Excerpt from CIA report entitled 'Dissertation of Variable craft within Imperial Japanese combined forces', delivered March 1974:
Although by all rights the maintenance and industrial quality required for the upkeep of Japanese variable craft should be detrimental to their deployment, it appears nonetheless that Imperial engineering has circumnavigated these issues judging by their prevalence along the front line. It appears that they do function more practically as military weapons than first thought, and this has thus shed more light on the incredible speed and efficiency of Japanese offensives in the Soviet Union.
The premier variable craft is, of course, the Tenzai VG70 'Tengu', which can alternate between a mid-level dogfighting and aerial interdiction craft and an infantry suppression ground vehicle. It can just as easily harass aerial patrols as it can engage in urban pacification, as demonstrated in places like Vorkuta and Vladivostok. Nevertheless, it can be considered a 'jack of all trades', adequate but not excelling in either purpose of its variable modes. The Japanese appear to compensate for this by simply producing it en-masse.
Furthermore, it cannot be stressed enough that when manned by veteran pilots, the Tengu can be an extremely lethal machine. I refer to the report delivered by Ejército del Aire officer Juan Padilla, reference ACAF-R164, for further study here. Also, judging by the preferred combat maneuvers enacted by veteran Tengu pilots in battle, it appears that Imperial air force officers seem to favor manic and reckless pilots for promotion…
"My Tengu is the one that will pierce the heavens! For there exists only one Yoshi Komino, whose manliness exerts itself across the globe!"
Yoshi Komino, pilot of the Imperial Japanese Air Force, had not joined out of any sense of patriotism or national pride like some of his compatriots—no, he had not even bothered to learn the names of previous shoguns. He had not joined because of conscription programs—no, they didn't need to force him aboard for this. He hadn't joined because his family had exerted him to, nor because he had a girl to impress. No, he had joined simply because he wanted the adrenaline to flow through his body, to pierce the heavens—to make sure that in future dictionaries, they would simply put his name next to 'manliness'.
"Please, Yoshi, can we slow down...?"
A timid voice came from behind him—his co-pilot, Tezuka, an engineering student from Tokyo University who had been conscripted as part of 'His Divine Majesty's will to bring purpose and glorious patriotic duty to those without none'. The man made it obvious in his voice and in his face, even under his flight mask, that he didn't want to be here. Well, though. Komino didn't have time for wimps.
"Listen, my friend." He grinned as he injected more fuel into the afterburners. "When they talk about the paragon of sheer masculinity and incredibleness that is myself, even in the dark future when we go back to the caves, I would not like them to include that I was saddled with a little girl like you. So forget your fears and believe in yourself, or I will believe in the eject button that will 'accidentally' send you flying into the clouds!"
Laughing manically, Komino swooped down towards the objective, alongside other Imperial fighters—down below, was Divine Sea Dragon II, one of the several majestic oceanic floating fortress platforms constructed to demonstrate the might of the Japanese Empire to all the world—this particular one was a guardian of the nation, positioned over the Marianas Trench. It appeared, from what Komino had been told, that the Allied assaults on Hawaii had been mere distractions to divert the Emperor's naval might, to allow them a strike on this platform and thus leave the door to the Home Isles. Allied vanguard strike teams had reportedly already boarded it somehow and were attempting sabotage—and that was the only part Komino really cared about.
"The mighty and tenacious Komino sees ridiculous things such as physics as mere inconvenience!" he shouted to himself as he brought the Tengu into a sharp dive towards the platform, ignoring Tezuka's pleas for sanity. He could feel the G-force pressing on him, the epinephrine flowing—yes, this is what it was all about!
"Transformation!" he hollered as the deck of the platform loomed up ahead—Tezuka retched as metal slid and gyros whirred, transforming the shape of the craft. Using its jets to stabilize itself, the Tengu configured itself into its ground suppression mode, hovering about a meter above the metal deck. Komino took a moment to test the 'limbs' of the craft before hitting the thrusters, sending it shooting forward.
"Please, Komino, we need to give the systems time to adjust!" said Tezuka hysterically as they tore along, heading towards the fusion core centers where the gunfire was coming from. Strewn along the deck below them were the bodies of Imperial Navy seamen and occasionally Allied commandos.
"The enemy is sighted!" Komino cackled, ignoring his co-pilot, as Allied soldiers and Peacekeepers came into view ahead, apparently attempting to gain access to the fusion core. "My spirit and manliness flows from man into machine! Super…Tengu…metal-slap…breaker!"
The Allied boarders had just about enough time to turn around and wonder just what this metallic shape tearing towards them at dangerously high speed was before it impacted straight into their midst, splattering them across the decks or sending them flying and smashing against metal walls. Grabbing one of them with the right 'arm' of the Tengu, Komino span the machine around before letting go, sending the commando flying across the deck and into the ocean.
"Excellent!" he grinned. "Tezuka, you pussy, what was my previous record?"
"Uh…forty-five meters, I think…could you please not do that again?"
"Ha-ha!" he laughed. "I break my own standard as this machine pierces through the atmosphere! The air currents do not direct me—I bend them through my sheer badassrey!"
