Though both Sawaski and his Chinese overseer were immensely pleased by the amount of progress that had been made in the opening hours of their invasion, Field Marshal Katase knew that their current success was only because of good fortune, and the fact the former cabinet secretary had readily adopted the Chinese attitude towards the common solider.
Yes it was the duty of every solider to fight, and perhaps die in the service of one's country.
But to willingly sacrifice thousands of his men in what was merely an expensive and elaborate bluff was something that was not only unworthy of the valor that was being displayed by his troops, but unworthy of his rank.
For while the plan to distract a large portion of the Britannian garrison had been successful, the events at the second and true landing site had done much to convince Katase that he should have fallen on his sword at Narita.
For while it was true that his boys had succeeded in their task in driving the enemy away from the beaches of Fukuoka, the political realities of their situation had ensured that they couldn't overly rely on the direct support of their Chinese Allies.
Which meant that for every position they took, for every counterattack launched by the slowly regrouping Britannians, his men had the honor of fighting without rest or support while the soldiers of the Federation were assigned the easier task of securing the gains that had been payed with Japanese blood.
Something which Sawaski seemed to be completely uncaring of.
"What did I tell you General Cao? Once returned to the sacred soil of their homeland, our soldiers would let nothing stand in the way of wreaking vengeance against the desecrators of Japan. A shame that most of the defilers had managed to escape into the countryside before we finished the encirclement of the city. But I suppose once we have competed the liberation of ISLAND, we can expend the effort in not only tracking down these vermin, but also giving them, and the traitors that's served them, the proper...reward for their crimes".
Doing his best to contain his disgust at this gleefully delivered statement, for while he agreed with the need to punish those that willingly sided with the Empire he did not have to like it, Katase barely managed to keep his anger in check as his 'fellow officer' decided to make his views known.
"Indeed Mr. Secretary. Though I trust that you will be most...thorough with your efforts in removing the taint of Britannia from your shores. For one can commit the crime of treason by other methods than simply aiming a gun at their rightful government".
Deciding it was better to block out the developing conversation lest he find himself committing an act that would undoubtedly be labeled as treason, for like it or not Sawaski was his political superior, the gray haired field marshal focused his attention on the daunting task of liberating his homeland.
While the losses hadn't been light, especially in the units that were entirely manned by his countrymen, the Japanese Liberation Army was but a hair's width away from controlling the majority of Kyushu.
All but one of Kyushu's connecting bridges had been destroyed by his troops. Which meant that his men weren't spread thin trying to cover every avenue of approach.
Fukuoka's major airfield had been captured largely intact, which meant that his men could expect SOME air support. Even if it was mostly provided by helicopter gun ships that had been based on a design both the Reich and Britannia had deemed to be outdated 5 years ago.
And, despite the heavy expenditure of ammunition, enough supplies had been landed to ensure that his boys would take out numerous enemy soldiers before they were overwhelmed by Cornelia's counterattack.
For while it was true that they had managed to successfully follow the sound military principle of distracting the enemy's reserves before directing overwhelming might against an unsupported position, Katase knew that pretty soon his forces would have to contend with the righteous fury of one of Britannia's more capable military leaders.
And not only could Cornelia call upon the prodigal talents of one of the Empire's most deadly warriors, she could also request aid from the man who..
"Field Marshal! Our eastern radar pickets have picked up 2 incoming hostiles. Permission to engage"?
Not bothering to contain his disappoint at the reminder that the Federation was less than willing to tolerate initiative in its ranks, Katase wordlessly gave the order as he tried to figure out he would prolong his end.
The fact that local Britannian now felt had enough resources to launch simultaneous scouting missions was clear enough that his forces would no longer be on the attack.
Which meant it was only a matter of time before he got to experience the full force of the sleeping giant they had provoked.
...
Despite the fact that he lacked the same discriminatory views possessed by the vast majority of Britannian society, Captain Marcus Wainright nevertheless felt rather uncomfortable that his wingman was a Honorary Britannian instead of someone who had been raised from birth to be loyal to the Empire.
It wasn't because he doubted the abilities of the Lancelot's pilot. For Kurugi's service record, the unofficial one that he had only seen because he had been given the honor of testing Prince Schneizel's second experimental prototype, had made it clear that the Eleven teenager was more than competent in combat.
Not to mention the fact that he had showed little to no hesitation in fighting those that foolishly believed that they could force Britannia to give up its most valuable colony.
No, his apprehension came from the fact that he was partnered with a child that not only had a ridiculous savor complex, but also the worst case of survivors guilt he had ever seen.
It was one thing to willingly risk one's life to accomplish something worthwhile. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few after all.
But to readily seize any opportunity to die for the sake of one's mission, regardless of how minor the benefit for said sacrificial act was?
That was enough to make the Britannian Captain more than a little nervous about his ability to survive the upcoming battle.
Still he supposed it could be worse.
