A New Rising Sun [Earth II]

[TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON]

A New Rising Sun

Khabarovsk, Empire of Rokoku
2019.05.11

Emperor Fujiharo looked out of his window in the Imperial Palace, contemplating the troubles that his nation now faced. He closed his eyes, remembering the story of how his ancestors had braved through hardships to get to the position he was now sitting. He remembered being told the story of his great ancestor, Yasushike Hashimura. He was said to have had been a samurai before washing up one day on the shores of Khabarovsk over 400 years ago when his ship was supposedly wrecked in a storm. As legend goes, it was said he was a great swordsman, and very intelligent, over time being integrated into the culture, becoming a leading member in one of the many factions that controlled the land. Hundreds of years later in 1906, war broke out between the factions, and Hashimura’s faction had pulled out on top, led by Sumeshiro Valdimir Fujiharo.

Those were the times, and peace had prevailed the nation for so long, the Imperial Japanese’s wars never coming close enough to do any significant harm. But now in the present, the Emperor could only be worried. That is why he had scheduled a meeting for today with his top commanders.

He walked across the halls into the small isolated room filled with generals, politicians, and spiritual leaders. They bowed as he entered, and he returned the honor. He had never before cared for the military, yet it was a necessity and now more than ever could it be ignored. He sat before saying “Thank you gentlemen for attending. You may be seated.”

“Prime Minister?” he added.

Prime Minister Moshikawa nodded. “Gentlemen, I would like to inform you on the current situation and to say the least, it is not looking good. Japan is expanding, remilitarizing. And there is nothing we can do to prevent them from turning their heads from China and looking for easier prey. Our military while ever capable is tiny compared to theirs, and with all the land we must defend, we are spread quite thin. Our machines are outdated, and we are not ready for war. To be honest, our forces have developed some modern equipment, but we lack the ability to produce it on large scale, and we are using weapons that are decades old. So I ask you for guidance on how we can ready ourselves for what I see to be an inevitable war.” Moshikawa was a more conservative man, and was actually for militarization. He had served in the Imperial Army for 24 years before holding the position, retiring a Major General.

General Zhukov gave a grim smile. He had served in the military since he was 16 when he had entered the academy, and being one of the older men in the room, did not lack experience. He had put down revolts and rebellions across the territories, battled natives, and seen several campaigns against a short lived extremist group who had occupied several cities in the north, in attempt to overthrow the Fujiharo government. “Sirs, we have little options we can go about. Our forces in concentration can delay the enemy, with no chance of being able to hold them off for long or push them back. I think it is clear, we must appeal to our neighbors for assistance.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shidehara shook his head before saying, “Who do we go to?” He had been Foreign Minister for only a short time since the Prime Minister had taken office, but was not a fan of the military, and despite the situation was more for peace.

Zhukov actually smiled. “We would go to the Empire of Layarteb or the Nanfang Republic and their alliance.”

Shidehara frowned, “And risk the influence of their ideals? That could endanger our control.”

Zhukov replied, “There will be nothing to control if the Empire of Japan takes all our territory. We have little choice but to act.”

He smiled as other generals nodded in agreement.

Ultimately it was put to a vote, a close one, 11 to 9. The Emperor had abstained from voting, having little actual control other than being the figurehead, and occasionally being the tiebreaker.

Personally, the Emperor approved of Zhukov’s idea, and wanted to ensure it was implemented right away. But there were other things the country could do to prepare itself for conflict.

Under Imperial orders, while the military lacked the money to improve the quality and quantity of what the men used, they could better the troops. Soldiers were now being placed under increased awareness, undergoing drills and maintaining increased patrols as to prepare the nation for whatever was to come.

Alongside the meeting was planning, intensive planning. The nation had a few missile batteries and a small stockpile of nuclear arms, and planners knew the military would have to use all of these if they were to be able to hit Japan and make them pay. Yet that was not the focus, the focus was a defensive, planning out how the military would mobilize and defend against a Japanese naval or ground invasion, planning out how to strike back, and playing war games to test strategies. Yet in the military’s current state, they knew they would have little chance without using unconventional weapons.

Rokoku did share a small border with the Empire of Japan and while before it had been closely guarded, now orders came down to completely fortify the area, for the infantry to dig trenches, build bunkers, and set barbed wire, while still remaining in peacetime positions.

Plan was that at the outbreak of hostilities, all forces would move to wartime positions and hold the line as reserves were called up and a counter offensive readied.

And so they readied, yet the biggest, most important matter would be to send a message requesting help in order to make Rokoku ready for the challenge that stood in its path. Of highest importance, was either creating the industry to build modernized aircraft and ships, or to purchase them until they could be made domestically.

SEAL OF THE EMPEROR OF ROKOKU
Message to Empire of Layarteb and the Nanfang Republic
From: The Empire of Rokoku
Security: MAX

Rokoku has come to a time of need, as the Imperial Japanese brutally run wild across Asia, our Empire requests assistance in holding this threat at bay, using a combination of deterring them, and if need be fighting them. Your aid would go to building up our industry so we can be able to produce our own defenses, and with you help, we can mitigate the effects of their ruthless expansion. I call upon you to help maintain the peace. We are willing to offer increased trade cooperation, military bases, and military cooperation in return for your support. As a people, we thank you for your help in our time of need.

From,
Emperor William Fujiharo

[Freistaat-Ostafrika]

5 November 2019 - 20:00hrs [UTC+8]
Palace of the Republic
Nanjing, Nanfang Republic

President Yang Mingshu leaned forward and rested her clasped hands on the desk before her, peering over her spectacles at the small group of ministers gathered in her office. There had not been sufficient time to summon the entire cabinet for a meeting as several of them were scattered across the Republic and its friendly states on a variety of fact-finding missions, but thankfully the ministers available were those who possessed a portfolio which would be required. Minister of Foreign Affairs Huang Li had received the communique from the Empire of Rokoku earlier in the day and had wasted little time in reporting it to President Yang, who had subsequently called a meeting in order to discuss the request for assistance. Minister Huang was now seated in the President's office along with Defense Minister Tang Dongwei, Minister for State Security Zhang Yong, and Finance Minister Ma Zhen, ready to discuss possible options in response to the request from Khabarovsk.

