Debriefing the Empress on the Silk-Bound Lance
May 1, 2022 22:04:28 GMT -5
Greywall, StaolDerg, and 1 more like this
Post by Sophie on May 1, 2022 22:04:28 GMT -5
Deep within the heart of Fuyonouso, a massive bustling city filled with millions of Kumo living their lives. The subways beneath the city running on a near-perfect clock bringing Kumo to and from work. Mothers taking their children to school and working, fathers keeping homes nice. A city with only a few roads intended for motor vehicles typically used by those who don't live in the city, busses, and the wealthy. The buildings towered over the many Kumo walking down on the streets. Grocery stores filled with fresh food, both homemade and imported from all over the world. At the docks, several cargo ships were being unloaded. A new koian transport vessel emptying several tons of freshly delivered staol. Vendors were selling various Kumo confectionaries.
A rather long line had formed in front of a particular stand just outside of the capitol park. A woman was walking towards the front of the stand. She was a Spined Micrathena spider, her upper torso had soft white skin and long golden hair that flowed over her crimson floral yukata and was shaded by her matching parasol. As she reached the front of the line the woman who was up next spoke up. "Hey excuse me, the back of the line is-" The woman turned around closed her eyes, and smiled. "-I... uh... I'm so sorry Secretary Kure. Please, go ahead." The secretary nodded and turned around.
"Just one order of Takoyaki." The stand owner nodded and began quickly cooking Kure's order of fried octopus balls. Once it was finished Kure took the order and paid with a ¥100 coin, well over double the price of her order. She walked off before the owner could thank her. Her day was going to be a long and busy one. She made quickly for the underground parking structure beneath one of the capitol buildings. There a car was waiting for her.
The driver bowed, "Good morning Kure-kama. Ready to start the day?"
Riko Kure climbed into the back of the car, "Take me to Rear Admiral Kawasaki's home." She spoke curtly before finally popping a single fried ball into her mouth. The car started and began driving out of the park.
"Is that takoyaki from the stand just outside the capitol? I've heard it's incredibly good. Do you recommend it, Kure-kama?" He asked, trying to make friendly conversation.
Kure finished what was in her mouth already and answered, "I am not one who enjoys conversation with men who are inferior to me." She said rather calmly and quietly. The driver, dejected, shut his mouth and kept driving.
Once they arrived at the admiral's house the secretary quickly hopped out of the car and knocked on the door. The admiral answered the door bleary-eyed and disheveled. "S-secretary Kure, what are you doing at my home?"
"You and Admiral Kaneko have been summoned to have a meeting with the Empress. Go and get dressed." She glared at the admiral, unamused with her current state of undress. It took 15 minutes for the admiral to re-emerge from her home. Secretary Kure sighed in relief that Kawasaki took note of her level of dress and wore her own formal yukata.
"Driver, take us to Admiral Kaneko's home." The admiral ordered once she got into the car. "I apologize for my state when I answered the door. It was my understanding that I was on leave. My husband and I... usually celebrate late into the night. We were drinking quite a lot."
"When the Empress calls, Admiral, we answer. Regardless of our status." Kure answered softly.
Kawasaki nodded, "Of course, you're right Secretary. I am honored to answer the Empress's call."
The two of them exited the car as soon as they arrived at the next house. Vice Admiral Kaneko was quick to answer the door. "Rear Admiral Kawasaki, Secretary Kure. I haven't seen you two since Elenria. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Kaneko-kan," Kawasaki spoke up, "The Empress has called upon us for a meeting."
"I see. I haven't seen her since my promotion to Vice Admiral. Very well, let's get going." Kaneko began walking out of her door before Kure put out her hand and stopped her.
"Surely you don't intend to meet the Empress, in just a shirt. Do you, Admiral Kaneko?" Kure asked in a very pointed tone.
The Admiral finally took a note from what the other two were wearing, "Of course not. I will go get dressed. Please give me a moment." She retreated into her home before rejoining the others.
Now all three adorned in finely crafted yukata entered the car. "Driver," Kure began to order, "take us to the Empress's palace." The words hung in the car like a weighted blanket. No one here, aside from the secretary, had ever been invited to the Empress's palace. It's one of the most venerated, and secure places in all of Kumosenkan. "Have either of you ever had a private meeting with the Empress before?" Both of the Admirals shook their heads. Kure nodded already knowing that would be their answer. "Some advice then. Mind your manners, and your posture. Only speak when spoken to. Do not make her wait for anything. Do not question anything she says. If she offers something, take it. Say please, and thank you. When you bow, bow deeply, and despite convention, she prefers to be called by her first name."
Both of the Admirals nodded, listening along intently. Once she was finished both of their postures had unconsciously improved to near perfection. "Thank you Kure-kama." They both said bowing slightly. The palace was only an hour's drive from the center of the capital city. Once they arrived at the palace gates the Admirals were in awe. The walls were massive and adorned in gold.
