Recovering the Heritage

[Triyun]

Jia looked at the map of the territory laid out in front of him. There had been little contact from Soldania in sometime. The North... it had been a long time since he had last been there. In the waning days of the Neo Triyunican Empire, Jia had been a child, alone on the Mongolian Steppe. Orphaned in the chaos of the fighting, it was there that his destiny began to take shape. He fought under a local warlord, he was taught to shoot a gun, to ride a horse, to kill... all before his tenth birthday. He had become a savage... had it not been for his mentor.

He remembered the day his mentor had stood before their army, his beard trimmed, his long hair pulled back, there was something Imperial and civilized about him even in the bitter lands of the North. It was on that day he learned the difference between those who fight and those who make war. The difference between those without a purpose, and those with. The first UFE had fallen when Jia was a young teenager, he had been well taken care of. He had had trainers teach him the arts of the soldier, he had public policy studied under prize winning economists, sociologists, and political scientists. He had endured the most grueling survivalist training. He had ...re-birthed Order in the East as always intended. But still, the land, the land where he left his family behind was now calling him.

Jia emerged from his helicopter, dressed in a tan jumpsuit with his field marshall rank plastered on the side. It had been some time since he had been on a jump. But for this... he simply had to be one of the first in. A colonel walked over and saluted him on the frigid morning tarmac of the Qinghai Desert. "Sir!" he said.

Jia saluted back as he was handed his jump pack, a parachute, weapons, radio. Fastening the familiar weight to himself he smirked. "Rangers lead the way. Do I need to give the order?" he asked.

"Yes sir." the Colonel responded.

Jia nodded. "Commence, Operation Northern Reunion. 3rd Imperial Guard Rangers Regiment, move out!" he said.

"Sir!" the Colonel saluted.

Jia and he boarded one of the several aircraft on the runway running engines hot. Within the hour they'd be jumping into Soldainia or as it now would be known, the West Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Diplomatic channels would send out a transmission announcing the UFE annexation of the territory almost as soon as the jump had occurred. Behind the airborne, the 3rd Mechanized Brigade would move to rapidly overtake territory and ensure control, while the 8th Air Cavalry would be tasked with patrolling the East border of the area to protect it from the sometimes temperamental PRM.

[JEDCJT]

"We watch this with mild interest.

With that out of the way, wasn't Soldania a protectorate of the Kingdom of Cochin in the first place before it was formed, so shouldn't it revert to KoC protectorate status? Correct us if we are mistaken."

[Triyun]

"We've cleared the movement with our allies." -Grand Vizier Wei Hai.

OOC: Please all refrain from further mild interest comments as this will have character development and is not simply a land grab. Substantive contributions to this RP are fine, please contact me first though.

SS for those who care: http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7548/picture24xu.png

[Triyun]

OOC: This is not set during the Korean War btw.

IC:

The jump was a blur, though he had jumped many times, none were like this... into his old village. The images of the war which had once ravaged it haunted the Imperator, yet also steeled him. Since those days few things could truly scare him. It was this harsh reality which had forged the fearless iron will which characterized his political style.

Landing, it was as though coming to another world. The village was roads were near deserted, several kids could be seen looking at the men as they landed in a mix of awe and apprehension. Jia realized he still had his red eyed helmet on, one which must have made the soldiers look like fearsome alien conquerors to an area so long isolated from the world in Anarchy.

Removing it, his eyes felt the dry mongol air almost instantly and the smells of his youth... including some very unpleasant ones associated with open sewers.. flooded back to him. As others UFE troopers moved to take up positions around the Imperator others in the village came out looking at the soldiers.

There were murmurings in native Mongolian and Chinese dialects Jia could barely remember, most pointing at him. This was not unexpected, after all he was a public face, the avatar of a super power. Yet, it was different here. He could make it out, [i]the elder child[/i] was what they were saying.

"Chi khen be?" a voice asked from behind. Jia turned, his face betraying his lack of comprehension "Ni shi shei a?" the man asked him again this time in Mandarin. The man appeared about his age, his head shaven, his skin darkened from the sun. He was well built, probably from a life of labor and was dressed in traditional grey peasant garbs with a white turban.

