was this way because of an unresolvable enmity with the heavens, nine lifetimes it had been wronged, but the tenth would free them all. To achieve this, it had to quench its bloodlust and karma, which could only be resolved by his death. And to his surprise, the demon replied that it was sorry for killing him. Only through his death could it shed its hatred and be able to defeat their enemy, yet it would continue to repent for the things he had done and would do. Whatever a deed could he have done to turn this person into this monster? He truly believed he deserved to die then, and so he gave the demon permission to kill him and his forgiveness. The Demon cried and wept bloody tears, but the flames couldn't be extinguished. He could see that it was suffering constantly but he could offer no relief to it. So he asked the demon for its name, so that he could know who to forgive.

And the demon worded it in an ancient and forgotten language. A place where destruction and rebirth….

A person, a mountain, a paradise.

His mind stirred to the figure looming over him. Kali, adorned in traditional jewels shone brighter than she appeared before. Taking a moment to recover from his mind falling into a daze and the experience that followed it. Kali was quick to pick up on it and sitting next door, asked if he had a dream. Whether he would like to seek some soothsaying if he did not want to talk about what was one his mind.

Gary questioned her foundations as she should be Muslim like her father. But Kali said that her father never imposed that on her, and she had inherited some skills from her mother who was originally a Burmese fortune teller with roots to the old Kingdom.

Gary obliged out of curiosity on what she would do. She took his hand and turned it on its palm then tossed a bag of well used trinkets onto a leather sheet with astrology markings on it. Looking up into the stars on this clear night sky for references.

Then she exclaimed a single word that caught the entirety of his attention.

Retribution.

She claimed that Gary was the source of someone's retribution. In this Gary was sure that in the past he had made a few enemies and would continue to do so, all he could do was prepare for it and face it like a man. But Kali shook her head, it wasn't retribution against him but for him.

Someone with strong Karma to him would shake the earth and seas against those who would wrong him. What Kali thought about this was that Gary would soon meet a powerful and loyal ally in the future who would change the world around them. All because of him. There would be formidable foe that he had yet to meet yet could not beat. But that person could.

Kali asked why he wasn't happy to hear such a good auspicious sign. Gary disclosed that such a person would no doubt go through great suffering if it was for his sake, something he would never wish on anyone the way his father had done to him.

Then she suggested that perhaps he should prepare to receive such a person as if his own family, so that the woes of that person would be shared amongst them, then they wouldn't suffer so much and would at least have someone to confide to. She merely stated this as her opinion and her experience with her family members. Gary was reminded that Kali actually had a similar outcome in seeking to avenge her family and would do so by any means that she could. Was this a standard trait of how a family member would behave? To fiercely protect them even when they didn't need it any longer? Both his biological parents had failed in this criteria, that was why his heart had no love for them. Whether they died on the side of the road or by a bullet to the head, it didn't matter to him.

Gary complimented her for being an intelligent and strong person. Kali merely pointed out that she paled in comparison to him, listing a few examples of why. Which made Gary feel embarrassed to be spoken to that way.

Her final piece of advice to him before she departed for home was that he should depend a little more on the people around him. That would not only make them feel appreciative and recognised, but also wish to do the same for him in turn. He won't have to feel as lonely as he did before.

Tricking him with a cheeky feint of the presence of voyeurs, she gave him a kiss before departing.

Gary had considered Kali to have very appealing features, though overshadowed by her talents as a leader and fighter. Whatever indication she gave by that contact, was viewed by him as some show of affection as an equal, as a man and perhaps a keen interest in him. Having never thought deeply about the matters of marriage or kinship, had left him confused deeply. With how his life had began, he swore to himself to never become like Gang Min and his mother or the Min family in general. He could remain single for life and it wouldn't bother him at all. He did plan to get married to someone ordinary just because his career and image required it, but never as a commitment or passion in it.

Kali's mild advances had made him ponder on something he didn't want to. But the mere thought of it had also made him think about who he wanted to be with. And there was no doubt in his mind of who held that place in his heart the most, even if it was an unrequited love.

Her red hair, careless but summer smile, and bright eyes. Cameron had none of the qualities that someone like Kali had and was not even a match for her in most categories. She looked ordinary to the Amazon beauty of Kinnara, but Gary didn't think so.

If there was a position that he wanted more than any that no money or influence could buy, it was that of her fiancé. A man who had everything he could ever wish for even if he might never realise it.

Even if it was not what he wanted now. His initial wish of being alone had become a reality.

---

Part 11 – A Better Tomorrow

Mufti Aasif would return a month later to a changed city, a changed man himself. Having found relatives who had thought him long dead and welcomed back with open arms. In the decades he was lost, Aasif had been regarded as one of the many heroes for the Independence of the Hindustani continent now divided to Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. His village province had celebrated his return with a festival, and was surprised to see that he even had a statue of his younger self in the town square. A local hero all this time, and he had lived in the shame of betraying his family and friends.

Aasif asked for their forgiveness but they felt that he had nothing to feel sorry for. He however, wished to return to Kalavinka instead of staying in their village. Aasif had told the tales of the Burma Campaign and his survival for thirty years in the jungles. His marriage to a Burmese woman and the son and daughter he had. Then came talk of the dynasty of the Mins, starting with Min Wing Nam, and now carried by Gary Min.

There were fifty thousand Indian lives that owed their safety to their family. With help from the village, he was able to make an appeal to the governor of their province who brought up the matter to the parliament. The Tatmadaw had been guilty of expelling and racial oppression against descendants of Indian and Muslims who had migrated into Burma with the British rule.

They explained with Aasif at the hearing that an autonomous city within Burma called Kalavinka had been a refuge for these peoples even as the country itself fell apart with rebellion and civil war. It had infrastructure and a substantial force to protect itself, however was behind times.

The governor of Aasif's province expertly proposed the supply of machinery and industrial aid to Kalavinka to improve infrastructure would solve their ongoing refugee crisis overwhelming their ports and borders. As the Burmese military junta had recently enacted a citizenship law that did not recognise these groups that had lived there as its citizens and were therefore illegal aliens despite many generations living there. Bangladesh was also facing this problem, but India could lead by example.

They did not fail to mention who was leading Kalavinka either and what sort of background he had. Which had initially put off the members of parliament at the mention of opium trade, the government couldn't very well be supporting drug suppliers or their image would be tarnished. However, the appeal reached the ears of the RAW and IB national intelligence bureaus who came into a meeting. But could not come to a resolve, until Mufti Aasif handed them a paper that contained Gary's actual government credentials. Leading to a call to the MI6 division in India on clarifying Gary's genuine identity.

MI6 hesitantly released to them Gary's files and their current ongoing operation to shut down the Min Drug Empire. Around this time, Gary would receive a furious call from his superiors in Station H for what he had done and dragged the Indian intelligence agencies into but he cunningly congratulated his superior much to the latter's surprise, as it meant that when the Min Empire was finished, he could also receive commendation for his part in the joint effort to rescue and safeguard the Indian refugees. Gary was warned that he was playing a dangerous game, but was only warned not refused. His British superior was so predictable and greedy, he didn't realise or suspect that he was being played a fool.

Eventually the IB took charge of the joint covert ops dubbed Operation Matsyu. Secretive in nature because if the Tatmadaw learnt of Indias involvement, they would likely launch a full offensive on Kalavinka.

Upon returning, Mufti Aasif had brought company in the form of an operative from the Logistics Department who simply called himself Gautam. And addressed Gary as Captain Min of MI6 Station H to the surprise of Aasif as he had no idea what Gary had written in the paper given to him as an added assurance.

Gautam informed Gary that Station H had already approved the go ahead for this covert aid operation as a joint effort. As there were some mutual benefits from their collaboration. And as a sign of good will, the IB had designated an airdrop site where he could collect a shipment of tractors, generators and a small quantity of weapons. As the Tatmadaw would likely be watching the airspace, so there was limited time for the cargo planes to fly through. Gary provided a sky path which his pilots used to avoid the military Airforce radars from grounding their flights like the one Aasif flew back to India on. Gautam was there to provide him with technical assistance and support if needed, he would also be the one to whom he requested what sort of material he needed every month. In return for this support, the joint intelligence committee expected him to take in a thousand displaced refugees of Indian and Muslim heritage every month. They would every month send those that had made it to their borders and ports, deported to Kalavinka instead. Gary could see that they were using his city as a refugee dump site, but it gave him access to industrial material he didn't have at hand.

The Joint Committee also recognised that they couldn't accommodate too many at a time or the Tatmadaw would get suspicious of Kalavinka declaring its autonomy as an unofficial Hindustani state just like the Kachin and Shan rebellions. Gary didn't mind as much as he was getting free population and potential workforce. There was also a requirement that his drug production be dismantled upon the end of affairs in Hong Kong. But for all the hassle and breathing down his neck, Gary got his construction and cultivation machines to expand the school and reduce the agriculture workload. He received his first 10MW diesel generator which could provide efficient lighting throughout the streets indefinitely, or till he ran out of fuel. And then, there was the military hardware.

Browning-pattern pistols, Sterling submachine guns, Inch-pattern FAL battle rifles, FN MAG GPMGs. Even RPGs, mortars and autocannons. All sterilized of their production markings and serial numbers to avoid direct trace back. With these equipment coming in batches every month, he was able to refit an entire company. Giving it to the groups that had passed Major Ma Lay and the 13th Company's retraining. To give them purpose, he had them survey the surrounding region to find a good alternative for building a secondary town which could house their increasing population. Which became apparent when Tatmadaw clashed with the Karen National Liberation Army at the city of Mandalay, displacing more people. It was when the Karen forces went in search of northern allies that they bumped into the prospering city, leading to a dialogue between Gary and their region commander.

Unfortunately for the Karen militia, Gary was not going to involve Kalavinka in their fight with the Military Junta and they couldn't trust the Karen militia after their clash with Major Tiki. Of which the Karen commander recognised the name well and their reason for refusing to aid them.

As an apology, the Karen militia donated some arms they captured from the military government. As well as a story about Major Tiki, the blacksheep of the KNLA. Tiki was once thought to be the most loyal and devoted soldier in their ranks fighting for their cause without a doubt. The leader had sent Tiki up north to the location of an old British depot which had been used to stockpile logistics for the push into Yunnan for the Chinese expeditionary forces. Their leader knew this because he was once part of the British Burma forces in their efforts to repel the Japanese. That place as apparently an ancient temple ruin which hid the cache and preserved it well under cool and dry conditions. Tiki was supposed to come back with the shipments, to support the fight but never returned. A surviving member of his unit escaped and reported the current state of Tiki going mad and enslaving the local populations he came across. The KNLA had no time to apprehend or make sense of what Tiki's betray was and still didn't as irresponsible as it sounded. But understood if Kalavinka had no desire to join them. Major Tiki was a lost cause and no longer part of their organisation.

Gary was not convinced though, nobody just goes crazy without cause. Speaking of crazies, some of the cultists taken prisoner and forced to undergo rehab treatment had come to their senses. But were still foggy on what they'd been doing for the last few months since their internment at the Temple of Pain. While others turned rabid and had to be put down, it was a win lose, but at least they were doing something for them. Gary offered the recovering people a job and residence until they regained their memories, if they could.

And then, two months later.

Gary received a call from the Commissar, highlighting the arrival of such a person he had identified for a hit. The Inspector Wu De and some of his fellow police officers, out to do another drug op in the Golden Triangle.

As far as Liang Tai had disclosed about the target, the Inspector had not yet decided on what target to choose and had simply come to sweep the region to cover the departments annual drug bust assessment. It was as Gary had said, the soil under Wu De's feet was disappearing due to his rivals and opposition plotting against him. Why Liang Tai hadn't just killed Wu De and asked for his end of the deal was to give Gary time to contact MI6 on the arrangement, but also because he didn't want to be the last person the PRC saw the late Wu De communicating with. This was the extent of Liang Tai's capacity given their lack of trust between one another.

Gary made the necessary arrangements with MI6 Station I who had contacted the CIA and offered the following. This deal was so big that his superior in Hong Kong scolded him once more for not informing him of these developments beforehand. Gary simply told him it was Station I's responsibility over this region and discussion outside of the Min Empire assets abroad should be with the Station I chief than him, knowing he wouldn't have the guts to do so. This apparently went as he had foreseen, his superior sent another field operative to Kalavinka, a British agent this time although it didn't really matter to him. Gary gave no accommodations to Agent Tristan that were his, forcing him to homestay with an ordinary residence in Kalavinka. The operative was confused why he had been treated this way and not given a room in the palace that he owned. Gary simply pointed out that Kyaalhcain Palace was now converted into a community centre and government building. He himself was staying at his Ancestral Home, and Tristan wasn't a guest at his house but an errand boy his superior sent to survey him. Gary didn't care how many negative tick boxes he filled in on his recommendation sheet, Agent Tristan wasn't in Britain anymore and he certain wasn't in Hong Kong either. His presence was miniscule. He only had access to three places, his own safehouse, the airbase and the vehicle depot to requisition a land rover or something.

Gary meanwhile had other things to prepare for, like the plan to intercept Inspector Wu De alive before he could send for help. The transit of Wang Liang Tai and his battalion to America, Virginia where they could be debriefed by the CIA.

The Vermillion Army was being prepared to face the unknown possibilities, and so had them train around the clock in weapon familiarisation as well as coordination with command and control. With the weapons acquired through Indian Intelligence, Gary was confident in the battalion worth of men who were comparable to the Juhua cartel mercenaries he had observed there on his second trip weeks back to play a friendly game of Mahjong with Liang Tai, his second-in-command, Captain Shao Meng and adjutant. From the game he could tell that Liang Tai had warmed up to him a bit and had also learnt of his recent exploits against Tiki and his cultists in liberating his city in a day. Or getting supplies from India. Agent Tristan had insisted on coming but couldn't speak either Chinese or Cantonese and was left out of the loop, looking like a fool that Gary was walking around on a leash. Humorous from their perspective.

When his forces were ready, he appointed a location to Liang Tai to feed to the Inspector. The newly built town served as the ruse site where the Inspector and his patrol would be raiding, thinking it was the site for a remote heroin jungle lab. An irresistible prize for a glory hound.

At the day itself, the NNCC contingent had made the Juhua mercs hang back while they did all the work in riding up the river and entering the village silently. Approaching a building that billowed white smoke that told of the drug synthesis that was going on in there. Storming the building, they found not a single personnel working at the tables or guards present and only straw figures in their place, which didn't bode well for them. The absence of the "villagers" who were originally outside had spelt a trap set for them as they tried to reorganise and evacuate when the drug lab exploded and knocked out the entire contingent. The site was covered in tear gas causing them to tear up and vomit as men in gas masks approached them with a photo of the target. Those who did not match this description or likeness were executed whilst incapacitated. When the smoke cleared, the remaining policemen had surrendered to a company worth of rifles aimed their way. Gary saw that Wu De was not amongst them and ordered their execution which was met with complaints and threats from the Chinese policemen at his unlawful actions.

Gary simply stated that they had poor taste in friends and co-workers who were blamed for their deployment here. They would be considered lost to the jungle by their country at most. He was after their boss, they however, were just a liability. He said before waving his hand down to give the order to fire, killing off a dozen men whose only crime was working for the crocked inspector.

It was at this point that Gary was aware that Liang Tai had gone back on his word. Now, the Juhua cartel mercs accompanying the NNCC police force went in for the kill after his trap was sprung. Closing into the empty urban settlement with the same intentions he had for Wu De.

However, they were forgetting that they were in his territory.

Out in the open street, the mercenaries were caught in the detonation of hidden line charges in the dirt road. Eliminating a good half a dozen soldiers at a time, the survivors immediately sought cover in the empty houses and behind certain walls only to fall into pit falls and booby trapped house set to go off when entered. The mercenaries in their shaken state were fell upon by the Vermillion army company who followed Gary. Down till a single survivor who wouldn't talk when forced to, so Gary shot him in the head before making a call to Liang Tai.

And instead receiving an answer from none other than his target, Inspector Wu De. Who told him he was in trouble for attacking a sanctioned law enforcement unit without mercy. Gary however commented on how cold he was to send his own subordinates to die knowingly in a mocking tone. Then stated that he was more interested if Liang Tai had suddenly gotten cold feet suddenly or grew a conscience along the way which was hypocritical for a person of his position.

But the Inspector simply stated that Liang Tai had poor choices for officers, as it was Captain Shao Meng who had informed the Inspector in advance of the trap. Shao Meng had staged a coup within the cartel and held Liang Tai for his crimes against the Fatherland. Out of those disillusioned with China and those still loyal, the nationalistic sentiments won out. Wu De also demanded what enmity he had with him previously since he'd certainly never come across someone of his name before.

Gary told him, he'd personally tell him what it was when he got there.

It was no time for charades any longer, the worst possible outcome had happened.

For the first time, Gary mobilized the entire Vermillion Army. He was going to assault Serpent Valley, where the Juhua cartel fortress stood virtually unopposed since its inception.

The cartel manned their defences as they had expected a fight from an entire regiment. But were in for a re-education, as they were not fighting the Vermillion Army of four months ago. But one reformed into an effective fighting force.

They waited patiently for their enemy as time was on their side. While unable to contact the homeland because the Kachin people had cut the landline on Gary's request, the option to escape for Wu De remained, though he stayed to gain the biggest trophy win in narcotic history. By conquering Kalavinka, the largest heroin source in the history of drug busts. His promise to Shao Meng was the recognition that they had originally desired from the central committee. The attack came at night, predictably to take advantage of the night cover to conceal the assault that was crossing through four hundred yards of killzone.

However, they were mistaken to think that Gary was just a drug enforcer leading a herd of armed militia.

The FOB came under a heavy barrage of mortar and howitzer fire which saturated the compound in intervals such that there was no gap in their barrages. Making it difficult to coordinate a counter barrage with their field gun battery which had been heavily bombarded and rendered unusable along with the anti-air artillery pieces. Illumination flares lit up, Shao Meng had correctly identified this swiftly as the sign of an aerial bombardment after researching Gary's liberation of Kalavinka from the cultists.

The predicted flight of antique fighter bombers came in hammering their fortified infrastructure and emplacements. But used a far more terrifying ordnance than bombs and rockets as Shao Meng had expected.

Napalm. Which saturated their trenches and driveways, making the artillery pieces inapproachable in the searing heat as everyone took cover. The bombardment of mortars persisted keeping their heads underneath the bunkers. The Captain realised that this was a bad time to be taking cover when the enemy was approaching them over the fields to their emplacements behind the barbwire and landmines. Every second the napalm gained the troops a few metres closer to the defensive perimeter. Shao Meng forced them out of their hiding, as the Inspector screamed at him to do something about the situation.

His men reluctantly rose from cover to man the defenses, only to see that the Vermillion army had not only arrived past the hundred metre mark but closed in from only one side. Not with infantry alone, but military trucks and BTR armoured personnel carriers and antique M4 Shermans providing fire support from their 75mm cannon and machine guns. This allowed them to cover a great distance as a unit in a very short time. Under the heavy covering fire from the vehicle mounted weaponry, the troops dismounted and converged adding to that firepower. Their practice of combined arms tactics was something the mercenaries did not expect to see within the jungles of Burma, especially not by a faction like the Vermillion Army which had long been tooted as nothing more than a paper tiger up till now. The Vermillion Army soldiers did sustain some degree of losses, however, their morale did not waiver as the cartel mercenaries had expected. Wielding self-loading weapons, coupled with their improved proficiency in accuracy. The strength of the cartel was wilting before their very eyes, so aggressive were their opponents that the flashback of the viciousness of the Vietnamese Army during the Sino-Vietnamese conflict recurred to them in the heat of battle. As if the nightmare had repeated itself a decade later after finally catching up to them.

However, unlike the policemen, Gary had ordered the Vermillion army to take prisoners when possible. The fighting did not even last an hour, even as Shao Meng coordinated an efficient relocation to new fortifications. Fire support rendered their emplacements ineffective and inoperable.

Shao Meng faced the fall of his battalion that had once been feared a powerful force in Northern Burma, falling like cards before his very eyes. His focus on the motorized force had completely distracted him from a rear attacking force that had climbed over their rear defences virtually unchallenged. Kali's company, the red feather scouts caught the reserves while their backs were turned. As Shao Meng felt himself impact the dirt floor from half a dozen hands planting his face there. And as such, the Serpent Valley FOB fell to the Vermillion Army. All that remained of the Juhua Cartel apart from most of its structures with no recoverable equipment or artillery pieces were half the original force who had surrendered proper. Except for one last person.

Wu De held a badly beaten Liang Tai missing an eye as hostage. In a very poor taste for a decorated police officer, he demanded a way out or he would kill his hostage. After learning the value of Liang Tai to the apparent MI6 operative, Captain Gary Min. Gary had arrived by land rover almost when the fighting was about to end as he played the role of forward observer for the fire support that was protecting his assaulting infantry companies with direct fire shelling emplacements. For his efforts, he had lost only fifty-two with nineteen wounded, significant but light in light of the battalions he could have lost. And had gained control over the entire sector with these fortifications now under his control.

When he entered Wu De's view, the latter demanded a trade deal. But Gary wasn't going to negotiate with him. Instead, he told him how he had come to know him and to what business he had with him as promised on the radio.

He revealed that Wu De had apparently killed a drug lord and his wife in cold-blood a decade back in a botched arrest op between the NNCC predecessor and Interpol, but he had been secretly paid off by an anonymous source to kill Fabian Lau and his wife. The joint committee agreed to shove this under the table and fabricated the story that the Lau family leader resisted arrest which led to a shootout killing both of them. Surely, he didn't think he could get away with it even if both high-level parties closed their eyes and had the authority of a country behind him, did he? Wu De was sure that nobody knew about the incident except for the higher ups. But Gary reminded him that he had left one survivor to witness the horror and remember it, a little girl. And now he was going to mail his head over to her.

The Inspector had no time to respond as Gary's stall for time had given Corporal Sein time to shoot him with a Dragunov rifle, blowing his right arm off that held the gun to Liang Tai's neck. Grabbed by the soldiers and stabilized with a sedative to be brought back for torture after closing his wounds.

Gary approached Liang Tai and held out his hand to pick him up. More ashamed at himself for what his actions had led to than his entire life, he could not take that hand. But Gary grabbed a hold of it and pulled him up all the same.

Telling him that he still owed it to those alive and those fallen to live the life that they could not. To look for that better tomorrow. Causing the forty-year-old man to cry helplessly in his own shame.

---

Part 12 – The Necessary Evils

Taking control of Serpent valley had expanded their boundaries, but also the recognition from every other faction. Which was dangerous if organisations like the Tatmadaw perceived them as a potential threat in their later campaign up north.

However, this territory could be used as leverage or traded in for something with their Kachin trade partners. Or even to the KNLA as a sanctuary.

Their prisoners of war were loaded up on trucks to be sent back to Kalavinka, while small arms and other equipment were recovered as war trophies by the clean up units. After receiving medical treatment for both Liang Tai and his most grievously wounded comrades, Gary had them loaded up on a cargo plane on route to the Lucknow Airport in India where a welcoming committee of on-route CIA assets would come to claim Liang Tai and his men.

Agent Tristan who had borne witness to the entire battle was shocked by the capabilities of this private army and whether Gary was genuinely with them or for himself. He had only one job here, and that was to report into Station H that the individual known as Political Commissar Wang Liang Tai and Captain Shao Meng had been successfully recovered and awaiting transfer to their American allies. Gary gave Liang Tai an English dictionary to start reading up while he recuperated for a day in the polyclinic.

He asked what would become of the Inspector, to which Gary specified that he was going to film giving him the ancient torture treatment of an offender, milking Wu De for screams into the camera before finally chopping off his head. So that the little princess would know that the man suffered rather than just receiving a head. Making Liang Tai wonder what sort of little monster that child he mentioned was. But also inquired why he saw it necessary to spare Shao Meng's life or that of the soldiers who betrayed him and made his transaction difficult.

His reply was that there was always a proper order of doing things. But if he wanted his honest opinion, he did it to challenge himself. Leaving Liang Tai laughing once more, at the absolute crazy person he was or that he had an army willing to follow his insane commands. It was without a doubt that Gary Min was an incredible person was an amazing destiny that awaited him. Liang Tai looked forward to seeing him in the news in the future.

Loaded up on the cargo plane, Liang Tai made a final request for a handshake which Gary graciously gave him. With no further need to stay, Tristan accompanied what remained of the Juhua cartel to rendezvous with the MI6 division of India to report back to their superior on the developments. Gary gave Tristan advice to watch himself now as he was now accomplice to the largest defection that will never be acknowledged by both sides. You will never know when the PRC might send their agents upon him, kidnap or kill, he didn't care.

The cargo plane entered the tarmac and prepared to take off. With Gary and his officers observing their take off. Some felt that it was unnecessary to allow Shao Meng and his turncoats to have the same privilege as Liang Tai who was the one Gary made a deal with and was worth more than all of them combined. Gary simply said that now the Americans had a whole lot more than they asked for, knowing that it was burdensome for the CIA in actuality to accommodate the entire battalion. However, they had to if they wanted Liang Tai's cooperation. The officers finally comprehended their master's schemes.

Gary had just helped facilitated the largest defection in history to never be acknowledged.

So he patted himself on the back since no one else would.

Gary had much work ahead of him, with Serpent Valley firmly in his control he decided to repurpose this flat land to serve additional agricultural output. Not Opium, but genuine edible crops and produce, since it was always better to make their own than depend on outsourced suppliers.

With the influx of new refugees, Gary formulated a new residential plan. As simply having them squeeze in with the city itself would yield little return and increase dissatisfaction amongst the existing population for congestions. He offered completed houses and land plots for building homes or pitching tents, whatever their choice on a special lease provided that they work at the job assigned to them. Thus, Gary had no trouble convincing refugees to settle in the new outskirt towns who had liberties to the geography there and relative safety provided by the Vermillion Army patrols and outposts built near them.

His road improvement plan was already on its way, replacing dirt roads with proper brick pavements for pedestrians and asphalt roads for vehicles. The school had begun its first curriculum of study, facilitating language studies, arithmetic, science and social studies. More studies and higher levels could only be achieved with more teachers. Many of which would have to be from abroad as the local academics had either been killed off mercilessly by the Military Junta or had fled the country.

The IB operative, Gautam offered to teach Hindu history and some mathematics as a way of earning some local money part-time. With Kali permanently attached to the Vermillion Army, she and the former four paths movement were soldiering professionally for him instead. Having fortune teller blood in her, she had a strange power over the troops with her ability to read divinations and whether the coming battles would be favourable. Hopefully, the army wouldn't read too much into it, depending on her clairvoyance to determine their mood for battle. Corporal Sein was on the roads patrolling most of the time with the Bike Section, almost like a Harley biker gang which seemed to be his most prevalent passion. It seemed everyone had some sort of gimmick.

