Ch. 33: Korea Resurrected
11:45 PM, March 26th, 1919, Wusong, China
The small port town of Wusong was located downriver from Shanghai and near the mouth of the Huangpu River. Despite being a small town, it had many wharfs and ports. Some automobiles guarded by non-uniformed Black Army members were parked right next to a large, wooden building with was only built with three walls.
The building housed a dry dock, which was currently filled with water. Zero, Kim Gu, Dietrich, along with a few other Black Army escorts were waiting by the edge of the pool placed in the middle of the room. A few overhead lights were on, fully illuminating the entire room.
"So, you said you're sure they got the message on when and where to meet?" asked Kim Gu.
"Absolutely. I was told by our correspondents in Ireland that the submarine they are using has a wireless telegraph. I then gave them the info on how to access the network i had recently set up." Dietrich answered.
"Still, it's a long trip from Ireland to Shanghai." Kim Gu replied. "Still can't believe we've managed to get our hands on a submarine. Zero, once again you pulled off a miracle."
"No. Not this time." Zero replied. "This is something the Irish people decided to do on their own. This is the result of the hope and future they believe in. For they too need a symbol such as Zero to help them overthrow the one's who thrive by suppressing the weak."
"I see. Anyway, I heard you visited the injured at the hospital the other day. So, how does it look?" asked Kim Gu.
"About so-so." replied Zero. "Our casualties have injuries ranging from scrapes and bruises to bullet and puncture wounds. Though a fraction of the casualties have already succumbed to their injuries, we still have a decent sized fighting force. However, due to the severity of some of their injuries, many of them won't be able to fight for some time."
"I see. Did we loose anyone of high value?" asked Kim Gu.
"Not really. Kae told me she was fine and that the worst she got was a deep cut on her arm. Doctors managed to stitch that up though. Park, despite being partially peppered by a barrage of bullets, is still alive albeit in a critical state. It was lucky for him that he didn't bleed too much and that the surgeons were able to fix most of the wounds." answered Zero. "However, soldiers in artillery told me that Myo was killed in action. Apparently his unit was bombed from above. Dietrich also found out from the remaining spies in Korea that Yi was seen being arrested during the chaos on March 1st. He presumably was taken to Gyeongseong Prison. No word about him as been heard since."
"Gyeongseong Prison. I wouldn't be surprised if he was already dead, or worst begging for death." replied a saddened Kim Gu.
"Their losses will not be in vain. It was due to their efforts that we have managed prosper despite the beatings we receive by our enemies." Zero replied. "That is why we must publicly announce the creation of an independent Korean government. We have to show the Japanese we are still strong."
"Zero you know I am working on that with the council. This is a huge decision to make and we can't afford any slip ups. The council is making sure it has the proper support from the public and from our overseas organizations." explained Kim Gu.
"I am only concerned because of the small provisional government publicly announced from Vladivostok a few days ago. I fear if we don't make a move soon, small provisional governments claiming to be the legitimate one will pop up all over, which will create competition that threatens to tear the independence cause apart." explained Zero. "As the biggest, mot influential of the groups, our official proclamation of a provisional government will prevent any more smaller groups popping up."
"Like I said before, I will do my best and explain the situation." replied Kim Gu.
"I appreciate it."
"Look!" yelled a nearby Black Army soldier.
The surface of the Huangpu River outside started to show signs of disturbance, as if something was moving beneath it. Eventually a trail of ripples appeared and was seemingly snaking its way to the water-filled dry dock.
"Zero, it's time." whispered Dietrich.
Suddenly a submarine conning tower surfaced out of the water. As it continued surfacing, one could see the conning tower was connected to an oval-shaped metal structure. Once the submarine fully surfaced, the top of submarine's hull was above water, resulting in its large deck gun, exhaust pipe, and antenna being exposed.
The nearby Black Army soldiers surrounded the pool of water in the middle of the room as the surfaced submarine slowly entered the building. The long submarine then slowly came to a halt when the length of the hull was in the water-filled dry dock. The Black Army, wanting to ensure security, raised their arms and aimed at the top of the conning tower.
"Lower your arms! We're here to greet someone, not scare them." commanded Zero. "Also, prepare for docking!" The Black Army soldiers immediately lowered their arms and placed the wooden docking platform over the water separating the dock and the submarine.
It was then the sound of something being unscrewed started to echo in the room. After about a minute, a metal hatch on top of the conning tower flipped open. A man with red hair and a beard slowly climbed out of the submarine and walked across the platform. He was a wearing an Irish Republican Army officer's uniform, which consisted of a dark green, single-button, double breasted coat along with dark green pants, a leather belt, and a peaked cap.
