File: 2635109d12615578807c742b8(...).jpg (80 KB, 898x982)

80 KB JPG

“The Doctor noticed some irregularities when checking on you yesterday. Would you allow us to do some non-intrusive examinations on your body?” I proposed, trying to sound as professional yet not too forceful in the delivery.

“Please do, Captain. I’ll do anything to help.”

Thankfully, Lynn replied affirmatively to the suggestion.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Lieutenant. I shall inform the doctor to prepare-”

Just as I was about to stand up and leave, a screeching siren began blaring throughout the Yamato’s internal broadcast system.

“All crew, battle stations. Acting Captain Kurokawa, Lieutenant Lynn, report to the bridge immediately.”

Isao’s stern, monotone broadcast demanded both of our presence, of which I found particularly deplorable. He should be aware that Lynn was in the sickbay for treatment, and was likely in no condition to participate in combat. Has he no consideration for her?

“Captain, we should get to the bridge-”

“What about your injuries, Lieutenant?” I asked concerningly, reflecting on the amount of damage she had taken during her fight with Margaret. “You should focus on your recovery, first and foremost.”
She stared back with wide eyes as if she never expected me to endow her with such kindness.

“Thank you for your concern, Captain, but I assure you I am operational.”
Lynn sat upright and gave me a firm nod, with great confidence glistening in her characteristically deep blue eyes. While I could not be absolutely certain of her conditions, her enthusiasm and assertiveness was enough indication that she was ready to rejoin.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Lieutenant. I’ll see you on the bridge when you are ready.”

“Aye, Captain!” She loudly proclaimed, confirming her determination with a salute.

Lynn’s energetic response brought upon a sense of achievement from the bottom of my heart.
Despite the numerous hiccups of the previous day, I feel I have managed to earn back Lynn’s trust and respect, even if it’s just formalities. For the first time in a good while, I felt I have successfully accomplished my duties.
Perhaps I’m not a complete failure, after all.

As I entered the center wing, I was suddenly reminded of Margaret, whose bed was in the immediate proximity of the only entrance of the sickbay. Should Lynn pass by later, chances are she would spot Margaret, leading to another ruckus.
I must prevent such incidents from taking place.

File: 98a53b781ed675edc6a279338(...).png (1.4 MB, 857x1143)

1.4 MB PNG

“Margaret-san!”
I picked up the blanket from one of the empty beds and tossed it towards Margaret as I approached.
“Subaru-kun?” She reflexively caught the fabric in mid-air and stared puzzlingly back at me. “What is this…”
“I need you to cover up your head and face and standby at the core,” I instructed her carefully, making sure she was absolutely aware of what to do to minimize the chances of another run-in with Lynn. “Leave only after our guest has left the sickbay, and give it a few minutes before you do the same.”

“Aye!”
Having received Margaret’s reply, I gave the cheerful Valkyria an acknowledging nod, then headed straight for the bridge.

Upon arrival, I was met with a room of people gathered around a naval chart of Northern Palawan, laid on the center command table. In the center was Satoru, with a pen in hand and a beam compass in the other, making notes over the naval chart.

“Acting Captain Kurokawa.”
Isao spared no moment of hesitation to address me as soon as I came into his view.
“Lieutenant commander Nishihara. What’s the situation?” I inquired while giving him a brief salute.
“We received an encrypted message from the Gallians.” He returned the salute and explained in a serious tone. “A flotilla flying the Khaganate’s flag has been spotted about 28 kilometers north-northwest of our current position.”

“Any further details?”

“They request direct contact with you.” He replied with slight dissatisfaction in his tone.

“Get Commander Trastamara on the line,” I ordered as I walked up to the radio operator, to which the crewman promptly complied. Once patched through, the operator cleared out of his seat and handed me the mouthpiece.

File: Mosarkcopy.jpg (137 KB, 675x470)

137 KB JPG

“~Is dis da Capitan?” Came a casual, carefree, and heavily accented voice from the heavily static transmission.
“Commander Trastamara.”
“Ayyy Capitan, bueno dias! The sun is nice today, si?”
…
...
“It’s nice, thank you.”
“Very calm waters today, no es encantador?” He responded in laughter. “Di best day to go fishing I tell you. Spawning season for Terrornautilo, might find them Hobb’s Leviatán swimming around too…”

I was almost impressed by how far he already went off the tangent this early into the conversation. He was acting as if the Khaganate’s flotilla was nothing of much concern. At the same time, I caught a glimpse of Isao to my right, face scrunched in utter displeasure. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the man was at his patience’s end.

After interacting with Glascon in person back at the outpost, I reckon this casual conversation was just par for the course. However, it did seem rather strange that he would be stalling a conversation as important as spotting Khaganate ships with trivia of the local wildlife?
…
…

My mind was brought back to just yesterday, at our very first conversation over the radio. Back then, he used some unintelligible gibberish to confirm our identity. Was he trying to pull off the same thing here?

“... they like de ocean’s mafia, come take ye catch and...”
“Indeed commander, I heard there’s a pod of them close by, yes?” I interrupted him halfway through his angler tales, forcing the conversation back to the main topic. “How many do you see?”
“Eh…” He clicked his tongue through the static. “ Seis, siete, ocho… Anywhere from six to twelve? They travel in small bancos. Dey must still be around!”

“Any specifics on how they look?”
“No big bulls, only a batch of jovencito!” He chirped a carefree giggle “They all look de same from afar!”

‘Flotilla, six to twelve strong, no capital ships’ I scribbled onto a small notepad on the side of the radio equipment. However, even with this information, that was still barely enough to start planning for an operation.

