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It's a hallucination, or wotsit. That does raise the question: is the invasion of China a hallucination as well? But the invasion must be real, for it is The Plan. But then, is Darth Sumner really lurking in China, ready to defeat the Duke boys and Southern civilization?
Questions, questions, and preciously few answers.
Questions, questions, and preciously few answers.
Luke Skywalker, like Luke Duke must confront and overcome his fears. The vision in the cave is very real to Luke, as he is battling not Vader but the idea of Vader, whom he fears greatly. He must learn to defeat Vader and go beyond what he believes he can do. This same thread runs in the Karate Kid and in Star Wars. Luke Skywalker doesn't believe he can win. Until he does he will always lose.
This is all going on as part of the training - before Luke's encounter at Cloud City, which was premature, and before Macchio's confrontation in the Dojo, which was also premature and goes badly.
Maybe this invasion is premature and it all goes to pot because the Dukes (and General Hood), have done so prematurely.
I'm committed here. I don't know if you guys noticed, but not only am I in debt, I am technically over the threshold of bankruptcy. If I cut military spending and defense spending to zero, I am still losing money. This is before a single unit has even landed in China. It's go big or go home.
This is all going on as part of the training - before Luke's encounter at Cloud City, which was premature, and before Macchio's confrontation in the Dojo, which was also premature and goes badly.
Maybe this invasion is premature and it all goes to pot because the Dukes (and General Hood), have done so prematurely.
I'm committed here. I don't know if you guys noticed, but not only am I in debt, I am technically over the threshold of bankruptcy. If I cut military spending and defense spending to zero, I am still losing money. This is before a single unit has even landed in China. It's go big or go home.
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Act III: Numbers
Chapter 5: The Mandate of Heaven
Part 5: Moon Over Frontier Mountains
You dare show now?
Time is now. We will overcome.
Doubtful if it is just you, sensei.
He fights with us.
Ahh. Gwai Lo. You have come all this way to fight me? Let us not waste any more chatter.
"A clear moon risen upon Tian Shan"
"In an ocean of clouds, now drifts astray"
We land at Lianyungang, one of the 4 treaty ports opened by the Qing. The plan here is to drop the initial landing force of 20 divisions, followed by the 99 divisions close behind. This way we'll get faster access through most of China.
"Through the Yumen Pass, the long deep wind"
The fortress of Shanghai falls. After we cut it off from the mainland, you can see how fast we are spreading. Already 4 rebel armies have erupted. We are running right up the Yangtze, and spreading out from there. China hasn't deployed any of their 100 divisions of banner armies yet, it's all rebels at this point. The plan is to take Beijing quickly to prevent them from deploying their reserves. China will play rope-a-dope and try to preserve their armies as long as possible.
"Blasts from a million miles away."
General Forrest takes the Forbidden City 3 months into the invasion. Still no Banner armies. Qing will attempt to bar us from forcing open the pass to Manchuria, and will try to block us from taking the Ordos loop. If they can keep us on the China side of the wall, they can regather their forces and push us back. Qing have given up China but the Emperor fights on, now we are fighting the Ming loyalists in the south, Qing banner armies in the periphery and the massive, massive Taiping rebel force under Hong Xiuquan that Qing is trying to stop still rolling through the hinterlands.
"Han warriors march beyond Baideng"
X'ian, ancient capital of the Han has fallen.
Not even the spirit of Shi Huangdi can save the Chinese.
"The Horde now prowls Lake Kokonor."
We reach the Great Wall at Chifeng. First Qing banner army protecting Manchuria and everything north. We outnumber them, so this will not last long.
"No man has seen a soldier come"
We defeat the Qing Banner army at Chifeng, opening the way north to Manchuria. We have to watch our western flank, but there's nothing stopping us from the Russian Far Eastern border.
"Home from these ancient plains of war"
Battle of Baotao. Qing general Zhang has deployed 26 divisions against General Longstreet's 5 regulars. Longstreet will attack in order to delay the Banner army. If the Qing win here, they'll reopen the road to Beijing and will be able to recapture and deploy all their reserves.
As one might not expect, this is the terrain we'll be fighting the majority of the massive, massive battles. Qing have mastery here, and not in the South, which they have conceded.
