Mud. Foul-smelling, dark red mud, mixed with things you dare not imagine. It sticks to everything. You hear the sounds of dying men all around you. Your skin crawls as you feel a rat shuffle by near you. More follow it, so many more. Dear god, so many rats. Your eyes look around, then screw shut as you back up against a broken tree stump. Flies crawl on your skin, buzz around your head. You pull your tattered, sodden kepi down over your face, then begin to sob. Thunder breaks in the distance, heralding more horridly warm, incessant rain. Somewhere in the distance, you hear a lone gunshot.

You awaken with a start, rubbing your eyes tiredly. You’re sprawled out on your cot at the training base, well, you aren’t entirely on the cot. Rather, you’re partially hanging off of it. As you raise your head, a beam of sunlight blinds you. Shaking your head, you sit up and yawn. It is already mid-morning. Thankfully, you weren’t planning on being up early anyway. You go over to your mirror and washbasin to clean yourself up. Last night was an interesting experience, Subaru and Kojima dragged you along with them and their men during their rewarded leave. You experienced a whole different side of Edo. You’d never assumed the Japanese could be such a raucous people, nor that you would be so quickly persuaded to join in the debauchery. Before you start shaving, you shake your head again, that nightmare was unusual. Perhaps it was a product of all the drinking? Either way, you’ve got nothing planned for today, so you take your time shaving.

Once you’ve finished, you head out into the training yard to see some of the men exercising. You nod to them when they salute, then you head over to the mess hall. After a bowl of rice and some coffee, you head back to the main building. At the very least, you should plan activities for the day. The coffee hasn’t chased the headache away though, perhaps you’ll just have to deal with it. It has been almost a whole week since you conducted field maneuvers with the men, perhaps you should schedule another march?

Entering he room you’ve set up as an office, you see Harp already seated, sipping on some tea as he reads a newspaper. He looks up as you enter. “Morning,” he greets you.

“Morning.” You rub your eyes as you reply. “Any interesting news?”

“Same old nonsense,” Harp replies with a chuckle. He then sits the paper down and leans forward. “I did receive a dispatch from Edo this morning, just after dawn.”

“And what’d it say?”

>>2859575
HEYO

Harp hands it to you. “The presence of Commander Stockton is requested in Edo for a meeting with the Daimyo of the Aizu Domain, in the Edo Castle.” He recites it verbatim.

“Regarding the progress of training the New Rifle Force?” You read aloud the second sentence. “Well that’s a boring name. There’s no time listed…”

“The messenger said to come as soon as you’re able.” Harp chuckles. “I think he was aware of your state of unconsciousness this morning.”

“I suppose I should go then,” you say with a raised eyebrow.

“Planning on taking anyone with you?”

>”I doubt they’re expecting anyone else.”
>”I suppose I’ll bring my sergeants.”
>”I’ll bring all 40 men. Matsudaira can see their progress for himself.”
>Write-in.

>>2859589
>>”I’ll bring all 40 men. Matsudaira can see their progress for himself.”

>>2859589
>>”I’ll bring all 40 men. Matsudaira can see their progress for himself.”

>I'll bring my Sergeants

Last time we went alone somewhere, we got captured

>>2859589
>>”I’ll bring all 40 men. Matsudaira can see their progress for himself.”

>>2859589
>”I suppose I’ll bring my sergeants.”

>>2859614
>>2859664
>>2859650
Well i guess we can make our 40 man march toward Edo surrely nothing strange or offensive will come up from entering the castle with 40 armed men.

>>2859673
It's 40 men, who swear fealty to the man we're visiting. We're essentially going there escorted by that guys own men.

The summons was for us. It would be a bit strange to cancel a training day to bring people uninvited.

If we do bring them, it should have training value.

Also, japanese hospitality rules are pretty fierce. If we bring 40 dudes, it's 40 dudes they have to see are taken care of.

>>2859715
Well we are a filthy gaijin so we don't know about that stuff. Or do we?

Anyway a good march from our barracks to the castle should be a good exercise.

>>2859682
depending for how long they have being doing this trainning i would say it's better to bring just our sergeants. But i guess i'm the minority.

>>2859747
I don't mind switching to break the tie. As long as we're not on our own.

>>2859761
It isn't a tie though, the option to bring the 40 men are winning.

>>2859589
>>”I suppose I’ll bring my sergeants.”

File: Edo Castle.jpg (41 KB, 530x480)

41 KB JPG

“I’ll bring the sergeants.” You put a fresh uniform jacket on as you speak.

“Not a bad idea,” Harp nods.

Less than ten minutes later, you, Sato, Kojima, Subaru, and Nakajima are in a horse-drawn carriage on its way to Edo. All of you have your best-looking uniforms on, which in this case means your least-worn ones, since you don’t have special dress uniforms. As you roll through the streets, the men converse amongst each other in Japanese. Well, all except for Nakajima, who speaks with you throughout most of the ride. “So what was it like fighting in the Civil War?”

“Hellish,” you reply simply. “We all thought it would be over within weeks right after it started. People made picnics and watched the opening battles from nearby. None of us knew what we were getting into.” You shrug. “Sure beat being a farmer in upstate New York.”

“New York?” Nakajima raises an eyebrow. “How do you farm in a giant city?” He pantomimes what you assume to be a large building. “Are the fields on the roofs?”

You shake your head. “I said upstate New York.” His expression of confusion doesn’t change however. “You realize that New York isn’t just a city, right?”

“Oh,” Nakajima nods. “That makes much more sense. Thank you, sir.”

“No problem.” You look out as the carriage stops in front of what you can only assume is Edo Castle. Massive, stone walls dominate your view as all of you dismount the carriage. You all walk up to the gate, and the doors swing open to reveal Hijikata flanked by two guards in traditional kimonos, carrying spears.

“Greetings, Commander Stockton.” Hijikata bows, which you return. “I see you have brought some men.”

“They’re my sergeants.” You gesture to the men. “Nakajima, Subaru, Kojima, and Sato.” You frown slightly. “I hope it’s not wrong to bring them.”

“No, of course not.” Hijikata shakes his head. “Please, follow me. Lord Matsudaira has much to discuss.”

Edo Castle is a massive complex. You learn that it is built on several tiers of fortifications, increasing in height the nearer to the center you get. The main keep is on the highest stone platform, and the building itself towers over the rest of the complex. Hijikata explains that the castle dates back to the 1600s, and that parts of it are still being expanded and modernized. Each part of the castle, or ‘ward’ as Hijikata calls them, serves a specific purpose.

File: Vice-Commander.jpg (80 KB, 515x760)

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“This is the Ninomaru,” Hijikata explains as you enter through another gate, the third you’ve gone through since you entered. He gestures around at the beautiful landscapes and buildings that occupy this area. “This is where the Shogun’s extended family, heirs, Daimyos, and other dignitaries are typically found.” He gestures to a building that looks similar to the main keep, though it is smaller by a noticeable margin. “That is the daimyo’s residence. We will be meeting Lord Matsudaira there.”

>”So the Shogun lives in the main keep. Will we be meeting him today?”
>”This place is massive. How large a garrison can it hold?”
>”This seems less like a fortress than a pleasure garden. I have a hard time believing it could weather an enemy attack.” (critique castle design)
>Write-in.

>>2859879
>”This place is massive. How large a garrison can it hold?”
>”So the Shogun lives in the main keep. Will we be meeting him today?”

>>2859879
>>”This place is massive. How large a garrison can it hold?”

>>2859879
>This seems less like a fortress than a pleasure garden. I have a hard time believing it could weather an enemy attack.” (critique castle design)

>>2859904
+1

>>2859879
>”This place is massive. How large a garrison can it hold?”
I mean, even if we are effectively meeting The President, the sheer PRESUMPTIVENESS of 'so hey, are we meeting the president?'

>>2859879
>>”This place is massive. How large a garrison can it hold?”

File: Keiki.jpg (27 KB, 276x484)

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“This place is massive.” You look around in awe. “How large a garrison can it hold?”

Hijikata chuckles as he leads you and your men toward the Daimyo’s residence. “Well, there are just over a thousand men here to guard the fortress. They are the regular garrison.” He looks back at you. “But there are enough provisions and bladed weapons to have a garrison of twenty-thousand for over a year in a siege.”

“Impressive.” You nod.

“Perhaps,” Hijikata replies. “But it is an archaic way of doing war. Your new infantry company is a testament to that, Commander.”

You hold back a chuckle. “Well, I doubt forty men with repeating rifles could besiege a fort.”

“True enough,” Hijikata says. “But fifteen-hundred men with repeating rifles, supported by cannons, and even the hardest stones may crumble.”

With that, he opens the door to the Daimyo’s residence and leads all of you inside. You remove your boots and put on slippers as you continue further into the building. Hijikata asks your sergeants to wait outside a room, then invites you in. You enter, and discover a very traditional Japanese living room, with floor mats to sit on and a low table. Sitting at the head of the table is Matsudaira Katamori, flanked by two guards. Seated at the table to his immediate right is a young man with a fierce expression. You and Hijikata enter the room and bow, which they return immediately. You are then asked to sit, which you both do.

The man whom you don’t recognize speaks up first. “Greetings, Commander Stockton. I am Matsudaira Keiki.” He extends a hand, which you shake. “I understand you have been training troops on behalf of the Aizu Domain?”

“Yes sir,” you reply.

“And how has the training been coming along?” He speaks good English, not as good as Hijikata, but better than many of your own men.

“Very well, so far. The men have mastered the basics and are taking well to more advanced concepts.”

Keiki nods, then speaks in Japanese to Katamori, who also nods, before replying. Keiki then turns again to you. “How much longer do you expect training to take?”

You shrug. “Two more weeks, maybe three.”

Keiki nods and has a brief exchange with Katamori again. “Very good. Would you be open to training more troops in the future? Perhaps even in taking a more permanent role as a contracted military advisor to the Aizu Domain?”

>”I’m a free agent, sir. I don’t plan on working permanently for anyone.” (decline)
>”I would need time to consider the offer. Could I have until the troops complete their training before I give you my answer?” (unsure)
>”I would be glad to.” (accept)
>”I don’t believe you told me what your job was, Keiki. Do you have the authority to make such a request?”
>Write-in.

>>2860307
>”I would be glad to.” (accept)

we shogun's man

>>2860307
>>”I would need time to consider the offer. Could I have until the troops complete their training before I give you my answer?” (unsure)
Need to finish this batch before we can evaluate how training another is going to go.

>>2860307
>>”I would be glad to.” (accept)
secure job with greatly increased status, what isn't there to like?

>>2860333
Nice trips

>>2860307
>”I would be glad to.” (accept)
Once we're done training with this guys, they can help us train the next larger batch of privates.