"Which one of you is Zero?" asked the officer. Zero then approached the man.
"I am Zero."
"It's an honor to meet you sir." said the officer as he shook Zero's hand. "I am Joseph Donahue, Commanding Officer of the Irish Foreign Volunteers. Me and my men are honored to be able to work with you."
"I thank you and your government for your cooperation and compliments." Zero replied.
Two dozen men dressed in similar dark green uniforms suddenly exited the submarine one at a time and lined themselves behind Officer Donahue. They were followed by six more men, who instead were wearing suits and vests.
"As you can see, my men are fresh for the fight and willing to be under your command. Gentlemen! Salute!" commanded Donahue. Instantly all the men synchronously saluted Zero. Zero then saluted them back.
"So, I presume your men know how to operate this submarine?" asked Zero.
"Yes. The German officers that brought it to us were also willing to teach me and my men how to operate it. My men will happily teach your men how to operate it." Donahue responded.
"Good. This submarine will allow us to move around the waters more easily." replied Zero.
"I also would like to introduce to you to our engineering team." said Donahue.
"Engineering team?" asked Zero.
"Yes. Since we are dealing with a lot of mechanical devices beyond my knowledge, I suggested to the Irish government to create a team of engineers and scientists to accompany us." explained Donahue as he brought Zero to the men in suits and vests. The engineering team consisted of engineers ranging in age. "I would also like you to meet our head engineer and scientist Professor Ronan O'Connor."
The Professor was a clean shaven, blonde-haired man in his thirties. Like the other scientists and engineers, he wore a professional looking suit and tie. The one characteristic that mostly stood out however was the long, wooden tobacco pipe sticking out of his mouth.
"Nice to meet you Professor." Zero replied.
"Please, call me Ronan. Anyway it is nice to meet you too. I am glad to offer my services to your cause."
"What exactly do you specialize in?" Zero asked.
"Mainly engineering, physics, and chemistry. When I was living in England, I used to work at the Royal Aeronautical Society. It was there I designed, built, and tested various plane prototypes. I also analyzed certain things such as structural integrity, speed, engine capacity, rudder control, etc. This allowed me to make improvements never before seen on a plane." explained Ronan.
"Impressive." Zero replied. "Come to think of it, your services would benefit the Black Army greatly. That is why as Chairman of the Black Army, I hereby decree the creation of the Black Army Research and Development Team, headed by Prof. Ronan O'Connor."
"Thank you very much Zero. I will serve you to the best of my abilities." said Ronan.
"That's all I can ask for." replied Zero.
Zero then ordered Dietrich to gather up all papers and blueprints and give them to Ronan and the rest of the R&D Team.
"What shall we do Zero?" asked Donahue.
"You will be given the rank of General while your Irish volunteers will be reorganized into the Black Army's Irish Squad. You will command the Irish Squad along with two other platoons. All of your reports will go through me, the Chief of Staff, and the Minister of Defense." Zero answered.
"Very well then sir." Donahue said as he saluted.
Zero then introduced the new recruits to Kim Gu, Dietrich, and the other Black Army members present. Once introductions were completed, Zero adjourned the meeting and headed back to his car waiting outside. The newly formed Irish Squad along with the R&D team stayed behind for the night and took shelter in a nearby empty warehouse.
2:20 PM, April 11th, 1919, International Settlement, Shanghai
Nearby the empty storage depot the Black Army initially held their meetings in was a dilapidated-looking multi-storied office building. However, the inside of the building was partially fixed up and filled with many offices, each one containing many desks and telegraphs. Some rooms even had several sets of telephones. Various members of the Black Army were making calls and writing reports while others were relaying information from one to another.
In one of the offices on the upper floor was Zero's office, which contained one big desk, a telephone, and a window looking out onto the street below. Multiple maps and diagrams were hanging on the wall while several piles of papers were sitting on Zero's desk. Sitting quietly at his desk, Zero was continuing writing reports in his private journal.
"The Black Army's recent purchase of an old, run-down office building has seemed to pay off. Managed to use some of our funds to repair the interior, setup special communication lines, and reconnect the electrical wiring. All Ministries have fully moved into their new offices without any difficulty. We also bought a large apartment-complex to house all of the Black Army's soldiers. Thanks to the information control Dietrich has set up, no one has suspected any of our activities.
Black Army R&D Team currently occupies the old storage depot. Ronan has reviewed various diagrams of the ShinkirÅ and has personally requested for the retrieval of the debris so that he can analyze it. Dietrich has told me that despite increased security over the Korean Peninsula, he would be able to get the debris located at the Training Facility, the Black Army's last major active base on the Peninsula, back to Shanghai via remaining underground channels. Other members of the team are already working on better artillery shells and more efficient engines.