“Any birds in the sky today?”
“Eh… didn’t see any gulls today. Those guys usually circle de Leviatáns for scraps, si?”

The absence of an air escort seemed rather odd, considering the flotilla was operating in hostile waters. Either the Khagan’s navy was acting uncharacteristically recklessly today, or they were so confident in their strength that an escort was deemed unnecessary.

“There’s no local coastal birds in the skies, either. Perhaps they’re all sleeping today, ay?”

File: Cvyj73DVYAI1DRv.jpg (65 KB, 550x601)

65 KB JPG

Local birds… he must be referring to their coastal patrol planes.
If those were ‘sleeping’... wouldn’t that mean that the Gallians’ air wing would be unavailable?

I found myself slouching slightly against the table, with a hand supporting my forehead. As the birthplace of aviation, how could a dominion of Gallia not have a readily available air wing?

As I complained silently in my mind, a fragment of my conversation with Lynn yesterday flashed past my mind.

“They seem more interested in building statues to glorify her majesty's heritage than in the safety and prosperity of her foreign dominions. Surely, those funds can be better spent on proper uniforms and boots for her East Indies garrison?”

Perhaps the underfunding issue Lynn was referring to was direr than I had imagined. Under such circumstances, the Yamato’s air wing would be all that was available- meaning it would be up to us to provide any aerial support.

“Commander Trastamara?”
“Si?”
“I heard a small herd of migratory birds from the north would be passing this area-”

“PLEASE HOLD ON!”
A potent scream resonated through the bridge, directing everyone’s attention away from the radio and to the only entrance. Standing at the door was none other than our Gallian envoy, dressed in full uniform, the Gallian officer quickly made her way to the radios, her quick breaths suggested that she ran all the way here.

“Captain, these waters aren’t safe for the Yamato to traverse freely.” She announced loud and clear, walking up to the radio by my side. “May I suggest allowing our ships to engage the enemy, while the Yamato provides support from this position?”

“Lynn!” Glascon’s voice came joyfully through the thick static as the junior officer made her presence known. “Haciendo, bien?”
His carefree, relaxed tone, however, did not sit well with her.
“Shut up and act professionally for once, can you?” She snapped at him angrily, taking hold of the mouthpiece. “How many of our ships are operable?”

“Bzzz… Bzzz... oops, di connection’s pshhht…. breaking.” Her superior returned with a sarcastic imitation of poor radio quality with his mouth, then cut off the connection from the other side.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing?”
Lynn’s question, understandably, fell on deaf years.
“Damn him!” She nearly slammed the mouthpiece on the counter, completely unaware of all the troubled looks that surrounded her.

“Lieutenant.” I drew her attention with a light tap on the shoulder. “We were talking with code, the Khagan’s Navy might be listening.”
“C-code?” She stopped and took a look around. Having realized what she had done, Lynn took two steps back from her current position, covering her face in shame.
Isao stepped forth and glanced at Lynn for a short moment, then turned to address me.
“What are your orders, Captain?”

I arose and cleared my throat.
“Get Lieutenant Koishimizu on the bridge.”

File: 64208191_p0.jpg (892 KB, 1454x1500)

892 KB JPG

“Lieutenant Hibari Koishimizu, reporting for duty.”
Hibari arrived shortly after her presence was requested, and was briefed on the situation.

“So, you want us to fly a scouting run? If that’s the case, might as well also put that spotting device to the test.” Hibari suggested as she brought up something I never heard of.
“Spotting device?”
“Yes, there is an artillery spotting apparatus installed onto the gunner’s seat of one of our aircraft,” she explained. “Could help spot targets for the Yamato. However, the instrument hasn’t been thoroughly tested yet.”

“The enemy flotilla is 3 km outside of our effective range.” Isao chimed in. “Our accuracy would suffer as a consequence.”
“Huh…”
Hibari took a moment to ponder, placing her right hand under her chin, then turned back towards me.
“Kurokawa, you said they had no air escorts?”

“Yes, according to the Gallians, no Khaganate aircraft were spotted in the area.”

“Then we could go for an aerial attack, they’re not prepared for it.” Hibari proposed, but her face soon hardened as she brought up another possibility.
“That, or the flotilla is a lure to bait out the air wing for an ambush. There’s no way of telling.” She finished with a shrug.

Factoring in what we know of the Beiyang Admiral’s tactics and the Phantom Swallow’s combat records, Hibari's concerns were not unfounded. However, as allies to the Gallians, we cannot simply sit around and do nothing.

“Your orders, Acting Captain?”

>Let’s put that spotting device into good use
>Sink them with the full power of Yamato’s air wing
>Shell them in that general direction, we need to conserve our forces

>>4250688
>Sink them with the full power of Yamato’s air wing
This entire area has more mines than fish. These guys are here for minesweeping, not direct combat

>>4250656
>This fucker has the gall to salute second
Seppuku, now!

>>4250666
An uncharacteristic moment of competence from our Subaru. Let's hope this sticks.

>>4250688
>Let’s put that spotting device into good use
>Make sure the spotting plane comes from a fake direction
>Have an air escort ready at some distance in case of an ambush
This is surely a bait to make us give up our position, but if we definitely can't just do nothing, let's shell them from afar.

>>4250688
>Sink them with the full power of Yamato’s air wing

File: 1588863271997.png (137 KB, 600x620)

137 KB PNG

>>4250688
Going to throw my support for >>4250795 as this was the main strategy of the Turks during the Gallipoli campaign.
If these are minesweepers, they'll be cruising slowly in a straight line in order to effectively carry out their duties. Let Glascon have his task force join in shelling from a different direction so it looks like these islands are protected by coastal batteries. This way Aiteng won't know if we're really here or not.