While the primary weapons of the Gawain still required a lot of engineering in order to get them to work as originally designed, the fact that they could be used at all, combined with the new Float system and numerous slash harkens, meant that he possessed a large advantage over his current opponents.
And with the Lancelot serving as his backup, the only real threat he could expect to face today would be if the Black Knights and the remnants of the JLF decided to give a hand to their invading brethren.
For while it was true that the Gawain and Lancelot were the most advanced knightmares currently fielded by the Empire, they could still be defeated by superior skill, which the Chinese Puppets clearly lacked, or by the weight of sheer numbers.
Of course considering that they were currently facing Gun-Rus and more traditional armored vehicles, there was very little chance of being overwhelmed so long as they kept their focus on their surroundings.
But if they suddenly had to face refurbished Glasgows, or a small squad of Panzers and Vikings, then there was a chance, small though it might have been, that their knightmares would need more than a fresh coat of paint to hide all the battle damage.
Still, he wasn't overly concerned.
His orders were to cause as much havoc as possible.
And even with the potential dead weight at his side, that was what he intended to do.
...
(The following account is taken from the interrogation of former Private Chen Li, who had the misfortune of being one of the few Chinese soldiers to survive the defeat of the Chinese backed invasion.
Interrogator: So Private Li. Please state for the record why you disobeyed orders.
Li: Comrade, I did no such thi..GRK
Interrogator: We are not interested in your deceptions Private. As the only member of the late General's personal guard to survive the, you are sadly the only one who can give us precise information regarding General Cao's actions during the final stages of the battle. And since the late General had strict orders to hold his position for as long as possible, the fact that you are here rather than buried with your more loyal comrades suggest that you prioritized your own survival instead of following orders. But enough about that. First, tell us why the General failed to defeat two knightmares despites possessing an overwhelming numerical advantage?
Li: It's because the Britannian machines were more adv...GRKK
Interrogator: We have already heard this excuse before. And frankly we were not impressed. A single knightmare, even one created by the servants of the most talented offspring of the Charles Di Britannia, could hope to stand against the armed forces of the Chinese Federation. Unless of course, there was a traitor amongst the ranks of loyal soldiers.
Li: That's not what happened. Though our losses were heavy, we managed to heavily damage both the Lancelot and that monster that accompanied it.
Interrogator: How as this accomplished?
Li: Well for the Lancelot, one of our gunships managed to take out its aerial capabilities while it was still air borne. And while that didn't knock it out of the fight, it did ensure that we had crippled the enemy's aerial abilities. Especially once we managed to figure out the weakness of that...monster.
Interrogator: Yes, tell us of your experience with the Gawain. Despite it's usefulness as a weapon, it does have several flaws does it not? Describe them for me.
Li: Well for starters, it's weapon system was shi...I mean poor. For close range fighting, or against targets with little to no armor, its laser blasts were deadly, and it's armor was thick. However, despite the fact that it had the ability of flight, it's maneuverability was barely on par with our gunships, and during the few times it was forced to land, it was less agile than our Gun-Rus.
Interrogator: Then why wasn't it destroyed?
Li: Because the Lancelot was defending its weak spots. However, despite our losses General Gao still thought we could have won until the.
Interrogator: Until the cowardly actions of the Eleven resistance movement cheated us of not only freeing our fellow Asians from the yoke of Britannia, but also the chance to study the most newest weapon in the Empire's arsenal.
Li: No sir. Despite the fact that General Zenching and Secretary Sawaski were unwilling to accept Field Marshal Katase's suggestion to join forces with the Black Knights and the JLF, they still managed to ensure that the army didn't get wiped out by the Empire's counterattack.
Interrogator: That is incorrect Corporal. The interference of the Black Knights and the Japanese Liberation front merely served as a reminder that the army requires more...oversight when it comes to campaigns in the field. The inability to keep the Elevens from abandoning our soldiers to the wrath of Britannia, as well as the failure to prevent that fool Katase from hindering our attempts to regain control, makes me conclude that victory would have been ours if we had deployed men who were more loyal to the Federation than the foolish dream of a independent Japan. And since you disobeyed orders that were given to General Gaos forces to remain in position while the rest of the invasion force was evacuated, it is clear that you are guilty of not only the crime of failure, but also treason. And thus will be treated accordingly.
(The execution of Corporal Li for the crime of treason was carried out on September 11th 2017 a.t.b.. And while his family would be spared sharing in his fate thanks to the intervention of General Xingke, Chen Li would not be pardoned of his crimes until nearly a decade after his death)l
...
Though I knew such a conversation was important for the continued relationship between the Gross Europa Reich and the Chinese Federation, I nevertheless found it rather difficult to keep my annoyance in check as the fattest member of the Dickless Council dared to blame ME for their latest failures.
"As stated before my dear Chancellor, the failure for our latest effort to liberate the Eleven population from the cruel shackles of Britannia can be squarely laid at your feet. If you didn't see fit to prematurely rebuild your shrunken nation's influence in the Pacific, the less than...enlightened elements in that country wouldn't have been able to...".
