Part 21: Weaving A Story (Part One) - Yang's Tale

I most likely shan't be adding videos, so I'll apologise in advance. The simple reason is firefights aren't that interesting - each side takes its turn, and you repeat. There aren't really unique weapon animations, either.

But here's the rest of Update 17...

I am Yang Mei Fa. Born 21st April 2245 in Beltchka City. I have a brother, Yeehin Mei Fa. He was always my kid brother, even though we were nearly the same age. But when the first war began, we were separated. Operation Firefly, if I recall. When it began, Father told us to flee. Yeehin got left behind at the railway station, and by the time we'd noticed we were halfway across the island. The pain went away for mother about the time she died, burnt to death by a USN fire bomb. But I was always hoping, praying, that Yeehin had survived.

A Decker, or should I say informant, by the name of Hans Groener, offered a lead. I'd been in Menasa for five years - peace had allowed me to spend much of my life back at the old family home but the Larcus dispute had made my hometown unsafe again - and when I saw the USN coming I ran to him for help. Apparently he had the ability to get us road passes and the like. I wanted a pair for Alis and Rolf, two students I'd met at the university. But he offered me something far better. A chance to find Yeehin, to find out if he lived or not. I took the offer.

He told me there was a chance. The USN had been humane in their advance, and had taken civilians to camps - not to die, but to make sure they didn't try any partisan activity. And young boys and men were inducted into their military schools.

I wasn't sure if this made it better or worse. My brother could have been alive, but brainwashed into thinking I was his enemy.

The first OCU bombardments forced me into hospital with a broken arm. There I met a quiet redhead called Karen. She didn't speak much, mostly just fragments of sentences about how things could have been different, how Clevain would still wait for her after all this time.

Then I met Carrion Crow. And Clevain himself.

He forced me to take him to Grey Rock, where I'd been hospitalised. But the USN got there first and blew the place.

I introduced him to Hans, and asked for news on Yeehin. None as yet.

But my time with the army brought me to Fort Morgan, and there... everything
changed.



My brother had turned up. He had deserted the USN army, and sought clemency with the OCU. Apparently he'd been forced into experiments concerning something called the Nirvana Engine, led by General Driscoll. That name seemed central. Driscoll had been responsible for Karen's "death" at the start of the war, he'd blown up the hospital at Grey Rock and now he had been in command of Yeehin.

Olson wanted to intern him for the duration of hostilities.


I wasn't being separated from my brother again.


I screamed and cried like I was five years old, ignoring everyone else.



I would have done it, too. I had a gun in my belt and god damn it I would have shot the smug bastard there and then. And anyone else who tried to stop me.

And then Maury of all people, that fat slug who had betrayed us time and again, stepped in. She suggested to Olson that imprisoning Yeehin would be shooting ourself in the foot twice. Once because he may be more likely to cooperate if he was free, and once because it wasn't humane to keep us apart.



As soon as Clevain heard the news, he stepped in too. I know now that all he wanted was intel on the Nirvana Engine, though. And a lead on Karen's location.


He was visibly angry. Both at me and Olson. That comment, he made it with such venom.



Dearest Natalie, always ready to defuse a situation. Yeehin was part of us now, but under constant surveillance.



It was just like old times.


But I knew Olson would stop at nothing to send Yeehin to the interrogators.