"Madam President, fellow ministers. It is safe to say that this presents us with a tremendous opportunity in several respects. The Empire of Rokoku have reached out to us and I believe that it is our duty to provide the assistance that they seek. Not only out of a spirit of regional cooperation and brotherhood but also because Rokoku could become a valuable partner in the blunting of the ambitions of the Empire of Japan. I am certain that Singapura Raya and the Kingdom of Ayutthaya would be heartened to see us providing assistance to Rokoku as both nations also harbour concerns regarding the intentions of the government in Tokyo. It is my belief that we should not need to discuss whether we will assist them or not, we should simply be discussing how to assist them."

President Yang nodded as Minister Huang finished speaking. "I concur with that analysis of the situation. The Empire of Japan are brazen and arrogant. They regularly skirt our northern coast with reconnaissance flights and their announcement of 'Operation Perimeter' could easily be targeted against Rokoku. I would rather see potential Japanese aggression halted than allow them to become emboldened and eventually attack the Nanfang Republic, plus it never hurts to have a new friend. So what are our options?"

Minister for State Security Zhang Yong spoke up first. "Intelligence sharing. Our satellites and other surveillance methods gather a great deal of data, we could provide Rokoku with any intelligence that we gather on Japanese troop movements."

Minister Tang quickly joined in. "In addition to intelligence sharing, we should look at supplying them with military equipment. Main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, artillery, aircraft. Arms sales in the short term, granting them production licenses in the long term."

Finance Minister Ma raised his hand to interject. "The request for assistance states that they wish to build up their industry in order to produce their own defenses. Rokoku may well find financial aid to be more to their liking. Loans with low interest and generous payment timelines, we could encourage our largest industrial concerns to visit the Empire and coordinate with their government in regard to construction projects. Long-term, they could greatly benefit from our larger corporations investing in their economy."

President Yang cast her gaze from minister to minister as she responded to the ideas put forward. "All of these ideas certainly have merit but we must be mindful of Rokoku's sovereignty, they may be smaller than the Nanfang Republic but that does not give us any right to smother them. Yes, they are offering trade cooperation and military basing rights, but we should earn such rewards through our actions towards them." She paused for a moment. "Minister Tang, what possibility exists for a 'goodwill visit' from elements of the Republican Naval Forces?"

"Well Madam President, we could send the Nanchang and the Qingdao from the North Sea Fleet. They're both Type 055, our newest class of guided missile destroyer. A visit from them would certainly send a message."

"Indeed it would." President Yang then turned her attention to Minister Huang. "Send an encrypted communique to our embassy to Khabarovsk. Instruct our ambassador there to approach the government of Rokoku with the offer of a goodwill visit as well as proposals for favourable loans, armament sales, and intelligence sharing. Make sure that he understands that if they refuse any of the proposals then it is their right to do so."

"As you wish, Madam President. Ambassador Luo Yin is a distinguished elder member of our diplomatic corps, he is more than capable of handling the situation with the necessary care."

[TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON]

Khabarovsk, Empire of Rokoku
2019.06.11

Minister of Foreign Affairs Yomoko Shidehara had rushed over to the Imperial Palace once he had received word from Ambassador Lin from the Nanfang Republic in response to the message only sent a day ago. Achieving support was a priority for Rokoku’s government right now, so with the Imperial Japanese threat so worrying, Shidehara had decided to give the news to the Emperor and his cabinet in person. The meeting was hastily set and now he moved briskly across the halls to the meeting room. He bowed before waiting for the Emperor to acknowledge. With the nod of approval, he launched in.

“Gentlemen, as you may know we have received word from the honorable Nanfang Republic. Their ambassador has offered a goodwill visit from their navy, loans, arms sales, and intelligence sharing. I personally believe that all offers would help to increase our readiness and improve relations with Nanjing. Their visit should be welcomed with open arms, and it is a good chance for us to improve relations and open them up a bit and show them our culture and the beauty of our cities. Loans will improve our military and industries in the long term, while the offered arms sales and intelligence sharing would be vital to detering the Japanese and improving defenses in the short term. If we were to purchase modern main battle tanks, armored vehicles, firearms, artillery, and aircraft, they can be immediately deployed to our frontlines, and effectively enable us to defend ourselves at greater lengths. What I am interested in though, is purchasing weapons that allow us to defend forward, project our power, and actually strike first.”

Minister of Finance Ivanov added “With the loans, we can buff up our infrastructure, build more railways and improve our roads in order to deploy our reserves and defenses to the front faster. Along with being able to improve ports so our shipbuilding capabilities are improved. And you are right in that it will allow investment into our military industry to build more tanks and planes on a larger scale.”

The Emperor nodded. He hated to see Rokoku being militarized from the peaceful nation it once was, but those times had come to pass. Rokoku needed to advance its capabilities as the world did the same, and most importantly counter the Japanese threat before their invasion turned to them.

He paused for a second before saying, “It seems it is quite clear. We shall approve everything offered. Minister Shidehara!”

Shidehara rose. “Yes sir?”

“Inform the Nanfang Republic Ambassador that they are welcome for a port visit in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, Zavety Il'icha, Sovetskaya Gavan, De-Kastri, any port along the mouth or inside the Amur river if their vessels are capable, or Magadan. There are other ports capable of housing them, but those are some of our better port facilities. If they wish, they may receive air or naval escort. If they choose a port inside the Amur River, I would advise they get a gunboat or a few tugboats to escort their ships in case they come upon an area too shallow for their ships.”

