Wings of Fire Ch. 02

They walked in and found that the place hadn't been disturbed in quite some time. A thick layer of dust lay on almost everything throughout the place, except for one area. It looked as though the kitchen area had seen some use, with some recent animal carcasses and food garbage having been left behind. James tightened his grip on his katana as he inspected the detritus, but let out a breath as he drew near, lowering the blade.

"Well, someone has been here. But it's obviously been a while, judging by how dry these bones and remnants are," James stated as he gestured for Laura to hand him the sheath.

"So, what are the odds they'll come back?" Laura asked, the fear in her voice less prevalent than it had been.

"Hard to say. But I figure that if we stash the plane in hangar three and rest up in one of the disused barracks, we should avoid encountering this person altogether. As long as we're quiet," he said.

"Person? You're sure it's just one?"

"Pretty darned sure. Whoever it is, they seem to be quite tidy, as this place is well kept, despite its rundown state. There's also the fact that what's left over from the garbage," James said as he gestured to the small pile, "that there's only one person eating anything at any given time. We should be safe here for the time being."

"OK then. So, you said we need to hide the plane?" Laura asked.

"Yeah. Just because this place is abandoned, doesn't mean that someone in a crop duster or a military patrol won't do a flyby of this place. We should stow the plane now, while it's still dark out," James said, as he ushered Laura out of the building.

The two of them could see better in the early morning light, as they could see the sun rising, just a slight sliver over the horizon. They both made it to the plane before the first rays even graced the treetops. The two of them cleaned the floor area quickly, making room for the two-man aircraft. Turning the plane around, Laura and James pushed it inside, stopping only when it was fully concealed by the hangar.

"Should we close the doors?" Laura asked.

"We won't be here long, but we need to cover the plane somehow, so it won't be easily spotted," Jim said as he put his chin into his palm, thinking.

"Can we use this?" she wondered, pulling at a heavy canvas cover she had spotted on the ground. The dirt and garbage lying around had obscured it, but some of it was visible to her.

"Laura, that will work beautifully!" James exulted as he ran over to help. Between the two of them, they shook out most of the dust and cobwebs from the canvas before stretching it over the plane. It was a bit of a tight fit, but with most of the plane being obscured from causal observation, they were happy with the result.

James kept his katana with him and pulled out his duffle, leaving the heavy gold bars in it. Laura likewise removed hers before he closed the cargo compartment. They walked on out, using the early morning light to guide them back to the barracks area. James was in no hurry as he looked about, finding that the skies were clear of anything at this hour. They picked the second barracks building as it was the one with the least amount of dust in it.

The beds inside were a little dusty and a few of them had seen better days, but they were still serviceable. They cleaned the area fairly quickly, working together to remove the dust and debris that had been left behind. Once they finished tidying, they both selected individual beds and crawled in. Laura was far more tired than she had let on and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

James, however, was still wired by the adrenaline of stealing the plane and making his escape! He was so close to making it across the border to a better life, like he'd always dreamed! Though he tried to sleep, he tossed and turned in his bed, making slight squeaking noises. Huffing in frustration, James did the only thing he could think of to help him sleep. He reached into his duffle and pulled out his history book.

The mixed man quickly found the place he left off when he picked it up at the Marino airfield. He thumbed back to where it described what had happened at the end of the Great American Exodus. The chapter went on about the repercussions that reverberated through what remained of the US and the most notable figures who had faced them. Jim skipped that part as he had lived those specific instances and was in no mood to reacquaint himself with them.

He skipped ahead to the next chapter, which covered the Japanese Empire. Right after the Japanese broke their ties with the Nazis, they continued their expansion of their empire. They continued to conquer island after island, soon, owning the entire Pacific Ocean and ruling its waters. The only exceptions were Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, as they did not want to provoke the Americans or the Brits into a protracted fight.

