EMPIRE OF FUSAN
Bridge of the Kato, Flagship of the 2nd Imperial Fleet
"Captain! Islands off the port bow!"
Through his binoculars, Admiral Ishio Natuko found the Kiwa Islands. They were meek, unimportant and inhabited by Fuso-Dalatran citizens. Why the Sawajiro Party wanted these islands was beyond Ishio's reasoning, and his pay grade. "Signal to the fleet, half speed," Ishio said, lowering the binoculars. A sailor, clad in black, sprinted off to to inform the signalman. "Captain Taki?"
"Sir?"
"What is the status of the Second?"
Taki, apparently relieved this was all that was being requested of him, eased his posture a bit. "Destroyer Fuko is running with a boiler down, Admiral. All other ships running nominally."
"Good."
"Sir?"
"Yes, Captain?"
Taki's frame stiffened. "Is the Second really necessary? I mean, all the way out here?"
Ishio huffed, then half turned to Taki and smiled. "I won't pretend to know the mind of the Party, Captain. I do know that with a meager population of only four million, the Dalatran Kingdom's modest military is not looking for a fight, especially on the waves. I suspect the Party is only flexing it's muscles."
The fair faced Captain barely stifled a smile, and so Ishio warned him. "You didn't hear that from me. Now, get a status update on the Second from the signalmen." Taki saluted and disappeared out of the same door as the ensign only moments ago. Ishio set the binoculars down on the wood paneling in front of him. The Kato was an immaculate warship, designed by a Novgorodian Admiral in 1889, she was built with Salodonian steel, for the Fusanese had--at the time--no shipyards capable of channeling such an industrial effort. She was the spirit of Fusan, Ishio knew, regardless of where she was built.
He stepped out of the bridge and onto the walkway that surrounded it. The bright ocean waves slapped the side of the ship and the cool sea breeze was pleasant against Ishio's skin. He looked to his left and saw the remainder of the Second Fleet, a long trail of cruisers and destroyers. Straight ahead was one of the Dalatran islands, formally claimed by the Empire of Fusan. So tiny they were that they had no dock sophisticated enough to accommodate anything larger than a destroyer.
So unimportant they were, and yet lesser things had caused men to kill one another in the years past.
