Author's note: Again, I'm not dead. So here's chapter 2 version II. A fair warning, however, this is significantly larger than the first chapter. So here goes...
Update notices
-(12/28/16): Restructured the chapter and broke up several sentence chunks. Also fixed a logical error and a few tense errors.
-(1/20/17): Fixed a minor historical error.
-(3/7/17): Fixed a VERY serious error regarding the "comfort women" and the conditions of their servitude. I sincerely apologize if any readers were offended by my original description.
September 15th, 1942
Skies near Eastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea
1320 Hours
The volcanic peaks that dotted Rabaul came into focus as Suki and the rest of the flight neared the area.
"Kyoshi Two to Lead, are you alright."
"I'm fine, Takara," Suki replied. In all honesty, she was unharmed. Her Zero, however, had not fared so well. Apart from all the holes in its right wing and fuselage, The cables controlling the right aileron, rudder and elevators were damaged, rendering the controls sluggish. She'd even gone as far as to open the canopy in case she lost control and needed to bail out.
"There's an emergency landing strip at Malaguna, I'll land there. You head back to base with the rest of the flight."
"Understood," Takara replied as she broke away and turned north towards the airbase. The remaining pilots followed suit, leaving Suki alone as she continued on towards Malaguna.
Malaguna was a cluster of villages about three miles south of Rabaul. When the Japanese first occupied the area, they had built an airfield adjacent to Simpson Harbor, complete with an anti-aircraft battery outpost and a seaplane base.
They had also dug storage tunnels near the airfield to house various parts for Navy aircraft, designating it as an emergency airfield.
Suki descended to 60 meters and approached the airfield from the east, crossing over Simpson Harbor where to her mild shock, a plethora of warships were currently anchored.
Near the mouth of the harbor, an IJN destroyer squadron detachment lay at rest near the shore. It seemed to consist of a Sendai-class light cruiser and its accompaniment of eight Kagero-class destroyers. There were also two of the newer Akizuki-class anti-aircraft destroyers anchored nearby, their 10cm dual-purpose guns trained skywards.
The closer she got to Rabaul, the bigger the ships got. Amid the aircraft carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, a pair of Takao-class heavy cruisers, the battleships Nagato and Mutsu, and the battlecruiser Amagi, an even larger behemoth was situated in the harbor.
This leviathan dwarfed even the carriers. A tower bridge sporting a wide-armed rangefinder rose above a superstructure bristling with anti–aircraft and dual–purpose guns, along with a large funnel, a tripod mast, and a small aft rangefinder behind it. Also notable were the ship's three large main gun turrets, two forward, one aft, that each had three long barrels protruding from it.
The men on the deck seemed almost like ants scurrying around a giant colony of welded steel and rivets.
This was Suki's first glimpse of the super-battleship Yamato, pride and flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. With the ship that big, it deserved both its name and its title without a doubt. Only a ship that powerful would bear the oldest, most ancient name bestowed upon Japan.
Turning towards the emergency strip, she lowered the flaps and landing gear, and leaned forward on the stick. Her Zero shook wildly as it descended, owing to the severe damage dealt to its airframe.
She jerked the column to the right to level the fighter out. Although the controls were slow to respond, she was able to right the plane just in time before it touched down and rolled down the runway until, with enough pressure on the brakes, Suki was able to bring it to a stop.
As she switched off the engine and exited the cockpit, a truck carrying a group of repairmen sped towards her. She walked along the left wing of her fighter and jumped down as the repairmen disembarked from their truck and approached the plane.
"Are you with the Kyoshi Kokutai?" One of them, a brown-haired man with goggles, inquired as he examined the war fans painted on the Zero's tail.
"Yes, I am," Suki replied matter-of-factly, "And you are?"
The man grinned, "I'm the Chief Repairman here. Petty Officer Satoru Iwamatsu at your service," he introduced himself enthusiastically. Despite his high-ranking position, Satoru had a somewhat youthful appearance. To Suki, he seemed a little over eighteen years old.
"So, what can my men and I do for you?"
"Well, my fighter has a bit of battle damage that needs attending to."
Suki walked around her plane with Satoru and his men following her,
"There," she pointed first to the right wing, riddled with 50-caliber bullet holes, "and there," and then to the equally perforated fuselage.
"Wow," Satoru remarked after letting out a low whistle, "Run into a lot of Yankees today?"
