[War] Japan/KRF: "A Long Awaited Call"

[Ian Martell]

"A Long Awaited Call"
Prime Minister Shunichi Sato - Japan
Ryu Seung-bok - KRF
October 9th 2006


Things had changed little since Sato boarded his plane for Tokyo and spoke
with General Fukudome, except for the KRF, they were claiming to have
details on the nuke test but wanted arms for it.

The assembly of and advisors each had their own opinions on the matter,
ranging from no, to maybe, to let the KRF be wiped out and be done with
this. Each with their own particular reasons for pushing their agenda
personal, political or otherwise. After an hour of wrangling Sato sighed.

"Stop!" he barked quickly. "Enough."

The men fell silent and all eyes were on the Prime Minister.

"Haruma-san, please get me a link to the KRF, Seung preferrably."

"Hai," was Haruma's and he quickly stood and went to speak with some of his
people off to one side of the room.

"What do you intend to say?" asked Minister Yubuki, who had been one of the
loudest voices of the let the KRF die camp.

"Very little," replied Sato. "I want to listen. Before I make any decision
about whether to support this man's cause further I want to hear the man
himself make his case."

"But talking to him directly will give him credibility, and if he is
captured and interrogated could give evidence that we were helping him."

"So could this Jin. Besides few would believe that the Prime Minister of
Japan would step off his high throne to speak to a rebel leader directly; I
hear they mistakenly think I am not that foolish."

There were laughs from some of the men around the table. "I am not going to
give away Tokyo Yubuki-san, so please relax, but I must do this if I am
going to be the one to decide his fate."

Haruma rejoined them at the table. "The call is ready Mr. Prime Minister."

Sato nodded and stood up from the table and buttoned up his suit, then
walked to the phone installed in the side of the conference room. He picked
it up, and saw one of the Koancho men were on an extention.

"I am you're translator."

Sato nodded.

"Hello, who am I speaking to?"

All night it had looked like someone had thrown a rock at a wasp hive.
Men were coming and going in what looked like chaos. But if you
stopped and watched a keen eye could begin to make out a method to the
madness.

Then the phone rang. As cliché as it seemed there was a single
satellite phone with a small X panted on the back. It had only one use
and less than a handful knew the number to it.

When it rang Jin glanced over at Seung who nodded. "This is Jin. Yes."
He put his hand over the mouth piece and turned. "They want to speak
directly to you Sir."

Seung moved over and took the phone. "My name is Ryu Seung-bok and who
am I speaking?"


"Prime Minister Shunichi Sato," replied the Prime Minister. "I am sorry we
could not have had this conversation sooner."

A man entered the conference room in a GSDF uniform, he passed the note he
carried to General Tanaka who put it infront of Inoue who then passed it to
Akira and Akira finally brought it to Sato who quickly read it.

The Americans were wanting to know what Japan was going to do but was
willing to supply arms to the KRF.

He smiled, nodded, and pocketed the note.

"However, we are speaking now. What is your situation and how best can Japan
help?" he asked following the internal script he wrote for this call before
the note arrived.

Seung held his bitter tongue at that question. The dog asks the mouse
who being eaten by the cat…He wasn't a diplomat but he had to play the
part, for the moment.

"Our situation…is, fragile." Seung tried to keep the sarcasm out of
his voice but knew he was doing a poor job of it. "Jong-Il has been
most unpleased by our actions it would seem. The military hasn't been
hitting us, they can't find most of the KRF, and so they have been
retaliating against purely civilian targets and couriers."

He took a moment to glance outside the makeshift tent. Looking up into
the sky and breathing in the mountain air. "What we need is far less
talk and more action. You, or those below you, have ignored our
information regarding the militaries nuclear test, for what reason I
do not know."

"We are no longer willing to sit on our hands and let Ivory Towers
debate at each other while the people die far below the clouds. We
want, we need weapons. Anti-tank, anti-air, we understand the world
doesn't want to get their hands in the blood, but we are already
bathing in it. And without weapons, supplies, we will drown, and so
will your hopes of remaining so valiantly neutral."


"It would be a mistake to threaten your only friends, however your point is
taken," Sato said rolling the man's words over in his mind. It was obvious
this man was what he was, a fighter, but one ignorant of the bigger picture.
"We have been too slow to act in helping you, for that you have my apology,
it was my doing. As for the nuclear test, we did more than you know. But
that is not important now. What is important is how we are going to help
you. Are your people able to send a boat across to us? My people have a plan
but some of your leaders would have to come here and work with our people.
Are you willing to do that?"

