Nihonkoku Shoukan: Beyond

Chapter 40: Intrepid Defender

On board the Fennese Destroyer IFS Tachibana, Eastern Altaras Sea, 3rd Civilized Area, 6th March 1640 CCY

"All units... open fire!" – Admiral Hanako Yotsuba, Imperial Fenn Navy

"Aye aye, Admiral. IFS Tachibana, VLS cell 1 to 6, open fire!" – Captain Yoshiaki Blackard

The new destroyers of the Imperial Fenn Navy together with their Altaran counterpart immediately opened fire upon the wooden target ship placed as far as 300km away from the fleet formation. The new flagship of the Fennese fleet, the IFS Tachibana is sailing proudly under the ensign of the imperial navy, surrounded by another Shinonome-class guided missile destroyers, 4 Mogami-class frigates, and four Raiden II-class corvettes as well as the similarly sized Royal Altaras Navy Fleet. Built upon the Maya-class and Asahi-class destroyers of the old JMSDF, the Tachibana and her sisters are among the most advanced major surface combatants employed by any Navy in this new world, except for Japan. Capable of reaching a speed of up to 30 knots with a more efficient integrated electric propulsion system, the Shinonome-class destroyer can reach any combat zone from its port in a reasonable amount of time.

The class is divided into two sub-variants, with the Tachibana as the fleet air defense, armed with the Aegis Evolved System, one 127mm Mk45 mod 8 gun, two AN/SEQ-12 laser-directed energy weapons, two Rolling Airframe Evolved AA mounts, 96 Mk41 mod 12 VLS cells capable of employing various types of missiles from anti-ship to anti-air, as well as 4 quad-launcher Polaris cruise missiles and 2 triple mounts of Mk.54 mod 4 lightweight torpedo. The other variant of the class, the Fubuki, is geared more toward anti-submarine warfare. For the purpose of her class, Fubuki is equipped with a more elaborated sonar system with both active and passive sonar but weaker anti-air capabilities than the Tachibana, including the towed sonar array, equipping more RUM-139 Mod 5 VL-ASROC missiles in their 64 VLS cells, and heavier Mk.48 mod 9 torpedoes with longer range.

Both variants can also carry two helicopters equipped with lightweight torpedoes, sonobuoys, and a Magnetic Anomaly Detector system for ASW purposes, scouting, search and rescue, and transport. However, they have yet to receive the accompanying helicopters, as they are still in the testing phase. Surprisingly enough, despite their class being named Shinonome, none of the first batch destroyers are christened with that name, as the Japanese asked their allies to name their own ship. Thus, the first four destroyers which belong to the Imperial Fenn Navy and Royal Altaras Navy are named IFS Tachibana, IFS Fubuki, RAS Al-Thara, and RAS Princess Lumiess. Together with the Mogami Kai-class frigate, which is also equally divided into fleet air defense and ASW variants, these warships are the new swords and shields of the allied navies.

The latter of the four ships was notable for being sponsored by the same person she named after, who arrived at the commissioning ceremony with her left leg still in cast and had to use a cane to walk, just before her departure from the country as an exchange student in University of Tokyo in Japan. After witnessing and even directly experiencing the carnage caused by the earthquake on her nation and its people and the Japanese relief efforts afterward herself, the princess decided that the teachings from her current teachers were not sufficient for her future duties to the people of her country.

As such, she personally requested her father that she along with her personal bodyguard. Lilceide also goes to Japan with their ambassador to continue her study of medicine there, her father gives her his approval and immediately arranges for her to be enrolled in one of the best universities there as an exchange student of graduate medicine school with the help of the Japanese ambassador. Furthermore, the king also believes that by sending her to study overseas, he was able to keep his beloved daughter safe from any possible Parpaldian retaliation after his recent defiances against them. The pragmatic reason was due to the princess's popularity among the general Altaran population and her importance to their morale. Said public popularity was also the main reason why the Royal Altaran Navy decided to name one of their new ships after her.