Ch. 19: Pursuit of the Cossacks
The White Army cossacks, despite some minor setbacks, continued en masse to pursue the train the Black Army had seized. The soldiers within the moving freight cars continued shooting at the cossacks while Zero was climbing up onto the roof of the rear car.
Zero climbed onto the roof as bullets and rushing air whizzed right passed him. The gusts of wind were so strong that Zero had to partially raise his arm in order to block it. Carefully balancing himself on the moving freight car, Zero proceeded to quickly return towards the front freight cars, where he could regroup with the others. Like before, he ran across the various freight cars and leapt over any gaps between them.
Once Zero was on top of the car containing the Black Army, he began to carefully climb back into the car. But then he thought of something.
"Hey Kim!" yelled Zero from on top the car.
"Zero! Thank god you're alive. Do you need help getting back in?!" responded Kim Gu.
"Negative! I need you to get me some rounds of ammo from one of the boxes!"
"Why!" asked Kim Gu with utter confusion.
"I realized that Roh and Yi were only equipped with one rifle and pistol each, along with a few extra bullets. They probably could use some more up at the front!"
"Ok Zero! Just give me sec!" answered Kim Gu. He then proceeded to go to one of the open boxes, grabbed two small boxes full of bullets, and carefully handed them to Zero up above.
"Thanks!" said Zero as he put the two boxes into his coat pocket and proceeded to run towards the locomotive's driver cab.
Zero once again ran and leapt across two freight cars before he managed to reach the train's tender. His visibility was slightly decreased due to the black smoke gushing from the train's smokestack. After adjusting his vision and carefully positioning himself, Zero made a giant leap from on top the freight car to the pile of coal within the tender. Black soot was spewed into the air as Zero's body impacted the coal pile, which was basically a bunch of rocky black pebbles.
Regaining his composure and wiping off some of the soot, Zero proceeded to head towards the driver's cab. He climbed out of the tender and he balanced himself on the coupling connecting the locomotive and the tender. Pushing his foot backwards, Zero was able to reach the driver's cab. As he entered, he could immediately see Roh and Yi holding their rifles while they were taking cover.
"Hey!" yelled Zero.
"Zero! Good to see you! I'm guessing you know we're being attacked!" said Roh jokingly.
"Yeah. How's everything been up here?" Zero asked.
"Well the boiler is doing good. Pressure and temperature have maintain stability! Have plenty of coal! But we just ran out of ammo due to these cossacks chasing after us!" explained Yi.
"Well, I figured you would run out, which is why I got you this!." Zero said as he pulled out the two boxes full of bullets from his pocket.
"Wow! Couldn't have come at a better time!" Roh said. "Now we can resume this party!"
"We really owe you a lot Zero!" Yi said.
"You don't owe me anything except performing your duties in the line of battle!" Zero replied as he saluted both men.
"ZERO BEHIND YOU!" yelled Roh all of a sudden.
Zero immediately turned around and saw a tall, imposing cossack with a very pronounced beard aiming a pistol at him. The cossack prepared to pull the trigger before he suddenly felt two bullets dig into his back. He immediately lost his balance and his corpse fell over, rolling along the ground like a rag doll.
Suddenly Zero could see one of the Black Army soldiers holding his pistol on top of the freight car walking towards the edge.
"Looks like you could use some help!" said the soldier.
"Why are you up here! I never commanded you to leave your position!" Zero yelled.
"You didn't. Kim Gu sent me figuring you could probably use some help. Besides, do you think any of us will simply not worrying about the safety of his commander?" asked the soldier.
"Well, you do have a point! And I thank you for it!" Zero replied.
Leaving Roh and Yi to defend the locomotive, Zero proceeded to climb on to the tender, walk across the pile the coal, and proceeded to climb up the freight car's ladder. As he was about to reach the top, the soldier attempted to help Zero up by holding out his hand. Zero was about to grab the soldier's hand until he heard a few loud gunshots. The soldier immediately froze where he was, and fell off the moving freight car like the cossack before him.
Zero then slowly rose his head and saw another cossack standing on a freight car in the distance.
"WHY YOU!" yelled Zero as he angrily pulled out his Mauser C96, and riddled the cossack's body with bullets until he was out of ammo. The cossack fell over dead as Zero put his gun back into his pocket. He ran back towards the freight car holding the rest of the soldiers and carefully climbed back in.
"Zero! I figured you could use some help, what with all these bullets and cossacks running around, which is why I sent..." explained Kim Gu.
"What was the name of that soldier?" quietly asked Zero.
"His name? I think it was Sim Kyung-sam. Where is he by the way?" Kim Gu asked.
