Love in the Skies

by thisissparta789789

In 2017, Japan is dragged into the middle of a dispute between the nations of Sarawak and Malaya. Meanwhile, two student pilots at the Yokosuka Blue Mermaids make history as the first freshmen to join the school's Advanced Air Combat Program. They both soon find themselves in the middle of the international dispute while coming of age. (AU with heavier-than-air flight.)

1. PROLOGUE 1

HISTORY OF THE WORLD UP TO 2017

The year is 1906.

The Great Pacific Earthquake causes Japan to sink, leading to the deaths of 2 million in Japan alone as the rising imperial power loses over a third of its land. Due to the widespread destruction, Japan is forced to abandon its attempts to colonize Korea, and receives assistance from the United States under Theodore Roosevelt, primarily from its Navy. This results in Theodore Roosevelt remaining popular in the US even after stepping down as President in 1908, which guarantees him a win in 1912 against William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson and establishes the Progressive Party as a major political party in the United States, making it a three-party system.

Meanwhile, in Asia, China fractures in 1907 due to the effects of the Great Pacific Earthquake, which kills over 5 million of its own residents, and both Inner and Outer Mongolia split away to form the Bogd Khaanate of Mongolia, while Tibet split away to form its own state. China's Qing dynasty collapses in 1908, which results in the Qing dynasty fleeing to the Manchu region in Northeastern China to form the Empire of Manchuria. In exchange for Mongolian support, they grant them a small strip of land running to the coast to give them a seaport. Meanwhile, in China, the Ming Dynasty makes an unexpected return under the leadership of Zhu Bohai, who commands a group of liberals and intellectuals and takes control of China in 1913 with Western and Japanese assistance. In 1913, the Treaty of Peking is signed, which recognizes Tibetan, Mongolian, and Manchurian independence in exchange for those states recognizing Ming rule over the Empire of China. The one western state to oppose this is Russia, who seeks to expand their territory and conquer these nations.

In 1913, inspired by the Treaty of Peking, Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary is pressured by Franz Ferdinand, the heir apparent to the throne, into accepting the United States of Greater Austria proposal, which divides Austria-Hungary into a semi-democratic federation. This process is completed by 1914, thus quelling fears of a pan-Slavic uprising in the region, for now. Meanwhile, the Empire of Germany faces growing unrest in the Polish-speaking areas of its empire, while Russia faces economic collapse. In 1916, Russia plunges into civil war after Vladimir Lenin is secretly returned to Russia by Germany the year before. The Poles and the Baltic peoples of Russia take the chance and declare the independence of the Polish-Baltic Commonwealth, consisting of Russian Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, in exchange for German support, in 1917.

The whole world intervenes in Russia, backing the Reformist-Tsarist government and the White Army against Lenin's Red Army. In 1920, the civil war comes to an end after many deaths and much destruction, and most of the Red Army, including Lenin, is killed or exiled. Nicholas II abdicates the throne as per the 1921 Treaty of Moscow, which places Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich on the throne as Michael II and creates a new government which strips the Tsar of most of his political power save for some nominal powers, and also guarantees the independence of the Polish-Baltic Commonwealth, a democratic republic. The Russian Civil War kills about 10 million soldiers on both sides plus 10 million civilians. In 1922, the League of Nations is formed. The US, under an isolationist Republican government, refuses to join.

In Asia, Taiwan is fully integrated into Japan as two separate prefectures, North Taiwan and South Taiwan, and all of its citizens are granted full Japanese citizenship in 1922. China's spheres of influence disappear by 1925 with the exception of Hong Kong and Macau. A cold war develops between Imperial China, who fights a short war with the French for control over Indochina and wins in 1930, and Imperial Japan. Korea and Manchuria side with Japan, while Mongolia and Tibet side with China. This cold war only gets colder after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The Philippines is split into 11 states (Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Tagalog, Bicol, Visayas, Mindanao, Manila, Cordillera, Caraga, and Negros Island), and all are admitted alongside Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico as states under the 1934 Statehood Act by the Progressive Government under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the first Progressive Party government since Theodore Roosevelt stopped being President in 1921.

