A Pile of Empty Brass | Sora no shinchū no yama
空の真鍮の山
Chapter 1
"Inbound"
"Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley." – Sun Tzu
"It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war." – John F Kennedy
Location: Above the Sea of Japan
Aircraft 765
Currently inside the cabin of a USMC KC-130J over Japanese airspace.
Time: 14:31 Hours
Date: June 25th, 2020 (Six Weeks Before The Ginza Incident)
"Sorry sir," the man's broad frame was easily big enough to fill two seats, and it very nearly did as he sat down next to the Marine Second Lieutenant, who rubbed his temples under auburn hair, the same shade as fall leaves. "Crew Chief's been giving us hell about open containers in the cabin. You're going to have to wait until we touch down to get your coffee."
The Lieutenant glanced at the man, Staff Sergeant chevrons were pinned on the collars of his woodland cammies, along with a moustache that tugged at the very edges of regulations. The Lieutenant grumbled and adjusted his legs that were on top of one of the many Improved Load Bearing Equipment, or ILBE main-packs, that were strewn across the C-130's interior.
There weren't many things that could hinder the Marine Officer. But being cramped inside the cabin of a C-130 like a can of sardines for hours on end, especially without his creature comfort, was just asking for a bad day.
"No one's packed an extra hydro flask?" The Lieutenant groaned, his eyes darting around the various backpacks and main-packs laid across the cabin floor.
"If they did, they aren't sharing it." The Staff Sergeant snickered, clearly taking enjoyment of Cooper's caffeine withdrawal. "Besides, we're due to touchdown in about fifteen mikes. I'm certain you'll last that long, sir."
"You're probably going to have to buddy drag me out of here when we do."
"Ha, Ha," The Staff Non-Commissioned waved off, stretching his back from the hours of sitting on the red harnesses that served as seats. "I'll probably leave you for dead. Only because it'll be a fun epitaph on your tombstone."
The Staff Sergeant connected both thumbs and index fingers, forming a near perfect square as he placed Cooper's upper body within the box.
"Here lays John Cooper. Cause of death: caffeine deprivation."
Cooper brushed him off with a amused grin, "Hope you don't have that attitude when we're out in the field, Sharpe."
"Just don't get us in that situation, Cooper, and we're golden." Sharpe bellowed back.
2nd Lieutenant Cooper chuckled at his Platoon Sergeant, residing on having to wait just a few moments longer. Despite his current predicament, he's overall excited to be part of the large War-Game exercise that was about to be underway.
As an officer in the Marine Corps, He was expected to keep up with the current events around the world. Specifically, when it dealt with situations involving military force displayed by a nation's country. He watched the news and read the reports of escalating tensions flaring in the Pacific. The South China Sea, home to vital shipping lanes, has been a flashpoint for years, with several countries claiming ownership of its small islands and reefs and with it, access to resources.
In recent years, China has been increasingly assertive over what it claims are, its centuries-old claims to the contested region, and has been rapidly building up its military presence to back up those claims. From what he saw on the news, a lot of civilian vessels were subject to harassment from the Chinese Navy. So it wasn't a surprise to him that the United States started shifting focus from the Middle East to Southeast Asia.
The big boys in D.C. speculated that the next fight the United States would find itself in would be one that was held in the South China Sea. But Cooper pondered how long the fight would be confined to just fighting on a couple of small island chains before it escalated to multiple home fronts like a wildfire.
It genuinely surprised the Lieutenant that the Japanese parliament have asked the United States, to participate in a large military exercise involving land, air, and sea. Never did he expect the pacifist nation to want nor allow such an event to occur. Sure, he knew that the U.S. and Japanese forces cross-trained with each other, but never before to the extent which was being asked.
Then that surprise turned to astonishment when Japan also requested the participation from Allied Nations across the Pacific. Twelve of them to be exact.
Things must be dire if Japan wanted to host a large multinational drill in their own backyard to deter future Chinese threats, He thought to himself as he glanced at his empty coffee mug. The Lieutenant wasn't that well versed in Japanese politics and their foreign relations, but he had the idea that the well conservative nation wasn't a huge fan on having a large influx of US troops on their soil, let alone the various troops of multiple nations.
The operation in question had a unique name to it, one that Cooper deduced was intentionally ironic.
It wasn't lost to him that the Summer Olympics were going to be hosted in Tokyo around the beginning of August near the very end of this military exercise. With nearly the world sending their best athletes to participate and compete against one another, there were multiple nations who were conducting quite possibly the largest military war-game exercise right behind RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific.
Thus, the name Operation: Olympus was born.
Excited that his unit, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, were selected to participate in the "training operation", the Lieutenant wanted to test out the knowledge he learned from Officer Candidate School. This operation was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
The rickety cargo plane jarred up and down, and Cooper grit his teeth as he sank further down into his seat. His rucksack leapt up from the ground, one loose strap hitting him in the hand.
Oh, the Corps could've easily chartered a civilian flight to bring the Marines over, and then they could've avoided half the annoyances he was experiencing then, but hey! Guess what? Some KC-130 squadron happened to be in Hawaii, and the higher ups thought they could save some money by having the Squadron bring them over.
Cheap Bastards.
By now, a majority of the Marines slouched over each other have begun waking up as the C-130 began its descent. They started gathering their belongings in effort to make them easily accessible once the plane touched down. Cooper looked around the various members of his platoon, clearing his chest to make sure he sounded loud and clear.
"Touchdown in ten mikes, gents! Make sure you have all your shit ready once we're on the ground!"
"Aye, sir!" Some of them chanted in reply, the un-synced rhythm of backpacks and personnel shuffling. True to their word, the Marines hustled faster to get their belongings, lest they deal with a pissed off platoon leader deprived of his morning's coffee fix.
long had Cooper staged his belongings together, ready for pick up once they touched down. The rest of the Marines around him started becoming animated, the thought of finally being able to stretch their legs after being cramped for hours a welcomed change.
"Dawg, where the hell we landin' at again?" questioned the Black PFC sitting across from the Lieutenant, his thick North Carolinian accent almost being drowned out by the large Allison turbo-prop engines. His question had been directed towards the Marine Lance Corporal next to him, who was having sinister grin twisting on his face.
"Well, the pilot told me we were heading to your mother's house!" The Marine next to him quipped, his trimmed brown mustache complimenting his thick Arkansas drawl with every syllable. He shifted to turn around, looking outside the window that he was sitting in front of.
"So far this all looks familiar!"
The PFC flared his nostrils a bit, clearly not amused. "Yeah that's real cute, Jackson."
"Anytime! Anywhere!"
With the amount of shenanigans Cooper had witness since these two checked into the unit, Private First Class Terrance Artis and Lance Corporal Anthony Jackson were definitely a duo that the Lieutenant found about as abrasive as they were amusing.
"I thought we were supposed to be landing in Yokota Air Force Base!" The Corpsman next to yelled, trying to be audible over the loud engines that echoed across the cabin, "Ain't far from Camp Fuji if I remember right!"
Jackson did a mock salute, two fingers at the edge of his eyebrows that moved down in a swift and precise motion. "Well there you go, Artis! Yokoto airbase!"
"Yoko-Ta!" The Corpsman corrected, Jackson waving off a dismissive hand.
"Po-tay-to po-tah-to!"
Cooper shook his head, internally hoping that Jackson wouldn't be belligerent when it came to the Japanese language. He would have to keep his eye on the man from Arkansas.
He shouldn't have to worry about doc much, the dirty blonde Corpsman from Portland Oregon trying to make an effort of understanding the Japanese language.
"Hey man, you smell that?" Artis asked, no one in particular.
Cooper might've humoured the PFC, had Jackson not beaten him to the punch.
"Smell what?"
"Smell's like…" Artis took a big whiff of the air around him. "Smells like a great time we're goanna have in Japan to me, man!"
Jackson grinned like a shark, no doubt thinking of the endless possibilities. "Haha! No shit man!"
"Great time, my ass!" The Marine next to the lieutenant barked, almost causing the officer to jump from his loud nails on a chalkboard voice. "We're going to missing the 4th of July and Olympics! All of us will be confined to just the base! You really think they're going to grant a bunch of jarheads from Hawaii some libo?"
Cooper groaned. Of course, it had to be Lance Corporal Wesley Pattison to complain.