"He died, after saving my life." Zero said as he clenched his fist. "He died for me and the cause. I will make sure his name will be remembered for eternity."
"I totally agree with you. But let's not let his sacrifice be put in vain. You must continue leading us against those who deserve justice." Kim Gu replied.
"You're right. We'll fight with more strength now. Because any loss we take, whether it's Sim Kyung-sam or some other soldier, is one that will help us bring justice to the tyrants." Zero said.
"Hey I see what appears to be a little city up ahead!" yelled one of the soldiers.
"What?!" Zero said as he rushed towards the freight car opening. In the distance, he could see a bunch of buildings in the distance.
"That must be Manzhouli! It's where the border between Russia and China is. Once the train manages to get deep into the Russian frontier, we'll be home free and out of the White Russian's territory!" Zero said.
Immediately all the soldiers cheered and prepared to defend the train with everything they had. New rounds of bullets of were loaded into each rifle as everyone prepared to enter the cossack's stronghold.
"This is going to be it Zero." Kim Gu said. "When we enter that city, Semyonov will unleash his horde of cossacks upon us."
"I am well aware of that. And I assure you, we will survive and succeed." Zero responded.
As the train was rapidly approaching the city, more cossacks could be seen in the distance. The Black Army didn't hesitate to shoot them as if they were game. The smell of gun smoke and the sound of gunshots is the only thing one could smell or hear at the moment. A few of the Black Army soldiers were shot, but they found the strength to cover their wounds and continue shooting at the enemy.
Communications Office, Manzhouli, Manchuria
Semyonov was in his office reviewing topographical maps and financial records when a lightly mustached officer bursted in.
"What the hell! Haven't you heard of knocking?!" yelled Semyonov.
"Sir this is urgent! I've just received a report from one of our outposts and they say the train our men are pursuing is speeding towards the city!" said the officer nervously.
"You mean that battalion of cossacks I sent haven't gotten the job done?! Incompetent fools!" angrily said Semyonov. "Mobilize all available forces we have in the city. I want them to stop that train at all costs!"
"And how do you plan to do that?" asked the officer.
"I don't know, swarm the train with everything we got until they manage to take back control of it! They can't possibly be able to take down all of them." Semyonov replied.
"Very well sir!" said the officer as he and Semyonov saluted one another.
The officer then left the office while Semyonov resumed with what he was doing before.
Zero could see from the freight car that they were about to enter the perimeter of the city. He looked out of the open freight car door facing the city and saw what appeared to be a few long lines of horses being positioned. Then Zero saw a bunch of me in White Army uniforms lift themselves onto the horses.
"This is it..." Zero thought to himself.
"Capt. Gang! Just spotted a large army of cossacks within the city! Focus most of the men on this side!" yelled Zero.
"You got it!" Capt. Gang yelled back. Suddenly most of the men positioned themselves on the other side of the freight car.
Zero then instructed Lt. Jo in the next car over to do the same thing.
"You two!" Zero yelled.
Two Black Army soldiers suddenly turned around.
"Open that box over there! It's something I've saved for an emergency like this one!" said Zero.
The two soldiers then went over to the large box, opened it, and were amazed by what they saw. What the two soldiers pulled out was a Maxim machine gun along with some rounds of ammunition. They placed the machine gun on the floor of the freight car and positioned it to face the direction the cossacks were going to come from.
"This is amazing! We really can put some holes in them now!" said one of the soldiers.
Zero proceeded to tell the men in the adjacent car to position the Maxim machine gun stored in their car as well. The belt of ammunition was loaded into the feeding mechanism as the cossacks in the distance pulled out their sabers and charged towards the speeding train. From what Zero can see, there were so many cossacks it was as if one giant mass of horses was heading towards them.
As they got closer, one could see various flashes of light caused by the sunlight being reflected off the blades of the cossack's sabers. A few of the Black Army soldiers were starting to shake due to intimidation, but Kim Gu calmed them down by reminding them what they are risking their lives for.
"Wait for it..." Zero said as the cossacks became more visible to the naked eye.
"FIRE!" yelled Zero at the top of his lungs.
Suddenly the men manning the two machine guns pressed the trigger, and a massive stream of bullets started to be ejected.
"DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" could be heard as the machine guns were activated. Whole lines of cossacks started falling over as the machine guns spewed its bullets all over. The other Black Army soldiers continued to pick off the other cossacks with their pistols and rifles. One dead cossack after another started littering the ground as the machine guns mauled them down.