He was four months into his term in Burma, while not counting the days, each month in Hong Kong usually meant something new or disastrous for the Min Family. On the second month, he reported in with Gang Min personally that he had fulfilled the month quota of shipment as well as the additional outstanding amount he lost with interest. Which pleased the Triad Leader to hear his diligence before he started talking about the developments at home. Siu Man, forced into wedlock with a tycoon's daughter had been missing from his new pregnant wife's life most of the time, trying to jump from hostess bar to casino in the nights. It gave Gang Min a headache to think he would leave his empire in his hands. Naturally, Grace stood in as a more suitable candidate. But Gang Min had other ideas for her to be sent to Taiwan to bring the local triads there to heel with a political marriage with the dominant Triad group there. Grace had been in control over the Min assets in Macau for too long and accumulated too much wealth for her own use. Gang Min was old but no fool. He posed it as a problem for Gary to solve over the phone to test him.

Gary said that in his position, what Grace actually desires more than power is recognition for her efforts. She was a possessive brat with daddy issues, using these exact words cracked up Gang Min more than the presumptuous words he used to describe the fruit of his loins. Gary would have given her executive control over his legitimate businesses and supervised her performance personally. The triads might confuse it for him personally taking effort to groom a successor, as would Siu Man. But Grace could get the iteration of recognition that she wanted, at least through her interpretation. Gary knew first-hand how mentally unstable she was, from past experience. It was difficult to escape her grasp the moment he showed promise as a capable henchman but would not be her man. She loved to steal from others what she didn't have herself. A stigma that proved to be her undoing.

Gang Min was impressed and said he might do just that. With such actions, Siu Man might fear losing his birth right and start working to get his act together. Gary received his thanks and the promise of a special seat in the council when he returned, his insight was indeed valuable to the Triad. On the side note, he inquired what Gary did to past the time since there was very little things to do over there. Did he have dozens of women serve him every night, enjoy varieties of narcotics, or torture people to harvest them for their screams?

Gary said that he had the hobby of disturbing the local inhabitants and raiding neighbouring factions. Giving the impression he was either a bandit that loved to pillage or barbarian that loved to torment settlements. Gang Min mused that Gary must've been a general in his past life and it was good to have an ancient hero on his side before cutting the call. But for how long, Gary pondered.

Kalavinka was a bread winner to Gang Min and a majority of their organisation, a revenue source seemed to be all it was to them. But here, Gary could gain followers that would follow his orders to the death. He was so far and remote that no one would check up on him and he had free autonomy to do what he wished. He could freely train his people without firearm restrictions of an urban city and his men could have opportunities to gain military experience. Gang Min had an empire of thugs and enforcers. But Gary had an entire city and army of loyal soldiers and subjects. Who was the superior opposition? Like in the Bible under the book of Genesis, Esau giving away his birth right of firstborn to Isaac, Siu Man had let this entire opportunity slip by him. He didn't know the scale of their father's work even though he was born in it. So he didn't respect any of it. Gary loathed it but respected it for what it was.

As Kalavinka grew in power, so did Gary.

But there were bottlenecks that he would soon face. Such as the watchful eye of MI6, Gary was still a junior field operative who was way over his head and had the potential of becoming a liability to Her Majesty's government. They might just decide to cut their losses and have him assassinated by a selected kill team. He was familiar with how the British were biased towards the Hong Kongers, like they were no more than second-class citizens or fodder amongst the other migrant groups associated with the UK. That's why he had no chips resting on them other than the distant promise of a career in the Regiment. If they didn't give him that, he would simply take Gang Min's place as their number one threat. And unlike Gang Min, Gary knew how they operated and where. When he returned to Hong Kong, he would have to start digging roots into major parts of the organisation to start mining valuable intel that would help him exploit weaknesses.

The next bottleneck was the local Military Junta of Burma, the Tatmadaw army. His city stood as a defiant monument against their racial policies. Whilst tolerant until now because of Kalavinka's history with the Western Allies and the old Burma, there was a certain threshold that they could tolerate. Unlike the outstanding Kachin, Shan and Karen rebellions, there was no open hostility yet to be found. Kalavinka might not have numbers as large as these states, but its troop quality was comparable or better than the best regiments the Tatmadaw had at present, he dare say. But the Tatmadaw had state arsenals and factories to continue pumping out ammunition and weapons. It also had rocket artillery batteries and armored battalions at their disposal. In a conventional fight, a showdown between the Vermillion Army and a chosen Tatmadaw division, the Military Junta would be the clear winners. The other rebel states waged a guerrilla war, that was why they were a persistent threat to the Tatmadaw. And Gary's goal was not to take over Burma on his own, even if he had the surname of their ancient Royalty.

What did he want? Gary could never decide. What he wanted, he could not get. What he had, he didn't necessarily need.

On the sixth month, came a fateful surprise just when he was feeling dashed of motivation.

An IB transmission intercepted by Gautam, that a Tatmadaw Commander had unlawfully taken foreign nationals' prisoner, the Caucasian kind. The Military Government denied any such allegations, but they were deliberately delaying a response until the Western foreign affairs came up with a better term. An incentive for allowing the access of extra-territorial police authorities to determine the disappearance of the so-called hostages. Such as removing the embargo on them and their support for the rebel insurgents. But the Western Governments had no intention of playing ball with them and decided on an alternate approach, the clandestine type.

It appeared that acknowledging their military capabilities, the CIA and MI6 have decided to request his aid and support for a rescue operation. With such a large joint party operating, Gary was more wary than not. Because the Western intelligence agencies couldn't afford traces back to them, meaning that anything that had Gary involved would likely point back to Kalavinka and get the Tatmadaw angry with them. So Gary did what they did not expect.

He declined them.

This resulted in his superior calling him personally to oblige with the request. Gary stood firm in his refusal as it would compromise everything he'd been working upon with the India and now Bangladesh Intelligence parties concerning the refugees of Hindustani origin in Operation Matsyu. Something his superior would also answer for on both ends of MI6 and the joint Central Asian intelligence agencies. His superior could do nothing other than send Agent Tristan and an SAS team to rendezvous with US green berets who had experience in jungle warfare. His superior expected the minimal amount of courtesy on their part.

The hostage number was around thirty, enough to trigger an international incident on the world news headlines. But the specific Tatmadaw Commander who had detained them had openly threatened he would kill five if he saw anything broadcasted. His demands apparently didn't match that of the Military Junta itself and were acting in renegade, although the Tatmadaw denied this as they didn't want to be seen losing control over their own high-level commanders or the chain of command would collapse. It was plausible that this was also a Tatmadaw scheme to shake foreign interests in supplying their rebels, but with no conclusive evidence.

Colonel Arkar commanded an independent regiment-sized force that had armoured units, motorized boats, and even attack helicopters which he somehow acquired on his own from the black market. Gary came to this knowledge because some Karen militia who had been routed by the garrison forces sought sanctuary in Kalavinka, they had personally witnessed the weapons used upon them to great effect. With the time at hand and the speed of requisition, the Intelligence agencies could only muster this small sized force of two special forces teams in such short notice. Most of the military strength would have to come from Kalavinka. Although Gary was convinced that they planned to let him take all the heat without compensation or relief. Using him to their convenience, so he wasn't going to play the patsy this time. And this troubled them.

With these justifications, the officers of his Vermillion Army committee found no reason to pursue the matter further. It didn't matter how much military aid they got from this rescue or international recognition, Gary said no.

That was until he received an unwanted guest from his airbase on the day of the special forces group arrival, named Task Force Galahad which was historically the name used for Merrill's Marauders, the joint task force active during the Burma Campaign. Two dozen men accompanied Agent Tristan and some junior-level CIA spook named Willis Huntley, callsign Lonestar. On his airbase, they stuck out like a sore thumb. Their cleanliness as well as their fair skin, it was a joke to Gary that they thought the Tatmadaw were weak minded bullies with scary guns. The military junta he knew were a scary bunch who ruled through fear and intimidation, yes. But their fangs weren't for show, they had more jungle experience than any other army in the region combined, with the exception of Vietnam. They effectively combatted every rebellious state outside of Rangoon in attrition over the decades without much issue. If any other country's armed forces did the same job that they did, it would have resulted in a successful revolution for the rebels in a matter of months. That's why no one interfered with the Tatmadaw handling their rebels. Even Gary understood that he was nothing more than a vassal to them. Whose cut of Gang Min's drug money kept their eyes elsewhere.

Task Force Galahad came in with two C-130s, one was their transport while the other was a Spectre Gunship. A mix of high-low profile equipment, land transport came from three armoured 4x4s the Americans called Humvees. Gary gave them permission to used one of the empty hangars as their provisional base of operations.

As the special forces personnel were unpacking their kit, Agent Huntley was already mixing with the locals in the city centre trying to establish his own cadre of local trackers and informants. He was a lot more resourceful than Tristan, that was for sure, but Gary didn't need him involving his people. So, Agent Huntley was forcibly removed from the residential and market quarter, assigning his only access within Kalavinka was the airbase itself. This was a joint US-British op that had nothing to do with him, after all.

At least that was until Gary found civilians amidst their company. After judging their character as they came in with worried expressions, he figured they were somehow related to the people taken hostage. Which confused him why did they bring civilians at all? Which did not bode well for their intent.

Gary instead, graciously invited them to dinner at the Kyaalhcain Palace. Excluding the foreign soldiers and their intelligence handlers. It was strictly non-military personnel who were to dine with him tonight at the palace.

Serving local cuisine and outstanding attendant service that was normally found in high class restaurants, he had made an impression on them as a wealthy benefactor. He learnt that they were here to answer the ransom that the Tatmadaw or rather, Colonel Arkar had issued to them. Their impression of the person who took their loved ones was that of an uncivilised brute, a greedy and unethical warlord prospering from the suffering of others. But really, it was because they were the ones who were feeling the suffering rather than the local inhabitants that made them gripe all the same. Otherwise, they wouldn't have even cared about what was going on in this country.

Colonel Arkar's demands were steep, Fifty thousand US dollars for each head. Sent to their respective national embassies. He had detained their family members on the premise of false charges, these ransoms were his so-called "bail" fees. While most did not have the sufficient funds to pay for their loved one's release, they had been told that the military special forces would take care of that. But had failed to mention the reason for their coming here. Gary smelled bait from a mile away.

When asked what kind of business he did here in this city, Gary didn't lie nor sugar coat his words. He was an enforcer for a Drug cartel that had dealings with their respective governments for the use of his airbase and city for safe harbours. But he put it so charmingly that they did not even feel like he was a drug lord due to his well-mannered and gentlemanly behavior.

Although, one man seemed to beg the differ. Introducing himself as Aaron McCullen, he directly denounced him for his activities before the dinner table. Much to the displeasure of the other guests and certainly to the guard detail who approached him with the intent on making him eat his words if not for a wave from Gary.

He seemed to think that Gary's narcotics were just perpetuating the situation ever further and causing untold damage to peoples' lives overseas. Gary simply met these accusations head on without fear. Asking if they all appreciated the cheapness of medicine at their local pharmacy, poppy accounted for a large majority of ingredients to anaesthetics for seriously painful ailments and supplemented alternatives like morphine which was always on short supply. Pharmaceuticals could make them affordable because places like this sold them cheaply and in large quantities. It was people who abused its uses for personal consumption. So, was the supplier evil for selling it? Or was the individual evil for his intended use of the product? He even received an applause for his justification.

Then Aaron asked why didn't he opt for healthier alternatives like herbs, forgetting the point that medicine was cheap because it was sold in bulk. As a joke, Gary asked if he ate his veggies when he was young like his parents asked. Which got the guests in a spontaneous mood again after taking control of the situation.

The world is not short on supply of rare herbs and medicine that only the rich can afford. He indicated that in these parts, it was difficult cultivating many staples and produce because of infertile soil. The management of land had to be sparing with whatever was grown on it, and opium was the most efficient. If not, it would not be able to support the tens of thousands that came to this small sanctuary. Kalavinka would not have money to pay for its infrastructure, feed its people or arm their soldiers. And the world would only ignore their silent cries for help, left helpless to the onslaught of the military regime. Opium gave Kalavinka life.

Then Aaron questioned him on the extravagance of having a palace like this. Gary said that this belonged to the Burmese Royalty of old but left incomplete. His family restored it and it currently served as a community facility, he was not living here as Aaron had assumed. But in the older more modest Min ancestral home in the residential areas. But for the sake of their hospitality, he had arranged that they stay in the palace instead. For which the foreign guests were grateful that they didn't have to stay in a mud-brick house or aircraft hangar for the nights until reunited with their families.

He entertained the man no longer as he excused himself to speak with the US and British soldiers. He had attendants left for them to direct to their accommodations which were as extravagant as presidential suites, for once, Gary was thankful of his father's vanity.

Gary met up with Kali to discuss their observations on Task Force Galahad when he was interrupted by Aaron who followed him out to the airbase as he refused to stay in the palace like everyone else. Gary rolled his eyes out of sight, he didn't think this person would be so determined not to be called a hypocrite and just directed him to the airbase while he walked at his own pace to speak privately with Kali.

But there was something wrong with this person's head even as he told him he wanted to speak alone with his secretary. Aaron expressed that he still had things to say in order to convince him to change his ways. As annoyed as he was, Gary courteously told him that he honestly didn't care. No one did, and while he had a voice, it would only serve to annoy people. The world they lived in was just like that, everyone only cared about their own self-interests because life was too short. Anyone who said otherwise was merely doing it for family or for the sake of vanity.

Aaron was so adamant that people weren't who he thought they were that he even mentioned that his fiancée was here to do just that, proudly.

"And look at what happened to her." Was Gary's reply, she had caused her government to step in wasting precious resources on her rescue that yielded very little beyond publicity for the current regime's "good intentions". Worst off, the government had to have dealings with less than reputable people like "him". This was the price for her safety, the lesser of necessary evils committed because of them. Aaron had been silenced on his part by Gary's cunning tongue, but demanded he take back what he said about his fiancée. Almost as if he was picking a fight with everyone.

Gary refused to, because he was wasting his breath on someone that would be out of this country very soon. Witlessly reaching out to hurl a punch his way, Kali knocked him off his feet and arm locked him against the floor until he ended his helpless struggling. She'd even planted the edge of her knife against his nape and asked if she could dispose of him, being how insignificant he was down here. But Gary told her not to stain her knife tonight on his account, affording him his release.

But he would have her spill blood soon.

---

Part 13 – A Bad Idea

As a non-combatant within Task Force Galahad, Gary was still required to hear the plan of approach. The only one who knew Gary for his origins was Tristan and his CIA counterpart, the special forces soldiers still thought he was some local warlord aligned to their operation out of special diplomatic privileges. So the scorn was mutual.

Apparently, this operation was led by Tristan as bad as it sounded. Because MI6 deemed him the most experience field operative in Burma despite doing absolutely nothing the last operation. But had somehow claimed credit for the defection of a Chinese Political Commissar, call it gross favouritism.

His plan was to meet Arkar at the designated area under the guise of a foreign diplomat with the civilians. Whilst Task Force Galahad, sneak in and rescue the hostages at a holding compound based on satellite photos from Langley.

Gary asked how would he and the fifteen civilians escape on foot from Arkar's wrath when he found out they had no intent on paying up. Something that the special ops were meaning to ask at the end of the presentation, but since Gary brought it up they wanted to know as well.

Tristan apparently wanted the Gunship to stay loitering around the half hour mark, since it was a night mission, the gunship would be concealed by the dark. In other words, he was depending on the Spectre gunship solely for protection from Arkar's goons. Gary wasn't even going to speak up any more and said that he could continue, but his body language mocked Tristan for even trying.

The SAS squadron leader callsign Mantis-One asked about anti-air units within the Tatmadaw Regiment, but Tristan assured him that the CIA analysts had confirmed that the only air defence Arkar's regiment had weren't beyond 12.7mm, which was useless against the gunships high up. Gary could see he was discounting the fact that Arkar bought helicopters off the market that the Tatmadaw kept only for their elite units. What if he bought something else a little more bang for his buck?

The Green Berets weren't questioning anything since it was American intel and Tristan had satisfied the answers of his own countrymen. And asked if Gary had anything to add, more as a provocation to him.

To which he answered that if he was fine with how everything was arranged then good on him. Gary would be sending a single Company to tail them, in case they had a run in with some of the local partisan groups that perceived them as a threat. But they won't be involved in the operation itself.

The special forces men were alright with this arrangement as it meant he wouldn't interfere in anyway. So ended the briefing and preparation for the operation. Tristan would explain to the civilians their intentions were for them. Meanwhile, Gary was confronted by his officers and Kali who also thought the entire plan was a failure waiting to happen.

Suggesting that they should if anything, deploy with more men as anything that happened to Task Force Galahad or the civilians could not bode well for Gary back in Hong Kong with MI6. But Gary was adamant on them keeping their noses out of that business that was not theirs. Instead, this whole rescue operation had opened them to many opportunities that weren't available to them before.

Gary assigned Kali's company, the Red Feather Highlanders to accompany the task force with him. Air support would be kept on standby the entire trip for their own use, be it CAS missions or airdrop resupplies. Kali asked in private what their arrangement truly was as the composition he asked for didn't seem like being uninvolved. To which Gary replied that they were indeed not partaking in the rescue operation.

But instead, a heist.

The next day when the ransom was due, Task Force Galahad arrived at a checkpoint area that was where Karen militia activity was said to be present most of the time and habitually attacked motor convoys who they thought were Tatmadaw. Mantis-One and Major Doyle were surprised to see that the Company of so-called militia that were acting as their guides through Karen controlled jungles were equipped with M16 rifles, PRC-77 solid-state radios and actual Kevlar body armour, which were a rarity in these parts. The Highlanders moved with a fleet footedness that could not be matched even in their light kit, pathfinding the stretch of jungle and forest that lay ahead. The convoy of vehicles with the civilians and Tristan, stayed behind to await the appointed time at dusk.

For some reason, the CIA spook decided to accompany the Kali's Highlander Company when the Task Force had entered the sector which had topography matching the satellite images and moved separately on ahead. Designating the point where they split up as their rendezvous point for extracting the hostages.

When asked why he wasn't following his fellows, he responded with certain impunity that the "British Banger", whom he was referring to Tristan didn't know the front end of a precarious op from the back. Then, asking them to "pardon his French", a metaphor that confused the soldiers. He'd rather stay with intelligent folks like their boss.

Gary told him he was fine having one or two leeches with him jokingly. But how does he explain not being present with Tristan to share the blame. Willis responded that this whole operation was a clusterfuck with poor planning and zero contingency on Tristan's part. He was screwed from the very beginning Tristan was given responsibility of Task Force Galahad thinking he was the resurgence of British operations in Burma. Willis would rather be alive than dead or worse, tortured to death.

Gary was fine with it, so he detailed someone to issue Agent Huntley some armor and an M16 rifle to act as a part of the company. He who did not work would not get his share, Gary told him to which he was fine with.

With the combat trackers' advance warnings of terrain ahead of them, they were able to move with such efficiency that was on par with force marching on pavement. Definitely outpacing Task Force Galahad to their supposed target compound if it were a foot race. But Gary seemed to be heading over the ridge of the hill beside the compound.

When asked what he was doing here, Gary let him in on a little secret.

He was here to steal helicopters. This info scared the spook. Gary had learnt that Colonel Arkar had acquired a decent helicopter fleet from the black market from all the unrest that was happening in Middle East and Africa. In truth, Arkar had been kidnapping civilians way before all this to fund his private enterprises on the side of his military career. Mainly targeting tourists and humanitarian aid organisations. It just so happened that someone amongst the hostages this time was important or had a relative in a political position within the United States congress. A daughter or son maybe.

To Agent Huntley, Gary was seeming less and less like a warlord and something similar to what he was or more than that. At the ridge of the hill down below, was another previously unseen compound that was much more heavily fortified than the compound where the hostages were supposedly being detained in. Willis asked why was he challenging himself at something of that magnitude? But Gary told him that the Arkar's forces were currently focused on the hostages and this transaction that Tristan was at.

It was also at this time that shadows emerged from the jungle around them, revealed to be the Karen militia. Who had negotiated with Gary on a deal that they get the captured arms and supplies of the camp that they raided together. As part of a collaborative effort, the Karen militia provided the large pool of manpower, while Gary gave them the intel and instructions of how to succeed. Willis realised that Gary who had not involved himself in the rescue op was instead exploiting it for his own personal gain. With the attention of the Colonel and his Regiment occupied elsewhere, this entire helicopter base was on skeleton crew. Then he asked if how many of them knew how to fly helicopters to which only Gary had proper training, he did however bring some of his fixed wing pilots who at least had a semblance of understanding towards flight controls with them for this private operation of theirs. Willis was only impressed with his willingness to pull through with his plans and offered them his services as a second qualified pilot.

The camp was surveyed upon on the ridge of the hill where Gary plotted out the layout and planned their approach with the Karen militia. Meanwhile, Willis observed the Task Force converging on the compound. Providing them advance surveillance with binoculars. Once in position, Gary passed the time by listening in on the unencrypted channels of the Tatmadaw in the communications hub of the base. Learning that Colonel Arkar was at least aware that he was not receiving his ransoms and had prepared a "Big surprise" for Tristan. As he predicted, Arkar wasn't naïve enough to be fooled by the likes of Tristan or the embassies that negotiated this sham of a transaction. Gary assigned the time to attack the camp depot stealthily when the Task Force had launched their infiltration into their assigned compound and would draw most garrison forces to rush to their aid and chase the rescue force.

Task Force Galahad chose to commence exactly thirty minutes before Tristan arrived at the meeting place with the ransom money Arkar was being told to expect. Willis was giving them updates from up on high along the ridge since the AC-130 Gunship was not yet on station while they were about halfway through silently incapacitating the sentries before Gary switched his channel off without consent. Telling Agent Huntley to watch as the fun began. No sooner did he say so when Mantis-One had the task force secure the central longhouse within the compound resembling a village did the building erupt in an internal explosion, disorientating Major Doyle's team whilst the status of the SAS commandos remained unknown.

Movement around the street corners as a flood of soldiers poured in and hammered the Green Berets who had expertly kept their corners secure and slowly retreated with survivors of the British unit still intact. They called for immediate fire support to the Spectre Gunship when it came in and spewed high explosive shells upon their ambushers to break the encirclement Task Force Galahad had fallen into.

Around this time, Tristan had been made aware of the firefight that broke out in the distance where the compound was. Their stealth had been compromised too early. Along with the gunship redirected to support the Task Force instead. Tristan's plan was a blunder.

Then, Arkar expressed his sincerest thanks for his stupidity, as he now not only had more hostages whom he still addressed as suspects, but a foreign spy as well. Which would please his interrogators. He then ordered his men to reveal a hidden piece of sophisticated hardware, an anti-aircraft missile system the NATO designated as SA-8 Gecko which immediately fired upon the Spectre Gunship who had no prior warning of any advanced AAA and thus brought no countermeasures into action quick enough. The gunship exploded in the air, ending the air supremacy for the Task Force who were being overwhelmed by the Tatmadaw forces in their retreat.

With his superior armed escort numbers, Arkar took Tristan and his band of civilians under his custody back to his headquarters. Expressing that the ambush contingent should have finished off the Task Force by now. However, the Task Force gave stiff resistance as they withdrew being better trained than the Tatmadaw pursuit force. He thus gave them permission to receive helicopter support which dispatched almost immediately to erase the Task Force from the map.

Up on the ridge, Gary who had been waiting all this while sent the joint force of Vermillion soldiers and Karen militia to storm the adjacent camp the moment the helicopters left. Willis expressed his regards that Gary was profiting from Tristan's blunder, but it would be helpful if he could rescue them as it wouldn't sing well for him personally reporting back a bigger disaster to his superiors.

Gary was already ahead of him, showing him a radio transmitter device which he turned on. Tracking the bug which he placed on Aaron who was part of the compliment that had accompanied Tristan and become hostages themselves. Gary promised Willis, that they would enter the Colonel's headquarters and leave in just as much style.

Having assumed control over the camp depot, the Karen militia were already getting their hands on the weapon and ammo crates. Shipping them off into the jungles towards their main camps. Gary had his company assume the position of the neutralized sentries, appearing as if the camp was undisturbed. And waited for the helicopters to return to their helipads upon RTB. Willis made sense that he had chosen to capture the helicopters when they were out of fuel and not before when one small mistake could lead to their early departure. Eventually, the helicopters arrived expecting to be refuelled and rearmed for their pursuit of the Task Force only to be held at gunpoint when exiting their cockpit. Just like that, they had acquired and begun refuelling for six helicopters of Vietnam era and even soviet origin.

As Gary explained that he would be taking over from them.

---

Part 14 – Thin Red Line

Task Force Galahad had been chased into the jungles, wounded and tired. Losing three soldiers and bearing with two wounded badly enough to need carrying. Mantis-One was one of these who had felt he was burdening the rest and ordered them to leave him behind and complete the mission however they could. However, Doyle was of higher rank and refused this demand.

He had to make up some way for being stupid enough to walk into such an apparent invitation to be ambushed. With the helicopters gone, they had time to hide from the ground patrols and catch their breath. But the time till their return was dwindling short, the Tatmadaw forced recognised this and instead kept their strength as the slowly encircled the area in which the Task Force was likely in. Using tracker dogs to identify the stench of blood left behind by their wounded, that hour wouldn't be long.

Tracking their way back to the rendezvous point where they had expected to find help from the Vermillion Army. Only for there to be no sight of them at all, leaving them to curse their luck. Alone and outgunned in the enemy's home territory.

The Task Force sub-leader, Major Doyle formulated a strategy to lure the Tatmadaw forces back to the ridge where the high ground would give them elevation advantage. Meanwhile the wounded and two soldiers would make their way back to Kalavinka via the river to request aid and report an update on the mission. This operation was now beyond their capacity to handle and would require a whole paratrooper battalion. Turning a simple covert rescue mission into an international incident, but they had no choice right now. Time was of the essence if they wanted to rescue the hostages, new and old. With Colonel Arkar likely enraged at their lack of intention to pay up and attempt to rescue the prisoners.

The Green Berets diverted their attention away from their British counterparts and made for the hills which Agent Huntley was last reporting in before going dark on them. Fighting a losing battle which slowly went in the Tatmadaw forces as their ammunition meant for a brief rescue op was beginning to dry up from this long confrontation.

Securing the hills, they made a stand. Breaking a company into a rout that would force the whole search group to hold back and seek better options. And then things got worse, as the sound of helicopters returning gave the Tatmadaw motivation to push forward.

