Yes, the name. Detroit and Chicago (the cities) have a fairly fierce rivalry, though one that's been waning and becoming more one-sided (becoming more "jealousy over the other's success") over the past 30-40 years as Detroit's economy has waned and both cities' sports teams have fallen on harder times. (However, witness the anticipation for the expected 1984 Tigers vs. Cubs World Series, or the fierce rivalry in the late 80s/early 90s between the Pistons and the Bulls; on those occasions when both cities have good teams in the same sport at the same time, it tends to flare back up in full force.) In particular, the Lions and the Bears have long been hated rivals, united only in their shared, far greater hatred for the Green Bay Packers...
Changing Destiny (Kancolle)
- Thread starter Skywalker_T-65
- Start date
- Location
- Sydney australia
In regards to graff zeppelin being finished and commissioned, Schreiber would need to appeal to hitler's ego/vanity i.e the Japanese did well with them as did the Americans and that Germany would look weak without them.
SKsniper128
22050 kg of ordinance per minute
Except all of his other advisors (namely Goering) would point out that it would be a useless boondoggle that would waste large quantities of high quality steel, fuel, rare metals, and personnel that would otherwise be devoted to more practical uses such as making tanks and aircraft to kill more Soviets.
Schrieber's own success could potentially bit him in the ass. In order to achieve his end goal he needs popular support, to do that he needs to be successful in raiding the British convoys and otherwise being Rommel on the high seas. In order to get Hitler's ear, he needs to have a certain level of fame. The problem is that any of the other officials could point out that he's clearly seeing plenty of success already, so he shouldn't need another capital ship.
- Location
- San Diego
But, they want a fleet to defeat the British. And how does it look if the mighty Third Reich doesn't have an aircraft carrier of their own? The world will look down on them as second best, always inferior to the Mighty British, people will say. And what of the Americans? An Air Craft Carrier would be a great asset in sinking those resupply ships headed to London, and be able to do it with better accuracy and an extra helping of surprise when ships evade the U-boats, but only to get bombed by kreigsmarine pilots. Even disabling such ships would allow U-boat crews to get aboard and steal what they want, secure the vessel and take the plunder back to Germany.
- Location
- Pacific NW
Umm, U-boats and even large long range subs like those in the US Navy, do not have any sort of space for loot or cargo.
- Location
- United States
Not to mention lacking in the requisite crew size to take a prize, let alone the problem of not being able to run away fast enough
That Kind-Hearted Light
- Location
- Philippines
S/N: Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone.
(Insert JoJo joke about "You thought it was Sky, but it was me, Sheo!" followed by well-deserved beatings administered by fluffy clouds. I'm sorry T-T)
I haven't written anything KanColle-related in a while. Nor have I written any omake for Changing Destiny despite my desire to do so for the longest time.
However, the last couple of chapters provided my muse with sufficient fuel to light an inspirational hotfoot. (Ouch.) Silver lining in the thunderhead, so to speak.
Thus, I came up with this omake. I showed the first draft and final version to Sky for his guidance and received his approval to post it. I hope you enjoy my contribution to his fine story.
30 November 1941
Tokyo, Empire of Japan
At first glance, the kimono-clad woman occupying the electric-lit living room fit the archetype of the Yamato Nadeshiko. Her fair skin and peach-dyed clothing made the midnight mane that reached her hips stand out all the more, and she gave off the reserved air of a noble princess straight out of The Tale of Genji, a copy of which occupied her small hands and attention.
A closer look revealed discrepancies in the image of the perfect Japanese lady. The eyes that browsed the pages of the book were pools of grey, a color uncommon among her people. If she chose to stand straight, she would prove taller than most of her countrymen - including the majority of the men, much to their masculine displeasure. And within the folds of her kimono hid a lush figure usually ascribed to Western women rather than local ladies.
The tallest tree always experienced the strongest winds. Likewise, her physical features made her stand out in a society that prized homogeneity. And she did not desire any attention since she didn't belong here.
She remembered the "girls' night" with Riain and their respective subordinates. They had traded hilarious stories about Goto (Rian won the contest by way of the infamous "date") while watching their companions get smashed on various drinks with funny names. And while she gave in to her friend's bad influence and imbibed more alcohol than usual, she made her way back to her quarters, where her waiting secretary helped onto her Western bunk right before she blacked out.
When she came to, she found herself on a futon spread across the tatami-covered floor of a traditionally-furnished room. The familiar but unexpected change in scenery had sobered her up faster than blood-red battle lighting to the tune of klaxons.
"...Did Rian prank me?"
As she gawked at a room that she hadn't seen since she last paid her respects to her family's ancestral home, the paper-walled sliding door drew open. She had instantly recognized the careworn woman from black-and-white photographs and portrait paintings that survived the War.
"Oh, Hina!" The older woman had immediately burst into tears before tackling her in a mighty hug. "You're finally awake! Everyone! Hina woke up!"
Caught in a tight embrace, disoriented by her situation, Hina had murmured something unwise but understandable.
"Sousobo?" Great-grandmother?
"Eh?" Her great-grandmother had mirrored her dumbfounded stare. "Hina, do you not recognize me? I'm your mother. Sousobo died long before you were born..."
According to her 'mother,' Hina had caught a mysterious "brain fever" several weeks ago. She had remained asleep throughout the illness, and her 'family' feared the worst up until the miraculous moment that their darling "Light" had woken up from her coma.
That... That was not right. Her great-grandparents were long dead by the time she was born. And her grandfather was their only child.
And yet here they were, alive and much younger, fussing over her as if she had always been a part of their lives.
She had restrained the urge to ask for the date. Instead, she bid her time until she got her hands on the day's newspaper.