After about two minutes, the machine guns had used up their belt of ammo. However, that wasn't a problem. The machine guns, along with the conventional rifles and pistols, had managed to halt the cossack's charge long enough to reach the border. Zero quickly looked ahead and saw a few White Army soldiers at an outpost guarding a wooden barricade that blocked the railroad.
"Brace yourself for impact!" yelled Zero.
Though they didn't know why, everyone immediately braced themselves.
The speeding train rammed into the wooden barricade, smashing it into a bunch of pieces. The collision managed to rock the locomotive, along with some of the freight cars, slightly. Once the rumbling stopped, everyone got back up and looked outside. What they saw towards the rear of the train was the city of Manzhouli becoming further and further away.
Upon realizing they were in Russia, all the soldiers cheered. Zero then went up to Capt. Gang and Kim Gu and proceeded to shake both their hands.
"Well done." said Zero.
Both Capt. Gang and Kim Gu both nodded at Zero. All three of them then looked out into the Russian landscape as the train continued it's trek towards Chita.
Kempeitai Colonial HQ, Keijō, Chōsen
Tōdō was in his office writing his daily report. It was then his desk phone started to ring. He placed the earpiece on his ear and lifted the speaker towards his mouth.
"Marshal Tōdō speaking."
"This is Semyonov here. Urgent news for you." said the voice on the other end.
"What happened!? Did you catch the train?!" asked frantic Marshal.
"You won't like it, but I've just received word that the Black Army managed to escape into Russia. The massive cavalry I sent out to pursue them was taken out by what appeared to be a machine gun. My men should've been more prepared for a situation like..." said Semyonov.
"YOU BASTARD! HOW COULD YOU LET THEM GET AWAY?! WHY DIDN'T YOU PURSUE THEM INTO RUSSIA! YOU'RE AT WAR WITH THEM ANYWAY!" yelled Tōdō.
"I'm aware of that Marshal! I would pursue them to hell if I had to. However, that territory is hostile and unpredictable. The Red Army still has some presence there. The little stunt I had to pull for you cost me a chunk of my men, and you know I'm planning a counter attack at Chita soon! So unless you want me to fail at Chita once more and therefore humiliate your Empire again, I suggest you calm down!" replied a frustrated Semyonov.
Tōdō clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.
"FINE! You made your point! It doesn't change the fact you're an incompetent fool!" yelled Tōdō as he threw the phone down onto his desk with such force that it partially broke.
"ZERO!" bellowed Tōdō in his mind.
3.5 hours later, Chita, Russia
After the Black Army, except for a few on guard duty, rested, the train finally managed to reach the Russian city of Chita. Chita was a fairly urban center, consisting of many modern buildings. One could also see some mosques in the distance due to the Muslim community within the city.
The train came to a screeching halt as it approached the station platform. Once it completely stopped, Zero and the rest of the Black Army proceeded to get out of the freight cars.
A Russian man wearing a gray uniform and a budenovka suddenly came over. His budenovka, which was basically a gray, pointed hat with retractable ear flaps, had a red star stitched to the front, indicating he was from the Red Army. He immediately greeted Zero, Kim Gu, and the others before directing them to their main headquarters. As they left the station, more Russian soldiers appeared and they helped the Black Army carry the wounded and deceased to the nearest hospital.
The Russian soldier led Zero and the others into an office building refitted to be the Red Army's headquarters. Inside was a hallway containing many boxes labeled "ARMAMENTS", "RATIONS", and "AMMO". Zero was then led to one door, which the Russian soldier kindly opened for him.
Zero, along with Kim Gu, Capt. Gang, and Lt. Jo, entered the small office to see an older bearded man wearing a plain gray goat talking to a middle-aged, mustached man wearing a brown belt around the waist of his brownish-gray trench coat along with a brownish-gray peaked cap.
"Zero this is Corps Commander Ilia Bagrov and Division Commander Vasily Rozhkov." said the soldier.
"It is an honor to meet you." Zero replied.
"No, no, no. It is more of an honor to meet you in person." said Bagrov, the older man with the beard. "Due to your efforts, we actually have some strength to keep the Whites out for some time now."
"Well it wasn't easy. Had to sacrifice some of the resources to make it here though." Zero said.
"What you brought is more than enough. My men were afraid they were going to have to eat their shoes. Now with my side of the deal, Vasily, shall you explain?" asked Bagrov.
"Oh yes. We have already loaded the gold we promised you in various spare trucks."
"Understood. I appreciate this cooperation." Zero replied.