He paused as Shidehara’s aide took notes. “Inform them all their offers are accepted. On their port visit or in a separate meeting we can discuss which arms we would wish to purchase. Otherwise you are authorized to accept the loans, and intelligence sharing offers immediately. At their approval, we can have our military attache in Nanfang to meet with their intelligence services, and arrange a meeting with our own Main Intelligence Directorate men. From there, they are authorized to share all of our knowledge on Japan, except anything that will threaten our own national security.”

“Thank you gentlemen, now may you go do your duties.”

And with that Shidehara left briskly, going to meet Ambassador Lin in person. It was old fashioned, but one way to basically guarantee the Japanese would get no word of this until the ball was already rolling.

In the designated bases and ports, orders had gone down to make sure the men, equipment, and facilities were to look presentable for when their guests arrived. Intelligence, the navy, and the civilian controlled Coast Guard were notified of the pending visit to ensure nothing went wrong, and they stayed out of the way. Since it was unknown which port would be visited, 8 tugboats and 2 gunboats were put on standby in order to guide their ships down the Amur River should they wish. Once word came from Nanfang of which port they would choose, the city would prepare a warm welcome for their guests.

[TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON]

Khabarovsk, Empire of Rokoku
November 7, 2019

While the leaders of Rokoku waited on a reply from the Nanfang Republic, they now began discussing the best ways to implement the aid, and what demonstrations of force that could be done immediately. The Emperor was the first to speak in the meeting.

“Gentlemen, while we wait for the reply from the gracious Nanfang Republic what can we do immediately to ensure our sovereignty is protected, and how will we do so with their equipment?”

A general was the first to reply. He nodded, “Sir the equipment offered to us is highly compatible with our current systems, just more advanced and in larger quantities. As for what we have now, it may seem impressive on paper, but is quite the contrary, such is mainly true for our air force and army, not so much the navy. We have large reserves of armored vehicles, tanks, and planes on paper, but the sad reality is it could be 3-6 months of intensive repair to get these weapons in operation. The costs would be high, and even then we will have to recruit new men into our forces and train them to use these. Such could take 2 months or so for a tanker, but for a trained pilot could be 9 months. We could cut a few corners here and there, but they already are flying obsolete and vulnerable planes. By that it will be over a year and if military projections are correct, in our simulations, fighting a defensive war alone against Japan, unless our navy is 100% successful in every battle, the war will be over or near ending. Our only possible saving grace at that point would be the extreme temperatures and weather. ”

He paused thinking of how to calm the Emperor… “Sir, while many of our planes we currently operate are nearly obsolete or are obsolete, we do have a number of semi-modern or modern fighters and tanks. Our missile forces are capable of striking anywhere in Japan except Okinawa would be a stretch. Our bombers can hit anywhere in Japan. With the arms sales, we will replace older equipment and train our pilots and men to operate these purchased weapons, which will completely improve our capabilities. We are capable and ready to fight with what we have. The unfortunate truth is that the Imperial Japanese military is somewhat advanced, and much larger, meaning short of using nuclear weapons, there is no way to stop an advance without direct military support from allied nations. It is in our best interest to completely deter Japan, and I think the best way to do so is with a show of force.”

An admiral’s hand went up to make a suggestion. “Sirs, our navy is our most powerful asset. While fighting a hard battle forward, it is possible to win a complete victory if our navy completely destroys theirs taking it by surprise. And we should remind them of that. We should remind them that while our numbers are inferior, we have absolute control of our seas. While preparing for a naval operation could take days, I would recommend the air force for an immediate show of force.” He gestured to the air force general.

The general looked to an aide and brought forth papers. “Gentlemen, what I would suggest is something that would shock the Japanese. We already patrol our waters routinely. And they surely know that. I suggest we send a sortie within 40 miles of Sakhalin. It will be entering their Exclusive Economic Zone, and surely their Air Defense Identification Zone, so they will send fighters to intercept. Legally, we are in our right to do so, as we do not officially recognize their Air Defense Identification Zone, and such is merely an Identification Zone, not their sovereign airspace. Legally they cannot shoot down any patrol so long as we do not make any aggressive maneuvers, and we will communicate to them our intent to conduct the operation as a Freedom of Navigation patrol. This will signal to Tokyo we are very serious about our security, and our military is not a joke. If they send up fighters it will signal to us they are willing to defend. If they do not send up fighters at all, either such is an insult as they do not take us a serious threat, or their radar capabilities are non-existent, or it will be a signal to us of their weakness, or for that matter, accepting our dominance of the local waters. But further if they signaled that, it will show the international community we are strong, and we are serious when it comes to defense. That we should not be messed with, that we have the capability, and such will show those hostile to Japan our willingness to wage war should it come to us.”

He continued, “My recommendation would be to deploy two Tupolev Tu-142 Patrol/Reconnaissance aircraft, and have their rear guns loaded but not yet manned. Such is a clear show of a defensive stance and if the Japanese smart, they will not fire. But if they do, I will have two of our most advanced Sukhoi 30 fighters already ready for operations. And if the patrol craft are fired upon, the fighters will launch immediately.”

The room nodded in agreement.

And the general smiled when the Emperor said, “You have my full approval. Get them in the air within two hours.”

“Yes sir, I will have the men briefed and readied.”


Khabarovsk Air Base
Two Hours Later
1:00 PM

Two massive Tupolev Tu-142 Patrol Aircraft made their way down the runway, their crews briefed on all possible scenarios. Their rear machine guns were loaded, but if the Japanese showed hostile intent, they could quickly be manned, although it was questionable how effective they would be.

