GATE: The American-Empire War
By: dragonfang33
Synopse: September 11th 2026: The Anniversary of one of the darkest days in American History, New York City would once again fall under attack, and the 11th of September would forever become known as I-Day. In a war begun by the rash act of a goddess, the greatest weapon may not be the sword, but the ideals America has long taken for granted.
Prologue
Chance and History
Random chance plays a huge part in everybody's life.
Gary Gygax
Location: Ginza Shopping District, Tokyo Japan, September 2nd 2025
It is said that history is written by chance. A wrong turn, staying in one place for an extra few minutes, all simple acts that can forever alter the course of the future. The Goddess Hardy was one of the few who knew the secret of creating the GATEs, and the only one who knew what lay beyond. She had her own reasons for what she intended to do, what she intended to unleash upon her world, Falmart. The Empire which dominated it had long forgotten what it meant to have humility, and it's ambitions and desire for wealth were posing a threat to her own domains. At first she'd tried to unleash the Flame Dragons, thinking it would bring the Empire to its senses, but the Empire treated the beasts as a minor annoyance, hardly worth their time. While in the long run she could care less about what the creatures did, it was Imperial arrogance, the lack of humility they showed towards her and the other gods that was too much for the Goddess to bare. The Empire would remember its' place in the grand scheme, one way or another.
As the blue haired woman made her way through the streets of Ginza, chance was about to play its' hand. To the everyday passerby she seemed no different than the countless other office workers, or visitors who made their way through Ginza or any of the other numerous districts of Tokyo. Yet the look to the fiery orange eyes that she hid beneath the sunglasses, gave her face a far more otherworldly appearance. For what seemed like months she had come to this same place, as if looking for something. Not that it seemed out of the ordinary as Ginza was known for its high stores, boutiques, and other places which attracted tourists, and those with money to burn
"More of the same," the woman grumbled, under her breath. As she watched more people, clad in a variety of bizarre costumes, lining up for the annual Ginza Manga Convention, or going about their daily lives. For centuries she had been watching this other world, taking an interest in the nation this world called Japan, specifically it's rebirth from a medieval world into an economic superpower. For Hardy her interest in Japan lay not so much with the common folk or what they spent their money and free time on. Her interest lay in the so called Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force, from what the few contacts she'd made in the Japanese Government had told her, she knew the SSDF was a force to be reckoned with, a force the few officers she'd met with claimed had never been bested in battle. The perfect choice to carry out her plans. Yet it was during one of the menuivers she'd been allowed to attend, she noticed the presence of a second nation, among the SDF personnel. Yet for some reason she was quickly hurried out by a security detail, under the guise of being a "unauthorized person." As she made her way through Ginza towards the train station that would take her to her meeting at the Forigen Ministry, Hardy remained fixated on those other soldiers, they were likely nothing more than those of a vassal state to Japan, yet the few times she brought them up her contacts seemed reluctant to talk about them.
It was because she'd been lost in thought that simple chance would change the course of history. She was so caught up in her own thoughts, that Hardy failed to notice where she was going, and soon made a wrong turn that led her into a small art store. Once inside chance would play its hand for the second time that day. It was from the corner of her eye that she saw a large painting, showing a scene on a ship of some kind, in the foreground was a man in a brown military style uniform, off to the side were a pair of Japanese men, dressed in their finest, signing what seemed to be a treaty of some kind. Beneath the painting, attached to the frame in bright gold letters was a title:September 2nd 1945.
"Is there something I can help you with miss?" a voice said, catching Hardy off guard. Behind her stood an elderly man with a large tarp in his hands.
"Indeed," the Goddess replied, "what can you tell me about this painting?" The man simply looked at her and smiled.
"Well it's of the Surrender Ceremony at the end of the war," the man replied. "Capturing the moment Foreign Minister Shigamitsu signed the instrument of surrender." Hardy looked at the man, with a hint of curiosity. "I'm sorry ma'm but it's not for sale. It's a special piece for the Tokyo National Museum to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Surrender."
"I assume that this is a picture of this America's surrender to Japan," much to the Goddess' surprise the man began laughing, and once more chance played its hand.
"It surprises me how much the young forget their own history," the man said, "Today is the anniversary of the day of Japan's surrender to America." This simple sentence peaked the Goddess' interest. Since she'd been coming to Japan, she'd been given the impression that nothing could stop the JSDF, and now here was a citizen claiming that Japan had indeed been beaten, and a stronger power existed in this world. Then again she never really paid much attention to the soldiers of that other nation during the menuivers she'd seen, nor had she really cared much to look at the world beyond Japan. Clearly this was an oversight that needed to be corrected, especially if what this man said was true. Hardy simply smiled, as she took her leave, leaving the man to go about his business.
Location: Japanese Forigen Ministry, Later that day
Being a Goddess had it's advantages, as all it took to get an audience with officers of the Japanese SDF and those in the government who had the ambition to be pawns in her plans, was a few simple words with their secretaries, and an offer of a chance to have a new world in which to expand. Yet that exchange in the store had piqued her interest in the other nation whose military she'd seen, something she was going to be bringing up with her contacts. The office in which Hardy found herself looked no different than any other, save for the large Japanese Flags that were situated behind the desk in the center of the room, and the portrait of an elderly man, the current Prime Minister.
"Miss Hardy," a young woman said, opening the door, "Mr. Sugawara has just arrived." Hardy simply smiled, as she watched a young man, with short black hair and a serious look on his face, clad in a business suit made his way in. Koji Sugawara was known far and wide in the Forigen Ministry for his stern deminior, and his willingness to be blunt when the time came. It was no secret that he was also a very ambitious man, eyeing an ambassadorship and maybe one day the Prime Minister's office, and what Hardy had been offering since she first began meeting with members of the Japanese government six months ago, would all but guarantee his ambitions would be met and more.