It wouldn't be the Marine Corps if there wasn't a Marine complaining about something.
Artis' mouth dropped, exposing the gap between his two front teeth as he looked at Pattison incredulously. "Nigga, what?!"
The other Marine who was sitting to the right of Artis shook his head, pointing his hand towards Pattison, "Bro, how you gonna be bitching about missing on the Olympics when we're going to be right there where the Olympics are taking place?! That's like complaining about missing a live concert on TV when you have front-row tickets in your hands!"
Cooper looked over at the Marine. He was Lance Corporal Avi Aronov, a Marine he appointed as a fireteam leader on the recommendation of one of his sergeants.
"You're acting like we're going to have time to watch TV when we're out in the field!" Pattison countered, having done these training exercises too many times. "We all know how it goes. We go in, have a few hours to settle in our quarters, then it's outside away from civilization for a couple of days! Rinse and Repeat!"
"The Olympics last for fourteen days! This exercise ends around the beginning of it!" Wilkes coolly countered. "I'm sure we might have the opportunity to go out in town to join the festivities around the city!"
Pattison rolled his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows towards the Navy doctor. "You're overly optimistic, Doc!"
Wilkes sighed, feeling like this conversation was about to go in circles. "Jesus, Pattison. I swear you bitch just to bitch."
"Bruh, on God." Artis agreed.
"Lucky for us, we aren't here to enjoy the festivities around Japan, gents!" Sharpe barked. "We're here to cross-train with our brothers in arms of different nationalities! Anything else is secondary! The sooner you get your minds off libo, the sooner it will stop sucking less for us!"
Sharpe pointed a knife hand at Pattison, whose shoulders stiffened as he looked up to the Staff Sergeant. "We can go back to watching TV when the mission is done! Don't start bitching now before we land! Or you'll find yourself on every working party during the entire forty-five days of our stay over here! You read me?!"
"Yes, Staff Sergeant!" barked Pattison, Sharpe continuing to stare at him a little long before setting back down on his part of the harness.
Cooper just sighed. Going to Japan was just an irritable nuisance to some of the troops. Most of his platoon were Boots fresh to the fleet. Or in regular parlance, new Marines who've yet to proven themselves. Many of them hadn't even left their hometown before the Corps, and now going to Japan? It'd be a culture shock for sure.
They would be spending the 4th of July over there, likely in the field over a foxhole they've dug in. Along with missing the holiday of what makes America... America, the odds of them getting a chance to go out in town to actually interact with the country are nil.
It was one thing to cross-train with foreign troops, but it was another to explore non-military culture. There was just a certain similarity between militaries that soldiers could connect with. Civilian cultures? Japan and America were both close, and far at the same time. The little things, bows in place of handshakes, no tipping, and the subtleties of speech.
And so, finally visiting the country, after seeing it in countless movies and documentaries, was, well... exciting. Anime was to Japan as Cartoons were to America. Cooper never did watch all too much anime, but he had watched enough to acquire a taste for it.
"If we do get libo out there, Artis will be the one to get someone pregnant!" Jackson shouted, Artis glancing with a confused looked. The Arkansas man held out his hand, flexing his fingers. "Place bets now!"
"Nnnhmm!" Artis denied, crossing his forearms into an X as he put on his best Asian accent. "No Gaijin! No Gaijin!"
The Marines around him chuckled at the North Carolinian man, Wilkes deciding to put on his mock Asian female voice over as he cradled an invisible baby in his arms. "See! Black baby! You father of child!"
"Nah! You ain't catching me slippin' in these parts!" Artis protested, still holding is arms in the X shape that was the sign language for 'No!'.
"Riiiight…" Cooper said sarcastically loud enough, clearly unconvinced. He was more than familiar with the game junior Marines loved playing when it came to the opposite sex.
"If you're going to do something stupid, do it smartly." Cooper stated, Sharpe making a sound that was between a snicker and a snort. "We've done these safety stand-down briefs far too many times than I ever like to admit. But as you're all aware, there have been far too many rape cases that happen between US military personnel and Japanese nationals. Do not be the one, because not only can I not save your dumb-asses, I flat out would refuse to."
Cooper watched as Sharpe stood up, looking at each member of his squad in the eyes. The Lieutenant knew how much the Staff NCO hated that he even had to bring up these obvious questions the both of them felt should be common sense to anyone. Though if that were the case, then these incidents wouldn't be rampant, now would they?
"Are we allowed to have sex out in the field, gentlemen?!"
Various Marines who could hear the Staff Sergeant over the loud engines shook their heads, a few shouting out "No Staff Sergeant!" over the loud ambient noise. He knew that they knew the answer, but he had to follow protocols.
"Well no shit, huh?! So I'm guessing we aren't going to have a few jungle flings out there?"
Once again, the Marines answered no to the question, the mustached Staff Sergeant turning back to look at Cooper with the look of doubt written on his face. Cooper simply nodded, having mutual feelings as the two seasoned veterans knew better than to trust the word of the junior enlisted.
"Look, we're not stupid." Sharpe continued, going back to making sure that each one of them gave him their undivided attention. "The Lieutenant and I used to be in your shoes once upon of time. We know what goes on behind closed doors. We're not going to pretend that you savages won't pass up the opportunity to score some poon if it comes presenting itself to you."
Once again, Sharpe glanced back at the Lieutenant, who simply nodded again before continuing on his unofficial safety-brief, "But as the sir said, be stupid behind closed doors! If I have to find out about it, you bet your ass there will be hell to pay. 'Rah?"
There were a few Oorahs that were chanted in their section in the cabin, Cooper deciding to offer his two-cents to get their head in the game.
"Look, forget about thinking with your dicks. This is an opportunity to mingle with the foreign troops who've probably been in the shit, believe it or not." While Cooper was skeptical, he knew that the Australians and Canadians were with them in the shit during the height of the War on Terror, however long ago. He didn't rule out that there could potentially be combat veterans coming along on this field op.
"Get to know them. Learn from them. And more importantly, learn from each other. I want you all to take what you've experienced here and use it for the next op. With the shit going on with China, I expect every one of you to take this training seriously."
The men all chanted once more, the motivation slowly coming back to their eyes as they saw the landscape of Japan come into view from the latch's window.
"What could be your friends today could be your foxhole battle buddy in a real war tomorrow." Cooper reinforced, once again bringing up their objective and the reason why they were there. "I'm sure a lot of them are excited to meet us. Let's make sure to give them a show of what Marines do!"
Location: Yokota Air Base
Yokota Passenger Terminal
Currently at the airport's east terminal building on the flight strip near the base of Mt. Fuji.
Time: 14:37 Hours
Itami was most definitely not excited for this.
The lone JGSDF lieutenant stifled what must've been the fifth yawn in the past five minutes. Did he want to be where he currently was? No! Did he have to? Yes! There was nothing more that he wanted than to just leave and go to Comiket, the convention that was going to be hosted in Ginza.
But no! His command just needed him specifically to be the welcoming party for the inbound coalition forces.
Forty-five days.
He was going to be out in the field for Forty-five days playing war-games with a bunch of soldiers who were there to participate in Operation Olympus. This was certainly not what he asked for.
Despite Olympus currently holding the title of being the largest war-game exercise Japan has ever conducted, the irritable lieutenant couldn't care less. This entire thing was nothing more than a major inconvenience to him.
Though I guess it really can't be helped, He reasoned with himself.
Itami hated to admit it. No, he really hated to admit it, but with the looming threat right next door, this exercise was probably what this country needed right now.
With the ongoing territorial disputes between his nation and China, the latter had been increasingly aggressive with their illegitimate claims. Itami speculated that the suits in both the Diet and Ministry of Defense were determined to deter any further acts of aggression from the Chinese juggernaut through any means necessary.
Though that didn't mean he necessarily was ready to jump right into the thick of things. He'd much rather be in an Anime convention than participating in a major training op.
Speaking of which...
Comiket was set to happen right after this exercise ended, the thought alone uplifting the sour mood he was currently in. His wife had surprised him two weeks ago when she showed him the receipt of two VIP passes. How had she gotten her hands on the passes?
Only a wink and a cryptic sentence about resources and connections from her.
Itami considered himself a fortunate man for having Risa in his life. The thought of the two of them spending the weekend at Comiket in the near future was making him smile.