"It's April 30… 1940… I got isekai'd to the past..."
Fearing the discovery of her true identity, Hina took steps to protect herself, knowing that not even her family name would protect her from the brutal interrogation practices of what passed for military intelligence here.
To better blend into her surroundings, she adjusted her natural sunny demeanor into a self-effacing one. She never stood up unless necessary. When she did, she took steps to obscure her significant height and eyes, usually by leaning forward and bowing her head in the submissive manner that Japanese men expected of Japanese women and other... inferiors. And she always wore a kimono, a distinctly native apparel that also hid her generous feminine curves from jealous women or nationalists suspicious of any foreign elements.
The first few weeks of the facade rubbed her nerves raw. Only after she confirmed that her 'family' didn't harbor any concern regarding her more un-Japanese traits - they only worried that her 'illness' affected her more seriously than the doctor assured them, with her 'Ryoichi-oniisama' making grim threats toward said medical expert if his cute 'little sister' could no longer get married - did she relent. And even then she behaved carefully around them, which they indulged as an aftereffect of her 'illness.'
That hubbub lay in the past. Today was a rare day off for Hina. Her 'mother' was visiting relatives; she insisted that her younger child and only daughter stay home out of concern for her health. Her 'father' and 'older brother' were on duty. The household staff adored her to a fault. And she did not expect anything earthshaking from her network this month.
Next month was another story. But she had spent more than a year preparing for the backlash of 7 December 1941. She was as ready as she could ever be.
Today, she took the opportunity to continue reading the latest serial release of the Fumiko Enchi translation of Prince Genji's saga. Murasaki Shikibu's famous novel served as an entertaining mental exercise. Not only did it use the Japanese equivalent of the Old English found in the epic poem Beowulf, but it also followed the antiquated and convoluted writing system restricted to the imperial court of Heian era Japan.
Further, the manners of the time dictated that one must never refer to another person by the latter's given name. "Murasaki Shikibu" was the descriptive name of the author, not her real name. True to form, Lady Murasaki identified her hundreds of characters by the position they occupied in the court, honorifics, their relationship to other people, or even their clothes - and those identifiers changed over the decades spanned by the novel.
Hina admired Murasaki ever since her mother gifted her with a copy of the writer's masterpiece during her 10th birthday. She considered it a matter of pride that her younger self remembered every character and accurately tracked their development throughout the saga without resorting to memory aids, much like her idol did during the 11th century.
'Let's see you manage that feat of memory, Goto,' she rather snidely thought of the one person in the world that she personally loathed.
"Hina-nee! Hina-nee! There's big news!"
Looking up from a description of the multi-layered sleeve of a noblewoman's kimono, Hina's grey eyes tracked the brunette hastening toward her at flank speed. She noticed that the fourteen-year-old girl looked appalled, and that she gripped a newspaper rather forcefully.
"Slow down, Miyu-chan," she kindly reminded the speeding child. "You don't want to end up in a collision again."
"Sorry, Hina-nee!" As she came to a crash stop before the older woman, Miyu flashed an apologetic grimace. "But you have got to see this!"
The breathless girl held up the evening edition of the Japan Times & Advertiser for her adoptive big sister to examine. A single article dominated the front page of the newspaper. It bore the august title of Imperial Rescript, a proclamation of the Emperor Himself.
The Tale of Genji snapped shut. Setting the novel aside, Hina took the newspaper from Miyu's hands. She pored over the official announcement twice, reading between the lines of half-truths and blatant lies presented as justification for the act of aggression against a foreign country, and compared its wording to the one stored in her near-eidetic memory.
By the time she finished reviewing the rescript, her eyes were narrowed in deep thought. The grey pupils seemed like discs of steel as hard as the armor plate of a battleship, several of which she had commanded once upon a time.
The full force of her stare fell upon the date, the 30th of November, a day that will live in infamy forever, the lone item in the news that diverged from her memory and the history she knew.
"It's early," she murmured. "A week ahead of when it was supposed to take place..."
"I know, right?" Miyu's messy hair bobbed in concern. "You told us that when you first summoned us. Did something change here in Japan?"
Hina pursed her lips. She combed through her memory for the appropriate data.
A petty part of her wished that Goto could see her now, weaving gold thread out of thin air to accommodate unceasing demands for more miracles. Then he'd realize that there was far more to her career than coasting on her illustrious family name.
Her sense of professionalism quickly suppressed that snide thought. As much as Hina disliked Goto -and he, her- she never denied his competence and would have welcomed his presence. After all, two heads were better than one. And there were opportunities available to him that Hina's sex and prestigious family name prevented her from accessing.
"Kana-san and the others haven't found any signs of my colleagues here," Hina reiterated for Miyu's benefit. "Ryoichi-oniisama didn't mention anything amiss during his leave, but he returned to Maya earlier than I expected. And there have already been divergences in the War."
France had fallen faster than expected. The Germans had conquered Norway in less than half the time they should have taken - but Scharn and Gneis had also missed a chance to sink Glorious. The British had hit Taranto nearly a month ahead of schedule, and the Swordfish bombers had inflicted even more damage than expected.
And then came the shocking news of the battleship Bismarck's triumph over her British counterpart several months back. The Japanese media trumpeted how the Pride of Deutschland had sunk a senkan, a battleship, of the Royal Navy during a raid on a convoy.
Hina knew better than to believe the Japanese media when it came to the details of the War. If she needed any reason aside from automatic distrust of propaganda based on flimsy intelligence, she only needed to glance at how the papers whitewashed the campaign in China, the occupation of Chousen, and the treatment of Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands.
Still, she had expected the Bismarck to succeed in sinking a British capital ship. And she did get intelligence from trusted sources that confirmed the tremendous naval victory of the Kriegsmarine.