"Yes. Apart from that, the ailerons, rudder and elevators were a little sluggish, so I think you might want to replace the cables there."
"No worries. Should take a little under a day. The bullet damage, however, might take a little longer to fix."
"Hey, as long as you get my fighter back in the air, I'll be happy."
"Good. Alright men," Satoru turned to his fellow repairmen, "Let's get to work."
One officer hitched the Zero to the truck by its tailwheel and, with the help of some of the other repairmen, moved the fighter to a revetment to begin repairs.
"We'll have someone ferry it to your airfield once the repairs are done," Satoru informed his newest customer.
"Thank you," Suki bowed slightly as a sign of appreciation.
"Anything else you need?" he asked.
"Well, I do need to get back to base."
"We've got a couple of captured Jeeps. You can use one of those."
Satoru led the Lieutenant to a small motor pool full of captured Allied vehicles, among which was a slightly battered Willys Jeep.
She got in and started it,
"Thanks for your help, Satoru."
"Anytime."
With a final wave to Satoru, Suki shifted the gear into drive, drove off the airfield, and turned left onto the Malaguna Road towards Rabaul.
It wasn't long before she reached Rabaul. To her chagrin, she would have to drive through the western part of the township to reach Lakunai.
Rabaul was divided into two sectors, with the Japanese Army controlling the West sector and the IJN controlling the East sector.
The Army-controlled area was notorious for housing several brothels, where "comfort women" were forced to offer sexual services to the occupying forces.
Suki carefully navigated the jeep through the streets, ignoring the various catcalls and jeers from several Japanese soldiers, some of whom were intoxicated.
Life in the military had always been rough for her and her fellow pilots. Though thankfully, the abuse they suffered was mostly verbal.
Of course, there was always one cocky soldier who would try to have his way with one of them only to find himself being thrown over the girl's shoulder and landing flat on his back with the girl either long gone or pointing her katana at his jugular.
Needless to say, the pilots of the Kyoshi Kokutai, like all sailors and pilots in the IJN, practiced martial arts such as judo and kendo. Though such arts were often ineffective in the air, they proved handy self-defense mechanisms on the ground, especially against sexist over-confident soldiers.
Suki herself had fended off two such soldiers one night in April, when the Kokutai had first been deployed to Rabaul for the New Guinea campaign. But that had been solely in self defense. It wouldn't do to attack the drunkards currently heckling her, given that it would paint her as the aggressor. And the IJA would surely weigh the circumstances against her if she was court-martialed.
So, she kept her eyes firmly on the road until she entered the IJN-controlled area, marked by the New Guinea club, which served as the Navy's headquarters in the region.
A few minutes later, she turned into Lakunai Airfield.
The rest of her flight had already landed. Ground personnel were milling about, repairing, rearming, and refueling their Zeros for the next mission.
It was about now that Suki realized how fatigued she was. The exertion it took to keep her damaged Zero in the air had taken its toll on her. Oh, how she looked forward to a nap. She dragged herself towards the barracks, eager to collapse on her bunk.
The first warrior to greet her was Takara. The oldest of the girls, at age 24, she hailed from a small town in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu Island. The Hayashida family had Navy blood in it, with Takara's grandfather commanding a gunboat during the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894, and her father serving as a naval gunner aboard Admiral Togo's flagship Mikasa during the historic Battle of Tsushima against the Russians in 1905.
Currently, she seemed to be scrutinizing Suki like a nurse checking over her patient. This was normal, since she often made a point to talk to each and every one of her fellow pilots after each sortie to see if they were alright. Because of this, she was adored by the rest of the Kokutai, who often called her "Mother Takara."
"Feeling alright, Suki?" she asked.
"Yes, Haha-ue" Suki deadpanned with a roll of her dark blue eyes, "I'm fine." Though Takara's caring nature was appreciated, at times it could get rather annoying. Especially when the recipient was utterly exhausted.
"Good," Takara's face segued into a smile, "Because this just came in," she held out a letter for Suki, who opened it and read:
Addressed to Lieutenant Suki Nakamura, Commander of Kyoshi Kokutai,
Allow me to congratulate you and your Kokutai on another successful mission. Your distinguished service brings great honor to the people of Japan.
For said service, I wish to invite you to dine with my fellow staff officers and I tonight at 7:30 PM aboard the battleship Yamato.
I look forward to meeting you in person.
-Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
C-in-C of the Imperial Japanese Navy
This wasn't the first time she'd received correspondence from the leader of the IJN. She'd received a similar note of congratulations after the Port Moresby campaign.
Of course, this was entirely different. She'd never actually met the man. Oh boy, she was going to need to make herself look presentable for this.
But, first things first, a nice long nap.
Lakunai Airfield
Officer's Barracks
Bathroom
1845 hours
"Suki," Takara's motherly voice penetrated the bathroom from outside, "The dinner's in forty-five minutes! You'd better get going!"
"Okay!" Suki shouted back exasperatedly, "Let me just finish getting ready!"
She took one last look at her reflection in the mirror. She had traded her green flight suit for a blue officer's uniform only worn on formal occasions and she had removed her face paint, exposing its alabaster skin. An officer's cap sat atop her head, with her chin length auburn hair flowing down.
Like a typical naval officer, she had her katana at her side. However, unlike the typical showa-to swords, which were mass-produced using non-traditional methods, Suki's was a pure Nihonto, forged from folded steel during the Bakumatsu period of the 1860s and carried by her maternal great-grandfather, Hinata Nakamura, into battle against the Shogun's forces during the Boshin War.
Her mother had presented it to her a year earlier before she departed for battle. Since then, Suki had always kept it with her, on the ground and in the air. Apart from serving as a reminder of home, the katana also served as her anchor of sorts to her traditionalistic roots and her family's legacy. She cared for it with the same devotion that a Samurai would bestow upon his sword, keeping it clean and polished when she wasn't using it in her daily kendo exercises.
Suki turned away, opened the bathroom door, and prepared to go out for a long night of dining with Japanese officers way above her rank and pay grade.
What was there to worry about?
Simpson Harbour
1920 hours
With slight trepidation, despite her cool exterior, Suki walked up the ramp leading onto the deck of Yamato.
Stepping foot onto the giant battleship, she failed to hold back a gasp. If the ship was large from the air, it was truly a sight to behold on the ground. Everything about Yamato, from its giant triple gun turrets to its tall tower bridge, spoke of supremacy and raw power. How could the shipyards in Kure produce something so menacing yet so elegant?
As Suki walked aft past the forward two main turrets, she saw three officers talking near an open stairway that led below decks. One she recognized as Admiral Yamamoto, having seen photographs of him. The other two were completely different from one another: one being older, short, and squat with a grey beard and the other seeming a little older than herself, rather tall and somewhat lanky with short black hair framing his face.
He noticed Suki and muttered something to Yamamoto, who turned to face her,
"Ah. Lieutenant Nakamura, I presume?"
Suki bowed as a sign of respect,
"It's an honor to meet you at last, Admiral."
Yamamoto chuckled and returned the bow,
"Please. The honor is all mine."
He took her hand and shook it vigorously before gesturing to the other two officers,
"Allow me to introduce two of our distinguished guests: Captain Iroh Takahashi, skipper of the battleship Nagato, and an old friend of mine," the old man nodded towards her with a benevolent smile on his face, "and his nephew, Commander Zuko Takahashi, skipper of the destroyer Tokitsukaze," the taller officer smiled awkwardly and bowed stiffly.
"Well, shall we head to dinner?" Yamamoto continued,
"Lead the way, old friend," Iroh responded with a smile.
The two men descended below decks.
"After you," Zuko muttered. To Suki, he looked quite nervous. Either he was socially inept or he'd never met a girl in his line of work. Probably both.
She grinned before thanking him and walking down the stairs.
IJN Yamato
Officers' Dining Room
2000 hours
Dinner had been a nice affair. Suki had found herself sitting between Zuko and a rather friendly man who had introduced himself as Commander Tameichi Hara, skipper of the destroyer Amatsukaze, and assigned to the 16th Destroyer Division, which also included Zuko's Tokitsukaze and the destroyers Yukikaze and Hatsukaze, all of which belonged to the Kagero-class.
Through the conversations with the two, she had learned some interesting things about Zuko himself. From what he'd told her, at age twenty-six, he was apparently the youngest destroyer skipper in the entire Navy and the Tokitsukaze was his first command.
Whilst discussing his past, Suki's eyes had drifted a scar that ran across his left cheek and looked like it had been administered by a blade of some sort. Zuko had noticed her staring and seemed to tense up. Perhaps it brought him shame to talk about it. So she had averted her gaze from his injury and let him continue telling his life's story.