Within an hour of taking off they were nearing Sakhalin, getting close to the 40 mile point. Their orders were to fly a patrol around the area for two hours, and make note of any relevant military response or whatever was below. With their onboard cameras, this would be very much an intelligence operation as it was a show of force. When the pilot entered the Japanese ADIZ, he immediately set a timer, and at headquarters they did the same. What they were going to see was how long did it take for the Japanese to respond if they responded at all? And so the stressful first minutes set in…

[Freistaat-Ostafrika]

7 November 2019 - 09:00hrs [UTC+8]
Palace of the Republic
Nanjing, Nanfang Republic

"Initial reactions appear to be extremely promising, Madam President. Loans and intelligence sharing accepted immediately, the offer of a goodwill naval visit greeted warmly. Arms sales to be discussed in person, we can send a Defense Ministry official with the Nanchang and the Qingdao for that purpose."

President Yang nodded as Minister Huang presented her with a dossier containing further details of the proposed assistance on offer to the Empire of Rokoku which had been finalised in hours-long discussions involving the Finance Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and the Ministry for State Security. "Let me see here. Ten billion yuan as an initial loan with an option to provide an additional twenty billion, as well as the potential for additional loans. If cooperation is desired on industrial improvements then Nanfang industrial corporations would be interested in partnerships with industrial concerns in Rokoku, alternatively industrial development consultants can be provided to help with the planning of industrial upgrading. Loan repayments can be made with currency, goods and services, leasing of military facilities, and/or other methods subject to negotiation. Repayments can be deferred for up to two years without interest. Yes, I approve those terms."

She then turned to the intelligence sharing and armaments sales details. "Sharing of up-to-date intelligence on Japanese military movements, naturally omitting anything subject to national security concerns. Ah, Rokoku have already suggested that their military attache should meet with our intelligence services. Excellent, that's fine to go ahead. A meeting between their Main Intelligence Directorate and the relevant Bureaus of our Ministry for State Security would certainly be a wise move as well." President Yang was quiet for a few moments as she scanned through the proposed equipment for sale. "I have no objections to the sale of this sort of equipment, the Defense Ministry has authorised it and I see no reason to overrule them. In the future we can look towards granting of production licenses and perhaps even joint military development, depending on the political climate obviously."

Minister Huang inclined his head in agreement. "Obviously."

"So what are the estimates on how soon the Nanchang and the Qingdao can pay a visit to Rokoku?"

"According to the Defense Ministry, if we include preparation time, approximately four days if they sail through the Sea of Japan and visit Nikolayevsk-on-Amur. Rokoku have offered an air or naval escort if we would wish such a thing."

The mention of sailing through the Sea of Japan caused the corner of President Yang's mouth to twitch slightly. "Hmm. Inform the Empire of Rokoku that we would welcome an escort, and please inform the Empire of Japan that we are sending the vessels to visit Nikolayevsk-on-Amur. Tokyo will undoubtedly notice their passage and shadow them so there is no need to attempt to mask their destination. If they attempt to interdict or intimidate our vessels then they will be further justifying our newfound accord with the Empire of Rokoku."

[TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON]

Khabarovsk, Empire of Rokoku
November 7, 2019
10:00 AM

It was right after the meeting on the planned show of force, word was received from Nanfang. An aide moved into the Emperor’s office and entered to see the Emperor and the Prime Minister waiting.

“Sir we have received word from Nanfang. They have approved of the loans they offered, and will be sending 10 billion yuan with possibilities of other loans to be repaid within 2 years without interest. Along with the offer of their companies investing and creating partnerships with Rokoku’s. ”

The Prime Minister gave a small smile. “That is great. I have already been in contact with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Defense. Have them informed that aside from payment in currency which can be put off until later, we can offer up rights to certain military bases on our soil…”

“I have been told by some of our generals we have some 1960 era airbases and army bases that are currently unused but in fair condition. We would have to undergo work to rebuild and modernize them, but their airstrips are in working order and are for the most part their buildings standing tall. We also have a small unused port that they can operate. Or they have the option to build a completely new base.”

He paused for a second letting it sink in.

“Sir with your approval, we can start work on them right away. While in the meantime, we have bases completely operational that the Nanfang Republic can operate troops, planes, and ships out of, as long as they are willing to share with our forces. We will provide their lodging, fuel, and food. We would have to see if our ammos are compatible though.”

The Emperor replied, “You have my seal of approval on that.”

The aide was quickly scribbling notes down. “Sirs they also have approved the intelligence sharing offers.”

The Prime Minister was quick to reply, “Then our Military Attache will meet with them as soon as they are available.”

The aide continued, “They have also approved the arms sales, in which we shall discuss upon their arrival, and have accepted our offer of escorts of their two destroyers on their visit to port in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur.”

The Emperor’s reply was, “Good, very good. Send word down to Naval Command, and have them dispatch ships immediately to meet up and escort theirs.”


Khabarovsk, Empire of Rokoku
November 7, 2019
11:00 AM

The aide stepped into the office of the Minister of Foriegn Affairs who was sitting alongside military commanders for their short meeting. He cleared his throat, and began, “Sir you have been authorized to immediately offer up Khabarovsk Air Base, or port in Zavety Il'icha, Sovetskaya Gavan, De-Kastri, and Nikolayevsk-on-Amur and the port’s air facilities for the time being as options for them to station troops, planes and ships in our bases as we renovate unused bases that they can operate out of by themselves. You also have authorization to accept their offer of their companies coming in and creating partnerships. Aside from that, please inform Army Attache Lieutenant Colonel Valdimir Honch he is cleared to meet with the proper officials in Nanfang at whatever time they see fit.”

The aide turned to the commanders. “Gentlemen, the Nanfang Republic has accepted our offer of air and naval escorts and the Prime Minister has authorized you to dispatch whatever you deem relevant to securing their ships.”

