[b]PLA Navy Ship [i]Zunyi[/i] – 10/11/2022, 19:54 UTC+8[/b]

“Damnation, where could the enemy be?” Field Officer Pan’s eyes were glued to his binoculars, the command deck warming from the fires of his quiet vitriol. He was too preoccupied to notice his crew’s timid glances on his periphery. No sane subordinate, not even the captain, would suggest that the commander alter course. Pan muttered his frustration to himself, “We should have passed them by now.”

A beep from the communications device blessedly broke the tension. The aide received the first line of dialogue. “Field Officer Gao again, sir.”

“On speaker,” Pan demanded. “I’m busy.”

He would regret this decision. His accompaniment could hear the grin through Gao’s smug vocals. “Pan, you dumb bastard.”

“I’ve no time for your antics, Gao,” Pan announced. “I’m hunting prey.”

A snicker. “I take it you don’t require assistance from my reconnaissance, then?”

Pan came to the defense of his own fragile ego. “We do swimmingly ourselves.”

“I scrambled my jets to investigate your paranoia. Turns out, we did identify a fleet of enemy vessels. Two, in fact.”

Pan’s curiosity betrayed him. “Where are they?”

The voice cracked into a semblance of laughter. “The vital one is behind you, a few miles offshore of Mischief Reef.”

“Impossible!” Pan declared. “We had an impenetrable line of patrol ships. They couldn’t have subverted our eagle eyes!”

“Yes, about that: we detected a hole in your line, one ship large. They sailed straight though.”

Pan dropped his binoculars in shock. “Captain, can you confirm this?”

The captain acquired alternate communications and demanded confirmation from the blockade chain. Gao resumed his harvest of schadenfreude. “I’m certain you’ll report truthfully, but you’ll forgive me if I contacted the Central Military Commission in advance, to provide my humble perspective on the matter. Your pigheadedness tonight will cost you, Pan.”

Pan gripped the nearest railing. If Gao possessed mere fabrications, his testimony alone could relieve Pan of his post, and possibly of his head. Of course, if the evidence was more substantial…

“Field Officer Pan!” the captain reported. “The [i]Luzhou[/i] does not respond to our hails!”

Gao dropped all mirth for his conclusion. “I’ll enjoy watching you fry.”


[b]Mischief Reef – 10/11/2022, 20:15, UTC +8[/b]

The assembled crew had inadvertently partitioned the sandy beaches. On one side stood the ASEAN delegation: a cadre of captains, officers, and curious Arms Masters (most notably Iker Orozco), Captain Rhiannon Kennedy first among equals despite not deriving from a ASEAN nation. Her cap was tucked fashionably underneath her armpit. She held her chin high, not merely out of formality but in order to see the towering bearded Arms Master standing across from her. He himself was predominantly flanked by a short young man with white hair and a glowing sword, and secondarily flanked by a number of soldiers in tactical gear and armaments.

Kennedy hailed them. “Greetings to the Qing Restoration Society. In recognition of your efforts against the People’s Liberation Army, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bestows supplies and ammunition. May our mutual prosperity safeguard the seas.”

The bearded man snapped his fingers, and a soldier hesitantly approached him. The tall figure stared Kennedy down as his underling translated her words into Mandarin. He responded in kind, and the soldier replied: “We are glad that ASEAN sees value and reason. It will be great benefit to you in the future.”

Captain Rhiannon nodded her approval, moderately concerned that her counterpart expressed not gratitude but assumption. Their support saved them from certain death, and the help seemed almost implied. Such things annoyed but didn’t faze her. “I was told to expect Jin Li, the commander here. None of you match his description. Where is he?”

The grunt started to translate, but his superior dismissed him. “Jin Li defends the waters. I am Ren Zhao, head of the Qing Zodiac. I have authority to address all matters here. The emperor will see you as He sees fit.”

Cranes on the [i]Supply[/i] and [i]Stalwart[/i] lifted relief goods off their decks. The crates were cracked open and distributed among the eager ASEAN, Qing, and automaton terracotta soldiers below. An ant line trailed into the concrete bunkers on the island to store the newfound bounty.