"To resist your efforts in gaining control of the world's chief supplier of Sakuradite. And do you know what would have happened IF your little invasion managed to succeed? The Empire would have turned your newly claimed prize into ash out of sheer spite. I suppose that if you had managed to secure the islands quick enough, you could have established something that would prevent Japan from being turned into a burnt out waste land. But then, it is also extremely likely that Britannia wouldn't stop until they managed to do the same to the Federation. So kindly refrain from blaming me for the failures of your puppets Minister NAME, or one day you will discover that it isn't the might of Britannia you should fear. But that of the Reich"?
Allowing the bloated Chinaman a moment to recover from my justified tirade, I quickly moved to remind him that while I would not tolerate being blamed for the failings of their greedy and egotistically inspired venture, I was also prepared to remind them that unlike a certain tyrant and his progeny, I had no territorial designs on the Asian colossus.
At least not the same amount.
"Apologies Minister Zhao Hao.. While I have come far since the day of my...appointment, I nevertheless still seem to lack the right...diplomatic attitude. And in order to help your nation recoup some of the losses you've suffered during the efforts to support Secretary Sawaski's liberation campaign, I suppose I could be persuaded to part with...a brigades worth of knightmares. Mind you they would mostly be refurbished Glasglows and early model Panzers, but I think we can agree that they would more than hold their own should one of the more...disloyal elements of your society decide that they no longer wish to...accept your leadership".
Despite the disgust I felt towards the rulers of the Chinese Federation, I nevertheless appreciated the fact that they were simple to figure out.
For the Eunuchs had no loyalty to either their puppet sovereign or to the nation they ruled. Their chief concern was maintaining the power that allowed them to enjoy their overly indulgent lifestyles. And as much as it disgusted me, the Reich was in a much better position to win their allegiance than the Britannian Empire.
For whereas Britannia could offer them titles and wealth as a reward for the partition of their country, the Reich could do the same AND allow them to retain direct control over their nation.
And if they didn't like those terms, there were others in the Federation who would.
But I needn't have worried.
For while undeniably corrupt, the overweight Eunuch nevertheless possessed enough intelligence, no doubt gained through the years of political scheming to both reach and maintain his current status, to understand that my 'generosity' came with a price tag.
"That is most gracious of you Chancellor. Though considering the...difficulties in transporting this much material by rail, I suspect that the best way to do this would be by sea. Of course most of our western ports are rather...limited when it comes to how much freight they can handle, but I suppose if the Federation was to accept the Reich's aid in expanding one of these centers, perhaps to the point where it can support a squadron of submersibles, we could overcome this issue".
Nodding my head in acceptance to this idea, and already making a mental note to discuss with both Karina and Raeder the list of resources they would need to make this idea feasible, I waited until the viewing screen went blank before I allowed a scowl to cross my features.
For while I had known that the Federation's puppets would fail in their attempts to 'liberate' their country, I had not counted on the fact that the ones responsible for their failure would be those that possessed the idealistic dream of a truly independent Japan.
I held no illusion that IF the Chinese somehow managed to successfully resist Britannia's immediate counterattack, the Japanese people would eventually come to view their Chinese 'liberators' with the same hostility they had shown Britannia.
But alas, such an improbable outcome was not to be since a certain masked revolutionary decided to use this little invasion as a publicity stunt to grow his little organization.
Which means that all the time and resources that have been used to prop up the remnants of the Japanese Liberation Front was in danger of being wasted.
Which also meant that I would have to wait for a more opportune moment to deal with the ma...no, the boy who existed behind the mask.
Truly irritating, but I suppose I could use this time to ensure that the Black Knights aren't completely useless once their leader has been dealt with.
For unlike Britannia and the Reich, though I suspect that the Emperor has some sort of plan to ensure that he isn't bumped off by one of his more competent offspring, I highly doubt that Zero has made any attempts to ensure that his organization survives should he be 'removed' from his position.
...
Annnd think I will end things here.
Took a while to write, both from a creative standpoint/other stories getting in the way, but more or less pleased with how this turned out.
Apologies for the lack of battle sequences, but not to worry since that was deliberate, fully intend to go into more detail in the next chapter.
Believe that I managed to do a good job in terms of portraying the leaders of the Chinese Federation. I.e. pointing out that in that system, in order to gain/maintain power you can't be a complete idiot lol.
Now to address some questions/comments that have been made.
Regarding the state of the Chinese Military...they will get SOME upgrades, but as shown in this chapter, they will come at a cost, and are limited to units that are loyal to the Eunuchs. However, there does exist the possibility of a certain faction improving its capabilities.
And YES I know that my OC has the name of a burnt undead/magical child serial killer. BUT that was not by design.
Anyways, hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter.
Again I promise to expand on what happened during the battle next time.
Plz review. No flames.
Heil Europa.