The Admiral looked to his counterparts. “Well we could dispatch the frigate HIRMS Krivak and I suppose to make a good impression on the Nanfang sailors we can dispatch one of our two cruisers. I’ll send the HIRMS Slava. Two ships to escort their two ships, not bad. It is good enough to defend them, is making a statement to Japan but isn’t too showy either. Maybe for good measure we can have the air force send two Tupolev Tu 142 Patrol Aircraft. They could be valuable in looking out for threats and have onboard anti-submarine capabilities. As they get closer we can dispatch fighters to escort them into shore. Our aircraft are the faster option, since the Nanfang ships have already set off the patrol planes can meet up with them and provide support and send them whatever intel they get on approaching Japanese craft. As for the naval ships, they will meet up with them at a designated point and escort them back. Order the ships to be precautious, and watch out for Japanese vessels.”

By noon, the ships were moving towards their allies, and the planes, being much faster, roared overhead to provide support.

[Layarteb]

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• • • † • • •

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Wednesday, November 6^th, 2019 | 09:45 hrs [UTC-5]

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Layarteb City, New York | Fortress of Comhghall
40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W

Owing to the fifteen-hour time difference between Khabarovsk and Layarteb City, Emperor Fujiharo's missive did not reach the Layartebian Cabinet until the following morning, thus giving the Nanfang Republic a geographic advantage of beating the Empire in responding. That being said however, the Empire was going to take something of a cautious approach, not necessarily out of fear of "offending" the Japanese but rather because of economics. What the Empire of Rokoku was asking was considerable and what the Empire was willing to shoulder was not, thus there would be a gap between the request and what the Empire would provide. That being said, any nation signaling an anti-Tokyo stance could quickly gain the attention of Layarteb City.

Minister Fisher of Foreign Affairs read the missive aloud for those in attendance. A short missive, it was to the point, as missive's tended to be. "Before we address this, what is the latest on the Japanese operation?" The Emperor asked.

"Sir, it's still just a buildup insofar as we can tell but a major one at that, they have a lot of troops moving through Manchuria. We've yet to ascertain what their actual objectives are though. No one with awareness of the operation believes that it is what Tokyo says it is but there's nothing definitive as to what it really is. The prevailing opinion is that it is direct against Nanfang as one of two things. The first of these is an exercise to uncover Nanfang preparations and the second is that it is an attack against the Nanfang Republic. It could easily be an attack against Rokoku being masked as exercises or, to a lesser extent, the remnants of the Italian Kingdom but this is unlikely in our opinion. It's merely them being on the map that brings the suggestion," Minister Flores of Intelligence answered.

"So then we look back to Rokoku. If Perimeter is a prelude to the invasion of this country then nothing we can provide them will have any affect on the outcome of the conflict lest we mobilize our entire military and throw it at the Japanese in an effort to distract them out of Rokoku. That leads me to believe that Emperor Fujiharo doesn't believed Perimeter is specifically aimed against him but rather a future 'Operation Perimeter' may be. So he's looking to build up his defense industry in the meantime to be prepared for when that day comes, if it comes."

"That's how I would take it sir," Minister Fisher responded, "he's also reached out to Nanjing who will surely assist them."

"And why shouldn't they?" The Emperor asked rhetorically, "The Japanese have been nothing but deceitful and aggressive towards Nanjing. Intel has revealed how many operational planning sessions by Tokyo against Nanjing. They have every reason to believe that Tokyo is coming for them today or, if not today soon. Having Rokoku on their side would make sense. It would open more fronts up against the Japanese. Yet what Rokoku is asking us is significant. They want an entire defense industry essentially built from the ground up via aid. We can certainly sell arms to them but building an entire industry is a massive commitment both from a resource allocation point of view but also from a political point of view as well."

"The Empire has no shortage of industry," spoke Minister Sara Hill of Commerce, "and surely the LDC has designs that have been passed up on because they were insufficient for our needs. Perhaps they could be sufficient for Rokoku's needs."

"We would what, sell the production rights?"

"Something to that effect sir. Perhaps it's enough to open an LDC division in Rokoku."

"We'd have to see if they'd even go for that," the Emperor said, uncertain that the answer would be "Yes." "I see a situation whereby Rokoku would become 'in debt' to us and that's not necessarily an investment I would like to see."

"Well sir there might be a caveat to this," Minister Hill responded. "Rokoku has considerable mineral wealth and while we have access to these minerals ourselves it would not hurt to procure additional supplies at lower prices as terms of repayment for aid. It would be a much more stable backing. Furthermore sir, these supplies are tangible and proven. Investing in Rokoku would be, in this sense sir, a good move."

"I'd like to see some numbers first," the Emperor answered. "I'm not nearly as familiar with what they can offer as perhaps I ought to be. If they're able to provide some backing and return on this investment it is a good move then. More allies against Tokyo is better. We've encroached as far westward as we're willing to go and now it's just a matter of checking Japanese aggression before they begin to lob artillery at Nanfang."

• • • • ‡ • • • •

Thursday, November 7^th, 2019 | 08:00 hrs [UTC+10]

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Khabarovsk, Empire of Rokoku | Embassy of the Empire of Layarteb
48° 32' 59" N, 135° 4' 47" E

Ambassador Kirk Goble walked through the anteroom to his office, greeting his secretary as he did so with a "Good morning" but not much else. It wasn't because he was curt with her or what not but rather because he needed to use the restroom and, having his own private bathroom, had its advantages. His secretary was fifty-nine years old, a career foreign service member and a widow, who was holding out this post until she could retire to Cuba where her grandchildren were growing up too quickly for her to be so far away. "Good morning, you have an urgent cable from Minister Fisher on your desk."

"Got it, thank you," he said as he closed the door, moving quickly past his desk to grab the cable for reading. He'd been having stomach issues for the better part of the past nine months but three trips to two different gastroenterologists had yet to reveal results. For now, he just dealt with it but he knew that it was getting worse and not better and that soon he would be in trouble.