The Hueys were responsible for bringing in fresh troop reinforcements, but the two Mi-24 Hind gunships which could have only been acquired from the ongoing Soviet Afghan conflict or export to com-bloc states favoured by the Soviet Union, returned to unleash their deadly barrage upon the helpless Green Berets without Stingers or any kind of fire support.

Their despair was turned to surprise when the rockets began to pound not them but the Tatmadaw forces who were equally shocked at their own helicopters firing upon them. From the pilot seat of the Hind, Gary coordinated the attack on the Tatmadaw. Lighting them up with another rocket barrage before the Hueys swooped low as its troop compliments fired down upon the exposed troops in flybys. Agent Huntley manning the second Hind closed in on the green smoke after instructing them to release a smoke discharger to mark their location. Opening the troop compartment doors and collected them in. Giving them an update on the situation at hand. Due to Gary's resourcefulness, he had acquired the helicopter fleet that belonged to Arkar.

Gary's helicopter retrieved the wounded members of the Task Force at their beacon and headed off to the next area. Arkar's stronghold along the river which appeared as a fishing village from satellite photos was merely a deceitful trick to hide Arkar's base of operations. A trick that the NVA had employed against the Americans a decade ago.

Their current objective hadn't changed, but this time, the Vermillion Army would be involved. Major Doyle expressed his doubts in them as they had just exploited this operation to steal from the Tatmadaw. But Agent Huntley validated their collaboration as they were in no shape to take on the Tatmadaw alone or recover Tristan at very least who had become an intelligence risk. Gary voiced on the internal radio that he had a plan to retrieve the hostages and Tristan whilst ensuring that they got away scot free from the wrath of the Tatmadaw Command without causing an international incident. Whether they liked it or not, they had no choice but to comply with him. And so, Gary assumed command over what remained of Task Force Galahad.

Tristan had been singled out as a foreign spy and been the first to receive the chair of Arkar's interrogators. While the new hostages were made to wait outside the torture area where Arkar's regiment had subjected their prisoners to a pit that had grates to prevent escape, during monsoons, they pits would fill up and force the prisoners to tragically gasp for air whilst trying to keep afloat.

Arkar had been notified of the lateness of his search party to report in and demanded updates on the specops force they had chased. Additional leverage against whichever country they hailed from when he received word that the helicopter squadron had recovered prisoners and were on their way to drop them off. The sentries reported in that there were six helicopters, none had been lost to his relief as they were difficult to acquire. Arkar had the troops line out ready to receive his political tools.

It came to his utter disbelieve when the Hinds fired upon his mobile SAM systems with inactive radar due to the lack of preparation. Then turning their rotary guns upon his troops exposed out on the parade grounds of his semi-hidden headquarters.

The Hueys loomed over and dropped their payload of killers who were not his soldiers but wearing the uniform of the Vermillion Army. The damnable Kalavinka, city of narcotics his leaders had allowed to stand for the money it gave them. After attacking the radio antenna to prevent further external communication, Agent Huntley turned to his side and released the Green Berets who made a sharp push through the unprepared defenders.

Gary supervised the entire battleground and coordinated units from the air which gave him fantastic view of the base below now that the sun was rising from the East. He had made their approach in that direction too to avoid blinding his troops as it did the Tatmadaw troops of Arkar. Soon, they had captured the superficial part of the base while the Green Berets stormed the subterranean lair of the Colonel, killing and rescuing as they went. But their primary objective as Gary expressed had to change from hostage rescue to capture of the Colonel alive.

When the ground was secure, Gary landed the Hind with the two remaining SAS commandos in tow. Homing in on the radio transmitter he had to locate the newer hostage which were pointed at a holding house made of bamboo and straw. With the commandos, they swept the rooms individually only to find junk pilled up awaiting to be sorted out. It then occurred to them that these were once the personal effects of tourists they had taken prisoner to sell. Gary's transmitter found a shirt with the tracker still pinned on, appearing worthless to the soldiers and discarded to the side.

One of the commandos asked what happened to the tourists, Gary simply said he didn't want to know. But with their dead end, there wasn't much that they could do except look harder. They exited the sorting house to look elsewhere, but Gary noticed a room where they had been sorting through personal jewellery. One item gleamed in the mountain of gold and clear diamond, because it emulated an emerald glow. Walking towards it, he retrieved what appeared to be Jade. And saw its familiar markings of dragon.

And from that point on, he was the pointman in their three-man group. Moving almost as if to outpace the SAS commandos. Gary moved to the collection of prisoners and demanded the location of the original hostages. He gave a five second count to them to respond, and when they didn't, he shot them in the dirt right in front of his own troops and the SAS members of Task Force Galahad. He went through three more men before the four started to talk before he joined them. Seeing that something had provoked him so, Kali accompanied him with the stunned commandos who didn't voice their complaints at the execution of prisoners.

Gary was on his way to Arkar's personal playhouse where he brought tourists he liked to play around with and send photos back to their families for motivational reasons. With the guards killed or captured, entry was without opposition. Having training with SAS personnel during his training years, he was able to move at a similar pace with the commandos who were confused at how he knew their tactics despite being a warlord they were told he was.

The stench of the place was of dampness and incense with aphrodisiac that Gary recognised, in the first few rooms, they found members of the new civilian hostages who were crying and begging to be taken away. Gary assigned one of the commandos to each of the rooms as he checked the last room. Arkar had a sick fetish for decorating the rooms to suit different "play" styles and even had cameras to record the acts. The room he broke into had the appearance of a sleezy red light district, and who should he find chained to the bed by the person who owned the Dragon Jade amulet he found.

He knew she had a free-spirited nature, but she was too naïve to think the same human values that she grew up in applied here. His poor foolish Cameron. Kali recognised symptoms of overdose on a strong compound of heroin, requiring immediate medical treatment. Offering to bring her back to Kalavinka immediately, Gary sent for a Huey to pick her up and deliver her there at the fastest possible timings.

The new hostages had been recovered from a combination of water torture pits and the playhouse, in the order of who pleased Arkar and who didn't. Tristan had been rescued as well along with the capture of the Arkar by the Green Berets in the end. When Gary came into view, he struggled to know end in the hold of the Green Berets, calling Gary out on opposing the Tatmadaw and how Kalavinka would soon burn for his reckless disregard for their pact.

Gary replied that he thought not. In fact, the Tatmadaw Command will instead thank him for doing this deed. As confused as the Colonel and even the Green Berets were, a helicopter that had detached from the group and went back to Kalavinka hovered overhead and dropped a pallet of refined heroin, millions of dollars' worth that the Company tore from the pack and laced around the fallen headquarters. Arkar demanded what he was doing, to which Gary replied that he was planting false evidence that Arkar was consorting with the rebellion secretly.

Using Shan and Kachin state graded narcotics to build himself an army to overthrow the government, even though it was really Gary's who kept it on an order to refine it by the states. Arkar's blackmail and ransom money had not been checked in by his higher-ups out of faith in his ability to combat the Karen militia in his sector. His expenses on advanced weaponry and helicopters would serve as sufficient proof of his overspending outside of his allocated budget and enough to have the Military Junta, his own forces condemn him. Thinking he had bought it with their drug trade to usurp them. Arkar's misdeeds had come back to bite him. As Gary would be the one to deliver Arkar to them after the valiant efforts of his army to stop his attempts with some foreign help.

Arkar screamed that he wouldn't confess to anything, that he would convince the Tatmadaw command to investigate him. Gary said that they could not very well allow that, so he had Kali walk over and brutally cut off his tongue. Then told him he will also remove his arms and legs soon, so that he would be worth nothing to the Tatmadaw even when returned, even when he had friends in high places. That Arkar was a waste of human garbage.

The Green Berets and SAS commandos were appalled by the show of shear brutality that he and his enforcers displayed even if his ingenuity had gotten them and himself out of a tight spot. By using the most honourless methods that their own intelligence operatives used. Gary found himself applauded by Willis, who thought that he was a true genius and it would be a mistake to cross his path in the near future. Putting it mildly that the CIA would likely not interfere with his work in Burma if they didn't have to.

Gary had no comment on that and simply asked where the "Mastermind" of Task Force Galahad was, to which he probably meant Tristan who walked to them as if he owned the place. Even sparing some of his dignity to tell Gary well done, even though it was clear that he hadn't done anything and was instead a burden.

As Tristan wanted to discuss how the affairs were, Gary interrupted him with a single phrase.

"You're a liability to the company, Daniel." He said with a handgun looming dangerously at him.

The American and British soldiers were confused by this intent, but Agent Huntley came to the conclusion first that Gary was in fact part of the same agency as Tristan. As his superior's watchdog backed away with every step he took forwards. Trying to find reason with Gary, even threatening him with court martial. Which was followed in by a punch by Gary to Tristan's face.

Mantis-One, though injured demanded an explanation for his actions. Gary stated that Tristan had been under interrogation for over five hours, even if they killed every soldier here there was a possibility that they had transmitted something that they extracted from Tristan. Chambering his gun to show how serious he was. Mantis One questioned him no further as this was something even he knew among the intelligence archetypes.

Gary was an MI6 operative too. Embedded into Burma before them.

Gary informed Tristan that what he was doing was simply following standard company policy.

Tristan's response to all of this was not at all dignified, there was begging and pleading on his knees. Crying and peeing from his shakes that would not stop.

Gary asked them all to walk away as he did the deed. And they did without any hesitation, as they all somehow found Tristan responsible for the faults of the mission as well as the deaths of three experienced SAS commandos and an entire crew of an AC-130 for Task Force Galahad. With Willis exclaiming that they didn't see nothing.

Alone with Tristan on his knees, continuing his undignified pleading. With promise of incentives he had not even heard of when at the Station H headquarters, confirming to Gary that the white supremacy was still prevalent in their organisation. But perhaps he had stumbled upon a rare opportunity it seemed.

As Gary lowered his gun, Tristan breathed slightly easy. Though the gun was still held his way. As Gary told him that he would give him two options instead, out of the goodness of his heart for a fellow operative. A gentleman's courtesy.

Option one, he will kill him. Preventing the leak that Tristan may have caused and write a valorous report to his obituary so that he may qualify for the Victoria Cross, post-mortem. Tristan would be regarded as a hero back home and bury the lie of his blunder and reality of shame.

Tristan already had his ears up for the second option. As the first could offer him no way out, and Gary knew this. Bending closer, he told him the details of option two. Which bent Tristan to his will alone. He now had an MI6 insider.

Gary returned with a petrified but alive Tristan, much to their surprise as they thought he was going to be shot in a ditch somewhere. Figuring that they had come to some sort of resolution after all. Willis wasn't convinced but kept mum.

With the new hostages from their trip here being evacuated slowly by the trucks and 4x4s that they already had before the split up. The older group of foreign hostages that they were here for were getting the casevac treatment by helicopter due to their much more serious critical conditions. As Cameron wasn't the only one to have overdosed on heroin and opioids. A few of the hostages didn't make it and were thus bagged for shipping back to their home country for processing.

As they were preparing to leave via the trucks with their rescued hostages, they noticed that there was no space for the prisoners amongst the Tatmadaw of Arkar's headquarters. They were still lined up against a wall as Gary told the Company to ready their rifles for his command to shoot.

A yell was shouted that was not Gary's command, putting himself in between the row of muzzles and crying Tatmadaw soldiers. Gary's migraine was already taking root as he ordered someone to remove this idiot from the firing line before he hurts someone else.

Aaron stood his ground, declaring Gary a mass murderer and would report him to the UN human rights office. Gary joked that if he could make it. But continued to speak against Aaron's high morals as he enjoyed crushing people at their own mind games.

He said that if these men were not killed, an international incident will occur where the US and UK government would have to answer to the Tatmadaw for their actions. All because his word was against them, he would have no allies in court, and would remain a pariah in his own country if he was not already dealt with by his government.

Aaron didn't seem to understand as he was under the impression that the public outcry would protect him or that people were more powerful than government. But Gary pointed out that to manipulate the public for support was like herding hungry sheep. They'll eat whatever smells good or appeals to the masses. He, Aaron was guilty of that as much as his government was, he was feeding the flock with crap too. But unlike him, the government had defence policies and public safety obligations. Aaron was just doing it because he had an inflated ego.

When denying what Gary had said was true about him, Gary pointed to the SAS and Green Berets. Particularly the body bags containing the KIA commandos. Saying that their efforts would be for naught if he mentioned a single word. To which Aaron was made to face the weary looks of the special forces soldiers and say it to their faces what he thought. But he didn't dare.

Gary was going to tell him a secret about the media and the people he so trustingly believed had power over the government.

"No one really cares."

His word was nothing more than the next headlines and did more bad than good. The fact that he even had the gall to speak against him for cleaning up after him was showing great discourtesy to the task force and to Gary's company.

Aaron only seemed loss for a moment but seemed to get the energy to still dare to threaten reporting him regardless of what Gary said and justified. Then demanding that the Green Berets protect him or it would go against their conscience. Agent Huntley was getting tired of this charade and told Aaron that he was unpatriotic and that dealing with his types which Willis called a hippie was bothersome. Agent Huntley intended to do him away the same way Gary was about to with Tristan. But to their surprise, Gary placed his hand on Willis' handgun and exclaimed that what he said was true. Aaron was a "hippie", and ignorant one at that and would continue to act in this unruly way not only because he had not received enough discipline in his youth. But because he didn't put his weight into the sweat and toil of others. And so, he gave Aaron a rifle from the pile of confiscated arms. Made him hold the rifle properly, before aiming it towards the Tatmadaw soldiers.

Aaron protested and resisted, but Gary, Doyle and Willis forced him to align the gun towards the surrendered soldiers. Screaming his reluctant was not enough as Doyle forced his finger into the trigger and sprayed a burst into the torso of a young soldier. Aaron fell into a heap crying after the deed was done. As Gary ordered the company to open fire, killing the rest of the witnesses to their heist.

Gary had made him an accessory to their crimes that had been committed. To feel the guilt of the act himself.

To know where that thin red line of morality was himself.

The weeping man was thrown into the truck with the rest of the rescued hostages departing for Kalavinka. Whilst Gary boarded the one of his prizes triumphantly back to his city.

For this operation had yielded many rewards. Many to the city, and some for him too.

---

Part 15 – Another man's wife

Seven helicopters in excellent condition were Gary's war prize. But even he understood power balance and what these would do to shift power in his favour and disfavour within his region. After explaining his side of the story in a call to the Military Junta in Rangoon, the Military Council were quite aware that something had gone down in Arkar's sector, but had chosen to accept Gary's side of the story in lieu of the one that Arkar could neither speak nor write from the absence of a tongue and arms, cruelly taken from him. Gary had also gathered substantial proof against Arkar and it was not like they had investigative forces to spare for something like this. As a consolation, they demanded the helicopters back as part of their military assets to settle these affairs. Gary gave them both Mi-24 assault helicopters and spoke nothing about the five UH-1 Hueys he had kept, because there was no receipt to verify that it was in Arkar's inventory.

The Tatmadaw were not made aware of how the hostage situation the foreign embassies were calling them on had been resolved. Only that Kalavinka and some foreign task force had violated their airspace and conducted a search which had unravelled a traitor within their midst. So they were going to let it slide since it had been beneficial to them in the end, even though they had lost an entire regiment holding that remote sector. Advanced helicopters that even the Tatmadaw couldn't easily acquire in their part of the world. For their troubles, subjecting Arkar to a trial which ended in his sentence to be hanged was enough for the Tatmadaw to save face and never ask of the incident again.

The return to Kalavinka was met with cheers as their young lord had returned safe and sound with much of his soldiers out of harm thanks to his strategies. It was the Task Force that had suffered heavier casualties but had survived difficult odds themselves and had earned respect for their part in emerging up top.

While the foreign civilians that had come with the task force had about enough of Burma, many of the original hostages were kept at the polyclinic and rehab centre to recover and wash out the narcotics that had been drowning their system. This matter could take weeks, if not months. Only until the resident doctor deemed it alright could they make the flight back to their country to receive the rest of the medical treatment to remove the side effects. Tristan wasted no time in leaving for Hong Kong to report in at Station H, wishing to not ever come to Burma ever again.

Task Force Galahad was also disbanded. The SAS and their dead were home bound for England, while the Green Berets to Fort Bragg. Agent Huntley was off to the CIA headquarters in Langley to give his mission report as well, giving him the phone to the US secretary who personally thanked him for his part in the operation and ensuring that it was a success. For he had resolved the situation that would have cost the US government a serious international incident. The Secretary would arrange for special aid workers to fly over to Kalavinka with medical resources to treat the American and foreign nationals with his permission. Whilst also providing modern medical equipment that would upgrade his existing polyclinic into a full-fledged hospital, as thanks for his part.

Gary was sure that in the weeks to follow, he was going to receive a call from his superior to complain about his actions and the lack of informing him of the developments. But no such call came, probably because he was too busy receiving calls from Langley thanking him for the capable subordinates he had.

The acquisition of five intact UH-1 Hueys which had serial numbers dating back to the Vietnam War had become a real game changer for the Vermillion Army. As their projection of force and quick reaction had both expanded and quickened. Gary understood that he would need to update most of his mechanized forces to keep up with their new aerial units. Corporal Sein had already been requesting he buy more bikes to increase patrol distance that most four or more wheeled vehicles could not pass through. An arms exhibition was about to open in Thailand, with his connections through Operation Matsyu, he could have limited access to some weapon procurements. He would have to ask Gautam for clarification.

However, Gary's primary concern was not laying upon military developments or civil for that matter, but the woman who was undergoing recovery from her experience in Arkar's camps. Like the other foreigners, they had been given accommodations at Kyaalhcain Palace. As Gary had made things clear that the Palace was not his abode any longer and was instead a place for the community, he was easily able to avoid the seeming favouritism towards the foreign civilians whilst providing generous hospitality that would set an impression on them regarding Kalavinka. As the city couldn't change what it was or what it did. There was some experiments run to search for other feasible agriculture commodities such as tea plants in the Northern Highlands which used to be the Four Paths hideout, or even Chinese medicinal plants. But the output of heroin would stay the same for the sake of Gang Min's coffers.

Cameron had been asleep for as long as a week, as such, the moment he heard of her awake from the nurses, he put down what he was doing and rushed over as eager as a child. Confused by her surroundings, all that seemed to calm her was Gary's arrival to tell her that she was in a safe place.

He disclosed to her the state in which they found her in and where, asking for her side of the story which was not all too pretty either. Cameron had returned to stable civilisation in Thailand where she faxed most of her work and transcripts back to the States. After deliberation for another extended visa and money to continue her work in Burma, she was denied both by the news agency and advised by the embassy to return due to the rise in tension between the Tatmadaw and their state rebel groups. In spite of all of these adversities, she had found an illegal smuggling route which was used by refugees to flee out of the country and rebel groups in acquiring ammunition abroad.

It must've sounded crazy to the smugglers, that someone was asking to be snuck into the country instead of out. But they treated the transaction like any deal and had her shipped to the Kayin state where the KNLA resided. Gary knew for a fact that the state of Kayin was by far the most volatile and the region which the Tatmadaw regularly contested. But not that she had been in their region all this time, their neutral behaviour towards each other was really annoying him.

Arkar, whom she only knew from the Karen people as the Colonel attacked the village she was in with a dizzy array of his fancy black market toys to apply pressure onto the Karen rebels. Taking her and the Médecins Sans Frontières humanitarian doctors as prisoners under the charges of consorting with the insurgents. Arkar was not a reasonable man and made his point several times to them. If they had a voice of defiance, he would mute it. If they had hateful eyes, he would gorge them out. To the civilian doctors who entered his little corner, it was like hell on earth. Arkar's cruelties weren't limited to foreign civilians but also to the village inhabitants he ravaged within his reach. Cameron heard from the village chief before the attack had happened that the Tatmadaw closed a blind eye to Arkar's actions as he effectively kept the Karen militia from reinforcing the insurgency at Mandalay and Rangoon. Gary knew this was the privilege given to remote sector commanders to the Military Junta operating autonomously in maintaining the pressure on the rebellious states. But he let Cameron finish her side of the story.

Arkar had a fondness for her in particular and did all sorts of things to break her spirit. Torture, rape, and intoxication all for the sake of "interrogating" the truth out of her, his truth. The Colonel did these things because he found her works and the incriminations against him and the Tatmadaw. Gary told her that she had done well in proving Arkar couldn't break her, it was a show of weakness if a Burmese officer couldn't break the will of one defiant lady to his men. Arkar had more to fear from her defiance that she did from him hurting her.

Cameron exclaimed softly and tearfully that she was almost about to give up. Asking if he was the one who brought her out of the shackles that time, her vision had been blurry due to the drugs. Gary didn't answer that question and told her to get rested before she gets sent back to the States. The Green Beret Major Doyle wasn't going to wait a week before returning with all the American civilians. Seeing her confusion, he clarified that her government had partaken in a joint task force to rescue the imprisoned civilians, Gary had a backseat on the whole affair. Which he makes it sound as if he had a big part in it, making Cameron crack up at his clumsiness to impress her.

Before he forgot, Gary dug into his jacket and pulled out a familiar Jade Amulet with a Dragon sigil which Cameron took back from him thinking she'd lost it to the thieving soldiers. Gary assured her that the soldiers under Arkar and Arkar himself were had faced justice at the hands of their own army. Cameron expressed personally that she thought they deserved a lot more than a reprimand. But Gary laughed rather maniacally that the Tatmadaw punished their offender's way more harshly than the way the US military did to theirs and certainly more than their own civilians to set an example.

However, he did ask her what happened to the other Jade Amulet he gave her, the one with the Phoenix emblem. Cameron directed him to her original clothing lying in a neat-folded position in the cabinet and which pocket she left it in. Whilst hiding that better than the other one, she confessed that she had used it to exchange for medicine for one of the hostages. Asking for his forgiveness, but Gary stated that it was all hers and what she did with it was her own decision.

After letting it boil in her head for too long, she asked him where exactly were they? In a Burmese city? An embassy or old western style hotel of some kind, given the well-kept stone architecture and furnishing of the room? Gary said that she was in Kalavinka, currently recuperating in a place they called Kyaalhcain Palace. Cameron let out an exclamation of surprise and almost jumped out of her bed despite the relapse of muscle strength. Gary told her to settle down and he wasn't tricking her when she asked him for proof he wasn't bluffing her. He gave her proof by stating a known history fact which was that it was the monsoon palace of King Bagyidaw. Apparently, Cameron believed the ridiculous myth that all foreign outsiders heard about Kyaalhcain Palace being a secret rendezvous place for Royalty from their stately affairs and the city of Kalavinka that was built about it to support the extravagant lifestyle of Kings.

Kyaalhcain Palace was never completed by its original builders and Kalavinka was built into a city by Min Wing Nam, his grandfather. When he stated this fact, she became convinced that she was indeed in the fabled city. The El Dorado of Burma. Gary asked why Kalavinka was so interesting to the outside world when neither the inhabitants nor the neighbouring locals had ever heard of their outlandish myths. Cameron stated that the British Empire after the Second Anglo Burmese War had ransacked most cities and had recorded mention of the "land of strange birds" in a journal preserved by museum curators after it was donated by the owner's descendant. Speaking of some kind of elixir to spiritual nirvana being stored here, like a fountain of youth.

Gary certainly had never heard of this from anyone living here, but perhaps because anyone settling here or descending from those people were centuries after the war between the British Empire and Burmese Kingdom. Kalavinka was a settlers' town that later served as strategic ground for the Allies during the Burma Campaign. And as the infamous opium and heroin makers. So there was no miracle "elixirs" anywhere. Gary gave his word to her as he had surveyed much of the surrounding area as part of his plans to expand on agriculture and housing.

Cameron wanted to get up to see out the window as she'd been hearing the city noises but was too weak. Gary told her to rest up for at least two days, after which he would personally take her around the city if she wanted to. So much so that Cameron made him swear not to break that promise like they were children or something. He informed her that most of the former hostages were in no condition to be transported by air until the humanitarian aid doctors sent by the US government had given their clear bill. So it would take a week before they were ready to be shipped back home where the government intended to welcome them back publicly to the press to increase campaign support Cameron voiced her disgust but accepted that it was best they all return at the same time.

In the silence that followed, Gary expressed that he was happy to see her for a third time. And that it certain wasn't the final time as he thought when he saw her in Arkar's playhouse. Gary showed a moment of weakness that made Cameron feel that he always tried too hard sometimes. She was glad to meet Gary again even under these circumstances, his company in this country was sorely missed. He was almost tempted to steal her lips when someone made a commotion roughly through the spacious corridor and entered the room without permission. The one who came to visit Cameron second was the last person Gary wanted to see right now when he was enjoying himself. the feeling was mutual between him and Aaron who gave him a glance for a second before approaching Cameron and embracing her without restraint.

She expressed surprised that he had come all the way here, to which Aaron expressed that of course he would come for his fiancée. How worried he had been when he received a call from homeland security in regards to her current internment by pirates calling themselves soldiers.

Seeing that Gary was left out of the loop, she introduced Aaron to Gary formally. While Aaron had the cheek to elaborate how she would be known as Cameron McCullen when their vows were exchanged. Seeing that there were visible creases on his face.

Gary then answered back that he had been acquainted with Aaron days ago and he was quite familiar with what type and how much of a man he was. Aaron was visibly insulted but held back because he knew who he was dealing with and whose house he was currently in.

Excusing himself politely, he insisted that she rest well for the day. Kalavinka welcomes them as guests. Then dismissed himself with such brisk movement that Cameron couldn't ask him any further questions.

When he was gone, Aaron huffed a sigh of relief and expressed his thanks that she was alright and awake. Cameron said that it was thanks to Gary that she hadn't died from that overdose of heroin. But Aaron claimed that it was the special forces that rescued them, Gary and his enforces had done much worst. Making his particular bias against Gary visible to his fiancée, who said that even so, she was glad to see a familiar face again. Confusing her fiancé that she had met that dictator before. She had nothing to hide so she explained that she met him when he came into the country with her, followed by another chance meeting in the Kachin state on business. He was very well received up there by its leaders. But it didn't change Aaron's opinion of him.

He suggested that after she got the medical clearance from the doctors that they get on the first plane out of here and never come back. Cameron was of course, not okay with that as she hadn't just spent six months around Burma learning so much that even mainstream news agencies and correspondents hadn't learnt yet. And now, she was in the very city that they could only speak rumors about. She was staying as long as she was permitted to, and she also wanted to do something to thank Gary for his word in gaining her accommodation and treatment. As she received personal female attendants to monitor her health and see to her needs.

Aaron could only express his exasperation that of course that warlord could do such things, making people move against their will. It now caught her curiosity that Aaron only seemed to speak ill of her benefactor despite the good he did present around them.