"Wo shi Yuan Jia." Jia responded in Mandarin. "Chinese, thought so." the man said. "It was only a matter of time. Afterall, you're at the helm." he said to Jia. "Imperator these days is it?"

Jia was a bit taken back, he had never let titles get to him, at least not till recently. Unlike other leaders around the world, even commanding one of the largest nations in the world, he flinched at merely being called "your excellency", yet he was still accustomed to it and some deference of respect. Yet here this man was, taking to him so brazenly. He couldn't help but smirk, he liked a lack of formality, "Yeah. For now." he responded.

"Heh." the man said. "And it took you all this time to come up here and visit?" he asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice. "I'm sure the conquests of Alaska was pressing while your kin lay in a smack dab in the middle of a starving village in the middle of a dying land." Lifting up a rock from his belt he tossed it straight at Jia. Darting to the side, Jia evaded it but it gashed deep into the side of his forehead.

The Chinese soldiers were on the man in an instant, pinning him to the ground. "Oh big man, sending his thugs!" the man exclaimed angrily.

Jia waved his hand, "Let him up." he said as he got out a sterile band air to put across it, though blood still ran out down his face to his eye.

"Who are you exactly?" Jia said. "I know I came from here, but it has been a long time and I do not remember much. I apologize for not visiting but I have been on a long journey. I came here today to learn though."

The man smirked. "You really don't know?" he asked.

Jia shook his head.

"Hah!" the man laughed heartily. "Well god damn. I am your brother. Now where do I sign up for some of them sweet hand outs... possibly a resort home on the Coast of Thailand!"

[Greywall]

Within Ulan Batar's State building deep in a bunker underdeath the city, the Prime Minister and his closest aids discussed what was to them the greatest threat to the Republic to date. "God damn Chinese, they think we are going to easily allow such an insulting move so easily. No I think Mr. Jia has underestimated us for the last !@#$@#$ time" Yanjmma smothered a cigar out on the wooden table and walked up to a projection of the Mongol nation now split East and West, he placed his finger on the border "Mr. Chagev, I want your Guard to seal this border within the next 24 hours I don't give a goddamn what it takes, if you have to build a concrete wall do it. you have a blank check for this one" Commander Chagev of the Republican Guard nodded in response.

The Prime Minister then turned back to the table and picked up a red phone, "Captain Yuan? yes...I think its time to educate the Chinese on how much Mongolia dislikes Imperalists"

Within a few hours, 14,000 Mongolian troops amassed at the Western border digging trenches and building what looked like a concrete wall with loudspeakers blasting towards the West. "People of Western Mongolia, the Imperialist Chinese will enslave you and tie you down to a life of servitude. They do not embrace the freedoms found here, they are not Mongolia! You have less than 24 hours to cross into the real Mongol nation and flee the abomination of the UFE puppet state."

The Prime Minister gave an offical message to the people of Western Mongolia, "In the next 24 hours, the border between the People's Republic of Mongolia and the UFE province that makes up the western region of what is OUR NATION. Will be closed indefinitly. Any civilans from the UFE side wishing to live in a free state have only 24 hours to cross and flee the Imperialists. This is the last chance you will get."

[king of cochin]

The Kingdom of Cochin suggests the People's Republic of Mongolia to not be reactive and hyper aggressive in this issue. United Federation of the East's annexing of former Soldanian territories in Mongolia is with concurrence from both the Kingdom and the Serene Republic of Vaule.

[Greywall]

[quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1309325087' post='2744003']
The Kingdom of Cochin suggests the People's Republic of Mongolia to not be reactive and hyper aggressive in this issue. United Federation of the East's annexing of former Soldanian territories in Mongolia is with concurrence from both the Kingdom and the Serene Republic of Vaule.
[/quote]

The Republic will respect the Kingdom of Cochin and Vaule's decision but what has been done is done. The border will remain closed until further notice, and the Republic will continue to have cold relations with the UFE.

OOC:also I made a seperate thread for this incident. Triyun wants this to be about his character development.