The cable from Minister Fisher was a directive for Goble to arrange a meeting with Fujiharo's staff to discuss the request for military and industrial aid. This wasn't the kind of conversation that would be good to have over cables or telephones but rather in-person. Fisher was directing Goble to get an idea on the details. What exactly did Rokoku want and what exactly was their timeframe. There were a lot of questions to be asked and a lot of number crunching to do. Minister Hill was correct in her assertion that the LDC was sitting on a treasure trove of military projects that had been canceled because they were insufficient to the needs of the Empire. Furthermore, opening an LDC division in Rokoku, if it was on the table, would mean a major defense contractor in country to support the buildup.

Of course, it would also matter what Nanfang was providing and what the Empire could provide that wouldn't step on the toes of Nanjing. The Empire certainly believed that "business was business" but politics had a nasty habit of messing things up at the worst possible time. If Nanfang were wishing to contribute certain systems, certain developments, and certain capabilities, the Empire would have to find other avenues to support Rokoku. There would be plenty, of course, but it was just a matter of ironing out the finer details.

For this, when Goble exited his bathroom, he requested his secretary make the meeting with Fujiharo's staff, perhaps with the man himself, to go over the request. The Empire wasn't turning its back on Rokoku but neither was it ready to open up the vault without some guarantees and some details.

---

• • • † • • •

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[-The United Federation of Nations-]

Commander William J. Sharples, FN
FNS Santa Clarita FFG-138
Approaching the Port of Zavety Il’icha, Empire of Rokoku
Thursday 7th November 2019, 1300hrs Local Time

---

It was a chilly, clear and brisk afternoon as the Federation Warship Santa Clarita began its pilotage into the Rokokun port of Zavety Il’icha, without much fanfare. Although the Federation had its own reasons for viewing the Empire of Japan as a threat, most notably the Japanese possession of the Aleutian Islands which were claimed by a Federation member-state, the Federation’s generally non-interventionalist policy made it unattractive as a potential ally for sabre-rattling, although in actual wartime there was no better friend to fight alongside. Nevertheless, the Federation had it’s own reasons for being generally friendly to the Empire of Rokoku, beyond shared enmity for the Japanese; most notably the relative closeness and the prospects for trade between North America and the Empire. As a result, the Federation Navy regularly sent a warship, typically a frigate, to visit Rokokun ports on good will visits, arranged well in advance at the appropriate levels. Such visits were common place between navies of all colours and the Federation was no different, although it always tried to highlight the positive implications of such a visit, rather than any underlying threat or show of force.

Of course, there were operational advantages to a Federation Warship in Rokokun waters on a regular basis; Zavety Il’icha was as close to the Sea of Japan as most Federation warships came. Sure, there were the occasional visits to the Nanfang Republic, typically by a guided-missile cruiser due to the potential threat posed by Japan, but they were few and far between for that same reason. Of course, the United Defence Force did not give the Japanese complete free reign over the Sea of Japan; in addition to satellite observation there were, at any given time, three fast attack submarines stationed at key choke points around the edge of the Sea of Japan, with the specific mission of monitoring any major Japanese excursion into ‘great waters’. However, although submarines could play plenty of roles they were supposed to remain silent and undetected, as a result there were benefits to having a surface warship regularly in the general area, not the least of which it drew obvious attention away from the submarines themselves. As a result, although the Santa Clarita and her predecessors were officially on a diplomatic mission, they had a very real role to play in the event of a conflict.

Not the least of which was that they were a shining example of Federation naval technology; the City-Class guided missile frigate was the backbone of the Federation Navy and a highly advanced multi-purpose escort. The Santa Clarita had detached from the rest of Surface Action Group THREE, operating under the designation of Task Force 12, which was loitering in the North Pacific, having moved there following the announcement of the Japanese ‘exercise’, just in case.

“Everything looking okay, XO?” Commander William J. Sharples, CO of the Santa Clarita, asked as his XO stopped out onto the bridge wing.

“All by the numbers so far, Skipper,” Lt. Commander Deshaun T. Griffin replied promptly. “Ensign Harlan is taking the ship in.”

“Very good, XO,” Commander Sharples nodded. “Under the careful eyes of the Navigator, I take it.”

“Yes, Sir,” Lt. Commander Griffin smiled slightly. “I’ve never the seen the Navs look more hawk-like.”

Commander Sharples snorted but didn’t say anything; due to both their numbers, and there versatile role, frigates were a popular posting for junior officers to gain valuable watch-standing experience, without which a surface warfare officer had no chance of progression. This meant a lot of trust from the Captain to his officers, but given that most of his senior staff had cut their own teeth on frigates he trusted them with his ship, and with the baby officers in need of experience. This was a good thing, of course, given that the Captain was ultimately responsible for the safe conduct of his ship, even when it was under the control of another officer.

“What do you make of the hubbub to the south, XO?” Commander Sharples asked after a while.

“The Japanese?” Lt. Commander Griffin queried, to which Sharples nodded. “This Operation Perimeter of theirs sounds like some right bullshit, Sir.”

“We’re in agreement then,” Commander Sharples commented wryly. “Defence Force Intelligence agrees with your assessment as well.”

“That makes a change,” Lt. Commander Griffin replied sarcastically. “Do we have any verification of this, or is it just everyone’s gut feeling?”

“So far, it’s just the collective gut of the United Defence Force, including half a dozen arms that rarely agree with each other, which says something I guess, but no, nothing concrete,” Commander Sharples replied dryly. “That being said, with so many people having the same opinion, especially those at the highest levels, Defence Force Command has ordered that we assume that something more is afoot.”

“A sensible precaution,” Lt. Commander Griffin nodded. “I assume that means we’ll assume a heightened REDCON alongside?”