Hell, we could even suggest building some fake coastal batteries on the island, just to drive that impression home.

>>4250795
>>4250914
>Operation Bertram, naval battle edition
This sounds so batshit insane it might actually work.

>>4250980
The question here is how are we supposed to hide a 300 meter long ship. It seems much more practical to jump around islands instead and force Aiteng to chase us through minefields.

>>4254392
If I were her I'd send aircraft instead. We don't have adequate AA protection, and evasive maneuvers would be hampered by our own mines to boot.

>>4254401
To be fair air isn't THAT big of a threat to our Yamato. Unlike the one in real life, ours have that Valkyrian relic engine that generates a barrier and all that. IMO the mines are much more of a problem here since both Glascon and Lynn don't appear to trust us enough to hand over the maps.

>>4257787
I'm sure a sufficient volume of fire can overwhelm Margaret's abilities.

File: 1585931743162.jpg (72 KB, 778x536)

72 KB JPG

The risks of charging in with a small air wing seemed disproportionately high in comparison to what we might gain from this skirmish. Instead, we should focus on gathering intel on our enemies- not just of the flotilla, but the whole Khaganate Navy that may be present in these waters.
Additionally, should the Gallians choose to engage the flotilla, we should at the very least be ready to provide long-distance fire support.

“Go for a scouting run. Time to put that spotting device into good use.” I passed the decision, then stepped up to the operation planning table at the center of the bridge.
I took a close look at the naval chart sprawled on the table. While we still lack the information from the Gallians to adequately plot out the naval mines laid in the area, Satoru had already marked the general grid as to where the enemy flotilla was last spotted.
Glancing over the red pins on the map used to represent the flotilla, I couldn’t help but ponder which fleet it belonged to, and what it was here for.

Should they be from the Nanyang Fleet, their goal was most likely to investigate the submarine wrecked by the naval mine yesterday. However, should they be from the Beiyang Fleet...

Admiral Sima was most well known for casting elaborate traps to ‘catch’ her adversaries. Any rash action from our side could potentially risk exposing the Yamato’s position. In case of a skirmish, a long-range artillery bombardment offered the lowest risk, as opposed to a potential encounter with the Phantom Swallows.

“Lieutenant Koishimizu, please take a look at the chart.”
With Hibari joining me by the table, I placed my finger on the blue pin used to mark our current position.
“I need you to keep an eye on the flotilla from the sky, but approach from their east. We should avoid drawing attention to our current position.”
I traced my finger to an island to the northeast, making a 45-degree turn before continuing down a straight line towards the flotilla’s position.

File: 77931087_p0.jpg (4.65 MB, 2894x4093)

4.65 MB JPG

“I want the rest of the air wing to scout the area for any Khaganate activity.” I ended by circling the open seas to the northeast and northwest of our position. “Starting from 3 km off the coast of the closest islands, in these two regions.”

“And about the spotting device?” Hibari inquired with arms crossed before her chest. “I can’t operate it and fly a plane at the same time. Someone else will have to be in the gunner’s seat.”
“What sort of expertise are you looking for, lieutenant?”
“Someone with eyesight as good as a pilot and experience with handling stationary weapons.” She explained. “Using the device is not that dissimilar to using an artillery scope.”

“In that case, I’ll do it.”
I could feel the bewildered gaze of the entire bridge crew as I finished those words. The silence was more than a telling sign that no one had anticipated me volunteering for the task.
“I have plenty of experience in gun laying for AA/AT guns back in Osaka. Specifically the Type 88 high-velocity gun.” I briefly recalled the chaotic mess that was the defense of Osaka, then continued. “I also have experience in long-distance sniping during our raid in Kure. I can handle the spotting duty without issue.”

Ignoring the newfound attention, I continued to address the rest of the group.
“Lieutenant Lynn, I need you to keep us in touch with the rest of the Gallian fleet. Lieutenant Commander Nishihara, take over the bridge in my absence and stand by for our signal. Once we make certain of the numbers, composition, and coordinates of their forces, notify the Gallians that we will be ready to provide artillery support, should they choose to engage.”

“Yes sir!” Lynn stood upright and received the orders with a proper salute.
“Understood.” Isao gave an acknowledging nod before returning to his duties.

File: 34c129a4c5ddf997db965e7cf(...).png (786 KB, 800x1180)

786 KB PNG

With the delegation of tasks for the bridge crew completed, I turned towards our petite pilot waiting by the operation table observing the naval chart.
“Lieutenant Koishimizu, should we head to the hangar bay?”
“Of course.” Pleasantly amused by my conviction, Hibari replied with a snicker. “Come, I’ll take you for a lift. Think you’re ready to take to the skies?”
“I’ll give it a try.” I quipped back, recounting the endless shelling, bombing and strafing run the Khaganate has pummeled Osaka with. No matter how spotting in the skies might be like, surely it can’t be worse than that.

However, right as I was about to reach for the watertight gate and leave the bridge with Hibari, I felt a hand tugging on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.
“Subaru.”
I peeked over my shoulder, coming face to face with my former friend. Unlike yesterday, this time he had mustered enough courage to look at me straight in the eyes.
“Are you sure about this.”
...
Harboring no interest in speaking to this man, I shot him a sharp, irritating glare, shook my shoulder to rid of his hand, then left the bridge with Hibari without another word.