So her fiancé asked her what did he say he was doing here in Burma. Cameron was visibly confused, stating that Gary was a businessman. To which Aaron snorted and declared that of course he'd say that. After all, he deals in poison and death. At this point, Cameron demanded to know what he was on about.

Aaron said rather proudly as if he knew something she didn't.

"Didn't you know, your friend Gary isn't working for someone. He is the Warlord of Kalavinka!"

---

Part 16 – No Saint, nor Demon

Confirming her health had been his only intentions of going there as well as saying hello. It cheered him up to a certain degree, until her fiancé appeared. Thinking back on it, Cameron's description of her fiancé was starting to fit Aaron McCullen's personality very well. Outspoken and liberal, like a damn hippie. To Gary, his traits were also careless and irresponsible.

He now had work to go back to, but his mind seemed to dwell on the nuisance that was Cameron having a fiancé like Aaron. He was a total two-faced asshole that had a louder bark than bite, aggressive even to people who were patient and polite as he was. Yet he was probably crying when Arkar's soldiers played around with him in those five hours of captivity, that's why be blew so much steam at the Vermillion Army and Task Force Galahad. If he had known that Aaron was Cameron's fiancé she spoke so highly of, he would've been tempted to just leave him behind or accidentally discharge his firearm in his general direction.

His distracted mind became obvious to his infrastructure planners and military advisors at each meeting before he asked time to cool off his head and balance. There had never been a time when he could not get what he wanted, until Cameron came along and gave him something he never had. And just thinking that someone like her fiancé who didn't deserve her was. It was painful. Yet not the kind when he was beaten up as a child or shot at.

The next afternoon he was supposed to have coffee with Aasif and a friendly game of Chinese Chess, which was prevalent throughout the households of the city because it was Master Wing Nam's favourite past-time. Gary was intelligent, but the Mufti was experienced. And so they played the most challenging matches which often gained crowd attention. However, they chose to have a private game in the Min Ancestral Home than at the usual coffee house down the street.

Aasif could see that the son of Min was distracted and asked if he could share to clear his mind. Gary said that it was concerning something that a religious and educated man of his statue would have no advice to give on. The mufti asked him to try him, as he was not an INA veteran in Burma for nothing. To which Gary asked if that included thoughts of stealing another man's wife.

The Mufti was certainly quiet on that one. At least for a moment before gathering his thoughts on the matter that plagued Gary.

Asking if this woman was special to him. Gary simply replied that he didn't exactly have a good impression of most women he knew. His mother, his half-siblings, the rich brats in school, even his adoptive family the Fangs were greedy and ambitious like their parents. Cameron, the woman's name that Aasif didn't even ask for had been the first person to share with him special moments and gifts. It made him feel appreciated for once in his life and not because he was useful to them. He felt like a human being for once than some gutter trash. He had money, power and influence, and would attain more if he so wished it. But he could never attain something as precious as her.

Aasif now understood the conflict in his young master's mind and the burden of breaking morals for the thing he desires most. Then he posed Gary a question that would help restore his senses.

Do you think she would love you for the way you tried to gain her affections?

Even Gary understood that his desires were monstrous and without ethics. It didn't matter if he thought he was a better suit for Cameron or could make her happier than her current fiancé. If he gave in to his obsession, he wasn't Gary anymore like she knew.

The Mufti further elaborated that the challenges in life were such that no one had equal burdens or pains. It was the test of how they overcame these challenges that defined them. Gary did not forget that Aasif went through the most difficult suffering as well, he could have given up on everything after Gang Min had his wife and son killed. Or leave the city for wherever would give him solace. He chose to stay to protect his fellow muslims and Indians, whilst ensuring that their children had proper education for their futures.

Then, Aasif proclaimed that first love was indeed a precious feeling. Having experienced his own in his native hometown, he even found her on his trip back to India, already a grandmother to many. Don't lose heart, but not dwell too long or it will destroy you.

Gary asked for forgiveness for a twenty something adult to be talking about such childish things. Aasif expressed mirth and said that he was glad that Gary understood that and matured on his own. A commendable thing for someone who had lived his entire life without an adult role model or guardian. Aasif's wisdom had given Gary the strength to fight tempting urges of passion and obsession. Alas, this was yet another thing Gary cursed fate for putting on him. A woman's love that would never be his.

Aasif then asked if his daughter was any substitute. Gary dared him to say that to her face the next time he met her to which the Mufti trembled at prospects of wrath from Kinnara.

On the second day, while Gary was checking the balance of Heroin to be shipped. He received a letter from the attendant from Kyaalhcain Palace addressed to him from Cameron. Reading the letter, he could see that it was written with a certain level of professional manners. Which made him a little sad to read at the beginning.

It was basically asking permission for her to interview him as the leader of Kalavinka and what his thoughts were of the affairs within and outside of Burma at the time of their recorded session. And then there was a more personal note folded separately that said that she was surprised to hear that he was the one leading Kalavinka all this while, a little upset that he hadn't told her. But then understood that he had an entire city and its populace to protect from outside eyes. And that these were the actions of a man with honour and integrity that she knew and felt refreshed by from him.

Smiling to himself for feeling like such an idiot, Gary wrote a small message to be given to the attendant who awaited a return response from the recipient. Cameron would receive the slip of paper that said the time and place where he was available for that interview and that Aaron wasn't invited. Cameron chuckled a bit when her fiancé snooped and made a ruckus of it when he saw what Gary had written but Cameron convinced him that she would approach this professionally. And she was sure that Gary wouldn't do anything, disrespectful to her. When asked why she was so convinced, she questioned him why he was still here enjoying the comforts of the palace while others were toiling away in the city or fields. Aaron said that this wasn't where he worked, and if he were at home, she would know he was working his ass off. Although true and that he had come here for her despite his schedules, Cameron could detect the protectiveness of her fiancé with mild jealousy hidden behind it.

But she had made her plans and Aaron would respect it even if he didn't agree with them. Gary proposed at a dinner gathering with the foreign guests which included Major Doyle that he would take them all on a tour through the city and its infrastructure, this included the narcotics manufacturing plants. As Gary put it, it was better that they saw it for what it was, rather than what was told to them. Some jokingly asked if he could give them samples as souvenirs to which he responded that only if they could avoid customs with the amount he could give them.

On the appointed day away from the promised tour date, Cameron approached Gary's residence in the city central. A modest yet, well-kept house with an internal courtyard that was clean and had good aesthetics. A sharp contrast to the palace he had given accommodation to the foreign civilians which was around the standards of hotel four stars.

A housekeeper ushered her to a lounge with rattan furniture with cushion seats and who should arrive with herbal tea but her interviewee himself. Whilst thanking him for the hot drinks as he settled himself down. He could see that she had prepared herself with a camera, a notebook and pencil, along with a tape recorder and attached microphone for capturing his and her voices.

After her tea, Cameron switched to her professional role as a journalist and asked if he was ready to start. Gary was not anxious or anything and was ready to go anytime she was, so she turned on the tape recorder and asked for his name and background after keying in her entry data first.

Gary answered truthfully that the name was a mere moniker he picked up to suit the times, his real name, he didn't know nor care. He was born in Hong Kong, Kowloon to a junkie prostitute. He didn't know who his father was until much later. To which Cameron asked who that was, and Gary replied, Gang Min, the Triad Boss of the Min Empire. It could be seen that Cameron was slightly disturbed by his past that had not been kind to him.

She asked if he grew up into the triads, to which Gary described his entire history before actually joining the triads, even his career in the Royal Hong Kong Regiment that ended with a discharge. Which made her wonder how someone as hardworking and responsible had ended up in a life of crime? Gary then described his life with the triads, starting out as an accountant, subsequently becoming a trusted associate to Min Siu Man, the heir apparent of the Min Empire.

Reaching the end of her tape duration, Cameron inserted another and continued the session as their sense of time was lost. To Gary, it was more like he was telling her his entire life personally.

Gary had come to Kalavinka to support Siu Man in the face of his fiercely more competitive siblings among which he highlighted the certain instability of Grace Min Wai Fong. Cameron asked what connection did Gang Min have with Kalavinka and Gary gave the entire history of Kalavinka as a member of the Min family. Highlighting that the Min heritage hadn't always been about narcotics and triad business. But time and dissatisfaction can change a man who had hopes turned into wild ambitions, this was what overcame Gang Min in his search for power.

Cameron asked as a professional how Gary was different from his father. He said he wasn't. They both had their ambitions, but Gang Min was a slave to his own superstitions and impulses. Cameron asked if he had any desire to succeed him instead of Siu Man, but Gary responded that he only wanted to destroy him. An answer that even she didn't expect. But she dared to asked why he wanted to as her curiosity got the better of her.

Gary said that Gang Min justified his actions as the will of the Triad collective itself. Just like Gary justified crumbling Gang Min's empire as the will of Karma. Was he angry with how his life turned out? Yes. He had to fight for everything or nothing, whilst his siblings were given everything by a silver spoon. He was justifying his desire to take from Gang Min and his half-siblings as a means to compensate for these deprivations he was denied as a child and young man. He will succeed where they couldn't because they had no stomach for the cruelty and brutality of getting their hands dirty themselves. In short, Gary sought the end of the Min Empire.

Cameron asked how that would affect Kalavinka, Gary said that it wouldn't. He had made effort in convincing the population that they were responsible and deserving of their own merits, not by the will of Gang Min or any son or daughter of Min they revered so. Gary expressed his detest for religion, especially the type that makes a man subject to the will of the teachings of others. Because it made men irresponsible for their actions. As such, religious considerations for his city were secondary to the basic material needs of the city and its people. Religion does not grow the bread that is served on the plate after all.

Cameron asked what about Religions that enrich a person's mental fortitude. Gary said that there were few who could look past the veil of mysticism and understand this, thus strengthening their spiritual understandings. He would much rather respect the person for his merits than the religion he serves. It was especially important in Kalavinka where there were multiple religious factions and ethnic groups all imposing their beliefs on each other like it was a contest. Cameron expressed her regards to the work he had cut out for him. To which he thanked her for her concern.

Changing the subject to something more controversial and synonymous with the Kalavinka today.

The manufacture and distribution of opium and heroin.

Gary stated that it was a product that had the most demand and sold well in Burma due to geopolitics. Burma was one of the cheapest places you could buy heroin and opium, like cocaine from Colombia because it was produced in large quantities unregulated. Cameron asked if he was blaming the world governments, as Gary asked her why heroin and opium wasn't made locally in her country or internationally. She said it was illegal and harmful, but Gary stated that aspirin too is harmful to the body in the long term just as caffeine is in large quantities. Yet adults consume these substances everyday which led to damages to their body system in the decades to come. Heroin and opium were indeed harmful if ingested in large quantities, more so than the aforementioned products. But their medicinal qualities are unparallel to the synthetic substitutes like morphine or amphetamines, especially to someone who is in great pain like those diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia.

Opium and heroin were the original traditional substitutes, it was revolutions in pharmaceutical artificial equivalents that were more cost efficient and less labour intensive, as well as the supply and demand that rendered them obsolete to the global market.

All was well and good if it was just like this, however, people being people had some of the stupidest ideas sometimes mixed in with the best of intentions.

Recreational drugs were the alternate market in which drugs for medicinal purpose were abused for pleasure and euphoric experience induced by chemical changes in the body from consumption. Synthetic drugs were more controlled and harder to attain and synthesize to this niche without special and costly manufacturing infrastructure. But the more organic drugs weren't. The word narcotics was a political definition to separate what was deemed legal and illegal by the legislative bodies of Governments to ensure that their economy and workforce weren't compromised in efficiency. Cameron argued that weren't the current narcotics more harmful than modern medicine?

Gary said that in ancient times opium once upon a time was considered medicine and the best option for pain, so was morphine. But times change and while drugs like aspirin might be mild today. A hundred years later or even a decade, it would be unacceptable to their most current medical standards.

Today's panacea might be tomorrow's poison.

Cameron asked if he justified his sale of narcotics abroad this way. Gary stated that he wasn't trying to justify anything, he and the people know of its harmful effects very well. That's why it's just a product to them. If the world demanded guns or poisons with a premium, they wouldn't hesitate to make those either. But they were responsible for their own and ensuring that their children had enough to eat, could go to school and stay healthy and strong. Thus, Kalavinkas future was in opium, for the time being.

Gary also said that the world, its people and its governments had a responsibility to themselves not to buy or consume this stuff if they know its bad. Kalavinka and many others like it found revenue in narcotics because there was always someone buying them. But people will always be people. The frailty of their mortality would always invoke the strong impulse to live freely, to express themselves as they see fit and to enjoy what was available to them. Even if it directly affected others around them. The world lacked common sense and responsibility for its own actions. That was not something he could change in over six billion people even if he was immortal or highly charismatic, he was merely a part of the natural cause and effect. Cameron expressed her astonishment that he almost convinced her that he was noble on all accounts. Gary stated that he was not a saint, or a demon. He was just a human being just like everyone else, and he wanted everyone who heard this to know that.

Through Cameron's recordings, people would know that he had a soul.

And with the end of the tape roll, Gary sought to talk with Cameron unprofessionally.

---

Part 17 – Lost in Paradise

Cameron was amazed with the quality of the recorded session, that told a fresh perspective on the narcotic industry than just giving excuses. And Gary had definitely fulfilled that with all that was said, she was surprised he could carry his interview so naturally without fear even though it was a job that was hard to be proud of. Gary didn't operate on pride alone, but professional ethics and standards. That's what separated him from the typical narcotics suppliers and drug kingpins she had come across in this country.

However, Gary simply stated that he was being brutally honest to her, not just to the recording. Indeed, she felt no lie being told, but she couldn't wrap her head around how circumstance could force a man on the side that everyone including herself had thought was bad for many years. Gary could see her inner conflict and distracted her with questions of her own past. Who she was and how did she grow up? Almost as if this were a blind date.

She was born to a middle-class family, however, dysfunctional on the inside. Her mother was having an affair with the neighbour while her father was out working. She never realised the significance until her father caught them and hacked them into bits. Since then, she had moved to an aunt's house on her father's side. Things were never the same but she tried anyway and had the opportunity to meet her father in prison one last time, but it was anything but happy. He personally held her responsible for his actions that day, as she knew all this time, and never muttered a word of it. He could have cooled down if he had been informed, but instead acted on the greatest impulse of anger that clouded his judgement. Despite forgetting that her adolescent mind could not have comprehended the things that were happening at home. Her father even called her "that" whore's daughter, rather than his own which devastated her.

And thus began her quest to find the truth in everything that had a dark history or hidden truth. That's where her obsession started, she claimed to the listening therapist, Dr Min. Where she was now in the interviewees position.

Sipping his tea, Gary expressed his admiration for where her commitment had brought her. She thanked him but stated that she was having doubts about herself and that maybe Aaron was right about the dangers that lurked in the far corners of the world. If it came from her fiancé then Gary was more inclined not to let her follow that direction.

He asked her what did she think would be her outcome if she had allowed her father's words to confirm her fears instead of confront them. Cameron made a wild guess that she would become some boring Christian housewife like her aunt, no offense to her. But Cameron couldn't fathom the headache that was everyday fulfilling a quota and not a dream.

He then pointed out that the road to dreams was certainly perilous and no guarantee of success, a gamble. But wouldn't you have rather tried than resign yourself to that belief that you would never accomplish it and have nothing to say for it when asked if you ever bothered to? What he was trying to say was that there was nothing wrong with grasping for her dreams. If she was to die like everyone does, then she'll at least be remembered as the woman who tried rather than the one of a million others who let society dictate their very move like cattle. Gary had a certain way of conveying a strongly worded message without raising his voice like her fiancé and was by far easier to accept. He didn't refute others, he simply explained his views and their symbiotic relation to the opinion of others.

In questioning her aspirations, she asked what Gary genuinely wished for.

And before he gave his cryptic response on his triad background, she asked what did he want as a person. Pressing him hard for it when he clearly felt awkward about expressing it especially to her.

"To be loved." Gary finally gave in and said it.

Taking her by surprise, as she suddenly recalled the hardships he went through and unconsciously teared up. Gary gave her his handkerchief as she regained composure, saying that she was sure that one day he would attain it from someone. Gary wondered to himself if that would ever happen with how obtuse the world and its people were. There was a woman who was one in a million than of a million to him, and yet she belonged to someone else, or at least her heart did.

She then asked if he had ever thought to quit the triad life. Gary responded that it was not about choice but circumstance. She understood that but asked if he was willing to throw away his job security for a leap of faith at something he felt passionate about. Say, someone who caught his attention and maybe felt the same way about him. Would he trade it all on the love of that woman?

Yes. His response was quicker than she could imagine, as his gaze had such intent that she was almost embarrassed she asked such an intimate question from him.

Then Gary asked her a personal question, if she had ever imagined anyone else but Aaron in her life. Cameron said that she was unsure, her relationship with Aaron was that he had always been around to support her in her decisions and respected it. She did acknowledge that he was a little obnoxious sometimes, but that was because he didn't like to be told what to do and didn't want others to be forced into subservience either by their parents or their government. Something told Gary that Aaron's past hadn't exactly been stellar, but then he wasn't living in hell like in Kowloon. So Gary saw him for the prick that he was. But he also saw that Cameron didn't flinch when saying she loved her fiancé, as painful as it was to hear, it was now clear to Gary.

There was no them.

Gary asked to have the room back to himself, so Cameron excused herself to write up her manuscript with the things she'd learnt. Gary wondered if it was a mistake to keep her here, it only made him hate living more. He turned in early to wash away his inner troubles.

The following day, he brought the foreign civilians who hadn't already left on a tour around the city and the narcotics production plant. With Major Doyle accompanying them, they had the added assurance that a soldier from the United States was there to ease their worries on the illicit nature of what was being produced here. Gary knew for a fact that Doyle would report back on his findings and format of a typical narcotics operation for their war on cocaine flooding their streets from Colombia and Mexico. Doyle had everything to fear from Gary, given how he ran his operation in such a way that he had no conflict with international and domestic parties. Even the otherwise vicious Tatmadaw respected their boundaries and allowed their autonomy. He simply wasn't someone you could apprehend and put to justice, both by the books and when taking matters into their own hands, Gary likely had a solution for both.

He and Kalavinka were proof that the narcotic industry could coexist with the changing of times. With great clarity, he showcased the refining process of raw opium into heroin. The process which even his neighbours sometimes sent output of opium for him to process for them to sell at a cheaper rate based on friendly ties. His community driven programs made a strange exhibition of how drugs like heroin could be made but not abused. Both Cameron and Aaron were amongst the crowd as spectators. Aaron's vocalness against Gary and the narcotic workers was known well to the foreigners as well, and even getting on their nerves that he forgot basic courtesy. But Gary was the more patient of the two. The workers were not, as he scorned their work to keep this city alive from his high horse. But enmity had already taken root between Gary and Aaron, after he was forced to kill that young soldier. Aaron never forgot his true face, thus he saw Gary looking at others like they were his next potential victim. He'd seem to have forgotten that it wasn't just Gary who forced him into it, and his own countrymen working for the army and agency. The other person was even with them.

Of course, Gary didn't let them sample any like ice cream factories would. But they had been greatly informed of the narcotic trade and how it starts. He made his activities so watered down compared to his other competitors that they almost mistook him for a government sanctioned business. After the factory and lab tours, he brought them on an excursion to their reclamation projects where forests were cleared for more farming output and exclusive villages to accommodate the large intake of refugees. There was also an inspection of one of the training barracks where he showed them how their soldiers were being trained, fed and taught. Unlike most militia and even the Tatmadaw, the soldiers were made to study English and how to write it as well as Cantonese to give them bilingual traits. To undertake a specialisation that would have benefits to them in civilian life if discharge say because of an injury. Like combat engineers given civil engineering posts.

Gary tried to make Kalavinka as self-sufficient as possible when possible, for all the other complex imports, he had them shipped over from overseas. He even gave the foreign visitors opportunities to shoot at the range, the plethora of weaponry acquired over the months that had replaced the vintage ones dating back to the Second World War.

He was asked a dangerous question by one of the visitors if he was trying to usurp the current government in power, as his city was doing better that the current capital, at least it was more peaceful.

Gary clarified that he was neither trying to usurp them nor claim independence from Burma. In this time of civil unrest, Gary hoped that his city would be made an example of when the rebel states and military junta came together for a ceasefire and resolved their differences for even a moment. Kalavinka could be what they strived to build in every other city.

Aaron voiced that it was naïve to even think that, as hypocritical as it was for Gary to be doing the deeds that he did to achieve this. But Gary took his verbal challenges with courage.

And said that aren't all dreams naïve? Which made Cameron smile lightly when he said that.

Aaron said that dreams aren't polluted with blood and sweat of others. Implying that he had others work to build his aspirations rather than doing it himself. Gary replied that perhaps he was right, it was the paradox of working towards a dream. Man cannot attain what his heart truly desires because he has lost his innocence to the world, only kids could attain their dreams, but no child would have the confidence of adult peers to work towards that vision.

"You would know, wouldn't you." Gary said with a subtle reminder of the event that took place around the subjugation of Arkar's remaining HQ forces. Causing Aaron to stumble for the first time and when asked by his fiancée he dismissed her as he left. The other visitors were oblivious and thought good riddance to his nuisance antics.

Gary herded them towards the residential areas where they could see for themselves what was like for the people of Kalavinka and perhaps buy some souvenirs to bring home.

Conflicted by the sudden attitude change, Cameron naturally sought her fiancé's whereabouts. Finding him near a well, struggling to draw water from it. Asking if he was okay, he lashed out at her and complained. Wondering if everyone was completely stupid for trusting a druglord.

Naturally, for Major Doyle who was amidst their company to not be the advocate against Gary's city works, meant to most of the civilians that it was alright to them. He then asked how could she trust that savage blindly? Cameron replied that not everyone could choose their careers, but it didn't mean that everyone's behaviour matched their occupation. Expressing what she truly thought about Gary's situation, however her fiancé saw it as sympathising.

Seeing her stand up for Gary made him lose his wits as he accused her of being unfaithful to him. Which Cameron did not appreciate at all after the difficulties she had been through herself and her thoughts that were always with Aaron while abroad. In the heat of the moment, Aaron tried to share his despair through the confession of killing a young boy. Which shook her out of her bewilderment with his erratic behaviour. Aaron admitted to murdering a child, something that he would have never be seen or thought doing. He then accused Gary of forcing him to gun down those surrendered soldiers of that sadistic Colonel, just to prove a point. And would not allow him to leave if he didn't. To share that blood on their hands.

Major Doyle and the agent were no better, having partaken in moving his reluctant hand towards killing that kid that was barely a teenager before falling to the ground tearfully saying that he had been having nightmares since that day because of him. Comforting him with warm embrace, he could see that she had chosen to side with him after all.

He then asked if she had photographed everything in this city, which she answered that it was sufficient to write up an article on. He then proposed the absurd idea of stealing a plane to fly out of this god forsaken place and report to the human rights authorities on the abuse of power and inhumanity in this place.

Cameron told him to come to his senses and not to do something so rash and irresponsible. She didn't know what would be the result of such action, but she knew for a fact that if Kalavinka were flagged by the UN authorities, it would not end well for the people here. Especially when the UN authorities were bias towards people like Aaron. Thinking about all that had transpired and her own convictions, Cameron finally said that enough was enough.

Delivering a slap to his face that knocked out his wits and delirium all in one. She told him that she was not going to allow him to use her paper to satisfy his petty revenge on Gary. It would only endanger the lives of the refugees and the city inhabitants. Aaron argued that he had been emotionally traumatised by this whole situation. Before Cameron challenged him by asking what was the name of that boy he killed. Aaron froze, not knowing the answer. Sighing in exasperation, because her fiancé was using the death of others to justify his own desires and emotions. Aaron didn't really care about the boy he killed, nor to learn whether that child had a family awaiting him and their financial state. A true slave to his impulses and ego, like Gary had said before.

But Cameron would not be one. And she would be sure to make sure that her fiancé wouldn't either when they returned home. She had to take the reins of their marriage in order to prevent him from ruining himself.

Her fiancé, confused by this action perceived it as a betrayal and left her side running back to his accommodations. Cameron did not pursue as she understood that he needed time to cool off.

She would not expect what a person as desperate as him could do next.

---

Part 18 – Starlight Consort

Gary proposed to host a going away party for the foreigners at the end of the week, inviting his citizens to take part as well. Show them the best of what Kalavinka could offer. Not out of tourism and hospitality opportunities it could bring, but to let his people see foreigners for what they are, people like them who lived elsewhere on this world. This would prevent notions of xenophobia that had been strong when Gary first came to Kalavinka, as the same applied to the foreigners who would never have thought such a paradise existed within Modern Burma of all places.

Naturally, such a party could only be hosted in the best place to host. Kyaalhcain Palace was chosen as its venue. His military and civil advisors had all felt he had been greatly distracted since his return from that special mission and the woman who received preferential treatment over the others. But they were glad to see him back to his usual hardworking self.

The citizens suggested that instead of the banquet they had the last time, it be a ball instead. Everyone was to come in their best attire and partner if possible, he suddenly felt a welling feeling of pride in his people for considering the prospects and their maturity. They were no longer slaves to the will of others, but proper and decent human beings.

And Gary decided to do right by them. Sending out a notice that he had ordered over a hundred rolls of fabric in different colours and designs. He wanted them to have a go at making their own traditional dress attires in that short span of time, giving something for them to compete and look forward to. Telling them that he was going to open a best dress and gown competition, the winners and runner-ups will receive cash and rare item prizes.

So, the whole of Kalavinka set to work on their own formal attires. Some coming together as a group to pool sewing and knitting resources. Others offering skills on their behalf to make their dresses. This party was adults only, and only for civilians. His Vermillion Army soldiers and officers were given a special incentive of a thousand gallons of beer and a night out for those off-duty as consolation.

He encouraged the foreign visitors to acquire their own attires from the local bazaars as they should also have a try for the prize. Some were at least willing to have a go, while others were happy with wearing their best attires kept in baggage. In any case, for the next two days the tailoring and textiles industry prospered with hundreds of orders for garments and completed attires.

On the appointed evening, the gate into Kyaalhcain Palace was opened. Attendants checked guests in for their names and allocated them to tables where they would feast with others.

While Gary was guilty for being a show-off to the Westerners, the people of Kalavinka were also culprits of extravagance. He had intended to dress modestly, only for the tailors to come to his house and present him with a raiment that befitted his status in their eyes.

Gaudy and flamboyant for his taste, but he would be disrespecting a day of sleepless work by the guild of tailors who went out of their way to show their appreciation. Despite not giving them his fittings, their sharp eyes and textile experience aided them in guessing the exact fit for Gary just by watching his movement as he walked.

