Azur Lane: Return of Davis

Chapter 39: Drafted Terms

June 4, 1942

Midway Atoll

Right before I went to sleep in the barracks, Helena stopped me.

Helena: "Commander, somebody wants to talk to you over radio. Callsign: YMT. Frequency 156.900 MHz. They appear to be Japanese."

"Okay. Thank you. I'll get on that right now. Have a good night's sleep, Helena."

Helena: "Same to you, Commander." She walks out and closes the door.

Grabbing my radio, I swap frequencies to 156.9 MHz, and hit the push-to-talk button.

"I spell: YOKE-MIKE-TARE, this is CHARLIE-MIKE-DOG-ROGER, radio check, over."

'YMT': <<< CMDR, this is YMT, roger, over. >>>

A female voice flows through the radio. Hm... kansen, maybe?

"I spell: YOKE-MIKE-TARE, acknowledge you are kansen, over."

'YMT': <<< Correct. Acknowledge you are Jason, Commander of the Azur Lane, over. >>>

"Correct, break." I shake my head and take a sip of water before continuing. "Why are you contacting me, over."

'YMT': <<< Requesting freedom of Japanese prisoners, over. >>>

"Negative, YOKE-MIKE-TARE. All soldiers and kansen surrendered of their own volition. Your attack is finished, over."

'YMT': <<< You little... >>>

I give her a few seconds before talking again.

"To YOKE-MIKE-TARE, relay to Japan and record message: 'Nagato will be kept safe, do not worry.' Read back, over."

'YMT': <<< What...? Nagato? What did you do to Nagato?! I swear, if you harm even a single strand of fur on her tail, I will have your head on a pike overlooking your burning nation! You hear me?! >>>

"...I'll take that as a read back. I'm going to bed. おやすみ、大和のや。Out."

I flick off the radio before she can return a message and clamber into bed.

Tomorrow might get annoying...

--

June 5, 1942

After some much-needed sleep (it was like 1532 local time or something when we bombed the Orochi and 2240 local when Yamato called), I arrive at the 'meeting room' (just a bunch of chairs out in the sun) and stare at our POWs. Alright, Commander mode in Japanese on.

"Ladies and gentlemen. After the events of yesterday, I am most certain you all have witnessed the situation you all have thrown yourselves into. There is no honour in this fight. You shall soon meet your graves out here, leaving behind your families to fend for themselves. Ergo, I would like to propose a conditional surrender. How this will work is the following:

"Members of the kangun, who are here based on military prowess and skills upon a waterborne craft or aircraft, you shall be sent to the American mainland within the prisoner-of-war camp of Camp McCoy in Monroe, Wisconsin. This is far from the Pacific coast. There are alternatives, however, should you ask for them.

"Individuals with farming knowledge can assist in food production. There are food shortages in pockets of America, and we can use all the assistance we can get. If you want to stay closer to home, we at Pearl Harbour will hold you under military watch, similarly to U-96 and U-101 of the German Kriegsmarine. However, we can permit you to find employment within the base.