[Triyun]

OOC: Future posts concerning Mongol-UFE relations please go here on the forum: http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=103149 Please remember my request to PM me before future participation in this thread, which will be focused on Jia's heritage.

IC:

That night the PLA unit spent the night in the village, it was something unplanned but the Emperor had ordered it done. Jia was dumbstruck by the idea that he had a brother. During his time growing up as far back as he could remember all his family was dead, that he didn't know... perhaps a suppressed memory? He wondered what else he had forgotten.

Sitting at the fire in the center of the village, Jia and his brother, his name was Li sat paused for a while. Jia spoke, “I am sorry, I don’t remember much, I think my memory is vaguely registering something, but I don’t know for sure.”

Li nodded, “We can have a DNA test if you want, but you are my brother, we are kin, descended from a old family here. Our family came North, one of the Prince’s of the fallen Yuan Dynasty.”

“Heh, isn’t like half the world related to Genghis, I imagine quite a few of those have to be through Kublai’s line.” Jia said cynically.

“Yeah there are a number of us, and we haven’t had much luck reorganizing for a while. Yet we’ve kept the pride up. Our family had many great officials during the Qing Dynasty, and we fought for the Guomindang during the Failed Revolution. When the Soviets invaded Mongolia, we stayed behind, thus only a few of us fought the Japanese and then the Communists. In retrospect, for that time staying here was a good idea, I doubt we’d have survived the Cultural Revolution.” Li mused. He then paused.

“But the truth of the matter is, we’ve always had a mission.” He said.

Jia raised his eyebrow, “A mission?” he asked Li.

“Yes, you see, our family along with others has been committed to a goal since we were taken by the Qing, restoration of the Yuan Dynasty. Now I think we both agree this is not going to happen the way it used to be.” Li said with a chuckle.

“Heh, I think I’d get couped if I gave the order to launch a conquest that ambitious.” Jia joked.

“Indeed, but you are the man to do it.” Li said his tone turning serious.

Jia paused at the thought, “You mean to tell me, that you’re here not only to tell me you are my brother but that we are both obligated to re found a dynasty which fell centuries ago? …. I think you’ve been hitting the bottle too much.”

Li’s face narrowed through the smoke of the fire. It’s cackling was the only thing interrupting a long silence.

“This has always been your destiny, it was an agreement that we made, our father made. It is not one I am proud of, but it is one, which you were specifically chosen for. The Yuan must be reborn, because all else has failed. This world has become a increasing cyclone of instability and collapse. Nations used to last through centuries, then decades, now years or months. Look around you Imperator. Look at this world and see what it has become. How long did the Han last? How long did Rome? Even our glorious Empire, so big it could never hold together outlasted what now is. This world needs the Middle Kingdom, beyond that; it needs the strongest Middle Kingdom. Is this not what you were taught?” he asked.

Jia frowned. It was what he was taught, furthermore it was what he to an extent believed. Jia saw it as a mistake of the Chinese in the past to act in unilateral manner, but he could not deny that only strength would bring order to chaos.

“What are you saying?” Jia said, “Why is it some family stuck in the middle of the desert, outside the borders of their own country can put this chaos back together.”

Li leaned back, “Heh, yeah… That is an interesting question.”

Jia’s eyes narrowed, “You’re hiding something. What is it?”

“You do not remember how you became a child soldier do you?” Li said.

Jia was a bit shocked by this question, “What is there to remember?” he said. “… wait earlier.”

Li nodded, “Yes, you Jia are not the orphan you think you are… well you are now. I shall tell you the death of our parents soon enough. But the truth is, is that you were always meant to go where you went. You were put on this path at a young age.”

“You saying I was born in Kenya as part of a Afro-Bolshevik conspiracy?” Jia asked annoyed.

“Shut up for a second.” Li interrupted. “You see Jia, you were selected because you were the best. Despite our appearance, until Altin Urda, our village had quite a few resources. We had quite a few sophisticated experts. We knew what you were capable of. In order to spare our village from warlords we arranged for you to believe you were orphaned and become part of one of their child soldiers. In those days we had to give a certain quota… it was bad but its what had to be done.

