Westaria

August 2nd, 2002 - Columbia - United States of Westaria

The halls of the Department of the Navy were busy today. Clerks and runners were going every direction imaginable carrying briefcases and stacks of paper, ensuring that the Westarian war machine still functioned. 

The Department was massive, taking up 80% of the Island of Columbia, the capital of the United States. From these halls, a force of several thousand ships, from fleet carriers to auxiliary and amphibious craft, was commanded and maintained. It was, quite simply, the most important place in the whole country.

Because of its size, the building was hard to navigate for people who didn't go there often. Such was the case for Salem, who had an important briefing that she was already late for.

When she finally arrived at the briefing room, ten minutes into the briefing, she quietly moved to the back of the room, but, as soon as she got a good look at who was in the room, she froze.

The first notable figures that stood out to her were Massachusetts, commander of the entire Eastern Border Fleet Group, Halibut, the commander of the Intelligence Bureau, and Enterprise, commander of the Department of Naval Aviation.

Upon closer inspection, almost every fleet or division commander from across the whole country was gathered here, with the exception of Arizona, who was in Pearl Harbour, and Missouri, who was in Leyte.

"You might as well sit down, Salem," this was Des Moines, Salem's older sister and the commander of the 1st Combat Strike Force, "We're still waiting for New Jersey, after all."

Salem took the chair that Des Moines offered, trying to process everything that was happening. Wait. New Jersey?

"You mean the Admiral of the Navy is gonna be here!? The commander of the entire Navy!? What's going on here!?"

Alaska, commander of the Northern Fleet Group, was the one who answered.

"None of us, or rather, none of us except Halibut, knows what this briefing is about. But it is most likely something that will decide the fate of the whole country, and possibly the whole world."

At that, the door swung open, and New Jersey walked in, carrying a file of papers. Her long blonde hair flowed down to her waist, and her bright blue eyes looked very tired.

She stepped up to a podium at the front of the room, and slides began to project from the back of the room. As was the case in any briefing, the first slide was the seal of the Department of the Navy: a Westarian Eagle holding to anchors, and the phrase "Not for Self but for Country".

New Jersey began to speak. 

"What you are about to see here is classified information. It is only meant for the eyes of the people inside this room. Aside from the people here, only one of Halibut's agents and 'the Queen of the Pacific' know about this."

Quiet murmurs began to spread across the room. Nothing in the history of the Department of the Navy had been kept this quiet. Normally, confidential just meant it was kept to fleet commanders and the people working in the Department, not a group of only 30 people. 

This really must be something serious, Salem thought, noticing that Halibut was the only one who didn't seem surprised. She was probably the first one to know anything about this.

The slide changed to show a map of the Yamato Empire, with a red star at Tokyo's location, and a blue dot not far from it, labeled "Mingo". 

"On July 26th of this year," began New Jersey, "The Yamato heavy cruiser Myōkō retreated from the frontlines, carrying a non-combatant onboard. Gato-class submarine Mingo, who was observing observing the Eastasian War, followed her to Tokyo."

The slide changed again, showing Myōkō's route, from the frontline with Eastasia all the way to Tokyo. 

"Myoko has remained in harbour for the past three days, despite having sustained only minor damage."

Once again, the slide changed, showing a photograph of the slipways, three of them filled, with the labels 'Shiranui', 'Myōkō', and 'Dead Hull'.

"However, less than twenty minutes after this photo was taken, the Empress paid a visit to the dockyard."

The slide showed a scaled-up picture of the Empress and her retinue. In addition to her guards, there was also Myōkō and an unnamed civilian male, labeled 'Myōkō' and 'target' respectively.

"The civilian designated as target in this image," said New Jersey, pointing to him, "is the same one who Myōkō recovered three days earlier. 

"And a few minutes later..."

The slide changed again. It was the same as the first picture of the slipways, except for the fact that the dead hull had been replaced by a massive battleship.

"The Yamato Empire had a new battleship." New Jersey turned to Halibut. "You can take it from here."