File: 61530f6fce7cecd5c73fdda5b(...).png (239 KB, 460x720)

239 KB PNG

“Kurokawa, have you flown before?” Hibari inquired while the two of us waited for the arrival of the elevator leading into the hangar bay.
“I have not, unfortunately.”
That answer alone forced Hibari to stare back at me with mild disbelief.
“Do you have a death wish, Acting Captain?”
“Why is that?” I looked back at her puzzlingly. “I’ve fought in and survived Osaka. Surely I can handle a scouting run?”
“Correction then, you’re just an idiot.” She remarked with a soft sigh, just as a soft ‘ding’ signaled the elevator’s arrival. “A very courageous one at that. Let’s hope you could stomach what you’ve signed up for.”

As Hibari stepped into the lift, I couldn’t help but wonder what she meant while I followed her footsteps. Regardless, the primary concern at the moment was to know more about our air wing for the upcoming operation.

“Koishimizu senpai, what is the condition of our air wing?”

I inquired as I observed her press the button marked ‘upper hangar’.

“We’ve got six of those vertical liftoff prototypes aboard- four standard units, and two with that spotting device fixed onto the gunner’s seat. One of the spotters was damaged from yesterday thanks to the mine, so we’ll be riding the undamaged one.”

“So we’ll have 5 aircraft available today.”

“More or less. Oh, one more thing- you might want to prepare yourself before speaking to the pilots about their mission.”
“Why is that?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”

With another soft ‘ding’, the doors of the elevator opened, leading the two of us to our destination.

Stepping out of the lift, I was greeted by the scent of motor oil in the air, accompanied by the sight of the most spectacular indoor space aboard the Yamato, dwarfing even the already expansive sickbay. The hangar bay was more than two whole levels deep under the Yamato’s top deck, its greyish, metallic walls stretching across all the available space within the width of the Yamato’s hull.
Two giant hydraulic elevators were situated on the far end, designed to lift the prototype aircraft onto the flight deck just above.

To my left was a repair station, where engineers of the maintenance division were busy trying to repair the damaged aircraft. Our flight squadron, the stars of this operation, lined up neatly in two parallel rows near the center, awaiting action. Around them were more engineers and support crew in full navy blue overalls scurrying around these imposing, complex machines, making sure every single one was in optimal condition.

File: 81090943_p0.jpg (114 KB, 1500x2000)

114 KB JPG

Amongst the crew members in navy overalls were a few men whose brown uniform, goggles, and distinct leather aviator helmet made them particularly identifiable. These men were standing relatively spread out- some chattering within their own little groups, others minding their own business across and resting in the corners of the grayish infrastructure.

“I’ll go gather the pilots. These guys may not be aces, but they’re definitely survivors.” I felt Hibari struck my back with a powerful pat. “Just keep your back straight and sound confident.”
I stood at the spot and watched Hibari walk up to undoubtedly the oldest looking pilot among the rest, who was loudly chatting away with a few of the support crew.

“Hey lads! Little miss sparrow has someone she wants us to meet!”
A short moment after receiving Hibari’s notification, the man turned around and called to his compatriots. His bellowing voice echoed through the hangar-like an early-warning siren, instantly grabbing the attention of everyone else around.

Hibari gestured for me to come closer as she returned to my side, while the rest of the pilots gathered near a makeshift conference area set up next to the repair station.
“You're up.” Leaning a bit closer, she whispered sound advice to my ear right before we joined the group. “Careful now, these guys can sniff out fear.”

“Flight Captain Kobayashi, at your service.” The pilot who gathered the crew was the first to speak as Hibari and myself joined the group. He was a man in his late thirties of slim build and dark complexion. Though intentionally obscured by his five o’clock shadow, the healed scars on his lower jaw were just deep enough to be noticeable. Similar to Itaru, his eyes had a wild aspect to it akin to a beast, yet unlike Itaru’s energized vigor of a young hawk, he was a fox that survived countless run-ins with hunters.

The Flight Captain smoothly positioned himself directly between us and the other, younger members, then met me with his sharp, hawk-like eyes. Despite his rough appearance, Kobayashi’s movements carried a certain grace in them.
“And who might you be, little guest?”
“Subaru Kurokawa, Acting Captain,” I replied, noting that despite his amiable tone, Kobayashi exhibited a clear disregard for the proper etiquettes of addressing a fellow officer.

“Ah, so it’s you, N-kun!”
His upbeat yet strangely sharp exclamation came through like a news headline to the other pilots behind him. Soon enough, I began hearing the crew whisper to each other.
“Oh, so that’s N-kun?”
“He’s so… young.”
“Eh? Kurokawa? Isn’t that…”
“No wonder.”

“Excuse me,” I interrupted the commotion. “What do you mean by N-kun?”
“Oh, you know.” Kobayashi threw up his hands “Nepotism?”
His face tensed, and his eyes grew somber for a second, all the while maintaining that mysteriously welcoming smile… or should I say, that facade of a smile
“Haha, just kidding.” He laughed heartily a short moment later. “N stands for newbie. Little Miss Sparrow told me you’re flying for the first time, ain’tcha? That makes you part of us!”
“Affirmative, Flight Captain,” I replied curtly. Unlike Glascon, his words and actions carried a certain air of dismissive insincerity that gave me the worst sort of goosebumps since running into Fuxiang.

“One of those higher-ups eh?” One of the other pilots chimed in. “Is he going to send us on one of those suic--”
“Oh, he’s not going to send us on Kamikaze missions.” Kobayshi mused, casually addressing his fellow wingmen.
“Won’t you now, N-kun?”
Just like that brief moment earlier, Kobayashi’s voice suddenly switched to a more grim, threatening tone.