Yet her sources also stated that the German battleship only crippled its opponent instead of outright sinking it. And they described the victim as another senkan, an old battleship that was defending a convoy. The age and class of the ship implied it was either a Queen Elizabeth or a Revenge.
'That's not how it should have happened. Bisko should have sunk Hood-san, a battlecruiser, and damaged Wales-san, a new battleship, before getting hunted down and sunk...'
The Japanese military knew the difference between a junyou'senkan and a senkan. After all, the Imperial Japanese Navy possessed four battlecruisers, albeit rebuilt to the minimum standard of fast battleship.
'It's the English-born returnee, Kongou! Nice to meet you!'
'You are a nice girl, Kongou-san,' Hina thought fondly before automatically taking a mental pot shot at the fast battleship's love interest. 'It is a shame that your taste in men is terrible...'
"Yamamoto-teitoku probably advanced the timetable in response to Taranto," she surmised to Miyu. "But we took this into consideration when we laid out our plans."
The increasingly deviant history gave her a new sense of purpose. Hina thought she was alone and powerless here, at least until Miyu and the others answered her summons. But if the timeline changed despite her deliberate abstention, then at least one other like her might have come here. And recent propaganda featuring the newest hero of Doitsu had confirmed her educated guess.
'Gustav-san, I know you're doing this for a good reason,' Hina thought. 'You wouldn't help the Nazis even if your life depended on it. But you would give anything for a chance to save your father and your people from their fate under the Soviets.
'I envy your courage and wish you well in your mission. I cannot send you any aid without endangering myself.
'I wonder if any of the others I know ended up here? The girls haven't found Goto, which even I have to admit is a shame. But maybe Riain or James-san made it in America, although Riain would have it almost as hard as myself. Ah, the lack of reliable intelligence is truly vexing...'
"Then what should we do, Hina-nee?"
She sensed the urgency in Miyu's query. It felt much like the same fear that gripped her thumping heart.
'The Empire of Japan has begun its dive into the Dark Valley,' Hina thought. 'And I do not have the power to stop it. Even if I abandon all care and summon everyone willing to hear me, even if I somehow persuade all of the girls to fight the Japanese military, I cannot convince fanatics against their will.
'The only one who can rein in the madmen in the military and government is His Imperial Majesty - and He will not listen to me. Not to a woman, however famous my family is, especially after my supposed brain fever. Not unless He is convinced that Japan cannot win this war.
'And it took the threat of a Soviet invasion and occupation to force Him to swallow the bitter pill of unconditional surrender back in my time. He remained willing to fight even after the annihilation of the Imperial Japanese Navy, even after years of starvation caused by Allied submarines and mines, even after the fire bombings and atom bombs killed so many of His people, because He thought Japan might still extract a "honorable" peace settlement on the "soft-hearted" Western Allies.
'And today it must seem to Him that Japan struck a fatal blow against the United States. How can His country lose after smashing the Americans' mighty Pacific Fleet? Why should Japan lose face by giving up, apologizing for its actions, and accepting the consequences? Why should He listen to a frail, naive woman, even if she is of the bloodline of his mentor - or comes from the future with knowledge of the past?'
Oh, yes, Hina knew all too well what the attack on Pearl Harbor led to. She'd met the Grey Ghost.
'Enterprise-san terrifies me without even trying. I will never truly understand why Hiryuu-san wants to be her rival.'
But Hina couldn't afford to show her bitterness, much less succumb to her weakness. Miyu depended on her strength. So did the others, whom she called upon to serve anew and dispatched throughout the Home Islands to obtain that most precious of military ammunition - accurate information - to prepare for a war unlike what the rest of Japan expected.
'I have my duty,' she reminded herself. 'I am sworn to protect Japan from enemies within and without. And Japan...
'For me, Japan is the Japanese people. Not the military or the politicians or even the Chrysanthemum Throne. But the civilians, the people who go through their everyday lives believing they are safe from harm.
'I will do whatever I can to protect them from the consequences of its leaders' actions. Even if I must refuse to help them against the ones they believe are their enemies. Even if I must eventually oppose them - and my family.'
She thought of her stern but kind 'father,' a rear admiral who ruled the big naval base at Sasebo. Of her overly-protective 'big brother,' currently aboard a modern heavy cruiser near the Pescadores Islands in the Pacific, possibly fending off attempts by his ship-mates to snatch his photo of his "adorable imouto."
Most of all, she keenly felt the long shadow cast by their ancestor, the Eastern Nelson whose celebrated victories over the Imperial Russians more than three decades ago infected his country and his people with Victory Disease, thus setting the stage for their descent into the dark depths of Yomi-no-Kuni.
'I'm sorry, Ryoichi-ojiisan and Minoru-sousobu... Please forgive me, Gensui... But I will protect the Japanese people in my own way, not yours.'
Having cemented her break with the past, she returned to the present, finding her subordinate waiting for her command.
"Please call Ama and the others, Miyu," Hina murmured. "Tell them to convene here as soon as possible if they can manage it. We will need to update our plans now that Japan is at war."
The combination of her smile and assured command galvanized Miyu. The girl stood at attention and brought her open palm up to her forehead.
"Roger, Admiral!"
Until a minute ago, Hina would have gently but firmly reminded the exuberant "Miyu" to avoid addressing her by that title in places where other people might hear them. The taboo went double for a salute.
Now, she merely checked the room to make sure they were alone before returning the gesture.
It had been a year since she last saluted anyone. Doing so reminded her of who she really was.
She wasn't the beloved yet frail daughter of one of the most famous families in Japan. She was their highly-capable descendant, dispatched here by an unknown power to change destiny as best as she could. And she did not plan to fail to discharge her duty, even if it weighed upon her shoulders like Fujiyama.
