End of Empires

-A work of fiction inspired by Takahashi's Ranma 1/2... Ow, who am I 
kidding?  This is a *fan*fiction.  There, satisfied?  So I am a low life
scum with the soul of a cabbage and the imagination of a particularly 
stupid sloth, otherwise known as a fanfic writer...  Wait, what are
you doing with that thing, it's sharp, hey, HEY!

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and all associated material are the intellectual
property of Rumiko Takahashi.  The following document is in no way
affiliated with or licensed by Rumiko Takahashi or any pertaining 
body.  It was found on an ancient bone tablet in the Shanxi province
of China by the Chinese National Institute of Archaeology, written in
an arcane language unknown to the modern world.  Any apparent 
infringement on Ranma 1/2 is purely coincidental.  Honest.



-End of Empires-

Prologue: Optimal Conditions
"Warfare is the art of deception."



The figure slowly stretched.  Another has passed by, barely an arm's 
reach away, but missed it completely.  It is not unexpected.  Their 
vigil is considerably less vigorous after three days of fruitless 
searching.  

Its opponents are undisciplined.  The way in which they organised the
security before and conduct the search after is instructive to the 
student of subterfuge simply by virtue of being wrong in almost all
particulars, a textbook case of what to avoid.  The balance of 
probability was certainly in his favour.  Nevertheless, it finds
these types of operations rather sub-optimal.  It is a valuable asset.
To risk it in such a way where a few simple questions here and a few
strings there would suffice seemed an absurd extravagance of resources.
Certainly it is highly effective, but then so is employing miniature 
directed charges for the purpose of cracking a walnut.  It is never 
one to expend ten joules when nine would do the job.  Besides, such 
display of abilities is injudicious at best, unforgivably indiscreet 
at worst.

Of course, its superiors moves in mysterious ways.  No doubt there are
information to which it is not privy, which might, when taken into
consideration, affect the decision to sent it instead of employing
any number of subtler methods that naturally suggest themselves.  At
any rate, it is not its place to decide policies, merely to carry 
them out.  A good subordinate does not hesitate to carry out orders,
although it would be its duty to include its doubts in the report.

Sensing that the patrol passed beyond optimal sensory range, the 
figure resumed inching away, moving only by the slightest contortion
of its abdominal muscle.  Quick and darting movement has its place.
That place is not a field of dried vegetation with constant spotlights
and patrols, where the slightest movement will attract unwanted
attention.  Human perception functions best when detecting movement, 
patterns and incongruities, so it is best not to provide any.  

Whilst part of its higher cognitive functions were idly contemplating
its current predicament and formulating the report, another part of 
its mind kept a constant watch, absorbing and categorizing 
information, finding the optimal course of action given its current 
objectives.

One of them is to avoid detection by his enemies before passing on 
its newly acquired information, and not to disclose any information 
which might be incriminating.  If the risks are acceptable, it would
also be well to preserve itself for further use.

Which was why it immediately suspended all superfluous functions and
focused on the target in front of him. 

*    *    *

Private Iwagawa cursed under his breath.

Damned that intruder, whoever he was.  It was his fault that he had
half rations for the past three days.  It was his fault that he had
to do four extra hours of sentry duty every night.  It was his fault
that he had the unparalleled honour of being slapped by the base
commander in front of the entire company and called a fool.  Why he
had to break in when *he* was on guard duty?  Couldn't he do it when
that fool Satoru was on duty?  At least the cowardly little runt from
Osaka would deserve the punishment.  Iwagawa decided that the intruder
must be from Osaka himself.  Sullenly he shuffled towards a dark 
corner of the field to relief himself.  Long hours and short rations
just doesn't mix well.  His bowel functions had certainly taken a hit.
He approached a small hump and begun to undo his belt, still mumbling
to himself.

*    *    *

The figure watched in detached wonder as the little soldier approached 
and begun to undo his belt almost right on top of him.  So there are 
*some* drawbacks to having such an excellent camouflage after all.  
It would not do for it to contract such a... distinctive odour.  He is
almost certain that it would raise the odds of the hounds finding him
before he can adequately fulfil his objectives to unacceptable levels, 
and he does not have sufficient chemicals on his person to mask *that*.

Silently he pressed himself to the side.

*    *    *

Crack.

Private Iwagawa froze.  Was that a crack he heard?  Taking a step 
back and lowering his rifle, he turned and approached the source of 
the sound.

That would be the last mistake he made.

*    *    *

It crouched over the crumpled form of the little soldier.  Quickly it
stripped the man of his uniform and donned it.  It was not a particularly
good fit, but it will do.  After an instant of thought it decapitated 
the corpse and pushed the body into the cache in which he had been hiding,
taking care not to be splashed by the pulses of dark liquid.  The head 
it wrapped in a piece of cloth.

It has at best a few minutes before the other guard at the sentry post 
realises that something is wrong.  It still had half a kilometre of 
heavily patrolled, *open* ground and a concrete wall to cover.  Which 
would not have been much of a problem since they assumed that it was 
gone.  In a few minutes they will know that it is still in the premises.

It could, of course, simply sprint out.  It could probably even make it.
But it does so abhor such displays.  This would be its last option,
when all else failed.  For now it would attempt a more efficient
approach.

*    *    *

Corporal Gakusha slowly scanned the field in front of him.  He is a
simple man.  He derives pleasure out of service to his country and
the Emperor.