In 1929, the stock market crashes, resulting in a global recession. This worsens tensions in Europe and Asia, and proves to be the breaking point for the weak Ottoman Empire. In 1930, the Great Arab Revolt occurs. Germany and Greater Austria send troops to the Ottoman Empire to fight the rebels, which eventually drags on into a civil war. In 1936, after 6 years, Greater Austria pulls out after a Russian Civil War veteran named Adolf Hitler with far-right views takes over the country through elections with the National Socialist Austrian Worker's Party (NSOAP, or Nazi Party) and ends Austrian involvement in the war. Germany pulls out in 1937 after the center-left Social Democrats take power through a snap election. The Ottoman Empire is forced to concede defeat in 1938, losing all of its territory except for its Turkish regions. Out of the ashes comes the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Kingdom of Georgia in the Caucasus and the Kingdom of Greater Arabia (which becomes the new caliphate due to the Hashemites now controlling Mecca and Medina), the Kingdom of Kurdistan, and the Republic of Israel (founded as part of a deal brokered between Arab and Jewish rebels during the war) in the Arabian peninsula. It is later revealed that Russia, the UK, and France all provided covert support to the rebels during the war, which led to the deaths of 150,000 German and 250,000 Austrian soldiers.

In Europe, Italy is taken over by Russian Civil War veteran Benito Mussolini in 1930 through his Fascist Party, which inspires other far-right movements in Europe. In 1938, Italy and Greater Austria create an alliance together. Franz Ferdinand I is powerless to stop Hitler, and dies in 1938, heartbroken and horrified at what his model state had become in just two years. Most of the Imperial Family soon leaves Greater Austria, resulting in Hitler proclaiming Greater Austria to be a republic, with him as its leader, or Fuehrer. In 1940, Germany gets into a border dispute involving Silesia with Greater Austria under Hitler, who secretly wants to take over and unify with Germany to form what he calls "The Empire of Greater Germania." However, the German public, tired of war, is opposed to responding to Hitler's acts of aggression with force. In 1942, Greater Austria and Germany agreed to turn Silesia into a neutral zone under the control of the League of Nations. In 1943, Italy tries to invade Ethiopia despite League condemnation. Greater Germany assists them after the tide turns against them. In 1945, Ethiopia is placed under Italian control. Greater Austria decides to ramp up persecution of the Jews and Slavs in the country, leading to unrest. In 1947, Greater Austria takes control of Silesia. Again, nobody responds with force.

Meanwhile in Asia, Japan grows close to the "Liberal West," while China elects its own fascist government in 1938 and grows close to Greater Austria while alienating Mongolia and Tibet. Then, in 1940, everything turns on its head when fascists within the Japanese military seize the government and install a dictatorship. Emperor Hirohito is powerless to stop the coup as it alienates Korea. On September 8, 1944, they begin a war with Korea over a dispute involving Jeju Island and Tsushima Island. Korea tries to go to China for help, but China simply joins in on the invasion on Japan's side. The League of Nations can only condemn both and kick both out. Manchuria, Tibet, and Mongolia declare war on China and Japan on September 15, but they can do little as Korea is conquered by Chinese and Japanese forces on November 29. On January 28 of 1945, China and Japan invade Manchuria and Mongolia together, and China invades Tibet alone. This causes the war to bog down into a stalemate by April.

In 1948, Hitler finally goes a step too far when he invades the Polish-Baltic Commonwealth with Italy's help, causing Germany and Russia to declare war, thus beginning the Great War. The UK and France condemn the invasion, but do nothing else. That same year, China and Japan join Greater Austria and Italy's pact. In 1949, China manages to conquer Tibet and Mongolia, so they try to invade Russia from the West with Japanese help, while Greater Austria and Italy, who have now conquered the PBC, try to invade from the East as well. This triggers the UK, the US, and France to join in. In 1950, Italian Ethiopia is conquered by British, French and local forces. In 1951, another coup, supported by the US and Emperor Hirohito, sees the Japanese fascist government overthrown and Japan switch sides. In the ensuing chaos, Japanese soldiers are massacred left and right by Chinese forces. In 1952, Axis Power forces are finally expelled from Russia. However, at the same time, the Ottoman Empire decides to join in and invade Greece and Greater Arabia before joining the Axis Powers, and the war on the Eastern European front turn into a stalemate. In 1953, China is knocked out of the war when four nuclear bombs are dropped on it by the US. However, Greater Austria retaliates by dropping two on Japan before evacuating Asia. Subsequently, China's old pre-fascist government is restored, albeit with more democracy.

