I own nothing from Hearts of Iron nor the Kaiserriech Mod.

Private Bedros Sahakian

Journal Entry 23

June 30, 1932, Thursday

Our lieutenant Anderson got transferred to the Peking Legation. He was a solid guy for an officer I mean. Scuttlebutt says he got in trouble due to an affair during liberty but others claim it's because he expressed sympathies to the former general, Smedly Butler. Whatever the truth, Anderson is gone. In his place we now got Zachary Dewitt to command the platoon.

We assembled on the parade ground and the new commander introduced himself. Within the first few words we could tell he thinks rather highly of himself.

Dewitt walked up and down, declaring what he expects out of us. That's a given I will not deny but the way he said it to us rubbed me the wrong way. It was so condescending in nature and we're accused by him of being troublemakers. Soon enough we figured out that as Dewitt went on that he believes himself superior to us just because of his rank. Instead of trying to inspire us as a real leader should this new officer seem more focused on being acknowledged.

Some officers think all of us enlisted men are just stupid by nature. Dewitt is proving to be one of them. A little bit of rank and some power they get a Napoleon sized ego but often without that dead emperor's smarts. Was actually relieved when that terrible excuse for a pep talk ended. On one hand I'm missing our old lieutenant but on the other I resent him for getting into trouble and leaving us to deal with this college boy elitist. It's a good thing we still got the Gunny, he will lead us through this.

Afterwards Shang came over and delivered a written message from Major Suvillian. More or less I was to report to the Major at his office immediately. Orders are orders so I went. Suvillian was waiting there alright, leaning on his desk with that eagle-like glare of his. Once the saluting business was done he got to the point.

Officially I was going to guard some new prisoners that are being brought to the regiment's stockade soon. They're a group of five Japanese civilians and one of them kept claiming to be a businessman and them as his employees. They were caught carrying concealed weapons in their truck heading for the Germans' zone. My real assignment was to listen to any conversation they have and not give it away my knowledge of the language. Just like with the Hotel mission and that suits me just fine.

The major stressed that I need to listen very carefully to whatever I hear in there because the Municipal Police will be picking them up as soon as the council, especially Japan's representative, learns of this. Sullivan intends to stall that inevitability but I needed to do my part and do it quickly and efficiently. Talk about pressure.

Hence why I found myself sitting in a chair at the stockade armed with a Model 97 shotgun, facing the cells, one of them housing our new 'guests' all together. The only other occupied cell was one on the opposite side containing a former soldier of the 15th regiment turned deserter named Tobias Howell. He got nabbed selling opium here and pretty much bought himself a court martial and a ticket in Fort Leavenworth. Thankfully I had Gad with me to help keep watch over the scum. He's good company given what we had to deal with.

We sat there in our chairs and I listened as much as possible whenever our temporary guests spoke. Most of them were nervous about what was going to happen to them. Their leader, the supposed businessman, loudly blamed his men for their predicament, revealing his employees to be Koreans. He ranted about how he shouldn't have brought them for the 'task'. About how they almost made it to their objective which was going to be an assassination attempt against a Korean exile leader named Kim Koo.

Well that matched up with the M-18 sub machine guns and French made grenades our guys at the checkpoint found in their truck. Sounds like they intended to make swiss cheese out of their target. The businessman ranted on and on that the Koreans were inferior and viciously cursed at them, their families and all their people. Tobias in his cell laughed at the scene, finding it amusing even though he didn't understand what was being said.

As for the four Koreans, well they stood there and most of them except for a frightened teenager took that abuse without flinching. How many times have they put up with that? Anyway they later revealed to have a mole inside Kim Koo's inner circle, a staffer named Myeong Ju-ho that told them where to kill this exile.

Then Tobias interrupted to taunt Gad and me. We told him to shut up but that traitor couldn't take no for an answer, just mouthing off. He went from insulting us, then the corps and our mothers. Gad upholstered his pistol but far from being intimidated Tobias just kept mouthing off, calling him a coward hiding behind a weapon. Incensed, Gad handed the pistol to me and demanded to open the cell.

So I did and he entered the cell and I locked it behind him as he demanded. Then they went at it, no holds barred as me and the other prisoners watched. To his credit Tobias wasn't all talk, giving Gad a run for his money initially with some punches to the head then an elbow to the stomach but my friend soon got the better of him. He parried another punch before kneeing him right between the legs. After that Tobias was too stunned to respond as Gad punched and kicked him repeatedly for the next minute. Finally he grabbed Tobias by the hair with both hands and headbutted him which finally knocked out the ex-soldier.

Gad checked and made sure Tobias was still breathing. He put him in the bunk and I let my pal out before locking the cell door again. The Koreans and their Japanese boss were impressed. It actually sombered up the latter and he told the others he will tell their superiors to get their informant to arrange another attempt once they get out of this. Tokyo must really want to kill this Kim character.

Two hours later the cops arrived and escorted them out. Afterwards I reported to the major everything I learned and he actually seemed to be satisfied with the results. Of course he was annoyed about the fight with Tobias but he will cover it up since that stopped Tobias from screwing up the mission.

After today I think that double date tomorrow will be a nice change of pace.