We knew that a crack unit of the PLA was coming, and we knew that their leader wouldn’t kill innocents. He was a great man. Possibly the one we had been waiting for. So we arranged for you to arrive in a unit that would get beaten by him. There was the possibility you’d die, but whether you were here at the village or on another battlefield versus another warlord that was a strong possibility anyways. The Leader, he didn’t waste talent though, it’s why father thought you would survive and become something great… It seems he was right.”

Jia paused, he felt his anger rising. All his life he had been used as a tool by others, a tool for the symbol of his nation. At one point he had liked to think, this wasn’t true. Now he was finding out the truth. He had been forged as a weapon from birth. “I will need to think on this…” Jia began.

“You’re angry.” Li said. “It isn’t shocking.”

He threw a piece of wood into the fire to keep it from dying. Sparks flew out.

“Perhaps… if I told you a story of why you as you are have become necessary, perhaps then you will understand.” Li suggested.

“And that is?” Jia asked annoyed by the presumptuousness.

“The true story of when we became orphans.” Li began.

Edited June 29, 2011 by Triyun

[Triyun]

“It was during the dark period of Asia.” Li began. “The Empire had fallen and in its place fascism and the ridiculous had risen. The Dragon Empire had not yet overtaken China, but in the North a new threat had emerged, one often overlooked. Altin Urda.”

Jia nodded, “Some nutjobs right?”

Li paused. “You could say that.” He said looking up at the open sky of the Mongolian Desert. “They were a blight on our history. This village has suffered empires and warlords, tyrants and statesmen, we’ve never encountered anything like Altin Urda. It was they who attempted to deport us, steal our land, this village is of mixed decent we’ve been here for centuries, but according to them we were not ‘pure blood’ enough.

Our father, breaking the normal rule decided that this was a regime a stand must be taken against. Had they succeeded it would have meant the annihilation not just of our clan, but our people. And who is to say where they would have stopped?”

Li again paused motioning for a woman to bring him a green glass bottle. It was a square in the shape of a flask, with the familiar red, white, and blue colors of erguotou. Taking a swig he sighed, clearly the experience weighing heavily on him.

“Most Chinese were exiled, but not father, he was imprisoned by their Gestapo. The injustices he suffered while in there…. tortured everyday… by the time they regime fell… we searched high and low for him. We couldn’t find him. “

A tear came down his face, “We learned the truth just a bit later, from one of his camp mates. One of our allies, revealed our family secret. Our father was then tortured for the location of the rest of the family and our secrets. It got so bad he knew he would break, so he hung himself…. Those !@#$%^&* fed the body to the pigs.” He said angrily.

Jia’s face was stunned at the news.

“Shortly after that, our mother who was a Hui had been organizing with others for more political freedoms. She was shot execution style.” Li said with venom.

He looked at Jia, “Now do you see?” He asked him. “Do you see what is created in the absence of principled rule?”

Jia nodded. “You’ve been through a lot. I’m sorry I was angry earlier. You’re right of course, but still the idea of being used as a tool…”

“Had you been here, you’d be dead too Jia, and China could well still be in the hands of the Dragon Cultist successors.” Li said.

Jia knew this to be true. “So where do we go from here?” Jia asked his brother.

Li looked seeing the sun starting to rise on the horizon. “Well, first we have breakfast, then meet the rest of the family.”

[Triyun]

Going beneath a earthened entrance into a house, built into the side of a hill, Jia felt the cool air and smell of tea and spices escape into the dry Mongolian desert air. Li turned on a kerosene lamp light the entrance.

"Xuehua! Xuehua!" Li yelled. A girl, about eight years their junior by the looks of it came out, the sound of pans clanging together on the floor behind her. She had long black hair, and relatively light skin for living a life in these parts. Her face was plain without make up but from what Jia could tell she was still very attractive.

"Gege, why did you not come home last night. YOU SMELL LIKE BOOZE! WERE YOU DRINKING AGAIN! I heard soldiers came into town, but that doesn't give you an excuse to go out and behave like one!" she said slapping him with her paper fan.

"Xuehua, this is..." Li began.

[i]They named her blood flower?[/i] Jia thought to himself.