After graduating from Etajima in 1935, he'd originally served as a torpedo gunner aboard the destroyer Sazanami, a member of the revolutionary Fubuki-class, and had taken part in several tests of the Navy's Type 93 oxygen-driven torpedo.
It was there that he'd met Hara, whom Zuko had apparently grown to idolize after having read the former's doctrine on torpedo warfare. After several long debates over the strategies that Hara had put forth in his manual, the two had struck up a rapport that over time evolved into a friendly teacher-student relationship, with Hara helping to mentor the younger Zuko in both torpedo warfare and commanding a destroyer of his own.
In fact, after Hara had assumed command of Amatsukaze in April of 1940, Zuko had served as his XO for eight months before he was given command of Tokitsukaze that December.
Their conversations had then segued into combat histories, with both Zuko and Hara regaling Suki with stories of several battles they'd taken part in. It seemed DesDiv 16 had seen plenty of action, having accompanied the invading forces of both the Philippines in late December of 1941 and the Dutch East Indies in early 1942 (they'd paused to hear her tales of serving with the Tainan Kokutai, given that she'd helped them provide top cover during the East Indies invasion).
The division had even participated in the Battle of the Java Sea and had helped save the light aircraft carrier Ryujo from certain destruction in the Eastern Solomons. Suki felt mildly surprised that they could talk about such experiences with such gusto, especially given their long service record. She would have expected them to sound weary.
The food had been absolutely delicious, which was probably to be expected of the Combined Fleet's Commander-in-Chief. Suki had marveled at the delicacies that the Japanese Navy afforded its surface fleet officers. It was a far cry from the kind of bland food that she and her fellow pilots usually ate in the mess hall at Lakunai. Even the sake had tasted better, though Yamamoto had only allowed one small glass for each officer.
Now, Yamamoto, who sat at the end of the table, cleared his throat, causing everyone else present to fall silent.
"Now then, I wish to discuss the plans for our newest operation."
Suki looked towards Zuko with a raised eyebrow. Yamamoto's letter hadn't mentioned anything about a battle meeting. One of the officers sitting to Yamamoto's right glanced between her and his superior before clearing his throat awkwardly,
"Sir? Shouldn't we wait for-," another glance at Suki, "her to leave first?"
Yamamoto shook his head.
"Nonsense, Watanabe. As commander of one of the navy's best fighter squadrons, the Lieutenant should attend."
Watanabe scoffed, looking at Suki with apparent contempt.
Suki felt a brief spell of anger and indignation bubble up within as she glared back at Watanabe. Even in the Navy's upper ranks, the sexist culture still persisted. Granted she was often used to being ignored, but never had she been openly derided in front of someone as high-ranking as Yamamoto.
Calming herself, she averted her gaze from Watanabe and instead directed her attention to the C-in-C.
"What is this operation you mentioned, sir?"
"Our next invasion of Guadalcanal." Yamamoto replied, "Also, Lieutenant Nakamura, I wish to apologize for not explicitly telling you of this in my letter."
Suki felt utterly perplexed. Had the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Navy just apologized to her?
"A-apology accepted, sir."
"Before we discuss the invasion plan itself, Iroh," Yamamoto directed his gaze to the older man, who sat a couple of seats down the table, "You have something you wished to report, correct?"
Iroh nodded and produced a pink-colored folder from somewhere under the table. He passed it to the officer, who passed it up the table. Meanwhile, he began addressing the C-in-C,
"The reconnaissance flight from Sumatra has returned with reports on the enemy's defenses at Guadalcanal."
"I see. What do they say?" Yamamoto replied as he opened the folder and perused the document inside.
"They couldn't get close to Henderson Field for fear of being intercepted. They were, however, able to confirm a rather large presence of American warships in the area."
Iroh placed what looked like several photographs and slid them down the table to Yamamoto.
"Based on their reports, we estimate at least one aircraft carrier, two battleships, probably a North Carolina and a South Dakota, seven cruisers, and twelve destroyers."
"I see," Yamamoto examined the photos closely. "Your thoughts?"
The old captain stroked his beard contemplatively as he conveyed his thoughts,
"Considering that we've sunk three of their carriers, Lexington, Yorktown, and Hornet, and that we've supposedly put the Enterprise out of action, it's most likely that the carrier located in the region is either the Wasp or the Saratoga. Either way, I would advise caution when engaging the carrier and its aircraft."