That and making sure that those under him feels the same way, through
forceful persuasion if necessary.  At the moment he would like very
much to do so to a certain private Iwagawa.  Normally he would not 
even have allowed the man to leave his post for biological functions,
but he is feeling lenient tonight.  His leniency, however, is about
to run out.

He heard the characteristic food step of the private, returning from
his sojourn.  The private grunted something about the cold, and settled
into place besides him.  Without turning, he asked the private to recite
his oath.

Silence.

Frowning a little, he turned to regard his companion, just in time to
feel a slight pin prick, and than, and explosion of lights.

*    *    *

It would be less then two minutes until the next patrol.  Watching for
their approach, the figure held the struggling corporal upright, 
keeping him silent with judicious application of force.

Now.

It released the corporal, who immediately charged off.  Calmly the
figure sounded the alarm.

It would not be long until the deranged corporal will be identified
as the source of the alarm, before he is disabled and identified, 
however, it had one chance to break out of the locked down compound.

*    *    *

Major Sokho is proud of his base, despite the recent drawbacks.
He is one of the few higher ranking officers who still takes the 
view that the intruder is still within the premises.

Certainly his section of the base is of exceptional.  He can not
conceive of anyway to break out when it is under lock down.  The
concrete wall averages three metres high, with half a metre of over
hang decorated with the sharpest wire.  Access to the walls is only
possible through three kilometre-long underground passages, each
entrance guarded by a security detail.  The pass is changed daily,
not even a superior officer can enter without the proper 
authorisations.  This always makes him feel a little like the master
of his own independent kingdom, or a lord of his own castle.  There
are reguarly guard houses and patrols along the top of the wall.
Sentries keep a constant watch on both within and without.  The gate
is also controlled from here, well, partially anyway.  It functions
as a dual-authorisation mechanism.  Only when the captain of the
gate's watch sees the proper papers and he receives confirmation
from the base can the gate be opened.  A hassle no doubt, but one
that secures the only entrance to the base.

No, he can not conceive of any way to break out.

*    *    *

It conceived of a way to achieve its mission parameters.  One that 
is less... unseemly than stealth sprinting towards the wall, leap 
over the three metre edifice and run to freedom.

Its hallucinogen-laden friend would provide adequate diversion.

*    *    *

Private Torusei stopped.  He was sure that he heard something.

Something, that is, apart from the blaring siren in the background.
A click, coming from one of the ventilation shafts.  Probably one 
of the fans acting up again.  Or a rat, though how one of those
vermin could have gotten pass the fixed metal grate is beyond him.
It was not as though they can find much sustenance in a three metre
deep shaft with two spinning fan in the way.  Mentally shrugging,
he continued on.  It was none of his business at any rate.  He is
an orderly working in the wall complex.  Leave the fighting to the
real soldiers. 

*    *    *

It was well that the ventilation fan maintenance is accessable 
from the top.  It was able to pick the pathetically simple lock
in five seconds flat, and slipped down the rather narrow shaft
and close the grate behind it before the distracted guards 
noticed it.  

The shaft goes straight down to approximately the same level 
as the tunnel and narrowed into a short tunnel of no more than 
eight inches by eight inches.  Impossible for it to pass 
through.

It was as well that it was not what it had in mind in the first 
place.  

Not wasting another moment, it begun to work on the electrical
mains.

*    *    *

Lieutenant Kawazaki frowned.  The second tunnel ventilation system
is acting up again.  This time one of the fans overloaded and short
out the fuse to the whole tunnel.  Again.  He called the base
commander for the evacuation of tunnel two until the fuse can be 
replaced and the problem isolated.

*    *    *

Placing the last oddly shaped charges in the short, narrow air shaft,
it calmly stepped into the maintenance hatch.  A muffled explosion
later, the airshaft became wide enough for it to squeeze through.  
It had heard the evacuation command and saw the lights go out in 
the tunnel, so no one will hear the rather muted blast.  No one on 
the upside should either.  Directed charges are dampened by 
definition, and the noise from this should be adequately covered 
by the sub-generator's hum and the sirens' blare.

Timing is of the essence, of course, it could not have risked to 
trigger the explosives when the patrolled tunnel was still manned,
and it certainly could not tarry long, for the guards at the other
end would be sure to become suspicious, in any case suspicious enough
to hold him until the tunnels become functional again.

The figure jogged towards the exit of the tunnel and approach a 
heavy gate.  Normally it is controlled from the other side, but since
the power to the entire tunnel is cut, the manual lock is activated.

It opened the gate and walked up.

*    *    *

Sergeant Saionji hummed to himself under his breathe.  It is unusual
for him to have a break whilst on duty, but he welcomed it nonetheless.

Somebody approached from the tunnel.

"What, didn't get out of the tunnel on time?" The sergeant asked 
without even looking up.

The soldier mumbled an apology, and hand him his pass.  The sergeant
did not recall seeing him before, but if the guys at the other end
cleared him, he must be legit.  He noted the soldier's number to 
send to his superiors for a minor disciplinary breach, and waved him 
on.

*    *    *

It exited the guard house, made sure that no one was watching him,
and jump off.

Mission accomplished.






++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Author's note:
Yes, there is a point to this story.  It will become clear in
subsequent chapters.  And yes, it is a Ranma 1/2 alternate
universe, appearance to the contrary.  None of the main cast 
has appeared yet, but again, they will in good time.  All I shall
say at the moment is that this story is set during the late 30s,
when Japanese war machine was getting deeper and deeper into the 
Chinese quagmire.

Crank up your flame-throwers!

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