"Sally forth, Miyuki-san. And be safe."
So spake Hina Togo, an admiral of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, stranded in the Empire of Japan…
S/N: Again, thank you so much to Skywalker T-65 to not only providing me with a wonderful story to read, but allowing me to write in the setting he created.
So, what's a worse situation than a modern-day East German transported to Nazi Germany? A modern-day Japanese woman stuck in the patriarchal, oppressive, and xenophobic environment of the Empire of Japan, that's what. Because as anyone who knows me well can tell you, I'm a B U L L Y.
I jokingly blame Sky and my younger self for this. Years ago, I promised to write an omake with Rochester. But I got so busy that Sky beat me to writing Roch, which lead to me getting beaten by a disappointed armored cruiser. (Ouch ouch ouch, I'm sorry, Roch T_T)
Since I couldn't write Roch anymore, I decided to write about someone else. And that recent hullabaloo gave me the impetus to try my hand at writing a person stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Again, I hope you all enjoyed this omake and hope it follows the spirit set by Changing Destiny. Have a good 2020 ^_^
(Insert JoJo joke about "You thought it was Sky, but it was me, Sheo!" followed by well-deserved beatings administered by fluffy clouds. I'm sorry T-T)
I haven't written anything KanColle-related in a while. Nor have I written any omake for Changing Destiny despite my desire to do so for the longest time.
However, the last couple of chapters provided my muse with sufficient fuel to light an inspirational hotfoot. (Ouch.) Silver lining in the thunderhead, so to speak.
Thus, I came up with this omake. I showed the first draft and final version to Sky for his guidance and received his approval to post it. I hope you enjoy my contribution to his fine story.
X===X===X
30 November 1941
Tokyo, Empire of Japan
At first glance, the kimono-clad woman occupying the electric-lit living room fit the archetype of the Yamato Nadeshiko. Her fair skin and peach-dyed clothing made the midnight mane that reached her hips stand out all the more, and she gave off the reserved air of a noble princess straight out of The Tale of Genji, a copy of which occupied her small hands and attention.
A closer look revealed discrepancies in the image of the perfect Japanese lady. The eyes that browsed the pages of the book were pools of grey, a color uncommon among her people. If she chose to stand straight, she would prove taller than most of her countrymen - including the majority of the men, much to their masculine displeasure. And within the folds of her kimono hid a lush figure usually ascribed to Western women rather than local ladies.
The tallest tree always experienced the strongest winds. Likewise, her physical features made her stand out in a society that prized homogeneity. And she did not desire any attention since she didn't belong here.
She remembered the "girls' night" with Riain and their respective subordinates. They had traded hilarious stories about Goto (Rian won the contest by way of the infamous "date") while watching their companions get smashed on various drinks with funny names. And while she gave in to her friend's bad influence and imbibed more alcohol than usual, she made her way back to her quarters, where her waiting secretary helped onto her Western bunk right before she blacked out.
When she came to, she found herself on a futon spread across the tatami-covered floor of a traditionally-furnished room. The familiar but unexpected change in scenery had sobered her up faster than blood-red battle lighting to the tune of klaxons.
"...Did Rian prank me?"
As she gawked at a room that she hadn't seen since she last paid her respects to her family's ancestral home, the paper-walled sliding door drew open. She had instantly recognized the careworn woman from black-and-white photographs and portrait paintings that survived the War.
"Oh, Hina!" The older woman had immediately burst into tears before tackling her in a mighty hug. "You're finally awake! Everyone! Hina woke up!"
Caught in a tight embrace, disoriented by her situation, Hina had murmured something unwise but understandable.
"Sousobo?" Great-grandmother?
"Eh?" Her great-grandmother had mirrored her dumbfounded stare. "Hina, do you not recognize me? I'm your mother. Sousobo died long before you were born..."
According to her 'mother,' Hina had caught a mysterious "brain fever" several weeks ago. She had remained asleep throughout the illness, and her 'family' feared the worst up until the miraculous moment that their darling "Light" had woken up from her coma.
That... That was not right. Her great-grandparents were long dead by the time she was born. And her grandfather was their only child.
And yet here they were, alive and much younger, fussing over her as if she had always been a part of their lives.
She had restrained the urge to ask for the date. Instead, she bid her time until she got her hands on the day's newspaper.
"It's April 30… 1940… I got isekai'd to the past..."
Fearing the discovery of her true identity, Hina took steps to protect herself, knowing that not even her family name would protect her from the brutal interrogation practices of what passed for military intelligence here.
To better blend into her surroundings, she adjusted her natural sunny demeanor into a self-effacing one. She never stood up unless necessary. When she did, she took steps to obscure her significant height and eyes, usually by leaning forward and bowing her head in the submissive manner that Japanese men expected of Japanese women and other... inferiors. And she always wore a kimono, a distinctly native apparel that also hid her generous feminine curves from jealous women or nationalists suspicious of any foreign elements.
The first few weeks of the facade rubbed her nerves raw. Only after she confirmed that her 'family' didn't harbor any concern regarding her more un-Japanese traits - they only worried that her 'illness' affected her more seriously than the doctor assured them, with her 'Ryoichi-oniisama' making grim threats toward said medical expert if his cute 'little sister' could no longer get married - did she relent. And even then she behaved carefully around them, which they indulged as an aftereffect of her 'illness.'
That hubbub lay in the past. Today was a rare day off for Hina. Her 'mother' was visiting relatives; she insisted that her younger child and only daughter stay home out of concern for her health. Her 'father' and 'older brother' were on duty. The household staff adored her to a fault. And she did not expect anything earthshaking from her network this month.