Thus, Gary would appear before the foreign guests in a pink-coloured suit made of cashmere and silk that was relevant to the times they were in but not the choice of colour. But Gary did not shy away in his new attire for the occasion and instead bragged that the tailors had designed the suit entirely by hand without even physically taking measurements, which few professional tailors could do. And as predicted, they asked for the source with the intention of getting one for themselves before they left for home. A nice suit or perhaps and day gown at an unreasonably affordable price compared to the rates quoted by tailors in their country. One woman pointed out that the colour seemed to match the fashion colour called 'Paradise Pink' which intrigued Gary, as his tailors had pointed out that the colour was that of a rare phenomenon called the 'pink moon', an auspicious event that happened ever so rarely. The suit started to grow onto Gary more and more, until Major Doyle in his dress blues mentioned that he was the embodiment of the 'Pink Panther'. Noting his ability to thwart someone's ill intentions upon him in an almost effortless fashion.

Doyle hadn't come to comment on his attire but rather enlighten him on the news from his home. As Gary had been known to them after his assistance in the defection of Wang Liang Tai and his battalion. As much as the operation yielded much on Chinese troop formations and military infrastructure in Chinese provincial topography. Langley had received a general order from their Commander-in-Chief the President to cease all clandestine activities against the Chinese. As it was affecting their warming relations with China, after its supreme leader had visited the States a few years ago. The US president was finishing his term and wanted no further foreign affairs to botch his legacy of successful policy. Langley was asking the same from him, as rude as it was, since they had no authority over him. Apparently, the young CIA officer Huntley who was no longer with them had given his report on Gary. Giving an assessment that spoke highly of his independence but also borderline rogue traits despite working for MI6, the top dogs of Langley wanted to make sure he didn't have a severed head of a Chinese diplomat or officer the next time they met.

Personally, Gary thought that was nonsense. Just because they were getting chummy with the Chinese now, didn't mean that it could keep up in the next decade or under another administration. So long as there was East versus West in this world. Red vs Blue, war would always be around the corner, provided the nations weren't ripping themselves apart in civil war like this one.

He excused himself from speaking with the American officer when he spotted the familiar Kachin officials. As he had been welcomed with open arms back then, Gary chose to return the favour this time. He was soon called upon to commence the toast to begin the dining of almost twenty thousand guests within Kyaalhcain Palace alone.

Gary opened with addressing them as his friends and thanked them for coming. Then let his public speaking prowess take over in explaining a metaphor about good and evil. Asking if man was truly good to which eighty percent of the attendance said aye, including the foreign guests. Then asked what was evil defined by. By others viewing them as evil or one's own self confirming this of his or herself? On the flipside, how did they know that they were good either? Or was all down to I think therefore I am?

Gary used an example of their experiences with the different factions that once occupied the redevelopment areas.

Kinnara fought for the ideals of free will, was she good? But she had also put the agenda of a vendetta before herself initially by forming Four Paths, did this make her bad now?

Major Tiki according to the Karen militia was a charismatic and devoted leader to the KNLA and its ranks, but Kalavinka had experienced the other side of this savagery. Was he then a good man turned bad, or was his initial personality just a façade?

Similarly, Commissar Wang Liang Tai was a dedicated soldier who commanded the loyalty of his men through a unique camaraderie born from the Sino-Vietnamese War. He wouldn't abandon his men even his division commanders did. And in the decades since had been forced to resort to piracy and mercenary work. Where did his heart lie then?

Then Gary asked the most controversial question from the audience.

Was he evil too?

There were fervent refutes from the audience of multiple nationalities and ethnicities. He calmed them down before speaking again.

Instead asking when would he viewed as evil by those watching? Gary says that while most of remote Burma represented here today may have good impressions of him for now, the international community regards him as a drug lord, which he was. If they, the people of Kalavinka were working for him, did that mean they were evil as well?

This was something that they could not accept, that they would be called wicked as well when all they were doing was working to better their city, feed their children and help their fellow man. Gary then quotes the words of Edmund Burke in that evil triumphs from the inaction, indifference of men. For which they are not. The people of Kalavinka were not. Kinnara and the Four Paths were not. Wang Liang Tai and his Cartel were not. Major Tiki? Had a few screws loose.

He humoured them with this wise crack. And then turned to the foreigners who had been rescued. To those first taken captive, he said that they had reasons to be here despite political pressure and the dangers of unrest in this country. How can be anything if not good intentions?

To the second group that came in with Task Force Galahad, they weren't here to galivant about either. But trying to rescue their loved ones even without the strength of resolve or will to resort to a fight.

What others might see as total vanity on their part for deliberately coming to a place that had no stability as if they were asking for it. But what did they know?

All they, the public who watches the news and passes judgement from afar know about what really happens here? They know nothing, they care not. They are the epitome of what evil is defined as, indifference and inaction.

And with his rousing speak to designate all among them as good people, he raised his glass and asked for the toast to be with them. Gary had dispelled the horrid emotions of the foreigners' experience in Burma, while affirming to his own people for their tolerance and doing away with their original xenophobic beliefs.

Kalavinka had changed. And it was thanks to them.

Drinking to his toast, the feasting began with music and singing in the background. With various groups showing off their musical talents on a centre stage. The foreigners even partook in singing popular songs of their country with the common instruments that were available.

After eating and applauding a few groups for their performance, Gary was feeling tired for no real reason. And went out for a smoke, a vice he originally refrained from doing but picked up upon in the Triads. A shadow emerged from the dark, prompting Gary to pull out his gun with the intention of gunning down the assassin. But his supposed assailant gave him a yelp of surprise when a muzzle was flashed in her direction.

Gary sighed a relief and scowled Cameron from appearing out of the shadows in a part of the palace that was quiet, as there was no small shortage of people who did have intentions of killing him off. To affirm his non-violent attempts, he holstered the gun and found his own spot by the balcony railings. Then asked what she had intended by meeting him.

Once again, Cameron commended him on his ability to speak well. Convincing the people who listened that they didn't have the issues that they did, but did it really? The people of Kalavinka were still manufacturing opium and heroin, the foreigners were busy living their lives in excess. All he did was justify them, he affirmed that there was nothing wrong with what they were doing. But it wasn't.

And so, Cameron had difficulty telling whether he had been lying all this while.

Gary asked her to cut the crap and state her intentions coldly. Was it about him forcing Aaron to kill those soldiers? For him to confirm it himself, Cameron sighed deeply.

She wanted to know why he had forced him to do such a thing.

Gary stated that her fiancé irritated him and traumatising him was his way of getting back at him without killing him. Cameron said that he wouldn't kill her fiancé, the Gary she knew at least.

Tossing his cigarette bud on the ground, Gary challenged her by asking her why wouldn't he? An ignorant fool that choses to see nothing except what he wants to see, assuming that the world revolves around him and only him. Calling him wicked, instead of exchanging gratitude for saving him, he openly insults his soldiers who had toiled to get him out. Who was he to judge what they were when he was born in the warmth of a family, raised with care, lived an entire lifetime worth of peace. He was insignificant. And Gary let him have a taste of it.

It was here that she realised that the analogy that Gary had used was much more closely associated with what Gary had done with Aaron. He was trying to justify himself for putting him through that, and here showed the contradiction to Gary's persona which was usually calm and collected. Without bias or discrimination. Since the rescue, Gary hadn't acted like himself. He had yet to acknowledge it.

Cameron had the good intentions of helping Gary look past himself, but she was unknowingly driving a wedge into what he refused to say, to admit to her. She then told him her fiancé's side of the story to let him hear what that coward had said about him, like he was pleased to hear it.

Gary didn't deny what Aaron heard him say to him as it was all true. Then Cameron repeated the phrase he told Aaron.

No one really cares.

"But I care." She said to him, and if Aaron didn't report it, she just might. Would Gary threaten her at gunpoint as well to make her feel responsible for the actions of her words? She understood Gary's nihilism better than most.

But in that analogy, if mankind cannot even be trusted with its own truths, how would they move on in strides without being deterred? Instead of shrinking from it and allowing the stigma to chew them from the inside. When denied enough times, the truth no longer matters to them. And neither does good or bad. How can he then call himself a good person?

Yes, she understood that what he did was to protect Kalavinka and even the Task Forces' efforts by sealing Aaron's mouth. But in doing so, he was already setting himself to fall into that gray area in which he would never emerge whole and resolute as before. Cameron then declared that she didn't want Gary to become that bad person that he described in his speech.

His impression of Cameron had changed from wilful to foolhardy, while she still didn't have a stomach for a fight, she wasn't afraid to raise her voice like her fiancé was. She didn't care about her fiancé in that he had been traumatised as he claimed, she confirmed that it was an excuse on his end from the beginning.

She understood that there was a purpose for him bringing up this matter in his toast from her analytic skills. She sensed a tinge of weariness from him, and she wanted to know why.

Pressing him hard for the truth that he was so reluctant to say until he said it.

Gary got unusually close to her, passing her comfort zone and brushed her bangs aside. He didn't say anything, he didn't need to. These actions were already indicative of what his true feelings were as was the intensity of his stare. Cameron found herself greatly embarrassed by the fact that she only realised this now.

Reaching the point where she could feel his breath near to her, he surprised her with a request for a light for his cigarette. Having brought the pack but no zippo, an item he knew she always had on her.

Cameron hastily brought out the lighter under her own thoughts running wild. She wasn't dense, she knew what meaning he had behind his motions even if the request for a light was his way of backing off. But she started to piece together the three times they met in different parts of Burma, almost as if it was predestined.

That Gary would fall for her.

To calm her nerves, she took a stick out of his pack without asking and lit her own to ease herself. Before Gary reminded her that she had yet to light his, being so preoccupied in her own conflicted thoughts she zoned out and forgot her initial task. But before she could remove her lucky lighter again, he held her firmly and leaned forward.

The end of his bud was lit by hers. And when sufficiently burnt, he stepped back.

Even such trivial actions had such elegance and grace from him as he held her in such a way that did not force her to stay but hold her safely from stumbling as she might have with the proximity he was to her without warning.

Nothing was said as Gary let the bud burn till the end.

And then Cameron gained the courage to ask him, "Since when?"

Gary dug into his pocket and retrieved a plastic casing holding a photo in it. In it held the likeness of a man and a woman in a strange and foreign land called Old Bagan. Cameron went silent again, as she would never have figured someone as accomplished and revered by his peers like Gary would want someone as uninteresting as her.

Gary then states that he never knew what to expect when he first came here, but meeting her made twenty years of hardship and suffering worth it. And he would gladly trade decades, even a lifetime if he knew he could gain more from being closer to her. Then proceeded to ask if at any point, did Cameron have any mutual feelings?

Cameron demanded that he stop, anymore would throw her emotions out of check and she would have trouble facing him from now on. She was afraid of answering that question because it might unravel some emotion, she never knew she had. To remind him and more of herself, she stated that she had no intention of leaving her Fiancé.

Gary smiled and then laughed some. And said that he knew she would pick her fiancé over him, if not, she wouldn't be the woman he fell in love with. She was not so easily drawn to moments of passion or intensity. Nobody could control her will, and he loved her for that independent spirit.

Gary yielded by saying that Aaron, her fiancé might never realise how blessed he was until the thing he cherishes leaves.

Cameron replied that even so, she would still be by his side. That's what married couples did.

Satisfied by her answer, Gary had finally felt some measure of relief to hear these words from her than guess her feelings or force out her denial in an unsavoury way.

Cameron then gave him a consolation of encouragement, that perhaps he might have the luck of destiny by his side again to find him a destined partner. If they could meet three times under the strings of fate, maybe Gary had more luck in his belt than he knew.

Gary was humoured by how she went from sudden maturity back to her whimsical fantasies that could have only come out from teenage love novels.

Down below, one of the Foreigners tried his hand at a musical solo on an electric guitar rig. Taking the choice of a relatively new song a few years ago by Eric Clayton. In the courtyard, they could see a few couples dancing.

Then Gary asked if she could do him a favour. Cameron happily obliged as she had done so much for her. And so, Gary made a very simple one.

"Prevent I'm your fiancé, just for the hour."

Cameron was starting to regret letting her mouth move before thinking carefully what the ambience and mood of the palace was getting on. But she relented on the condition that he could not lay a hand on her in an indecent way nor kissing. Gary agreed by saying that he would never dare to, less he face her wrath on him. Cameron sometimes couldn't tell if he was being serious or joking. But all he wanted was to play house with her, right?

Reaching out his hand to her, Cameron took it without thinking much on what his intentions were. As he brought her into his embrace and held her as if she meant the world to him. Gently swaying from side to side as the music played was 'Wonderful Tonight' perfect for a slow dance. Cameron let out a chuckle, thinking that Gary had prepared it as he usually did for many surprised, but it was entirely coincidental. Gary made no attempt to address it as he was too absorbed in the moment that could have disappeared at any moment.

Even as the music ended, Gary showed passive resourcefulness by continuing the rhythm with humming. Indeed, she had to admit that whoever had earned his love would genuinely be the luckiest person alive. But that person wasn't her. It didn't matter if she was engaged or not, or if she had met Gary earlier than her fiancé.

She didn't need to tell him that his time was up, he broke away himself on the dot and thanked her for that moment that he would never forget. Cameron then told him that this needn't be goodbye as she was set to fly back to New York. But for Gary, he had enough of her being here. Burma was no place for a foreigner like her, if she continued to test the jungles and the lack of humanity this place had to offer, she would die forgotten.

Therefore, he said he was withdrawing her privileges from roaming the city outskirts, and should spend the last day and night in the palace. No doubt, she had plenty of work to complete for her transcripts before she returned home to begin publishing.

Cameron hugged him again on her own volition. And said that a person like him didn't deserve to be alone forever. One day, that someone will fall from the sky, because she liked that sort of enchanting story. Then he had best introduce her to that someone, so that her story on him would be complete.

Gary then replied that, perhaps he won't. Then she would know he made it after all, letting her creative writing fill in the blanks on her own. To which Cameron laughed with him a last light humouring. Having somehow put aside his feelings for consolation that he didn't overblow it and could still remain in contact and good relations with Cameron, a very special friend for a very special place.

According to Gary, there was to be fireworks in another hour. But the balcony they were in was the best place to watch. After summoning some attendants to bring him tea, they began to talk about their overall experience in their native homelands. Cameron, about her widowed aunt's place in Brooklyn. Gary, about living with the Fangs for a time.

On a random note, Cameron asked if he had any dreams. Anything he wanted to achieve and look back on with pride. Gary thought about it but couldn't produce a single wishful fulfilment apart from the one he had already laid to rest. But he did mention he had a strange dream a couple of times.

Piquing her interest, she requested that he lay it out for them to analyse. As she exclaimed that dreams and nightmares were often affected by the subconscious and the events around them.

Gary laid out the two dreams that he had. One was in Old Bagan, while the other was where they currently were, an Ancient version of Kyaalhcain Palace. He even told her Kali's divination on the second one. A sign of someone that would help him in time to come. Cameron wondered if this was a vision of his fated person. But Gary reminded her that the entity in question was a 'Weeping Demon' that would be the death of him, unless she wasn't matchmaking him but cursing him now.

Cameron didn't know much about the Second Dream but she knew enough of Burmese history to find an interesting match based on the actions of him, the 'Prince' to his father, the 'King'. There apparently was a royal who did commit patricide and in turn, regicide. And he had the same surname as the Min Family of Canton, but certainly not the Royal who Grandfather Wing Nam adopted for his Burmese surname.

The prince who was responsible for killing his father and siblings was called Pagan. Often interchanged with Bagan like the older Dynasty who ruled the ruins they visited on their arrival to Burma and the place they visited. The similarly was uncanny with what his intentions were for Gang Min and his Triad Empire.

He asked out of curiosity what King Min's fate was after accomplishing this feat. Although Cameron called it murder, worrying that he intended to follow by example. But Gary assured her that there were ways of demolishing the Min Triad without taking lives.

So she told him the story of Pagan Min. A time that was the dusk of the Konbaung dynasty, after significant defeats against British India. Pagan killed off his rival princes and succeeded his father, a man who lived for the moment and extravagance. But let his pride get to him and resulted in his defeat by the British and a surviving prince. From that point on, the Kingdom of Burma was subservient to the British until they ruled over Burma entirely.

There was no happy ending for this King or the Country. Gary understood her subtle point well enough that she was trying to tell him that killing his father and half-siblings might not give him the answer he was looking for, if that answer was happiness.

(Bang) The first colourful shower of light bloomed in the sky, followed by its bouquet.

The exclamations of awe and wonder could be heard all around.

But for Gary and Cameron who had the best spot as the former had promised were too awestruck to even voice their wonder. Sure, they had seen many fireworks in their home countries. But something about a completely dark ambience compared to the urban cities of light they came from had set the whole display differently.

Then Gary said that perhaps if he had the time, he would come to visit her in the states. Just for old times sake. Cameron mentions that she was alright with it, but her husband wouldn't like it. But what could he do about it, Gary said with a mischievous smile? Even if they were in their home country where civil rules mattered, her current fiancé wasn't exactly a match for him in his prime environment in the city either.

Cameron believed that maybe with time, he would cool off as well. Or at least grow more tolerate of others with conflicting views. Although Gary was convinced Aaron would never let him go for what he put him through. Humans were selfish like that, and so was Gary himself. However, he still exercised discipline and self-control. The beast of desire would never arise from him. Not while he had moments like this to treasure and remind himself of the good times. And so, he would not write his own fate for destruction.

How far from the truth he was.

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Part 19 – The Deep Wound

The awaited day for many had arrived, it was time to go home. The leader of Kalavinka had turned their traumatic event into an adventure by sharing the wonderful things his city had. It was certainly something to remember in their late years. A warlord of Burma, a gentlemen in a violent world.

They packed so many souvenirs acquired from Kalavinka that their transportation liaison was complaining about their bulk and set a baggage limit, much to their chagrin. If it was so much that a C-130 couldn't carry it back to Thailand, it must've been incredibly large in quantity. Then again, there was also the military equipment left behind by Task Force Galahad that was overseen by Major Doyle on their departure.

Gary visited Cameron one more time in her suite as she was packing away her numerous transcripts and typewriter. And said he'd walk her out. Cameron made a funny face that he was still so clingy, but was told by him that he wasn't going to see her out on the tarmac. Business had caught up to him.

Bad business related to the Tatmadaw.

He had apparently been sent an ultimatum by the Military Junta, after severe fighting with the Karen militia in the City of Mandalay to take it back, they intended to bottleneck their every escape. Including the asylum seekers in Kalavinka. And thus demanded that he stop offering sanctuary to KNLA forces who had been engaging in a very tight guerrilla warfare that damaged their supply chain.

The Vermillion Army officers were ready to challenge the Tatmadaw if Gary decided to decline. But he wasn't going to put Kalavinka into unnecessary conflict over a simple demand. The Karen militia hadn't exactly had a stellar relationship with him other than pilfering Arkar's armories. There was also some confusion going around in their Southern Region where both Tatmadaw and Karen forces were being indiscriminately attacked by someone while these two sides were having skirmishes. Dressed in Tatamadaw and KNLA colours. It was possible that someone was posing as the Vermillion Army in disguise and exploiting the vulnerability of both sides fighting out. Given his personality, it was highly likely they suspected him of this foul play even though for once it wasn't him behind the strings. Someone was posing as his forces to disrupt the local conflicts creating even more disarray amidst the clusterfuck they were already in.

Someone had the intention of creating sheer chaos.

It wasn't Gary or the Vermillion Army, neither was it any foreign forces. As both the Chinese and Western Allies had already pulled out a while ago, so it couldn't have been a false flag operation.

Gary decided that it wasn't the time to sit this one out and proposed something even more interesting to both the Tatmadaw and KNLA.

That they go hunting for the interloper.

Both sides were uneasy about cooperating in any way with their primary foe even if Kalavinka was an intermediary. So Gary counter-proposed that they fall back to their given sector for a temporary ceasefire while he and the Vermillion Army root out the people who were playing out these two factions in this regional sector. The Tatmadaw knew that this was his intention all along, to prove his innocence in this matter while not accepting their ultimatum cleverly. But they gave him 72 hours to find the cause or face the consequences. Seeing that the Tatmadaw were not going to partake in the matter, the KNLA decided to do the opposite by offering him assistance in the form of a single company. A token force that was meant to spite the Tatmadaw for their pettiness, even though this company was utterly useless in terms of utility.

However, these were of no concern for Cameron even though she expressed annoyance that things were only starting to get interesting now that she was leaving. Gary expressed that the word 'interesting' in Burma was not good news.

They took the courtyard path that passed through the gardens and water features, reminding her that they were in a restored palace of a past monarchy. While he walked with a certain dignified posture and expression, Gary's attire was often modest. Yet it was possible that even in paupers clothing he would still look like a prince of the palace from the way he carried himself.

They reach the gates where the rest of the foreign visitors were doing a head count like those tourist tour groups on holiday did. There, Gary was overwhelmed by the foreigners who wanted to take pictures with him as a lasting remembrance of their stay here. The person they picked for this was none other than Cameron, since she was a journalist, they tooted to their own convenience and forgetting that this wasn't a holiday for them.

After taking a group photo, Cameron asked if she could take one by herself with Gary once more. This time, one that she could keep like he did of the one in Old Bagan. No one was willing to do it until Major Doyle stepped in and took her camera.

Their choice of background was Kyaalhcain Palace, the most iconic feature of the city. Snapping the shutter of the polaroid camera, Doyle attained a decent picture of them both. She asked him to take another, unfortunately it was the last one on the roll. She therefore could not give an additional copy to Gary, knowing he'd want one. But like the gentleman he was, he said that her holding the only copy made it all the more special.

Cameron quickly checked what sort of face she was making as his suave disposition and found it strange that she was not met with any reprimands. The visitors boarded their bus ride a short distance to the airfield where the C-130 was waiting to take them to Thailand before transiting to an international airline flight booked by their respective Governments to fly home.

Gary said goodbye to her and left without looking back. Anymore and he wouldn't allow her to leave, so he chose to do it himself.

Feeling so lost, he accidentally wandered instead to the Polytechnic where Aasif was hosting ordinary school day curriculum. Finding the young lord lost, Aasif invited him over to his office for some tea where apparently Kali was as well.

Both could see that his mood and cognitive though were all affected by this one woman who was departing for home today. Aasif expressed that he had made a difficult choice in respecting both this woman and her commitments at the expense of his own, although it was easier than condemning him for stealing another man's wife that was against the teachings of the Quran. But Gary was silent and didn't really talk at all. In a way, he had experienced his first heartbreak.

It could be heard in his tone when he joked and asked if Aasif or Kali had ever experienced something like this. To which Kali said yes. To both of their surprise.

There was someone she liked that wouldn't even notice her. But she will never tell them who it is, because she felt that this person deserved to have what was done to her on him as well. She then stormed out of the office. To break the awkwardness, Aasif offered him a hookah session, or a blend of his finest cigars brought back from India. But Gary declined him and apologised for the poor conduct on his end before making himself scarce.

He knew what he was doing. Acting like a spoilt brat who wasn't given what he wanted, he'd seen the Min family act that way all the time but never understood it until now. Gary decided that perhaps he would feel differently tomorrow and returned to his abode in the Min ancestral home to sleep. It didn't matter if it was early in the afternoon or that there were still outstanding affairs to deal with. Gary felt that he at least earned one day when he could sleep all he wanted and forget everything.

Once more, his dreams were being invaded by foreign images.

…

…

He stood in an ancient world once more, dominated by statues and floating mountains. There were beings that his father would have instantly identified synonymous with celestial fairies. But this immaterial heaven was not at peace with itself. Savages in ash skin and graphical iron masks clashed with the fairies cladded in golden armour to great effect. At the head of this group of barbarian monsters was a familiar entity.

The weeping demon. And yet, its appearance seemed more refined and complete than the last time he met him. Exchanging blows with another entity with a complexion that could only be called the perfect being. Yet, it appeared eerie in that it was neither a smile nor a frown in its hampered position. Like its face was a porcelain mask. Locked in a vicious combat that shook the world around them with each exchange. The Demon's black hand against the Golden Entity's shining weaponised lasso with razors along its ridge, one weapon that stood out among the others in its many hands. But the turning point was eventually set.

When the Demon's black hand curled into a fist, struck the face of this Golden entity and echoed a mighty blow that resounded through the celestial-like battlefield. Similarly, the golden aura that was casted around this zone began to bleed out, as if the whole shiny background had been nothing more than a façade. The entity with the mask-like face begun to crack, revealing as far more terrifying creature underneath it's pretty exterior.

But in its weaken form, the weeping demon sent a physical floating mountain to fall upon it.

Not to kill it, but seal it.

Like its current imperfection was a requirement for it to be suppressed. The Golden Entity wailed miserably yet cursed the demon that their Karma wasn't over. As it had been responsible for putting the weeping demon in its original state and being freed by the will of a man. So too would it be freed one day.

He soon realised that he was merely a spectator to this great scene. As the demon said something that it had kept to himself for so long.

"For my King."

And uttered a strange ancient command that imprisoned the Golden Entity underneath the mountain that too had a strange and unfamiliar name murmured by the winds.

With its presence gone, the celestial fairies yielded, and the ash monsters roared a triumphant victory. The landscape was no longer golden or crimson, but a clear blue sky. Their masks fell off and their skin washed off unhealthy colours like a curse had been lifted. These monsters were nothing more than people underneath.

And then the Demon turned to him as if he could see him. Only him.

It said that this was all possible because of his actions before. Gods ruled over all creation. But he, a man will change it all. The Demon had sacrificed everything it had for this moment. But it was by him that all of it really matter in the end.

He asked the demon, who he was. Unsure of himself as he was and whether he was merely a projection of another fictional person. The demon declared that he was a man destined to guide the old world into the new. A paragon of his era unseen since ancient times.

A mortal who would make deities tremble. A man who was born to be a King over the Mountain.

Then the demon seemed to dissipate under the natural laws of the realm they were in, so too did the ash demons and fairies. As pastures began to grow and real people occupied this normalised realm like time had become fast-forward.

But as it disappeared, the Demon gave him a warning.

The world would continue to be unkind to him because of his destiny to rule over it. It would force him to break and end his own life on his own accord sooner to preserve the status quo. So long as he lived and continued to defy fate, will he one day conquer it. And get to decide how he would live from then on. There was an illusion that concealed this truth, machinations of higher powers. The demon uttered its last warning in one last sentence.

"Beware the lies of Sanatana Samsara."

And then he was abruptly awakened by the violent shaking of his world.

…..

…..

His consciousness stirred to the calls of duress by the attendant of the Min Ancestral House. Telling him that he was needed at the Army headquarters on an urgent call, a jeep was already outside waiting to send him there, post haste. He wiped his face with the cold wet towel the attendant had prepared in advance and headed outside to be escorted to the HQ where a very surprising news reached him. As well as a surprising someone.