"I DON'T CARE IF ITS THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF, I TOLD YOU NO DRINKING ON WEEKNIGHTS! WE HAVE VERY LITTLE MONEY!" She explained wailing on him again.

"... Imperator actually. And I'll pay his tab." Jia said, stepping more into focus, his features becoming clearer under the orange glow of the lamp.

Xuehua's face turned white. "... Imperator! Jia?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes." Jia said with a smile. "I am Yuan Jia, Imperator of the United Federation of the East and from what I gather, your brother." he said.

Xuehua's paper fan impacted the side of Jia's face. "AND THE BIGGEST DUMB ASS I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE!" she yelled.

"I seem to be getting assailed a lot..." Jia said.

"WELL YOU DESERVE IT!" Xuehua yelled at him. "Leaving us for ourselves, you've been Emperor for six years, I get it that dad sent you off, but god damnit, you couldn't have come back once, you couldn't have done something?!"

"He didn't remember. He didn't even remember me Meimei, you weren't born when we sent him..." Li began.

"OH THERE YOU GO WITH YOUR STUPID PLANS! DAD HAD STUPID PLANS TOO, AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!" she said slapping Li again with the paper fan.

"If I may interject a moment..." Jia began.

"No you may not 'interject', is that one of your fancy words, say interrupt like a !@#$@#$ normal person!" Xuehua said turning back to Jia with fire in her eyes.

"Well I..." Jia began.

"Oh speechless, big shock!" she said with a huff. "Come on, you two smell like !@#$, I expected Li to smell like booze, he was never taught better, but you with your fancy education, I swear... sometimes! You clearly both inherited stupidity from our father with his damn talk of destiny... what has it gotten us? Nothing. Just a village of has beens wanting desperately to believe."

She went to a tea kettle, lighting a stove with a match. Removing several plain wheat buns from a steam tray she handed it to the two of them. "Eat up! I worked long and hard to make these!" she said.

Jia took a bite... it was dry, perhaps among the driest he had tasted.

"Well? Am I a good cook or what?" Xuehua said finally showing a smile on her face, looking for genuine approval from her lost brother.

"Its awful but she'll hit you if you say so." Li whispered to Jia, before being struck by a fan.

"Mmmm.... its goood!" Jia said with a smile before attempting to swallow. "How's the tea coming?" he said.

Xuehua smiled, "Oh I'm so glad you think so!"

"So why are you here?" she asked him.

"Well... in truth, I came here for two reasons, the first was to get out of Beijing and lead a unit. We were going to move into this area anyway. The second, was because I wanted to come back... I had a very different memory of my early life than the story Li has told me." Jia said, retelling his version of events to Xuehua.

She frowned, "I see... well I suppose I should apologize for how I behaved earlier."

"No need... we've all been in for a shock today." Jia said. "Although I must say, had I known about you two, you would not be living here."

Li shook his head, "We don't know that..."

Xuehua interrupted Li, "Listen to Jia, he is a good man, you know that. Father had all sorts of schemes, you can't expect Jia to have understood being sent away at such a young age Li. You worshiped father but he was a strange man, I don't understand his goals now. There is no way that Jia could have! He's here now, that's what is important, and not just him, all of the Federation will help our village. Right Gege?"

Jia nodded, "Correct."

"See!" she said smiling. "So quit being such a hard ass!" she scolded Li, tapping his knuckles with the paper fan.

"How long are you staying? I cannot imagine a man in your position would be able to be here for very long. OH AND YOU HAVE A WIFE! She can't approve of you doing such wreck-less things as jumping out of air planes into unknown villages either!" she exclaimed disapprovingly.

"Eh heh." Jia said.

"Typical." Xuehua sighed leaning back. "So what now?"

Li spoke up, "Well first we have tea, then before you return, I would like to make one final stop with you, to our Father's Grave." Li said.

Jia nodded, "Alright."

[Triyun]

Jia was at the rear of the three siblings, as they road horse back over the Mongolian Steppe. The crisp morning air was beginning to give way to the searing heat of the mid day sun. The sparse life of the grasslands gave way before them as they rode at a fast gallop. Li had said the site was some ways from the village. It was about twenty minutes by Jia's calculation that they reached the site of the mound. It was impressive, flat lands were strung out in various directions all around him, a man could go for hundreds of miles in most directions without encountering anyone else.