Next month was another story. But she had spent more than a year preparing for the backlash of 7 December 1941. She was as ready as she could ever be.
Today, she took the opportunity to continue reading the latest serial release of the Fumiko Enchi translation of Prince Genji's saga. Murasaki Shikibu's famous novel served as an entertaining mental exercise. Not only did it use the Japanese equivalent of the Old English found in the epic poem Beowulf, but it also followed the antiquated and convoluted writing system restricted to the imperial court of Heian era Japan.
Further, the manners of the time dictated that one must never refer to another person by the latter's given name. "Murasaki Shikibu" was the descriptive name of the author, not her real name. True to form, Lady Murasaki identified her hundreds of characters by the position they occupied in the court, honorifics, their relationship to other people, or even their clothes - and those identifiers changed over the decades spanned by the novel.
Hina admired Murasaki ever since her mother gifted her with a copy of the writer's masterpiece during her 10th birthday. She considered it a matter of pride that her younger self remembered every character and accurately tracked their development throughout the saga without resorting to memory aids, much like her idol did during the 11th century.
'Let's see you manage that feat of memory, Goto,' she rather snidely thought of the one person in the world that she personally loathed.
"Hina-nee! Hina-nee! There's big news!"
Looking up from a description of the multi-layered sleeve of a noblewoman's kimono, Hina's grey eyes tracked the brunette hastening toward her at flank speed. She noticed that the fourteen-year-old girl looked appalled, and that she gripped a newspaper rather forcefully.
"Slow down, Miyu-chan," she kindly reminded the speeding child. "You don't want to end up in a collision again."
"Sorry, Hina-nee!" As she came to a crash stop before the older woman, Miyu flashed an apologetic grimace. "But you have got to see this!"
The breathless girl held up the evening edition of the Japan Times & Advertiser for her adoptive big sister to examine. A single article dominated the front page of the newspaper. It bore the august title of Imperial Rescript, a proclamation of the Emperor Himself.
We, by grace of heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the throne of a line unbroken for ages eternal, enjoin upon ye, our loyal and brave subjects:
We hereby declare War on the United States of America and the British Empire...
We hereby declare War on the United States of America and the British Empire...
The Tale of Genji snapped shut. Setting the novel aside, Hina took the newspaper from Miyu's hands. She pored over the official announcement twice, reading between the lines of half-truths and blatant lies presented as justification for the act of aggression against a foreign country, and compared its wording to the one stored in her near-eidetic memory.
By the time she finished reviewing the rescript, her eyes were narrowed in deep thought. The grey pupils seemed like discs of steel as hard as the armor plate of a battleship, several of which she had commanded once upon a time.
The full force of her stare fell upon the date, the 30th of November, a day that will live in infamy forever, the lone item in the news that diverged from her memory and the history she knew.
"It's early," she murmured. "A week ahead of when it was supposed to take place..."
"I know, right?" Miyu's messy hair bobbed in concern. "You told us that when you first summoned us. Did something change here in Japan?"
Hina pursed her lips. She combed through her memory for the appropriate data.
A petty part of her wished that Goto could see her now, weaving gold thread out of thin air to accommodate unceasing demands for more miracles. Then he'd realize that there was far more to her career than coasting on her illustrious family name.
Her sense of professionalism quickly suppressed that snide thought. As much as Hina disliked Goto -and he, her- she never denied his competence and would have welcomed his presence. After all, two heads were better than one. And there were opportunities available to him that Hina's sex and prestigious family name prevented her from accessing.
"Kana-san and the others haven't found any signs of my colleagues here," Hina reiterated for Miyu's benefit. "Ryoichi-oniisama didn't mention anything amiss during his leave, but he returned to Maya earlier than I expected. And there have already been divergences in the War."
France had fallen faster than expected. The Germans had conquered Norway in less than half the time they should have taken - but Scharn and Gneis had also missed a chance to sink Glorious. The British had hit Taranto nearly a month ahead of schedule, and the Swordfish bombers had inflicted even more damage than expected.
And then came the shocking news of the battleship Bismarck's triumph over her British counterpart several months back. The Japanese media trumpeted how the Pride of Deutschland had sunk a senkan, a battleship, of the Royal Navy during a raid on a convoy.
Hina knew better than to believe the Japanese media when it came to the details of the War. If she needed any reason aside from automatic distrust of propaganda based on flimsy intelligence, she only needed to glance at how the papers whitewashed the campaign in China, the occupation of Chousen, and the treatment of Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands.
Still, she had expected the Bismarck to succeed in sinking a British capital ship. And she did get intelligence from trusted sources that confirmed the tremendous naval victory of the Kriegsmarine.
Yet her sources also stated that the German battleship only crippled its opponent instead of outright sinking it. And they described the victim as another senkan, an old battleship that was defending a convoy. The age and class of the ship implied it was either a Queen Elizabeth or a Revenge.
'That's not how it should have happened. Bisko should have sunk Hood-san, a battlecruiser, and damaged Wales-san, a new battleship, before getting hunted down and sunk...'
The Japanese military knew the difference between a junyou'senkan and a senkan. After all, the Imperial Japanese Navy possessed four battlecruisers, albeit rebuilt to the minimum standard of fast battleship.
'It's the English-born returnee, Kongou! Nice to meet you!'
'You are a nice girl, Kongou-san,' Hina thought fondly before automatically taking a mental pot shot at the fast battleship's love interest. 'It is a shame that your taste in men is terrible...'
"Yamamoto-teitoku probably advanced the timetable in response to Taranto," she surmised to Miyu. "But we took this into consideration when we laid out our plans."