"What are you smiling at, sir?" Piped the young enthusiastic voice of his Sergeant, bringing him out his daydreams and back to reality. "Are you actually excited about this large exercise? Excited of meeting the Americans?"
Along with him were a couple of other soldiers from his section that he was currently reassigned to. He'd only been with them for nearly two months, but it was long enough to know that the troops he was currently in charge of were a bunch of rather colourful individuals.
Like the one who was currently interrogating him.
When it was briefed that a contingent of Marines and Soldiers from the US, Canada, and Australia would be landing in Yokota, the energetic Sergeant Shino Kuribayashi's hand shot up like a rocket when the Commanding Officer asked for volunteers at the welcoming party.
Along with Kuribayashi, Leading Privates Hayato Sasagawa and Hitoshi Furuta and Private First Class Himeko Ikazaki also volunteered to come along, curious as to see what these coalition forces would bring and how they carried themselves.
Itami however was thrown off when their Sergeant Major offered to come along.
He assumed the old veteran had been on enough cross-training ops to last him two lifetimes over. But then again, Olympus would be the biggest exercise Japan had ever conducted.
In total, there were six of them who were going to be the welcoming party. Additionally, there were two U.S. Marines from Camp Fuji who've also arrived in Yokota to greet the incoming personnel.
The Marines were Combat Cameramen, ones who were excited to be a part of this historic event, Itami could tell. They occasionally exchanged dialogue with the JGSDF and introduced themselves to Itami and his team. Other than that, the two marines had mostly kept to themselves, but answered a few questions that some of the JGSDF personnel might have had.
Much to the delight of a certain ecstatic JGSDF Sergeant.
"Can't say that I'm overly enthusiastic," Itami answered plainly, folding his arms behind the back of his head "It isn't like I've never been on one of these joint-training exercises before."
Her face contorted into shock, her mind struggling to process why someone like him could be so dismissive about this war-game exercise.
"But sir, we're going to be working with Marriiiiiines!" She squealed, reminding the Lieutenant of a teenager inside a pop concert. "I've heard they're so badass! I can't wait to be working with them!"
"Bad ass, huh?" Furuta chimed in, glancing at the two Marines in the distance as he picked his nose with his pinky finger.
Itami also casted a look towards the two warriors, who were currently distracted by their phones. If he were to guess, they were probably posting the selfies they took earlier with the small Japanese greeting party. He gathered Furuta also had the same assumption, giving a lazy shrug.
"Well now you've got my hopes up, Sergeant. Better hope they don't disappoint."
"Just you see!" The short female gleamed, flashing a grin at Furuta. "I've heard they're one of the world's best fighting force! And I've seen their boot camp videos! Someone like you would've pissed themselves if you were to go through their boot camp!"
Furuta raised his hands up in mock surrender, not wanting to argue against his sergeant any further.
Itami somewhat let out a small chuckle. The two of them were similar, yet so different when it came to confrontation and not wanting to escalate it from a topic neither of them really cared that much about. The Lieutenant found himself grateful that Furuta interjected when he did. Only because it allowed Kuribayashi to be distracted long enough to not pay him any heed.
Back to being invisible.
"My Ojisan told me a few stories once about his encounter with the Marines during the war." Ikazaki chimed in, Kuribayashi's ears twitching upon hearing this.
"Oh, yeah. Didn't you say both of your grandfathers fought in the war?" Sasagawa asked, Ikazaki's face beaming with pride as she nodded.
"Hai!"
Kuribayashi suddenly dashed towards the short PFC with cat-like reflexes, surprising everyone who weren't expecting that. "Your Ojisan encountered Marines and lived to tell the tale?! He must've been one badass soldier!"
Ikazaki blushed as she humbly brushed away the prying Sergeant. However, it was clear that Kuribayashi wanted to know more about what the PFC knew of her grandfather.
"What did he say about his encounter?"
Ikazaki closed her eyes, no doubt allowing herself to dig into her memories.
"It was during the end of the Battle of Okinawa. He was one of the last troops that were defending the island as the Marines were closing in on his position. He told me the stories he heard from the propaganda posters of how ruthless they were in combat and how they showed them no mercy."
"Oh wow!" Kuribayashi whistled, clearly wanting to know more as Sasagawa leaned in. "It must have been very scary for him. Being one of the last line of defense."
"I remember him telling me that it was the scariest moment in his life." Ikazaki confirmed, biting her bottom lip as the two JGSDF soldiers listened intently. "He had fallen ill when food and medicine became scarce. There was no one coming to help them because the allies had completely cut off the island."
Despite isolating himself in his own personal bubble, Itami listened to Ikazaki's account of her grandfather's testimony.
It's a known fact that Okinawa was one the bloodiest battles in the Pacific. While he wasn't huge in history, it was certainly clear that Kuribayashi was.
"As the Americans were closing in, he told me that his commanding officer issued a last banzai charge in face of the enemy." Ikazaki continued, who still had her eyes closed to get a clearer picture. "Surrender back then was unthinkable. He had wanted to die a warrior, so he got his rifle and fixed bayonets."
Ikazaki opened her eyes, Kuribayashi nodding her head for the PFC to continue.
"When the Marines appeared beyond the jungle, my Ojisan and his team ambushed them from the tree line." she trailed off, pausing as she suddenly appeared to have a sad look in her eyes. "Ojiisan said he was too weak from malnourishment. He tried to charge at the Americans and planned to die along with his friends."
Kuribayashi saw her look down, avoiding the gazes she felt focused on her.
"But his legs gave out and he ended up passing out."
"Oh wow." Susagawa whistled at the rather anti-climactic turn of events. "He had to have been in bad shape if that happened to him. I'm amazed that he still had the strength to fight."
"The Bushido code." Sergeant Major Kuwahara pointed out, having been listening to the entire conversation. "Better to die a warrior in the battlefield than to live life in the shadows."
"What happened to him after he passed out?" Kuribayashi wanted to know how he ended up surviving despite the overwhelming odds.
"He told me that the next thing he remembered was waking up on a hospital bed in Prisoner of War camp with a bunch of other Japanese prisoners the Americans spared."
"So he basically got lucky," Sasagawa deduced, "Or maybe unlucky in his eyes..."
"It would seem so." Ikazaki answered, unsure on how to answer that.
Despite Ikazaki's recount of the war, it appeared as if she wasn't done yet. She still had a point to prove to her Leading Private.
"Besides winning the war against us, have you seen how much ass the Marines kicked in the Middle East?" She asked Furuta, who simply shrugged.
"I can confirm that they did." Sergeant-Major Kuwahara chimed in, all eyes on him. "When we were deployed to Samawah Iraq, we all watched the news of Operation: Phantom Fury that was underway as we helped with the reconstruction."
Ikazaki's tilted her head, curiousness written on her face. "Operation: Phantom Fury?"
"It was a large operation conducted by the U.S. Marines and Soldiers of the U.S. Army, along with some British troops in effort to retake the chaotic city by the name of Fallujah." Sergeant Kuwahara explained, his junior troops listening in with keen interest. "From what we were told, the city was dangerous even when Saddam was still in charge. With his removal, the city descended into an all-out insurgency as they pledged to drive out all foreign troops out of Iraq."
"Ah, so that's where I heard that city's name from." Kuribayashi interjected. "I saw a couple of youtube videos of Marines in Iraq, but I remember hearing that Fallujah was one of the largest urban operations ever conducted in modern warfare."
"Every inch of that city was declared hostile" Kuwahara recalled, the old man's mind appearing to drift as he recounted where we was nearly two decades ago. "It was forty-three days of brutal fighting and securing every building and every tunnel, but the coalition forces emerged victorious and the city was finally secured."
Kuribayashi nearly squealed, pointing her index finger at Furuta in triumph. "See! I told you!"
Once again, the Leading Private lazily waved his arms up in a mock surrender. "Fine fine... you got me, Sergeant."
"Let the girl have her moment, Furuta-san." Kuwahara chuckled, amused at the young sergeant's antics "It's not every day we get to cross-train with a bunch of multi-national forces. Especially one as large as this."
"I'm honestly surprised," Sasagawa said, "That bill to authorize this exercise was fiercely opposed when it was going through the Diet. I thought that it would've been killed before it was finalized by the Prime Minister."