Response to Kobayashi:
>Could the Yamato’s finest happen to be afraid of swallows?
>Of course not, I need you all alive and well.
>Write in.

Mission to the air wing:
>I need you to scout the perimeter while we pinpoint the enemy flotilla. Do not engage the swallows should they show up.
>I need you to keep a close eye on our backs, keep us safe should the Khaganate launch a pursuit.
>Write in.

>>4269731
>Of course not, I need you all alive and well
>I need you to scout the perimeter while we pinpoint the enemy flotilla. Do not engage the swallows should they show up.
These guys sound like jaded folks who were treated as fodder near the end of the war. Let's begin by not treating them as such

>>4269731
>Of course not, I need you all alive and well.
>I need you to keep a close eye on our backs, keep us safe should the Khaganate launch a pursuit

>>4269695
>irritating glare
That probably should be "irritated". Order your editor to commit seppuku.

>>4269725
>Every one of you is a valuable defender of Zipang and my precious subordinate. I need all of you alive and in the best shape.
>Say this directly to the pilot, ignore Kobayashi and his dominance game.
>If anyone doesn't want to fly this mission, he can stay back
>Say this looking pointedly at Kobayashi.

>I need you to scout the perimeter while we pinpoint the enemy flotilla. Do not engage the swallows should they show up.

>>4269731
>Of course not, I need you all alive and well.
>I need you to keep a close eye on our backs, keep us safe should the Khaganate launch a pursuit.
>Keep an eye out for Swallows. Don't engage should they turn up

>>4269731
>I need you to scout the perimeter while we pinpoint the enemy flotilla. Do not engage the swallows should they show up.
>Of course not, I need you all alive and well.

>>4269903
Eh, it's not his fault as it is my autocheck plugin when it was processing the post. For some reason it thought that was the way it's supposed to be and changed the word and I didn't pick it up when uploading the post.

“Of course not, Flight Captain.” I replied while maintaining an unfazed composure. If this was the dominance game Hibari had warned me about, I wouldn’t be falling for his bait.
“You are all valiant defenders of Zipang, and above all my precious crew.” I continued, addressing the pilots gathered around with open arms, mimicking Captain Suwabe’s mannerism. “It is my duty to make sure all of you are alive and well.”

The pilots ceased their chatter the moment I began my delivery, with all of their eyes glued on me, taken aback by my attitude. The ensuing silence and the awkward look in their eyes were telltale signs that I’ve made quite an impression for myself… for better or worse.

“Wonderful! How wonderful!” Kobayashi was the first to break the moment of silence with a string of slow, consecutive claps. “I’m so glad we’re on the same page! How about we keep it that way, hey?”
“That was my intention all along.” I nodded, staring at him pointedly while forcing myself to put up a smile. “Now, here’s what I need you to do.”

I looked around for some tool I could use to better convey the operation plan. Fortunately, there was a blackboard fixed on the wall a few meters away.

Gesturing the group to follow, I walked up to the blackboard and drew out a rough layout of the naval chart in the bridge from my memory.
“I need you to scout the perimeter for Khaghan naval activity while we keep an eye on the enemy flotilla,” I explained, circling the open sea areas corresponding to the northwest and northeast. “Do not engage the enemy air wing should you encounter them - particularly the Phantom Swallows.”
“Yeah, as if anyone is stupid enough to do that.” Kobayashi jabbed, clearly still desiring to get a rise out of me. Paying no attention to his impudent taunt, I set my eyes on everyone gathered around.
“Again, your safe return is of utmost importance. May Yahata no Kami guide your safe return!”
I finished the briefing with a line from Captain Suwabe, moments before we departed from Formosa.

“All-righty then! You all heard N-kun,” Shortly after I finished, the flight commander gathered the men’s attention with a loud clap of his hands. “Hasome, Aoba, Konishi, you three are flying today. The rest of you, go find something better to do. Got it?”

"””Got it!”””

Much to my surprise, not only did Koabayashi not object to any part of the plan I proposed, he even picked out candidates to carry out the mission.
Despite the initial dismissiveness, the pilots seemed at least willing to listen to what I had to say, after all.

“See you in the sky, N-kun.” Kobayashi gave me a half-hearted salute as the rest of the group hurried to their stations. “Don’t worry, little miss sparrow here will take good care of you.”
He tossed the two of us words ambiguous enough to be both an encouragement and a jab, then strolled away alongside a handful of maintenance crew.

File: 62839540_p4.png (1.18 MB, 1105x1362)

1.18 MB PNG

With the first contact and briefing with the pilots now completed, I finally found a chance to breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite the very tangible distrust and discontent from the pilots, I found it difficult to despise them for it. In fact, I could understand where this attitude came from. If every one of them survived the war as Hibari did, forced between impossible demands from delusional superiors and overwhelming odds from the enemies, they have every right to feel jaded about their duty, and cynical towards me, their higher-up.
The best I could do was to use this opportunity to prove that I’m different and try to earn back their faith- not just in the command, but also in our cause.

“Hey, you did quite a fine job.” Hibari gave me a light nudge on the shoulder. While just a minor gesture, her approval did help me regain some confidence.
“Thanks”
“I mean the map.” She pointed to the blackboard with a chuckle. “Ever considered taking up cartography?”
“One day, maybe.” I replied with slight disappointment before taking another look at the drawings I’ve made on the board. “Thanks anyways.”
“Oh and, these are for you.”
I turned around just in time to catch a duffel bag Hibari had tossed towards. Contained within was the same set of aviation uniforms the pilots wore.
“Now go get changed. We haven’t got all day.”