The council has told me they found a new spot for them to settle in down in the French Concession of the city. Apparently a successful overseas activists that they call Dosan gave them the money to buy this new meeting spot of theirs. Still no results from the council regarding an official creation of an independent Korean government. Kim Gu has already told them that the government set up in Vladivostok is a potential sign for further non-cooperative behavior and the creation of one in Shanghai is essential. Council is still in dispute though, which means I must intervene directly."
Suddenly the sound of someone knocking on the door interrupted Zero's concentration.
"Come in!" said Zero.
The door opened and Dietrich slowly walked into the room holding a newspaper in his hand.
"Something important I presume?" asked Zero.
"Yes. Just got my hand on a recent edition of a Japanese-run newspaper." answered Dietrich as he handed Zero the newspaper.
Zero took the newspaper and started to skim the front page.
"Chosun Manse Violent Public Disorder Incident!?" yelled Zero. "Is that what they're calling this barbaric act of theirs?!"
"Apparently so. The article also states that around 500 were killed while 12,000 were arrested. However, recent intelligence I have received from foreign sources have claimed that several thousand were killed while about 45,000 were arrested. Obviously the Japanese are trying to prevent this uprising from getting out of hand." answered Dietrich.
"The Japanese think they can counter my move here, but they don't realize their are other openings for me to exploit." said Zero. "Dietrich, send out via any means of communication information countering the Japanese claims."
"Yes sir." said Dietrich before he excused himself from the office.
8:00 PM, French Concession, Shanghai
The French Concession of Shanghai, like the International Settlement North of it, was filled with various Western-style buildings and crowded streets. Zero, wearing a dark trench coat over his Black Army uniform, exited his personal automobile when it arrived in front of the council's new meeting spot. The building the council was using was a small, two-storied, red-bricked building with several small windows. Overall the building looked liked a Victorian house.
Zero approached the door and knocked it three times. Kim Gu looked outside to see who it was and opened the door when he realized it was Zero.
"Zero how are you?" asked Kim Gu.
"Not bad. Still organizing everything. Anyway the meeting...?" replied Zero.
"Oh yes...right this way." said Kim Gu as he led Zero to the meeting room.
"The council is very surprised you wanted to personally join our meetings."
"Well Kim, there's something urgent I must discuss."
Zero and Kim Gu entered the meeting room, which had a round wooden table and several chairs placed around it. The council members had already taken their seats. Once Zero and Kim Gu took their seats, the meeting began.
"This is quite a place you guys managed to acquire." said Zero.
"Well as you know, we have many connections here and abroad." replied Park Eunsik. "Anyway, why did you want to speak to us directly?"
"Why? Because I am very concerned with the fact that it has been a month since the declaration, yet we still haven't organized an official government. As you know, a government proclaiming itself the legitimate Korean government has just been declared in Vladivostok. As you know, we are the strongest and most organized out of all the independence movements. If we do not create a legitimate government, the possibility of everything unraveling increases." explained Zero.
"Zero you must understand that we must consult various people with various different interests before we can..." explained Hong Jin.
"But doing nothing is worst!" Zero interrupted. "Everything we have shed blood for will be for nothing if we keep this act up."
"The creation of a Korean government will be handled by this council alone. Your input is not necessary." responded Yi Dongnyeong.
"I respect this council with all my heart, but I cannot just watch this council sit back and let the Japanese continue their oppression." Zero replied.
"We care every second of our lives about the Korean people. But if we make the wrong move at the wrong time, the consequences could be enormous." explained Park Eunsik.
"If we publicly announce a provisional government here in Shanghai, we risk putting ourselves in the diplomatic battlefield." said Yang Gi-tak.
"I understand." said Zero. "I understand that fear, despite what you think, is what's preventing you from making the next step. You're afraid Japan will retaliate brutally, but you seem to forget that Japan will not take pity on you. However, despite my opposition, I respect this council and allow you to make your own decisions. Therefore, I don't think I'm needed at this current meeting." said Zero before he got out of his seat and headed towards the front door.
"Zero wait!" yelled Kim Gu. Zero stopped walking and instantly turned around.
"Please understand we are doing our very best..." said Kim Gu.
"I do understand. However, the Japanese have shown they are willing to stop at nothing to achieve their goals and eliminate their enemies. The feelings of fear those men harbor deep down is what the Japanese want. They want us to remain disorganized and confused. They want us to doubt ourselves. But we cannot let them drag us back. The declaration was a big blow, but it was only the first part. The creation of a new government is what's needed to complete that blow. Only then will Japan realize that we will not play their games any longer." said Zero.
"You make an excellent point Zero and I agree with you, but the council has different intentions from me." said Kim Gu.