"All very well and good, but…"
Allied soldiers armed with Javelin missile launchers were already moving in from another part of the platform, and began to focus their laser-based targeting systems on the Tengu when Komino sent it roaring into action, before squeezing down on the weapons trigger. Superheated slugs came spitting out of the high-powered primary weapons of the mech, cutting into the heavy weapons soldiers before they could even squeeze their triggers.
"They think their little guns scare Komino!" he bellowed, tearing over the smoldering corpses of the enemy. "Me! Who came from the mists of the home isles to bring forward…"
"Watch out!"
An enemy amphibious 'Riptide' transport moved into position ahead, opening fire with its .50 cal machinegun. Komino had just enough time to move out of the way, the high-caliber enemy rounds chipping the side of the mech, before accelerating forward, grinning widely.
"Mega…Tengu…kick-ass…tank breaker!"
Seconds before impacting into the enemy vehicle, he angled the 'legs' of the Tengu towards it, indenting the hull straight away on impact. He cut the thruster power straight away, stalling the Tengu as the enemy vehicle was knocked onto its side and sent sliding away by the impact.
"How…how did you that?" said Tezuka breathlessly.
"By kicking logic out and doing the impossible!" Komino continued grinning. "Now, who else is left? Huh? Huh?"
Across the platform, it seemed that the Allied vanguard force was being rapidly eliminated—other Tengus were clearing out cowering enemy commandos in their mecha forms, with Rocket Angels and infantry providing support. Engineering teams were now being brought onto the platform to restore it to full operational status, as naval cruisers finally began to appear by its sides.
"Hold on…" Tezuka murmured as he listened in on friendly radio chatter. "Allied naval forces are still in the area, and are deploying aerial attackers. We are to interdict."
"The spirit of Komino shall sweep the heavens of all transgressors!" laughed Komino. "Behold! I am like a leaf on the wind! A very, very badass leaf on a wind that is my bitch!"
Tezuka again struggled to contain the contents of his stomach as maximum power was diverted to the thrusters, pushing the Tengu upwards into the air. Sheets of metal again folded and repositioned as it transformed back into its aerial combat form, before shooting off to join the squadrons of other fighters moving into the skies ahead of the platform. VX SAM missiles were already shooting out from its missile batteries, now being brought back online one by one.
"We have two squadrons of enemy Vindicator precision light bombers approaching from an aircraft carrier group to the west, supported by Apollos and Sky Knight drones." Said Tezuka, not attempting to hide the nervousness in his voice.
"You think I'm going to be scared by some Yankee cowboys and their silly machines?" roared Komino. "Who the hell do you think I am?"
With that, he hit the afterburners and streaked towards the Allied aircraft coming in from the naval group visible up ahead. Flares spat from the Tengu as long-range Allied missiles shot by, confused by the EM fields being projected by the Imperial jets. Finally, as soon as the targeting computer lit up, Komino laughed as he let rip with the autocannons, sending one enemy bomber spiraling down towards the dark blue waters of the Pacific beneath them.
"I, as a warrior of the Rising Sun, shall grab said sun and bludgeon my enemies violently with it!" he screamed as high-powered rounds from enemy fighters streaked over the canopy, with enemy Apollos peeling and banking as the aerial forces clashed. Tezuka glimpsed friendly Tengus burst open in flames as Allied fire tore into them, not even giving their pilots time to eject. Of course, all within the Imperial military were taught that to give one's life in battle was the highest honor, but Tezuka could not help but consider that a load of shit.
"I'm not sure we can hold them!" said Tezuka in desperation as enemy Vindicators pierced through the chaotic dogfights, spitting flares rapidly as VX missiles shot towards them. They definitely seemed bent on a bombing run on the platform—that would mean disaster.
"Believe that I believe in you, or I'll believe in your grave!" guffawed Komino as he span the Tengu on a dime. "It is time for a finishing move!"
"Oh, please, no!"
"Super…ultra…Tengu…whirlwind of aerial majesty!"
Screaming over one of the enemy bombers in the center of the formation, Komino laughed as he suddenly reconfigured the Tengu again, transforming it into mecha configuration right atop of the bomber—instantly locking its feet down onto its hull. As the enemy aircraft began to spin out of control with the weight, he fired the autocannons wildly, ignoring warnings of overheating—the rounds cut into the surrounding bombers, sending them diving downwards in flames as volleys of missiles began to strike down those who were not cut down.
"For that is the majesty of the glorious Komino!" he declared as he brought the craft back into jet configuration, leaving Tezuka in tears.
Down below, the battle seemed to be won for the Rising Sun—the primary railgun weapons of the floating platform appeared to be online, letting loose frightening barrages of the enemy naval group. Imperial battleships and cruisers also let loose with their own railguns and high-powered torpedoes, sending enemy vessels fleeing. To add to their cowardly retreat, the enemy air forces were also peeling away from their dogfights and trying to limp back to their carriers in desperation.
"Well, looks like we showed them…" breathed Tezuka, trying to find his normal breathing rate.
"Of course!" grinned Komino. "The Pacific remains ours! Now, all that remains is to show them that for sure!"
Taking one last glance at the retreating enemy forces, he thought about where they were going—back to America, probably. America—he had wanted to go there since he was a child, to see the White House, Statue of Liberty, Hollywood…so that he could tear 'em all apart!
"Oh yes, I think we're going to hit them where it really hurts…"
