Victory Under Heaven (Victoria-RoC)

[Sabriel]

A Victorian agent made contact with their Chinese counterpart and handed over a file.

[Cataphrak]

The file was received, read, scrutinised, and filed away.

Its contents, however, now spread through the upper echelons of the Republic's government and were quietly internalised by its policy-making organs.

[Sabriel]

Victoria's Foreign Minister Grace al Ramogi, and its Field Marshal Monika al Odara both made a trip to the Republic of China. The Victorian Foreign Ministry made sure to inform their Chinese counterparts, and to organize a meeting between their Ministers and China's counterparts.

When the Victorian leaders arrived at the meeting, and after the usual diplomatic courtesies were exchanged, the Victorian Field Marshal took her seat and spoke in rapid Swahili, "Queen Catharine has become weary of the British Kingdom's interference in our activities across the world. They, and other European nations, still believe themselves to be superior to all others. Given half a chance they would restore their colonial domains, and see us all in chains. This is something we are not keen to allow to happen.

"Victoria wishes to strike down the British, and we wish to do so with your aid. We know how often they used their military power to interfere with your own nation in the past. So we ask that you join us in ensuring that they never again have a military with which to intervene in foreign matters."

[Cataphrak]

In truth, the two Marshals sitting opposite the Victorian delegates were of mixed feelings.

Intellectually, of course, they knew about the British Empire. Dismantling it had been one of the old Generalissimo's pet causes. Marshal Sun Liren had been there when the British Indian government had starved Bengal in the war with Japan. Not even the argument that the food being confiscated was to help feed his own troops sat well with him then, or now.

Yet they had fought alongside the yinguoren, for years. They had been loyal allies - far more so than the self-interested Soviets or the fickle Americans. Some of them still served, and although decades of alliance had worn away the old prejudices of their homeland, there were still regiments within the National Revolutionary Army that marched to "The British Grenadiers" and "Heart of Oak", whose colours still bore battle honours like Talavera and Waterloo.

And yet again...

The Premier looked to the Head of the Military Affairs Commission, and the two of them nodded. They had rarely agreed, ever since that terrible day in '42 when Du Yuming had taken his army north and Sun Liren had taken his west, but here, they were in complete accord.

"We accept your offer," the Premier replied. "On one condition."

"The men who ran the British Empire are dead, either of plague or old age," Marshal Sun continued. "Their old empire is gone, and it will never return. Britain may be a threat because of what it might be, but if such potentials for danger were basis for action, none of us would have left our cribs alive."

"The old empire is gone," Marshal Du echoed. "We are more than willing to help you ensure that it never rises again, to find the individuals guilty for its crimes, and to punish them. But we will not countenance the punishment of the whole of the English people for the crimes of their fathers. If they resist, then so be it, that is war. But you will not subject England or any part of it to Judgement. That is our condition."

[Sabriel]

"Only the Queen can authorize Judgment, or withhold it. However, so long as war with the British remains... conventional, I believe that Queen Catharine can be convinced not to enact Judgment. If the British were to, say, use biological weapons, or some other similarly distasteful tactic... I don't think anything we could say would hold back Catharine from ensuring that all who participated met the grimmest of endings. Nor, I think, would you truly ask her to withhold her Judgment from those individuals responsible, yes?"

[Cataphrak]

Biological weapons.

That had gotten the attention of both Marshals, and almost in unison, their mouths pressed into hard, thin lines.

"If the British deploy such weapons, then I believe such a matter becomes a WHIP Mandate," Marshal Sun replied. "At which case, the destruction of those willing to repeat the catastrophe of the first German Plague would be a priority that transcends all others."

[Sabriel]

The Field Marshal nodded once. "Now remains a time of Mercy in Victoria. Let us move forward with this understanding.

"We will be attempting to bring the Irish on board for the operations, and we have bases in the French Commune already secured. Our Ascendant Host will make short work of the French Republic, and then begin operations in the British Kingdom."

[Cataphrak]

0900 China Standard Time, 8th February, 1965
From: Marshal Du Yuming, Premier of the Republic
To: HM Catharine al Victoria, Queen of Victoria

EXECUTIVE YUAN WATCHING SITUATION IN OMAN WITH GREAT INTEREST. FOREIGN AFFAIRS WISHES ME TO REMIND YOU THAT DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE PROVISIONS OF TOEBEANS AGREEMENT ONLY IN EFFECT IN CASE OF EXISTENTIAL THREAT, AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE INVOKED SHOULD SITUATION CONTINUE AS IT IS.

NEVERTHELESS, ROCAF ASSETS ARE BEING TASKED TO POTENTIAL TRANSFER TO NEAR-WEST AREA OF OPERATIONS SHOULD SITUATION ESCALATE, AND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE SHOULD SUPPORT BE REQUIRED.

-DU YUMING

[Sabriel]

A message was sent in reply:
“Queen Catharine Akinyi al Victoria would be honoured to host RoCAF assets in Victoria. Bases have been set aside should your pilots wish to join us.”

[Cataphrak]

A shipping container marked with the white sun of blue sky of the Republic of China arrived in Dar Es Salaam, guarded by a security detail from the "Gansu" Division and headed straight for Queen Catharine's royal residence.

When stopped by the gate sentries, the container's guards seemed reluctant to open the doors. However, given the weight of the massive container and the quiet, mysterious whirring emanating from the container's rear, it was not long before the gate guards grew insistent, and the container guards relented.

Inside was a marvel of modern technology: a fully self-contained walk-in freezer. Inside, was row upon row of two-litre containers, each rimed with a coating of white frost. Each cylindrical cardboard container bore a colourful label, with words which could be just made out under the frost:

TALHIA ICE CREAMERY, RIYADH

With the gift came a note, written by an indifferent, but sincere hand:

"Your Majesty,

I offer you a gift to celebrate the misfortune of our mutual enemies. Allah willing, may such accidents continue to be forthcoming.

I hope you like ice cream.

General, 2nd Class (ret) Ma Hongkui."