The increasingly deviant history gave her a new sense of purpose. Hina thought she was alone and powerless here, at least until Miyu and the others answered her summons. But if the timeline changed despite her deliberate abstention, then at least one other like her might have come here. And recent propaganda featuring the newest hero of Doitsu had confirmed her educated guess.
'Gustav-san, I know you're doing this for a good reason,' Hina thought. 'You wouldn't help the Nazis even if your life depended on it. But you would give anything for a chance to save your father and your people from their fate under the Soviets.
'I envy your courage and wish you well in your mission. I cannot send you any aid without endangering myself.
'I wonder if any of the others I know ended up here? The girls haven't found Goto, which even I have to admit is a shame. But maybe Riain or James-san made it in America, although Riain would have it almost as hard as myself. Ah, the lack of reliable intelligence is truly vexing...'
"Then what should we do, Hina-nee?"
She sensed the urgency in Miyu's query. It felt much like the same fear that gripped her thumping heart.
'The Empire of Japan has begun its dive into the Dark Valley,' Hina thought. 'And I do not have the power to stop it. Even if I abandon all care and summon everyone willing to hear me, even if I somehow persuade all of the girls to fight the Japanese military, I cannot convince fanatics against their will.
'The only one who can rein in the madmen in the military and government is His Imperial Majesty - and He will not listen to me. Not to a woman, however famous my family is, especially after my supposed brain fever. Not unless He is convinced that Japan cannot win this war.
'And it took the threat of a Soviet invasion and occupation to force Him to swallow the bitter pill of unconditional surrender back in my time. He remained willing to fight even after the annihilation of the Imperial Japanese Navy, even after years of starvation caused by Allied submarines and mines, even after the fire bombings and atom bombs killed so many of His people, because He thought Japan might still extract a "honorable" peace settlement on the "soft-hearted" Western Allies.
'And today it must seem to Him that Japan struck a fatal blow against the United States. How can His country lose after smashing the Americans' mighty Pacific Fleet? Why should Japan lose face by giving up, apologizing for its actions, and accepting the consequences? Why should He listen to a frail, naive woman, even if she is of the bloodline of his mentor - or comes from the future with knowledge of the past?'
Oh, yes, Hina knew all too well what the attack on Pearl Harbor led to. She'd met the Grey Ghost.
'Enterprise-san terrifies me without even trying. I will never truly understand why Hiryuu-san wants to be her rival.'
But Hina couldn't afford to show her bitterness, much less succumb to her weakness. Miyu depended on her strength. So did the others, whom she called upon to serve anew and dispatched throughout the Home Islands to obtain that most precious of military ammunition - accurate information - to prepare for a war unlike what the rest of Japan expected.
'I have my duty,' she reminded herself. 'I am sworn to protect Japan from enemies within and without. And Japan...
'For me, Japan is the Japanese people. Not the military or the politicians or even the Chrysanthemum Throne. But the civilians, the people who go through their everyday lives believing they are safe from harm.
'I will do whatever I can to protect them from the consequences of its leaders' actions. Even if I must refuse to help them against the ones they believe are their enemies. Even if I must eventually oppose them - and my family.'
She thought of her stern but kind 'father,' a rear admiral who ruled the big naval base at Sasebo. Of her overly-protective 'big brother,' currently aboard a modern heavy cruiser near the Pescadores Islands in the Pacific, possibly fending off attempts by his ship-mates to snatch his photo of his "adorable imouto."
Most of all, she keenly felt the long shadow cast by their ancestor, the Eastern Nelson whose celebrated victories over the Imperial Russians more than three decades ago infected his country and his people with Victory Disease, thus setting the stage for their descent into the dark depths of Yomi-no-Kuni.
'I'm sorry, Ryoichi-ojiisan and Minoru-sousobu... Please forgive me, Gensui... But I will protect the Japanese people in my own way, not yours.'
Having cemented her break with the past, she returned to the present, finding her subordinate waiting for her command.
"Please call Ama and the others, Miyu," Hina murmured. "Tell them to convene here as soon as possible if they can manage it. We will need to update our plans now that Japan is at war."
The combination of her smile and assured command galvanized Miyu. The girl stood at attention and brought her open palm up to her forehead.
"Roger, Admiral!"
Until a minute ago, Hina would have gently but firmly reminded the exuberant "Miyu" to avoid addressing her by that title in places where other people might hear them. The taboo went double for a salute.
Now, she merely checked the room to make sure they were alone before returning the gesture.
It had been a year since she last saluted anyone. Doing so reminded her of who she really was.
She wasn't the beloved yet frail daughter of one of the most famous families in Japan. She was their highly-capable descendant, dispatched here by an unknown power to change destiny as best as she could. And she did not plan to fail to discharge her duty, even if it weighed upon her shoulders like Fujiyama.
"Sally forth, Miyuki-san. And be safe."
So spake Hina Togo, an admiral of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, stranded in the Empire of Japan…
That Kind-Hearted Light
A Changing Destiny Omake
X===X===X
A Changing Destiny Omake
X===X===X
S/N: Again, thank you so much to Skywalker T-65 to not only providing me with a wonderful story to read, but allowing me to write in the setting he created.
So, what's a worse situation than a modern-day East German transported to Nazi Germany? A modern-day Japanese woman stuck in the patriarchal, oppressive, and xenophobic environment of the Empire of Japan, that's what. Because as anyone who knows me well can tell you, I'm a B U L L Y.