"Where the men like exiles gaze back over"
Li Hongzhang offers us peace. We're not taking it but they know they are beaten. Qing dynasty has fallen. Now we have to battle their remnant generals, most of whom are in Turkestan. Tibet has a very large 25 division army in Lhasa. Korea has deployed 5 divisions to try to help protect Manchuria.
"The borderland with homesickened eyes,"
Xilinhot falls. We are now north of the Great Wall. We're occupying everything up to the wall, and we are already at Mukden. Soon the Koreans will come into the war. From here, we've broken Qing resistance in Manchuria, as their main banner force is stuck in Baotao, and can't reach us.
"While women beneath this moon back home"
Here's the massive Taiping Rebellion with a stack of over 1.2 million troops. This is why all the Banner armies were in Turkestan. We'll hold up here in Manchuria, and attack them once they take Mongolia.
Longstreet finally loses in Baotao, but holds on long enough that General Hood is able to encircle and crush 28 divisions. General Kirby Smith is able to encircle and eventually crush the 30 divisions in the battle of Lhasa. Surprisingly short, as we are able to call up sufficient divisions to outnumber them.
There are still another 45 divisions in Turkestan, but aside from that - it's just rebels. China is finished.
Tibet is the first to surrender.
We accept and immediately call up most of the population to help our manpower shortage. We've got a large rebellion in Japan at present which we are ignoring.
"Gaze overland with unstoppable sighs."
明月出天山，
蒼茫雲海間；
長風幾萬里，
吹度玉門關。
漢下白登道，
胡窺青海灣。
由來征戰地，
不見有人還。
戍客望邊色，
思歸多苦顏；
高樓當此夜，
歎息未應閑。
李白
Meanwhile, in the cave:
You will never succeed. Not in defeating me, not in rescuing your friends. Not in... saving your sister.
Why? Is she in danger?
Wait, what?
Chapter 5: The Mandate of Heaven
Part 5: Moon Over Frontier Mountains
You dare show now?
Time is now. We will overcome.
Doubtful if it is just you, sensei.
He fights with us.
Ahh. Gwai Lo. You have come all this way to fight me? Let us not waste any more chatter.
"A clear moon risen upon Tian Shan"
"In an ocean of clouds, now drifts astray"
We land at Lianyungang, one of the 4 treaty ports opened by the Qing. The plan here is to drop the initial landing force of 20 divisions, followed by the 99 divisions close behind. This way we'll get faster access through most of China.
"Through the Yumen Pass, the long deep wind"
The fortress of Shanghai falls. After we cut it off from the mainland, you can see how fast we are spreading. Already 4 rebel armies have erupted. We are running right up the Yangtze, and spreading out from there. China hasn't deployed any of their 100 divisions of banner armies yet, it's all rebels at this point. The plan is to take Beijing quickly to prevent them from deploying their reserves. China will play rope-a-dope and try to preserve their armies as long as possible.
"Blasts from a million miles away."
General Forrest takes the Forbidden City 3 months into the invasion. Still no Banner armies. Qing will attempt to bar us from forcing open the pass to Manchuria, and will try to block us from taking the Ordos loop. If they can keep us on the China side of the wall, they can regather their forces and push us back. Qing have given up China but the Emperor fights on, now we are fighting the Ming loyalists in the south, Qing banner armies in the periphery and the massive, massive Taiping rebel force under Hong Xiuquan that Qing is trying to stop still rolling through the hinterlands.
"Han warriors march beyond Baideng"
X'ian, ancient capital of the Han has fallen.
Not even the spirit of Shi Huangdi can save the Chinese.
"The Horde now prowls Lake Kokonor."
We reach the Great Wall at Chifeng. First Qing banner army protecting Manchuria and everything north. We outnumber them, so this will not last long.
"No man has seen a soldier come"
We defeat the Qing Banner army at Chifeng, opening the way north to Manchuria. We have to watch our western flank, but there's nothing stopping us from the Russian Far Eastern border.
"Home from these ancient plains of war"
Battle of Baotao. Qing general Zhang has deployed 26 divisions against General Longstreet's 5 regulars. Longstreet will attack in order to delay the Banner army. If the Qing win here, they'll reopen the road to Beijing and will be able to recapture and deploy all their reserves.
As one might not expect, this is the terrain we'll be fighting the majority of the massive, massive battles. Qing have mastery here, and not in the South, which they have conceded.
