[center][b]Midnight at the Imperial Diet[/b][/center]

	The soft, woody fragrance of incense filled the halls of the Imperial Diet. Dim moonlight cast the slightest of shadows on the extravagantly carpeted floors, the only observers of the still sight being the two Imperial Guardsmen standing on either side of a plain and unassuming door. The day’s Diet meetings had ended long ago, and the two guardsmen had stood silently there since their adjournment. Not often did their wordless watch stretch so long into the night - indeed, both expected at any moment to see the sun’s light peek through the eastern windows of the building - but it hadn’t been unanticipated. The day’s debates had been of a weighty sort.

	“Seiji, Matsuda, enter.”

	The sacred voice of their Empress was sharp, cutting through the silence of the night, yet not so urgent as to provoke worry. Both guardsmen turned to stare at each other, shocked and confused by the order. Nevertheless, they obeyed their Empress, rested their rifles on their shoulders, and opened the door.

	Beyond was a small room with religious heirlooms and relics strewn throughout the floor and the smoke of incense filling the air. So thick it was that both guardsmen could not help but cough as they entered. In the middle of the room, surrounded by bowls of incense draped in and atop a plain cushion, sat their Empress garbed in white. A black kimono, which she had been wearing throughout the day’s business, lay atop her lap.

	“My Empress!” Said the guardsmen in unison, flattening their ears to their head and bowing as much as their rifles would allow.

	“Thank you for your patience. I understand that my meditations have been extensive this night. I believe, though, that I have reached a conclusion. Please - give me your thoughts on the debates of the day.”

	The two men looked at each other with hesitation, speaking silently with their eyes. Matsuda was the first to open his mouth.

	“My Empress, it is not our place.”

	“Who are you to decide what is and is not your place? That is up to me. If you had a vote today, what would it have been?”

	“My Empress,” said Seiji, “You speak the truth. Please though, my Empress, tell us why your Majesty seeks our advice over that of another. You have consulted with many wise men and strategists - why does your Majesty need our judgement?”

	“I ask you precisely because I have my advisors, and after consulting with all of them and the entire Diet there is still no consensus.”

	“My Empress, you seek someone to break the tie?” Asked Matsuda.

	“No, Matsuda, I do not. I believe I have already chosen what path we are to take - what I seek is assurance I have reached the proper conclusion.”

	The men nodded in unison, “We understand, My Empress”

	Matsuda was the first to give his answer. While Seiji weighed the choices against each other, Matsuda launched into a passionate speech; claiming that to vote against the proposal would be disgraceful to himself, his ancestors, and indeed Fuso as a whole. He spewed insults towards those who didn’t support the idea, calling them cowards and greedy pigs only out for their own interests. So furious he was that, at the end of his tirade, he was panting like an exhausted dog. Without words, the Empress took the black kimono on her lap and laid it on the floor - motioning at it. Matsuda sat upon it and caught his breath.

	“Thank you Matsuda. As always, you are an honest man. Seiji, what are your thoughts?”

	The Empress’ words seemed to pull Seiji back into reality, his glazed-over eyes suddenly fixating on her face.

	“My Empress.. I believe it to be inevitable. All we can do is try to choose the right path.”

	“What is that path, do you think?”

	“I cannot say, my Empress. If we delay, then perhaps we shall fare better, but... well, my Empress, I have many close friends at the Imperial Institute of Naval Technology. Some of their theories are disturbing, to say the least. We are far from the most advanced nation and it may be best not to wait for us to be hopelessly outmatched.”

	“If you had to make a choice, what would it be?”

	“I prefer a certain risk to an uncertain one, my Empress. With what I can foresee, I think it best to act now.”

	“Seiji, Matsuda, I thank you for your advice. I trust both of you with my life, and so I am glad to know that we are all of the same mind. Your conclusions reflect mine, and as such, unless you have any objections, I believe the matter is settled. Tomorrow morning I will announce my decision and my orders.”