Zero, along with the others, shook Bagrov's and Rozkhov's hands in order to seal the deal officially. Bagrov then told Zero that the Black Army was welcomed to stay the night in Chita. The Black Army then arranged for their departure that was going to take place the next day. It included having the Black Army taking the trucks full of gold and traveling through Mongolia and Southern Manchuria undetected via secret pathways mainly used for intelligence. These pathways had to be used due to the increased security over the railroads.
Bagrov, as another token of his appreciation, also had Rozkhov, along with a small brigade of Red Army soldiers, transferred to the Black Army. With the addition of Rozkhov and his men, the Black Army's ranks just grew even more.
That night, Zero and the rest of the Black Army held a moment of silence for those who lost their lives. Zero also read a special dedication to Sim Kyung-sam for putting his life on the line so that Zero and the cause of the Black Army would survive. As a result of this bravery and valor, Zero, through decree, created the title Knight of Justice, which he bestowed upon Sim posthumously. Zero, Kim Gu, Capt. Gang, Lt. Jo, Roh, Yi, and the rest of the Black Army soldiers then saluted for their fallen comrade.
Aoyama Palace, Tokyo, Japan
Within the palace was a traditional Japanese tea room. An expensive tea set sat on the table in the middle of the room while five figures having a secret meeting sat on the cushions surrounding the table.
"Are you sure about that?" asked Prince Yamagata Aritomo.
"I am 100% sure. According to this report I received an hour ago, the Shinigami has failed in stopping the Black Army." replied Prince Kan'in Kotohito, a middle aged man with a handlebar mustache who wore a high collar, greenish-tan officer's uniform consisting of epaulettes and some medals. Besides being a high ranking general, he came from the Kan'in-no-miya, one of the shinnōke, or branches of the Imperial Family to succeed the throne should the main line die out.
"Using the Shinigami to capture Zero was a mistake in my opinion. He's doesn't fully grasp that this is not a conventional army using conventional tactics." said Prince Fushimi Sadanaru, a balding 60-year old field marshal with a gray mustache. He wore a heavily decorated officers uniform and like Prince Kotohito, came from the Fushimi-no-miya, another shinnōke.
"However he was chosen by His Majesty. It's practically impossible to counter that." replied Prince Fumimaro Konoe, a young man wearing a suit consisting of a tie and vest.
"But here's the question for all of you, is His Majesty fully competent that we can believe he is making the right decision?" asked the fifth person, who was about 17-years old.
"Well, His Majesty is seemingly becoming more reclusive due to what is believed to be medical reasons. I told you before that His Majesty referred to this crisis as a "mundane affair"." said Aritomo.
"We're in the middle of expanding this empire to greater heights and he's not seeing the severity of the issue at hand. At this rate Zero will have the upper hand soon." said Sadanaru.
"But we are currently unable to do anything. Like Konoe said, the Emperor's decision is absolute and must be respected. We can't simply disobey." replied Kotohito.
"But perhaps we don't have to disobey and therefore sacrifice our honor." said the fifth person.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Konoe.
"What I'm saying is that we let this issue go on it's own for now. That way, if the Shinigami and Hasegawa manage to screw up, then the Emperor's decision will surely be discussed among the politicians and military elite."
"But how does that help us achieve making this empire the way we envision it?" asked Aritomo.
"Since I was formerly one of the top advisors for the Emperor, I can say he has always had medical problems for much of his life. Right?" asked Sadanaru.
"That is correct. Throughout my whole life I have seen the results of his neurological illness. Perhaps that might convince the masses that he's unable to fufill his duties fully." said the fifth person.
"So you're saying we should think outside the box? Instead of ousting the Emperor through force, we instead use the public to legally challenge his authority, which can be questionable due to his condition?" asked Kotohito.
"That sounds ingenious to me. No wonder your tutors and aides think of you as a great strategist." said Konoe.
"Thank you Konoe. I just want to see this empire pursue it's glory in the right direction." replied the fifth person.
Everyone in the room then took a sip of tea once they were done talking.
"I don't want to have to do this father, but Zero is someone out of this world. He's probably the most manipulative and sneaky person I have ever heard of in my life. And if you're not going to take this threat seriously, then someone has to combat this threat before it destroys us." thought the fifth figure as he sipped his tea.
Author's Note: We're now finished with delivering the goods to Chita. Zero nows has some Russians under his control, meaning the fight is going to get bigger. About the scene regarding Sim Kyung-sam's death, I added that in order to add some drama along with revealing Zero actually feeling loss for something.
Anyway, I sort-of revealed Schneizel's counterpart. If you didn't know, he's the unnamed fifth figure at the meeting with the princes. Here's something to know, if you look at the dialogue closely, one can tell who the unnamed figure is.
I will hopefully finish the next chapter as soon as possible. Also, please review if you could.