"These are trying times, Sasagawa-san," reasoned the seasoned veteran, Furuta glancing over as he crossed his arms. "Between China trying the claim territory that isn't theirs and the subsequent fishing incident, to do nothing would be to allow the Chinese to continue to bully us."
"Why don't they just amend article-nine and let us rebuild our military again?" Furuta groaned. "It's really tiring that we have to rely on America and the others to get China to stop harassing us. At least with a standing army, they would think twice before pulling a stunt like that again."
"We both know how much of a hassle it is to even discuss article-nine, Furuta-san," Kuwahara answered, trying to sympathize with the young man. "Remember back in 2016 when the nation was divided because the Prime Minister approved the use of deadly force overseas to assist our allies in conflicts not involving Japan?"
"Sergeant-Major, if we weren't so limited on how we could respond, our JMSDF could've actually pursued those bastards that took out that Japanese fishing boat." Furuta countered "What the Diet constitutes what's appropriate force and what isn't has made us the laughing stock in all of Asia. Probably the world." He added that last part with slight malice.
"Ok…" The veteran soldier sighed, clearing becoming frustrated. "Let's say our Maritime vessels did engage the PLA Navy when they rammed into that Japanese fishing vessel. While it was well within our rights to engage, what would start as a small skirmish, could've escalated into a full war right at our doorsteps. Provided the United States couldn't talk the both of us down before it got to that point."
"So basically we just bend over and assume the position."
"Those fishermen knew what they were getting themselves into when they went over the disputed territory. It's been widely known that to venture out there is to risk being harassed by the PRC." Kuwahara blew out a breath of frustration, "It sucks, I know. But until the next international crises happens, what we do and how we conduct ourselves appear to be set in stone for a while."
"So while the Chinese build-up their military might, there are still people who want the JSDF to be disbanded altogether..." Furuta lowly said. "Lovely."
"Welcome to politics, Furuta-san."
"Bet those same people who want the JSDF disbanded are the same people who want the U.S. Military forces out of Japan." Sasagawa chimed in, while wrapping an arm around his moping friend. "They might as well roll out the red carpet for the PLA while they're at it."
"No administration would allow it," Furuta reasoned, more so to himself. "Even if it was a popular idea amongst the population, not having a military in country is just asking to get your dick stepped on. With or without China."
"Hey, if it makes you feel any better..." Sawagawa grin, giving Furuta the thumbs up. "China's recent aggression have the current Prime Minister seriously rethinking the stance for article 9."
"We'll see how far that goes." Furuta dismissed, skepticism oozing from his voice. "Meanwhile, the PLA will continue to play chicken with us while we sit here trying figure our shit out."
"China could only try," Kuribayashi gleamed in, "With the Marines standing by us, they would think twice before trying that stunt again. Unless they want a repeat of that ass-kicking they got during the Korean War."
"And there she goes again, ladies and gentlemen," Furuta groaned, rubbing his temples. "You hold the U.S. Marines in an abnormally high regard."
"And what if I do? They don't take shit from anyone!" Kuribayashi snapped back.
She glanced over at Itami, who looked back at her with a blank expression. Her eyes narrowed in distaste, not unlike the majority of his peers.
Oh please, Kuribayashi. Tell me how you really feel.
"They might even chew up the Lieutenant as an appetizer." She snarked with a devious grin.
"Careful, Sergeant." Ikazaki mused, her face twisted in a mock predatory gesture. "Those pound cakes on your chest could very well serve as deserts for them."
Kuribayashi looked down at her chest with a confused expression, which quickly turned red in embarrassment when she realized what Ikazaki was referring to when she instinctively covered her large breasts
"You're one to talk, Ikazaki-chan!" she yelped as she pointed an accusing finger at the private first class. "How big are you anyway?! A D-Cup?!"
Now it was Ikazaki's turn to cover her chest as she turned beat red. The two younger males had begun to watch the drama unfold with untold interest and amusement written on both of their faces.
Itami on the other hand tried to inch away from the ensuing drama going on behind him, not wanting to stick his hand in that cookie jar.
"T-They aren't that big!" Ikazaki stammered, pushing her glasses up on her face which had almost fallen off when she instinctively reached up around her chest. "Besides, yours are bigger than mine, anyway!"
"At least mine are firm and don't sag! Unlike yours!"
By now, both Sasagawa and Furuta began to mentally undress the two female soldiers, both who were honestly not bad looking if they were to say so themselves. Their imaginations began to run wild as the Sergeant Major scowled over the men allowing their perverted minds to take over their ability to reason. Even the two Marines with the welcoming party turned their heads at the drama unfolding, having just catching on that there was something amiss.
"Ladies..." Kuwahara growled, his patience beginning to wear thin at the unsatisfactory conduct that his troops were currently displaying.
His warning went unheard as the two women continued to bicker to each other.
"They aren't saggy!" Ikazaki protested, her eyes narrowing through at glasses as she turned her body away from the ever so advancing Sergeant, the smirk on her face reminiscent of a tiger about to pounce their cornered pray.
"Yeah right, you fat cow!"
Ah shit...
Despite only being with the unit for two months, It was no secret to her that the Private First Class was extremely self-conscious about her body and weight. Personally, Itami didn't find her fat, but other men have made perverted remarks about her boobs as well as her "thick thighs" and "big ass".
Ikazaki let out a sharp gasp, her eyes wide behind the frame of her glasses as she felt the world around her go silent. Then she started feeling the overwhelming feelings of hurt and betrayal as she began to feel her heart race. Those two words, echoing in her mind as her face then went from red with embarrassment to crimson with fury.
"Fat cow?!" She screeched, her fist balling into fists as she step-forward towards the busty sergeant. "You...!"
Kuribayashi balled her fist and assumed a basic warrior stance, the realization of what she'd just done coming to her as she watched her PFC coming at her with intent of harming her.
Itami knew the CQB Expert loved to fight, having never backed down the opportunity to use her fist and body to subdue an opponent whenever it had the chance to present itself.
However, this wasn't going to be a friendly spar with one of her teammates or beating some pervert trying to make a move on her. This was a fight about to happen because she spoke without thinking, using a sensitive subject from someone who had considered her a friend.
By now, both Sasagawa and Furuta had snapped out of their inappropriate daydreams when they realize that a fight was about to happen just moments away. The Marines had also stood up upon realizing that something was wrong.
Alright, gotta play dad-
"LADIES!" Kurahawa's voice bellowed, everyone in the vicinity frozen in place as the old soldier stomped towards the four individuals who immediately snapped to the position of attention.
"Are you God-damn serious, right now?!" He barked, each syllable vibrating the concrete grounds as the 4 soldiers clenched from his verbal assault. "The Multinational forces are on their way right now and this is what we're going to greet this with?!" He threw his arms in the air in disgust, his eyes blazing with fury.
"We're going the be the first members of the Self-Defense Force that many of these soldiers are going to meet and this is how they're going to see us when they get here?! Rolling around the floor fighting each other like a bunch of damn children?!" He almost spat on the ground, pointing his finger at Kuribayashi.
"Sergeant Kuribayashi! I WILL remind you that you are a Sergeant in the Ground Self-Defense Force and you WILL act as such! If I see you welcoming a fight against one of your subordinates again instead of talking them down, I will personally see that your rank is stripped down to a damn private! Am I clear?!"
"Yes, Sergeant Major!" She squeaked as she stiffened up, nodding her head vigorously as the fire in his gaze burned into her very soul.
"Private First Class Ikazaki!" He turned, focusing on his venomous glare into the young female who was so close to buckling under her own weight. "You are to not speak to your NCO in a degrading or sexually inappropriate manner ever again! She is your Sergeant and you will give her the respect she deserves! You are one of the few proud members of the Self-Defense Force and WILL conduct yourself as one! I do not want to see nor hear you give into anger anymore after this or so help me, I will have you cleaning piss out of toilets for the remainder of your career until you resign! Am I clear?!"
"Yes, Sergeant Major!" Ikazaki screaming, trying all her might to keep the tears from falling down her cheeks.
"And YOU TWO," Kurahawa directed his attention to the two male soldiers bracing themselves. "There was a dispute between two of your soldiers that neither of you thought of stopping from escalating! When did you think was the appropriate time to intervene during that entire debacle?!" Sasawaga and Furuta gulped, having no appropriate answer as the Sergeant Major stopped just inches from their faces.