With him was a second man far older than Sugawara with a greying mustache and graying hair, clad in the olive green uniform of a JSDF Lt. General. Unlike Sugawara, Koichiro Hazama had far different motives. He was a soldier, who had clawed his way through the ranks of the JSDF, but over those years of service something grew within his heart. It was envy towards Japan's best ally, the United States. Though the Mutual Defense Treaty had brought Japan prosperity it could only have dreamed of in the days after the war. That same treaty was resented by the JSDF. To be relegated to being little more than a glorified police force, while the defense of Japan rested on outsiders, was humiliating. Then there was the state of his soldiers, though disciplined and motivated when the time came, many saw service in the SSDF as little more than a way to pay for their hobbies. The Americans though, at home service in the armed forces was seen as the ultimate act of patriotism. Many of their soldiers were combat veterans having served in the wars in the Middle East, experience the JSDF lacked. Something Hazama hoped to rectify, to show America and the world that the JSDF could stand on its own without the need of American help, something the plan Hardy was laying out would provide.
As the door closed behind them Sugawara took his seat behind his desk, with Hazama flanking him, their gaze shifting to Hardy who stood in the center of the room.
"I trust," Sugawara said, "that you've kept your end of our bargain?" Hardy simply nodded.
"As we agreed," Hardy replied, "I'll see to it a GATE opens in the heart of the area you call Ginza," she began to laugh, "My apostles have told me the Imperials on the other side are already preparing their forces for what they believe lay beyond the GATE." Sugawara simply smiled, he couldn't have asked for a better opportunity for Japan, an entire world full of resources for Japan to expand into, and the planned attack on Ginza would give Japan the moral high ground in the eyes of the rest of the world. All he had to do was simply play his cards right and Japan would have a bargaining chip to win whatever concessions it wanted out of the rest of the world. For Hazama though, what this so called Goddess was offering, and the plot he was knowingly taking part in, made him sick to his stomach, but he kept silent about his personal feelings. Japan needed this, it needed to be reminded of who it truly was, to be reminded it could stand without the Americans. Yet it would be Hardy's next question that would catch the two men off guard.
"Before we continue gentlemen," Hardy said, "what do you know of the Men in Tan and Green who I've seen training with your men?" Hazama remained silent. But deep down he knew sooner or later she'd find out, it was better to come clean now then after the GATE had opened.
"American Marines," Hazama replied, "They were present for our annual joint exercises, nothing more." The Goddess' gaze shifted back to Sugawara.
"Really," Hardy replied, smiling, "and I assume these Marines are from one of your vassal nations?" Sugawara remained silent, trying to come up with a way to explain the relationship between Japan and the US. Hazama though simply looked at the Goddess, the smile on her face. There was no longer any point in hiding it.
"Just tell her," Hazama said. Sugawara wanted to say something, anything to get himself out of this situation, while preserving the deal they had made. But once more Hazama spoke up.
"She already knows," Hazama said, "tell her what today is." Sugawara sighed in defeat, he explained the details of the Pacific War as he had been taught it, how Japan had attacked China, then America, how the Americans had fought back in a way the Japanese at the time didn't expect. How those battles eventually led to September 2nd 1945. But Sugawara made sure to choose his words carefully, saying it was true the US had been victorious the treaty was merely an armistice, and a treaty of alliance. The look on Hardy's face became far more stern, she knew full well he was lying, it was then Hazama finally spoke up, Sugawara was in the end a politician, and politicians always told folks what they wanted to hear.
"We faced an enemy that fought with no restraint, no mercy, and no fear," Hazama said, "The Americans would only agree to peace if we surrendered unconditionally," he paused for a moment, "after Hiroshima and Nagasaki...there was little choice, and we accepted." Hardy remained silent, as she processed the information. She simply smiled, Hazama had told her all she needed to know.
"Gentlemen I think it wise if I took my business elsewhere," Hardy said, before Sugawara could form a counter, the Goddess faded from view. Hazama remained silent, as he braced himself for a tirade about how he'd just cost Japan the chance of a lifetime. But to his surprise Sugawara simply smiled, as he leaned back in his chair.
"Inform the Defense Minister to cancel Exercise I," Sugawara said. Hazama was taken aback by this, Sugawara didn't seem the least bit upset about the loss of six months of work.
"Sir if I may inquire," Hazama said, "Shouldn't we consider informing the Americans about this potential threat?" To that Sugawara simply laughed.
"You need to see the big picture General," Sugawara replied, looking out the window, "we've been given a golden opportunity. We still get access to this new world, without the cost of a single Japanese life, let the Americans bury themselves alive in terms of pacifying this new world. When the dust finally settles Japan can negotiate from a position of strength." Hazama simply bowed, as he took his leave. He'd spent time with the American soldiers based in Japan, many of them were good honest men and women, the thought of betraying them again clearly weighed on his mind.
"General Hazama," Sugawara said, "I'll inform the Defense Minister and Foriegn Minister of what has transpired. See to it Operation: I is postponed, say there was a conflict of interest requiring it's delay." Hazama remained silent, "Under no circumstances are the Americans to learn of what we have been doing." Hazama simply bowed as he took his leave, his mind filled with one thought: God help the Empire for they were about to awaken a sleeping giant. God help Japan if the Americans ever learned about Hardy's dealings with Japan.
Stay Tuned For Chapter I: I-Day