May 25, 1947
Kanaji Patel sat in his office. The Syrixian Civil War was near over. The Anarchists in the northeast had been destroyed, betrayed by his forces. The Republican movement was destroyed in the far north. Nothing remained but the Communists and the old Empire. The Empire that had tried to placate the growing popular anger with art and apology. The Empire whose capital, Pataliputra, was now home to the very office Patel sat in. The Emperor himself, Akbar XI, had fled to Srinagar, a traditional bastion of monarchism in the Empire. It was where the Emperor moved during crises, and this certainly counted as one.
The Empire had teetered on destruction for the entire decade. Ever since the final reunification of Esplandia in 1855, the loss of the last Syrixian colonies in the 1870s, and the retreat from the Outer Territories, parts of which were ceded to nations such as Funkadelia, in 1902, slowly heralded the end to the ancient Empire. Since the year 215 in the Eastern Calendar, the Empire had prospered. It rivaled the massive Kianese Empire in prestige and wealth, and unlike it, boasted a much more stable and unified populace, though perhaps not as much land; though only by a short margin.
Now, it was 1947, and the Second Great Push was underway. Forces of the People's Liberation Army were converging on Srinagar from all fronts, though what remained of the Imperial Navy guarded the seas. Kanaji smiled. Soon his cause would be complete; the Empire that had caused its subjects so much trouble, the Empire that favored the aristocrats and absolutism, would finally be abolished after two millennia. And so it came to pass. PLA forces marched through the north, capturing armories, factories, warehouses, and towns, large and small. Imperial forces fought valiantly, launching two counterattacks, the latter of which created a bulge in the PLA's lines. Through this bulge, Imperial forces would strike.
They were knocked back. The bulge grew, and Imperial forces charged like a spear through PLA territory. The thick tropical forests of the southeast provided Imperial forces with an advantage, as they were used to being posted in the territory. However, the Imperial charge was finally halted by the PLA at Jaihan Hill, and the Battle of Jaihan Hill began. The Empire had concentrated many forces into the charge, but while the PLA had more manpower and better technology, the Empire had better generals. And so, it came to pass that a greater army was encircled by a lesser one.
The PLA forces charged in a line, while the Imperial forces made a line of their own. The PLA slammed into the Imperial line, but this enabled the Imperial forces to move their middle back, while their flanks enclosed the trap. Soon, a gigantic mob of PLA soldiers were surrounded by a circle of Imperial soldiers. Before the PLA soldiers could react, the Imperial offensive closed in. The slaughter was immense, and once word had gotten to Pataliputra of the Imperial victory, Patel vowed revenge, and pulled a move no one would think to pull. He would bring his men through the mountains defining the Syrixian border, and he would attack Srinagar from the direct east; from the mountains. The plan was dubbed Operation Lotus, and preparations were being made.
Kanaji Patel sat in his office. The Syrixian Civil War was near over. The Anarchists in the northeast had been destroyed, betrayed by his forces. The Republican movement was destroyed in the far north. Nothing remained but the Communists and the old Empire. The Empire that had tried to placate the growing popular anger with art and apology. The Empire whose capital, Pataliputra, was now home to the very office Patel sat in. The Emperor himself, Akbar XI, had fled to Srinagar, a traditional bastion of monarchism in the Empire. It was where the Emperor moved during crises, and this certainly counted as one.
The Empire had teetered on destruction for the entire decade. Ever since the final reunification of Esplandia in 1855, the loss of the last Syrixian colonies in the 1870s, and the retreat from the Outer Territories, parts of which were ceded to nations such as Funkadelia, in 1902, slowly heralded the end to the ancient Empire. Since the year 215 in the Eastern Calendar, the Empire had prospered. It rivaled the massive Kianese Empire in prestige and wealth, and unlike it, boasted a much more stable and unified populace, though perhaps not as much land; though only by a short margin.
Now, it was 1947, and the Second Great Push was underway. Forces of the People's Liberation Army were converging on Srinagar from all fronts, though what remained of the Imperial Navy guarded the seas. Kanaji smiled. Soon his cause would be complete; the Empire that had caused its subjects so much trouble, the Empire that favored the aristocrats and absolutism, would finally be abolished after two millennia. And so it came to pass. PLA forces marched through the north, capturing armories, factories, warehouses, and towns, large and small. Imperial forces fought valiantly, launching two counterattacks, the latter of which created a bulge in the PLA's lines. Through this bulge, Imperial forces would strike.
They were knocked back. The bulge grew, and Imperial forces charged like a spear through PLA territory. The thick tropical forests of the southeast provided Imperial forces with an advantage, as they were used to being posted in the territory. However, the Imperial charge was finally halted by the PLA at Jaihan Hill, and the Battle of Jaihan Hill began. The Empire had concentrated many forces into the charge, but while the PLA had more manpower and better technology, the Empire had better generals. And so, it came to pass that a greater army was encircled by a lesser one.
The PLA forces charged in a line, while the Imperial forces made a line of their own. The PLA slammed into the Imperial line, but this enabled the Imperial forces to move their middle back, while their flanks enclosed the trap. Soon, a gigantic mob of PLA soldiers were surrounded by a circle of Imperial soldiers. Before the PLA soldiers could react, the Imperial offensive closed in. The slaughter was immense, and once word had gotten to Pataliputra of the Imperial victory, Patel vowed revenge, and pulled a move no one would think to pull. He would bring his men through the mountains defining the Syrixian border, and he would attack Srinagar from the direct east; from the mountains. The plan was dubbed Operation Lotus, and preparations were being made.