"The next time I catch you perverts drooling at the sexually inappropriate comments of your female counter-parts, I will have you doing laps around the pool with cement blocks tied to your ankles until I get tired! Are you two reading me loud and clear?!"
They both of them shouted in unison, their rapidly beating heartbeats almost in sync. "Yes, Sergeant Major!"
The Sergeant Major glanced over at the Lieutenant, staring daggers into him as the two locked eyes. No words were exchanged, but the message had been crystal clear. Itami was just as guilty as the rest of them for not intervening when the situation was getting out of hand. However, as much as he wanted to chew him a new one, protocols and courtesies were instilled upon him. Though he was a seasoned veteran and had many years under his belt, Itami was still an officer and he will be treated as such.
"Get your troops in line, Lieutenant." Kuwahara said as much of a respectful tone as he could, but with just enough venom in his voice. "They're a bunch of circus clowns and I do not want this to be what the foreigners see when they land."
"H-Hai, Sergeant Major." Itami stammered, going to the troops as Kuwahara walked away to cool off. Itami outranked him, but he was not going to risk trying Kuwahara's patience. He glanced over at the two marines who had been staring over at the spectacle the entire time, who quickly went back to what they were doing in their little corner as their gazes met Kuwahara's.
I am not excited about this at all…
"Jeeeeesus..." whistled a dark-skinned Marine who had been watching the JGSDF personnel as the shaggy haired officer went to go talk to his troops one on one. His hair was in the shape of a small fro, nearly out of Marine Corps regulations were it not for the low skin fade on the sides of his head. His nametape over his right breast pocket read Hilaire. "'The fuck do you think that was about?"
"Dunno, but it looked like there was about to be a huge catfight on the flightline." The other Marine next to him mused, his brunette hair cropped down to a high-and-tight hairstyle. The nametape on this Marine was Milorodovic. He was often called Milo for short due to it being more convenient.
Plus the fact barely anyone could pronounce his full name right.
"Whatever it was, that was some serious ass chewing." Hilaire mused, the glooming figure of the Japanese Sergeant Major wondering off to the side as the 4 troops got their baring together. "And I thought our First Sergeant was bad."
"I still wouldn't try pushing your luck." Milo said plainly, wiggling his finger in a lecturing manner. "You're still on First Sergeant's shit-list for those lewd anime posters in your barracks."
"For fucks sakes, they were covered!" The dark-green Marine protested, throwing his right hand in the air "There were no damn nipples showing!"
"Hey man! I didn't say I was against it." Milo said, holding his hands in the air in a defensive gesture. "Just other people have a different opinion on what's sexually inappropriate and what isn't."
"The man grew up in the bible belt, Milo." Hilaire countered "An exposed shoulder is sexually inappropriate in his eyes."
"Come on, Hilaire. The girls were in a hot spring in subjective poses with the steam clouds acting as censors. You were practically begging to get your ass chewed out by higher sooner or later."
"Coming from the degenerate who wears an Ahegao hoodie out in town." The dark-green Marine spat acidly, causing the Slavic-Marine to chuckle in response. "Yet I'm the one who gets my shit pushed in."
By now, Milo had his trademark shit-eating grin, clearly enjoying the distress of his peer. "Learn to skate better."
Hilaire snorted at that. The Marine was well versed in the art of skating, which meant he did as minimal work as possible without being noticed by high-command.
"First Sergeant is on his way out of the unit, anyway." Hilaire deducted, mentally counting the time down. "The new one that's replacing him seems a lot chiller than him."
"That's how it always is." Milo said under his breath, looking around to make sure there were no high-echelon Marines who happened to materialized out of nowhere. "They're always very friendly, give that moto speech about looking forward to working with us, then NJP the first Marine they see."
"Well shit..." Hilaire said almost defeated, the headache of possibly dealing with another blow hard causing his head to hurt. "F to all the people who might get slapped with a Non-Judicial Punishment, but I'm still putting my posters and figurines back up."
"Gonna also put up 'hentai Woody'?" Milo joked, causing the two Marines to laugh.
Back in the early 2010s, there was a company in Japan that made a deal with Disney to produce toys from the famous kids movie Toy Story. Among the main characters, Sherriff Woody was assembled in a 1/7 scaled posable figurine.
However, his face was twisted in a permanent grin that could certainly be manipulated if placed in the right setting. Someone had the bright idea to pose the innocent kid's cartoon character in various molesting poses with more female anime figurines of a lewd nature. Thus, the memes were born and the kid's icon was forever tainted by the nickname of Hentai Woody.
The wonderful horrors that is the internet.
Hilaire specifically purchased that Woody figurine for that exact reason. Thankfully he wasn't displayed when 1stSgt came tearing through his room.
"Maybe.." he snickered, his gaze looking at the short busty JSDF soldier with the glasses. "Gotta give my waifus a break from that creep, eh?"
"Eeeeeeh!" Milo shot, putting on his best mock Canadian accent much to the annoyance of Hilaire "Aboot time you gave the waifus a break, eh?!"
Hilaire became the butt of a lot of jokes in his division once he revealed his origins. He was born and raised in Vancouver Canada, having moved to the United States when he was still a young teenager.
"Eat my ass, Milo."
"Don't threaten me with a good time!" Milo said in mock affection, licking his lips seductively as the dark-green Marine rolled his eyes. "What kind of Canadian goes to live in Texas, anyway?"
"The ones who come from Best-Canada." Hilaire snarked, wondering if the JSDF across from them were eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Best-Canada?" Milo mused, gleaming over at the Canadian-born Marine. "What, Alaska?"
"British-Columbia, you little shit." Hilaire grunted in reply.
"Yet you came to Texas because it was the best place for opportunities." The Slav deduced, going through his black backpack making sure all the equipment was still in place. "If Canada was so great, you would've stayed, right?"
"Don't give me that shit." Hilaire shot back, narrowing his eyes at his friend while the latter still kept his cheese-eating grin. "Up until you met me, you didn't even know there were Black people in Canada. So there were definitely opportunities if I stayed." he rebutted, Milo shrugging his shoulders in response.
"Right. But would you have had the opportunity to own an AR-15 with a 30 round magazine with attachments catered to your needs?" Milo asked, sarcasm oozing out of each word as he took a pot shot at Canada's strict gun laws.
Gone were the days of owning an AR-15 in the land of the Maple Leaf.
Bastards.
"….No."
"Mmhmm." The Slav-Marine said smugly. "United States: 1. Canada: 0."
"Uh huh," The Canadian-born Marine said rolling his eyes. "So we're just going to ignore that California exists?"
"Bro, that's a low hanging fruit." Milo brushed off, trying to forget that state in the western-coastal state of the US.
"Still a fruit that's ripe for picking" Hilaire countered, wagging his index finger back in forth with a snarky smile on his face. If people were going to criticize his homeland, anything is fair game.
"Fair…"
The both of them snickered and decided to go back to browsing on their smart phones while they waited for the planes to land and disembark their personnel. The two Marines were excited to be part of history that was currently unfolding in the nation of Japan.
Their command at headquarters Camp Fuji had detached the two Combat Camera Marines to the Marines of 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines. Despite being part of 3rd Marine Division who were mainly stationed at Camp Courtney Okinawa, 3/3 was stationed in Hawaii. Despite the distance between the two islands, 3/3 frequently visited Okinawa to cross-train with the JSDF.
Besides meeting up with the Marines from America's Battalion, The Canadian-born Marine had another ulterior motive for being at Yokota Air Base.
Along with the Marine KC-130s, were a section of CC-130s from the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was briefed to him that they were carrying members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Unit, one of the best infantry fighting forces from Canada.
Besides the fact they were Canadians like him, the real cherry on top of that cake was his brother was among the PPCLI soldiers selected to participate.
Unlike Hilaire, his brother had stayed in Canada, enlisting in the Canadian Forces and later being commissioned as an officer. His sister likewise, also chose to remain in Canada, having joined the Royal Canadian Navy and was a weapons officer on one of Canada's frigates. She still would be participating in Olympus, albeit mostly confined to Yokosuka.
One big family reunion...
The Canadian-Marine didn't have to think about it when he raised his hand to volunteer for Olympus. He would be there for the welcoming party when the planes landed, making the troops there feel at home.