"I haven't made a threat, Sir." Seung came back with a cold
irreverence. "I stated what I see as a fact. You're helping us because
you need us, like we need you. Otherwise I would not be speaking to a
Prime Minister, now would I? Please don't think that because I grew up
without running water that I am a simple man."

Glancing over a few of the spread out maps in the tent "As to the
boats, yes. We can skirt several ships back and forth without to much
attention. We've been bribing international freighters to let us piggy
back along there wake, keeps us off the militaries sights"


"Forgive me if that was what you inferred however it is true that this war
is not a simple for us outside your country as it is for you. Your people
are fighting for survival mine have no such worry so they waver and wonder
if saving Japan from this war is worth acting against their conscience."

What Sato didn't say was that was exactly the question that stayed his full
support of the KRF. "However events have moved beyond those questions for
some of us now and the difficult part will be convincing the rest of my
government to believe that this is the right action for Japan. Regardless
you will have our help. Even if my government choses not to arm you, I have
assurances that other governments will and what I can offer under my own
authority is a safe and modern command post in Japan, the communications
equipment to allow you to coordinate your forces from it, all the up to date
intelligence we have on the movements of the KPA for your use and our help
in producing counterfit documents, KPA uniforms and whatever posters or
leaflets you might need."

He doesn't understand, Seung thought, shaking his head listening to
the Prime Ministers offer. "If you cannot arm us, then tell me who
can, who will. Your other offers are appreciated, but you must
understand I cannot go to this command post you talk of, nor can those
I need at my side. Could you lead your people from a hidden bunker?
Could you ask them to die while you sit in comfort? I don't know what
it is like in your world, but here to keep my peoples spirits up, to
inspire them to be more than what they have always been told they are.
I must be with them."

"My people believe Kim Jong-Il is a god…as long ago your people
thought your emperor to be. Rebellions live and die with the courage
of their leaders, not with their leaders lives."


Sato frowned deeply. This was no what he had expected. To throw away the
chance to gain a stable base from which attacks could be planned with the
help of modern intelligence equipment was insane. However Sato's words in
Sendai trapped him in as did the American offer to arm the KRF. Face and
Japan's future in the region were both at stake.

Sato breathed in deep and let it out to clear his mind and tried again,
usuing Mura's example as his guide.

"We are very different people and used to fighting a different kinds of
wars. Also it is clear you think I look down on you. I do. I think you are
politically naive, militarily reckless and ultimately suicidal. On the other
hand I am fairly certain you are..."

Sato realized the translator had stopped translating some time ago. He
looked up sharply. "Say what I say, do not soften my words."

The man slowly spoke what he had heard though he was hesitant.

"convinced that I am a spoiled, cowardly, lying Jap. We are what our
nation's made us. But we for this breif instant have one thing in common,
our enemy: Kim Jong-Il. So let us ignore our personal feelings and put an
end to his control of your country and his threatening of mine. Can we agree
that is our common goal?"

"And why would I think otherwise. All men in towers look down upon
those who live on the dirt. Great Japan, mighty rising sun. It was
your nation who brought this hell to ours decades ago. And then when
you run and hide and wipe your hands clean while we suffer. I have no
politics sir, other than to end his rule, and if I die, another will
rise to take my place"

Stopping for a moment Seung took a breath and began anew "We are what
our nations have made us, and we are what other nations have forced
upon us. To end him and his rule is our goal. And we will accept help
from any with the courage to help."


"If you can send your people to arrive at a spot of your choosing in about
twenty-four hours we will have your answer as to if we will be able to arm
you. At the very least we will have medical supplies waiting for you. Also,
if we do help, are you willing to fight beside Japanese personnel if we sent
them? We will need to send personnel to train yours on our weapons like
stinger missiles and if we do decide to help we will not go half-way."

Seung looked over a set of maps and told the Prime Minster a set of
coordinates. "My men will fight beside any who help."

"My people will be waiting with our answer," Sato said and hung up the 
phone. Returning to the table ideas forming in his mind.

Actions:

1> Arrange for the KRF to come to Japan and pick up supplies and equipment 
and hear Japan's answer to their request for aid.

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