Commander Sharples nodded; the REDCON (or Readiness Condition) of a given military asset was used by the Defence Force to signify how ready to move the asset is. In the Navy, this was generally known as the ship’s ‘notice for sea’, and when alongside could be several hours, but would now be significantly reduced. In addition to the state at which the ship’s engines and other machinery was kept, the other main consequence was how far afield the ship’s company could venture as they would need to be able to get back to the ship within the notice for sea if something happened. It was doubtless to be an unpopular announcement, but such was the nature of military service, besides it wasn’t like Zavety Il’icha was the best place for shore leave, and it lacked the nightlife of the likes of Nanjing, or indeed Vladivostok.

“I’ll make the arrangements,” Lt. Commander Griffin nodded, looking like he was going to say something else before another officer joined them on the bridge wing, looking disconcerted to say the least. “What’s the problem, Kate?”

Lieutenant Kate J. Holt, the ship’s tactical officer, glanced southwards before replying.

“The SPY-1F just picked up two large aerial contacts, at the edge of our range, heading southwards from the mainland,” Lt. Holt replied, committing to her report. “We couldn’t get firm IDs given the range, but they were big even at the range, so we tentatively identified them as Bears.”

Commander Sharples raised an eyebrow at the report, understanding now why the Lieutenant had been so reluctant to make it, given that all she was really reporting was conjecture based on a distant radar contact. Never the less, he suspected she was right but had to make sure.

“No civilian transponders?”

“None, Sir,” Lt. Holt shook her head. “We checked, twice.”

“Two Bears is hardly a strike package,” Lt. Commander Griffin mused. “A probing action perhaps.”

“Perhaps, not that we can do much about it,” Commander Sharples agreed. “Keep an eye on them for as long as you can, and let me know if you see them come back.”

“Do we report this to Command?” Lt. Commander Griffin glanced at his Captain.

“Of course, it’s sightings like this that is the reason we’re here, we’ve got to vindicate our presence here even if it turns out to be nothing” Commander Sharples nodded. “But let’s reduce the notice to sea even more, I do not want to be alongside if this all kicks off.”

[TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON]

Khabarovsk, Empire of Rokoku
November 8, 2019
8:00 AM

(Co-Write with Layarteb)

An aide stepped into the Emperor’s office, and walked up to his desk. “Sir a meeting has been scheduled with Ambassador Goble from the Empire of Layarteb to discuss our current situation and our request for aid.”

“Good that is very good. Have the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of Finance come in. Once they arrive let the Ambassador in.”

The men soon were seated. The aide walked out to the lobby and approached the Ambassador. “Ambassador Goble? The Emperor is ready to see you. Please follow me.”

Ambassador Goble rose and followed the aide into the Emperor’s office. He was introduced around the room to those men whom he didn’t have previous interactions with prior to today.

The Emperor smiled. “Ambassador Goble. It is so nice of you to come to our call for support. As you already know, the Empire of Rokoku is requesting financial aid and arms sales in order to modernize our ground and air forces. As Minister of Defense Araki would tell you, we have had issues producing modern fighters. We have only around 80 fourth generation fighters, and I presume other nations are already working on 5th generation fighters. What we are asking mainly for is an investment to help us out in the long term to improve the capabilities of our forces, which will go into our industries.” He then looked to Minister of Finance Ivanov to continue.

“In return for your aid, we can pay you back at a later time our what we can offer immediately is access to our natural resources, services, and access to military basing rights on our territory, a critical base that could help you into projecting power at the Empire of Japan. “

And now they waited, for Goble’s reply, well informed to answer any of his questions. What Ambassador Goble was hearing, right off the bat, was precisely what the Emperor and company back in Layarteb City would want to hear. Access to resources, as a return on investment, was a major piece of any involvement by the Empire. Service access could be beneficial but it was the prospect of basing rights that upped the game entirely. Basing rights you say? Ambassador Goble thought to himself before speaking. “Financial aid, investments, arms sales, these are not out of the realm of possibility. My government is concerned about the power wielded by the Japanese in this corner of the world. Rokoku, being no friend to them, sits at a unique position to be a close partner to the Empire. Let’s cover these then, shall we?

“Financial aid and investments. You’ll want to see Layartebian investment in your defense sector and by all means, this isn’t a sector we’re foreign to given the enormity of the Layartebian Defense Corporation but surely you understand that the lead time between an agreement and useful products will be considerable time. Years, perhaps even a decade? There is a long-term strategy I am understanding but what kind of strategy are you hoping to achieve? Is it a wholly independent defense sector or are you looking for a long-term partner beholden to your own government’s rules, laws, edicts, whims, et cetera. I ask this as the LDC could help open a subsidiary division but if it is something to be nationalized down the line, you would see the LDC hesitant. Providing consulting work - we’ll call it - on the other hand. That has much less red tape and much fewer restrictions.” The ambassador said at length, leaving his foreign counterparts to provide more of the details that he would need to take back to Layarteb City.

Ivanov listened in, and he was hearing what he wanted to hear. He paused to think for just a second, before answering. “Of course it will take quite some time for your investments and aid to actually fruit into products that our armed forces are able to safely use. There are ways to speed this up however. Our nation does have some factories capable of producing our own military hardware, but as you know, the majority of it is becoming obsolete, and there is no point in wasting the money to produce obsolete weapons. And in war, we are in a poor situation. If our men use more ammo than we can make, then we are to say the least in trouble. And the same goes for everything else. Production is slower than most modern factories, and for us we can build maybe 20 tanks a day in wartime, maybe 30 planes or so? Yet our projections for the first month of an all out war with Japan will see us losing around double that a day. And as our forces become more obsolete, the number increases. We have only a few factories able to produce modern weapons, the pride of our military, but that takes too long for what it actually should. That is why we have come to you and Nanfang.”

