Ch. 10: Imperial Response
1:04 PM, July 12th, 1918, Imperial General Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan
A bunch of older Japanese men, mostly wearing ornate military uniforms, walked into a large room via a set of giant doors. The room had large war maps and sea charts posted on the wall along with a long, ornate oak table. Surrounding the table were some well-crafted wooden chairs. Each man then took a seat at the table and quietly looked at one man who was still standing.
"I call this emergency meeting open." said the man who was standing. Immediately after he said that, the man proceeded to sit down.
"Gentlemen, at exactly 11:00 AM today, the Imperial Navy's battleship Kawachi exploded while it was docked in the Port of Tokuyama." said Chief of the Naval General Staff Baron Shimamura Hayao, an elderly mustached men wearing a uniform covered in medals and insignias. "The report I have received also states that a few supply depots near the ship were destroyed."
"Number of casualties is currently unknown, but is estimated to be at least a few hundred. Our investigation into the matter shows that the ship blew up from the inside." added Minister of the Navy Katō Tomosaburō, a slightly younger slim-faced man with a faint mustache. He too also wore a uniform consisting of a sash, epaulettes, and many medals.
"And who or what is behind this incident?" asked Inspector General of Military Training Ichinohe Hyoe.
"We are currently investigating that. Due to the tactics used by the enemy, we believe the our enemy is well organized in terms of strategy, therefore ruling out any radical movements." answered Chief of Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Uehara Yūsaku, another elderly man wearing a decorative uniform.
"However we did manage to find one soldier hiding in a random box." added War Minister Ōshima Ken'ichi, a heavily bearded bald man who had one medal on his uniform. "We believe the soldier fled into the box just when the fighting began. But his status was unusual and erratic."
"What do you mean by erratic?" asked another officer down the table.
"He just kept repeating the same phrase over and over again. We currently have him isolated at the moment, but he seems to exhibit symptoms similar to those suffering from mental disorders." answered Ōshima.
"And the phrase?" asked the same officer.
"The Black Army shall deliver justice upon those who prey on the weak! Korea shall be independent!" answered the War Minister
"The Black Army? Is this some kind of new colonial resistance group?" asked a young man wearing glasses and a suit.
"That's what it looks like." said the Baron Shimamura. "Which is why I am intending to alert and assist the Viceroy of Chōsen in this investigation. If they are an independence movement, they most likely are operating from the Peninsula. I've already have started to write up a report..."
"Wait, wait, wait!" interrupted Uehara. "My Lord, why should your department be leading this investigation?"
"This incident is within our department because the Kawachi is a naval vessel of the Imperial Navy. I would figure a man of your standing would know that already." responded the Baron.
"However, may I remind you that the transportation of supplies along with the men on the pier were under my jurisdiction?" countered Uehara.
"The destruction of one of our prized battleships is more of a priority than a few soldiers." said Katō calmly.
"A few soldiers?!" bellowed the now angry Uehara. "The attack on my men has as much of an impact on this Empire as the loss of the Kawachi. We should therefore be leading this investigation."
"Oh, so you can boost you're own reputation while we get most of the blame for the chaos that erupted today?!" yelled Katō.
"Typical talk from the paranoid Navy." responded Ōshima.
"What's that supposed to mean?! Maybe it's you that is paranoid!" yelled Katō.
Suddenly the Army officers and commanders started to argue with their Naval counterparts. Each side tried to take command of the investigation while accusing the other of using the incident as an opportunity to ruin the reputation of the other. With both sides unable to come to a final decision, Marquess Matsukata Masayoshi, another elderly, large mustached, heavily decorated man sitting at the end of the table, called for both sides to stop talking.
"Everyone, as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan, I hereby speak on behalf of the Emperor himself." announced the Marquess. Everyone in the room immediately stopped arguing and resumed with the meeting. "What we need to do is to concentrate on finding and suppressing this Black Army before it becomes out of control. That is why this investigation will be primarily headed by the Chōsen colonial authorities. Also, has any information of this incident been leaked to the general public?"
"We have not issued a report yet due to the confusion and the assessment of the damage." answered the Baron Shimamura. "However, the destruction of the ship must've been seen or heard by many people."
"Hmmm, very well. When issuing your report, I want you to eliminate any references of hostilities and declare that the Kawachi blew up due to faulty munitions within the hull. We can't let the people know that hostile forces have stepped onto our precious island." said the Marquess.
"As you wish my Lord." responded the Baron Shimamura. The military and naval officers in the room then started to discuss their ideas and strategies on assessing the situation. Once they were done talking, Matsukata got out of his chair and stood so all the officers could hear him.
"I hereby declare this meeting adjourned!" announced the Marquess. Once that was said, all the other men in the room immediately got up and headed towards the doors. As the other officers were still talking among themselves, Matsukata and his assistant managed to escape the crowd and walk down one of the many hallways lining the building.
"My Lord, do you really think this group calling themselves the Black Army are capable of beating us?" asked the assistant.
"I'm not exactly sure. However, I could tell they were being led by someone who understands strategy. The fact that they managed to take out one of our most prized battleships is just humiliating. They literally hit our pride with this surprise attack. Now I have to relay this information back to the Emperor and explain it." said the frustrated Marquess.
"My worry now is how large is this organization? I mean, this could only be the tip of the iceberg, right?" asked the assistant.
"Absolutely. That is why I'm going to advise His Imperial Majesty to tell the colonial authorities on the Peninsula to be more observant and to increase security." said Matuskata.
Matuskata and his assistant walked outside towards an expensive-looking automobile. The assistant opened the passenger door to let the elderly Marquess to get into the back passenger seat. He then proceeded to open the driver's seat and sat in front of the steering wheel. The car was suddenly started after a few pops could be heard coming from the engine. Once fully started, the assistant backed out and exited the vicinity of the Imperial General Headquarters.
"Our Empire is facing a lot right now. I mean first we have a war spanning the entire globe, a Marxist revolution right next door to us, economic hardships, and now this." said the assistant who was driving. "Hopefully this won't get any worst, right?"
"Of course. This problem is simple and will most likely be treated within a short amount of time..." replied Matsukata. The assistant then resumed concentrating on the road.
"...But that's probably just what I want it to be, a quick, everyday, disorganized resistance group roundup. I only say this because I fear this problem won't be a walk in the park." thought Matsukata as he watched the surroundings seen in his window quickly pass him.
Author's Notes: As you can see, this is a short chapter. The purpose of this chapter is to see Imperial Japan's reaction to the incident. I also used this chapter to depict the organization of the armed forces. In real life, the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy both had separate interests, resulting in the rivalry between the two groups.
-The name Black Army is going to be used because the armed resistance groups at the time were called the Righteous Armies. So I just decided to combine the Black Knights with the Righteous Armies to create the Black Army. I also felt using the name Black Knights would not be unique for this story.
-Also, if anybody is having a hard time visualizing the characters based on real historical people, just search their names and you'll find a picture of them (i would post a link here, but i don't think links show up after you save your work)