>>2860307
>”I would be glad to.” (accept)
It wouldn't be right to leave our men, specially since we know we will see action sooner rather than later

>fifteen-hundred men with repeating rifles, supported by cannons, and even the hardest stones may crumble.

That is a awfully precise number...

>>2860307
>”I would be glad to.” (accept)

Can't wait for the assassinations attemps!

“I would be glad to,” you reply with a bow.

Keiki bows as well, and is smiling when he returns to full height. “Excellent. As a sign of good will, I hereby promote you from commander to Colonel.” He then retrieves a piece of paper, covered in beautiful calligraphy. “This is an order of renovation for your training camp. After the first batch of recruits complete training, building shall commence.”

“Thank you.” You smile at the prospect of a better training camp. Though it is sufficient for 40 men, it wouldn’t hold many more it its current state.

“I understand that there are to be 1000 total rifles imported to the Aizu Domain by the end of this year.” Keiki begins speaking again. “Over all, that means a force of one thousand men will need to be trained in the use of these weapons. I also understand that you have been training your men to act as instructors in their own right, yes?”

“That’s true,” you reply. “To decrease training time and increase volume of troops.”

“Indeed.” Keiki nods. “Just as the Prussians and French did during your nation’s war of independence.” He puts a hand on the table, speaking loudly in Japanese. Moments later, a woman in a kimono brings out a plate with cups of tea on it. She sits the tea on the table, looking demurely at you before returning to wherever she came from. “Hijikata tells me that you have fought in war.” He gestures for you to drink your cup of tea, which you do.

“Yes, the Civil War.” You frown.

“If it would not be intrusive to ask, what could you tell me about the war?”

>”I’m afraid it would be too intrusive. Sorry.” (decline to speak on the subject)
>”We were spinning our wheels until Sherman decided to pull all the stops out.” (comment on the strategic aspects)
>”It was as much a clash of men as times. Old tactics versus new technology.” (comment on the tactical aspects)
>”It was Hell itself…” (comment on the horrors)
>Write-in.

>>2860402
>>”It was as much a clash of men as times. Old tactics versus new technology.” (comment on the tactical aspects)

>>2860406
Ditto
I really hope we can eventually lead a revolution against the shogunate and help create a free and democratic Japan

>>2860402
>>”It was as much a clash of men as times. Old tactics versus new technology.” (comment on the tactical aspects)

>>2860402
>”It was as much a clash of men as times. Old tactics versus new technology.” (comment on the tactical aspects)

Main thing we will be dealling with if the rumours about the british supporting the other side is true

>implying we won't get captured and "converted"

Or worst assassinated by some geisha.

>>2860402
>>”It was as much a clash of men as times. Old tactics versus new technology.” (comment on the tactical aspects)

>>2860402
>”It was as much a clash of men as times. Old tactics versus new technology.” (comment on the tactical aspects)

>>2860445
A samurai bodyguard would probably do a bit to assuage traditionalists.

>>2860456
There is always the possibility of a traditionalist trying to backstab us since we are a disgusting gaijin with coward tactics. But that is just my paranoia kicking in.

We should offer a demonstration one of these days. Maybe against some condemned criminals or bandits.

>>2860472
The bodyguard does not actually need to BE a traditionalist. Having them be a samurai at all shows respect for their status and abilities.

>>2860402
>>”It was as much a clash of men as times. Old tactics versus new technology.” (comment on the tactical aspects)

File: GatlingGunDrawing.jpg (170 KB, 929x1200)

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You sigh, taking a sip of tea before continuing. “It was as much a clash of men as it was a clash of times…” You frown, continuing. “Old tactics versus new technology. When you’ve got a line of men charging into repeating rifle fire, or worse, Gatling gun fire, you end up with unbelievably horrendous casualties.” You think back to it, getting a cold chill in the process. “So new tactics had to be devised and adopted. I was a product of that actually.” You point to yourself for emphasis. “Zouaves take old light infantry tactics that have been around since Napoleon, and modify them for modern combat. Of course weapons developed faster than we could develop tactics, so whatever war comes next will probably be just as bloody for the regular soldier.” You take another drink of tea.

“How bloody?” Keiki leans toward you, genuine concern on his face.

You shrug. “Well, there’s breech-loading artillery out there now, repeating rifles with large magazines are common and relatively inexpensive, cartridge ammunition is easier than ever to make… The people who make money on war will have a field day, no matter who wins or loses.” You pantomime the loading action of a Henry. “You could put one bullet in the air per second with some rifles. Even faster if you aren’t aiming properly.”

“How horrifying,” Keiki says under his breath. “And you saw all of this firsthand?”

You nod. “And worse. There’s far worse things in war than the battle itself…”

Keiki frowns. “Why would you ever want to do something like that again?”

A reply dies in your throat. Money? Fame? Maybe it’s just something you’re good at, so you feel the need to keep doing it. The real answer stays in the front of your mind though, so you decide to just say it. “I didn’t have anything worth going back to when I got home… Figured I’d put my skills to use.” You sigh. “Plus I really, really hate farming.”

You expect Keiki to chuckle or something, but he remains stone-faced. Katamori whispers something to him, and he whispers something back. Then he speaks. “So you would rather go back to fighting than do something you hate? I must say, that is an uncommon way of looking at the world.” He frowns for a moment, then takes a sip of tea. “I suppose it is good you do not hate the Shogunate then.” This time he chuckles, and you do too. “So you say that you have no troubles training more troops. Tell me, what if you had to lead them in genuine combat? Would you be able to do it?”

>”Why do you want to know? You seem awfully concerned with preparing for what seems like a total war.”
>”As long as they had my back as much as I’d have theirs, absolutely.”
>"I'd rather it be me leading them than someone else, honestly."
>”I don’t think I could go back to the battlefield itself, no.”
>Write-in.

>>2860491
I'd like that, even moreso if we teach them how to shoot if they teach us swordsmanship

>>2860533
>>"I'd rather it be me leading them than someone else, honestly."

>>2860533
>If they've got me, I've got them

>>2860533
>”As long as they had my back as much as I’d have theirs, absolutely.”

>>2860533
>>”As long as they had my back as much as I’d have theirs, yes

>>2860533
I really wouldn't mind doing whatever we have here then going to Africa and beyond as a mercenary training soldiers for governments hoping to modernize

>>2860533
>"I'd rather it be me leading them than someone else, honestly."

>Write in: "If anything my experience can help these men to return home. God knows i would have loved to have someone with the skill and the knowledge i have at the time that i was a serving."

>>2860533
>>"I'd rather it be me leading them than someone else, honestly."

>>2860538
That would be pretty dope not gonna lie.

>>2860533
>If I HAD to... yes, yes I could. If you're feeling me out for it, I don't think that service is on the market.
We fought and killed and could have died in a war fought over the right to hold other men in bondage. Are we willing to die in a spat over which rich aristocrat gets to be in charge? To KILL over it?

>>2860585
We still have time to play around in the Zulu war

>>2860592
>cutting Zulu warriors using our katana

do want..

>>2860613
>Not having Samurai at the Battle Of Rorke's Drift

>>2860569
Much less likely to get malaria here than in ethiopia which i think is our only real target there, i'd rather just marry into a mildly connected family here

>>2860592
>Not kicking the Brits out of Africa with the Boers.

>>2860647
FUCK the boers

>>2860647
>>2860654
Something better than kicking the Brits or the Boers out of Africa

We Kick the Africans out of Africa.

>>2860658
i vote for staying in the parts of the world where we won't die of malaria, personally

“As long as they’d have my back as much as I’d have theirs, absolutely.” You reply with no hesitation. The truth is, you’d have killed to have an experienced soldier accompanying your unit during the War. It could’ve made all the difference.

“I see,” Keiki says with a nod. “That is an honorable position for a leader to take. To back his men up with determination.”

“It’s just the right thing to do.” You shrug. “I knew officers in the War who would fight right there in the front with their men.” You chuckle, taking another sip of your tea. “It was those companies that could weather any storm. Damn shame our company didn’t have a leader like that.”

“Ah, absence of something can draw the eye to its presence all the quicker.” Keiki speaks sagely. “You are uncommon among the Westerners I have met, Colonel Stockton.”

“How so?” You raise an eyebrow.

“You speak from the heart, and with great honor.” He shakes your hand. “I look forward with great anticipation to our working together. The coming years shall test the character of everyone in the Shogunal Court, no doubt. We shall see who remains, and who crumbles.” With that, he and Katamori stand up and bid you farewell. Hijikata and you leave the Daimyo’s residence, collecting your sergeants on the way out.

You all walk to the front gate, and then after a short conversation with Hijikata, you and your men climb aboard the carriage and prepare to leave the city. The ride is relatively quiet, with your men not speaking much either to you or each other. Finally, Nakajima speaks up.

“Sir,” he begins without looking directly at you. “May I ask what happened with your meeting?”

You nod. “I met with Lord Matsudaira of Aizu, as well as a confidant of his. They gave me a more permanent role as a military advisor and instructor, and said they’re going to expand the training camp.”

Nakajima’s eyes light up. “That is very good, sir! I am glad for you.”

“Well thank you, Sergeant Nakajima.” You raise an eyebrow. He seems… Overly happy at your promotion.

“We were all quite worried that something bad might have happened.” He explains further. “That perhaps Lord Matsudaira was unimpressed with these new Western tactics.” He smiles again. “I am glad that those assumptions were wrong.” He briefly glances at Sato, who openly glares back at him. You roll your eyes, feeling the carriage speed up as it leaves the city limits of Edo.

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You are about to say something when you feel the carriage slow down rapidly. The horses in front neigh loud enough to be heard inside, and you think you hear shouts as well. “Why are we stopping?” You frown, but as you go to open the carriage door, Nakajima stops you. “There are people outside. They might be enemies.”

“One way to find out,” you reply. Thankfully the quarter-windows swing open, so you’ll be able to do this without opening the door. You remove your uniform hat, putting it on the end of your knife and sticking it out the window slowly. You swear loudly as the sound of a musket pierces the air, and a lead ball rips the hat from your knife.

“Enemy contact!” Nakajima pulls a Smith and Wesson Model 2 from his jacket pocket, and the other sergeants draw their swords. “We must fight our way out, sir.” Nakajima looks at you. “Have you brought your pistol?”

“I never leave home without it.” You grimace as you pull the Dragoon out. Well, this day just went sour really fast. You prepare to open the carriage door, cocking the hammer on your revolver. Your heart jumps as you unlatch the door and kick it open, raising your revolver at the first blurry shape that comes into view.