The mound consisted of two rocks, jutting out from the ground like pillars, on them carved was an inscription in Mongolian and Classical Chinese.

"Here lies buried Yuan Cai, Patriarch of the Yuan Clan, Father of Three, Beloved Husband and Leader. Hero of the Nation."

Li looked at the monument. "It is not much, but it is what we could afford for him." he said. Xuehua looked nothing, just looking silently at the monument.

Jia dismounted and approached the monument looking at it curiously. "Has anyone been here recently?" he asked.

Li shook his head. "No."

Jia frowned, "Are you sure there is something you are not telling me?" he asked.

"Jia what is it?" Xuehua asked.

Jia reached down to the center of the monument into a small opening, pulling out a jeweled locket. It looked old, dust had collected on it but it was gold with jade markings on it.

"This..." he said. "I cannot imagine you guys would just leave it here?" he said. Jia judged the facial expressions of the two, he had been trained to know when people were lying, neither seemed to and expressed genuine shock at the locket.

"That is fathers but we had thought it lost." Li said.

Jia looked at it. It seemed to house something inside. Opening it, he found a small data disk, it was an older model. Putting it up to the light he didn't see any signs of corrosion or damage.

"What is it?" Xuehua asked.

"If I see this right, its a disk, someone must have put it it here recently. Our unit will have the capability of analyzing it." Jia explained.

Li peered at it, "A disk here, why? I am supposed to be the keeper of the family secrets, why would it be here now?" he asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"I do not know." Jia said. "But we will find out."

The ride back in was a quiet one again, though this time with a bit of tension. Rather than provide a convenient wrap up, the visit had proven to open a new mystery, there seemed more to the tale than had been let on.

At the unit's command tent, Jia ordered the guards out as he opened the disk. A index came up. "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" the first line said. "YUAN JIA." Jia inputted into the computer. "IDENTIFICATION ACCEPTED! PLEASE CONFIRM IDENTITY." what followed next were a string of questions dealing with aspects of Jia's child hood, he continued to struggle to remember them, but slowly he was seeming to be able to answer the questions.

Suddenly a man appeared on the screen, he had long salt and pepper colored hair, mustache, and a beard. His face was worn from the sun, wrinkled and tanned and unhealthy shade of brown. His cheeks were hallow, he had not eaten well in some time. The image was grainy at best, and his breathing was heavy. However unlikely it seemed, Jia guessed this might have been during his time in prison:

[quote]Yuan Jia, I am Yuan Cai, though you may not think of me as such, I am your father.

For centuries our family has kept alive a tradition, a vision, which has caused us to persevere through Asia's darkest hour. It was this faith that saved us from the scourges of the Western Imperialists, Stalinists, and Japanese, but that is nothing compared to what has befallen this world.

I record this message to you, a final will and testament because this is my last day in this world, before I through the mercy of Guanyin find my way to the Westernly Paradise, or more likely descend to the sixth realm: Hell.

Your brother and sister, they will not see this recording before you do, because it is you whom I entrust our family's legacy. Both are good people, but it is you alone who can fulfill this duty.

Yes I abandoned you. Yes I regret it. I believe my wife to this day hates me for it. But at the same time... I knew it must be done. Undoubtedly you learned much from your mentor, you may even call him father instead of me. But know this. His order could not last.

Francoism has seen its last sun set in the East Jia, you know this to be true I presume. Both he and I will entrust you with founding a new order. But it is ultimately, you who must decide what this new order shall be.

Remember my son, this world needs one thing above all else, humaneness. But it is not achieved through words alone. Nor through actions alone. For the world to be humane it must be ordered. Solid moral vision, recognition of a world beyond the self, and longevity must be the foundation of any future regime which is to last.

You must blend the old with the new. Do not discard the new for its failings, nor the old for being old. Where I am now, in this prison, we see the horror which lack of morality has caused, lack of humaneness.

