Rising Rays of the New Century: Tale of the Japanese Empire

Men Running on the Sea and in the Sky

Following the China and Catalonia parts, this marks the beginning of the Micronesia part.

- Bokutotsu Zen'u

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August 10, 2105

Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean

The islands collectively known as "Micronesia" are located in the Pacific Ocean, further south than the Japanese archipelago. It consists of the American Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Kiribati.

The islands of Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands were originally placed under the defense of the United States federal government. However, the federal government, which had its hands full trying to contain the upheaval in the homeland, and the people who threw themselves into the chaos, choose to terminate the Compact of Free Association (COFA). As a result, most of the American troops stationed in Micronesia were moved to bases on the mainland or in China. With US military influence greatly diminished, Micronesia became a den for warlords and pirates who roamed mainland China and Southeast Asia.

The local population, which had lost its American shield, was also building a new defense system to counter these pirates. This is the tale of an elderly Imperial soldier far from Japan and the flying boat crew raised by him.

Kwajalein Island in the Republic of the Marshall Islands was once a military base for the American forces. Today, the US military has withdrawn from the island, and the airstrip at Bucholz Army Airfield is in a state of disrepair. One flying boat is parked on the runway. It was the US-2, a flying boat once used by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The aircraft has the Hinomaru painted on it, just as it did when it was still in service in Japan.

There were men playing poker in front of that relic of the last century. On a round table surrounded by men, coins for chips were placed haphazardly. At that moment, a telephone placed at the end of the table rings. An elderly man dressed in a military uniform reached over and picked up the receiver.

"...Yes, hello?"

"...Is this Mister Sudo? There are pirates in the vicinity of Ailinglaplap Atoll."

It was an urgent call from the Marshall Islands government police force. The man called Sudo listened back into the other end of the receiver.

"Pirates at Ailinglaplap Atoll...?

"Qingdao Chinese Legion."

"Qingdao Chinese Legion? ...Never heard of them."

"They are pirates who have recently been moving from the Chinese coast and are not part of the People's Liberation Army. They are targeting cargo ships from Papua New Guinea!"

"Understood... we'll sortie in three minutes."

Sudo hung up the phone. At that moment, the men who had been lazily playing poker until then all stood up in unison, put on their squadron uniforms, and boarded the US-2, the old-century flying boat. The engines started, contact is made with the control tower, and preparations for takeoff are made in the blink of an eye.

"Alright, let's go!"

And finally, Ittetsu Sudo... an Imperial Japanese Navy Lieutenant, boarded the plane.

The Imperial Japanese Navy detachment stationed in the Marshall Islands, led by Lieutenant Sudo, is a garrison unit stationed at a former US military base as the guardian of the Micronesian region in place of the Americans, in accordance with the security agreement signed between Japan and the Marshall Islands.