	The two men looked uneasy at the prospect that their opinions may have just doomed the Empire, but they did nothing but stand before the Empress and bow. 

	“Well then, I think it’s time for all of us to get some much deserved rest.” Said the Empress.

	She carefully and deliberately extinguished the incense, but otherwise left the room as it was. Flanked by her guards, she walked into the hallway. As they drew further from the cloud of incense, the two men began to cough as if dreadfully ill, barely able to keep their backs straight. The Empress just chuckled slightly.

	“Men do tend to get used to that particular incense. Don’t worry, the night air will help.”

[hr]
[center][b]Laiguantzu, Longguo - April 10th, 1939[/b][/center]

	A grand procession wove its way through the newly rebuilt streets of Laiguantzu. From its origin, the great battlecruiser [i]Katsuragi[/i], to its destination - the likewise newly refurbished Central Administrative Building. Within it lay the destination of Empress Atsuko, the personal office and chambers of High Priestess Daiyu Nuyiloc Xiaolong. Soldiers from both Fuso and Longguo marched in great columns beside each other, and the crowds of Longzhen and the other peoples of the Heavenly Kingdom gathered to wish the visiting Empress well. The twin banners of the Empire of Fuso and Heavenly Kingdom of Longguo flew side by side at the head of the procession, above the regal car in which sat the Empress herself. 

	The staccato rhythm of thousands of hobnailed boots upon the stone pavement of the central street echoed into the distance. Alongside the Empress rode dignitaries and ambassadorial officials from Fuso and Longguo alike, some waving to the crowds that surrounded them, while others looked serenely on towards the distance.

	As the procession entered the fortified central hub of the capital, the din of the crowd died away, the brightly colored civilian populace replaced by endless dust grey parade uniforms of the central guard corps. Thousands upon thousands of stony, silent Longzhen soldiers stood at attention as the procession neared, snapping off crisp salutes as they passed by. The silence was almost eerie, the din of the vast capital city surrounding this hybrid of fortress and bureaucratic center choked off by the high walls surrounding it that ensured near total privacy from prying eyes without. 
	
	The procession finally came to a halt before a fortified building, almost plain in its construction. Another column of Longzhen soldiers merged with the Fusoan guard to escort the Empress into the building, marching in perfect formation. 

	The interior of High Priestess Daiyu’s home was largely devoid of the regal trappings one might have expected of the leader of such a nation. Instead it merely resembled the average dwelling of a citizen of the city outside, albeit built to an immensely higher standard. Though covered in decorative paneling and elaborate murals, each wall was of reinforced concrete, heavy armored steel plates within ensuring the building itself could withstand even direct artillery fire for a time. The empress and her guards descended below this building, entering a large elevator whose travel seemed to elapse for a small eternity before it opened once more. The room it revealed was far more elaborately furnished, a strange fusion of traditional Longguozhen interior decor and modernist aesthetic coexisting within. At a large mahogany desk sat Daiyu herself, a wide smile on her face as she rose to greet the Empress, her sightless eyes hidden behind a simple blindfold.

	“Atsuko, my friend.” She said, walking towards the sound of their arrival and pulling the Empress into a tight embrace. “It is good to have you back once more. Please, sit!” She turned to the assembled escorts and dignitaries, nodding to them courteously. “You may leave us. I wish to speak with the Empress in private.”

	Wordlessly, they left the room, save for Atsuko’s own guard, who remained - looking to his Empress for his orders.

	"Wait outside Seiji. There's no safer place in the whole country. Perhaps you ought to give some of those wise words of yours to the other dignitaries."

	"Of course, your Majesty. I do not deserve such kind words."

	The guard bowed deeply to the two leaders, then left the room. As the door closed he could already be heard striking up a conversation with one of the Longzhen diplomats outside. 

	"It has been far too long, Daiyu." Said Atsuko, taking her seat, "Curses be upon this terrible war, if only I could so much as write you a letter without arousing the suspicions of the Reiyk."