He would go on to give the welcoming Marines a brief summary of life in Japan, what customs and curtesies to follow, the dos and don'ts. The silly things they would've been briefed on prior to departing from Hawaii.
It's one thing to hear it from a power-point taught by a Marine who did not want to give the lecture. It was another to hear from the mouth of someone who's actually stationed there. While there wasn't a doubt they'd ask him questions about life in another country, what he assumed most would be concerned about was conduct.
Speaking of conduct, the Canadian-born Marine had been occasionally glancing at the JSDF personnel ever since their Sergeant Major chewed them a new one.
One of them being the busty thick girl with the glasses, whose back was turned towards him. Though he couldn't see it, he figured that the woman was trying hard to keep from crying. Whatever the two women were arguing about, it must've deeply affected her if she had to turn away from everyone. Looking over at the other female, he could see that she too, was sulking in her own dark cloud.
Wanting to do something to cheer to the group up, he thought about how to best approach the situation. While the social culture between Americans and Japanese differ, he couldn't think of anyone who didn't enjoy a good laugh to get their mind out of depressing thoughts.
Before he could try to find a solution for the sour mood in the air, the other female get up, calmly walking towards the silently crying bespectacled soldier.
"Oh... Oh boy…"
It had been a few minutes since the group had their asses chewed out by Sergeant Major Kuwahara. Not a peep was heard from the JSDF welcoming party, the suffocating silence filling in the tension that was still thick in the air.
Furuta and Sasagawa went off over to the corner by themselves, opting to not dig themselves deeper into the Sergeant Major's shit-list.
Itami tried to brush off the invisible wave of hostilities by playing on his mobile gaming app of an RPG game that's been hot in the market.
Then of course, there was Ikazaki who was leaning against the window seal, facing away from everyone as she felt the burning sensation in her eyes, tears were threatening to fall.
She did not want them to see her as weak. She was a soldier. A soldier for the Japanese people as her grandfathers before her. Her grandfathers had endured horrors far worse than having their figure insulted. They dealt with life and death situations almost every day, wondering if each day in that horrible war would be their last. And here she was, silently weeping to herself just for an ass-chewing.
As much as she rationalized with herself, she couldn't help but feel like she was been victim of humiliating backlash over something that wasn't entirely her fault. She only meant to tease Kuribayashi because she assumed that the two of them were friends. She didn't expect the sergeant to come at her like the way that she did.
But then Ikazaki lost her cool when she heard those words that she hated to hear, even if Kuribayashi herself had been teasing. She wanted to meet the coalitions of troops coming in because she just loved seeing how other military units were structured and what they did and their accomplishments. She always loved the idea of soldiers and their adventures, whether it was with Japan or the United States.
But now, she was regretting that she volunteered to meet the new arrivals, feeling the wet teardrop finally give way as it flowed down her cheek.
Kuribayashi had been staring at the woman whose back was facing her, multiple feelings and thoughts going through her as she tried to think of a way to deescalate the situation. She closed her eyes, wondering why she allowed herself to bring up Ikazaki's insecurities that she was well aware of.
Calling Ikazaki a cow was easily one of her berserk buttons.
Teasing and horse playing came naturally when it came to friends. There were many times the two ladies groped each other's assets whenever they were play fighting. They would often tease each other over their lack of a love life.
Despite the minutes that passed, Kuribayashi still couldn't figure out why she had pried on her friend's severe insecurities just because she pointed out her D-cups when she mentioned the Marines' insatiable appetite. D-cups the Sergeant was well proud of having and often bragged about considering a majority of Japanese women would kill to have cups half the size as hers.
Ikazaki was playfully teasing with her remarks. What Kuribayashi said what she did with malice.
It did not sit right with her, especially seeing the bespectacle soldier sulk in her own corner.
Summoning every ounce of mental strength she had, Kuribayashi proceeded to make her way towards the PFC who was still content with silently weeping away from prying eyes.
She imagined the eyes of Kuwahara burrowing into her skull, the feeling like a coiled snake that was ready to strike at any wrong movement. Soon, she could see from her peripherals Furuta nudging Sasagawa, who looked at the Sergeant anxiously. It surprised her that despite Itami facing away from them, he was been using the reflection on the terminal's glass panel to watch her every move as she made her way forward.
The weight of her legs were got heavier with each step, the mental burden threatening to buckle her legs.
Ikazaki must have heard her, the PFC quickly using her sleeves to wipe away the tears in in her eyes as the bespectacled soldier turned around to face her, trying to keep a professional face that masked the emotions she was feeling.
"H-Hai, Sergeant?"
Kuribayashi could see the look of pain in the woman's eyes as she stifled a sniff from her nose. For a moment, the CQB expert said nothing as she continued to look at the woman.
Everyone held their breath as the JSDF sergeant walked over and stood in front of Ikazaki. Then, in an unexpected move, and without a word, Kuribayashi embraced her in a tight hug. The look of surprise on Ikazaki's face turned to anguish again as she started to sob against her sergeant's chest.
"Gomen nasai, Ikazaki-chan." Kuribayashi said as she held the sobbing PFC. "Please forgive me."
She continued as she stroke Ikazaki's hair with her hand as she held her close.
Everyone, including the two marines who had been watching, were shocked and touched as well from the sergeant's actions. They fully expected another repeat of the same argument or for Kuribayashi to switch to her nasty drill instructor persona that everyone had learned to deal with. Itami actually had formed in his mind what he was going to say to end the argument between the two, but with Kuribayashi's sudden gesture, it seemed as if the situation had already been resolved.
"It's ok, Kuribayashi-chan. I'll be fine." Ikazaki stifled another sniff and she felt Kuribayashi squeeze tighter.
"No. It wasn't ok. I had been out of line. And for that, I sincerely apologize for that, Ikazaki-chan."
By now, even Kuribayashi was nearly tearing up. The two of them had sent a lot of time with each other in the unit. She didn't' want to have another situation like this unfold again. Kuribayashi was her NCO, and dare she say, even a friend. She knew that she would have to keep her attitude in check if she wanted it to stay that way.
She vowed to not make that same mistake again.
They both yelped as they felt the strong hands of Kurahara clamp on their shoulders, a warm look on his face rather than the menacing scowl he had earlier.
"I'm glad you ladies made up with each other. This is the comradely we need if we're going to function as a unit out there in the field."
The two women nodded as Kuribayashi released Ikazaki from her embrace, wiping off the last traces of tears that were once on her face. Kuwahara then glanced around the rest of the members, making sure he was well heard.
"If I'm hard on you, it's because I expect better from each and every one of you. We're a professional force whose task is to make sure Japan and its people are taken care of. We can't afford to be hostile towards one another and let drama eat away our ability to function as a unit. You should always think of your unit as your extended family, because that's what it essentially is. You should be ready to lay down your life for your brothers and sisters in arms if the situation ever arises."
The JSDF personnel all nodded, feeling the tensions that were once prevalent fading in the air as the group slowly started to go back to bullshitting with each other to pass the time.
Itami noticed in the corner of her eye several objects in the air far away that were not there before. As he squinted to get a better look, he could see a couple of black dots over the horizon. He figured, those must be the planes coming in to bring the main ground personnel.
He turned towards the group, his monotone voice almost unheard. "They're about to start landing soon."
"Has anyone worked with the Canadians and Australians before?" Kuribayashi asked, trying to improve on the mood and get their spirits jolly again as she also looked at the dots becoming bigger.
"Worked with the Australians a few times." Kuwahara answered. "Quite a bunch of rowdy fellows if I do say so myself."
"What makes them so tough?" piped Sasagawa, never hearing much about the Australian Defense Force.
"Son, have you ever been to Australia?" the Sergeant Major snarked, causing the troops around him to snicker.
It was no secret that the wildlife in Australia could easily kill a man if they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. The fact that there was a civilization not only surviving but thriving in that hostile ecosystem was a testament that wasn't lost to anyone in the world.
"Got any stories, Sergeant Major?" Kuribayashi beamed, causing the old veteran to chuckle to him. He began to dig into that databanks of his brain, trying to recall the memories of his long life into one fluid motion picture.
"I've once had the opportunity to participate in RIMPAC." At this, both Ikazaki and Kuribayashi's eyes grew wide.
