Chapter Forty Three: Wait For It
Arc Eleven: The Pacific
Opening: "Sarishinohara" - Rib
Following the Second Battle of Hawaii, the Britannian High Command was left in a state of shock. Their prime Pacific Fleet base had been raided in what was essentially broad daylight, and the Japanese had made off with a significant portion of the Order Of Battle, as well as scuttling everything that couldn't be sailed away or carried. It sent a wave of surprise through the Britannian Senior Staff and a wave of jubilation through the Japanese Army. However this week, the Empire strikes back, and the fate of Japan finds itself at the feet of one man.
With the Pacific Fleet in disarray and the Atlantic Fleet on the wrong side of the Panama Canal, Japanese landing forces made beachheads in Guam and Wake Island, seizing them to use as forward operating bases for Knightmares and naval operations. While there was little resistance, the military knew from the start it would be difficult to maintain hold of the atolls, and there would not be much material benefit beyond use as a staging point for further attacks. However, President Lamperouge insisted that in spite of this that these gains were of key strategic importance, noting in a memo to Guilford September 17th that "The enemy command is not a united front, and the Emperor's will to obtain both control of his military and a swift victory shall be his undoing. The Short War favours us, and the longer this engagement lasts the more our enemies industrial might shall envelop us. Fortunately, Schneizel El Britannia's temperament is one of immediate gratification, and thus all efforts must be put into keeping our line of sovereignty as close to Britannia as possible, so that it might become a line of opportunity once his haste takes grip of him. He will throw all his might with great focus as soon as he grows irked, a behaviour we can exploit."
While in retrospect it seems quite audacious for Lamperouge to go around accusing people of wanting control of their military, his point was not proven incorrect, as this week brought significant conflict among the varying Chiefs of Staff. Admiral Lawrence Hugh, who was relieved of his duties as Chief of Staff of the Navy on the 15th, was replaced by Douglas Griffith, who with Schneizel demanded an immediate naval attack on the home islands. He was told to pass on a memo to Princess Cornelia Li Britannia, in charge of ground troops in the Pacific Theatre, instructing her to prepare troops for an immediate amphibious landing in Nagasaki and Kochi, however the memo he eventually sent told her to hold, as he planned to force Tokyo Bay with an entire Fleet of Battleships, parking them right outside of the Japanese capital and causing absolute panic that would grind the Japanese war effort to a fault, without the Army getting involved and stealing Hugh's thunder.
George Goff, Britannian Foreign Minister and a former Naval Officer, upon hearing of this plan from Hugh in private, endorsed it publicly, musing that it was such a good plan that it may even cause a coup in Tokyo if it were successful, and a new Unionist Government would restore Japanese neutrality.
While Cornelia was furious at the exclusion of her forces, the Emperor was silent, and gave Hugh the tentative approval he needed to begin his plan to end the war without a single troop landing on Japanese soil.
A flotilla, consisting of the Battleships Mendel and Watson as well as six Battlecruisers, was arranged and sailed to the Sagami-Nada sea, forming a naval blockade around the Sagami Bay and at the neck of the Tokyo Bay, parking themselves in tight formation and firing upon any convoys that attempted to leave.
At first, the plan seemed to have its desired effect, as a Parliament meeting was cancelled for an emergency meeting between the Cabinet, the President and the military. It seemed that martial law may be declared again, which would tank the Government's popularity even further.
The first meeting dispersed without resolution. The major issue lay in the fact that the Open Seas Fleet was out in the open sea, with the only armed ship in Tokyo port being the Light Cruiser Kitakami, returned when its captain received a dishonourable discharge earlier in the week. The only Admiral on the Home Islands was Katashi Inafune, the most junior of Japan's four naval authorities. It certainly seemed like there was nothing to be done, until, on the afternoon of the 18th, Inafune announced that he had been in a private meeting with Zero, and had a plan.
The pair had come together in private, and announced to the government their intention to clear the blockade within the hour. While the Cabinet was accustomed to bold promises from Zero, Inafune reassured them that they could break the encirclement.