"Well, I'm glad you understand." said Zero. He then waved goodbye and headed back into his automobile while Kim Gu returned to the meeting with Zero's little speech in his mind. Zero then instructed his chauffeur to drive him back to the Black Army's HQ in the International Settlement.
10:44 AM, April 14th, 1919, Black Army HQ, International Settlement, Shanghai
Zero was sitting at his desk quietly reading a report from the Ministry of the Treasury. The report consisted of graphs depicting international markets, interest rates, investments, and other data revolving around banking.
"BANG-BANG-BANG!" could be heard against the office door.
"Enter!" Zero yelled.
The door swung open and Kae ran to Zero's desk.
"Whoa! What's going on?!" asked a surprised Zero.
"Zero read todays front page article!" said Kae as she gave Zero the daily newspaper.
Zero proceeded to read the front page of the paper carefully.
"BREAKING NEWS: PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA DECLARED IN SHANGHAI!
It is by no doubt official, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea has been formed. Last night, a report was sent out by exiled Korean resistance officials in Shanghai stating that Imperial Japan's reaction regarding the March 1st Movement in Korea will not deter them from confronting them.
"The Korean people remain strong and will get stronger as each second passes." stated Korean resistance official Park Eunsik. "Japan believes that butchery and bloodshed will deter us, but this new government is proof that it will not instill fear in us any longer."
Details regarding the composition and structure of the proclaimed government still remain unknown, however, this new government will surely pose a challenge to the similarly named organization declared in Vladivostok last month. However, the intellectuals running the Provisional Government in Shanghai are supposedly calling other Korean resistance figures all around the world to come to them. There is also some speculation that the government in Shanghai is backed up by the militant Black Army.
No word on the reaction from the Imperial Japanese regarding this recent..."
"They did it. They actually went through with it." repeatedly said a surprised Zero.
"Finally, the Korean people have an independent Korean government to look up to. For almost 10 years me and many others have been pressed into the ground by Japanese boots and bayonets. But now, we are fighting as an independent nation, not simply as an unprofessional group of freedom fighters." Kae said excitingly.
Zero however was too concentrated on why the council was initially hesitant to create a provisional government, only to become a firm supporter two days later.
"Kae, thank you for the news. Proceed with your current tasks. You are dismissed." said Zero. Kae saluted Zero before leaving his office.
Once she left the room, Zero grabbed the telephone located on the desk in front of him and asked communications to connect him to the council's headquarters.
Within a few seconds, a voice could be heard on the other end.
"Who is this?" asked the voice.
"It's me Zero."
"Oh Zero! It's me Kim Gu. I figure you heard the recent development made? Amazing isn't it? We're actually witnessing a new future."
"Speaking of the recent news, I was wondering why the council had a sudden change of mind." asked Zero.
"Well, after you left the other night during our meeting, I started replaying your thoughts in the issue over and over in my head. It was then I decided to voice your opinion and predictions to the council. I also told them why you personally thought they were hesitant to make the next move." replied Kim Gu.
"And what was the council's response?" asked Zero.
"They thought about it for an hour or so before they agreed that a large statement be sent to the Japanese, a statement saying their terror and fear tactics will not hinder us at all. They also re-evalauated themselves and most of them realized deep down they were scared to make a move. Basically Zero, this new development would most likely not be occurring now if you had said nothing." said Kim Gu.
"I thank you, but the council made the decision, not me." replied Zero.
"However, you and the symbol you represent allowed them to purge their fears and show Japan we really mean it." said Kim Gu.
"Well then, I thank you for telling the council my full opinion on the issue. I also would like to thank the council for making what I feel like the decision that was most appropriate." said Zero.
"Your welcome and I will gladly tell the council about your approval." said Kim Gu before he and Zero hung up.
"A Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. If we are officially going to be a government representing the Korean people, then we're going to have to behave and organize ourselves as one. It seems the game was changed once more. This is surely going to get interesting." thought Zero as he leaned back in his desk chair.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. Been very busy with various things in my life lately.
Anyway, we meet the division Ireland sent, along with the team of researchers headed by Prof. Ronan O'Connor. Due to this recent inclusion, the Black Army now has a R&D team, allowing them to create and use better, more efficient weapons and machinery. If anyone hasn't noticed, Ronan is also a counterpart for a Code Geass character.
With the council declaring an official Provisional Government in exile, the fight against Japan has changed dramatically. First, more resistance members from around Asia and the rest of the world will also play a role beside the original council members. Second, this new government must organize itself and appoint itself a President along with a cabinet to head this new republic. This new government will eventually elect an overseas resistance official as President. However, this President might have other selfish goals in mind, ones that may require weakening the Black Army.