"RIMPAC? Isn't that more of a JMSDF thing?"
"Indeed, but I wanted to be a spectator for the newly formed Amphibious Brigade that were training for island raids in Hawaii." Kawahara answered, the two girls becoming jealous at the old man living it up in Hawaii.
"Towards the end of RIMPAC, we were all having outdoor festivities in the name of national friendship building." He continued, recalling the events that transpired. "There were a couple of piss drunk Australian Sailors who were playing pool with a bunch on equally drunk Royal Marines from the British Forces."
The four of the soldiers listened with keen interest, Itami occasionally eavesdropping as he kept watching the skies.
"The Royal Marines had beaten them on a very close game, as both of them knocked all their balls into the hole and were both trying to get the 8-ball in. How did the Australians handle it?"
He then let out a snicker.
"They got on top the pool table, unbuckled their trousers, and started pissing on the Royal Marines."
"For real?!" The four of them exclaimed in unison, Kuwahara nodding in affirmation.
"It was the brawl of a lifetime, to say the least," Kuwahara commented, "The club was shut down and a lot of people arrested by the Military Police. As for myself, I just walked out as soon as the Royal Marines leap up to tackle the Australians."
"Wow," Furuta whistled before snorting.
"What about the Canadians?" Kuribayashi continued with her interrogations, much to the amusement of the Sergeant Major. "You ever worked with them?"
"Once when I went to Camp Pendleton to cross-train with them and the Marines." He answered. "I do believe that Canada doesn't often cross-train with us outside of the United States. I believe this will be one of the rare occasions that they actually have combat troops on Japanese soil rather than at Camp Pendleton."
"How did they conduct themselves? The Canadians." Furuta asked.
"The Canadians there pulled their weight if that's what you're asking."
"Why does Canada even need an army, anyway?" Kuribayashi asked, more to herself than the group of people around her. "Aren't they supposed to be the nicest people on the planet?"
"Even the nicest of people need to be prepared to go to war with someone who isn't, Sergeant." Answered Kuwahara. "Also, you do realize the irony in the first part of your question, right?"
"Whaaa!" She blurted, her face turning beat red. "I-I mean! America is right there below them and has the most powerful army in the world! Surely they don't have to worry about maintaining a large military with America right across the border!"
"They don't," Itami answered the blushing sergeant as he still kept his gaze on the incoming planes. "Canada's army is rather small. Smaller than our Defense Force. Their Navy is even smaller if I remember right."
"Oh?" Kuribayashi glared at her commander, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "And how would you know that, sir?"
Itami let out a small chuckle. "When I went to Canada for a convention that was being hosted in Calgary, I met a Canadian soldier who was attending it as well."
Kuribayashi's mouth dropped as she narrowed her eyes in disbelief, her bottom eyelid involuntarily twitching.
Itami continued, "We were in line for a poster signing. He was in a very awesome Cosplay by the way. It was from some Xbox game the Westerners love playing so much. I think it was called.. 'Halo' or something like that"
Itami was enjoying the look of utter disbelief and shock that was forming around the young sergeant's face. It was no secret that she held contempt and low regards for otakus and weebs. She had nearly gagged when she discovered that her new Lieutenant was a proud self-admitted otaku, nearly wanting to go to her station S-1 and request a transfer out of the unit. For her to discover that there were more military otakus out there was certainly improving his mood as he watched her visibly cringe.
"Anyway, after we discovered each other, we decided to grab a dish to eat while we waited for a panel to open. He had never met a JSDF member, so he was curious. I talked about what it was like for me being in Japan's military, what I did, and the usual stuff."
"Of course the first Defense-Force member he met had to have been you, didn't it?" Kuribayashi groaned, pinching her nose as Itami rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well.. He talked about how Canada's military had been practically gutted from the constant defense cuts from their past administration." he explained as Kuribayashi's interest peaked up, along with Sasagawa and Furuta's. "He told me that they could no longer contribute to a lot of Peacekeeping missions around the world because of the lack of funding. A lot of equipment that they use are remnants of the cold-war. Their Air Force is barely being held together because the jets they're flying are long overdue to retire."
"Well damn..." Sasagawa whistled, furuta and Kuribayashi staring that trail of C-130s as they became more visible, the echoes of piston engines reaching the tarmac where the welcoming party stood.
"Needless to say, I was shocked at what he telling me." Itami sighed, "I honestly didn't believe him, so I looked it up after I got talking with him. While we're ranked sixth for the world's most powerful military..." He paused, adding for dramatic effect.
"Canada is ranked twenty-first."
"No way!" the three of them blurted out loud, their minds trying to process this revelation. Itami just nodded his head in confirmation.
"You mean to tell me our Defense Force is more powerful than the Canadian military?!" Furuta exclaimed, almost becoming hysterical at the mere thought that their nation could actually take on Canada.
"It would appear so." Itami said as the outline of the leading C-130 became more visible and recognizable. Its landing gears had been down and the flaps were out.
"Though I still wouldn't underestimate them. The Canadians that are training with us are supposed to be members of the Princess Patricia Infantry Unit. I've been told they were one of the best group of soldiers that came out of Canada."
Kuribayashi scoffed, folding her arms. "Yeah, right. They still wouldn't hold a candle to the Marines."
"At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up marrying one with how much you talk about them." Furuta snorted as the first C-130 touched down on the flight deck.
Kuribayashi sighed dreamily, her eyes fluttering as the shape of her irises appeared to morph into that of hearts.
"You know.. I just might, Furuta.."
Itami groaned again as he rubbed his temples. "I wonder if I'll run into that Canadian soldier again.."
Location: The landing strip on the Yokota Air Base' tarmac.
Aircraft 343
Currently inside the cabin of a RCAF CC-130H as it taxis across to the Yokota Air Base terminal.
Time: 14:48 Hours
Master Corporal Madison Severtson's eyes popped open, the sudden jolt of the CC-130H's landing waking the few sleeping passengers in the cramped cabin. After rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, the Calgary-born native's mind began to race as he remembered where he was and why was currently here.
The Parliament's decision to send Canadian combat troops to participate in Operation Olympus was, in his eyes, one that he felt the Canadian Forces severely needed.
One, it was one of the very rare occasions that Canadian troops would be on Japanese soil conducting training operations. In fact, a lot of them speculated that it might possibly be the first time a large contingent of Canadian troops stepped foot in Japan all together since the occupation of 1945.
Severtson was certainly excited about the possibilities of exploring the country, having always wanted to do so since he was a teenager. And he certainly wasn't the only one.
Two, Operation: Olympus also served as another testing bed for the Canadian Forces' latest hot debate; the need for dedicated amphibious forces.
Though that second reason was met with skepticism. Even if they did create an amphibious assault force, they still wouldn't have any ships in their possession that could sustain an expeditionary unit. While there had been talks underway about obtaining one, every single one that he knew of ended up falling short and subsequently canceled.
With the recent surge of huge threats in the Pacific, America deduced the next major conflict would revolve around the island chains scattered across the South China Seas. With a new Prime Minister and Parliament, focus has shifted to modernize the Canadian Forces to assist their allies against peer advisories such as China.
Thus, the PPCLI acted as the test bed for a dedicated amphibious assault unit.
The Calgary man felt a nudge on his shoulder, looking over to see the excited face of his friend and section's Med Tech Corporal Ronald Colten. His blonde hair was combed and jelled back, almost giving him the impersonation of Vash the Stampede were it not the fact his hair was neatly trimmed to conform to the grooming regulations.
"Yo Severtson, think we might be able to go to Akihabara while we're out here?" His blue eyes peered above the rims of his gold-lensed John Lennon styled sunglasses
The dirty bonde man chuckled, shrugging his shoulders "I hope so, dude! Can't go to Tokyo without going to Akihabara!"
"Why, for the cute maids?!"
"Hell yeah! I'm definitely going to try out those maid café's I've heard about. That district is full of them!"
"Now lads..." a thick accent bellowed in front of them as a bespectacled fiery-redheaded female waved her finger in a lecturing manner. "Do ya want me to keep me eyes on ya's? Afraid if I lose sight of either of ya, you'd both would end up getting hitched."
Severtson and Colten shook their heads as the redhead snickered. Her name was Private Barbara Shepard, a Scottish-born immigrant who migrated to Canada a few years ago.