And just in case anyone gets this mistaken, that encirclement needed to be broken. Not only was a significant amount of Japanese civilian shipping crippled, but the Japanese ground forces and Fleets couldn't be supplied, and were starving from Taiwan to Hawaii.
Immediately, Inafune conscripted all the fishing vessels and large convoys in the bay, and sailed out on the Kitakami at its head, stood in broad daylight at the sten alongside Zero in that famous photograph that was published in the Asahi Shimbun the next day of the pair staring coolly off the edge of the Light Cruiser towards the flotilla of capital ships.
However, this frankly awesome display had its practical benefits; with Zero and an Admiral clearly visible, the Battleships did not fire on the makeshift armada of moderately sized craft, believing the pair were coming to negotiate a ceasefire.
That was not how things progressed.
Instead, the group of two dozen ships pulled up in front of the much bigger battleships, before Zero hurled a dull grey object, almost rock-like, into the bay like a defiant stone throw.
The men and women in the civilian boats around the Kitakami all roared and cheered in support, before throwing all manners of objects into the harbour in what seemed to be a spirited, if bizarre, display of bravado. Compared to the raucous atmosphere of the drafted Japanese vessels, the mood aboard the Mendel and Watson was jovial and light, as they looked on and pondered what the fuss was all about.
Their confusion, much like their boats, were not long for this world, as they quickly discovered what the fuss was about, as it was not a rock, boulder, or any other such symbolic or political item that was dumped in the harbour. Rather, the flotilla had dropped a series of depth charges to a seafloor rich in volatile Sakuradite.
The first signs of this plan achieving results were shown in the surface of sea bursting open in ripples and pops, before a vast wake of choppiness struck the bottom of the boats. Prepared, the Japanese boats linked together with ropes to weather the turbulence as a single unit, something the Britannian capital ships, in their sluggish lack of manoeuvrability, could not do. In spite of their heavy weight stabilising them initially, they began to sway in a serious manner, before small dislodged chunks of Sakuradite rose to the surface and exploded upon contact with the hull of the battleships, which didn't help their condition.
Within a half hour, the Mendel was on its side and the Watson was signalling for rescue from the Japanese. Zero stayed behind to handle the surrendered Britannians, while Inafune left with the Convoys to supply the troops out in the Pacific, safe in the knowledge that there would be little opposition across his ocean path. In the end, 3500 Britannian sailors either surrendered or were captured.
This was a major disaster, and it fractured the already divided Britannian senior staff into what became serious internal hostility. Emperor Schneizel head lent tentative support. Hugh had failed to break the Japanese spirit, siege the Home Islands, or end the war. It was plain that without a major shift, the war would not end within the foreseeable future. One side effect of the Humiliation of Sagami was Hugh being demoted back to Admiral, however this was not the only activity within the Britannian High Command now that it was apparent there was no shortcut to winning the war.
Emperor Schneizel could not fire and replace his Chief of Naval Staff himself, only his Cabinet and Officers could, which was a problem as he felt that the only way to win was for control to be centralised, however in a letter prior to his demotion Hugh warned Prime Minister Guinevere of Schneizel's desires, something the ambitious half-sister of the Emperor opposed due to her own desires to the throne, as well as warning her about the slow nature of the war. However, while Guinevere was eager to undercut Schneizel, she still believed that overwhelming force could drive the Japanese into submission.
Uncertain, she travelled to see her sister Cornelia, the Field Marshal in charge of the Pacific ground forces, to seek counsel. Upon hearing of Hugh's letter, she had this to say.
"While the man is a fool, there are no written laws against fools hitting the centre of the board with a blindfold. I dare say it suits them all the better, as without direction they at least have the good grace to not toady about. If this is true, it worries me greatly, however I would advise against any rash actions when considering our brother. Have patience in both politics and the war, and victory shall present itself in both instances."