Iker was leftmost on his delegation’s side. Either willfully or unintentionally, he ignored Kennedy’s silent glare as he spoke out of turn. [color=fff200]“Zodiac? I presume you must have special abilities, then.”[/color]

Ren Zhao beamed at the opportunity, unfurling his radiant banner. “I have the power to deflect incoming projectiles.”

[color=fff200]“Sounds very useful to our current circumstances,”[/color] Iker commented. [color=fff200]“Why aren’t you assisting Jin Li with the defense, then?”[/color]

Ren Zhao’s smile vanished as Kennedy tried to conceal a smirk. “And why aren’t you helping unload?” he retorted.

Iker unveiled his luminous axe. [color=fff200]“I move single objects of similar material. It’s not quite practical to hack into grain and rations packaging.”[/color]

The white haired lad beside Zhao piped up quietly, motioning to the crane yonder. “I’m certain you could move the supply crates closer to the bunkers, then.”

Iker pondered the proposition. [color=fff200]“That works.”[/color] He promptly departed the gathering.

Rhiannon resumed, “Regardless, I believe our obligations are met. Is there anything else you request from us?”

“No,” Ren Zhao stated. “You have done your duty. You have our permission to leave.”

The Australian saluted, and the Chinese bowed. With an about face, Captain Kennedy departed to manage the disembarkation. A seaman passed her by to draw the Chinese delegation’s attention. “We’re wrapping up; I don’t believe we need as many soldiers anymore.”

The lad nodded. “Of course.” The glowing sword and terracotta army vanished into earthen dust, carried towards the sea on the wind.


[b]PLA Navy Ship [i]Zunyi[/i] – 10/11/2022, 20:22 UTC+8[/b]

The crew still reeled from such a sharp 180 degree turn, as surely the rest of the battle group likely felt. Their fellow sailors had the right to complain, but they themselves bore no such privilege. They resigned to sit at their stations while listening to Pan rant about how “I’m going to get them this time! Catch them by surprise when they least expect it! A brilliant strategy indeed!”

A curt signal on the comms cut short his musings. Pan picked it up personally. “Glory to China!”

“Pan Gang. You are not authorized for this exercise. Stand down.”

“Who is this who thinks he can order around a Field Officer?”

The voice was not amused. “General Huang Chao, Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission.”

Pan sobered up rather quickly. “J-Joint Staff?”

“Stand down, Field Officer Pan.”

Pan swallowed, visibly calculating which actions wouldn’t lead to swift execution. “But, General Huang, we can still counter their actions!”

Authority wasn’t working; rationale must suffice. “Not while they’re within range of Arms Master traitor Jin Li. Your failure will not be compounded by the additional loss of our vessels.”

“Then we shall wait until they leave that zone!” the would be tactician proposed. “They have to depart sometime!”

“And outrage the international community with an action clearly made out of spite? NATO is still not directly involved.”

“But-”

“Pan!” Huang exclaimed, resuming his authoritative status. “It’s over! You have lost! If you pursue your current course, we will have no choice but to declare you an enemy of the state. You will stand down, like all the other fleets in the area. Is that clear?”

The bridge was deathly quiet as Pan came to terms. “Very clear, General Huang Chao.”

“Good,” Chao audibly sighed. “You will embark on the nearest craft to Zhanjiang for questioning. We will manage your replacement.”

The only question in "questioning" would be whether a bullet or injection was cheaper. Blood drained from Pan’s face. “Understood. Gòngchǎndǎng wànsuì!”

“Gòngchǎndǎng wànsuì.” Click.

Summoning his last strength, Pan stumbled across to the ship’s captain. He bowed lowly. “It was an honor to serve alongside you.”

The captain returned the bow and lied through his teeth. “Likewise.”