"Alright, then." Shepard said, crossing her arms. "Better not let me catch ya losers in one of those virtual weddings I've been hearing they had over here."
Colten waved his hands, laughing to himself. "Oh noooo! I'm not that far gone, Barb!"
The Scot snorted, waving a dismissive hand. "Could've fool me. I've seen your web history."
"Hey! How was I supposed to know that you would've got on my computer in my own barracks room just because I went to go take a piss for a minute?"
"The important thing, Ron', is that I didn't think you'd be the type to be playing with ya knob over a bunch of cartoons with pixelated genitals."
Multiple troops in their section busted out laughing who had been listening in on the conversation, the blushing medic flipping the bird at the troops all around him.
"To hell with you all."
"Already on my way there with an express ticket." replied a light freckled Brunette, his blue eyes almost tearing up at the medic's expense. Severtson got to know the Private as Nathan Graham, a rather sarcastic individual who gave him the vibes as someone who is free spirited, going with the flow of things.
"You think I could take a Katana back home with me?" Asked the young private, his baby face giving him the impression of a kid playing dress up in his parent's uniform.
Private Charlie Gagnon had only joined the unit four months ago, still being brand new to the Army and getting used to being in the unit. He had enlisted at the age of eighteen right after he graduated high school, making him the youngest member that embarked out here for Operation Olympus.
Severtson felt like he had to baby him when he first checked into the unit, having to mentor him on how carry himself. This will be his first major field op, Severtson hoped the young boy retained everything that he learnt from him.
"Only one way to find out." Severtson replied, sarcasm hinting at his voice. "Though, if you manage to pack one away without it tripping the x-ray machine or it cutting through your luggage, please let me know."
"What is 'a Scabbard' for five-hundred, Alex?" Graham quipped, Severtson giving him the middle finger.
"You sneaking a Katana back home is about as likely as Canada actually establishing an amphibious force." Quipped a tall man who slouching on the harness, causing a few of the troops to chuckle at the remark.
Nukilik Armstrong was a half-Inuit, half-Caucasian man. He also hailed from Victoria BC, having joined the Army as an opportunity to challenge himself and instill discipline. He was the team's automatic rifleman, having the body build and strength to carry the heavy load
"You gentlemen know that Japan isn't just Anime and Samurai's right?" A burly man with a neatly trimmed ginger beard stood up, "All the trinkets that this country has to offer, and all you can think about are the taboos."
Sergeant Trevor Burton voiced as he looked at his troops who were explaining their desired creature comforts.
"I mean… it is still Japanese merchandise, right dad?" Graham countered, a cheese-eating grin plastered on his face.
A few of the troops snickered at the Sergeant's "affectionate" nickname.
Burton sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, but you people want to expand your options more than what you see in the media and entertainment industries."
"What are you planning on getting here, Sergeant?" The curious female soldier in her late twenties asked. It was hard for Burton and the troops to understand her due to her heavy Chinese accent. Private Fei-Mao Miao.
"Probably a couple of clocks." Burton answered absently, shrugging as the Shanghai girl tilted her head. "Some shirts, definitely. Maybe some literature books so I can speak the language better. I know that my kids will probably love some toy aircraft they have over here."
"To each their own, pops." Replied another soldier with a light French accent. "I've never had some Sake or other Asian alcohol. I figure this would be the perfect place to start."
Corporal Alexandre Trottier served as a fireteam leader for his section, his muscular body nearly stretching his uniform from years of body building before he joined the Canadian Army.
"You're not wrong." Burton said, brushing any dirt and lint off his beret he kept in his cargo pocket.
"Think these blokes can put up a good fight?" Shepard piped, a predatory grin that would've made a Great White Shark blush. "These Japs haven't been in a war since the bombs in 'forty-five. I wanna see if they can handle a charmin' gal like me-self."
"There will be plenty of time for that, Shepard." Trottier reassured, wanting to keep the bulldog on a leash, lest she goes barking at the wrong tree. "But try not to scare them before we're in the field, shall we?"
"So long as they don't stare at my arse or call me Irish, we're peachy."
Their heads turned to the rear of the CC-130 as they heard the hum of hatch coming down, the light flooding the cabin like salvation reaching for the souls of the damned. A US Airmen stepped on board, pointing out towards the tarmac where he instructed the troops of PPCLI to go.
"Alright ladies and gents. Grab 'em and start heading out single file! Head towards the direction the US Airmen are pointing at!" Barked a dark-skinned Lieutenant, eyes eager to finally get off this cramped flying coffin.
Lieutenant Joshua St-Hilaire's large chiseled frame lifted his pack with ease, leading the way down to the tarmac.
Severtson and the others grabbed their rucksacks that were stuffed with all the combat load that was listed on the gear list to bring to the training op, filing out of the Hercules as the wave of summer air blew into his neatly trimmed beard, eyes darting around as he welcomed the aroma of Japanese air.
All around them, C-130s from the USMC and RAAF were disembarking their troops, all of them following in line as both US and JASDF Airmen directed everyone towards a medium sized building. Severtson glanced up at the sunny horizon, being greeted by the sight of Mount Fuji as he felt his body flowing with excitement and the endless possibilities.
"Welcome to Japan, people!" shouted St-Hilaire , the turbo-props of the Hercules beginning to die down as the pilots started shutting down the engines.
(A/N)
Hello everyone! How's everyone been!
I'm sorry if this chapter was excessively long. I thought I'd use this chapter to go into some of the new characters that are going to be prevalent throughout this fanfic. I'm sure everyone is well aware of the main character's background and who they are without explaining too much. At least, I would assume since you people are in a fanfiction section of an Anime/Manga series.
Believe it or not, this chapter was originally going to be far longer. But after having talked to some people who I've shown the rough draft, it was full of needless stuff about character backgrounds that would probably be better if I gradually start digging I their past rather than to just data dump it all in the first chapter and disrupt the flow. There was also a lot more historical and political background that really wasn't too important to the story and was too distracting to the ongoing events. I haven't taken them out completely from the first draft I written, but will add them as the situation deems it relevant. Especially in regards of the conflict going on in the pacific.
I was honestly surprised with the warm reception my prologue got when I submitted this story a few days ago. I thought it would've just been another generic fic that's already been done to death and would've just been lost with the endless stories that get submitted on here. I'm really grateful for the helpful reviews and corrections in regards to troops and equipment.
As far as Furuta and Sasagawa, they didn't have as much screentime in the show or manga as much I a plan on them having on here, so it left me free to develop their own personalities as far as how they view life and the events going on around them. In case there are some confusions, Ikazaki is my O.C. I've added to Itami's platoon, as I've felt the shippings with Marikawa and Kuribayashi are a bit overdone… Not that I might or might not indulge in the trend as well.
Now with the conduct that put the JSDF soldiers on blast.
Being in the Marine Corps, I know that there aren't a lot of leaders who are popular. Despite what people might think, the military aren't full of people who act like robots. Everyone has their individual personality, quirks, likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, a lot of people can be assholes and abuse their rank and power. Or have people who are incompetent and shouldn't even be holding those billets. However, as the saying goes "Respect the rank, not the person", I was kind of offput that a lot of people talked to Itami as if he was an idiot.
To his face at least.
While he did put up the lazy persona, no competent military would allow their subordinates to talk to a superior officer like that. If Shino were to talk to some 1st Lieutenant in the Marine Corps as she did with Itami, you could bet she would have every knife hand from all the Gunnys and Master Sergeants within a 5 mile radius pointed at her throat as they chewed her a new asshole of biblical proportions. While we would complain amongst ourselves with others who cared to listen, unless we had a death wish, we wouldn't directly insult our higher echelons in their faces.
That goes both ways too. Often have there been cases of NCOs abusing their authority over the junior enlisted in a form of hazing. Many times I've seen NCOs taken out back to be chewed out by SNCOs who felt that they went over the line on what was acceptable conduct and what wasn't. I'm not going to say I was a perfect leader (LMAO), but I always strived to treat my Marines with dignity and respect. I guess that comes with being a relaxed POG air winger in an MOS that is laughed at.
But I've rambled on enough. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. But don't expect a quick update like this one.. if this is what you call quick.
As always, take care people and I'll see you in a bit.
Issac out.
EDIT: I've reworked some things to make it flow better. I might go back and rewrite it again.