File: safe_image.jpg (50 KB, 958x558)

50 KB JPG

After spending a short while in the changing room, I returned to the hangar bay in the same full pilot gear donned by Kobayashi’s group earlier. The suit itself was more padded than I had anticipated, and much more tightly fitting than what I’ve been accustomed to due to the additional belt straps around the shoulders, waist, and thighs. This tightness was further accentuated by the flak jacket and additional protective piece around the groin, both tied tightly onto my body by the belt straps.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” I was caught off guard by Hibari’s voice while I tried to fix the straps’ position to feel a bit less awkward. With a light chuckle, she gave me a soft pat on the shoulder. “Come, and remember to fix your helmet.”

Following closely behind, I did as instructed and donned the aviator’s helmet. The leather headpiece was designed following a similar philosophy to the uniform- heavily padded, with additional coverage in the form of oval housings at the neck and ears. A rectangular, horizontal hard piece ran through the forehead, right where the goggles rested. With a pull, I fastened the helmet in place with the chinstrap, then set my eyes upon the plane that I would be riding with Hibari. Having only ever witnessed these eccentric machines from a distance, I was suddenly intrigued to perform a thorough examination of this revolutionary piece of technology.

The lack of a double-wing made clear that it was, without a doubt, a monoplane in design, yet the aircraft had a body plan, unlike any conventional flying machine I had known. Not only were the body and wings of the aircraft fused into one piece, but an extended tail section was also absent, giving the plane a bizarre shape of an elongated rhombus, similar to a kite. Whoever designed this machine must have taken the concept of a mono-wing to its most extreme end- with the whole aircraft being basically one giant integrated wing.

Other than the main engine facing the front, there were two extra turbines installed into the ‘wing’ portions of the aircraft. I would assume these were the apparatus that gave these flying machines their seemingly magical capabilities to take off vertically.
The mere thought of conceiving such an outlandish concept and implementing such a concept to create a functioning machine was truly a marvel in itself.
Even with my limited knowledge of aviation technology, I feel I could understand the excitement Hibari harbored for the Gallian autogyro.

File: 65238940_p0.jpg (479 KB, 2100x2970)

479 KB JPG

Other than the main engine facing the front, there were two extra turbines installed into the ‘wing’ portions of the aircraft. I would assume these were the apparatus that gave these flying machines their seemingly magical capabilities to take off vertically.
The mere thought of conceiving such an outlandish concept and implementing such a concept to create a functioning machine was truly a marvel in itself.
Even with my limited knowledge of aviation technology, I feel I could understand the excitement Hibari harbored for the Gallian autogyro.

“Oi.” Hibari called for my attention, snapping me out of my admiration for this wonderful piece of engineering.
“You’d better take these.”
She walked up next to me, presenting a cup of water in one hand and some pills in the other.
“What are these for?”
“They prevent air sickness” Hibari answered, half forcing the items into my hands “Trust me, you’ll need them.”
“Thanks?”
While I downed the pills with a gulp of water, Hibari went up to the maintenance crew to check on the status of the aircraft we would soon be riding on.
“Ready and operational, Lieutenant!”
“Good to know.”
She responded with a nod, then came back to me with a confident smile on her face.
“Time to go, Acting Captain”
“Sure thing, Lieutenant.”

A temporary ladder was set on the side of the aircraft, enabling direct access to the cockpit. With some help from the support crew, Hibari and I were placed into our respective seats- she in the pilot’s seat, and I in the gunner’s. The layout of the cockpit had Hibari and I sitting almost back to back, with myself facing the tail end of the aircraft. As I sat down I immediately noticed a radio headset, resembling ear muffs, hanging on a large, tube-looking apparatus to my immediate front. I instinctively put on the headset and awaited for further notice.

“Comm test.” Hibari’s voice blared out from the headset. “Kurokawa, can you hear me?”
“Affirmative,” I replied, shooting her a thumbs up, though I wonder if she could actually see it from her position.
“Alright, you see the tuning knob to your left?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the frequency adjustment and was tuned for four preset channels. Starting clockwise, channel 1 is the one we’re using for internal comms. Turning it to three o’clock gets you to the Yamato’s bridge, six o’clock connects you to the Gallians, and nine o’clock gets you to the rest of the air wing. Remember to give it a check before you start talking.”

I went forth and tested the connection with every channel. Though the signal from Gallia’s side was still less than desirable, I have become quite familiar with the frequent static by now.

“Done? Now take a good look at the device right in front of you.”
Following her guide, I set my eyes on the apparatus I found the headset on. The device, mounted on top of a 180-degree turret ring in place of the usual tail machine gun, resembled a stationary lance lacking a warhead, with an artillery sight, mounted to its side. An elaborate panel of split-flap displays was present at the base of this device, giving its lower portion the impression of an oversized clock.

“Now listen carefully. ” Hibari’s tone deepened as she started to speak at a slower pace, carefully pronouncing every syllable in each word. “First, the leftmost column of three displays. They mark the current coordinates of our ship, her velocity, and bearing. Don’t worry, the support crew had already set the values beforehand, just don’t touch it.”
“And the other two?”
“The column in the middle is the same data for this aircraft. The one to your right is for our targets.” She continued. “That device with the scope is used to gather that data. That’s what you’re going to be doing.”

“How am I supposed to operate this thing?” I asked puzzlingly, observing the device left and right hoping for some directions or revelation to dawn upon me.
“Quite simple, just think of it as a direct fire artillery piece. Train your sights on the target with the scope, and hold down the trigger on the pistol grip at the bottom.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it.” Her reply came curtly. “Just remember to keep your sight trained on the target and not to let go of the trigger. It takes a recording roughly every 6 seconds. Understood?”