“I am being honest when I say I cannot see Rokoku having a fully independent defense sector within even the next 10 years with large amounts of money and support. That is our ultimate goal, but will take some time. But however, our main goal is to be capable of producing dozens of modern tanks and planes per day during a war, and be able to produce modern equipment for the majority of our defense industry’s factories. So we are asking for help in improving our systems, not really building a defense industry. In effect yes, your, ‘consulting work’ is what we are looking for. Although we are not opposed to arm sales either. We are very open to obtaining a carrier if you are interested in selling ever or any cruisers you may have.”

“I’m glad to hear that your approach is realistic and grounded. You are right, ten years is probably a very liberal estimate. You would need something to bridge the gap. Consulting work will solve the long-term issues but what about between then and now? Arms sales as we get to this topic. The Empire is not shy with our arms exports, it’s evident in the skies of the world whenever you see squadrons of Vipers flying around. We could begin negotiations to open the doors for exports of our aircraft but even these would not be ready for one or more years, as we would have to have your men trained on how to fly and maintain these aircraft. If you needed immediate relief, we have older aircraft in storage but I suspect these are not necessarily what you would want as they would leave you in an obsolete footing. Furthermore, they are wholly incompatible with your current supply chain and logistics as they are oriented to an entirely different supply chain than what you currently operate. Knowing this, it would likely be advantageous is the Empire provided immediate loans and contacts to boost what equipment you currently possess while maintaining the same supply chain and logistics. If you operate Flankers and Fulcrums, switching to Eagles and Falcons will yield a major logistical headache for your military. Even the Viper and the Shrike, our main export aircraft, have considerably different supply lines. In this realm, to solve your immediate and short-term needs, we would engage the Cottish and surely Nanjing. As we understand you have already reached out to Nanjing so there is nothing for us to facilitate I am sure but the Cottish may very well be the best avenue for immediate, short-term needs. Insofar as long term aid, consulting work, et cetera, you will find few restrictions with the Empire and a better long-term engagement policy.”

Ivanov nodded. “Of course Minister of Defense Araki is better to talk to when discussing supply lines, but of course, to purchase new aircraft from a different nation is always a hassle. Thankfully in our discussions with Nanjing, we are choosing to acquire aircraft similar to ours to lessen the burden on our supply lines. We are interested in your Viper fighter, but we have been in contact with Nanjing and have managed to obtain multiple models of suitable aircraft to our liking. I will make note to contact the Cottish, so thank you for that good suggestion. But more importantly yes for the long term we would be welcome for your aid and consulting for our defense sector. And for the short term, we would be grateful for loans and contacts to modernize current equipment and improve them or repair.”

“Then we can consider this aspect done,” Ambassador Goble said with a nod. “I’m authorized to give such measures right away for immediate relief. Are there any short-term needs, weapon-wise, that perhaps we can fulfill? Small arms perhaps? Equipment perhaps? Items of an easier-to-procure nature than complex, military equipment?”

“Well overall our forces can make do with what small arms they have, but we are not opposed to obtaining modern rifles for our special forces.”

“If you would be able to forward over your general requirements and numbers to my office, I will forward those along to see what it is you might be interested in obtaining. Short-term, we have our priorities obviously and our limitations. But progress is made and that is the true victory. So with that in regard, my government is interested in what you would offer in terms of basing rights. This has some considerable interest within my government but we would like to hear the specifics if you will,” Ambassador Goble offered, curious what would and wouldn’t be on the table from Rokoku.

Minister Araki nodded. “Well sir, what we can offer is access to our air bases and naval bases, but there is quite a bit of open land in Rokoku. Back in the 60s we were a much more militarized country, combating rebels and other terrorists of sorts in our region. We have many abandoned facilities that could be to your liking if they were to be modernized or you could build your own base. Both of those options will allow for the base to be solely yours, and you won’t have to worry about sharing with our armed forces. The only advantage to using our bases is that we would be able to fuel your planes and ships free of charge but I assume you want your own base correct? There are certain bases that are isolated, and those that are closer to big cities, but it is your choice. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you choose to base some forces in Rokoku, we have few if any restrictions for them as long as they stay on base. But if they leave the base, they should know they are expected to treat our civilians and our cities with courtesy. We would be more lenient on them should they commit a crime here, and punishment up to their commanders, but in the case of a capital offense, while we will go on a case by case basis, we cannot promise they will go unpunished.”

This was beyond lucrative. In a way, operating a major air base on Rokoku soil would offer a major “return on investment” to the Empire and something that would go a long way, perhaps more than money or resources could. “This is an offer my government will be very pleased to hear. Allow me to take this back to them so that they can ‘do their homework’ and respond in kind. I should say upfront however that our preference would be a base with strategic advantages. Thus a remote location may not be in our best interests. Furthermore, while the Empire operates many bases on foreign soils, we operate them with two understandings. The first, any base that is solely ours is considered Layartebian soil and for this we compensate the host government. The second, beyond the perimeter of any base is not Layartebian soil and we comply with the laws and regulations of our host countries. Should those be in contravention to our own in such a way that it would make interaction incompatible, we would forfeit the right to leave the perimeter of the base. Now, knowing the laws and regulations of your country, there is no reason that this should be a condition. We would comply with your domestic laws, rules, and regulations just as we would expect the same of any of your citizens within our borders.”

“That is splendid. Inform us when you have selected your option, and that base will be yours. Who knows, depending on the location, we can very well conduct joint patrols or it would be great once you are situated to have joint exercises.”

Pleased with the outcome of the meeting, Ambassador Goble was eager to get back and send the cable to Layarteb City, though they were fifteen hours behind Rokoku. Still, it wouldn’t be long before the generals and the war planners in the Ministry of Defense cabled back their offers and capabilities. Whatever remained of the meeting, it was the normal humdrum of diplomatic visits but if anything, this was a major step forward for Rokoku’s long-term strategy and it was also hugely beneficial to the Empire.