Halibut stood and took her place as the papers from New Jersey's folder were handed out to the two dozen women in the room. The papers were diagrams and supposed schematics of the new battleship, along with photographs and recognition drawings.

The slide changed to match the diagrams on the papers.

"This new battleship is, as far as we can tell, the most powerful battleship in the world."

Halibut's tiny face was serious, her pale brown eyes unflinching.

The room burst into murmur again, with some outraged whispers rising above the rest of the chatter.

"This battleship, which the Intelligence Bureau has designated as 'Margaret', is an improved version of the Empire's Yamato-class. The length has been increased from 263 metres to 328 metres, and the beam has gone to 41.5 metres."

328 metres!? That made Margaret larger than anything that Westaria, or any other country had. 

"Her primary armament is 15 18-inch guns, loaded into five triple turrets, almost twice as much firepower as the Yamato-class. She also has almost three times as much secondary and anti-aircraft firepower, and could probably defend against an entire fleet carrier's air wing on her own."

Enterprise visibly paled at that. Everyone knew that newer battleship hulls hadn't been developed so that the funding could go to the fleet carrier program, and the new Yamato Battleship might make people question whether it had been worth it, which could lead to the Department of Naval Aviation having to close its doors forever.

"Because of this, the Intelligence Bureau has recommended that Margaret be designated as a strategic weapon, and the primary target in the event that we go to war with the Empire."

"A strategic weapon! What are you talking about!?" This was North Carolina, the commander of the Homeland Fleet Group. 

The Homeland Fleet Group was made up of 23 fleets and almost 700 ships, and barely qualified as a strategic threat. It was easy to understand her confusion. 

"If it takes a fleet of 681 ships to be a strategic threat, then how is one battleship a strategic weapon?"

Several words of agreement came from the seated women.

However, Halibut answered with a matter-of-fact, everyday tone, despite the words she used.

"How many of your ships would you lose trying to sink her?"

The room quickly went silent, every one of the women considering what losses their respective forces would take if they engaged the battleship.

Halibut continued, brushing a strand of her pale blue hair to the side while she spoke.

"The Submarine Fleet has the best chance, and our simulations of an attack show that it would still lose several vessels. The simulations did not take into account the several dozen destroyers and cruisers that would be escorting Margaret, as well as enemy air cover. 

"No matter what the situation ends up being, it would take several hundred surface ships and submarines and at least 600 aircraft to sink her. That is why Margaret should be considered a strategic threat."

She pulled out a new paper, and the slide behind her changed to a picture of the civilian man who had been with Myōkō.

"We have gotten off topic. The main threat here is not the Empire's new battleship, but the fact of its creation, which should not be possible with the destruction of the Singularity. Through working with our Historical Analysts, we have come to the conclusion that this civilian, designated 'John Smith', is a Builder."

Halibut sat down while Lexington, the head of the Historical Analysis Bureau, gave a lesson on what Builders were and what they were capable of. 

After the lesson, New Jersey went back to the podium. 

"As such, we are mobilizing all forces to Code 2. The Western Border Fleet Group, 1st Combat Strike Group, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 10th Carrier Battle Groups, and the 2nd Division of the Homeland Fleet Group will be relocated to Pearl Harbour."

The commanders of these fleets turned to each other, already starting to make plans for travelling together. Des Moines was among them, and a pang of fear went through Salem as she thought about her sister being on the frontline of a possible war with Yamato.

New Jersey, though, was not done. 

"Salem. You will take your 2nd Combat Strike Group directly to Tokyo, taking command of the 14th Carrier Battle Group at Pearl Harbour, as well as incorporating any submarines that you encounter along the way. Once you arrive at Tokyo, you will present an ultimatum to the Empire."

A bead of sweat formed on Salem's forehead. War was seaming like a far more imminent possibility.

"Your only goal is to ensure that John Smith is either on Westarian soil or on your deck by December 6th. You are to use any means necessary, even if it means war."