"Where the men like exiles gaze back over"
Li Hongzhang offers us peace. We're not taking it but they know they are beaten. Qing dynasty has fallen. Now we have to battle their remnant generals, most of whom are in Turkestan. Tibet has a very large 25 division army in Lhasa. Korea has deployed 5 divisions to try to help protect Manchuria.
"The borderland with homesickened eyes,"
Xilinhot falls. We are now north of the Great Wall. We're occupying everything up to the wall, and we are already at Mukden. Soon the Koreans will come into the war. From here, we've broken Qing resistance in Manchuria, as their main banner force is stuck in Baotao, and can't reach us.
"While women beneath this moon back home"
Here's the massive Taiping Rebellion with a stack of over 1.2 million troops. This is why all the Banner armies were in Turkestan. We'll hold up here in Manchuria, and attack them once they take Mongolia.
Longstreet finally loses in Baotao, but holds on long enough that General Hood is able to encircle and crush 28 divisions. General Kirby Smith is able to encircle and eventually crush the 30 divisions in the battle of Lhasa. Surprisingly short, as we are able to call up sufficient divisions to outnumber them.
There are still another 45 divisions in Turkestan, but aside from that - it's just rebels. China is finished.
Tibet is the first to surrender.
We accept and immediately call up most of the population to help our manpower shortage. We've got a large rebellion in Japan at present which we are ignoring.
"Gaze overland with unstoppable sighs."
明月出天山，
蒼茫雲海間；
長風幾萬里，
吹度玉門關。
漢下白登道，
胡窺青海灣。
由來征戰地，
不見有人還。
戍客望邊色，
思歸多苦顏；
高樓當此夜，
歎息未應閑。
李白
Meanwhile, in the cave:
You will never succeed. Not in defeating me, not in rescuing your friends. Not in... saving your sister.
Why? Is she in danger?
Wait, what?
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Act III: Numbers
Chapter 5: The Mandate of Heaven
Part 6: I ate China and was hungry an hour later
"If you get up one more time than you fall you will make it through."
That shot came from the Death Star!
We must retreat before it destroys us all!
No - they need more time. We must hang on!
What does it take to put this guy down for the count?
Bitten off more than you can chew, have you?
Gentlemen, what is the situation at hand?
Qing forces in Turkestan are destroyed. There are 4 divisions in Manchuria, assisted by the Koreans, and another 4 in Yunnan, assisted by the Tibetan Free armies. Ming loyalists control 14 territories, mostly in Yunnan. We control all of central China. General Joseph E Johnson is charging into Yunnan to halt the advance of the rebels there. Stuart is attacking the Koreans. We are pulling our 50 divisions back from Turkestan, so that they may be more effectively deployed to crush the Chinese rebels.
China has retaken the Forbidden city, but Generals Hood and General Longstreet are deploying 20 divisions to crush the last part of their reserves. China is finished, she just doesn't know it yet.
Ok. What about Japan?
Not as bad as you might think. 4 rebel divisions control about half of Japan. Annoying, but won't take long to take back.
And the Imperials?
They have 3 months to deploy 40 divisions in reserves and they have 21 already deployed on our border. The real issue is that if they occupy Richmond, we will likely go bankrupt. We have 3 divisions guarding San Bernardino that should be very difficult for them to turn. Taking Tibet really helped. We went from -1700 to -500, from threat of immediate bankruptcy to giving us about 6 months.
So it's a race, yes?
Yes, I recommend redeploying the Army of the Potomac which is slow and not well suited for rebel bashing and dropping it on Richmond to protect the Capital. We'll play rope-a-dope hold the capital, knock out China and then crush the Imperials at our leisure.
60 divisions, it's going to be a brutal war.
Meanwhile in the cave.
So you see, you have indeed failed. Your friends are dead!
No! Never!!
Young Skywalker, learn what you have?
I killed him, only to see my own face.
Mmhm. Dark side strong in you I fear, control to learn you must!
My friends are in trouble! I must go and help them!
That boy is our last hope!
No. Another there is!
Will the Rebels finally slay the Dragon? Will Imperial deception win them their ultimate prize? Will Ben Kenobi finish his Chinese food?
Find out next on Deo Vindice, a CSAAR!
Chapter 5: The Mandate of Heaven
Part 6: I ate China and was hungry an hour later
"If you get up one more time than you fall you will make it through."
That shot came from the Death Star!