	Daiyu smiled even more brightly now as she turned towards the sound of Atsuko’s voice. “My dear Atsuko, it truly has been too long since I heard your voice in person.” She sighed, resting a callused hand on Atsuko’s shoulder. “This war truly is terrible. The losses against the enemy are horrendous.” She turned her blind gaze towards Atsuko, “I haven’t stopped working since the war began, Atsuko. You don’t…” She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Already I have heard of millions of my people dead. Certainly - the battles are terrible. But the reports of what follows… had I not heard the stories from my own generals I might not have believed it. They have pictures they tell me - and I… I cannot help but be grateful for my blindness, so I may never glimpse such things.”

	Her voice wavered as she spoke. “Atsuko, we need help. Please.”

	Atsuko frowed at her words. She wished she could tell her of the debates in the Diet, of the decision the Empire had come to, but that was a secret that had to be kept from all ears. As much as she wanted to tell Daiyu, she knew that if it touched the ears of any other it could be the undoing of both of them.

	"Daiyu, my Daiyu, you will have your answer soon. No later than dawn two days from now. We have chosen our course through this time, and I can tell you no else - lest others hear… there are pictures, you say? Photographs?"

	Grimly, Daiyu nodded. She stood upright, making her way around her desk and opening the second drawer on the right. After a moment’s fumbling, she alighted upon the photographs she had been given, marked with a specific texture of rough tape for her to find it more easily. She sighed, before returning to Atsuko, sitting across from her as she handed her the photographs in question.

	“Here, I think it’s these - though I obviously can’t er… check it myself.” She sighed. “I am glad, as I said. I have seen enough death for one lifetime.”

	The pictures were, indeed, what had been described. Smuggled photographs from the occupied southern territories looked up at Atsuko. Emaciated prisoners staring out from trains packed so tightly they were forced to stand upright. Piles of Longzhen bodies, doused in kerosene and set alight to dispose of them. A ravine at whose bottom lay skeletons, hundreds of skeletons, thousands, [i]tens of thousands[/i] of skeletons intermingled amongst each other. Atop them lay freshly killed bodies, stripped naked, some of them clearly showing the damage from the machine gun bullets that had torn them apart. The images went on and on, a row of captured Longzhen soldiers with their hands tied behind their backs, slumped over dead with bullet holes in the backs of their heads. Columns of starving prisoners, women, men, and children, shackled and marched along by Alfheicher guards to an unknown destination. 

	Daiyu waited silently for Atsuko to speak. The pictures were worth more than any report she could give, she was sure.

	For a time, the only response which Daiyu received was silence. Then it was retching.

	"T… This is… ugh, this is far worse than the rumors. Oh, by the heavens, how? Why? I don't understand, I [i]can't[/i] understand…"

	She had seen such horrid ways of killing before, indeed her own men had been rather ruthless during the purges, but the scale of the killings was simply unimaginable. Women and children too? And why would one ever have the need to murder tens of thousands of innocent civilians all at once? The Reiyk was not merely pillaging Longguo, no, for such a scale of murders they must have built factories of death.

	If the stories from Longguo were true, Atsuko thought, then the stories from the other occupied lands must be as well. And if those were true, then the very same fate would befall Fuso if the Reiyk were to ever set foot upon her shores.

	"You are blessed, Daiyu, truly blessed. I wish I too was blind, I-"

	She retched again, soiling the room's wonderful rug, thinking of what she knew might come.
	
	"Daiyu, I must tell you. Seeing this… I have to share my worries now. My guards are fine confidants, but they do not understand the burden of ruling. You do. Here, come close."

	Atsuko wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and pulled Daiyu close to her in an embrace. Delicately, she whispered in her ear.

	"Is there anyone near whom may hear us?"

	Daiyu shook her head, hugging Atsuko tightly. “This room is as silent as the void of space, Atsuko. None can hear us.”