His heart quickened in her seeking his embrace, before that fantasy crumbled with why she had not already left. It appeared that the tally of liberated foreign prisoners was one short. And it was the most annoying person in Gary's opinion that was missing.

Cameron had only noticed her fiancé's disappearance at the tarmac, because he had always expressed that he wanted to get out of here the soonest possible time. So she figured that he was already there, the other guests also seemed to think so due to how loudly he proclaimed it. The reason his military leadership was the one who sent for him instead of Major Doyle was because a letter had come in addressed to him, the 'Usurper'.

From an old thorn, Major Tiki.

The raving lunatic who had been ousted from this region months ago had been vying to get back at Gary all this while. But Gary thought this foolish to reveal his card so soon, now he was sure that it was Tiki who had been meddling with the skirmishes between the Tatmadaw and the KNLA for certain.

Tiki's message was a note that provoked him to come out and play with him in the jungle out in the middle of nowhere. Or he would do his worse to the prisoner in his possession. While no name or mention of him holding who, Tiki had wrapped a severed finger along with its engagement ring attached back in the envelope. Of course, that was how Cameron became aware of her fiancé's kidnapping.

What Gary wanted to know most of all was how did that fool end up getting taken while in the most secure location in Kalavinka? And why him exclusively?

It was the logistics officers who reported their responsibility in this action, as a bike was missing in their inventory, or rather, stolen. But had only been noticed recently. The sentries at the checkpoints noted that there was one motorcycle that matched the one taken but had not intervened because the individual on it said that Gary had allowed him free reign. Meaning that he left on his own accord, now he had to find out why.

He questioned Cameron on this strange behaviour but only received tearful replies that she too was in the dark. Doyle was brought forth, as he and the rest of the civilians were grounded in flight until a resolution was made by Gary. Asking what the US government and by their extension the CIA plan to do about their missing civilian.

To which Doyle replied that he was to be considered an acceptable loss amongst those initially found dead. The current presidential administration wasn't going to let their seeming success be foiled by the setback a single civilian's reckless behaviour. So they were cutting their losses.

This was not at all comforting to the fiancée of the one taken, as she was too shocked by her own country's attitude and called him out on it too out of anger and betrayal. Doyle expressed that he was merely the messenger in this, from what Langley said on the phone via Willis who was currently in transit in Singapore. And a warning that Cameron was to treat him as if dead or there would be consequences. So much for the liberties of democracy.

With that said, it was Doyle's responsibility to bring her back to the United States, they'd dallied here long enough. Cameron stated her intentions to stay, but Doyle would not take no for an answer and physically dragged her out even as she pleaded so. With everyone turning against her, she called out to Gary who was the only one she could trust. She was asking him with that look to save someone he despised and to bear the blunt of whatever consequence came out of it. Something that Gary could not accept even if she was his dear friend.

Then Cameron did the damnest thing, she renounced her identity as an American on the spot. Thus, not legally binding her to the state that was restricting her from doing what she needed to do. Of all the ridiculous things she could have done, her recklessness was something even Gary did not anticipate. As Doyle hesitated and passed her remark off as something said in the heat of the moment, she responded that he could consider her lost as well, since they, the CIA and US government were so willing to discard her fiancé. One more shouldn't make a difference.

"Enough!"

Gary had enough of the fiasco she created and told her that she was to get on the plane with Doyle and the other civilians. But she was adamant to stay for that person. Which was something even Gary couldn't put his head around. He began to denounce Aaron for the worthless human being that he was in his opinion and why should she waste her lifeblood on someone who would deliberately endanger those around them?!

That's when she said calmly that, it was what two people in love did for one another.

Even though it was not meant to spite him, it wounded Gary internally more than she could ever know.

At that point, Cameron disappeared off into the dark of the night. Gary demanded that Doyle stop her, but he refused to comply. Leading to Gary physically threatening him that he would not allow the plane to take off without her on it, even pointing his handgun to his forehead.

Doyle replied answered that if he was killed or taken prisoner for whatever reason, the CIA will bomb Kalavinka in retaliation with him as the primary target, to keep Doyle's military knowledge from being spilt, just like that of Tristan. And there would be collateral damage in the form of human casualties that the CIA would deem as acceptable, Gary knew this best of all.

Then Doyle asked why he hadn't helped her if she thought that he could? This was a question that not even he could answer, because he didn't want to. Gary called Doyle a bastard and asked him to leave his sight or he'll consider shooting him right now. To which the US Major made himself scarce.

But commented that even if Gary did save them, in theory. The US Government wasn't going to be happy about it, knowing what a blabbermouth the likes of these two particular individuals in the media industry would say about their administration. They would, if somehow they had survived, be stateless individuals roaming the lands without a proper future.

Gary let his anger get the better of him as he flipped a table, showing his military posse what he looked like when he lost all composure and senses. And then, after ten minutes of silence to himself.

He asked where was Cameron's current location. But no one could answer, as their focus had been with him exclusively. He shouted for them to go and find her now, dispersing them to locate where that troublesome woman was.

Then the report came back, that she had been spotted leaving the Southern entrance by a vehicle. His heart dropped to the floor, as did his whole physical body. She was headed in the heading to the venue that the Lunatic had left for him. She was going to try and reason with someone who was the furthest from it. Recovering enough wit, he ordered the Vermillion Army to mobilize. Said twice, because the officers couldn't believe he was getting so worked up over a woman.

However, Major Ma Lay put it more cordially to his fellow officers that they were going out to hunt Major Tiki and his cultists anyway. To which they dispersed to mobilize their units, warm the engines of their vehicles and spin the turbines of their aircraft.

Gary unbuttoned his suit and received a spare military fatigue. He was not going to wait around for things to develop. He would see to it personally she was safely brought back and that Tiki was properly dead.

This war between Gary and Tiki was now personal.

---

Part 20 – The Battle of the Temple City

Gary had had enough of hearing about Cameron's troublesome fiancé, but one of the foreigners on his way out to the airfield had mentioned something that the bastard said before he left. Apparently, Aaron and Cameron were having a rather verbal confrontation two days back, since it echoed through the halls of the Palace where the foreign guest accommodations were. The fight was in Cameron's favour where she defended Gary's integrity, and Aaron apparently didn't take that very well. Almost to the point of instability. The last he heard from that person was that he was going to seek the Government forces to apprehend Gary and put an end to the Drug trade in Kalavinka. For the informant's troubles, he got the fright of his life as Gary smashed the window of the bus they were on.

His mind had already put it together. The bastard who was even ignorant of the geopolitical situation in Burma was thinking of reporting to the Tatmadaw on him. Knowing such unruly behaviour, the military junta authority would have just done away with him in a quiet place or even tell Gary about him before disposing him. Since this troublesome foreigner was affecting their interests as well. Unfortunately, Aaron never arrived at any Tatmadaw stronghold. He might have mistaken Tiki's cultists during their recent feint exploits and got himself captured.

Why Tiki thought that Aaron was of value to Gary was probably because they had extracted his dealings with the CIA in general. They still thought that they cared about their US citizens enough to get them back by any means necessary. How clique and stereotypical for such assumptions of the United States following its Hollywood-esque persona. Aaron meant shit to him, it was Cameron that he was worried about. What was that foolish woman going to do?! She had neither the wit nor combat experience to rescue her fiancé on her own, yet she brazenly rushed out to do so even though she was scared and alone. Gary was ashamed of himself for allowing his emotions to prevent him from seeing what was obvious. She had reached out to him in that brief moment, and he betrayed her with his own selfishness.

The Red Feather Company led by Kinnara and Sein's bike section were deployed to track her down and report on any nearby military activity that was linked to the cultists. Since Gary had negotiated the tactical withdrawal of both the KNLA and the Tatmadaw.

He took the fastest ride by Huey to meet up with the Karen militia company sent to assist in the elimination of Tiki and his cultist forces that were misleading the two powers. Arriving with the platoon of heavy infantry attached to his helicopter squadron, he met with the Karen leadership.

But apparently, they had a change of plans. They wanted to take Tiki in for questioning. Something that Gary now was unwilling to do. The Karen commander persuaded him that it would be a favour from their Commander-in-chief, as Tiki used to be his right-hand man. They wanted to know why Tiki had suddenly gone rogue, given how loyal he was to the cause and the inspiration he gave to their organisation and its ranks. But for the hero the KNLA saw in Tiki, Gary only saw them trying to do the same thing as Cameron, but worse.

He told them he was going to mount Tiki's head on a pike and sent it to their leader if they didn't back off. The Karen commander said that this talk wasn't getting them anywhere, so their collaboration was at an end. Gary told them not to interfere or he will run them through without hesitation. The Karen Commander expressed his surprise, as he thought that Gary was the patient sought of person as many had described, not this delirious individual before him. Gary then told them to go fuck themselves before departing on his command helicopter to the appointed field where Tiki had asked for his battle.

The topography of the chosen battlefield was apparently upon some unfound ruins of a cluster of temples and a monastery in the damn jungles according to previous sightings of the surveillance units and rumours of it being the place for the fabled 'land of strange birds', as well as the sector where Tiki was sent to while he was still reported sane. In other words, this was Tiki's true home ground unlike the staging area they wrecked before, a city of temples.

Gary was done with subtleties, Tiki called him out, so he was going to get a fight. It didn't matter what sort of tricks Tiki had laid out for him in advance, he was going to bulldoze through them all.

At the staging area ten miles away from the given coordinates, Gary rendezvoused with the chosen Vermillion Army task force assembled on such short notice. An entire regimental force had mustered to take the fight to the cultists, a literal jackhammer to crush a nut. As there was a battalion of upgraded M-50 type 'Super' Shermans with 60mm High velocity cannons and BTR-50 troop carriers with 14.5mm heavy machine guns. Three infantry battalions with assorted heavy weapons, and howitzer battery assembled. And of course, the helicopter squadron armed with rocket pods and machine guns.

It was around that time when he had established their formation that the Red Feathers and Kinnara returned with their preliminary report on reconnoitring the battlefield and the enemy cultists out of sight. It turned out that their opposition was far larger than they or the other two factions had previously anticipated.

Whatever Tiki's cultist force had lost while they were ousted from their expanded territory was replaced with new ranks of deluded cultists out from nowhere. The cultists had apparently assimilated all the regional villages in their proximity as well as some of the prisoners from their feint operations. Turning them against their former allegiances by methods unknown. This included the war booty they had acquired such as Karen heavy weapons and technical vehicles, and a platoon's worth of Tatmadaw T-55 main battle tanks and a company of armoured fighting vehicles accumulated from their exploits in catching the Tatmadaw regional units off guard. Their numbers were an exact match for the Vermillion Army assembled here today. But it was already in the disadvantage to the Vermillion Army as the offensive party, as standard doctrine required that they at least be three times their opposition when attacking a defensive position. Tiki had planned for this day.

Tiki's resourcefulness was disconcerting to the Vermillion Army officers. He was a crazy fanatic in everyone's book, but the fact that he could catch both Karen and Tatmadaw forces unawares was a display of tactical cunning. They were all reminded that Tiki had once invaded Kalavinka with considerable success before Gary took it back and counterattacked. Which should have already spelt that Tiki would likely have an intricate plan of breaking their backs regardless of the size of force he was up against.

This could not have come at a worst time when Myat Sein and the bike section returned with a jeep which was under their registry, but its occupant was nowhere to be found. He reported finding it with its engine block shot out and tracks leading away, as if someone had been taken.

But the state of mind that Gary was in, was detrimental. Worse than him even not being here at all. His only intentions were to attack Tiki and nothing else, as if he had become the fanatic instead. They tried to delay as long as possible until he regained some measure of composure, even to the point of threatening them at gunpoint. Until Kali approached him and slapped some sense back into him, reminding him who he was. They were not here for some woman like he was, but for him. They would fight for him, but he had to regain his head or nothing will be achieved.

Get rid of Tiki, sever the head and the rest of the body will fall. Then, Cameron's safety can be assured. He had to realise that he could not prioritize her safety over his own and the wellbeing of the Army or they were doomed to fail. Tiki had intended for him to be pressured, but not by what Gary was genuinely distressed about. So long as Tiki didn't realise what he was after, Gary could focus on destroying his camp and his cultists once and for all.

Taking a few breaths, to restore his composure. He thanked Kali for setting his mind straight, it was the first time his emotions had gotten the better of him in a critical turning point. He gave his orders to the task force set to destroy Tiki and his cultist band and they went to work.

He deployed two infantry battalions as the vanguard, while the rest including the helicopters and armour were held in reserve. And he made them head to a rather dense part of the jungle West of the temple city ruins, but within binocular range. Allowing the cultists to see their approach.

Then he had them mine up their front and employ explosives to the trees in a circumference. The rumbling of explosives tore the tree canopies from their roots and opened up the area that had previously had the protection of the jungle. Almost two thousand square metres in width.

As confused as his enemy likely was, they had chosen to stay in hidden within the temple city itself but carefully observe from afar. Then they saw that the infantry battalions were gathering up timber into pyres that was corresponding to the wind direction East where the temple was. They intended to smoke them out, by threatening their stronghold with a forest fire.

This, they could not stand for. Even under the expressive orders by their celebrant, they could not allow the 'holy site' to be burnt. And so, they broke from the cover of the temple ruins and assembled just before preparing to attack. Although Gary could not see these actions, neither could his men setting up the pyres. Gary's high-altitude reconnaissance planes with low light observation equipment radioed in the approximate numbers spotted coming from the direction of the temple city to investigate and kill off the profaners. Seventy-five percent more than the two vermillion army battalions. And they moved out quicker than expected of an organised group and more like an animal stampede.

However, when arriving at the pyre site, the infantry battalions were long gone. This splinter forces' leadership debated amongst themselves whether to pursue or return. And instead decided to stay and hold that area, to prevent further incursion into their territory from the West end.

It was at this time that North end of the Temple city was being bombarded by a line of armoured units by indirect fire. There were no presentable targets for the column of tanks and mechanized assets, but they were instead instructed to attack the structures itself from afar. Once more, another force had come out to challenge them, this time an armoured force the size of a full regiment. Highlighting that all previous intel on their exact numbers were proven wrong. With the armoured vehicles being impossible to conceal or retreat with the dense jungle blocking their reversing treads, the cultist armoured force was confident in a fight to behold. As they clashed with the smaller armoured force that comprised of the Vermillion Army's only armoured assets, in what was quite possibly the largest armour versus armour clash to have ever taken place in Burma.

With the cultists having the superior numbers and quality of armour unmatched in their region, but with the Vermillion Army having the superior quality of manpower. Stolen vehicles were nothing more than stolen vehicles that were neither fully understood by its new handlers nor practiced as hard to acclimatize to, thus leaving its performance substantially worse than its original owners.

Just as the armoured forces that were lured out by the Vermillion Army's armoured assets bombarding the temple city, so too did the pack howitzers upon the temple ruins again which caused great distress for the cultists. Gary's prediction had been confirmed when the West cluster tried to reinforce the armoured forces and find the artillery bombarding their home behind his armoured battalion.

The temple ruins itself were what the cultists held dear. With their backs to the pyre site abandoned, they were attacked out in the open by the low flying helicopter squadron and the two infantry battalions returning to reclaim this site. The clearance space due to the earlier demolition work on the jungle canopies had allowed for the helicopters to drop their infantry as well as hover low enough for a firing angle upon the exposed cultists. This was part of a tactic employed by American Air Cav Helicopter units to provide a landing zone and aerial casevac to reinforce isolated units under duress in the dense forests and jungles where land vehicles could not easily reach.

While these initial strikes had inflicted significant casualties upon the cultists, their numbers still outclassed the Vermillion Army and would slowly regain their advantage by attrition, as more cultist flooded out from the city as if it was an infestation rather than refuge seekers within ruins. Gary and his officers were coming to a realisation that they would soon be overwhelmed before the dawn had come. Like angry bees from a disturbed hive, their numbers would continue to emerge endlessly to deter and overwhelm the one agitating their hive. From his elevated position in the loitering Huey, Gary understood that there was only one alternative now that lay for them or else, total defeat.

They needed to cut off the head of the serpent.

He had the Red Feather Company and the Kinnara replace the original helicopter squadron compliment to be dropped directly into the temple city. Knowing that they would come under fire as they attempted to land, he chose the most well-equipped force to strike. Sergeant Sein and his motorized bike section asked to follow, but Gary told them that they were better off providing scouting intelligence for the contenting task force and cultists to prevent the enemy from attempting flanks which the aerial observers couldn't see.

He then relayed to the howitzer battery miles away to redirect their fire from bombarding the city towards the providing fire support for the outgunned armoured battalion when they entered.

With his instructions relayed, they set about with haste. As every single second meant the difference between victory and defeat. Kali was in the same chopper as him to be ferried over the temple city, asking why he thought that this would end the cultists' attack. Gary pointed out that what was a worshipper without a spiritual leader and temple? They were men once more without icons of worship to identify with. That's why they were going to both kill Tiki and destroy the primary HQ that was obviously within one of the temple ruins. Kali expressed no doubts behind his analysis but was unsure of how he was handling his thoughts of Cameron. Seeing her worry, he assured her that he hadn't forgotten the predicament they were in.

The Regiment-sized Task Force faced the onslaught of cultists pouring out of the temple by the dozens, replacing those that had been killed, taking up their armaments and continuing the fight. Their fates were now entirely hinging upon Gary and the Red Feather Company's success.

As they had expected, the helicopters instantly came under fire from the ground making a ground landing impossible. Leaving only the fast-roping option available to them. The only helicopter gunship cleared the LZ by saturating the area of hostiles with its rockets and minigun barrage before disengaging. The cultists weren't blind to what was happening and fired upon the helicopters while they hovered. Resulting in the loss of one of the Hueys with all hands lost, even though Gary had ordered them to flyby once to drop smoke grenades to conceal their drop. He rappelled down the helicopter like the rest of the company, despite the casualties sustained from dropping right into an unfriendly hot zone. And added his volume of fire into the mass of disorganised cultists. They had landed with meagre success, as the helicopters departed to restock and resupply at a nearby staging area which saved time from returning back all the way to the airbase in Kalavinka. Their air support was needed elsewhere now.

With the immediate vicinity cleared of hostiles, they had a moment to breathe easy. As the cultists throughout the city were likely focused elsewhere, Gary and the Red Feather Company regained some stealth to operate out of sight and not under significant pressure.

As Gary had laid out the plan for them to storm each temple and eliminate Tiki, if not, demolish each temple from the inside until he was found. The helicopter squadron would return to airdrop additional supplies and explosives for this endeavour.

So, they proceeded towards the decommissioning of the first temple structure that was within close proximity in the city of temple ruins. Being the very best in guerrilla warfare and concealment, the Red Feather soldiers snuck through the city street and alleyways that were empty. Their skills spoke for themselves when an entire company had snuck through behind enemy lines to their objective without even being caught.

Months ago, they were nothing more than a rag tag group that had conducted a long but effective guerrilla war against the Vermillion Army under the flag of the Four Paths Movement. But now, they were something else entirely. A force comparable in equipment and experience to even the most elite forces available to the Tatmadaw Army. And Gary's greatest asset since assuming control over the Vermillion Army. While employing modern firearms, some continued to use bows to great effect as silent weapons for stealth. Thus, ensuring that the cultists were not alerted when Gary and Kali had cleared out the hostiles of their first temple site. Entering the ruins accompanied by a small section force while the rest held their ground outside and came across a strange pungent odour inside that seemed unnatural and synthetic in composition.

But that wasn't the only thing they found.

Laying against the stone walls were rows of people in a deteriorating state, almost like this whole temple was just one large drug den. He knew this because he had spent half his life in the consumer world of narcotics. Each of them clung to them demanding they receive the 'elixir' or else the pain would return. They spoke of visions in their head and their dire need for the drug called the 'elixir', even when persuaded by Kali and her soldiers that they could be rescued. Yet, these were only the ones that responded to them, as the majority remained in a pseudo-vegetative state. They were already hooked to the drug, worst still, there were so many of them, it was impossible to clear them out in time to demolish the temple.

Around the corner, within a locked door breached open. There lay an entire storage room filled with over a hundred ancient wine vats which were so well preserved that their iconography was still present around their hardened clay surface. Apart from ancient Burmese text, there was a sigil moulded into the clay vat. A leafless tree that seemed as if it was on fire, denoting some sort of chemical concoction.

Gary approached an ancient jar that permeated the very same strong odour before he was stopped by Kali who warned him against inhaling that toxin that had clouded the minds of these unfortunate people. It was no surprise to him, where Tiki got his recruited 'followers' now. He was basically forcing them to consume this narcotic and making them addicted to it. Unfortunately, some never recovered enough wits to be of use.

Kali asked how were they going to get all these people out without wasting precious time. But Gary said that they won't. Which led to a heated argument over the possibility of saving these people numbering in the hundreds in the subsurface of likely every temple site. Then, he reminded her that his responsibility was to their wellbeing first before anyone else.

Leaving this temple alone wasn't only endangering everyone who could potentially drink this 'elixir', lose their minds and join the cultist ranks. This concoction could potentially create another 'Tiki'. As he was now certain that what made the former KNLA Major lose his mind was this very substance recovered from these temple ruins. This matched the story of Tiki being sent to search for an ammo cache among temple ruins, but it seemed that he found something else entirely. And upon consuming it, Major Tiki ceased to exist.

In light of this conclusion, Kali accepted the consequences too. She was now going to be responsible for consigning the deaths of literal thousands that Tiki had enslaved with his ancient concoction to do his bidding. But like Gary, she could not endanger the lives of her dearest comrades either.

And so, demolition charges were laid within the 'elixir' storage room and pillar supports. With no concessions given to the victims of Tiki's expansion. Gary personally ignited the cap that not only destroyed the cache of that poison, but also buried as many as a hundred souls beneath thousand-ton stones. But in Gary's record, they were already in a living dead state. Not like heroin addicts, but malnourished and seemingly unaware of their surroundings or even their five senses. Yet, he felt no relief at ending their suffering. For anyone of these people, could be the outcome that awaited his dearest friend.

When the first temple collapsed, the "inhabitants" of the temple city became aware of foul play from within. And changed their approach from reinforcing the frontlines to searching the streets for the profaners who had desecrated one of the temples.

Gary and his company played a cat and mouse game with the cultists of the Temple city, always missing them by one step. As Gary and the Red Feather Company torched another temple in the same fashion. This had the added consequence of the cultists increasing their vigilance and doubling their patrols to root out the rats within their holy city.

As Tiki understood the play of his opponent now. He called for a general withdrawal of all forces back to the city to engulf the infidels who had already collapsed two of his temples containing an invaluable amount of 'elixir' to commit those "converted" into his ranks.

Gary would have been trapped by the entirety of Tiki's cult force instead. But then something Tiki did not anticipate happened.

A rocket barrage howled before enveloping his temple city forces. An artillery strike that was not by the design of the Vermillion Army.

But the Tatmadaw.

Having observed from the background long enough to discern friend from foe, that Tatmadaw Army had identified the interloper to their recent blunders and were dying to return them the favour. The Vermillion Army had just forced Major Tiki to play his last card, thus leaving them out in the open for them to clear up. Reinforcing the Vermillion Army were armoured battalions of the Tatmadaw battle tanks, taking the pressure off their vassals and dealing the definitive killing blow to the ranks of the cultist force. With the turning tides, the cultist army was being confined to their own city which received the indiscriminate barrage of rocket artillery fire. Having identified the happenings surrounding them and who had unexpectedly come to their aid, Gary gathered his company to vacate the saturation zone before the barrage hit.

He understood that now was the time to press their attack while confusion was amidst the cultist ranks. Because Tiki sure wasn't going to stay here for long. He made a detour back into the jungle to the last temple site where he bumped into another entirely different group.

The KNLA company that they went separate ways with.

Appearing at the most unexpected timing, likely exploiting the racket that the Vermillion Army had made to sneak in this far. But this time, they weren't expressing their opinions or dissuading Gary further on his intent to eliminate Tiki. But physically impeding their way towards the Temple HQ where Tiki resided.

The KNLA Company Commander informed him that their Commander-in-chief was not going to allow him to kill Tiki. But Gary had enough of their charades, and called them out on knowing everything about this place and the existence of the 'elixir'.

And as he suspected, the KNLA leader dropped his façade. Expressing his regret that Kalavinka had dug too deep into their affairs and should have just leave well alone. But Gary told him that it was not going to happen after they irresponsibly let Tiki loose to wreak havoc under his delusions.

To see what were the effects of the 'elixir' would do.

The KNLA commander realised that Gary had already discovered their mischief behind Tiki and his cult. Gary then asked why would they still want to recover Tiki if they had sent him out initially as a guinea pig.

The Karen commander didn't deny that Tiki was genuinely loyal to the cause originally, and that the Commander-in-chief had regretted his decision to allow Tiki to find the 'elixir' even though the latter was aware of something the substance could do yet volunteered. It was then that the leader of the company disclosed that they had been aware of the existence of the 'elixir' from historic records.

Having been discovered all the way up in the Himalayas centuries ago and brought down to Burma on the Royal prerogative of the Toungoo King of that era. It had been transcribed that the so called 'elixir' had been employed as some kind of perception-altering drug for achieving Nirvana, spiritual ascension. But all it did to those that drank it was cause them to hallucinate visions of ancient battles between mythological entities, then proclaiming themselves as disciples to some maniacal being.

They stopped using it entirely and confined the records of it and samples to this monastery to keep watch. It was only in during the reign of the Konbaung Dynasty that one of its reigning kings found a more creative use for its effects, in wartime.

It had been used against rebellions, turning unwilling candidates into legions of devoted slaves against their own. Even to combat the British India forces during the Anglo-Burmese war to great effect as it turned British Vasssals against their masters when unleashed upon their camps. However, the boiling point of the substance was extremely low and would evaporate in the humid jungles of Burma, so they were stored in the dry and cool basement of the Temple City which served as a reserve cache for potential use in future wars. Its troublesome handling upon retrieval from this unspecified location in the Himalayas had been cut off when the British reoccupied the East India region to the icy mountains and was thus became the turning point for that war, ending with a British victory.

It seemed that the Japanese had also heard rumours of this 'elixir' used as a weapon and sought to claim it. But they never found any trace of it whilst searching the jungle for the exact ruins. The Karen leadership had come to this knowledge due to one of its leading members hailing from a lineage of monks who came from this monastery city. And the frightening weapon that lay within, never to be used again.

But it seemed that the Karen Commander-in-chief to the sector was way over his head in thinking to use the 'elixir' against the Tatmadaw. The Karen commander stated that the fact that Gary struggled against the cultists despite his talents and his troops' prowess was proof that the 'elixir' was a viable weapon. And would turn the civil war in favour of the rebel states. They, the Karen people and all other minorities could finally achieve their own autonomy with the end of the Tatmadaws' tyranny.