While there was more to it, Cornelia concluded that while she disliked her brother, an open secret at this point, she would not be willing to oppose him yet, and advised her half-sister to wait.
Guinevere, emboldened by her sisters dislike of Schneizel and undeterred by her warnings, raced back to Pendragon and began to talk up the idea of replacing Hugh with Andreas Darlton, an ally of Cornelia. This political move was designed to appeal to Cornelia, earning Guinevere an ally in both the Army and Navy for the price of one, as well as taking power away from Schneizel.
However, Schneizel saw through the pretty apparent subterfuge, and the plan went about as badly wrong as plans can, as after a brief inquiry, a court headed by Schneizel loyalists found Guinevere insane, and she was executed the next day. With the Cabinet cowed, Knight of the Realm Dorothea Ernst was voted in as Chief of the Navy, and on top of that, Bismarck Waldstein replaced the Chief of Staff for the Army. In their capacity as the most senior Knights, they were people Schneizel could fire, and thus control. With his hands now solidly at the reins of the military, Schneizel could now have the quick, decisive war he desired.
The 90 millimetre cannon belted out into the vast Pacific sky, the narrow shell piercing up as if to protest its blueness, its hugeness, or its emptiness. The loud, short bang of the mechanism quickly gave way to the soft whistle of the artillery cartridge as it streaked up, before beginning its long journey down towards the curved horizon, several islands down the chain.
"Can't be much longer before they try to land here."
Akihito turned to his colleague, whose screwed eyes seemed to be insistently fixed on a point in the distance, searching for the invisible. He turned back to the islands ahead, stretched out to the edge of the Earth, before turning aside and explaining "We better head back."
The man took a moment away from what seemed to be his life's goal of fining down the horizon like a blade and nodded, following Akihito back and up the sand ridges that gave the island dimension. The slow, short walk would ordinarily have been a simple stroll, but the Japanese endurance was beginning to show, as the supply of food and resources had slowed to a trickle. It seemed after several weeks of this that every step up the grass-knotted sands took a vast quantity of breath out of him, such that the top of the mound sent him into hits of apparent asthma.
They trekked back to the makeshift base on the heart of the island, and relayed the miserable news.
"That was the last shell."
Akihito watched as his commander absorbed the news, as well as several breaths. They were, all of them, drunk on oxygen, and gulping at the bit. It seemed as if the world could not contain all their needs. Certainly, the supply lines couldn't.
Still, once they had had their fill, the commander sighed and scribbled that into his ledger, before closing it with an air of finality. He shook his head and replied "So that's it. We've got nothing more to stave them off before a resupply arrives."
Akihito looked down and nodded. Without artillery cover, the Britannians could be upon them within the hour. "I'm… afraid so sir. The east appears clear for now, however we must assume they are preparing. What a bloody disaster."
"So that's it? We just hang around for them to start shooting at us? We just sit here and let it happen?"
The commanders sardonic questions went unanswered. While Akihito found them unhelpful, their underlying premise was not correct. They were waiting to be killed.
"Well, not quite. Let's not forget we can shoot back. Wouldn't be any fun otherwise."
Akihito turned to see the bedraggled, but still confident figure of Admiral Inafune, a constant reassuring presence since he had arrived two weeks ago with a cruiser and some fishing boats with his head held high as if he was captaining the Battleship Yamato. It was his style to carry himself was such confidence that somehow avoided foolhardy stupidity that was so endearing, a fatherlike, reassuring quality. If Inafune was here, everything was alright.
Of course, that was a sentiment seemingly reserved to Akihito alone, as the commander, though junior to Inafune, could only ask "What do you mean? Our artillery is gone, and they're coming!"
Raising an eyebrow, the Admiral turned to the side and grabbed a single shot rifle mounted on the wall, and tossed it across the desk with a smooth backhand, the polymer caseless gun landing square on the desk, nearly falling into the commanders lap.
"Can't have been that long since you've had practice. Now hop to it, didn't you say they'd be here any minute?"