	"The [i]Amaterasu[/i] and a fleet under her are on their way to the Reiyk's port at Emdavenn. They will strike at dawn the day after tomorrow. Once we have word of their victory our troops in Baishan will cross the border into the occupied lands. In a way I am glad to have seen these images - clearly the Reiyk does not deserve the honor of a proper declaration of war. I know you understand that none can know even that we spoke of this. After seeing those images I couldn't let you go to sleep tonight in uncertainty… but at the same time…"

	She hugged Daiyu tighter.

	"What if they reach Fuso too?"

	Silence elapsed for a time, and the only measure of response available to Atsuko was a tightening of Daiyu’s embrace. At length, however, she let out a choking, gasping sob. “Thank you.” She forced out, resting her head on her shoulder. “Thank you. I and my entire people thank you. We have been almost alone against this… this existential threat. Only Fuso lent us aid, and now…” She looked up, wet patches now visible on the cloth obscuring her eyes. 

	She said nothing for a time, merely resting her head on Atsuko’s shoulder once more as she took deep, even breaths. “If such a tragedy occurs, Atsuko, then know that every inch of Fusoan soil they step foot upon will be paid for in the blood of ten of their own. Know that there are millions within this nation who will march to the aid of your people in this darkest hour of ours.” Her voice quieted, “And I pray that it may never come to pass. I remember Fuso, when I once visited it when I was young. It is a beautiful land. I pray this war never blights it or its people.”

	“Thank you, Daiyu. Thank you. I know not what demons have possessed the Reiyk, but together I swear we will be able to exorcise them. I can see now that surrender simply is not an option. My people will be proud to fight until the very last for the sake of yours - of that I will make sure.”

	Daiyu nodded. “I have heard from my reports of what has happened to those who surrendered to the Reiyk. Some have survived and escaped - but others speak of mass rape and execution following capture. It is barbaric. I was reading the reports shortly before your arrival.” She shook her head. “They are yours to read if you wish. I have them in regular writing, as well as my own.”

	“That would be most useful. Our commissars ought to know just what the enemy will do to anyone who expects mercy. What is the outlook of things on the front? How rapidly is the Reiyk advancing?”

	“Rapidly.” Daiyu replied grimly. “You know well how many vast tracts of land we have lost to them. I thought our armies well trained, equipped, and drilled - but our tactics are poorly implemented, we have trained to fight the wrong war, and we are paying dearly for this. I have ordered strategic consolidation around the city of Zhanghei - much of the southern industrial region has been lost, but if we can hold on to Zhanghei there remains some hope until our new factory projects in the north can come online. That all depends on our girls holding the line.” She stared unseeing at Atsuko, “And I am expecting heavy casualty reports in turn.” 

	She stood once more, pulling a stack of papers marked with a different abrasive tape on its corner and handing them to Atsuko. “It is… it is disgusting.”

	Within the pages were documented firsthand accounts of the results of surrender to the Reiyk. Second Lieutenant Nyue reported rape and execution at the hands of Alfheicher soldiers, escaping this fate herself due to severe injury leading them to believe her dead. Trooper Aranyi reported experiencing gang rape at the hands of Alfheicher soldiers, with half of her platoon summarily executed by firing squad and the other half marched to a holding area. During her subsequent escape, all but herself and a male volunteer whose name went unrecorded were killed or recaptured and subsequently executed on the spot. The accounts went on and on, documenting similar atrocities against the civilian populace. Entire villages subject to these horrors en masse before the population was marched into labor camps or executed. 

	Daiyu nodded. “It matches with the pictures, I imagine.”

	“Yes, indeed it does. Perhaps I ought to have our men change their attack plans - we were intending to only hit their port facilities, but I think these demons should learn what their terror is like.”

	“Oh?” The curiosity in Daiyu’s voice was mixed with a strange combination of distaste and excitement. “What do you have in mind, dearest Atsuko? Would it not make most sense to target their port facilities and ships, first and foremost?”