>>2860664
But there's nothing else interesting we can do in this time period other than Japan modernizing and then Africa

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And that's all for tonight! Now I have to go cook dinner. Next session will be tomorrow at around the same time. I'll be checking the thread off and on the thread for another few hours or thereabouts, so feel free to ask any questions or just shitpost loudly at me.

>>2860713
Thanks for running

>>2860713
Could we ever get a handcrafted rifle/pistol/sword from the Japanese people

>>2860699
Eh! Knew it.

>>2860713
Great thread and I can't wait to get into some action.

>>2860713
Thanks for running. See ye tomorrow.

Shit. If we lose any men here, we're losing our sergeants. Have to keep them all alive.

>>2860709
Eh. A shogunate victory ultimately leaves a government with no source of legitimacy whatsoever. Nominally he currently rules at the approval of the emperor, if he has to fight the emperor to keep that then effectively the Shogun Rules Because The Shogun Says so, he doesn't even have any sort of divine right. That's not a stable setup and there will be strife over it down the line.

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>>2860725
>Could we ever get a handcrafted rifle/pistol/sword from the Japanese people
That's certainly a possibility, and a very cool one at that! You'd have to perform a great number of heroic deeds though.

>>2860742
It depends on the final treaty anyways.

The boshin war was fought not because the Shogun wanted to keep power but more because the hardline pro-imperial factions did not like the former shogunate having much political power.

Note that the Shogun actually resigned, ending the shogunate before the boshin war actually started.

>>2859575
Faggot yankee

>>2860856
each dixie boy must understand that he should mind his uncle sam

A thousand men for a thousand rifles?

That sounds horrible.

At best 700 men and 1000 rifles.

Where are the reserves?

>>2862002
We still need to train enough people to get to those numbers. Till then we can requisition more when we prove our tactics and men are effective.

>>2862002
Alternatively, we could do the russian tactics: 2000 men and 1000 rifles.

Quick heads up. Session will be later than expected tonight.

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>>2862149
OOF

I'm back, session in about 20 minutes.

Your first shot splits open the head of a would-be attacker carrying a sword. You duck as a man raises a matchlock in your direction, only to be hit with two rapid shots from Nakamura’s Model 2. The other three of your sergeants exit the carriage behind you, swords at the ready. You look around, seeing two more men with matchlocks nearby, as well as an unknown number of enemies in a nearby patch of trees. The carriage driver has been killed, and lays on the road next to the horses. You avoid more enemy fire as you move toward a ditch on the side of the road. “We’re as good as dead on open ground.” You direct the men to follow you. “Take cover!”

The sergeants all follow you into the ditch, bullets whizzing over their heads as they move. Nakamura kneels beside you, occasionally peeking above the ditch to get a look at the enemy. “They must have been watching us, waiting for an opportunity.” He swears to himself.

“Who even are they?” You grimace, loading a paper cartridge into the empty chamber of your revolver.

“They call themselves Ishin Shishi.” Sato frowns as he sits upright. “Ronin and Samurai in the employ of those who wish to undermine the Shogun’s will. Cowards.”

“Well they’ve got us pinned down,” Kojima speaks with a level tone. “I suggest we attempt to flank around them and attack their musket-armed men first. Once they crumble, their swordsmen shall not be much trouble.”

“That is a foolish idea,” Sato replies. “Those of us with swords should act as a vanguard, allowing Nakamura and the Commander to shoot from safety.”

“Commander Stockton,” Subaru gets your attention. You notice that a bullet has grazed his shoulder, tearing the fabric and drawing some blood. “You brought your lever-action along, yes?”

You nod. “I did, but it’s in the luggage box on top of the carriage.”

Subaru continues. “Then if we were to keep the enemy occupied, you could get up there and get the rifle. You would have the advantage of height and rate-of-fire.”

You look to Nakajima, who nods. “While I believe your Henry could turn the tide of battle, all of the sergeants’ plans have merit. I will follow you no matter what decision you make, sir.”

You grimace. This is a bad situation…
[r] Roll a 1d20 [/r]

>”We’ll go with Kojima’s flanking plan.”
>”Sato, your idea sounds best. Keep some distance between us and them.”
>”Good thinking Subaru, I’ll get the Henry while you all cover me.”
>”Actually, I have a plan of my own.” (write-in)

File: 1451122254574.jpg (152 KB, 640x720)

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>tfw forgot to do colored text
Oops

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>2862468
>”Good thinking Subaru, I’ll get the Henry while you all cover me.”

pew pew pew

>>2862468
>>”Good thinking Subaru, I’ll get the Henry while you all cover me.”

I"m guessing we'll roll after we vote?

>>2862489
Nah, I'd be asking for a roll no matter what vote gets chosen, so go ahead and roll.

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>2862498
OOF

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>2862468
>”Good thinking Subaru, I’ll get the Henry while you all cover me

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>2862487
This

>Highest of first 3 rolls is a 9.
Oof indeed. Writing.

If the war is kicking offf so soon, we should buy some older model Springfield rifle muskets for lien infantry to displace the matchlocks

“Good thinking, Subaru.” You nod at the sergeant. “I’ll get the Henry while you all cover me.”

“Understood sir,” Subaru nods as he readies his sword. You all exit the ditch at the same time. The enemy opens fire, and you feel a musket ball graze your jacket. You don’t have time to see if it’s injured you though, as you move toward the carriage. You take some shots at the now-reloading enemies with matchlocks, narrowly missing one and hitting the other in the stomach. More musket fire erupts from the trees, and you are peppered with shards of wood as you climb the carriage to get the Henry.

You get the box open just as a round slams into it, peppering you with more broken wood. You look over to see Subaru, Sato, and Kojima charging toward the enemy, who have now emerged from the woods. The matchlock-armed man who you missed is bleeding, with his right arm below the elbow completely gone. You open the magazine of the Henry, attempting to load it with all 17 rounds. Several spill out into the case as you try to load them, causing you to swear to yourself.

Just then, you see the now one-armed enemy pull out a Colt pocket revolver and aim it at Sato. You quickly slam the magazine shut with somewhere around 13 rounds in it, then raise the rifle. You shoot the enemy in the back, but not before he can squeeze a round off. The revolver jumps in his hand, and you see Sato go down with an angry scream. He grabs his leg and shouts. You silently pray that it missed any bones. You see Nakajima step out in front of Sato, firing his revolver rapidly into the approaching enemies, two of them drop, but there are still two more coming with swords drawn. His Smith & Wesson is a six-shooter, but you have no idea how much ammo he has left. Looking over, you see that Kojima and Subaru are in a bad situation too. They’re facing against two men with swords, and holding their own quite well, but you see a couple men readying their matchlocks not far away.

Roll a 1d20

>Aim for the matchlock-armed men near Subaru and Kojima!
>Protect Nakajima while he reloads!
>Check where that bullet grazed your side, you want to be sure it isn’t too serious.
>Write-in.

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>2862541
>>Aim for the matchlock-armed men near Subaru and Kojima!

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>2862541
>Aim for the matchlock-armed men near Subaru and Kojima!

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>2862541
>>Aim for the matchlock-armed men near Subaru and Kojima!
We're dead.

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>2862541

>Aim for the matchlock-armed men near Subaru and Kojima!

we're indanger

>>2862546
>>2862560
Jesus Christ on a pogo stick

>>2862568

Good thing we're not running on crits here.

>>2862546
Oh come on..i hate d20

You take aim at the men with matchlocks aiming at Subaru and Kojima, firing rapidly. You put three rounds into the first man, causing him to scream briefly as he falls. The second man looks at his fallen comrade, then raises his matchlock at you. Thankfully you already have him in your sights, and have two rounds heading downrange by the time he pulls the trigger. The first round hits him in the shoulder, with the other hitting him square in the forehead. He does manage to get a round of his own downrange, and it zips over your head loudly. You look back over at Subaru and Kojima, who have now managed to take care of their most immediate foes.

Looking over, you see Nakajima reloading his revolver. He slams it closed just before an enemy takes a swing at him, and he ducks around the sword, firing two shots into the man’s chest. He stands to full height as the stricken swordsman falls to the ground, aiming at another who backs off. He seems to change his mind at the last second, and goes to charge at Nakajima, but your right-hand man closes the distance before he can swing, putting the revolver under his chin and blowing the enemy’s brains out. As more enemy fire erupts from the treeline, you gather all the ammo for your Henry that you can find, then hop off the roof of the carriage, jogging over to Nakajima.

“Excellent shooting, sir.” Nakajima compliments you as you walk up.

“You too.” You kneel in front of Sato, firing into the trees. You see a couple men fall, but you can’t tell exactly how many are in there, nor what they’re all armed with. Looking back, you see Sato holding his leg tightly to keep pressure on the wound. He’s bleeding a lot though.

Nakajima shoots into the trees as well, emptying his revolver and breaking it open to reload again. “Your orders, sir?”

>”Keep fighting the enemy. We can’t do anything until they’re gone.”
>”Help me get Sato to cover. We need to get his leg bandaged.”
>”The horses are still alive. Let’s get everyone aboard the carriage and get the Hell out of here.”
>Write-in.

>>2862590
>”The horses are still alive. Let’s get everyone aboard the carriage and get the Hell out of here.”

>>2862590
>”The horses are still alive. Let’s get everyone aboard the carriage and get the Hell out of here.”

>>2862590
>”The horses are still alive. Let’s get everyone aboard the carriage and get the Hell out of here.”
The Boys can cover his leg inside the safety of the carriage

>>2862590
>>”The horses are still alive. Let’s get everyone aboard the carriage and get the Hell out of here.”

Well, after this I think it's reasonable to never go anywhere without our full troop

You guys do realize that if we try to couch the carriage we will be a easy target right?

>>2862590
>”Keep fighting the enemy. We can’t do anything until they’re gone.”

>>2862640
The carriage is better cover than the ditch we are in

“The horses are still alive.” You look back at your carriage. “Get everyone into the carriage and let’s get the hell out of here!” You take aim at the enemies in the woods as Nakajima drags Sato back toward the carriage. It isn’t long before your sergeants are all moving toward it, so you begin walking backwards and shooting, until you bump into the shredded walls of your vehicle of salvation. “Nakajima, you drive and I’ll ride shotgun. Everyone else, in the back.” You point to the passenger compartment. “Subaru and Kojima, keep pressure on Sato’s leg wound, understood?”

“Yes sir.” They both salute you and get into the carriage as you climb atop it with Nakajima.

“Sir, I have never driven a carriage before.” Nakajima sounds horrified.

“Well, I’d imagine it’s like driving a regular horse-cart.” You put the reins in his hands. “Whip the reins up and down.” He does, and the carriage takes off quickly. “Good. Now if you have to steer, pull in the direction you want to go.”