I jokingly blame Sky and my younger self for this. Years ago, I promised to write an omake with Rochester. But I got so busy that Sky beat me to writing Roch, which lead to me getting beaten by a disappointed armored cruiser. (Ouch ouch ouch, I'm sorry, Roch T_T)
Since I couldn't write Roch anymore, I decided to write about someone else. And that recent hullabaloo gave me the impetus to try my hand at writing a person stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Hina Togo is a supporting character from my old fic Eternity. She's the descendant of Heihachiro Togo by way of his younger son Minoru, which makes her situation even more poignant. She got transplanted into the era as Togo's 'granddaughter' at around the same time as James Thompson and Gustav Schreiber. She retains her Eternity origin's personal animosity toward her coworker Admiral Goto a.k.a. the go-to Japanese admiral for most English language Kancolle fan works.
Hina's 'brother' is her grandfather Ryoichi Togo, a grandson of Gensui Togo by the latter's younger son Minoru. In the OTL, Ryoichi died aboard Maya in the prelude to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Those who read my fic Tsun Silent, Tsun Deep will recognize the Japanese admiral who keeps banging Kaga.
Riain is Riain Nettles, another Eternity immigrant, family-friendly Rule 63 take on Admiral Settle of KC Quest fame, and Lady-Not-Appearing-In-This-Omake.
Miyu is Miyuki, the only member of the Fubuki class who sank before World War Two. She replaces Murakumo as Hina's secretary ship since Mura is still afloat as of the latest chapter.
Yes, Hina summoned other ship-girls, including "Ama" and "Kana." I intend them to appear in the next installment.
The title is derived from the song by Masterplan. Hina means "light" in Japanese. And one of Hina Togo's characteristics is kindness to anyone who isn't named Goto.
Hina's 'brother' is her grandfather Ryoichi Togo, a grandson of Gensui Togo by the latter's younger son Minoru. In the OTL, Ryoichi died aboard Maya in the prelude to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Those who read my fic Tsun Silent, Tsun Deep will recognize the Japanese admiral who keeps banging Kaga.
Riain is Riain Nettles, another Eternity immigrant, family-friendly Rule 63 take on Admiral Settle of KC Quest fame, and Lady-Not-Appearing-In-This-Omake.
Miyu is Miyuki, the only member of the Fubuki class who sank before World War Two. She replaces Murakumo as Hina's secretary ship since Mura is still afloat as of the latest chapter.
Yes, Hina summoned other ship-girls, including "Ama" and "Kana." I intend them to appear in the next installment.
The title is derived from the song by Masterplan. Hina means "light" in Japanese. And one of Hina Togo's characteristics is kindness to anyone who isn't named Goto.
Again, I hope you all enjoyed this omake and hope it follows the spirit set by Changing Destiny. Have a good 2020 ^_^
Crusader Jerome
Subsisting on Supplication
- Location
- My home away from Rome
Kind of hard to think it was Sky when the notification says it was you, but ok.
I really like this, though. Thanks for writing it.
- Location
- Central Standard Time
Skywalker_T-65
Writer with too many ideas.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- Plural/They/He/Her
The above was written with my full blessing, by the by, and I looked it over before posting. I'm actually glad Sheo wrote that, considering I've been mostly MIA for the last month because...well.
I said work would be bad, I wasn't quite anticipating how bad. To summarize: I'm half amazed it didn't kill me.
Now that the holidays are finally over, I should be able to write again. In this regard:
An Indy preview.
It's something, at least. As well: For those who haven't read Indy- probably because you found this fic after 2017, and thus, after that one went into the (long overdue) rewrite cycle... -this is a good introduction to it.
I said work would be bad, I wasn't quite anticipating how bad. To summarize: I'm half amazed it didn't kill me.
I'm an asthmatic. I generally, generally, have a handle on it. I know my limits and when to just stop. I couldn't for the entirety of Christmas Week, and into this week. I had rapid fire asthma attacks more than once, and I hadn't had one of those in at least five years before these happened. Fell over and nearly passed out several times, too. I spent most of the week laid out with my lungs shot and barely working. It doesn't help that I didn't get breaks but for two of the days, and one of those was an hour before I was off. I was in little enough condition to read or play games when I got home, and I was in no condition at all to try and write.
Yesterday was the worst, since I had to break out the inhaler at the register. I ended up laid out in the back, and even sitting up made me dizzy and nearly pass out. So of course, I had to get up and cover a break for someone else. Needless to say, it didn't end well for anyone involved.
Yesterday was the worst, since I had to break out the inhaler at the register. I ended up laid out in the back, and even sitting up made me dizzy and nearly pass out. So of course, I had to get up and cover a break for someone else. Needless to say, it didn't end well for anyone involved.
Now that the holidays are finally over, I should be able to write again. In this regard:
An Indy preview.
It's something, at least. As well: For those who haven't read Indy- probably because you found this fic after 2017, and thus, after that one went into the (long overdue) rewrite cycle... -this is a good introduction to it.
Sir_Gaea
More Stories Please
- Location
- The Region
Aaagghhh, I know I clicked on the newest Changing Destiny addition, but for one glorious moment I thought I miss-clicked and that there was a new chapter of New Ironsides.
Why @Sheo Darren, WWWWWRRRRRRYYYYY!!!!
Why @Sheo Darren, WWWWWRRRRRRYYYYY!!!!
- Location
- Philippines
Thank you, I myself am pleased about this since I haven't posted anything big for years.
Dratted SV update announcement system spoiled my joke XD
But you are very welcome. I'm happy to know that my contribution is good ^_^
*sends Sara hugs*
I knew you had rough days, but that's really bad. Your experience makes my worst days at my former workplace seem like a holiday
YUSH~ MODERNIZED INDYYY~
*is shot by Azur Lane!Indianapolis, who mistook my elation for that of her siscon sister*
Ooowww... Even non-Murakumo botes do this now >_<
I'm sorry about that, Sir Gaea. I burned out at my old workplace, so I couldn't write. And to my distress, even after I quit that job out of stress, my family proceeded to stress me out. So I had no drive to write even during the nominally free time I had.