We must retreat before it destroys us all!
No - they need more time. We must hang on!
What does it take to put this guy down for the count?
Bitten off more than you can chew, have you?
Gentlemen, what is the situation at hand?
Qing forces in Turkestan are destroyed. There are 4 divisions in Manchuria, assisted by the Koreans, and another 4 in Yunnan, assisted by the Tibetan Free armies. Ming loyalists control 14 territories, mostly in Yunnan. We control all of central China. General Joseph E Johnson is charging into Yunnan to halt the advance of the rebels there. Stuart is attacking the Koreans. We are pulling our 50 divisions back from Turkestan, so that they may be more effectively deployed to crush the Chinese rebels.
China has retaken the Forbidden city, but Generals Hood and General Longstreet are deploying 20 divisions to crush the last part of their reserves. China is finished, she just doesn't know it yet.
Ok. What about Japan?
Not as bad as you might think. 4 rebel divisions control about half of Japan. Annoying, but won't take long to take back.
And the Imperials?
They have 3 months to deploy 40 divisions in reserves and they have 21 already deployed on our border. The real issue is that if they occupy Richmond, we will likely go bankrupt. We have 3 divisions guarding San Bernardino that should be very difficult for them to turn. Taking Tibet really helped. We went from -1700 to -500, from threat of immediate bankruptcy to giving us about 6 months.
So it's a race, yes?
Yes, I recommend redeploying the Army of the Potomac which is slow and not well suited for rebel bashing and dropping it on Richmond to protect the Capital. We'll play rope-a-dope hold the capital, knock out China and then crush the Imperials at our leisure.
60 divisions, it's going to be a brutal war.
Meanwhile in the cave.
So you see, you have indeed failed. Your friends are dead!
No! Never!!
Young Skywalker, learn what you have?
I killed him, only to see my own face.
Mmhm. Dark side strong in you I fear, control to learn you must!
My friends are in trouble! I must go and help them!
That boy is our last hope!
No. Another there is!
Will the Rebels finally slay the Dragon? Will Imperial deception win them their ultimate prize? Will Ben Kenobi finish his Chinese food?
Find out next on Deo Vindice, a CSAAR!
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Nice update. I think the questions at the end are a nice touch, and I remember doing something like that in my short-lived aar.
AsdfeZxcas:
I have stolen it from "Real Men do it Alphabetically, an AARGAU!" by Anonymous4401.
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?266596-Real-Men-Do-It-Alphabetically-An-Aargau
This AAR is basically his style, although some of his style he stole from Phargle.
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Oh dear. China is not yet subdued, your army is across the Pacific, and the perfidious Imperials have declared war again! Here's hoping you have enough time to muster a defense in the homeland, and enough divisions left to finish the job in China.
I remember that too. It reminds me of the questions at the end of the joke mini-series within Two Ronnies series, especially with the joke questions like "will he finish his Chinese food?"
I also remember doing this thing were I'd put the titles of the next update at the end of the update. THAT bit I stole from the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, which in turn probably stole it from someone else. At one point I had updated up to where I had played, and just ended up making something up for next updates title.
Annex China in time and you should have plenty money.Personally it's the creditors who scare me.
Annex China in time and you should have plenty money.
As long as a certain event doesn't fire at home first...
Act III: Numbers
Chapter 6: Lending a Han
C'mon Han! We don't have all day!
Great, now what!?
I have you now!
The Imperials are unstoppable. They have captured Richmond, and are going to crush the South!
China is ours!
The remaining Han forces surrender!
I guess that's why they call me "Han" Solo!
That joke was so terrible it's been banned in 15 star systems!
Will the annexation of China save the CSA? Will the Han assimilate as well as Nippon? Did Ben Kenobi really set up these last 10 updates just for this lame pun?
Find out next on Deo Vindice, a CSAAR!
Chapter 6: Lending a Han
C'mon Han! We don't have all day!
Great, now what!?
I have you now!
The Imperials are unstoppable. They have captured Richmond, and are going to crush the South!
China is ours!
The remaining Han forces surrender!
I guess that's why they call me "Han" Solo!
That joke was so terrible it's been banned in 15 star systems!
Will the annexation of China save the CSA? Will the Han assimilate as well as Nippon? Did Ben Kenobi really set up these last 10 updates just for this lame pun?
Find out next on Deo Vindice, a CSAAR!
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