“Of course, sir. Thank you!” He smiles as the carriage picks up speed. You look back to see several enemies exit the woods and take aim at you, only to lower their rifles. You squint. As the carriage turns a corner, you almost swear you see two men in gray uniforms step out of the woods.

It isn’t long before you are back at the training base. You bring the carriage to a stop immediately outside of the main building, ordering everyone out. “Kojima, Nakajima, carry Sato into the building.” You jog ahead of them, entering your impromptu office and clearing everything from your desk. Harp is thoroughly surprised at your quick entrance.

“What’s all this-“ He then looks down. “Stockton, you’re bleeding!”

“Yeah, Sato’s got it worse.” You grimace as Nakajima and Kojima bring him in. “Lay him here.” They lay the man on your desk as you walk over to Harp. “Go bring me any first-aid supplies we have.”

“We don’t have any,” he replies grimly.

“What do you mean we don’t have any?” You grimace as Harp shrugs. “Well shit. We have any whiskey?”

“Always, sir.” He nods.

“Get that, and any linens we aren’t using.” Harp immediately rushes out of the office.

“Nakajima, we’ll need to use your shirt.” You look over at your right-hand man.

“M-my shirt?!” Nakajima looks horrified.

“Yes, tear off your sleeve so we have something to tie the bandage down.” You fix a grim stare at your sergeant.

“Ah, of course sir.” He nods, immediately tearing the sleeve of his shirt off at the elbow.

You take the piece of fabric, walking over to Sato. You put a hand on the leg, feeling for any shattered bones. Thankfully, there aren’t any, so you’ll not have to amputate. Now it’s just a matter of putting enough linen over the wound to stop the bleeding. “H-how bad is it?” Sato looks weakly at you.

>”You’ve lost a lot of blood.” (honest/grim)
>”I’ve seen worse. Had worse actually.” (ease fears)
>”This? It’s nothing. (lighten mood/joke)
>Write-in.

>>2862656
>>”I’ve seen worse. Had worse actually.” (ease fears)
>>Write-in.
"Keep the pressure on the leg and we'll get you out of here alive."

>>2862654
>(professional/experienced) You have lost a lot of blood, but the shot mised your bones so we won´t have to amputate. Just take it easy and rest, sergeant.

>>2862656
>>”I’ve seen worse. Had worse actually.” (ease fears)

>>2862656
>>2862669
This

>>2862669
This

>>2862669
supportan'

“Well,” you begin. “You’ve lost a lot of blood, but the bullet missed the bone and went straight out the other side.” You grimace, looking at the entrance and exit wounds. “It’s just a matter of patching you up and letting the wounds heal, sergeant. You’ll be alright.”

“Thank you, sir.” He tries a salute, but you stop his hand.

“Save it. You need your strength.” Just as you speak, Harp returns with the whiskey and linens. You hand Sato a shot glass and fill it with the whiskey. “Drink this, it’ll make the pain easier to bear.” He downs the glass quickly, and you pour more of it in the wound and on the surrounding skin. You then cut the pant-leg off with your knife and begin wrapping the linens around tightly. After that’s done, you tie the sleeve around the whole thing and make sure it’s snug.

“Alright, let’s get this man to a proper bed,” Harp speaks next. He gets Kojima and Subaru to carry Sato out of the office, taking him to an unused room in the main building where a cot has been laid out. You make sure he’s comfortable, then assign Harp to keep an eye on him.

When you step out of the main building, you see several of your men standing around in full kit, with bayonets affixed. “Sir, we heard what happened. Should we go and look for the enemy?”

“No,” you reply. “We killed a good deal of them. They’ll likely not be back around now that we’re in a base full of armed, angry soldiers.” You cross your arms. “Get the two best horsemen here and order them to ride to Edo, inform Hijikata and Matsudaira what happened today, they’ll need to know.” Two of the men salute you, then run to the stable where you keep six horses for courier use. “Everyone else, keep a sharp lookout in case the enemy does come around. Dismissed.” With that, the rest of the men disperse, with several running back to the barracks to alert their comrades.

You lean against the main building’s wall, sighing. The wound on your side stings, but you can tell it’s nothing serious. “Sir, are you alright?” Nakajima stands in the doorway of the building, looking at you with apprehension.

“I’ll live, I think.” You grin slightly. “So how was your first taste of combat?”

“I… I do not know. I feel many things right now…” He looks away, grimacing. “When I shot the men who were attacking us, it almost felt good. But, now I feel sick to think about it. Is that normal, sir?”

You shrug. “As normal as anything else a soldier feels, I suppose. I felt much the same when I first went to war.” You sigh, removing your jacket to get a better look at the graze on your side. It’s bled a lot, but most of it seems to be done now. Your white shirt is ruined, which figures. You look over at Nakajima, whose expression is one of conflicted feelings. “That was some good shooting today, Sergeant.”

“Thank you, sir.” Nakajima bows lightly. “And, sir, an observation…”

“Yeah?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Modern combat looks a great deal like banditry.”

You laugh openly, putting a hand to your side wound as you do. “I suppose that’s so, Nakajima. I suppose it’s so.”

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And that's all for tonight! I'm planning on running the next session Sunday afternoon, at around the same time as normal. As always, feel free to ask any questions here until then. Hope everyone had fun tonight!

>>2862879
Thanks for running.

How will this battle affect how others see us?

>>2862879
thanks for running

>>2862879
Thanks for running.

What would had happened if we brought all 40 men?
Did our sergeants just sit in the other room waiting for our meeting to be over?

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>>2862879
>How will this battle affect how others see us?
That is to be shown later, Anon.

>What would had happened if we brought all 40 men?
A severe misunderstanding at Edo Castle. Actually I had that written out before the vote swung the other way, so you almost got to see it for yourselves.

>Did our sergeants just sit in the other room waiting for our meeting to be over?
They were given tea and treated as guests. They also may or may not have gossiped about the nature of the meeting for its entire duration.

>>2862905
Our hosts would have thought we were some attacking force i guess.

>>2862905
Will you be making a system in which we can buy weapons/specialists and other things from foreign nations, once we're given some funds by the Shogun instead of them handling all the purchases that we ask for? I'm guessing this will be unlocked, once we gain their trust, and once, you can put a system in place.

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>>2862927
I plan on it, yes. And don't read this next bit unless you wanna be spoiled about future developments in the quest: I absolutely plan on putting you in a position to make high-level decisions about the Shogunate military's doctrine, weapons, and equipment.

>>2862937
Excellent, we Last Samurai now.

>>2862937
Which faction, Imperials or the Shogun had more money/population/resources?

Imperials had the tech of course, but with us that's going to change.

>>2862944
>Union officer leading a secedation from a larger country to create a Confederation of Shoguns

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>>2862944
>Money
About the same, really.
>Population
Shogunate, by a narrow margin.
>Resources
As far as developed, ready-to-use resources, Imperials. Shogunate has decent-sized reserves ready for development though, if prospectors' reports are to be believed.

>>2862972
>Japanese gold rush

>>2862972
>>2862996
Wasnt that in 1859 and arent we in 1865? Or am I wrongly informed?

My only regret is not killing more Confederates. We'll want to see them dead soon, lest we have running enemies the whole while.

Still, more fun lessons learned. Always have an escort and always mass forces for breakouts.

I'm still holding out for Republic route at some point, but getting the Shgunate to be a reasnable fighting force should be a fun challenge.

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>>2863011
Yeah the Japanese Gold Rush was in 1859, but most of it was in the domains that now align themselves with the Emperor. A great deal of resources (strategic and otherwise) remain untapped in Shogunate-aligned territories.

>>2862972
What's our favorite union song? Is it john brown's body? If not, why isn't it john brown's body?

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>>2863019
>If not, why isn't it john brown's body?
Because it's the union version of Dixie.
>Each Dixie boy must understand that he should mind his uncle Samm

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>>2863022
And of course the auto-correct butchered it.

>>2863022
God damn I love being a Yankee

I have a feeling the Aizu are going to downplay things to prevent any bad feels between Imperials and Shogunate.

We should commence a weeb shadow haiku war. Write something nebulous enough that no one quite understands it, except the confederates.

Something like:

Grey ghosts fall as leaves
On an ocean blue and grand
They are scattered again

Grey ghosts alluding to the confederates, the blue and grand of course the Union, etc

>>2863535
grey skies are ancient
reaching forward blue prevails
yay niggers are free

>>2863535
>Weeb bantz against the Confederacy

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Just made an info pastebin. I'll try to update it at the end of every session.

https://pastebin.com/L50nUu0V

Session is still scheduled for this Sunday, around 5PM Eastern.

>>2866990
Bitching, Looking forward to showing them hicks the glory of the north once more. This time with the power of Henry and land goddesses

You frown, reading the newspaper as you drink your coffee. You are thankful that there is an English-language paper in Japan, since your attempts to learn the Japanese written language have proven fruitless. The stories are from all over the world, though they appear to focus mainly on the exploits of the British Empire. The main story is about corruption and alleged slave labor being used to build the Suez Canal in Egypt. You note that the company building the canal is French, and that the newspaper uses some rather disparaging terms to describe them. Stories from British colonies in Africa are sprinkled throughout the paper as well, and there is a notable story about the reconstruction efforts in Atlanta by the Army. On the last page, a story about a French military intervention in Indochina catches your eye.

You look up from your paper as someone enters your office. Sergeant Sato, now walking on two legs again, greets you with a bow. “Good morning, sir.”

“Morning, Sato.” You bow in return, or at least, you bow as much as you can from a seated position. “Something you’d like to talk about?”

It has been over a week since Sato was shot. You had a doctor called from Edo, who stitched and cauterized the wound. The doctor had told you that healing the wound completely could take anywhere from two weeks to a whole month. He’s been using crutches ever since, with this being the first time you’ve seen him without them.

“I understand the men are nearing the end of their training.” He frowns, leaning against the wall ever so slightly. “What will become of the Company after that?”

You shrug. “That remains up to Lord Matsudaira. He hasn’t specified beyond requesting that the Company be brought to Edo Castle upon the completion of training.”

“I see,” he trails off. You look out through the window. The warm snap is over now, and the chill of autumn is heavy in the air. All the trees have changed colors, brightening the forested hills and mountains in the distance. It reminds you just a little bit of home. The men only have perhaps another week of training, you think. You plan on conducting more maneuvers, going over more training and leadership techniques, and other assorted finalities before you bring them to the Daimyo.

You sigh. Though no more attempts have been made to attack you or your men, everyone is just a little on-edge from it. You’ve received no word from the Aizu Domain as far as an investigation into the attack, but you are certain they’ve got some response in the works. You shake your head, chasing the thoughts of that day away.