"And the battleships?" Yamamoto pressed further.
"From the intelligence reports our spies have gathered, the North Carolina and South Dakota classes are some of the best battleships that the Americans currently have."
Suki heard one of the officers sitting across from her snort and she spared him a brief glance. From what Yamamoto had told her, this man was the Yamato's commanding officer: Rear Admiral Gehiichi Takayanagi.
"Something you'd like to add, Rear Admiral Takayanagi?" Yamamoto questioned, a stony glare on his face.
"Yes, there is," Takayanagi retorted arrogantly, "What need is there to worry about how powerful the Americans' battleships are? My ship mounts the most powerful guns ever fitted to a vessel! Why I could destroy those Yankee dogs from twenty kilometers away!" He slammed his hand on the table as he turned to face Iroh, who remained calm as ever while Takayanagi badgered him with another question, "What advantage could those pitiful ships possibly have over the might of Yamato?"
After taking a deep, calming breath, Iroh uttered an answer that silenced the overconfident officer,
"Radar."
Takayanagi looked absolutely befuddled. Iroh seemed to take this as his cue to continue,
"While both the North Carolinas and the South Dakotas have guns less powerful than those we have mounted on Yamato, the Americans have equipped both battleships with radar systems, a luxury that almost all of our ships lack. So even if your ship has superior guns, not only will the American warships see you before you get into firing range, but they'll also score more hits than you.
"Furthermore, all six ships mount nine 16-inch guns, one more barrel than our Nagatos. They have a tactical advantage over our most powerful battleship and an armament superior to our second best battleships. (A/N: Note that Amagi is a battlecruiser, not a battleship) That is why the North Carolinas and the South Dakotas are the best battleships the Americans possess."
Takayanagi scoffed once more.
"I still fail to see the importance of understanding these ships."
"Sun Tzu tells us 'he who knows his enemies and knows himself shall not be imperiled in a thousand battles.' As the commander of our Navy's most powerful warship, you would do well to remember that, Takayanagi. Otherwise, you could make a blunder that could jeopardize the life of every sailor and officer on board!"
It seemed it was highly unusual for Iroh to get angry. From what Suki saw, all of the officers, with the exception of Zuko and Yamamoto, seemed shocked at the older man's outburst. Even Takayanagi staggered back, his arrogance receding like the tides.
"Now then, Iroh," Yamamoto said, "Would you care to explain more about the American radar?"
"Gladly," Iroh curtly replied as he turned away from a subdued Takayanagi.
"From photos provided by our intelligence department, the American battleships mount their radar systems on the rear of their conning towers. While it does provide them an advantage in night fighting, if we can take their radar out, it will level the battlefield."
"Do you have a plan for ensuring this?"
"Yes, I do. It is my understanding," Iroh turned towards Zuko and Hara, "that our destroyers are capable of firing illumination shells."
Both destroyer skippers nodded in affirmation.
"What do you have in mind, Uncle?" Zuko inquired.
"The task I have in mind will require no small amount of courage on your part, nephew," Iroh replied with a smirk, earning him a roll of the eyes from the two men.
"You will need to get close enough to within firing range of the battleships and fire illuminating shells. That way, our gunners will have a clean shot."
"Well, Hara?" Yamamoto questioned, "Do you and Commander Takahashi think you can accomplish this?"
The two of them shared a glance before Hara nodded and replied,
"Yes, sir. We do however have one, shall we say, 'ace up our sleeve.'" Before we sailed here from Truk, we were joined by the four ships of Destroyer Division 17. One of their ships, the Hamakaze, is equipped with radar capable of detecting large ships at 35 kilometers away. We can use her to search for the battleships and guide the rest of our destroyers to the target."
"Excellent. But this will be dangerous. The guns on these battleships can deal severe damage to your destroyers once you are in range. You're free to launch torpedo attacks as soon as you have the enemy in sight.
"However, should you feel that your ships are in danger, you may withdraw from the action. While sinking these battleships is important, both your ships and the lives of both yourselves and your crews are just as important."
"Understood, sir," Zuko acknowledged with a determined countenance.
"Additionally," Yamamoto murmured, "We must address a numerical disparity. While we have the advantage in battleships and carriers, it seems the Americans have us outgunned when it comes to cruisers and destroyers. They have seven cruisers to our three, and twelve destroyers to our ten And if the Akizukis are to protect our carriers, that leaves us with only eight."