Altin Urda, must never be allowed to occur in Asia again. This can only though be done not by a single bright fire cracker like the United Francoist Empire, but by a steady hand. Do not expend all your strength at once, for you are a guardian, a watchman, the World.

Whether your accept it or not, you shall become the Sword of the East. With that... I bid you farewell. Tell your brother and sister I love them. For I shall not see another sunrise...[/quote]

The video cut out. Suddenly it his Jia, what he was seeing. The final moments of a man's life. All those years ago. Then a image came up on the screen, it was lists of names. Clues. There was something more to this, but he had not figured out what yet.

Jia came out of the tent.

"Well?" Li asked.

"I do not think, you want to see it yet Li." Jia said hesitantly.

"Of course I do!" Li said.

Jia shook his head, "Li... trust me on this, please."

"He was our father too! We knew him at least!" Xuehua cut in. Jia sighed as the two barged past him. He walked off, again he mounted a horse to ride to the memorial site, this time alone. [i]Why him?[/i] he thought to himself again.

[i]Why all this crap?[/i] Jia didn't like it. Was all his life just part of one grand scheme within another grand scheme?

[Triyun]

Jia arrived at the grave site. He felt himself overcome with anger looking at it. He didn't like being used, he knew it was a part of life, but this. [i]Yeah it was !@#$%^&*.[/i] he thought to himself. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

Jia had come here to put to rest painful memories of childhood but now he was stuck with ones that just made him angry.

"What the hell is this?

People just choosing a path, like I am a robot? You guys have treated me like I am a programmed tool. A tool with only purposes that you've decided.

You talk about preserving traditions, building new dynasties and all these things. But if the traditions were so good in the first place why did they fail? If the dynasty system worked, why did it lead to cyclical destruction?

You talk of humaneness, yet you sent your son, a boy still, not even a teenager into the horrors of war to fend for himself. You talk of this, yet you left your other children orphaned?

And I am supposed to look towards you?" Jia said picking up a rock and hurling it at the monument.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are fooling but it isn't me." Jia said. "$%&@ it, I'm out of here."

"In time, you'll figure it out, you'll see a reason behind this." a weak voice said from behind him. It was an old man, his face wrinkles, huddled in a grey cloak. Jia barely recognized him, but believed he had seen him the night before in the village.

"You're the man who your father wanted to see take the throne." the man said.

"I assume you are the one who left the data." Jia asked him with annoyance in his voice.

He nodded, "You could say that. You see Imperator, your brother was not the only one entrusted with secrets, neither was your father. In due time, you will find out more, but for now, I must plead with you to not close your eyes on what wisdom the past offers you."

Jia looked at him, "And that is?" he said.

"That is for you to learn..." the man said with a smile.

Jia scowled, "I'm sick of this !@#$." he grumbled. He walked off, "I'm going to rule this nation my own way, I do not deny that the past has allowed great evils to come up, but not ancient secrets prevents evil or injustice. It is only constant vigilance by those who are willing to use their heads."

The man smiled, "Just keep using it, in time we will meet again, and by then you will have learned more. Then we can truly talk."

Jia waved him off. "We'll see."

Mounting the horse he made the ride back to the village. Mounting his pack he got on his radio. "Yeah its me, I need pick up." he said into it. "Roger, pick up will be in bound shortly."

He took one last look at the village seeing Xuehua looking at him, leaning against a corner. He walked over.

"So you are going back?" she asked with some sadness in her face.

Jia nodded, "Yes but I've ordered that transport be made to bring you and Li to Qingyuan if you like." he said.

She frowned, "Li... he's."

"Yeah." Jia acknowledged. "He's been asked to be the servant of somebody else. Its not an easy task. Listen though, the two of you should come. Its going to be a shock, but this village will be fine, the Federation will integrate it into the economy in no time, and there is a much wider world out there."

She nodded, "Ok." she agreed.

The sound of a chopper coming in grabbed both of their attention. The Guards exited the plane and saluted to the Imperator.

"Well, see you in a few days." Jia said smiling at his sister before giving her a hug. He then boarded the chopper.

Leaning back he sighed. "Where to sir?" the pilot asked.

"A bar." Jia said. He had a long ride back to civilization to think about what had happened.