Once their island conquests were complete, they turned their attention to mainland Asia. They sought to conquer their old enemy, China, but what they intended and what happened were two very different things. The Japanese were clever in the manner where they took every surrounding nation. Places such as Korea, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, Bangladesh and a small portion of India, which was surrounded by these countries.

Once they had a solid foothold in these nations, they launched many offensives into Chinese territory. They had taken much in the way of land, resources, and prisoners. Though the Japanese Emperor sanctioned the war, he was specific about being merciful to their Asian brothers and sisters. The Emperor believed the world was changing and if Asia was to survive the great change to come forth, then they needed to be unified under one banner.

Though the Emperor issued his orders on how this was to be performed, several generals and ministers thought he was being foolish. They ordered a total and wholesale slaughter of the Chinese, sparing only those who would surrender and submit to Japanese rule. They sent the orders out in the Emperor's name and all would carry them out or be subject to being made slaves themselves.

The Chinese Resistance, led by Master Ip Man, fought back against the Japanese incursions. Although he was a Kung Fu teacher primarily, he also served with the Chinese army as an officer and studied Sun-Tzu's Art of War extensively. Using guerilla tactics, they made the Japanese pay for every city and place they took. Blood was spilled heavily on both sides as they ground down into a stalemate.

Word was to be sent along of nothing but victory to the Emperor, which were only lies meant to placate him. They also used it as a tactic to weaken him to the masses, to make it seem that he was unfit to lead their great empire. Eventually, one of the Resistance's best fighters and Ip's own sister, Yip Wan-hum, discovered why the Japanese were pressing them so hard.

Her squad had just taken down a courier that was leaving from HQ to head directly to Tokyo, with a message for the Emperor. Her elder sister, Wan-Mei, had taken down a courier, bringing the casualty report from the front lines to main Japanese HQ. Wan-Hum learned they were falsifying the reports to the Emperor.

After much deliberation, she got it into her head that if the Emperor knew the truth, the fighting would cease. She hoped that if she was to personally deliver the letters to him, she might persuade the Emperor to stop the war altogether. Embarking on a dangerous plan, Wan-Hum, along with her sister, left their posts.

They trekked across several hundred kilometers of occupied territory, hoping to reach the Emperor. It was a long and dangerous road, the two of them almost having been discovered on several occasions. They'd stolen a small fishing boat and landed near Kanazawa. Using the cover of night, they traveled across a hostile land and had finally reached the Emperor's palace in Tokyo.

They scaled the walls and landed in his private garden and dropped in with no sentries seeing them. They caught the Emperor by complete surprise as he was out that night for a late night stroll. His bodyguards tried to detain the women, but since they were trained in Wing Chun by their brother, they quickly beat the guards down. When they tried to speak to the Emperor, they found themselves being attacked by the man.

Though it was relatively unknown, the Emperor himself was schooled in the art of Shotokan karate. His master was none other than Master Gichin Funakoshi, the grandmaster and founder of that style. The Emperor was one of Master Funakoshi's finest students, having learned extensively from the man. Both women found themselves sorely pressed by the Emperor's attacks. It wasn't until he had beaten them to the ground and was preparing to kill them both that they kneeled before him and pleaded for mercy.

The Emperor, despite being ambushed as he was, was a merciful man. He granted them one last act before he would choose whether or not to end their lives. Both women proffered the documents they had brought with them, trying to sway his mind to stop the fighting. They told him how he was being lied to by his own generals and ministers and how they wanted the fighting to stop.

They pleaded their case to him, hoping that he'd see reason and on that they were correct. Despite their unusual means of gaining an audience, the Emperor listened. He was intrigued by both their determination and resourcefulness. The man was also appalled and enraged at being lied to by those he thought he could trust. After hearing the tale in full, the Emperor formed a plan to end this war once and for all.

He let the women in on his plan, as they had nothing left to lose with this gambit he was playing, but if it worked, much would change for the better, for all peoples. The Emperor had both women disguised as concubines as an excuse to keep them close. He then sprang a surprise visit on the generals at the front lines to see for himself how the fighting was progressing.