Maybe I can continue it this year. I'll see about it.
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
And this is why I like KC!Nagato. She's calm, professional, and not prone to firing on excited Sith Lords/destroyer leaders.
Totally get it myself. Though in my case my muse went AWOL due to constant familial interruption rather than home stress.
- Location
- Somewhere, Maybe
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Emperor Hirohito rather sheltered by his cabinet of ministers? From what I gathered, it was the Military that was pushing for more control over the world, as a way to better protect the Emperor. A "defense in depth" sort of thing. "We didn't -mean- to control half the Pacific, it just sorta happened while we were setting up the defensive perimeter to keep the Emperor safe!"
I don't actually know how much -real- intelligence got back to the Emperor, if he was following the real war closely, or if he was letting his cabinet run things, or if he fully bought into the propaganda they were spewing to keep the masses from panicking. Anyone got more data on that?
I do remember that there was an american lady who had either studied japanese culture extensively, lived in japan for a while, or both, who successfully urged the US military regime (in some manner, I don't know if she wrote Roosevelt himself, or had some sort of pipeline into the pentagon, or what) to avoid targeting Hirohito himself. Successfully assassinating the Japanese Emperor -would- have set the entire nation into death-seeker mode, and made the war unwinnable by anything short of total annihilation of the japanese culture.
(Don't quote me on any of this, I'm just a dabbler in the sea of history, but this particular bit is quite interesting.)
- Location
- Pacific Northwest
At this point of the story, even if he's been sheltered by his cabinet, Hina is convinced that he knows what's going on, and that he's the only one who can stop or at least limit the madness. I mean, even if the ministers are power-hungry mad fiends, even they won't openly defy the Emperor, if he says he wants to go a different direction
You do realize that after all hope of victory was long exhausted, two nuclear bombs had dropped, and the Soviets kicked through Manchuria, there was an attempted coup aimed at stopping the emperor from surrendering? Japan is in a much better place at this moment, I highly doubt that the emperor ordering the war to end wouldn't face massive resistance.
Generally, modern historians have a more negative view of Emperor Hirohito and his role regarding Japan's conduct during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War. He may not have had a lot of control over the Japanese military but he certainly was not a helpless puppet. He had to have known of the war crimes of his military and certainty had the ability to discover it for himself if he had not known. Essentially, Emperor Hirohito put the preservation of his imperial line before anything else, including his duty to provide oversight over the military. Not to mention, Hirohito definitely supported Japanese territorial expansion, which he saw as increasing Japan's prestige and thus increasing his prestige, which meant the military acted with the confidence that their actions had the Emperor's backing.
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Shaithan
Re-class is happiest class
- Location
- The worst part of Germany
I addition to what @MarkAren said, Emperors get deposed all the time. There will have been more than a few princes who would willingly depose Hirohito and usurp the throne. And they'd have the support of quite a bit of the military.
The Emperor is only sacrosanct as long as the Emperor is not a problem.
- Location
- Pacific Northwest
16 August 1945
Oval Office
White House
Washington DC
Gen. George Marshall, Chief of Staff: "Mr. President, we've gotten word that Japan has refused to surrender"
President Harry Truman: "Even after the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"
Gen. Marshall : "Even after that, I don't know what they're thinking, but I don't believe that they have any idea of the risk they run by holding out."
Pres. Truman: "<sigh> Okay, if they won't surrender, then Operation Downfall is a go."
Gen Marshall: "We are at D-75 for Operation Olympic, the opening phase to seize the southern third of Kyushu for a staging area for the main operation, Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshu, which is at D-150. Second, Sixth and Eighth Armies are already staging in Okinawa for Olympic's opening phase. First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Armies are ready to receive transfer orders to the Pacific Theater."
Truman: "What are the estimated casualties from all this?"
Marshall: "If we face the same level of opposition as we did in Okinawa, we're looking at 500,000 to 750,000 for Olympic. The Japanese could lose over 20% of the population of Kyushu, about 1-2.5 million. For Coronet, invading forces could be seeing upward of 2-3 million casualties or more. Japan could lose about 5-15 Million people, both military and civilian."
Truman: "God help us. Is there any way to reduce American casualties?"
Marshall: "We could go with Option K: Up to 15 "Fat Man" bombs targeted at the largest Japanese cities, pre-invasion."
Truman: "What would be the result?"
Marshall: 'We're estimating that Japanese casualties could be as high as 40-55% of their population from the bombs, another 20-30% from starvation, caused by radioactive contamination of the soil and waters around Japan. American casualties could be reduced to a fifth of projections without Option K."
Truman: "<sigh> Okay, General. We'll go with Option K, set at D-135. I wonder if Japan would be able to survive as a nation after this. If only their leadership had surrendered...."
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baofengyu
moonfaced assassin of joy
- Location
- Pain Amplifier
As an interesting side note, I ran into a Navy Vet at the local Veteran's Museum who served as a APA pilot at Okinawa. He said the atomic bombings saved his life as he was training as part of the first wave of Downfall. If I run into him again I will see if I can talk to him about not so much what he saw at Okinawa, but serving during WWII in general.
ijnfleetadmiral
CinC Rengo Kanmusutai
- Location
- Admiral's Bridge, HIJMS Kongo
Make it even easier...just have him OD on that morphine he loves so much. Not too much of a stretch, all things considered.
Sir_Braazmiir
Tiefling Paladin
- Location
- Wherever I am
Goering was a morphine addict? I never knew much about him past figuring he was just a political type who liked fucking over the Heer and the Kriegsmarine for the Luftwaffe's personal gain, so I don't know if he was actually addicted.