In 1954, Greater Austria marches into Germany and drops a nuclear bomb on Berlin and another on Frankfurt, causing it to surrender. In 1955, the Ottoman Empire is defeated, and German colonies in Africa continue the German government in exile as Italian Libya is conquered by Anglo-Egyptian forces. Also, Greater Austria annexes Germany and invades the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland next, all of which were neutral countries. However, by now, both the US and Greater Austria have run out of available nuclear warheads, causing the war to drag on. By 1956, all are conquered. Then, in 1958, the French, British, and Americans launch a major offensive in the West, freeing the Low Countries and Switzerland. Italy is invaded from the south at the same time. In 1960, after two years of hard fighting, Italy surrenders. By now, Hitler has gone mad from aging.

In 1962, the US decides that, despite the horrific effects of nuclear weapons now being understood, it must use them against Greater Austria itself. It nukes Vienna and Budapest in June that year, killing Hitler. At the same time, a general uprising breaks out in occupied Germany and the occupied PBC. Greater Austria collapses soon after. Finally, on September 7, 1962, Greater Austria surrenders, ending the Great War for good. In the 1963 Treaty of London, Greater Austria's Imperial Family in exile is returned to power, and numerous Nazis face war crimes trials for their attempt to eradicate Jews and Slavs. This campaign, known as the Final Solution, kills 50 million "undesirables" during Nazi rule, including 10 million Jews. Nuclear weapons are never used in combat again, though the UK, France, Russia, China, Japan, India, Greater Arabia, and Germany all eventually develop their own. Greater Austria is forced to give up its nuclear weapons program, and from then on has only used nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

After the war, decolonization occurs. In 1968, India is granted independence as a unified Dominion consisting of Hindu India, Muslim India, Ceylon, and Burma. By 2004, all of Africa and all of the Asian colonies is independent through mostly peaceful means, though Portugal had to give up its colonies by force after the League of Nations threatened to sanction them for their actions in the Portuguese Colonial War, which lasted from 1977 to 1992. In 1975, China grants Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam total independence. In 1982, the Iranian Empire goes to war with Greater Arabia and the Ottoman Empire over a border dispute. The war comes to a draw in 1992, with neither side gaining or losing any territory. An uneasy peace exists between Iran and Greater Arabia to this day.

In Asia, Japan, China, Mongolia, Korea, Manchuria, and Tibet experience an economic boom in the 2000s while the US remains constant in terms of economic strength. In 2001, Islamic extremists backed by the theocratic governments of Afghanistan and Sudan attack the US and Greater Arabia, killing 10,000. This results in both countries and their allies going to war with Afghanistan and Sudan's governments and supporting pro-Western rebels, as well as a harsh condemnation of both from the League of Nations. In 2002, both of their governments are overthrown and replaced with democratic ones as an insurgency by extremists begins to brew in both countries. In 2006, a civil war breaks out in Iran between the government and extremist Sunnis who back the insurgencies in Sudan and Afghanistan. The civil war ends in 2014 with the defeat of the extremists. Major combat operations end in Sudan and Afghanistan in 2015 after extremists are reduced to minuscule numbers.

In 2017, Japan would find itself involved in a brewing conflict between Sarawak, ruled by the White Rajahs, and Malaya, which sought to include the country into its own. Japan would have to come to a decision on whether or not to intervene, since nobody else wanted to at the time due to more pressing matters in Africa concerning a refugee crisis involving a civil war between extremists and the Kingdom of Libya and the Republic of Tunisia. Should they defend Sarawak, or let Malaya steamroll over it not if, but when, war came?