“I..I guess.”

I gulped nervously as I gently wrapped my finger around the pistol grip. If all I had to do was to aim and track some stationary targets, this mission would be quite a cakewalk. However, my tingling intuition told me that this task may not be as simple...

“One last thing, Check the medical kit. It should be near your waist on the right.”
I snapped out of my concerns and did as told, finding a small leather bag fitted with a red cross symbol strapped onto the right side of the seat. Opening the bag revealing a stash filled with all sorts of medical equipment.
“What items do you see in there?”
Carefully, I removed the items from the bag like an appraiser at an auction, relaying the inventory to Hibari as I took them out one by one. “One emergency ragnaid spray, 2 packaged rolls of bandages, a set of splint, a suture kit, a packet of survival ration, and a small glass bottle of...what is this?”

Of all the items within the kit, the bottle of pills labeled “AMP” was the only item I did not recognize. Out of curiosity, I picked up the small bottle and gave its contents a closer examination. The mysterious medication came in the form of small, disk-shaped tablets with a diameter of about 2 cm.
By their sheer size, I could surmise that they were definitely not meant for being swallowed whole… could they be painkillers?

“The AMP tablets, you mean? Those are buccal tablets that can give an extra burst of energy and focus, used usually when in a pinch.” Hibari explained lightheartedly, before switching to a more serious tone as she did when explaining about the spotting device. “Don’t take too much though, those things have some pretty nasty side effects if overused.”
…
Shockingly, these dull-looking tablets turned out to be the shady performance-enhancement drugs I’ve heard stories about.

“What, you wanna give them a try?”

>Sure, why not (+3 to all rolls for Subaru in the coming operation)
>I’ll… think about it?
>No. Winners don’t do drugs.
>Write in

>>4281185
>I’ll… think about it?
>Don't take them, but pocket some just in case.

>>4281185
I'll support >>4281306
Side effects don't mix well with depression.

Hibari didn't have a good start but she has gotten much better since.

>>4281185
>No. Winners don’t do drugs. I'd advise you to not take them either.
>>4281334
Dropping the tsundere act alone improved her character by heaps. I never got why people liked that shitty character trope.

>>4281185
>I’ll… think about it?
So the ship has to maintain a constant speed and heading to use this thing. Though I suppose they can update us by radio, but it's still a severe limitation if the ship is in active combat.
I also suppose the aircraft coordinates are updated by inertial navigation, which means they will get less accurate the longer we stay in the air. Energetic maneuvering can also lock the gyroscopes.
I wonder whether the aricraft attitude is also detected, or we have to maintain level flight when using the scope.

>>4281383
I read somewhere that originally tsundere was about pushing the protagonist to improve himself and warming up to him the more he advances. You can see why people would like that, it's always nice to win someone over with your virtues.

>>4281415
That makes sense. It's a shame as to how the character archetype has devolved into in its current iteration.

“I’ll...think about it?” I replied, unsure of what to think of the bottle of double-edged swords. The promise of enhanced performance in combat sounded quite alluring, perhaps even necessary with the threat of the Phantom Swallows looming over the horizon.
However, the experience of dealing with the Mad Dog of Beiyang with her substance abuse problems had taught me to be wiser in consuming substances that may have behavior-altering side effects.
It’s better to never use it, unless absolutely necessary.

“Probably not now.”
“No worries, then that’s everything off the checklist,” Hibari replied, before switching back to a more playful tone. “You want to use the restroom? Last chance.”
“I-I’m good, thank you.”

“Good. Now fasten your seatbelts. We’ll be taking off shortly”

My hands reached for the buckles of the seat belt and linked them to their corresponding slots, fastening them in place. While I combat with the belt straps tangling with the seat belt, I heard the low rumbling of an engine, followed by the distinct humming of activated propellers.
Slowly but surely, I felt the vehicle starting up, taxiing itself into the center ‘corridor’ of the hangar bay.
We soon came to a halt, as the aircraft had reached its designated spot, right on the elevator platform that would bring us onto the top deck.
“This is Koishimizu, waiting at the lift.”
I could faintly hear Hibari’s voice from the other compartment of the conjoined cockpit, even through the headset. This made me rather curious about the purpose of an internal comms channel, considering we’re practically sitting back to back with one another.
However, my curiosity was interrupted by a low creaking noise from underneath.

I searched for the source of the noise, soon realizing that the platform beneath us has begun to rise, lifting the aircraft we occupied like a giant cargo elevator. At the same time, the ceiling above us began to open up, allowing the searing lights of the summer sun to shower upon us.
I instinctively raised a hand to block the rays from directly searing my retina, only to feel incredibly stupid upon touching the goggles on my forehead in the process.

With the goggles now in place to protect my eyes, I was able to give the flight deck a quick view. The flight deck consisted of a single runway around 10 meters in width, located near the Yamato’s stern. While I could not tell the length of the runway from my position, I was able to get a full view of the back of the bridge.

“This is Hibari Koishimizu, ready for takeoff”

Hibari’s muffled words were immediately followed by the humming of the propellers starting up from both left and right, growing more and more pronounced by the second.

File: 63021397_p0.png (588 KB, 1280x770)

588 KB PNG

>>4286395
As the buzzing of the propellers drowned out all audible sounds, the entire aircraft began to vibrate under the roaring engines, restless like a racehorse ready to burst onto the tracks. My hands gripped tightly onto my straps as beads of sweat dripped off my temples and moisturized by palms.
At the height of my flight anxiety, Hibari’s cheery voice chimed in from the earpiece.
“Hey Kurokawa, are you scared of heights?”
“What?”
“Doesn’t matter, it’s too late now!”