Taking only a small cadre of bodyguards and both Yip women, the Emperor departed for China and arrived to see the carnage being wrought in his name. Appalled by the senseless bloodshed and misunderstanding that was happening on the front lines, the Emperor himself went to the battlegrounds. He ordered his troops to cease all hostilities and to stand down.

The Emperor, appearing like a ghost in front of all of them, had every soldier stop and kneel at his presence. When the generals demanded to know what was happening and saw the Emperor, they paled and feared that he knew what exactly was going on. The Chinese were just as bewildered at the appearance of the Emperor and ceased their hostilities.

Master Ip came out to demand to know why the fighting had stopped and was directed to where the Emperor stood, in no-man's-land between both armies. Approaching the man, Master Ip demanded to know why he was there and if this was the great vision of what he had planned for all of Asia. The Emperor, of course, denied knowledge of this, but Master Ip didn't believe him.

The Emperor wished to make amends for all the lives lost, but Master Ip wasn't having it. He demanded that all Japanese leave and never come back and vowed that as long as there were Japanese soldiers on Chinese soil, there would be no end to the fighting. At this point, the Emperor posed a challenge; that the two of them fight to end the war, as the ancient Greeks did centuries ago.

The Emperor knew Master Ip was an accomplished martial artist and would be a worthy foe to fight against. He declared that the victor of their fight would then bend the knee to the other, no matter the outcome. Shocked that the Emperor would make such an offer, Master Ip accepted the terms, and both men agreed to meet the following morning for their duel. Both men went back to their respective sides and, for that day, there was no further fighting.

Bright and early the next day, both men met on the field, with both armies watching, hoping and praying. As they engaged each other, those who witnessed the fight spoke of it in reverence, as though watching a pair of gods clash. Each side got in a good deal of blows and took many severe hits. The duel lasted for hours, until about midday, when both Master Ip and the Emperor were exhausted.

The duel had taught both men much about the other and Ip Man said the two of them were as equals. As rare as such a declaration was, the Emperor agreed with him and asked for them to sit and discuss the matter of the war as equals. Both men kneeled and spoke to each other, outlining what each side wanted. Before the conversation began, though, both men swore oaths that whatever they would speak would be the truth alone.

Master Ip spoke first, as he had simply wanted to be left in peace, only to teach Wing Chun to his students and raise his family. How he wanted the Japanese to leave and never bother China again. Because of their stalemated duel, Master Ip granted the Emperor a measure of respect, since he had met none who were his equal in combat. This respect gave Ip Man the heart to extend an armistice to all remaining Japanese soldiers and civilians, to leave in peace.

The Emperor nodded at Ip Man's requests, considering them, but then spoke to him about how the world was changing. How China, along with many other peaceful nations, was being dragged into a conflict that was making their war pale in comparison. The amount of lives lost, the number of bombs that were falling every day, was enough to make any seasoned soldier want to desert his post in horror.

He continued on, about how he had heard of the atrocities that were being carried out by the Nazis. He spoke of these horrors to Master Ip and told him that in no uncertain terms that Asia would soon face enemies like the Nazis and soon. That every man, woman and child had to be prepared to face them. He reasoned that the only way they would win was if they prepared themselves and modernized their little corner of the world.

Master Ip had heard of these atrocities, but only in the manner of rumors. With the Emperor confirming them as a fact, it stiffened his resolve further. He acknowledged China was behind in many ways and had to be ready to face the coming conflict should it reach their shores. With how the Germans were making a right mess of Europe and the USSR, they feared it would only be a matter of time before they came knocking at their door.

Master Ip listened as the Emperor outlined what he saw in his grand vision for the future of all Asians. How everyone would work together and under his rule, their side of the world would be a glorious land again and a force to be reckoned with. Master Ip agreed with the points and aims of the Emperor's dream, but wanted to take it several steps further.

