Taking Command, Part III [Mission]

The Mission:

Zadi has spent some time talking to those that now respect his authority; the foot soldiers and the officer of Zadi's camp basically consider Zadi a leader now. All that Zadi must do is find a way to bring he actual commander of this camp to his side, release said commander's authority, and gain Gao Yuan Zu's official recognition. Obviously easier said than done. Technically Zadi could have skipped the foot soldiers and officer, but with no one to respect him, Zadi's command would be stripped of him in just a few weeks; Zadi did just that to the current commander due to the lack of apparent care. At this point, word MUST have gotten to the current commander by now, so why hasn't the commander acted against Zadi?

"Seriously, this commander doesn't care about this camp whatsoever! I might as well just walk up, ask for the camp free of charge, and be on my merry way."

Well, at this point, what other choice did Zadi have other than brute force? If Zadi attempted to use brute force and forged the letter of command, Gao Yuan Zu would know by seeing Zadi's face! A foreigner in charge of the camp while the former commander is missing? Extremely suspicious, to say the least. Therefore, simply asking the commander would truly be the best course of action right now. A rude gesture, but Zadi had a silver enough tongue, right?

Zadi made his way to the commander's tent, unguarded as Zadi had asked of the officers and foot soldiers that respect his leadership. The tent was void of any protection, hopefully signaling to the current commander that their days as camp commander were all but gone. Rather forceful for just a talk, but Zadi needed to get the commander's attention somehow. Eventually, Zadi walked into the commander's tent, alone, and saw the current commander of this camp, also alone. No servants or slaves or any other person.

"I see you've finally made your way to my quarters. I would like to congratulate you on or should I be fearful my control is being taken away so easily?"

"I'm not here to harm you, much less kill. I need you alive, even after I gain complete control. Granted, you don't seem to care either which way what happens, do you? You could have sent your best men to deal with me while I was taking my time, but instead you just stayed quiet. Mind if I ask why?"

The tension in the tent wasn't what Zadi was anticipating. The current commander's face was hidden, as usual, unwilling to show their true form, metaphorically speaking. Zadi was most nervous here, not the commander; a negotiation disadvantage if there ever was one.

"Kuhuhu, I admire your observational skills, but do you have the eyes for strategy? I can't simply give you control over my life without testing your commanding skills."

"Not answering my question, hm? Ok, I'll bite; what kind of testing do you have in mind?"

"A simple board game, not unlike the board game you failed to win while gaining the foot soldiers' trust."

Damn that board game; Zadi didn't like the idea of losing like he did, but it had to be done. Zadi wanted time to study the game and learn the strategies necessary to conquer any foe, but at the time of first playing the game, Zadi had no clue as to what he needed to do. Certainly not the mark of a genius, to say the least. After all, Zadi wasn't and still isn't a genius by nature. Normal fellows like Zadi must learn and adapt through studying and practice. Thankfully, Zadi felt the need to win at least once against that one foot soldiers he lost against not too long ago. He'd been playing and learning, repeating mistakes in order to learn why he lost and what it would take to overcome losing. The mark of a perfectionist, to say the least.

"You must already have the board prepared...mind if I take a seat?"

"Be my guest, but I must warn you, I am quite the strategist myself, kuhuhu."

Zadi smiled a little knowing what might happen. He'll lose and attempt to force the letter of command out of the current commander, leaving a bad taste in Zadi's mouth. Zadi sat down, picked his side of the board, and began playing against the current commander of Zadi's encampment.


"Ok, playing with I see. I'll have to..."



"I'll have to concede at this rate..."

Some time passed and the game came to a close. Obviously Zadi lost, no doubt since the beginning. More confidence probably would have helped in the short term, but the long term of the game is what mattered most in the end. Zadi sighed, defeated, but not giving up. He'd gain control of this camp through force if necessary. Getting up quickly from his seated position, Zadi prepared to whistle for his comrades to barge in and flood the tent as a show of force.

"Congratulations, commander. You have won this letter of command."

Zadi stopped himself before wind left his mouth. Didn't he lose again the commander in the board game? Wait, the commander did say he was testing Zadi rather than specifying what the commander considered passing. Did Zadi just have to prove himself a capable strategist against the commander's clearly superior skills? Well, apparently that is exactly the case, unless Zadi is being tricked.

"I can see the confusion on your face. Truthfully, I never wanted to command a camp of soldiers into battle. I am great with board games, perhaps even the best, but I cannot hold my confidence in the field of battle. A battle of wits and martial arts is my calling, not war and torn fields."

"I see...well, no need to worry about us anymore. I'll take it from here and keep you safe. Thank you for your cooperation, commander."

Zadi gently grasped the letter of command from the former commander, yet still called the faceless individual in front of him 'commander'. Not to patronize of tease, but out of respect for the surprisingly humble nature of a nobleman. Zadi then left the tent, leaving the nobleman to their own devices. However, Zadi couldn't just let the nobleman be alone forever, so he sent in the board game playing foot solider. Hopefully they are able to amuse each other while the war continues. Bright minds such as theirs shouldn't be wasted on the battlefield.

Anyway, Zadi called for the fastest horse and rider in order to safely and quickly deliver the letter of command to Gao Yuan Zu, wherever he may be. Even Zadi didn't know where the man in charge was hiding, but with his new position within Gao Yuan Zu's army, perhaps the blonde warrior would be given enlightenment on his side's situation. Information and communication would be key to winning this war, but Zadi would never forget the people that respect him enough to be the commander of their camp. They allowed Zadi into their lives and showed him what it meant to be respected and lead. Not many people in Zadi's life have done such a thing so openly. Zadi got a sinking feeling only a handful of the populace of this encampment were willing to die for Gao Yuan Zu's cause. Sure they volunteered their time and resources for this cause, but death isn't a logical goal. Sacrifice is only a means to an end in order to save others the suffering of death. War is not a place to sacrifice, and Zadi grew to understand.

Walking around the camp he officially controlled, Zadi began looking at the war differently than before joining. At first he didn't care about others well being, only that of himself and his comrades. Gaining a camp full of comrades changed Zadi's perspective; worrying about a country would also be life changing. Does Gao Yuan Zu care about Kou and its people? An interesting question, to say the least. Zadi could only imagine what kind of person Gao Yuan Zu really is; stories tell of his character, but stories are just stories. The gritty details tend to be left out in favor of the main character, in this case Gao Yuan Zu. The same can be said about Yoshiro, the usurper. Father against son in a war built around a story of betrayal. Who betrayed who? Did the father betray the ideals of his country, pushing his son to betray his father?

"Hehe...I already asked a similar question when I first joined this war. No need to keep asking it if I can't find an answer. i just hope this war comes to an end soon, for the sake of the people in this camp...and perhaps for the sake of this country's people. Man, I really am getting soft, uh? I need to focus on what I came here to do plus the well being of this camp. My arrogance really did get the better of me in the end. Now my soft side is doing the same. Just great..."

1,500+/1,500