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<DIV>The President's Son, and the Prime Minister's Daughter" Part
One<BR><BR>2nd Lieutenant Chan Wen Hong (PCC-Chris)<BR>People's Liberation
Airforces (PLAF)<BR>People's Republic of China<BR><BR>Akemi
Sato<BR>Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister<BR>Japan<BR><BR>==========================================================<BR><BR>(PLA
Medical Hospital District- South Pongyang (MHD-SP)<BR><BR>Despite the
strenuous objection of his father, and the only lukewarm support based on
principle he received from his mother, Chan had none the less earned a
commission in the PLAF. Standing procedure in the PLAF, as it
had been modernized to meet it's increasing technical capability, dictated
that in 'addition' to a University degree, an Airman had to complete a tour of
at least two years in the Air Force before being given the option to apply for
Flight School, and the associated Master of Science degree in Aeronautics that
one<BR>was expected to earn concurrently during the course of their training.
Given the need for security in North Korea, and given that security forces
training was relatively short, he figured the easiest way to go would be to
spend 2 years as a security guard or air field engineer before applying to
flight school. He'd compared the advantages and disadvantages of each job,
and although being an air field engineer had more to do with what he eventually
wanted to aim for, it was Security Forces that won out because of the
much coveted<BR>combat experience it would offer.<BR><BR>That being said,
though the President had pulled no strings on behalf of her son, the Generals
weren't about to let the kid run around with regular infantry, patrolling
the streets and taking the insurgents on in ambushes. It was his
grandfather, a much respected and retired top tier general that had to speak up
for him just so that he could be assigned 'here'... as the platoon leader
for the security element of a Field Hospital unit. Nobody wanted to have
to be the one to report that President Hong's son was killed in
action<BR>after all.<BR><BR>MHD-SP had become a 'show case' example of
what an army engaged in occupation could do when it was done
'correctly'. It had taken months of outreach and millions in resources and
man hours, but now the people of South-Central Pyongyang came forward
willingly when they needed help. In fact they'd attracted so many
requests for aid, that the hospital... being run out of one of the 17
'known' palaces formally belonging to Kim Jong Il, had to be
extended. The anti-aircraft missile batteries that used to circle the
courtyard had been removed, replaced with special wings and temporary office and
quartering space to allow for PLAF, PLA, and NGO units and staff to
coordinate. It was a security nightmare at times, particularly when an
insurgent or two would feel themselves particularly lucky and litter the
court yard and building effices with mortar and RPG fire every other week or
so.<BR><BR>Still, they never got inside the line... hell they never got
within 200 meters of the line. Chan made sure of that...<BR><BR>And
on that note, he caught from the side of his eye one of the most beautiful
women he'd probably ever seen. The kind that made you practically 'have'
to stare.<BR><BR>* * *<BR>Akemi Sato walked with a small group of people
from the Japanese Red Cross and a mix of Chinese and North Korean
guides.<BR><BR>“As you can see the area around Pyongyang at least is
relatively safe, this is why we’ve moved many of our most critical cases
here.”<BR><BR>Akemi supposed one had to have a different idea of ‘safe’
when you lived in North Korea, she took a look around at the soldiers
surrounding this place, and to her surprise found one of the staring at
her.<BR><BR>She was a little disconcerted at first, until, taking a second
look she realized, he was cute, really cute. She smiled back at him
and nodded.<BR><BR>“Who’s that?” she asked interrupting her guide
nodding towards the young… lieutenant? She had still not gotten a hang of
the Chinese rank insignia.<BR><BR>Their guide looked over and then smiled
back at Akemi. “That is Lieutenant Chan Wen Hong, head of the security
detachment here.”<BR><BR>One of the people from the Japanese delegation
leaned in and added. “He is also the son of President Hong.”<BR><BR>Akemi
blinked. “Really?” she asked taking another look. Yes now that she was
aware of it she could see his mother in him. She leaned into speak with
her assigned assistant. “See if we can invite him to the reception
tonight, it would be nice to speak with him.”<BR><BR>Her assistant nodded.
“Yes ma’am.”</DIV>
<DIV><BR>* * *<BR></DIV>
<DIV>(The Reception)<BR><BR>How it was a low Lieutenant managed to get an
invitation to one of the most high-class events held in Pyongyang since
the pre-war days was anyone's guess. Yet amid the high-ranking
officials of the Chinese Stabilization Force, the North Korean Army, the
North Korean Government, and invited guests which<BR>included the likes of
politicians, ambassadors, well connected socialites, and NGO operation
chiefs and personnel... yeah he couldn't help but fell a 'little' out of
place... at least in so far as it sort of reminded him of being back home
in Beijing, not a couple hundred miles away in a war zone at his duty
post.<BR><BR>It was amazing what well trained and dedicated staff could do with
a captured palace and some imagination. The Ballroom was gorgeous,
elaborately decorated and laden with food... when it was normally used as
an excess storage room for non-perishable medical equipment (temporary
moved to a tent in the back<BR>courtyard.<BR><BR>Ofcourse the surroundings were
no where near as stunning as the woman he was fortunate enough to be
offered a seat next to. Dead center, front row, was an elaborate,
heavy oblong table designed to seat 14. The North Korean President
sat at the table's head, the Chinese Ambassador on his right, Akemi as
a<BR>particularly important VIP on his left, and to the left of Akemi...