The Karen Commander even offered Gary and Kalavinka the opportunity to join them and gain their own independence. An enticing offer to those who inhabited the city of refugees hoping to live freely to express their own religion and identities without being discriminated or purged by amoral governments.

But Gary told them that it was not going to happen and he should stop dreaming. This 'elixir' would only destroy more lives and cause more unnecessary conflict. After all, it had to have a medium to be properly employed. That meant sacrificing inhabitants to consume this concoction. Tiki was proof of this. The fact that the KNLA wanted to distribute it throughout the rebel states was unto itself batshit insane. They had not seen the temple catacombs nor the savagery of the cultists themselves. And yet they wanted to wilfully wield it against the military junta as justification for their independence. The 'elixir' was worse than the Tatmadaw, it didn't discriminate religion, race or creed. It just made more victims and destroyed everything, and everyone possessed by it.

Gary had made up his mind. His soldiers and Kali did too without exchanging a single word, but a nod.

The 'elixir' had to be destroyed to the last vial.

And so, their alignment was set when they clashed with the KNLA Company in close quarters. The Karen Militia were disappointed with the choice that the Son of Min chose, but that luxury soon turned into regret. As the Red Feathers Company turned out to be more fearsome than they had anticipated. They were not just another partisan group like them.

Even so, time was not on their side. Tiki would soon leave with sufficient samples to recreate everything. But this Karen Company were proving to be stubborn in allowing the lunatic to escape and restart all of this madness again.

He contacted the Bike section which had been skimming the outskirts of the battlefield to observe. His last available unit that was capable of storming the temple alone to conduct their mission to kill Tiki and destroy the last temple and the 'elixir'.

Myat Sein, was once again the last remaining person he could depend on when all the cards were out. They rode through gunfire directed at them by the Karen Militia force, like they were invincible and came to his aid. Grabbed whilst in motion, Gary left the Red Feathers Company to finish up with the KNLA Company and a side mission of recovering the Karen officer for interrogation and leverage with the Tatmadaw. As it was clear that the KNLA leadership could no longer be trusted, let alone tolerated for his plans with the 'elixir'.

Kali promised she would ensure that the partisan commander won't leave their sight.

The Karen militia tried to get in their way, but Kali added increasingly worrying tenacity to their fight by cutting off their escape route. If they wanted to stop Gary or escape, they had to get past Kinnara of Kalavinka.

Though the Karen Militia had been bypassed, there were still pockets of resistance from the cultists who were increasing in numbers through the streets due to being pincered by the Vermillion and Tatmadaw Armies. Even so, the bike section drove through them like a hot knife. Following Gary's instructions to the dot on their handset radios. Throwing hand grenades at human clusters, smoke grenades when they crossed a wide area with little cover, and new flashbang-type grenades which blinded their adversaries temporarily.

Moving with such ferocity and with little to impede them, the cultists began to cave in to their superstitious beliefs that these riders were somehow connected to their otherworldly visions and routed in the face of such an unyielding opponent. Gary had used their delirium against them with feats that seemed impossible, by bringing out the full potential of the bike section unseen by their enemies with micromanagement at the scale of dictating how each member moved to the letter. And the members of the bike section were unquestioning in their loyalty, carried out his instructions to the dot.

That was how, two hundred cultists defending the last temple. Fled before the section of ten men who arrived at the entrance of the temple an assumed control over its abandoned fortifications, in anticipating a counterattack by a larger force to retake the temple. With dozens closing in, it was left to Gary alone to take the fight to the leader of this failed cult himself, as Myat Sein and his bike section held out against the onslaught until the Vermillion army or Tatmadaw reinforced them.

They fought for tooth and nail, until their rifles would empty and leave them with their shovels and bayonets to take on the voracious hordes of zealots who wanted to take back their holy site at all costs. But whether they lived through these assaults, they were sure without a doubt that Gary would not fail the mission. And if they didn't make it, it was a privilege to serve the Son of Min.

Gary descended into the unfamiliar catacombs of the last temple, which held the last supply of that foreign poison, the 'elixir'. With much more than he imagined weighing on his shoulders than the anxieties he had. But like when he was young.

Gary would never let the likes of a substance outdo him.

---

Part 21 – Tears of the Weeping God

With an MP5 in hand, Gary was forced to fall back on his military urban operations training, scanning the corners and watching his feet and ceiling for hidden traps. As he past the superficial structure of the temple which had a resemblance to hindu temples, bearing the statues of forgotten deities assembled around the roof circumference. What lay within was far too contrasting.

A labyrinth of narrow walkways filled with crevices holding mummified remains of monks could be seen every direction he shone his top gun mounted thousand lumen torch. He thought he was seeing things, but he saw that some of the corpses had deformed not inward, but expanded into some grotesque form. He somehow was glad that whatever most of these people were, they were long dead. The deeper he went into the catacomb, the colder it became. To the point that it was like being in a refrigerator room.

Remembering what the Karen commander said about the main weakness of 'elixir', he figured he was close to its primary storage area. Operating on his own, Gary instead set his explosives on a mechanical timer and hid it as shadows passed through the corridors like they had another purpose. So that if he was thwarted in any way, the explosives would not be compromised.

How the shadows were able to move in complete darkness was a complete mystery to him, because without his gun torch, he would not have seen what was in front of him attempting to run him through with a knife. A burst from the submachine gun tore apart the silhouette, foiling a poor ambush. But had alerted more of the dwellers within the catacombs of an intruder. While coming in waves, they seemed to disregard strategy and subtlety entirely. Coming in an entire column did not help them block the 9mm rounds that penetrated multiple assailants at a time in the single-man walkways.

With little time to waste since he set the explosives, he released a smoke grenade into the confines whilst donning a gas mask just as he was being pushed down by the overwhelming numbers that clawed and bit at him like rabid animals. And yet, they were no cultists. But victims like the other temples which had been reduced a step further than lobotomy, as they had regressed back into primal instincts.

Forcing his way through not with physical brute force, but by a hail of bullets to chop down the wall of flesh that was in his way. Emptying magazine after magazine until he had sufficient room to sprint past, as his boots stepped over a floor filled with wet flesh and innards taken apart by full metal jacket rounds.

Advancing through after his act of savagery against people devolved into animals by the will of the temples' new master. His new venue was now a large chamber with its wall laced with hieroglyphics and the rest of it filled to the brim with ancient treasure. Gold, rubies, jade. Gary passed it all off in search of his missing people and his target.

When the oil torches on the walls lit up for dramatic effect and illuminated the entire treasure chamber, radiating the wealth that lay within that could have bought the KNLA its independence. But the one who took up residence here had other plans that were not affiliated with his former allegiance. He, Tiki expressed his disinterest in such gaud trinkets from the shadows, letting his voice echoes mislead his current location.

Instead, Tiki monologued about what he considered a greater treasure. The hieroglyphs on the wall, that had been instrumental in uncovering the true value of the 'elixir'.

What he brazenly called the 'tears of the weeping god'.

This name caused Gary to be stricken as there was too much of a coincidence in that title to the one in his dreams. As Tiki spooked him further with the premonition that he was thinking about the very same 'weeping demon' he had been dreaming about.

Yes, Tiki had gain interest in Gary ever since he heard about the dream that Gary had and told to only one other person. He was even willing to forget the enmity of his transgressions of refusing his deluded faith when Gary purged him from Kalavinka.

If only Gary would tell him the weeping god's true name.

As it had approached Gary in what Tiki considered more of a vision despite Gary not ingesting the 'elixir' yet. Something that even the ancient holy men and kings alike were desperate to attain in order to seek their ultimate purpose in achieving spiritual divinity. Tiki continued to address him as the 'Usurper King', the one destined to slaughter his kin for an iron throne.

Gary demanded Cameron back in exchange for what Tiki considered of value, not that he would really do that. But Tiki continued to elaborate upon the story of the hieroglyphs and the visions he had from the 'elixir'.

The weeping god whose name was not known to him, had been imprisoned by the machinations of a golden fairy, a false god. He described it as well as the hieroglyphs on the wall that Gary shone his light upon depicted word for word, picture frame to picture frame as if to retell the story from someone who was quite literally insane.

The last picture frame depicted something that caused Gary's heart to race with terror and shock. As Tiki deciphered this mural as the part where the 'Usurper King' would have a part to play in this saga. The King who usurped his predecessor, wrapped in a Vermillion raiment. Bestowed an iconography of a heart upon the weeping god, freeing him from his mountain prison and setting him on his epic battle with the golden false god in the heaven above the mountains.

This was his destiny, Tiki iterated with great clarity of his position. Yet, Gary was too shaken to respond on how his dream was being depicted so accurately that it was impossible to be coincidence. And in that time, he was confused, Tiki had summoned his cultists to surround Gary as they closed in around him to take him prisoner.

But then Gary raised a trigger, wired to and explosive he pressed against the wall of hieroglyphs itself. Alarming Tiki and most of all, the cultists to this act of heresy.

Gary announced that he was tired of playing fantasy games with Tiki. He will take Cameron out and be on his way. Or he will destroy this piece of heritage that Tiki thought too important to be lost than the stock of 'elixir' he had remaining. The only proof that his visions were not falsehoods or hallucination.

And out came the devil himself, commending him on his ever quick-wittedness combined with fearless actions. To disregard his own safety for the things that he wanted, the prophesized 'Usurper King' couldn't be anything less. The first time, Gary had met Tiki face to face was the last thing he wanted even more with what was once a man. Stood a human covered in iconography carved into his flesh like he intended to raise hell on earth through horrific demonic ritual.

Tiki commended on his own appearance, as each icon was to express his loyalty to the weeping god and to denounce the golden celestial god. Once more, Gary demanded Cameron above all else. Raising his trigger to show his conviction.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned more cultists to the front who carried a slouching figure into view. Her dishevelled hair blocking her face, preventing him from identifying who it was he wanted. The cultists tossed her to the feet of Tiki, unlatching the shackles around her feet and hands as their confidence in her already chained to their will.

Tiki bent down and swept her hair aside, revealing that it was really her but in a dazed state that seemed unaware of her surroundings. A condition that he had seen common amongst the victims of the cult.

Tiki said that she had been fed the 'elixir' and only time would tell if she would either become a discipline like them who saw the truth of the world, or an excess heap of garbage like the ones underneath the temples craving for a second helping of the concoction that would never come and slowly succumb to living death. Gary was already on the shortest fuse and demanded they bring her to him without any sudden moves.

But Tiki suggested that she should go to him on her own volition, if not, it was not by her own "free will". A mockery of the words she first used to challenge Tiki's authority over the cultist and the people he had enslaved. It told Gary that before ingesting the 'elixir' Cameron had bravely confronted Tiki even though it wasn't going anywhere. But to keep her alive like this exclusively…..

Gary expressed his suspicion that Cameron came close to shaking the cultists' faith in their leader. And that Tiki felt threatened enough to force the ancient substance to lobotomize her, seeing the first visible sign of aggravation hidden beneath his insane-but-in-control façade. The second was the movement of the cultists towards his prediction of events.

Tiki then told him that if her words had strength behind them, she wouldn't have succumbed to the effects of the 'elixir' and instead conquered it. Tiki would have been glad to give up his position to her as the new celebrant if she had passed her trial.

But Gary pointed out that his concept of pass and fail with the elixir was wrong, giving his analysis on what he had observed amongst the cultists from when they attacked Kalavinka, and now with those beneath the temple as no exception.

The 'elixir' amplified predominant emotions. Seen by how the unrestraint violence unleashed by the cultists was an expression of their soul and alignment. How else would all the soldiers they had forcibly converted pass while a majority of the villagers captured showed no sign of awakening from its effects. He posed that Cameron had never had a violent thought in her life and so the 'elixir' did not capitalise on her aggressive traits, thus leaving her in this state of lobotomy.

The more Gary talked the more he actually swayed the cultists to believe his words over Tiki's, as he had intended. Tiki passed his assumptions off as nonsense. But then Gary told them the history of Tiki from the opinion of the KNLA militia. His loyalty, his passion, his willingness to get achieve his goal and his charisma. Were all amplified by the 'elixir' that is why he founded and led his deluded cult to what it was now. And then, as if some semblance of humanity in him returned, Tiki fell into delirium. Denying what Gary said was true and that he was the truth apostle of the weeping god, not him. He had been ordained by fate to find this place and lead them all to the promise land to be under the grace of the weeping god. And there, Tiki had fallen into Gary's worded trap. As he said that if that was all true as he said, then he should be able to tell them all….

What was the 'Weeping God's' true name?

Tiki realised what Gary had done by trapping him with his own contradicting words as his own cultists turned towards him for his response. Gary had made them question his leadership, and like fervent followers that they had worked to become, Tiki's hypocrisy was starting to show. The more he tried to justify himself instead of answer the question, the more they doubted his leadership and even his identify as a true follower. He was therefore not worthy to follow them into the promise land. He had to be purged as he had done to all those who failed his test.

The cultists began to surround Tiki and manhandle him to be judged. But Tiki fought back with equal ferocity and insanity that had been the driving force of his purpose here.

Gary, free from opposition walked over to Cameron and picked her up. Then turned to leave the same way he came. From behind the sea of cultists, came Tiki's curses upon him and that he would stop at nothing until he was dead. Whether prophecy dictated that he should be a King of anything or not. He will not be doubted for his loyalty to the 'Weeping God', he was it oldest and most fervent follower. Thus, more deserving of the rewards that lay for them in paradise.

And Gary, for the last time told him. Religion was overrated.

Tiki's roar of anger was overshadowed by the deafening cries of the cultists that overwhelmed him with their shear numbers. Gary had done something that Tiki had only dreamt of in his position. To wield power with mere words. But he was destined to become an iconic figure Tiki had depicted from the hieroglyphs, while Tiki himself was nobody. His greatest fear since before he consumed the 'elixir' had come back to haunt him.

But Gary was not there to see the last of him, as the rumble of the temple at the dot when he set the explosive timer signalled the time to leave the temple as soon as he could. Stone walls and roof collapsed around the narrow catacombs, resulting in him losing his way back through the original path and forcing him to look for alternatives under the shortest on time moments. But he would be damned if he stopped and gave up right now, thus he traced the footprints on the ground towards a potential exit. The whole world rumbled around him, making Gary genuinely make his first pray since his schooldays to Jesus for safety passage out. He ignored the strain of his muscles telling him that the weight of two people in as fast a motion as he was going was too much as it was a matter of life and death.

He finally could see the light at the end of the tunnel and strapped Cameron tightly before climbing the ladder out of the catacombs, when the rumble of the vacuum forcing outwards from inside could be heard. He felt himself getting blown out and thought it the end for him, but as the dust settled and his body felt the strained muscles, he knew he was alive and made it out.

Cameron lay on the ground motionless however, compelling Gary to rise to his feet and resuscitate her. His exit point seemed to be in some uncharted part of the jungle that wasn't within reach of the city ruins and his radio equipment was damaged while managing to escape the catacomb implosion.

He checked her pulse and breathing which seemed to have just ceased when he turned over. Forcing him to administer emergency CPR, he completed the chest pump repetition before blowing oxygen into her through mouth to mouth, but the result remained the same of low pulse and no breathing. Which only increased his determination to bring her out of this dying state, realising that he was competing with her heart that was giving out too quickly every time he jumpstarted it.

Under desperate circumstance, he took out a syringe with adrenaline which he had on his medical bag to give her heart a supercharge directly. Before repeating the chest pump and mouth to mouth resuscitation.

When her gag reflex kicked in and made her cough out fluids that permeated the same odour as that substance and evaporated in the air. Gary knew that she had come too and sighed in relief.

Too soon. With his guard down, Cameron lunged upon him as if he were prey, trying to bite his neck. His forearm came up on reflex and received the bite, but her fingers wrapped around his neck to choke the life out of him. Then, upon seeing her feral eyes glow with amber as all cultist had, realised she had fallen under the narcotic influence of the damnable 'elixir'.

Swiping his bitten hand out of the grip of her teeth, it did not change the fact that Cameron still choked the life out of him. His hands tried to ply hers off his neck but somehow, the 'elixir' had bestowed her with increased endurance and strength, such that a young man like him in his prime couldn't fight back against someone who had never lifted her hand on others in violence.

He realised it was hopeless for him to break from her grip and would only be free if he reached into his holster and pulled the gun on her and killed her. But even in this state that she was in, he couldn't. He understood that this was to be his end and used his last gasp of air to reach out and feel the warmth of her face, to know that she was alive. And that was all that mattered. He had accomplished all that he could ever hope to do in this battle and while he lived. He had prevented the 'elixir' from being circulated amongst the rebel states for better or worse if they either consumed them with the same outcome as Tiki or as a chemical weapon to turn the Tatmadaw against each other. Preventing more children from suffering misfortune like he did.

And in that moment, his sleeve fell back and revealed the bracelet of yarn and beads that she had crafted for him way back. As the last semblances of waning humanity within her eyes fought back against the influence despite the agony it caused from 'elixirs' withdrawals. Cameron screamed her lungs out in agony as her grip weakened and grasped her head in pain. Gary tried to help her but realised what his attempt to help her had done. The adrenaline had taken a negative toll on her in accelerating the withdrawals, thus causing more pain than what was endurable.

He had no choice but to administer to her the heroin in his possession, the only means of easing this agony for a brief while before it became too overwhelming. But as he was prepping the syringe after heating the powder, she kept telling him no! That she didn't want it, she wouldn't take it on her life of hers.

Leaving him torn between the decision to administer the narcotic that she adamantly despised or potentially saving her the pain that was threatening her life and her heart. But her grip around his hands was so tight as if begging him not to give her the drug as she fought the pain throughout her body. He then realised that this was her asking him for the same trust that he had failed to give before.

The syringe fell from his hand and grasped hers firmly as she physically fought the pain through shear willpower and determination. All Gary could do was hold her to let her know that he was there for her. Now, the outcome of the battles that went on were no longer important to him. Only that he be there as she fought her own battle against the ancient substance that had nearly consumed her.

Minutes passed as the pain seemed to get worse, but Gary stayed with her all the way without so much as looking toward the heroin syringe as the only answer to her problem. He was witnessing something he had rarely, if at all seen. Someone trying to fight the influence of the all-consuming narcotics with nothing but grit. She was showing that she was no slave to substance, to religion, or anyone. She was as free as anybody could ever be and her fight against the 'elixir' that had fell armies would fair no better.

And after what seemed like an hour or two, she demanded water for her patched lips. A sign that the pain had finally subsided enough for her to move on her own. He hurriedly unscrewed the cap off the bottle and feed her the water in his canteen. She drank as if she had not drunken in years, disregarding whether water spilt from her cracking lips. And when she at last gasped from the end of the water contained in the bottle. Gary laughed uncontrollably to her annoyance. She had done it. She did what everyone had failed, Gary's mother to the whisper of heroin, his father to religion and superstition, and Gary himself to circumstances and the easy way out.

Cameron was every bit worthy of not just his respect, but everyone elses. When she expressed her vexation at his humour, Gary just embraced her like she had come back to him in the world of the living. Putting her in a difficult position to pick on him. As Gary genuinely cried tears of joy that she was alive and well enough to scold him.

She returned the embrace and stated that she was too of him. And when it came to the only one she thought would rescue her in her head, it was him almost immediately. He asked her what had happened, so she gave the short story.

The cult had been posing as the Tatmadaw like she was told when in Kalavinka, to maintain their perceived façade without giving away her awareness of their true alignment, she played along. Stating that she had been looking for them just like the Caucasian man who they had most certain known about since there was only one in these parts. She was taken back without a fuss to the temple city where she was made to bear witness to the cults' cruelty through kidnapping people from nearby villages and unsuspecting military patrols. Bringing them back to be processed and 'converted' by means of a yellowish orange substance that could only be ingested within the temples as it would sublimate to the warm humidity of the Burmese jungle.

When their façade ended, they took her directly to Tiki as she was a rare find. Tiki received her without much expectations and told them to process her. She demanded she be placed with her fiancé, which garnered some interest that a couple bonded by matrimony would convert to his faith, as possibly the first willing candidates. So with piqued interest, he allowed her to be locked with their foreign prisoner whom was none other than Aaron. Fortunately, he hadn't received his dosage because none of the "deacons" were willing to administer it out of loathe for his character deemed unfit to serve as a disciple of the 'weeping god'. However, it had kept him sane and alive for as long as it could.

But when put together, she realised that he was no better. As Aaron had entered a state of delirium.

He didn't know who he was, who she was, or what was around him. He had quite literally gone mad and lost his wits, as the attending disciple told her that he had finally quieten down from the endless cycle of screaming and crying. His lack of dignity almost drove the disciples to murder him in his sleep if he did any of that at all. However, Tiki had kept him around to experiment the effects of the 'elixir' on foreign races.

She had tried her best to keep him alive in his dependent state. Before she was taken away to receive her first administration, from there, things started to get hazy. She remembered experiencing all her past experienced once again, which might have been how Tiki had come to know about her coincidental connection and affiliation to Gary, his most hated enemy. And eventually about the visions that he perceived as in relation to his faith based on his interpretations of the ruin's hieroglyphs. Gary told her that it was over, that he had destroyed all of the places containing the 'elixir' and in doing so, had buried Tiki beneath the temple. That lunatic and his find, will never harm another person ever again.

Cameron expressed that her opinion about him had changed yet again. For him to make such a choice that could have potentially affected the scale of the balance in this civil war, he chose the road of peace over the escalation of violence. Was this not proof that Gary was no longer chained to his affiliation with the drug trade? He didn't refute it, and added that maybe it was because he finally had something or someone, he was willing to cast it all aside for.

She reminded him that she was engaged to Aaron, who was still somewhere alive and needed help. But Gary was no longer going to run from his feelings and said that all he had to do was steal her from him. Cameron expressed a sense of dismay and sheepishness at his declaration, but she did not refute him directly. And so, Gary took a leap at it. Telling her that they can look for her fiancé so that he could tell it to his face as well that he was going to lose his woman to him unless he got his act together, there was nothing that would stop Gary Min from getting what he desired.

Cameron was once again at a loss of words but accepted that he was making a commitment to follow what his heart told him to do, something she could never tell him was wrong as she had influenced him to begin with.

Gary expressed his utter joy at the fact that she was accepting him to this extent when she had chosen to uphold her commitment to her engagement before. But after all, it was only an engagement, not the real deal sealed in matrimony yet. Aaron was going to have steep competition even though he had his fiancée's favour.

He was so ecstatic that he failed to notice the indications of danger that was emitting from a crosshair that aligned with his leg and put a slug through it, dropping him to his knee. The pain started to come as the report came in. Realising that he had a penetration from his left thigh preventing him from getting up, Cameron tried to help him on his feet but he shoved her away, telling her to get help instead. But she knew he was just trying to send her away from the danger, only when he shouted for her to run did she go. As Gary drew his pistol, preparing to defend himself.

Aiming it down the jungle where the report came from a high-powered rifle. Enduring the busted leg, he tossed his last smoke grenade to conceal his last known position preventing his current location from being zeroed in. And was made to endure a long wait for the shooter whilst fighting the urge to groan, the loss of blood had left a definitive trail of where he had limped from. As the shooter closed in for the kill, he waited for the silhouette to get close enough for a pistol shot.

The shooter had arrived to the place where he thought his prey awaited him, only for the trail to end and the sound of a pistol hammer cocking before it was fired from behind. The shooter dodged and only received a clipped shoulder from the pot shots fired in his direction. As Gary limped forwards for the kill, suppressing the shooter behind a tree as he came closer.

The shooter tossed a grenade his way, which he tossed back and annihilated the hiding spot. But not the shooter who lunged out of cover and on top of him. Revealing to him a familiar face, or what remained of it.

Having somehow survived his cultists' betrayal and escaped albeit not unscathed, Tiki had only one motive now. To kill Gary after losing his entire organisation, his precious stockpile of 'elixir' and his purpose as a celebrant who converted new flocks to his faith. Gary had taken everything from him, and that impulse had taken the last of his reason. He didn't care about his prophecies or Gary's significance to his faith, he wanted him dead and every second of him alive was shear torment of his failures.

Rolling in the dirt, they engaged in a dirty brawl. As Gary wrestled his pistol to blow out his brains, however, Tiki proved to be the better unarmed combat fighter between the two of them. Disarming him and forcing them to rely on their hands and knives. Drawing his bayonet knife, Gary faced off with a much more threatening machete used for jungle clearing and close quarter fighting. With every swing, Tiki let him know the rage and resentment he felt for all Gary had robbed from him. Gary already knew he was at a disadvantage in weapon length and fighting experience and resorted to dirty plays such as kicking dirt into Tiki's eyes and feinting his strikes to draw him in. But Tiki wasn't naïve enough to buy that and cost Gary a move as the machete ran across his wrist and made him drop the knife. Plunging the machete at him again, Gary felt back as he somehow managed to catch the blade aimed now at his heart.

In this triumphant moment, Tiki expressed his joy that he would soon carve out his heart to eat and undertake Gary's strange destiny in his place. Tiki had lost even more screws than before, but it didn't change the fact that he had overpowered Gary with strength and fighting skill for which the later simply was not a match. The edge was only inches from digging into his chest when Tiki's strength suddenly dissipated with a gunshot to his shoulder.

Cameron had returned without company and had taken possession of the fallen pistol to use on Tiki. Releasing his hold over Gary, he changed his target towards a more threatening one. With untrained hands, several shots whizzed past, but several did strike home against Tiki. However, it was not enough to stop his momentum as he bull-rushed her even under fire. Until the gun went click from an empty magazine, Tiki scoffed at her as she swung his machete across her neck, cutting deep into her throat.

The heart wrenching sight had numb him of his physical pain as he threw his fallen bayonet into Tiki's back and tackled him to the ground with his good leg, then performed an unarmed armlock to take Tiki's weapon from him as he dislocated his shoulder. With the machete in his possession and him standing over Tiki, the later did not display any frustration, only joy at inflicting something worthwhile upon the 'Usurper King'. So that even gone, his memory of him would continue to be a sigma that will be carried indefinitely for the remainder of his mortal life.

Gary didn't allow him another second to savour his trivial victory and stabbed him repeatedly until that final breath left his lips, spelling the end of Madman Tiki. He then approached Cameron who lay on the floor with a gash across her throat causing her to gargle on her own blood. With his expended medical kit, he frantically tore his sleeves to tie a makeshift bandage.

Searching his pouches for any more syringes that could either take away the pain or stabilize her condition. Gary called out into the jungle for help as he held the fatal wound to keep blood from seeping. He was with her the entire time, holding her wound with one hand whilst searching through his bag for anything useful, but nothing seemed to help in this situation.