	“We are planning a rather experimental attack, focusing heavily on our naval air service and their torpedo bombers. We intend to destroy most of their northern fleet in port, and draw surviving vessels out to fight our combined fleet. As such, our battleships and battlecruisers will not actually be participating in the port attack itself if all goes well. However, if we were to move them within range of the coastal towns…”

	“You wish to ensure any Alfheicher living within gun range on the coast lives in constant fear of bombardment from the Fusoan fleet.” Daiyu said in response, “You wish to deprive them of the security and confidence they have enjoyed for so long. To destroy their illusion of invincibility - that is your ultimate goal?”

	Atsuko nodded, “They need to be made to understand that they will never be safe so long as they commit such atrocities.

	Daiyu extended a hand. “Come, please - let us discuss this in my quarters.” She stood, extending her other hand towards a sturdy but simple looking door in the side of the room. “That office is no place for one such as you, Atsuko. Please, make yourself comfortable.” She said, gesturing towards the comfortable, homey looking room that now surrounded them. 

	A large bed dominated the center of it, thick, plush bedsheets were nevertheless almost unadorned - for few would ever see them, least of all their owner. Instead of visual decoration, the room was filled with the ambiance of a custom built record player of impeccable quality, playing a soft, soothing tune on loop.

	Smiling, Daiyu reclined upon the bed, gesturing to the sound of Atsuko’s footsteps. “Come, let us discuss our plans for defeating this enemy in full in more comfortable surroundings.”

	“Ah, you always did have good taste.” Said Atsuko, “Well, in addition to our naval attack we shall begin two simeutaneous land campaigns - one on the island of Kailuo and another in the mountains of Baishan. Hopefully the terrain in both areas will help mitigate the Reiyk’s armored forces. As you are well aware Fuso simply does not have the raw materials to split between warships and tanks.”

	She sat on the side of the bed, closing her eyes and sighing.

	“In honesty, Daiyu, the Empire isn’t ready for war. I had hoped to have more time to prepare, that’s why we signed the non-aggression pact, but the situation calls for immediate action. We may not be ready, but if we were to wait any longer to involve ourselves then it would already be too late.” Said Atsuko, who then clutched her magatama necklace, “At the very least my people have trained their will well. No matter what may come, the only way the Reiyk will conquer Fuso is if they kill every last one of us. Of that I am sure.”

	“And should such come to pass, Fuso will not stand alone. The Reiyk is vast and terrible, Atsuko - but they are not infinite. They must pull troops from our shores for a full, proper invasion of Fuso. If they make that mistake, we shall punish them with all we have and stand behind you as you have stood behind us.” Daiyu smiled, “And should that day come the Fusoan armies will want not for tanks, I promise you that. At present, we are busy re-establishing new centers of manufacturing within and north of the Yachuanzi Basin. We have relocated much of our tooling from Zhanghei, to remove it from the threat posed by the Reiyk salients. All of our focus is on rebuilding our industrial capacity as quickly as possible.”

	She reached out, taking Atsuko’s hand in hers. “The whole of Longguo is now devoted to the destruction of the Reiyk. Our envoys have been sent to Akiya and elsewhere to bring worthy comrades into our alliance. Against all of us, their defeat is inevitable!”

	Atsuko smiled faintly at her words, “Akiya? I hope they will work closely with our nations. I spent much time in talks with their diplomats regarding the issue of Aelban… and when our armies clashed at the behest of those perfidious Aelbish our survivors spoke highly of their soldiers’ skill and honor. I would be proud to finally have my soldiers stand beside theirs, and more importantly they could be a great ally.”

	Daiyu nodded. “It is my fervent hope that they can supply us with tanks, steel, and heavy weapons in the interim. We can recover, but we have suffered greatly.” She squeezed the Empress of Fuso’s hand tightly, her head still turned towards the sound of her voice. “Our cousins have great resources at their disposal. It is my hope that with their aid we will know ultimate victory.”