A bellowing rumble shot up from under my seat just as Hibari finished her words- the next thing I knew, the entire machine had been lifted off the platform, rising into the sky while under heavy disturbance. The experience was akin to riding on an incredibly unstable elevator, constantly wobbling from side to side on its seemingly everlasting ascension. Needless to say, the first takeoff I’ve had was far from pleasant- it felt as if I’ve been tied to a chair and placed on the epicenter of an earthquake, as the ground crumbled under my feet.

“A-are these vibrations normal!?”
I squeaked nervously into my mouthpiece, anxiously holding tight onto the belt straps and seat belt that locked me in place
“Yes, they are.” Hibari answered calmly “Why don’t you take a look out the glass and take your mind off it, hm?”
“O...Okay?”
I peeked over my right shoulder and out the cockpit glass and was immediately astonished by the view. For the first time, I had the pleasure of witnessing the vastness of the ocean with all her might, her many shades of blue mirrored by the cloudless sky above, separated by a fine, straight horizon.

While flying may not seem as exhilarating fun as Hibari made it out to be, the scenery was nevertheless breathtakingly enticing. Perhaps she's right, if I chose not to put too much thought on the vibrations, this experience would be much more bearable-
Unfortunately, my naive optimism was shattered by reality before I could even finish the thought.

“AaaaH!?”
Just as I started to feel at ease, my seat was suddenly tilted 45 degrees into the air, as if I was lifted off the ground and being carried around like a hiker’s backpack. The tilting, combined with the non-stop wobbling of the aircraft, sent my body into full panic mode as I frantically grabbed onto the belt straps which restrained me from performing any sort of repositioning.
I felt as if my life had flashed before my eyes as I prayed to any and every higher power in my knowledge for this to not be a sign of impending doom.

File: 80286120_p0.jpg (472 KB, 768x1024)

472 KB JPG

>>4286397
After what felt like an eternity later, I felt the tilt gradually lessen bit by bit, while the vibrations began to stabilize. The deafening buzzing of the two turbines on the wings was replaced by a different rumbling noise that closely resembled that of a hundred suzumebachi buzzing all over my head… Until I remembered that I’ve heard this noise before: the time when Hibari first took this very aircraft into the sky. It was, unmistakable, the noise from the main engine in the front of the aircraft.

“Kurokawa, are you still there?”
Hibari’s calm, collected voice snapped me back into reality, and her lack of panic did magic in boosting my confidence that we’re not falling out of the sky.
“A-affirmative. Ahem.” I quipped back, trying to sound as composed as possible.
“Good. We’ve switched to flight mode now, and should have visual contact with the targets in a few minutes.” Hibari's briefing of our circumstances reminded me of the mission I had signed up for.
“You want us to get in close? Or keep it at a safe distance?”

>Give me the best view you could
>Let’s keep it at a distance, for now.
>Write in

>>4286399
>Just close enough that we can identify the ship types. Once we know what we're dealing with, we can decide how to proceed.

>>4286399
>Give me the best view you could
>Radio the Gallians and ask them to provide a distraction.

This way we could dress ourselves up as a part of Gallia's coast guards. Yamato could then rain hellfire on the Khan's ships should they dare fight back.

>>4286399
>Let’s keep it at a distance, just close enough that we can identify the ship types
>Radio the Gallians and ask them to provide a distraction.

>>4286399
Supporting the best compromise >>4286450

>>4286399
>Let’s keep it at a distance, for now.

>>4286453
That's not a compromise though, that's pretty extremely cautious.

>>4286442
Support

File: 1590932209159.png (132 KB, 266x251)

132 KB PNG

>>4286399
I'm going to go for a more daring option and throw my vote behind >>4286442
Glascon said there were no capital ships, which might be a strategy for Aiteng to lure us out. However, Aiteng is also incredibly cautious, so a minefield would be the last thing she would delve her head into without any preparations.
Sending the PS to guard a destroyer squadron in this case is overkill, especially since they're not doing some Tokyo Express-tier logistics transports. This makes it unlikely for the flotilla to be a squadron under Aiteng's command. Even if it was, they're likely here to probe Gallia's defenses first.

I have to say it's a bit frustrating for the QM to keep every engagement a big guess game. Then again that's how naval engagements work.

File: 80378551_p0.jpg (906 KB, 2893x4685)

906 KB JPG

And archived. That will be the final update for this thread.

Unfortunately, due to geopolitical factors on my side of the Isle, I will be unavaliable and we'll have to put the story on hold for the next two months. A hiatus, one could say. Please do not worry as the quest will definitely resume by August. I'll keep things noted on twitter as usual
We cannot thank you all enough for participating and sticking with us through this story for so long. Your continuous input is the fuel to both my Co-QM and my own drive to continue on with this story.

Thank you again for reading and participating in Valkyria Chronicles: Pacific Theater. I hope you have enjoyed the ride so far, and let's meet each other again when August comes.

>>4286579
Thanks for running. The quest started off rocky but I can't say I haven't thoroughly enjoyed it thus far

>>4286579
Thanks for running!

>>4286579
See you in two months, Focus!

>>4286579
Thanks for running Focus. See you in August, and editor-kun too.
Are we going to get more one-off perspective swaps for the Beiyang Fleet? Something like a backstory for the Phantom Swallows or Aiteng's rivalry with Subaru's father would be nice.