“Sir,” Sato finally speaks again. “Am… Am I to deploy with the rest of the Company once training ends? Or am I to be sent home because of my injury?” He grimaces, speaking reluctantly.

>”You’ll be instated as a member of this Company, just like the rest of the men.”
>”Your wound is still too fresh. I think you should take a break and train with the next batch.”
>”Tell you what, if you can keep up during our next march and field maneuver drill, you’ll graduate with the rest.”
>Write-in.

>>2875163
"It's my professional opinion you should take a break and train with the next batch, but I understand this is important. IF you can keep up during our next march and field maneuver drill, you'll graduate with the rest, but as a friend I honestly would prefer you didn't make the attempt, it might stress your wound."

>>2875186
+1

>>2875186
+1

>>2875159
This:
>>2875186

“Well,” you begin hesitantly. “In my professional opinion, I think you should wait and graduate with the next batch.” You frown. “But I know this is important to you, so if you feel you can keep up during maneuvers, I’ll let you.”

Sato nods slowly. “So, I will be able to graduate with the rest if I can do maneuvers?”

You sigh. “Yes. If you can complete training from this point on, you’ll graduate with everyone else.”

Sato bows. “Thank you, sir. I will not disappoint you.”

“It’s not a matter of disappointing me, Sergeant.” You lean forward, putting your elbows on your desk. “I don’t want one of my sergeants, an experienced squad leader with combat experience, to permanently injure himself. If you think you’re up to it, I won’t stop you, but don’t feel like you’re letting anyone down otherwise, understood?”

“I… Believe so, sir.” Sato frowns, a confused expression on his face. “I do not think this wound will stop me from maintaining my duties.”

“I hope you’re right, Sergeant.” You raise an eyebrow. “Did you need anything else while you’re here?”

“No sir, thank you for the opportunity.” With that, he bows. You dismiss him and he leaves your office without a word. You finish your coffee, then get a second cup as you prepare for the day’s events. You are a bit preoccupied, if you’re being honest. From worrying about Sato’s condition, to anticipating the renovations to the training camp, to watching out for any further assassination attempts, you’ve honestly been a bit distracted from your regular duties. That’s not to say the men aren’t being trained, of course, but you’ve mostly been refining things you’ve already taught, as well as delegating drills and physical training to your three able-bodied sergeants. They’ve handled their expanded authority quite well. You’ve long since explained your idea to have them all act as instructors for future cadets, and the overwhelming majority of the men seem receptive to the idea.

You finish your coffee, setting the newspaper down and leaving your office. You step out into the training yard to see your sergeants running their men through morning warm-ups. The sun is only barely above the horizon, but the men seem energized by their routine, and perhaps by the early-morning chill in the air. You hope it will be a mild winter, if the Daimyo expects you to train anyone in the next three months. You yawn, crossing your arms as you think about today’s itinerary.

>More field maneuvers. It’ll test Sato’s resolve as well as the mens’ unit cohesion.
>Teach them how to make trenches. Though Zouaves don’t typically use them, the knowledge could prove life-saving.
>Have the men build, then run through, an obstacle course.
>Foraging and wilderness survival training. Knowing how to subsist in nature will surely reduce attrition rates during long deployments.
>Write-in.

>>2875433
>Foraging and wilderness survival training. Knowing how to subsist in nature will surely reduce attrition rates during long deployments.

Its japan, I don't think Trenches would work effectively, where as Scavenging would prove to be a life savior?

>>2875433
>>Foraging and wilderness survival training. Knowing how to subsist in nature will surely reduce attrition rates during long deployments.

>>2875448
maybe not full on trench warfare battlelines but they can produce a quick somewhat fortified position.

>>2875433
>Foraging and wilderness survival training. Knowing how to subsist in nature will surely reduce attrition rates during long deployments.

>>2875433
>>Foraging and wilderness survival training. Knowing how to subsist in nature will surely reduce attrition rates during long deployments.

>>2875433
>>Foraging and wilderness survival training. Knowing how to subsist in nature will surely reduce attrition rates during long deployments.

Honestly, what we need more to train them in is how to take initiative in leadership.

Rather than wait for orders, being able to respond rapidly and coherently to attack or defend rather than merely waiting for orders from top.

>>2876397
+1, they're primarily instructors. However, we could leave that for after they have the basics on not dying.

>>2875433
>>Have the men build, then run through, an obstacle course.

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this quest is ded i think

>>2876747
Chill B. The QM writes some real good shit in comparison to the rest so i'd be willing to wait. He has long breaks between sessions and hes done this before where he has to go suddenly.

I wish he would come back to let us know what happened and when the next session would be but hey, we all can't be perfect. Can't wait to get to some actual battles.

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>>2876747
>>2876848
Sorry about the radio silence last night. I had been up for about 24 hours straight and I passed out. I'm much more well-rested today, so I'll be able to run an actual session. Next story post will be at around 4PM Eastern.

>>2876918
That doesn't sound healthy.

>>2877041
Yeah it probably isn't, but I'm on call 24/7 so it's not uncommon. Writing now.

>>2877264
Are you a prostitute?

>>2877272
Nothing that sexy, no. Private security at a criminally-understaffed site.

>>2877303
Ah, Drat. I know those struggles, Good luck.

>>2877303
What are the stats of the soilders we trained?

You decide to instruct them in wilderness survival and foraging. It’s a skill your unit had to develop in the field during the Civil War, but one that saved the company on more than one occasion.

Once the men are done with their morning exercises, you order them to assemble in the main yard, then you have everyone march to the nearest patch of woods. It is small, maybe two square miles in total, but it provides sufficient examples of what you want to teach. You first run the men through camp-building, which many of them have never even attempted before. Some of them struggle to start campfires, nearly all of them make some mistakes. Once you’ve gotten all of them over the basics of that, you decide to move on to foraging. You explain what nuts, berries, and plants are edible and where to find them, as well as the basics of hunting and trapping. You spend the next hour or so running the men through various activities related to wilderness survival, as well as navigating without aid of a compass. You teach them to skin a wild-caught rabbit, then have each squad catch and skin a couple of their own, which they cook on the campfires afterwards. As the morning progresses, the men take to their training quite well.

“Alright,” you begin. You stand up and discard the stick that until moments ago held a piece of cooked rabbit. “You’ve successfully made camp, cooked food, foraged, and sustained yourselves in the wild. Now comes a part that many units overlook.” You frown, crossing your arms. “Let’s pretend it’s the next morning, you’ve rested up and are ready to move onward. What do you do?”

One of the men speaks up. “We would pack-up our camp and move out, right?”

“Only partially correct,” you reply. “While you obviously want to pack up your essentials when you leave, many armies make the mistake of leaving the remains of their camps laying around. Burned logs from campfires, bones from animals, bodily waste, and other assorted traces of their presence.” You walk forward, arms folded behind your back. “If the enemy happens upon this area, they will know that people were here, and if they have any trackers, they would be able to tell how many, and in what direction they went.” You frown. “For any light infantry unit, the last thing you want is the enemy knowing where you are.” You point to the now-smoldering campfires. “Anything that you can’t take with you either needs to be hidden or buried, get to it.”

With that, the men immediately spring to action. The squads put their fires out and begin digging holes to bury the remnants. Nakajima’s squad seems to be the first done, and they soon have their gear packed up as well. It isn’t long before the others have followed suit, and within less than half-an-hour, everyone stands before you with their rucksacks filled and the clearing behind them empty. While an army might be able to tell someone had been here, they’d never know how many, how long ago they camped, or what direction they had left in. You nod, inspecting the clearing. It’s impressive just how much information these recruits can absorb in the span of only a couple hours. Looking down at your pocket watch, you see that it is only a quarter after 11 in the morning. You’ve got plenty of time for more training, or you could have the sergeants oversee drills while you see to other affairs, of course.

>Have them march around the countryside, just as they would after packing up camp.
>Forced march back to the training camp. Push them to the limits of their endurance.
>While you’re here in the forest, teach them to make improvised trenches and fighting positions.
>Have them return to base and let the sergeants take over for the day.
>>Write-in.

>>2877353
>While you’re here in the forest, teach them to make improvised trenches and fighting positions.
>Once they think they are done, Forced march and repeat into the night.

>>2877353
>>Have them march around the countryside, just as they would after packing up camp.
into
>Have them return to base and let the sergeants take over for the day.

>>2877353
>While you’re here in the forest, teach them to make improvised trenches and fighting positions.

>>2877355
+1

>>2877355
+1

>>2877350
I find it hard to believe an American would know the edible plants of Japan better that the Japanese.

>>2877353
>While you’re here in the forest, teach them to make improvised trenches and fighting positions.

>>2877408
>I find it hard to believe an American would know the edible plants of Japan better that the Japanese.
They could be sheltered. They apparently don't have any wilderness training.

>>2877410
I find it hard to believe an American would know about the edible plants of Japan at all, actually. It's got different plant life.

>>2877447
>I find it hard to believe an American would know about the edible plants of Japan at all, actually. It's got different plant life.
You read a book about it during the time you've spent training the men.

>>2877350
>While you’re here in the forest, teach them to make improvised trenches and fighting positions.

“Alright,” you say. “Now pretend our scouts have reported that the enemy is closing in on our position.” You gesture toward the treeline around the clearing. “They’ll have us surrounded before we have time to escape. Our only solution is to stay and defend this position. To do this, we will need some cover from enemy fire.” You begin instructing the men in various fighting positions, borrowing a field shovel from Nakajima to demonstrate.

You begin with two-man foxholes, tasking every man with finding a buddy and digging a hole. By the end of it, you have 20 holes holding all 40 men. You have the men take turns aiming their rifles over the lips of the foxholes, and you explain to them the advantages and disadvantages of such a fighting position. Next, you have them fill the foxholes in and dig a single, shallow trench around the perimeter of the clearing, putting the loose dirt they’ve dug up in front of the trench as additional cover. This is a less than ideal setup, but highly useful when time is of the essence. You then have the men deepen the trench to about waist-high, putting the displaced earth in front of the trench to create what is effectively a shoulder-high trench. Again, it’s not a proper trench, and protection isn’t even close to one that is actually shoulder-deep, but it could work in a pinch. After that, you have the men fill in the trench and prepare for a march. You figure that today is a good opportunity to test their ability to maneuver for extended periods, as well as entrench between marches.