	“With luck we can move the war away from our two nations. The planned Baishan offensive, if all goes well, will stretch the Reiyk’s supply lines thin. We’ve deployed our tank corps to the Yujin pass - the Baishan Army thinks it will be possible to push through the pass and cut the Reiyk’s invasion force in two. From there our mechanized divisions will have easy access through the lowlands the Reiyksmacht seems to have settled into. Tell me - you are far more familiar with fighting in that area. Do you think the strategy has merit?”

	Silence elapsed for a moment, before Daiyu sat upright, frowning. “The army of the Reiyk has demonstrated their skill at such warfare, my love.” She said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We have begun to develop some tactics against them - but unless your forces have achieved parity in the quality of tactics and armor, and quantity of supply, I fear such a stratagem might be doomed to failure. We have conducted armored counterattacks ourselves - but the Type 39 has yet to enter full production, and as such our efforts have produced…” she trailed off, sighing heavily. “An assault with light tanks and limited air support against them proved to be nothing but a waste of lives and resources. If you believe your army has the ability to equal them in this, I can endorse it with caution.”

	Atsuko nodded, “I am lucky to be able to say that our tank corps contains a number of heavier armored units… and that the officer who created it in the first place is so loyal. I’m sure the Baishan Army would have little luck on the northern front, but at the Yujin pass there may well be a chance. The pass widens on the Reiyk’s side of the border, so they can’t effectively set up static defenses… of course, our geographic advantage in that regard in truth only boils down to making the encirclement and destruction of our offensive force less strategically catastrophic.” She darkly chuckled for a moment, “At the very least I know that no defense the Reiyk can mount will stop the Imperial Army from bravely charging… if only we had a greater wealth of good officers. In truth the armored spearhead plan was chosen because we simply do not have the leadership for a large-front offensive.”

	Daiyu frowned more deeply. “My dear - this is not encouraging.” She looked to Atsuko, slowly removing her blindfold and allowing her nearly sightless, mutilated eyes to look on her. She could discern only light, shadow, and the most basic of objects through one, and were the room not so dimly lit doing so would have been excruciating. “You have seen these wounds I have suffered during our civil war. You too have fought in battle. You know as well as I that bravery is no substitute for a properly supplied and lead attack. The soldiers of Longguo are brave to a fault, they have thrown themselves upon the tanks of the Reiyk armed with knives and grenades and destroyed many vehicles by strapping mines to their bodies and lying in ambush. And yet such bravery, such foolhardy bravery, has done little to slow them.” She returned the blindfold to its position, letting out a deep sigh. “Please, do not send your people into a slaughter. Are you sure it will work?”

	“In honesty, Daiyu, it has to. If the Reiyk brought the full brunt of its army to bear on Fuso we would be sending children to the front with sticks and stones within a year. At the beginning we will have the element of surprise - our strategists think that we must seize it as best we can. But most importantly... after seeing those photographs, reading those reports… my soldiers must see what the Reiyk has done. Victory or defeat, the people of Fuso must be shocked and appalled by the atrocities of the Reiyk and at the same time they must become accustomed to them. My soldiers must see it all with their own eyes.”

	“I see you are convinced, then.” Said Daiyu. “I pray to Tzaiyan-Amaterasu that your generals will find victory.” She took a deep breath, feeling the soft, plush cushions beneath her. “This will be a long war, Atsuko.” She said, “It will not be won through swift, decisive actions. Longguo is nowhere near finished, and the Reiyk has barely begun. I cannot say when it will end - but it will not be this year, the next, or the year after that.” She reclined in the bed, staring sightlessly into a distance only she could envision. “It will consume the world in its fire, or else all will be snuffed out.”

	She sat up, sighing heavily. “Please, lay down. Let us take our minds off this war. Tomorrow I will show you our first production models of the Type 39. Let us take our minds off this war, this horror, at least for a while.”