KR:
"Mother, I am ready to launch."
"Roger that, Ame. Launch in 5."
"Copy, launch in 5. See you later, Mother."
"Good hunting."
"Ame, Oscar Mike."
The iTSF Ame, was a type 00c variant of the Takemikazuchi. The height and glory of IJ technology. It was larger and bulkier than the standard TSF, hence the 'i', which stands for Improved. Due to the technology and power of the machine itself, it is considered nigh sacred, and as such, only the Royal Guard, and the Shogun herself, would employ it. Though, the Shiranui was making steps to bridge the gap of power between the Takemikazuchi and itself, it still had a long way to go. Even Mitsurugi's wish was for a TSF to eventually outperform the Takemikazuchi. The Takemikazuchi would become a symbol of unity and perseverance, and the Shiranui would be the military asset that everyone had access to.
I did not share that desire.
"Hurricane, 30 seconds out from the improved Terminator bogeys, designated Neustrashimy. Weapons hot."
"Guns up, sun's up." Came the reply from my second in command, Togo Rei, in control of the Shiranui assigned to our squadron.
We made contact, and immediately displayed the power between us and the USSR. The fight was so short that I felt cheated for even launching.
"Mother, targets destroyed. What about the lifepods?"
"Standby." A pause, "Ignore them."
"Yeah, let the bastards suffocate." Togo chirped in, and I nodded my head in silent agreement.
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"They shot down the Hoshi." One of the ensigns said, on board the mothership.
"The Hoshi? That's a Zuikaku, no?" Another one replied.
"Aa, I wonder how they managed that."
"The Hoshi took damage in the initial engagement, no? It's possible they whittled it down."
"Mmm, the commander was rescued, along with 92 other survivors. The Kido and Susanowo also took some heavy damage. The whole Task Group will need some serious repairs."
"What about the IJN?"
"Not a single hit on them. Those guys are as sharp as ever."
"It's a good thi--"
I moved out of range to hear them, and sat down in the mess hall. Someone was about to approach me when the screen flickered on, displaying the image of the Shogun, who was on board the mothership. It looked like she was addressing the fleets, considering that Earth most likely cannot hear the transmission due to the dust.
"For 70 years we have fought a losing war against the BETA. There is not one among you, or in the entire world, who did not feel the torment of our impending extermination. But we have endured, and emerged victorious. We had thought that our struggle for survival ended 10 years ago, when we defeated the BETA on Pluto, and expelled them from the Solar system- we had thought that a new world order will rise, to steer us into the future of safety, and unity."
She paused.
"But we were wrong. When the USSR was allowed to settle Alaska due to losing their homeland, we thought that the regime of the old powers was toppled. But it seems that was not the case- it was with our blood, and our loved ones, that we liberated their homelands. And now they turned their weapons against us. I am hereby authorizing the deployment of G-Bombs, to exterminate the USSR to the last man. It has become abundantly clear that the so called 'new world order' that will steer us into the future, can be none other than us. We must be the ones to suffer, and we must be the ones to endure. We will no longer allow ourselves to be taken advantage of, and betrayed by our trusting nature. It is time we showed the old world who wields true power, and they may fall in line behind us, or stand against us and meet the same fate as the USSR."