He turned to the officer sitting to the left of him, "Kondo, can we perhaps gather additional reinforcements?"
Vice-Admiral Nobutake Kondo nodded, produced a map and laid it out on the table.
"Three Myōkōs of Cruiser Division 5 are currently anchored in Truk, along with, among other ships, the battleships Musashi, Hiei, and Kirishima, two Mogamis from Cruiser Division 7 and eight destroyers, five Kagerōs and three Yūgumos, of Destroyer Squadron 10, along with an Agano serving as the destroyer leader.
"I can requisition the cruisers and the destroyers. That will give us seven heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and sixteen destroyers. It should take them a little under a day to arrive. I can also put the battleships on standby in case their assistance is required."
"Excellent. Have the order sent to Truk immediately. And one more thing. See if you can requisition Hiei and Kirishima as well. They're the only battleships that can keep pace with our carriers, and I want them to protect Shōkaku and Zuikaku."
"Yes, sir." Kondo stood from his chair, bowed towards Yamamoto, and exited the cabin.
"Now, we must discuss the situation in the air."
Suki noticed Yamamoto turning his gaze towards her. Suddenly, she felt herself stiffen involuntarily.
Calm down, Suki. Just don't do anything stupid.
"Lieutenant Nakamura. You and your squadron have engaged the so-called 'Cactus Air Force' in the past. What can you tell us about them?"
She took a deep breath to compose herself.
"While the Cactus Air Force does fly inferior aircraft, its pilots are highly skilled. I would go as far to say that they are some of the best opponents we have ever faced."
"How?"
A memory of her duel with the two Wildcats earlier today came to mind.
"They utilize unorthodox tactics that negate the advantages our aircraft hold over theirs."
"Such as?"
"Many of their tactics involve baiting, where one aircraft lures a Zero onto his tail while another American lines up a shot on the Zero. One such tactic is a weave maneuver, which I encountered today."
"Tell us more about this 'weave maneuver'." Yamamoto ordered.
Suki nodded and used her hands to simulate the maneuver.
"The two Yankees start out side by side. When a Zero latches on to either one of them, they turn in towards one another. After they cross paths and fly on for a certain distance, they turn back towards one another and repeat the maneuver. If the Zero follows one of the Yankees through the maneuver, the other will have a shot at it when they cross paths."
"So the difficulty that our pilots face is getting a clean shot at the Americans without putting themselves in danger of being shot down in return," Iroh observed.
"Yes, sir. That is the main problem, and it's cost me many of my squadronmates ever since we first encountered these Yankees." Suki replied.
"Lieutenant," Yamamoto said, "You and your squadron will be accompanying the fighter forces from Shokaku and Zuikaku. During the time we prepare for this invasion, you are to train with them. Instruct them on the tactics that you've shown us."
"Understood, sir."
"We'll also be sending in additional fighter and bomber squadrons. If my memory serves me correctly, the Tainan Kokutai are due to return to Rabaul tomorrow."
Suki felt positively elated at the prospects of seeing her old comrades. She grinned as she addressed Yamamoto once more.
"It will be an honor to fight alongside them again, sir."
"I'm sure it will," Yamamoto reassured her.
The cabin door opened as Admiral Kondo walked back in and sat back down next to Yamamoto.
"The order has been sent, sir," he addressed his superior, "And your request for both Hiei and Kirishima has been approved."
"Excellent," Yamamoto replied, "I will now explain the first phase of our operation. This calls for the flotilla to steam ahead to Guadalcanal and destroy the American warships anchored in the area. We can go into specifics later, but the aircraft carrier and battleships are our priority targets.
"Once that is done, while we wait for the IJA transport ships to arrive, we harass the American defenders as much as we can. We can use Yamato, Nagato, and Mutsu to bombard their inland defenses.
"Our air forces will need to support the soldiers currently deployed to the island, maintain air superiority over it, and protect the flotilla from any additional attackers."
"Any questions?" Yamamoto asked. None of the other officers said anything. Perhaps they were all tired.
"Preparations and training will commence tomorrow at 0900 hours. If all goes according to plan, we set sail for Guadalcanal on the 18th. You are dismissed."
Suki stood up with the rest of the officers, bowed, and followed Zuko and Hara out of the cabin.