You lead the formation out of the forest and march for about five miles, then have them entrench again, this time going for shallow foxholes designed for one man. You then have them deepen their foxholes and simulate a battle by alternating between taking cover and ‘firing’ their rifles at the enemy. This lasts for about half an hour before you have the men fill their foxholes again and continue marching. You explain to them that in this hypothetical situation, they are crossing enemy territory to raid a collection of storehouses, but that the enemy now has men pursuing them. Then you have the company march some more, this time heading north into the foothills where they will have to be careful about navigating the terrain. They march for about eight miles before you see a suitable place for more fighting positions, and you have them dig. This time you go for a full-on trench, almost five feet deep, which you have them ‘defend’ for nearly an hour.

After this, you have them fill in the trench as hastily as they can, then make them march again. This time you have them pick up the pace, moving southwest toward the nearest river. You arrive and order the men to ford it in a shallow place, of course you cross first to assess its depth, but then you have the men cross it as quickly as possible. You explain that the ‘enemy’ is now within view of your men, and shooting at them from afar. You make them march even faster, nearing a full jog now as you lead them on a winding path back toward the training camp.

However, you alter course before the training camp comes into view, turning south toward Edo and making a long loop around your camp before continuing west. You figure after a while that you’ve marched maybe ten miles since your last defensive position, so you have the men stop again and dig more fighting positions. Many of them are nearing exhaustion now, so you let them rest in their foxholes for a bit, electing to have a quick meeting with your sergeants. Looking toward the horizon, you see that the sun is low, and you figure you have maybe another hour of daylight at the most.

You sit on the lip of your foxhole, with the sergeants either sitting in or around it. “How are you holding up, Sato?” You point to his leg, which he rubs.

“It is a little bit sore, but I am more than able to keep marching, sir.”

“Good to hear,” you reply. “And how are all of your men doing?” You look around at all of your sergeants.

Kojima speaks first. “Many of them have emptied their canteens.” He frowns. “I fear they may become totally exhausted if we keep our marching speed this high.”

Subaru nods. “Mine are nearly out of water as well. They are curious how much longer you intend to march. Many of them are uneasy about being outside of camp after nightfall.”

Nakajima grimaces. “I have made my men ration their water, but they are nearly out. I recommend that we find a stream to refill our canteens, at least.”

“My men have completely run out of water.” He opens his canteen and turns it upside down, showing that it is empty. “As have I. We are ready to march at a moment’s notice, but I do not know how much longer they can keep up their pace…”

>”We’ll leave this position and go to the nearest stream, then keep marching.”
>”Tell the men to keep to their fighting positions.”
>”We’ve been marching long enough. Tell the men we’re heading back to the training camp.”
>Write-in.

>>2877505
>>”We’ll leave this position and go to the nearest stream, then keep marching.”

>>2877505
>”We’ll leave this position and go to the nearest stream, then keep marching.”

>>2877505
>”Tell the men to keep to their fighting positions.”

You won't be able to just resupply during combat, So might as well stress test them fully.

>>2877505
>Simulate canteen-filling under fire

>>2877505
>>”We’ll leave this position and go to the nearest stream, then keep marching.”

“We’ll leave this position to go fill our canteens, then keep marching.” You scoot back from the lip of the foxhole and stand up. “Make sure to let your men know that they won’t always be able to resupply in battle though, and that they should conserve water whenever possible.”

“Understood, sir.” Your sergeants go back to their respective units, and the men begin filling in their fighting positions. It isn’t long before you’re all heading toward the nearest creek. You all arrive within about five minutes, and everyone begins filling their canteens. You take the time to fill yours as well, seeing as it is almost empty. After everyone gets their fill of fresh water, you direct the men to march north. You keep the men marching for about half an hour, then as you reach a small hilltop you instruct them on making tiered defenses, with trenches at the bottom, middle, and top of the hill. You explain defense-in-depth to them, then run a drill of defending in such a manner. The men perform well enough, though a bit sluggishly from a multi-hour forced march. They successfully ‘defend’ the hill, and you have them once more fill their trenches in before moving on.

You decide to turn the formation back in the direction of the training camp as the sun falls beneath the horizon, seeing as the men have zero experience navigating at night. You decide to instruct them on some of the basics of nighttime marching and tactics on the way home, making sure to emphasize the importance of using the moonlight as opposed to lanterns and torches. Of course, you highly doubt they’ll ever be forced to march at night, but it never hurts to learn such tactics.

You decide to take a slight detour through rougher terrain, testing the men’s endurance once more before returning to base. Overwhelmingly, the men manage to keep a good pace during the remainder of the march, though it can be seen easily that quite a few of them are nearing exhaustion. You don’t blame them, this is the longest, hardest-paced march you’ve had since 1864.

Once you arrive at the base, a couple men collapse, and are quickly taken to the barracks to rest up. The rest of the men head into the mess hall to get a late supper. It is thoroughly nighttime now, and you feel sore from marching so much. You head over to the main building and enter your office, removing your field gear and sitting it on your chair. Some mail has come in, mostly from the Aizu officials in Edo. Notices of renovation, your pay stipend, other miscellaneous paperwork… You sigh and walk out of the office, heading toward your bedroom. You want to change out of this uniform and into something clean.

You do exactly that, changing into a fresh set of uniform pants and a button-up shirt, forgoing the jacket for now. You step out of your bedroom, then exit the main building. The air is chilly tonight, which makes sense since it’s the end of October now. Lean against the wall of the main building, yawning.

>Go check on those men who collapsed. It’s probably nothing, but you want to be sure.
>Return to your quarters and sleep. It’s been a long day.
>Go to the mess hall and eat with your men.
>Find Harp and see if anything happened today that you should know about.
>Write-in.

>>2877623
>Find Harp and see if anything happened today that you should know about.
then
>Go check on those men who collapsed. It’s probably nothing, but you want to be sure.

>>2877623
>Go check on those men who collapsed. It’s probably nothing, but you want to be sure.

And check up on Sato too, I bet it wasn't an easy day for him

>>2877623
>>Go to the mess hall and eat with your men.

>>2877651
This, we can check in with harp after the men.

>>2877623
>Go check on those men who collapsed. It’s probably nothing, but you want to be sure.

>>2877623
>Go check on those men who collapsed. It’s probably nothing, but you want to be sure.

>>2877623
>Go check on those men who collapsed. It’s probably nothing, but you want to be sure. AND Sato
>Find Harp and see if anything happened today that you should know about.

Those men who collapsed earlier have you a bit concerned. You want to make sure they aren’t seriously strained by today’s activities. Making a bee-line for the barracks, you step inside to see the men in question either sitting on their bed-rolls or laying down. Nakajima kneels beside one, placing a wet rag on his forehead. When he sees you, he stands and bows.

“Hello sir.”

“Nakajima,” you return the bow. “These men going to be alright?”

Nakajima nods. “They will be fine. Maybe a day’s rest should be given, but they are not hurt.” He frowns, looking at the men. “Not everyone is used to such strenuous marching. Especially when also ordered to dig trenches and the like.”

You nod. “That’s true, but it could save their lives one day.”

“I am sure of it.” Nakajima’s expression doesn’t change. “I did not imagine there were so many varieties of fighting positions.”

You chuckle. “Anything can be a fighting position if you’re resourceful enough.”

Nakajima smiles slightly. “I am sure of it, sir.”

Your attention is directed to the exhausted men again. “Have they eaten yet?”

“No sir.” Nakajima crosses his arms, nodding toward the entrance to the barracks. “I was just about to go get them some food.”

You frown. “Start off with something light. Their stomachs might be upset from so much exertion.”

“Of course, sir.” Nakajima turns to leave.

“Oh, and have you seen Sergeant Sato?”

Nakajima stops, raising an eyebrow as he looks at you. “I believe he is in the mess hall, with the rest of the men.”

>”Very well, let me help you with these mens’ meals.” (walk with Nakajima)
>”I think I’ll go see him. Make sure he’s doing well.” (visit Sato)
>”Thank you. I think I’ll leave, if you have everything covered.” (return to your quarters)
>Write-in.

Also sorry for the long delay. My car is such a piece of shit, broke down while I was getting dinner.

>>2877953
>”Very well, let me help you with these mens’ meals.” (walk with Nakajima)
>”I think I’ll go see him. Make sure he’s doing well.” (visit Sato)

>>2878002

this, we can help there and check on him if he is there

>>2877953
>”Very well, let me help you with these mens’ meals.” (walk with Nakajima)
>”I think I’ll go see him. Make sure he’s doing well.” (visit Sato)
I don't remember if I already voted or not, so I'm going to vote now.

>>2877953

>”Very well, let me help you with these mens’ meals.” (walk with Nakajima)
>”I think I’ll go see him. Make sure he’s doing well.” (visit Sato)

You walk beside Nakajima. “I’ll help you with the mens’ meals.”

Nakajima nods, matching your stride. “Thank you, sir.”

The two of you enter the mess hall and find it still crowded. The men talk happily, eating large portions. You look over at Sato to see him happily talking in Japanese to the members of his squad. He says something and they all chuckle. You figure it’d be best to not bother him right now, since he’s obviously doing alright. The two of you walk up to the man serving food and get several bowls of rice for the men, along with a pitcher of water and several cups. On the way out, you decide to stop by Sato’s table just to be certain he’s okay.

“Sato,” you greet him.

“Ah, Colonel Stockton.” He bows. “Who is the rice for?”

“Those four men who collapsed from exhaustion after we got back.” You look to the front door, then back to Sato. “Just wanted to be sure you were alright, what with the leg and all.”

“Ah, yes.” He grins. “The leg is giving me no troubles, sir. Thank you.”

“No problem, Sergeant.” You bow to him, then return to Nakajima.

As the two of you exit the mess hall, Nakajima looks over his shoulder before speaking. “You intend to let him graduate with the rest of us, sir?”

“I do.”

Nakajima frowns. “Even… Even with his injuries?”

“Yes. As long as he can keep up, I see no reason to hold him back.” You shrug. “I’ve seen men fight in battle with worse injuries. Plus if he could keep up with today’s training, why not allow him to continue, right?”

Nakajima nods. “That makes sense, sir.” He doesn’t say anything else until you both get to the barracks and hand the food out to the men. They eat vigorously, enjoying what has turned out to only be the second meal of the day. You and Nakajima take the used bowls after the men finish, carrying them toward the mess hall to be cleaned. The mess hall has cleared out almost entirely in the twenty or so minutes it took for the men to eat their rice. As you both return the bowls and prepare to leave, Nakajima gets your attention. “Sir, have you eaten supper yet? You should get some food here if you have not.”

Upon hearing his words, you feel your stomach grumble. You’ve mostly eaten suppers either with Harp, or alone in your quarters while here, never in the mess hall with the rest of the company though.

>”Oh, I’m fine.” (leave)
>”I haven’t actually.” (eat in the mess hall)
>Write-in.