He detailed that much had to be allowed for the individual people of each nation, especially their lives, traditions and way of life. Particularly, he was also invested in expelling the greedy Westerners who were exploiting their people. Who were, for the most part, undereducated. He also went on to let the various nations govern themselves, but how everyone would answer to the ruling authority that is Japan.

The Emperor found himself taken in by Ip Man's words of wisdom and agreed with his take on things wholeheartedly. He then tabled an offer to the master of Wing Chun; to be the one who would oversee the changes needed in China, to become the Hand of the Emperor. Such a title would also come with direct control over all Japanese troops on Chinese soil, having Master Ip as their leader and general.

Taken aback at the offer, Ip Man at first thought to refuse such power, thinking he was being baited. Though he saw that there was no deception in the Emperor's eyes, he agreed to become the Hand of the Emperor. The biggest reason for his decision was to cease all the fighting and to do good for everyone involved, especially his own people.

Coming to terms in the agreement, both men called for their soldiers to drop their weapons and to cease all hostilities. The soldiers on both sides of the line were stumped why their leaders had called for this, but they obeyed. Both men spoke to their people, telling them of the greatness that awaited them all and of the tide of darkness that would threaten to engulf them.

That both sides needed to come together in peace and friendship if they were to preserve their way of life. That they all needed to stop killing each other because they flew different flags, because they were all human, they all bled red.

In the middle of this speech, the Japanese generals ordered their most loyal soldiers to do the unthinkable; to kill the Emperor before his heresy contaminated their people. That he was nothing more than a traitor who had lost his way and needed to be put down like a rabid dog. The soldiers moved to obey and started to covertly move through the crowd but when given the moment; they found themselves unable to do so.

Overcome with awe, they fell to their knees and begged forgiveness for what they had been ordered to do. Though he disliked being interrupted, the Emperor kneeled and told the men that they were already forgiven. Forgiveness was given because they had not followed an order from the corrupt so blindly. The generals had tried to run but were soon caught and overtaken. After many hours of questioning, they gave up the plans they had concocted with ministers back in Tokyo and the Emperor's plan was now clear.

When asked of how the Emperor knew to come here by Master Ip, he revealed the identities of the women who accompanied him. At first, it flummoxed Ip Man that his own sisters would go behind his back to do this. Although angry with them, he couldn't deny the result of their plan and they were welcomed back by their brother.

After speaking to both the Chinese and Japanese commanders of the armies, to ensure that no miscommunications were being made, the Emperor returned to Tokyo. The moment he arrived, he issued arrest warrants for the ministers responsible for the conspiracy and the plot against him and his people. They granted no mercy to these pompous and fat men, who dared to take what was not rightfully theirs. The Emperor had them publicly executed as a warning to any who would dare to think of such treason against their new empire.

Afterwards, he then sent a broadcast across all frequencies that the Japanese used, telling the people of his grand vision of a new and prosperous empire. That everyone would be looked after, fed, educated, clothed and how they would become a beacon of modernization, progress and prosperity. That the rest of the world would look upon them and wish they had followed their example.

He also warned of the tide of Nazism that would overtake them all if they did not work together. That everyone had to chip in and pull their weight, even the wealthy. How the Germans, if they took Europe, then they would need to be ready to fight. And how they were far from ready to fight against the Germans and win. This last bit motivated everyone to step up and co-operate, setting aside old grudges, to get their people ready for war against the west.

The invasion they feared never came. Towards the tail end of the war, they stepped up and sent what aid they could to the Allied forces, especially the Black Widows. Though they hadn't been as heavily involved with the fighting, they still contributed to the turning of several key battles during the Soviet and Allied offensives. After the war, the entirety of Pacific and mainland Asia entered a golden age of prosperity and became a shining example of an empire done right.

That was all that James remembered as his eyelids felt heavy. Soon after finishing the chapter, he was snoring contentedly. He didn't know for how long he'd been asleep when he woke up, but James sat up as sunlight streamed into his face. Blinking, he opened his eyes and stretched before casting a glance over at Laura. She was still sleeping soundly and snoring a little, which left Jim snickering.