Lakunai Airfield
Officer's Barracks
Suki's bunk
2120 hours
"So how did the dinner go?" Takara whispered from across the room.
"It was good," Suki muttered as she climbed into her bunk, "I'll tell you the specifics tomorrow."
"Alright, G'night."
"Night."
Suki closed her eyes and nestled into her bunk, both eager for sleep and anxious for the days to come.
Her mind was already churning with all the possible outcomes of the battle. Either this would be an easy victory for the IJN, a pyrrhic victory with significant losses on both sides but with Guadalcanal taken back, or an outright disaster with the entire flotilla being destroyed at the hands of additional American reinforcements.
Either way, with Guadalcanal serving as both the only American stronghold in the Southeast Asian region and an excellent vantage point for further conquest, the fate of the Japanese Empire would be decided with this coming battle.
Author's Note:
Whew! What a long chapter! I feel like I owe you all an apology for my absence, but at the same time I feel like I don't, given that I've endured my senior year of High School, which justifies it entirely.
First, I wish to address the addition of new characters from the show:
-Yes, I made Zuko and Iroh Japanese. Why? Well, it's for three reasons.
-First, the Fire Navy's ships kind of remind me a little of the IJN's ships. Personally, I feel that the fact that some of the Fire Navy's ships (such as Azula's) have pagoda towers for their bridges is an homage to the superstructures of some of the WWII Japanese battleships, which were essentially a tower of platforms with watch points and searchlights, often referred to as "pagoda masts."
-Second, this decision was largely based off of reading Destiny-Smasher's fanfic What I Learned at SRU, where all the ATLA characters are at a university, and Zuko, Iroh, and Azula are all Japanese and have the last name Kurosawa.
-Finally, Mako Iwamatsu, the voice of Iroh, also happened to play the role of Isoroku Yamamoto in the otherwise abominable film Pearl Harbor.
-Satoru was pretty much a given, as his name is very Japanese. I also wanted to throw in a bit of his mechanical genius side by making him the head of Malaguna's repair crews.
And for the "real life" characters:
-Isoroku Yamamoto was very much a given. He's C-in-C of the Combined Fleet and one of the most easily recognizable figureheads in the IJN.
-So was Nobutake Kondo, given that he commanded the IJN force that took part in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.
-The fact that I made Gehiichi Takayanagi arrogant is in no way a reflection of his real-life service record, which unfortunately I have little information on. In all honesty, however, if one were commanding the most powerful battleship ever built, he would probably be at least somewhat over-confident.
-Since I was adding the Japanese destroyer force to the mix with Zuko, who better to add alongside him than one of the most famous destroyer captains of the war: Tameichi Hara. I'd also read his autobiography, Japanese Destroyer Captain, and I was reminded a bit of Master Piandao's backstory in ATLA. Both men were skilled in their craft, yet also highly critical of their respective nations. Just as Piandao is a master swordsman yet doesn't see eye-to-eye with the Fire Nation, Hara was a remarkable tactician in destroyer and torpedo warfare but he also criticized Japan's handling of the Pacific War. Given that Piandao taught Zuko how to use his dual dao swords, I figured I would make Hara his mentor for commanding his own destroyer in my story.
Also, I must apologize for sudden jump to the cabin, but I have no information regarding the interior layout of Yamato. Considering that her remains at the bottom of the East China Sea are slowly sinking into the sand, it's unlikely that such information will ever surface.
Further, as far as historical changes go, the battlecruiser Amagi makes her appearance. In real life, she was never completed because her hull was severely damaged in the Great Earthquake of 1923. Here she appears as she does in the popular game World of Warships, sporting ten 16-inch guns and a pagoda mast akin to that on Nagato.
Oh, another thing, Haha-ue means "mother" in Japanese.
Finally, the Sun Tzu quote that Iroh uses comes from The Art of War.
I know I've already apologized for the delay, but I'm afraid chapter 3 will also take a rather long amount of time to finish. I've already started on it, but it does take a while to write naval battles.
Anyways, read and review, and I will catch you all next time.
One more thing with regards to my other story, Trial By Fire. Though this is my longest story, I'm afraid I'll be putting it in the back burner for the time being. Mainly because it no longer makes as much sense for Zuko, Iroh, and Azula to all be German. I'll do some more tinkering with it. But for now, it's on temporary hold.