Annihilation Fleet: The Three-Star Counterattack

Chapter 4 - Bad Sake

It was bad sake.

"What kind of promotion celebration is this?"

Vice Admiral Koga cursed Vice Minister Yamamoto internally for arranging this meeting. He had never tasted such bad sake. What Captain Ugaki had revealed was incredibly shocking.

Although it felt strange to say, after his own death, Japan had faced catastrophic events. A bit after Koga's demise in the H8K (Type 2 flying boat) accident, the Imperial Navy's 1st Mobile Fleet suffered a crushing defeat against the American carrier task force at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Despite a successful initial attack, their strike force sustained heavy losses due to numerous intercepting fighters, resulting in minimal damage to the enemy. Conversely, the armored carrier Taihō, the veteran Shōkaku, and the refitted Hiyō were all sunk by submarines and aircraft.

Later that autumn, in the battles around the Philippines, the Combined Fleet lost numerous ships including the battleships Musashi and Zuikaku, along with many cruisers and destroyers, effectively losing its organizational combat capabilities. Following this, Japanese cities were bombarded by B-29s taking off from the Mariana Islands, with many cities reduced to ashes. The dropping of two new types of bombs by B-29s on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed a large number of people instantly. The final blow was dealt by the Soviet betrayal. With Japan already on the brink of collapse, it was forced to unconditionally surrender to the Allies. On August 15, 1945, even Ugaki participated in a suicide mission, ending his life.

However, what shocked Koga more than Japan's defeat was the adoption of the inhumane suicide attack tactics by both the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Army. Ugaki mentioned that it was unavoidable given the atmosphere at the time, but sending subordinates on near-certain death missions was a gross misconduct of leadership. Moreover, not just planes and midget submarines were used for suicide missions, but even the battleship Yamato, along with its crew, was sacrificed for this purpose.

Koga felt sick to his stomach. The sake tasted foul. Yamamoto quietly watched Koga, understanding his shock and waiting for the storm of emotions to subside. After a while, Koga finally spoke.

"I see now. This meeting is to make me an accomplice, isn't it? So, what role do you expect me to play?" Koga asked bluntly, with suspicion in his eyes.

"Accomplice sounds harsh," Yamamoto replied with a bitter smile, though his eyes were serious. "I'll provide the money, and Ugaki will offer wisdom. We need you to use that money and wisdom effectively."

"You want me to be the negotiator or the persuader?"

"You're quick-witted, and that helps. Exactly. An organization runs on people and money. Even if you have excellent personnel, it's pointless without funds. Conversely, having money but foolish people to use it is equally futile. As you know, the Imperial Navy is also an organization, and many decisions ultimately depend on trust between people."

"Inoue-kun might be more suitable for logical negotiations and persuasion."

Yamamoto shook his head with a resigned expression.

"He's certainly capable but also inflexible and stubborn. Consider this: would someone as logical and scientifically-minded as him believe us solely based on our memories of the future?"

"He's the type who wouldn't believe in ghosts, spirits, or prophecies. I can imagine him just making a face and dismissing it."

"Exactly. Therefore, you are the only suitable person among us. You might find it surprising, but I don't have much popularity, and Ugaki, being a captain, clearly lacks the weight. On the other hand, you are a moderate and sincere person, well-regarded from above and with few enemies. If you and I bow our heads together, there are hardly any people in the Navy who would refuse."

Koga thought to himself, "It's not surprising at all," in response to Yamamoto, but he had enough discretion not to say it out loud.

Now, Koga wondered what to do. All he could envision was being manipulated by Yamamoto, just like Ugaki in front of him. However, he still felt he should at least listen to what they had to say. He needed to understand how Yamamoto and Ugaki intended to confront the unprecedented catastrophe that would likely occur in a few years.