October 28, 1927.
Somewhere along the Yellow Sea, the 1st Imperial Yamato Fleet stridden across the undulating waves of the sea as they were spearheaded to their designated position under the orders from the high command.
Admiral Yamamoto, the admiral of the first fleet was on the balcony of the bridge of the fleet's flagship, Amagi Class Battlecruiser, peering through his binoculars as the orange glow of the sun backdropped over the horizon, illuminating the rolling seas and blue sky with warm rays. Beside him stood his second in command, executive officer Miyashiro Katsuro who had been watching his admiral from behind for some time now with a smile at the scene unfolding before him containing warships that were sailing alongside them.
He leaned against the railing next to the Admiral who remained silent and observant but seemed more interested than usual in the scenery, and it wasn't long until Katsuro broke the silence to inform him about something.
"Admiral, there is something you need to hear," Katsuro began, he paused momentarily when he was aware that Yamamoto turned to look directly at him.
"Another message from the command?" Yamamoto asked as if to confirm his assumption.
"That's right, Admiral. It specifically asked for you so I didn't open the letter transcribed by our communication officers. So, I don't know the contents of the letter."
"That's fine, I'll go take a look," Yamamoto put his binoculars aside and entered the bridge.
The staff immediately stood from their seats and performed a salute to welcome him.
"At ease," Yamamoto simply said, prompting the officers on the bridge to return to their seats and continue whatever it is they are working on.
The communication officer inside handed a letter to Yamamoto politely.
Yamamoto unfolded the letter and perused the content. His brows furrowed upon reading the first paragraph of the letter. His troubled look was noticed by his executive officer who then inquired what was wrong.
"Is something the matter, Admiral?"
The question left Yamamoto perplexed. He looked up briefly to see the staff officer staring at him intently waiting for an answer. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"The Imperial High Command informed me about the result of the night bombing operation that was conducted four hours ago to cripple Vladivostok," Yamamoto paused as his next word will be about him delivering bad news. "They failed. The Imperial Ruthenian Air Force has intercepted our fighters and our bombers off the coast of Vladivostok. No damage was done."
Katsuro frowned at the revelation. What could have happened? That was a night raid. Had a mistake been made? Or some sort of a leak that gave the Ruthenian Empire a heads up about the operation, making them prepare necessary precautions to stop their raiders at all cost.
Because otherwise, there's no way the Ruthenian Empire could've anticipated a night raid, even in the midst of war. Katsuro rubbed his chin as he contemplated. Even if a spotter spotted them in the middle of the night, it would take them an hour to scramble their fighters and intercept them. There is something wrong with this war and he is beginning to notice it.
And alas, he's not the only one who is realizing it by now.
"The war has not been going favorable on our side," Yamamoto remarked, his tone somber. "In land and in the air, the Ruthenian Armed Forces emerged victorious. There's something wrong in this war and I noticed it prior to the declaration of war," he rubbed the bridge of his nose before continuing. "And it's a shame that the military chose to omit the development of the war to the populace, making them believe that we are doing well despite losses after losses."
Yamamoto's words are like a hammer hitting on a nail; puncturing his heart. Of course, he'd knew the development of the war as he is part of the High Command of the Yamato Imperial Armed Forces, someone inside is keeping him in tab with the situation every single day, and although it's going badly on their end, his superiors keep ignoring the situation and trying to hide it from the people.
Just how does the Ruthenian Empire keep winning? Four years ago, they wipe the floor with Ruthenia and they achieved victory on land, in air, and in the sea. But now, they are the ones being trampled upon. Is it because of their new technologies? That is superior to the rest? He couldn't confirm, there's no way for him to confirm. And even if he wants to confirm that, he's sure that his superior will omit the details.
"In land and in the air, we are getting pushed back," Katsuro hummed. "Does the letter only inform us about the situation of the war in the Choson Peninsula? Or was there an order from them that they would like us to do?" he asked.
"There is one," Yamamoto folded the letter and put it down on the table. "If the Yamato Empire can't win on land and in the air, then they hope the navy would at least win in the sea. We are the only forces in the branch of the Imperial Yamato Armed Forces who have yet to see combat. Our mission is to secure the command of the sea in the Yellow Sea that will support our naval landing force to the Choson Peninsula, bringing reinforcements to the front line."
"We defeated the Ruthenian Empire in naval battle four years ago, I'm sure we can win against them again."
"What makes you say that?" Yamamoto's eyes flickered to Katsura as he spoke sternly. "Have you forgotten your lessons not to underestimate the enemy? Especially after hearing that we are constantly getting defeated?"
"I-I'm sorry, Admiral," Katsuro stammered guiltily, averting his gaze so as to not look him directly in the eye.
Yamamoto continued. "This is the problem that we must rectify soon. The Yamato Empire and its people are still immersed in the victory of the Rutho-Yamato War. I understand their elated feelings, after all, the Ruthenian Empire is a major power in the world and we the fledgling empire defeated them. However, they failed to notice that those who are cast down can rise once more, and we are seeing it firsthand."
Katsuro gulped at Yamamoto's deep and resolute voice.
"Admiral Yamamoto, if I may ask, is it possible that the Yamato Empire may lose in this war?"
"To give you my honest insight based on the current situation, there is a chance that we could lose this war. The overwhelming gap in national power is just unimaginable. Adding to the fact that the Yamato people don't know how to get defeated, no matter how dire the situation may be, the Yamato people will fight to the last man. If that were the case, our country would be truly destroyed..." he trailed off.
Katsuro was confused at his words. "What are you talking about, Admiral? I don't follow..."
"I apologize, it didn't make sense right? Well, let me just get straight to the point. The will of the Yamato is strong and we will fight to the last man. However, what if there was a magnificent symbol symbolizing Yamato's greatness destroyed, what do you think will happen?"
Katsuro looked around him, trying to articulate what Yamamoto just said. There, he noticed the ship that they were in and the ships that were sailing along with it.
"Do you mean..."
"It seems that you've realized it. The symbol of Yamato's greatness lies in our magnificent fleet. When this fleet sinks in the upcoming naval battle with the Ruthenian Navy, a sense of despair will fall upon our country. The army has been defeated on land, should we fall in the sea, I'm afraid that this war would be over with us being the vanquished. We cannot afford to lose here."