[b]Downtown Angeles City – 10/14/2022, 20:26 UTC+8[/b]

Rear Admiral Adrián Abasolo wore not his customary white military fatigues but slacks and a button down long sleeve shirt covered by a jet black blazer. Nonetheless, he’d fashioned a small pin of the Philippine flag above his breast out of patriotic duty. His aide sat beside him, her form fitting sleeveless cocktail dress similarly defying typical dress code. Adrián’s eyes blurred as he peered out his window and the lights of the city faded into stars. [color=aba000]“Jasmine, when did you last visit your family?”[/color]

Jasmine shuffled in her seat. “Probably a few months? Before the war, certainly.”

[color=aba000]“Alright, once we’ve settled our guests, take this sedan and spend quality moments with them. I want to hear some more household stories like the one you told me yesterday.”[/color]

“Sir, I couldn’t.”

[color=aba000]“Nonsense! Ryan would love to escort you. Isn’t that right, Ryan?”[/color]

The chauffeur in the front seat didn’t have the luxury of choosing his own attire; he bore the suit of a lieutenant. Perhaps he preferred that, given his lighthearted demeanor. “A pretty woman like her? Sure thing, boss!”

“No, it’s not that,” Jasmine lamented. “We believe my brother died in Lingayen, sir. He was reported missing, and he hasn’t reappeared since. I doubt we’ll have such merriment at home, not for a while.”

[color=aba000]“Ah,”[/color] Abasolo uttered. He used the sobriety to prepare himself for the coming interaction. [color=aba000]“You have my condolences. You’re entitled to bereavement leave whenever you require it.”[/color]

“Thanks, Admiral.” Jasmine smiled. “I’ll take it when the war’s over.”

Attagirl; what a treasure. The car braked as it reached its destination. The admiral looked behind him to see a string of parked buses. Two, three, four… they’d all made it. Excellent; traffic was no concern. [color=aba000]“Well, let’s go pamper some magic people, shall we?”[/color] He opened his door, circumnavigated the vehicle, and opened Jasmine’s.

“Let’s,” Jasmine agreed.


[b]Ritz Hotel Angeles, Angeles City – 10/14/2022, 20:30 UTC+8[/b]

The milky white inner room was yellowed by evening light. Arms Masters were directed to and seated in rows of chairs of high luxury and middling comfort. When the audience was situated, Admiral Abasolo appeared at their front. His smile felt unnatural, so he dropped it as soon as he introduced it.

[color=aba000]“Greetings, everyone. While some of us have talked personally since, I’d like to congratulate you all collectively on a successful exercise to Mischief Reef."[/color] He didn't appreciate applause and so allotted no time for it. [color=aba000]"We haven’t heard the QRS express their gratitude due to jamming operations, but the concerns we’ve received from intercepted PLA transcripts proves that our work was fruitful.

“Now,”[/color] he relaxed his stance slightly, [color=aba000]“We already have another mission for you. However, unlike previous, that mission is not time sensitive. I’ve postponed it for a later date. Even now, I’m certain you’re exhausted from your endeavors in the South China Sea, and I won’t throw that kind of soldier onto the battlefield if I can help it.

“To that end, the Philippine government has authorized the renting of this establishment. The management has experienced a drop in revenue and so agreed. Apparently the well to do don’t typically spend their vacation in a war zone during wartime.”[/color] If that was a joke, his face expressed no humor.

[color=aba000]“I’d like to make this perfectly clear: this is not a charity. This is mandatory recuperation in preparation for your next assignment. Keep physically fit, but don’t overexert yourself. We will offer daily trips to New Clark City’s stadium complex as needed.”[/color] New Clark City was a money pit, the brainchild of some city planner with time in excess who thought he’d usher in a utopia free of economics or rational thought. While it was there, though, Abasolo found no reason not to utilize its functions.

[color=aba000]“A few drinks are fine, but you will be detained and reprimanded if you appear at roll call shitfaced. You are expected to be on your best behavior, especially to the staff here. They anticipated a leisurely pseudo vacation but now have to tolerate you. Treat them accordingly, with humility.”[/color]

He scanned the room. [color=aba000]“If there are any questions, you may address them to me privately, not out of confidentiality but out of efficiency. The concierge at the front has your room keys and is on standby to distribute them. Dismissed.”[/color]