one Second Lieutenant Chan Wen Hong, PLAF. The opening address was
given, followed by a couple of the usual speeches... but Chan wasn't
paying too much attention. He didn't know if she spoke Chinese, but
he was willing to bet like most<BR>of the other NGO heads she spoke
passable english. "Is it just me, or is all the hot air around here
bad for global warming?"<BR><BR>Akemi laughed. "Yes, but then how else would we
know who was important?" She turned to the Lieutenant and smiled offering
him her hand. "Akemi Sato, I work for the Prime Minister, but don't let that
fool you, it’s actually a lot less important than it sounds."<BR><BR>Akemi's
English was fluent and clear as she absently brushed a couple loose strands of
hair behind her ear with her free hand. <BR><BR>"I don't think that would be
difficult, it sounds pretty important." Chan smiled, having completely
lost any connection to the Japanese Prime Minister. The names 'did' sound
very familiar, but his attention to her lips was spawned by another intention
than interpreting what she was saying. "How did you end up in North
Korea?"<BR><BR>"The Japanese Red cross, I am a friend of the President of the
board, she asked me to go in her place as a good will ambassador to the people
of North Korea and to report back on the humanitarian situation here," she said
thinking at once it made her sound so boring especially to someone who was going
to fly jets for the Chinese airforce. She thought for a moment to mention that
the President of the board of the Japanese Red Cross was the Empress of Japan.
No, that would be bragging. "So how about you?" she asked lamely. Oh good, she
thought, very smooth.<BR><BR>He was about to reply when there was the sound of a
large explosion, followed by the shattering of glass outside.
Instinctively Chan pulled Akemi down to hide her under the heavy table.
The more experienced officers did the same. Outside shouting took over,
and various security specialists began picking up their charges.<BR><BR>"Head to
the basement. It's fortified, you'll be safe there." Chan gave Akemi
a small smile. "Be careful. I'll see you later, if I'm lucky."
He meant it to be a joke, but it probably wasn't as funny as it sounded to
him.<BR><BR>Akemi nodded dumbly her mind only just catching up to what happened,
as it did she grabbed Chan's arm. "Be careful," she warned first in Japanese and
then when she realized her mistake, again in English. By the time she had
finished the security officer that was assigned to her, had grabbed her up off
the floor and said much the same as Chan had, it was time to head to the
basement.<BR><BR>She nodded and got put down to go there under her own power, as
she joined the President of North Korea and the Chinese ambassador in being
rushed underground.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chan watched her go for a split second before racing out the door.
Already the sound of HC-120 med-evac version helicopters were readying for take
off. They didn't carry much in weapons, but the main goal was to get them
off the ground for their safety. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Incoming!" One of the guards screamed, the whistling sound of a
mortar cut through the air as it pierced through, striking close enough that
Chan dropped to his stomach for protection. This wasn't some random
terrorist attack... terrorist attacks weren't this coordinated or
prolonged. It had all the looks of a North Korean insurgency strike.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Lieutenant!" His platoon's NCO, Staff Sergeant Qing, shouted as best
as he could above the sound of assorted small arms fire. Chan pushed
himself up and headed over... two wounded Chinese soldiers being placed on
stretchers. "Three dead so far, all NKA along the outer perimeter."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Did they make it inside the line?" </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Qing nodded. "There was about ten of them. We killed six rather
quickly, the other four are pinned down. We're still receiving heavy
mortar and RPG fire from outside the line. They drove that truck..." The
sergeant pointed to a smoldering skeleton of a vehicle that in places was
'still' burning, and bore very little resemblance to the Mitsubishi commercial
delivery truck that it was. "Right through the wire. The passenger
and NKA exchanged fire at close range. As far as we can tell they were
trying to drive the truck right up to the banquet hall and kill as many
officials as possible, but the passanger and driver were killed and the truck
veered off."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Thank God for small favors." Chan muttered as he peered out over the
wall just long enough to make out the puffs from mortar blasts. They were
too close for an air strike, and the hospital had no helo gunships being a
'freaking' hospital. They were going to have to do this the old fashioned
way. "Leave fourth squad here to man the guard posts. Mount up
second and third squads on the BMPs and have them split up to take out those
mortar teams. First squad will follow me, we're going to use an armored
ambulance for cover and capture those four that are pinned down.
Understand?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>He nodded and ran off. Chan went to go find himself a weapon and body
armor... they couldn't just let those mortars keep shooting, they'd eventually
hit 'something'.</DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - <A title="http://www.tourtracker.com?NCID=aolmus00050000000112" href="http://www.tourtracker.com?NCID=aolmus00050000000112" target="_blank">Check out TourTracker.com</A>!</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>