>>2878102
>>”I haven’t actually.” (eat in the mess hall)
I'm thinking all of this, will have a impact in the future. Since the soldiers will be trainers later on, and they will also copy us in 'being one of the men' with their own troops. Making the bonds between officer and solider stronger.

>>2878102
>>”I haven’t actually.” (eat in the mess hall)

Question, whats their diet like? What rice are they eating? Is it brown rice?

>>2878102
>”I haven’t actually.” (eat in the mess hall)

>>2878102
>>”I haven’t actually.” (eat in the mess hall)

>>2878102
>”I haven’t actually.” (eat in the mess hall)

“I haven’t, actually.” You grimace, realizing just how hungry you actually are.

Nakajima speaks in Japanese to the cooks, and they quickly produce two bowls of what appears to be rice topped with meat and onions. Nakajima takes a bowl, then hands one to you. “Shall we sit, sir?” He gestures to the nearest table. You both go over and sit across from each other. The few soldiers still here speak quietly to each other, not paying much attention to you.

“This looks good.” You look at the bowl in front of you. You look over at Nakajima, who produces a set of sticks and deftly cradles them in his fingers, scooping the food into his mouth. You look down and notice an identical set of sticks sitting in your bowl, laying atop the beef with the wide end sticking just over the lip of the bowl. “How exactly do I use these?” You frown as you pick the sticks up.

Nakajima raises an eyebrow in amusement as you struggle. “You do not know how to use chopsticks, sir?”

You grimace in concentration, trying to stab a piece of beef. “No I do not, Sergeant.”

Nakajima chuckles, setting his sticks down. “Eating is very important in Japan, sir. It would be wise to learn proper etiquette in case you are invited to dinner with Lord Matsudaira or his peers.” He puts a hand out. “May I teach you?”

You sigh. “Please do.”

Without another word, Nakajima grabs your hand, moving the sticks in your fingers. You’re surprised at how soft his hands are, for a soldier and samurai. “First, you want to balance them here, like this.” He positions the sticks in a peculiar, somewhat uncomfortable position. “Use them like extensions of your fingers, to pinch your food.” He guides your hand to the bowl, forcing you to grab a chunk of beef. “Like that. Now when I let go, try to keep the sticks the way they are.”

He lets go, and you struggle to keep pressure on the piece of beef. Slowly, you bring it to your mouth and eat it, your hand shaking from the strain the whole time. You sigh as you chew the beef.

“See? It is easy once you learn the basics.” Nakajima smiles good-naturedly.

You struggle to pick up another piece of beef, feeling sweat bead of your forehead. “Yeah, e-easy.” You go like that for a little while, slowly getting better at it. Once you’ve gotten to the rice, you discover something amazing. The rice sticks together, and you can just scoop it up with the sticks like a spoon.

It isn’t long before you’ve finished your meal, which was quite good. You look over to see that Nakajima has long-since finished his, however. He raises an eyebrow as you finish your bowl, sitting the chopsticks on top of the bowl. “One other thing, sir.” He points to your bowl. “Lay the chopsticks in the bowl, not on top.”

“Ah, thank you.” You do as your sergeant instructs.

“Of course, sir.” He bows lightly.

>”So how did such a young man become an English-speaking Samurai anyway?” (ask about Nakajima)
>”There’s quite a bit of complicated etiquette for eating here…” (comment on Japanese eating habits)
>”Well, I think I’ll retire for the night.” (leave)
>Write-in.

>>2878219
>”So how did such a young man become an English-speaking Samurai anyway?” (ask about Nakajima)

>>2878224
>>”So how did such a young man become an English-speaking Samurai anyway?” (ask about Nakajima)

>>2878224
>”So how did such a young man become an English-speaking Samurai anyway?” (ask about Nakajima)

>>2878219
>”So how did such a young man become an English-speaking Samurai anyway?” (ask about Nakajima)

>>2878224
>”There’s quite a bit of complicated etiquette for eating here…” (comment on Japanese eating habits)

File: Spoiler Image (170 KB, 392x411)

170 KB JPG

>>2878219
>You’re surprised at how soft his hands are, for a soldier and samurai.
N-no homo.

>”So how did such a young man become an English-speaking Samurai anyway?” (ask about Nakajima)

>>2878219
>”So how did such a young man become an English-speaking Samurai anyway?” (ask about Nakajima)

“So how did someone so young become a member of the Shinsengumi, as well as learn English?” You raise an eyebrow, resting your elbows on the table.

Nakajima frowns, looking away before shrugging. “Well I was born into a Samurai family. It is not uncommon for boys to be taught swordplay and Bushido at an early age.” He looks at you. “And as far as learning English, I was taught the language during my time with the Shinsengumi.” He puts his hands together, twiddling his thumbs. “Certain posts act as bodyguards and shore security for Westerners. I was never assigned to such a post though. My job was akin to that of a clerk.”

You raise an eyebrow. “You were a bookkeeper?”

He shakes his head. “Well… Not quite. My job was to go along with the regular Shinsengumi squads and record what happened after the fact. I wrote mission reports.”

“I see.” You nod. “Wait, how old are you?”

He grimaces, looking away. “Do you promise you will not send me away?”

You sigh. You’d encountered plenty of young lads during the Civil War. Not just drummer boys, but artillerists, message runners, even frontline troops as young as fourteen in some cases. “I won’t send away my right-hand man.”

Nakajima nods. “I am sixteen.” He sighs. “Nobody in the Shinsengumi knew my real age.”

You frown. “I thought there were a lot of Samurai being trained from a young age.”

“Yes, but I never would have been given a field assignment at such a young age.” He frowns. “So I had to lie to even be sent with the field teams.”

“Well, it’s really of no consequence to me, especially with the quality of your work.” You shrug. “So I suppose just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Nakajima bows. “Thank you, sir.” He then frowns, looking around. “To be fair, sir, you do not look very old either.”

You grumble, pointing at him. “I’m 27 years old.” You grimace as he chuckles at your disdain. “I just lost a good deal of weight in the War. Still trying to put it all back on.”

“I see,” Nakajima replies. His tone becomes more serious. “Sir, do you think a war such as the one you fought in will happen in Japan?”

>”I honestly doubt any war this nation produces could rival the scale of the Civil War.” (calculating)
>”Certainly not. This country is far too peaceful for such savagery.” (optimistic)
>”With how quickly Matsudaira wants to modernize and expand the Shogunal army, it seems inevitable. You don’t build an army like that for no reason.” (pessimistic)
>Write-in.

>>2878395
>>”With how quickly Matsudaira wants to modernize and expand the Shogunal army, it seems inevitable. You don’t build an army like that for no reason.” (pessimistic)
It makes the most sense. There's also how we recently fought Confederates with the Imperials.
We could take this in a different tone.

>>2878395
>>”I honestly doubt any war this nation produces could rival the scale of the Civil War.” (calculating)
>>Write-in
"But even if it doesn't, it sure does not hurt to prepare our best for it. The more ready we are for war, the less we will bleed and the faster the war will be over. You must not forget that ultimately, you will be fighting your own countrymen. And it does your nation no favours to slaughter or burn them to the ground."

>>2878395
>>”With how quickly Matsudaira wants to modernize and expand the Shogunal army, it seems inevitable. You don’t build an army like that for no reason.” (pessimistic)

>>2878437
This

>>2878437
support

>>2878395
>”With how quickly Matsudaira wants to modernize and expand the Shogunal army, it seems inevitable. You don’t build an army like that for no reason.” (pessimistic)

>>2878408
Switch to >>2878437

>>2878395
>. And it does your nation no favours to slaughter or burn them to the ground."
What would General Sherman have to say about this?

>>2878395
>”I honestly doubt any war this nation produces could rival the scale of the Civil War.” (calculating)
The geography is just too thin. Any serious breakthroughs would just win the war instead of a series of thrusts and counterthrusts.

>>2878468
you ain't putting your back into it Boi, Get them torches hotter

>>2878468
>>>2878395# Meant >>2878437

>>2878477
"And don't forget the grains! Always remember to loot the grains!"

>>2878498
Or burn it all, I really don't care. Just make sure nothing is left for the dogs to eat

>>2878498
It can make sense. If hes been through the hell, he might not want to see it done again.

“As severe as the Civil War? Not likely.” You shake your head. “This nation just doesn’t have what it would take for a war of that severity.”

Nakajima raises an eyebrow. “How so?”

You pantomime the shape of the main Japanese island with your hand. “First off, geography. The main island just isn’t big enough for such a war.” You lean forward. “Plus I don’t think you truly understand the scale of the Civil War in America. Let me give you some perspective.” Before your next statement, you sigh, rubbing the bridge of your nose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YJIvuTWGQw

“The Battle of Gettysburg began on the first of July, 1863. Around a hundred eighty thousand men collectively fought there. Picture that for a second, nearly two hundred thousand men on the same battlefield. All of them fighting one-another. Artillery sending shells overhead, exploding amongst formations of men.” You grimace. “Cavalry tearing into ranks of infantry, charging into bayonets and getting skewered just as badly as they skewer their enemies. Musket-armed infantry marching to within fifty yards of each other and opening up volleys. The battle lasted until the third of July.”

“How horrible…” Nakajima’s eyes widen.


“Yes, it was. Anywhere from three to seven thousand dead on our side, and at least six thousand Confederates killed. When you add wounded and missing, the number rises dramatically. It only took three days for two armies to amass casualties in excess of fifty thousand men.” You sigh. “And I don’t think I have to tell you how low the survival rate of injured men on the field is.” You rub the bridge of your nose. “Look, Sergeant. The point I’m making is that the Civil War was unfathomably destructive, hellish. I don’t think this island can even physically support a war of that size and scope.” You frown. “When Sherman marched south, he burned everything he couldn’t take with him. Burned Savannah and Atlanta to the ground. Two whole cities.” You pause to let that fact sink in. “I actually saw Atlanta briefly. Right before I went home. There is no city of Atlanta anymore.”

Nakajima swallows nervously. “I can see why you doubt such a war could happen here.”

You nod. “Glad you see my reasoning. Mind you, it never hurts to be prepared. If we’d had Grant and Sherman in charge from the beginning instead of that coward McClellan, the War might have been resolved sooner.” You shrug. “He who is willing to fight quickly will end the fight quickly.”

Nakajima’s reply is short. “I see.” You notice that he’s no longer looking directly at you.

>”Something wrong, Sergeant?”
>”You mentioned accompanying teams of Shinsengumi. Got any interesting stories?”
>”Thank you for having supper with me, Nakajima.” (leave)
>Write-in.

Also this is the last post for tonight. I'll run at around 5PM Eastern tomorrow.