The commander sat in shock as Inafune turned with the youth and energy of a teenager and jogged out of the pillbox as if not completely deprived of food and nutrients.
Of course Akihito followed him.
The remainder of their Company would follow in time, but Akihito stayed as close to the Admiral as he could, noticing how he could keep up as they walked round towards the east beach, and that his eyes were faced up, rather than unstoppably down, and he was able to observe what he had missed on his journey from the beach to the pillbox, such as the two surviving fishing boats that gave the surrounded islanders food, and the beached cruiser that had been cannibalised for parts, metallic panels littering the otherwise flawless white sand.
They eventually reached the eastern flank and hunkered down for the inevitable Britannian arrival, which after an hour was pronounced with the emergence of a pair of grey landing boats from behind the crest of the next island.
"Here we go!" announced Inafune, immediately firing a shot at the boat as it came into view. Akihito, as well as the other soldiers who had assembled to repel the attack, waited for a result, before a shot was fired back, burying itself in the sand.
"They didn't like that very much!" Inafune crowed, ignoring the fact that he had just been shot at. "I think that's an invitation, and it'd be rude to decline! Fire away!"
Emboldened, Akihito and the rest of the company opened fire on the boats, which while largely armoured, had people leaning out to fire back, and thus a target. There was a prolonged exchange of fire, however in spite of the satisfying sight of bodies falling out of the boats, they continued forwards, undeterred. Once again, they were all just waiting for it to arrive, just with greater context. Nothing had changed.
And then things got worse.
"Ah! Damn, I- oh, bugger!"
Akihito looked aside just in time to see Inafune take a bullet to the neck, having just been shot in the knee, and could only watch as he fell onto his back. Immediately, Akihito moved out of his position below the ridge to attend the the Admiral, who was in the midst of gargling out swears as Akihito dragged him back to safety.
"Blughy ghell, he shod me!" Inafune attempted, before giving the softer half of a chuckle as he was dragged into cover "'Hang-khs A'hi-ho… hangs for hel'hing…"
"Please try and save your breath sir, your signs are really bad-"
All this earned was another round of chuckles, and a loopy, unforced hand resting itself on Akihito's thigh interrupting him.
"Don' worry… the Bri'tss are coming, an' there be'er be someone ou' lea'ing the company who has a pair. Go on, I'm Navy anyway."
It would be here on this worthless atoll, far below his station as an Admiral of the Navy and Hero of Japan, that Katashi Inafune would die, surrounded by a Company far beneath him. And yet, as he breathed his last, he was smiling, and nodded, as if to affirm his faith in Akihito. Even as he was dying, he was doing his best to ensure those around him held strong.
It struck Akihito as thoroughly unfair that a man so selfless would be wasted on this spit of sand, on this group of soldiers, or on him. Certainly, his death here was a waste.
Akihito growled and clutched his gun. He despised everything about this place in which he found himself, but if Inafune was to be wasted, then he would be damned if he didn't make the most of it. These Britannians would pay for what they had done.
Sorry about the choppiness, I really didn't "feel" this Chapter like I normally do. In the end, I mainly just tried to get across the character development I'd assigned here and move the plot along by hook or by crook. Given that this story is written out of order and that this is the second last Chapter I write, excluding edits, I can definitively promise this is as bad as it gets. Moreover, I was able to do something neat with this Chapter in using Katashi Inafune, who deserved an Arc of his own if I'm being emotionally honest, and his effect on people as a reflection of the Zero effect, though it may have been lost in my attempt to ham-fist this Chapter through. I apologise. In any case, there was some plot development here, so its got that going for it.
At the very least, that is the end of the Chapters of war, so I can get back to my comfort zone, with a talky chapter set in a car. That's a bit more my speed, wouldn't you agree? So if you're looking forward to that, stick around for The Long Minute, Chapter 44, the last one I will write in terms of real time, stay safe, rate, review and stick to what you're good at. I'll see you soon.
~Eth0