Raising one of her hands towards him, Gary tried to push it away so that he could keep her from struggling and widening the cut. But her persistence convinced him to see what was held in her grip.

The jade amulets that formed a pair, one was a phoenix while the other was a dragon. Together they formed a perfect bond. However, she did not bequeath him just one, but both. Just as he had given her both of them so that she would find her happiness with the person she gave it to. She essentially wished him back the exact same thing, as she knew her final moments were about to come.

He tearfully refused her and told her not to give up so easily after all she had been through, but then he was silenced not by words which she could never convey again.

But by a kiss.

Though cold, represented her truest yet final emotions for Gary Min. Before she collapsed motionless. Silence came apart when he angrily scolded her corpse and what her recklessness had costed her. He expressed his wish that she had just run away and not look back, or that she had not held these hidden feelings for him that she concealed from him all this while.

Gary began to cry out like a wounded animal, so loud that the Vermillion Army found him embracing the body of a woman who had passed on. Howling his grief like he had never done before. There were few things that brighten his world around him, and now one, of the most precious things was gone.

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Part 22 – Gone with the wind

It was hours before he finally tore himself from Cameron's corpse as it was carefully body bagged for processing for a funeral. Gary had not fully come out of his grief as his retinue of officers reported their latest news to him of their decisive victory over the cultists with the help of a Tatamadaw Regiment that had been sent specifically to hunt the interloping force in secret by their high command. Like the Tatmadaw, the Vermillion Army eliminated all the stragglers without mercy due to their infectious ideology that had effectively converted the surrounding populations to their ranks through means unknown.

The Tatmadaw were still in the dark about the 'elixir' but were pleased that Kalavinka had been true to its word in eliminating the threat and had even killed the Karen Rebels who seemed to have conspired with the cult of Tiki from their interpretations. Kalavinka was expected to receive commendation for their work and more favourable relations with the military junta in future.

With this said, the Tatmadaw Colonel in-charge was ready to depart for Rangoon to report to his superiors on the outcome of the battle that annihilated the strange cult of Major Tiki. When asked what they intended to do with Tiki's corpse as was rightfully theirs for killing him, Gary told them they could have it on the condition they hang it from the highest pole for the KNLA to see it rot. Something that appealed to the Tatmadaw high command too.

They, the Vermillion Army had succeeded in demolishing a larger force than they had expected and with minimal casualties thanks to their excellent coordination and also to the reinforcements the Tatmadaw provided. As strange as it sounded for the later of all people to come to their aid when they needed it most. Kali and the Red Feathers Company had successfully eliminated the entire Karen Company and captured its leader for turning over to the Tatmadaw as well. They might learn about what the KNLA were doing in that part of the jungle, but there was nothing for them there now that the 'elixir' was gone from Burma.

The Armoured battalion had sustained the heaviest of losses and equipment lost due to engaging more powerful tanks but had destroyed their opposition. While the infantry battalions were kept relatively well supplied by the helicopter supply drops and air cover. Gary somehow was deafen to their joyous news and casually asked for the next. As Myat Sein and the bike section came across someone who they couldn't believe was alive.

Aaron McCullen had been picked up from the rubble, or at least most of him. As his mind was still fractured but the trauma he had gone through. Seeing him in that state, Gary couldn't stand to look at him any longer and ordered for their return back to Kalavinka. Which was met with a resounding cheer for a battle hard won. However, as Kali and many of the officers notice, it was not without a costly price.

They returned to Kalavinka in the evening and were cheered on by the inhabitants. Aaron was brought to Doyle who was shocked to see the state that he was in, and demanded answers.

The only one he got was that the CIA shouldn't be bothered with Aaron tattling on them to the press now, in the state that he was in. However, they owed it to him to pay for his mental health. Even if he were to recover from all that he had gone through, he would still have to go through the grief of losing his fiancé just as Gary did. Life wasn't fair, but it didn't end there.

Doyle accepted the mentally traumatised McCullen, but when he asked of the status of the Fiancée, Gary told him to leave now. Roughly guessing what had happened, he bid him farewell for the last time and departed with the waiting foreign civilians.

And thus, ended the affair of the Kayin Republic Cult and Major Tiki. But not the phantoms that Gary would continue to face in the nights to come.

A week went by in a typical Kalavinka fashion, with the exception that nothing exciting was being announced by their great leader. No new reforms, no exciting events. He was not found in his usual public relations duties in the Min Ancestral Home, nor in the palace grounds. But in one of the relatively new fishing villages that was still in its undeveloped state. After excusing himself to look into the matter personally, but had not returned for the last six days.

Worried about his status, Thawda dispatched Kali to check up on him and determine his whereabouts if he was absent. She arrived at the fishing village the following day and went around asking the folks where Gary was, but their rely was that they had not received any Gary. Then she changed her question to if they had recently received anyone new. To which the farm hand told them that they did have a new worker by the name of Geng who worked in the poppy fields and always seemed to be late for work.

Kali had tracked the poppy field mentioned by the farm hand and found a hovel that was too poor to be even called a shack and barged in inquiring if anyone was in. But was assaulted by the damp smell among others that were synthetic in nature. She looked around and found someone lying on the floor with needles about his feet where he lay to savour the momentary high that his heroin shot gave him.

Kali took the man out of the house and filled up a bucket of cold water to douse him with. The man woke up angrily and demanded that she leave at once. But she adamantly stayed and even went around to find additional heroin shots and threw them into an oil drum to burn. The man was furious that she destroyed his additional shots of heroin and made a swing at her, but was clearly not skilled enough to take on the likes of her. That and the apparent limp he had from a recovering gunshot wound on his left leg.

She asked if he was proud with what he had become. The envy of rivals and idol to his subjects, now reduced to such a pathetic state. Leaning on the temporary pleasure that their stock heroin could provide to ease the pain he felt not in his thigh, but in his heart. What became of the invincible Gary Min, she demanded?

Dead, he replied. Along with those he loved. The man wiped his unshaven face from the substitute of alcohol to numb his pain. However, it did not prevent him from feeling the power of a fist delivered to his cheek.

Kali declared that he was making a mockery of the those who died for him, and not for Kalavinka at the Temple City which was no small amount. At least a hundred and eighty names were to be carved into a large burial mound to commemorate their sacrifice to ensure victory. And he had yet to attend their funeral wake to honour them as the inhabitants of Kalavinka were expecting. As that wasn't the only funeral he was to attend.

The body of Cameron remained in their possession, being preserved as best as the embalmers humanly could. But it was only with his say so could they commence the burial or cremation. She too was waiting to be honoured for the life she lived.

Thawda had already decided to schedule the burials at the end of the week, tomorrow. Kali insisted that he pay his respects this one last time while he still had that chance. Then she sighed deeply. Perhaps, to soften her approach. As she remembered the devastated look on his face throughout the journey back to Kalavinka and the gradual fall into despair that took place when he began taking heroin secretly under the premise of dealing with the pain in his leg. But Kali knew that it wasn't for his injured thigh, but his broke heart.

Kali placed the fallen jade amulets she had rigorously cleaned off its bloodstain, the ones he had discarded before departing for this remote village to live in solitude. And kissed him on the forehead to show some womanly affection towards him and to let him know that his pain was somewhat understood.

Before leaving, she said her piece to him first. Cameron, the woman may be dead. But not the person she loved.

And she will always remain alive within him, so long as he was alive to remember her. Since her widowed fiancé was clearly not going to any time soon. He now had a responsibility to keep that memory alive while he could.

With that said, Kali left. Because at that point, it was entirely up to him whether he would pick up by himself or continue to wallop in misery. If he didn't overcome his grief, than he would never live up to the expectations that he had set for himself upon coming here.

But her words would eventually be reflected upon as the cold sensation of jade reminded him of that painful sensation of the cold kiss. However, it was also a memory that was worth holding on to.

The day of the funeral wake, the whole of Kalavinka had assembled to pay their respects to those who fell at the battle of the weeping temples as it was now called. Having not seen their leader still, Thawda was prepared to give his speech when Gary returned in his clean appearance to give a captivating speech about not the honour or pride that their lives costed, but the men and women they were with out in the field. Those that were alive to enjoy their victory owed it to them. And so, a field gun salute was given in their honour along with a wake toast at their burial mound.

The next funeral Gary attended was private. Only himself, Aasif, Kali, Myat Sein and the bike section. For they knew of Gary's love for this woman that exceeded his boundaries. Instead of a burial, Gary had ordered for it to be a cremation. As he carried her ashes to the Irrawaddy river to be scattered and perhaps flow out into the wide sea to be free.

Gary apologised to them for not giving them their due credit after the ceremony to which they refuted him back that he had done much for them but they had yet to do anything for him truly. Myat Sein asked him what will he do now. Gary said that he had the intentions of leaving everything behind to chase this woman even with all that it would cost him, it would have been worth everything. But now, that small flicker of a different world was gone.

One day, when he passed on. He hoped that someone amongst them who was still around would perform the same ceremony and cast him into the sea to search the entire ocean for her wilful spirit. If it takes one hundred years, or ten-thousand years he would continue to look.

As poetic as he sounded, he knew what Sein was also asking. What did he intend to do from now on?

So he disclosed his intentions of completely rebuilding Kalavinka into something that was Grandfather Wing Nam's wish for Kalavinka. He will make Kalavinka into a beacon of progress in the chaos of their civil war.

He will make Kalavinka his weapon against Gang Min.

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Part 23 – The Man from Burma

A year could pass by quickly when you least expect it.

Kalavinka had enjoyed a whole makeover transition from its rural and overcrowded large town build towards a genuine multi-storey urban city, within the jungle of Burma to change the perspectives of those who thought it insignificant in a rapidly urbanising world.

Two years of reforms had drastically reshaped the way people now conducted their lives. Every day was a new day to be looked forward to, not a time to worry about missing quotas or fearing punishment. People no longer worried about being short on food, water or housing, now they wondered what they could buy at the next big sales event when a mass of goods were imported from afar by the C-130s to the bazaars.

Houses were now built of solid cement and brick, insulated and furnished with quality timber. Public toilets and bathhouses were now a thing of the past with proper plumbing systems integrated into every housing block. Lighting and electricity were no longer limited to the streets and at certain hours with a power station running around the clock. Anyone would enjoy reading at night or watching dramas or sports events on their television.

Kalavinka was now a modern sprawling utopia in a country that was still tearing itself apart.

The effect of the irony was so great that some of the Tatmadaw Generals' and High-ranking Officials' families chose to migrate to this city from Rangoon to enjoy such conveniences. Because as hard as it was to admit for the Military Junta, it was far safer to stay in Kalavinka than it was in the Capital of the whole country.

Relationships like this had shifted from colder attitudes because the one leading Kalavinka had made it so. By singling out the Karen National Union, the governing body that led the KNLA as the common enemy of Kalavinka and the Tatmadaw.

As shocked as they were that the neutral city had chosen to go to war with them after numerous dealings they had before, many in the Karen National Union believed that the Son of Min held them responsible for the suffering and horror that was inflicted by the late Major Tiki. When the truth was far more terrifying, however, their military leader was quiet on that restricted matter. KNLA were now forced to fight now on two fronts, their natural enemies, the Tatmadaw and the fearsome Vermillion Army. The later was the one many a Karen militia prayed not to face despite their fearlessness in confronting the Government forces. The other rebel states were equally in dismay, but Kalavinka maintained the same level of relations with them as they had before. Only now, they no longer received regular visits from the pleasant Gary Min.

This misfortune that the Karen Militia had found itself in could not have come at a worst time when they nearly captured the City of Mandalay, only for Kalavinka to reinforce the Tatmadaw. Setting them back so far that offensive strategy was no longer an option for them, they were forced back into waging a guerrilla resistance. Which set back their dream of a unified Karen state by decades and kept the Military Junta in power longer. Unlike the Tatmadaw who massacred thousands, Kalavinka's viciousness was on a whole different level. They spared lives of those who surrendered but robbed them of everything they owned short of what little dignity they had left. Weapons, food, they even scorched their fields and paddies, collapsing their mineral mines. With the Tatmadaw, they could at least feel anger and vengeful emotion to incite resistance and armed rebellion. But with Kalavinka, they feared that they and their families wouldn't live the next few days. As the Vermillion Army was bend on sterilizing them from existence.

The reason for these dreaded impressions was because the Vermillion Army had changed.

Once there was a force of armed men with barely any training, equipped with weapons, vehicles and equipment dating back to the Second World War. A joke amongst the regional factions, until they were absorbed one by one by the cunning of one man and those loyal to him.

Now, it was more than just a powerhouse. It was an expression of the vested interest of Kalavinka for those with their eyes set upon its industry and agriculture to turn away. Including the Tatmadaw, much to their disgruntlement as Kalavinka's military reforms had effectively denied them any chance of taking the Northern States if contesting them for their strategic position. Their only alternative was to maintain neutrality, much like Mae Salong of Thailand, it stood separate from the mainland and had its own autonomous governing body. Kalavinka also in turn kept the Northern Rebel States and the Yunnan frontier to China in check for the Tatmadaw. But when it came to the Karen minority, it received both the wrath of the Tatmadaw and Kalavinka as if their very existence banded the two in battle. With this, Kalavinka's autonomy was assured as hostilities with the Military Junta became near non-existent. The Tatmadaw also profited from their relationship by getting shipments of things they couldn't from their main ports and airbases because of new UN embargoes.

Soldiers and their officers received a comprehensive education in warfare, fieldcraft and administration from the new Nawarupa Military School, ranging from boot camp all the way to advanced specialised equipment courses like tank driving or pilot training. Modelled upon the Royal Hong Kong Regiment their leader served in, with traces of Four Paths in their Reconnaissance Elements and Israeli Armored Doctrines.

Like the soldiers, their equipment had shifted from poorly maintained WW2 vintage to refurbished weapons brought from Vietnam and Laos that had been left there by the American Vietnam War theatre and were in disrepair and sold for scrap in their relative countries, bought on cheap. An entire workshop dedicated to the restoration of small arms to their fighting condition, afforded soldiers good weapons like M16 Assault rifles, L4 Brens and L1A1 Battle rifles, amongst the plethora of more modern small-arms and heavy weapons now available to them. Although the Red Feathers Company continued to employ bows, just the more modern kind made of aluminium and fibreglass.

The UH-1 Helicopter fleet had been maintained thanks to a wide availability of parts sharing commonality with its civilian variants on the open market. Even growing in size as civilian versions were bought and then militarized. And had become the Vermillion Army's most effective tool next to the OV-10 multi-role STOL reconnaissance-light bomber squadrons for reconnaissance and air support. Bought from South America with some of the cost mitigated by the sale of their initial WW2 vintage aircraft to foreign restorationists & military reenactors who acquired these airframes for their significant history in the Burma Campaign. Greatly improved handling, ruggedness and reliability all around. They could fly further, longer and conduct more effective COIN missions than the old fighters could since they weren't built to contest other airplanes for air supremacy.

Like the infantry and air units, the mechanised units had also transformed. While the primary utility vehicle was the fleets of Land Rovers which served admirably in bring men from point A to point B. Kalavinka Armor had also modernised for more powerful machines, exchanging the M3 Stuart and M4 Shermans who were relegated to training aids with Vijayanta main battle tanks. These retired India war machines served as the backbone of the Kalavinka Armored Battalion since their arrival.

In recognition for their contributions and overall success of Operation Matsyu, the Indian Government bestowed him with battle tanks that were no longer serving their armed forces, originally set to be scrapped. They did, however, offer crew training at their tank schools for the select few amongst his soldiers to be taught how to operate and repair these workhorses. Since a public commendation was next to impossible. After receiving reconditioning and assembled with imported European upgrades like laser rangefinders and solid-state fire control systems, they were shipped to Kalavinka by airlift. These assets theoretically allowed Kalavinka to contest Chinese light reconnaissance armored forces if they crossed Yunnan or even Tatmadaw armor if such a possibility ever occurred. Although such case of tank versus tank battles were a rarity in the jungles of Burma, infantry fire support was invaluable in breaking situations where infantry was faced with unfavourable terrain that suited the opponent more. These main battle tanks also received special Blazer reactive armor, which protected the tank crews from infantry anti-tank weapons. They were accompanied by M113 and V-100 APCs bought second-hand which gave the soldiers ample protection during transit and the ability to carry heavy weapons or equipment safely.

They were never going to allow themselves to be taken surprised by an existence like the cult of Tiki ever again. There was nothing more that Kalavinka could be found wanting. It was the safest place that never existed to the civilised world.

And so, that was how he would leave it. Entrusted back into the hands of Thawda who had served as the caretaker of Kalavinka for decades. He offered something else to this man by publicly proclaiming him the Governor-General of Kalavinka and its five new townships. Who would move to better the city for its people and wield the might of the Vermillion Army at his disposal. Shaking hands and waving goodbye until next time before he caught his ride out of the city that had been his home for two years. With Thawda promising him that if he ever needed help, Kalavinka would come to his aid.

He left the same way he came to Burma, driven to the jetty where a ferry awaited his arrival. Rather than taking a flight straight to Rangoon, he preferred to travel by this long scenic route instead. But unlike last time, he had more than one person accompanying him. Ten of the best Vermillion soldiers, members of the reconnaissance bike section led by Sergeant Myat Sein. And the daughter of Mufti Aasif bin Ishaf, who had waited long to see Gang Min in his native Canton, to repay the favour he gave to her five years ago.

Burma had not been kind to him in many ways. For one, his fair skin had become permanently tanned. However, suffering always builds a person in a way that others least expect. He was going back to Hong Kong, when there was nothing that anyone could do to tear him from the City of Kalavinka or the Vermillion Army he had at his disposal. Not Gang Min nor MI6. He chose to go back to face his demons head on, to slay them. His conviction had never been stronger, the jungle had stripped him from all manner of hesitation and weakness. Even if he was still not a skillful fighter, his mind had been honed by years of experience in governing and warfare.

That set of traits were substituted by his eleven strong subordinates who would protect him even at the expense of their lives. Also backed by a powerful network of "friends" in high office in the Indian Intelligence Agencies, PLA Southern Command, Tatmadaw and tabs on the players in Western Intelligence Groups within Asia. His offshore account had accumulated a substantial amount over his time in Burma too, enough to buy out the entire police commission several times over on the numerous misdeeds he had in store for the triads of Hong Kong and his half-siblings' factions.

On the second day of the ferry ride, he returned to a place where it all began. Old Bagan remained exactly as he remembered it. Retracing his steps to the particular temple stupa that a special woman brought him to, he stood on top of it and gazed at the horizon until sunset. Then, he dug the ground beneath his feet, placing an old photo sealed in a plastic along with a Jade Amulet that had the emblem of a Phoenix beneath. Before covering it up with soil, after words had been said to let his last lingering feelings be buried here and left behind. Where he was going, he had no need for these emotions.

The rest of the trip down Irrawaddy River was calm and peaceful, a rarity in this time of civil war.

His arrival at the airport in Rangoon was received by an official representing the Tatmadaw wishing him all the best on his trip, as he flew on the best plane that they had on transit to Bangkok where he took the commercial airlines to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong of 1984 was the same and yet different. But not for very long. He had been informed that the Chinese and British had been in the talks over the ending lease of the New Territories. Signed by the last Chinese Dynasty over to the once formidable British Empire for 99 years. That lease would be up in 1997 or even sooner.

Hong Kong and Kowloon were about to return to the control of the People's Republic of China, since the communist party ousted the original nationalist party in-exile in Taiwan. As he guessed, tensions would be high for his fellow Hong Kongers as they were all about to experience a very thorough identity crisis in the years to follow when Hong Kong became part of the communist state. Hong Kong might even cease to be Hong Kong. And years ago, he was thinking his career as an officer in the Royal Hong Kong Regiment would be secured solid without interference, only to be replaced by a PLA garrison force when the handover was complete. But perhaps this was a blessing in disguise, as the members of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment were about to find themselves out of a job soon in a few years. Similarly, the Chinese State Police would start bringing in their more trusted police officers into Hong Kong. If the Hong Kong Policemen didn't already lose their jobs, their was little prospect for promotion under the new administration.

When Margaret Thatcher and Zhao Ziyang signed off the sovereignty of Hong Kong back to China, there was going to be a lot of public jobs laying off workers. He estimated that there would be around eight to ten years grace after the black and white had been set into the framework. While things might stay relatively the same for the average citizen or even the rich, the same could not be said for the dozens of triad organisations operating in Hong Kong. Unlike the Hong Kong Police, the Chinese ones operated without reproach and with very little empathy. Gangs would either submit and downsize, or they will be crushed by the most hostile police raids they could ever imagine. The era of organised crime in Hong Kong would soon come to an end. Because the Chinese Government wouldn't tolerate anyone but them controlling Hong Kong. He felt like laughing at the irony of it all, but that didn't dissuade him from changing his course. He was still going to set out to do what he intended to all those years ago.

Like rats, they'd escape a sinking ship by swimming away. The Min Empire could simply relocate elsewhere, perhaps New York, Sydney or maybe even Vancouver. Places with lots of urban streets, squalor all around and a lot of Chinese migrants were where Gangs like the Min Triads prospered. However, they will never get to leave Hong Kong, now that he was here.

His arrival at the airport was met by Guan Min and some of the older gang members who still remembered he existed. Taking his bags and driving him to his old apartment, apparently, he no longer had a place in the Min Residence.

Why was he surprised at all that Siu Man couldn't even be bothered to just wait awhile for him at the Airport to personally welcome him back after spending two years on the former's behalf. He was asked by them why he was snickering, but said he wouldn't tell them. Nor what the ten people following him were, other than his escorts. He wasn't even granted a moment of peace within the car ride as the gang members showered him with gripes about the current life and of Siu Man's poor treatment of them, like anything had changed at all.

Dropping his hefty luggage at the apartment and arranging for accommodations at a hotel for his ten "friends" from Burma, with the exception of the exotic beauty with him. He was taken to one of the floating restaurants, the famous Jumbo Kingdom. Which Gang Min had personally arranged to welcome him back on a job well done. Two years with only one incident that was wrapped up quickly, with some profits in heroin and opium coming back as well. Otherwise, Kalavinka's developments remained largely unknown to them. He had but one escort left with him, Kali. Whom the gang members thought of nothing more than eye candy even if some part of her sharp eyes and toned muscle told them she was quite possibly hardier than them all combined. A chance to see Gang Min again and see his life slip away, it wasn't a chance she would miss.

Arriving at Aberdeen Harbour, the floating restaurant lay ahead. Boarding its deck and ascending to the tables which had been reserved for the return party. He saw many familiar faces and new ones, while some of the old ones had changed in ways he couldn't even imagine.

The first to greet him was Siu Man with a seemingly one-sided embrace from the latter's end. In his company, or rather in his background, was his new wife of two years. He almost couldn't tell because Siu Man held in his embrace another woman. This wife was who he was told about over the phone call updates over the years was called Hoi Wing, hailing from the Lin family conglomerate, private merchants in timber from the mainland China. Holding the newest addition to the Min family, a two-year-old baby girl they named Wai Ching. Even from where he was, he could feel the cold distance between what should have been a wife and husband. However, was taken for granted by Siu Man who would much rather flirt with Kali who was simply giving him basic courtesy while it lasted. If anyone he should feel pity for, it was the wife and child. Siu Man hadn't changed in the last two years, apart from some facial hair. His poor character and competence remained the same as ever, which was exactly what he wanted from him.

And now, he had run out of chances for redemption.

He left Hoi Wing with the gift of Gold earrings with ruby inlay and a Jade bangle for her and the child, respectively. Against her reluctance to accept precious gifts during his special day which was inauspiciously giving away luck, he no longer clung to such trivial superstition, whether good or bad. He called it a late-wedding present long overdue instead, and a birthday gift for Wai Ching as well which for some reason made the wife all emotional although she hid it quickly.

Siu Man called for his father, but Gang Min was already ahead of him. Asking his associates whom he also invited leave him for a moment. Like Siu Man, Gang Min embraced him as one of his own. And spoke to him casually as if it were yet another phone call to gripe about his week. His attention did get swept away by the woman who accompanied him back from Burma. Asking that he be introduced, so he called Kali over. Gang Min suddenly adopted the mannerisms of a gentlemen at their "first" introduction. Kali didn't even hide her name as she declared her voyage here just to see Gang Min. The old man couldn't even remember who she was, although it was probably because her rebellion was so trivial a matter to him. But she finally got to see her mother and brother's murderer face to face and languish in the thought that his end was about to come soon.

Gang Min, oblivious to her internal hatred of him, called for the attention of those who had gathered here today to celebrate the return of one of their own. He commenced a toast in honour of this person with raised glasses of expensive champagne and an emotional toast about how he was possibly the son he never had shamelessly in front of all his children who now remembered the threat that this Man from Burma posed to them back in the day returned. Their days of lavishing in their vanity were over, as the power struggle was about to set off once more. Siu Man had full confidence that his blood brother will do him proud in winning his rightful seat to the vast fortunes of the Min Family.

In that commemoration before they drank to him, he asked Gang Min not to call him Gary any longer. That name was just about as permanent as the mother who discarded him. To which, Gang Min made a joke out of him renouncing his own name with the whole audience laughing. But he was serious about it, the old man could see it in his eyes and so asked him what they should call him from now on. To which the man, the living embodiment of their silent undoing, spoke this name that would be forever remembered by those who had met him and those who would soon come to dread it.

The man who wore that incorrigible smile of pearly whites. Eyes like an imposing arrogant phoenix within, born from Jade and hardened by suffering.

"You will now call me, Pagan Min."

A man, born a King.

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To be continued in…

Born a King – Book 2

Author's Thoughts:

I originally had plans to make a complete standalone story that focused on that grey area of Pagan's history. The one that is only vague represented but never delved deeply. So to save time, I've written it like a third-person dialogue rather than a fresh story. Like it was merely a story told from one person to another about what he heard. It saves me the time of writing a Cantonese, English, and Burmese dialogue.

Pagan has always struck me as a highly intelligence individual who can never be outwitted, even by the events of FC4 where he was past his prime. Imagine what a young Pagan could do? He has no physical strength nor combat prowess that Ajay has, but he has a cunning wit that no one could defeat. And wonder, what could make such a brilliant man become this shell? A life of pain unimaginable.

The story comes in three parts, as I mentioned in the beginning.

The First book speaks of the origin of his name. The glimpse of a future he could have had if he had just held on tighter. And the understanding of losing something precious that will never come back.

The Second book in Hong Kong is the trial of leaving behind everything he used to believe in to take the crown off Gang Min's head and realising that he never had a choice to begin with.

The Third book is the exodus to Kyrat, twenty-six years of making it into the land of we all know. Finding his second chance in the most unlikely place, in the company of a young mother and her child to his greatest enemy.