>>2878572
>”Something wrong, Sergeant?”
>”You mentioned accompanying teams of Shinsengumi. Got any interesting stories?”

>>2878572
>”Something wrong, Sergeant?”

So are our guys gonna get full on Zouave uniforms?

>>2878572
>>”Something wrong, Sergeant?”

>>2878572
>”Something wrong, Sergeant?”

And if time permits

>”You mentioned accompanying teams of Shinsengumi. Got any interesting stories?”

“Something wrong, Sergeant?” You raise an eyebrow at Nakajima.

He frowns. “You… Seem troubled, sir. By the War, I think…”

You sigh. “Look, I’m fine. I just don’t want you having any misconceptions about war. It isn’t an adventure, it isn’t courageous or honorable. It’s Hell.” You lean forward. “And I genuinely hope war doesn’t come to your country, Nakajima, for everyone’s sake.”

Your sergeant takes a moment to process this, frowning as he looks away. Finally, he looks back at you. “Sir, do you ever have nightmares? About combat?”

You rub the bridge of your nose. The nightmares have been getting worse lately, if you’re being honest. Sometimes they leave you so shaken-up that you can’t get back to sleep. “I do,” you admit. “Have you had them as well?”

Nakajima nods. “They began the night after we were attacked.”

With a sigh, you speak. “I think it’s what they call the Soldier’s Heart. Nightmares, nervousness, mania…” You shake your head. “They treat it with laudanum and morphine back in America, in severe cases.”

Nakajima’s eyes widen. And he goes to speak. “Sir, you do not think-“

“I think everyone gets it a little bit.” You shrug. “I remember having nightmares after Gettysburg. After most battles, really.” You neglect to mention the severity of your more recent nightmares. “They should go away after a while, once you get adjusted to everything.”

Nakajima nods. “I see. Thank you for telling me, sir.”

You sigh.

>”Is there anything else you want to talk about, Sergeant?”
>”You mentioned going along with Shinsengumi teams on operations. See anything good?”
>”I think I will retire for the evening.” (leave)
>Write-in.

>>2879847
>>”You mentioned going along with Shinsengumi teams on operations. See anything good?

>>2879847
>>”You mentioned going along with Shinsengumi teams on operations. See anything good?”

>>2879847
>>”Is there anything else you want to talk about, Sergeant?”

>>2879847
>”Is there anything else you want to talk about, Sergeant?”

Waiting ten minutes for a tiebreaker then rolling a d2.

>>2879847
>>”Is there anything else you want to talk about, Sergeant?”

“Was there anything else you wanted to talk about, Sergeant?”

Nakajima shakes his head. “No, sir. I will not trouble you any further.”

You raise an eyebrow. “It’s no trouble.”

Nakajima sighs, clearly hesitant to speak. “I worry about the possibility of those brigands who attacked us coming back. For all we know, they could be hiding in the forests, watching us. I sometimes walk about the camp at night, and I can almost swear I feel them watching me.” He grimaces. “I believe we should post guards.”

You shake your head. “I need everyone ready for drills during the day. Posting night watchmen would lower our unit strength.” You shrug. “Besides, it’s been more than a week. Either we would’ve seen signs of them, or they would’ve tried something by now if they were still around.”

“Do you believe that they were Imperialist agents?” He frowns, leaning forward.

“There’s always a possibility.” You nod. “But it’s still nothing we need to be overly-concerned with. Any attempts at an attack would be immediately repelled. Every man here has a weapon within arms’ reach at all times.”

“Understood, sir. If you are not worried about it, I shall drop the issue.” He bows lightly. “If I may be excused, I shall go and debrief my men before they go to sleep.”

“Very well.” You salute your sergeant. “Have a good night, Nakajima.”

“You do the same, sir.” He salutes you back, then excuses himself from the table. You sit around for a couple more minutes before leaving as well, heading back to the main building. Once you arrive, you enter your office and write in your journal for a bit, then fill out some of the paperwork you’ve been sent. Much of it consists of signing simple notices, but there are some documents requiring a bit more in the way of review.

Once you take care of the documents, you decide to head back to your bedroom. You light an oil lamp, then get out one of the many books you’ve acquired on subjects pertaining to Japan. This one is a Dutch textbook about the country’s flora, fauna, and geography that was translated into English. It is incredibly wordy, but you are able to glean some basics from it. You’ve been using some of its information in your wilderness survival instruction, but you’re sure the information isn’t a hundred percent accurate.

After what feels like maybe half an hour, you close the book, preparing to snuff out the oil lamp. It isn’t terribly late into the night, but you feel that turning in may make it easier to wake rested for instructing in the morning. You yawn, looking out through the window. You don’t deny the uneasiness you feel when your eyes roam the treeline of a nearby forest. Still, there’s no way the enemy is surveying your camp.

>Go to bed. You’ve got work to do tomorrow.
>Perhaps a patrol of the camp is in order.
>Go find Harp before you call it a night. See if he has anything to report.
>Write-in.

>>2880046
>>Go find Harp before you call it a night. See if he has anything to report.

>>2880046
>Go find Harp before you call it a night. See if he has anything to report. But keep an eye out as you go

>>2880046
>>Go find Harp before you call it a night. See if he has anything to report. But keep an eye out as you go

>>2880046
>Go find Harp before you call it a night. See if he has anything to report. But keep an eye out as you go

File: Major Harp.jpg (100 KB, 850x664)

100 KB JPG

You get up from your chair and go to find Harp. You figure he’ll still be up, since he’s always slept infrequently, and at odd hours. You end up finding him in a room on the second floor, sitting by the window and smoking his pipe.

“Ah, Colonel Stockton.” He greets you as you enter. “Care for some whiskey?”

You shake your head. “I’m good, thanks. Just wanted to stop by for a status update.”

“That’s fair.” He nods. “Everything has been mostly quiet around here. A courier arrived with mail while you were on maneuvers, I saw that you already opened the parcels though.”

“Yes. Mostly paperwork, that kind of thing.” You shrug. “I suppose it’s unavoidable as an officer.”

Harp nods. “And as a company-commander no less.” He puffs on his pipe. “Other than that, it was pretty quiet around here. They’ve increased our food rations in anticipation of the next batch of recruits, I think they intend for you to train them during winter.” He grumbles a bit before continuing. “Oh, and I think you should know I overheard Naka-whatever and Sato bickering in Japanese about something before you all went on maneuvers.”

You frown. “How could you tell they were bickering?”

Harp shrugs. “They seemed even terser toward each other than normal. That Sato has always had a stick up his ass though.” He sighs. “Probably something to do with ‘samurai honor’ being better and Western ‘barbarism’ being cowardly. Same old spiel as every samurai gives when they realize they can be killed by a peasant just as easily as they can kill one.” Harp chuckles before continuing. “Oh, and I noticed someone walking around in the woods early this morning, just after sunrise, over by where that creek widens into a little pond.”

You raise an eyebrow, crossing your arms. “Only one?”

“Yes. Couldn’t get a good look at them from this distance though. Eyes aren’t exactly what they used to be, you know?” He grins.

You nod slowly. “And that’s all to report?”

“For now, yes. I have been putting out inquiries amongst my contacts in Edo, trying to find out the responsible party for the attempt of you and the Sergeants’ lives. Got a few leads, but nothing anywhere near solid.”

>”Understood. Thanks for the update.” (leave)
>”You realize Nakajima is a samurai too, right?” (dive deeper on Sato and Nakajima’s argument)
>”Who do you think was skulking around in the woods?”
>”I think you should stop asking about my attackers in Edo. Don’t want to draw any heat on yourself.”
>Write-in.

>>2880192
>”Who do you think was skulking around in the woods?”

>>2880192
>”You realize Nakajima is a samurai too, right?” (dive deeper on Sato and Nakajima’s argument)

>”I think you should stop asking about my attackers in Edo. Don’t want to draw any heat on yourself.”

>Write-in:"Explaing to him what Nakajima told us about the group that attacked us. This problem may make him end up having a conflict with some traditionalist from the shogunate."

>>2880192
>>”You realize Nakajima is a samurai too, right?” (dive deeper on Sato and Nakajima’s argument)

Rolled 3 (1d3)

1
>>2880201
2
>>2880209
3
>>2880270

>>2880209
This

>>2880192
>>”Who do you think was skulking around in the woods?”

“You realize Nakajima is a samurai too, right?”

Harp frowns, then nods. “Ah, that he is. I keep forgetting. They must’ve been arguing about something else then.”

You sigh. “I really don’t get what it could’ve been. They seem to get along well enough whenever I’m around.”

Harp chuckles. “That’s because you’re their superior. Of course they’re going to keep the lid on any feuds they have going on.” He leans forward, inhaling deeply and blowing a cloud of pipe smoke everywhere. “Your best bet for finding out would be to ask one of the other sergeants. Gossip tends to travel amongst soldiers.”

“I suppose. If it’s not bad enough for me to find out naturally, maybe it’s not worth bringing up.” You shrug, leaning against the wall.

“Infighting can be the death of a unit’s cohesion.” Harp gets very serious. “That’s why it was nipped in the bud amongst our old company. There are some aspects of command where you absolutely have to micromanage your men, conflict resolution is one such area.”

“I see. Thanks for the advice.”

Harp leans back in the chair, puffing on his pipe some more. “No problem. You’d be surprised just how much knowledge I’ve got rattling around up here.” He taps the stem of his pipe against his forehead, laughing.

You laugh with him. “That’s true. You should dispense it more often.”

“I’ll take that into consideration, Colonel.”

You yawn. “So no other news to speak of?”

“Not a bit, sir.” Harp yawns as well. “Planning to hit the hay soon?”

>”Absolutely. Good night Major.” (leave)
>”I think I’ll do a quick patrol of the grounds first. Look for any signs of strange activity.”
>”You know, I do think I’ll take you up on the whiskey you offered.” (drink with Harp)
>Write-in.

>>2880443
>>”I think I’ll do a quick patrol of the grounds first. Look for any signs of strange activity.”

>>2880443
>>”You know, I do think I’ll take you up on the whiskey you offered.” (drink with Harp)

Just a night cap. Won't hurt. Might sleep better.

>>2880443
>”I think I’ll do a quick patrol of the grounds first. Look for any signs of strange activity.”

>Write-in:"It's not like this isn't my first patrol after a intense march. If what you saw in the lake was something i would rather make sure we aren't ambushed during the night...again."

Then give him the thousand yard stare.

>>2880459
Famous last words. Also we are the coronel we need to show discipline. Even more to the japanese.

>>2880443
>>”You know, I do think I’ll take you up on the whiskey you offered.” (drink with Harp)
Gift into us your wisdom oh mighty drinker of whiskey.