The gate guard approached the vehicle and the driver rolled down the window. "Hi... um... we're here for-" He was cut off by Secretary Kure rolling down her window and speaking over him. "Secretary of the Navy, Riko Kure and Admirals Kawasaki and Kaneko for Empress Shiraori Tetsu Kumo." She held her ID out of the window. The guard took a single look at the ID and nodded. She waved to her fellow guards and they began opening the main gate allowing the driver to continue onward. Behind the walls was a massive complex of ornate structures where all of the Empress's servants lived. In the center was a massive palace with gorgeous red walls accented by black pillars and gold. Dozens of Kumo lined the street that led to the palace. Their legs were adorned in sharp metal armor. In their arms, they carried massive yaris. Of course, there were also proper imperial guards, equipped with the latest in Kumosenkan military technology watching the car's every movement.
The car parked in front of the palace and the three women piled out. A guard walked up to the driver's side window, "I'll show you where to park. Follow me."
A woman dressed in a highly ornate maid's uniform approached the three women and bowed deeply. "It is my absolute honor to welcome the three of you to the Empress's Palace. Please follow me, she is waiting for you." The women all bowed slightly in return, but the word 'waiting' made both of the admirals momentarily anxious. Though they looked to Kure and modeled their behavior off her calm demeanor. The maid led all of them through several corridors until finally arriving before a large door. Another maid was already standing before the door and bowed slightly when they arrived. Both of them opened the double doors revealing a massive dining room.
Within, were two women already seated at the table both of whom were crown spiders. The closer of the two was Princess Reitō Doku Kumo, her skin was lightly tanned and her hair was tied up very tightly into two buns on either side of her head. She was dressed in a bright red flat colored yukata. Slightly behind her, was Empress Shiraori Tetsu Kumo. The spines on her body were much shorter than her daughter's and were pure white. Her skin was porcelain white, it felt as if one pressed a flashlight against her, her skin would be transparent. Her hair was even whiter than her skin and cascaded down her shoulders and past her body. Both of them had piercing red eyes.
Princess Reito quickly bolted to her feet and faced the door. The Empress stood calmly and walked slowly over to the door. She grasped the hand of the maid that had led the three women here and kissed it softly. "Thank you for bringing them here Nishimura-kas. Please ensure we have some privacy." The maid wordlessly nodded and left, closing the door behind the five women.
Both the Admirals and Secretary bowed as deeply as they could. "Good Afternoon, Empress Shiraori. We are blessed to be within your presence." Kure spoke for all of them.
The Empress smiled and bowed very slightly. "Good afternoon, Secretary Kure. Vice Admiral Kaneko, Rear Admiral Kawasaki. This is my daughter, Princess Reitō Doku Kumo. She will be sitting in on our meeting."
Princess Reitō bowed nervously. "It- it's an honor to speak with the three of you. I hope to learn a lot today."
"Let's all take a seat so we may get started." The Empress turned back and returned to her seat. Everyone quickly followed suit, the princess returning to her seat next to her mom. The other three sitting opposite the Empress. "Would you all like some tea?"
All three of the women nodded, "We would love some, your highness." The Empress rang a little bell on the table and a maid soon after walked into the room through a different door holding a silver platter. She placed the platter on the table and placed teacups in front of everyone present. She poured steaming tea into everyone's cup and left the teapot on the table before exiting the room. Everyone happily took a sip of tea, it was the finest, most expensive tea either of the admirals had ever tasted.
"Kure-kas," the Empress started, "would you get this meeting started?"
"With pleasure Shiraori-kama." Kure answered, "As you are aware the three of us traveled to the Elenrian Prefecture as we were informed by the Elenrian arsenal they had thought up a very interesting modification to the current Type 97 torpedo. They had developed a guidance system by connecting the back of the torpedo to the boat that fired it with Kumo silk." She began pulling files out of a manila folder and passing them out to everyone. "As you can see here it uses an intricate system of web strands connected to a set of levers on the boat. We have forcibly increased the level of cavitation of the torpedoes used so that whoever is spotting the torpedo can more accurately instruct whoever is in control of the guiding levers."
"This is fascinating." The princess spoke under her breath, flipping through the various diagrams and reports.
The Empress firmly grasped her shoulder, "Now now, Reitō remember not to speak out of turn. But you are correct. This is fascinating. The torpedo is one of the most devastating weapons of the sea. However, its slow travel times and wake tend to make them easy to dodge by a wise crew. A guided torpedo would be almost impossible to dodge. Though I'm not sure increasing the torpedo's cavitation is the wisest solution for the spotter. This would also make it easier for our enemies to spot the weapon and maybe even deduce that we've created a guided torpedo. I think instead we should increase torpedo training for our crews so they can acquire a better feel for the torpedo's speed, trajectory, as well as the new guiding tools. What do you think, Rear Admiral?"
"That is an interesting point that we hadn't considered Shiraori-kama. I agree that increasing cavitation can be a problem, especially for our submarines. It'll give our enemies a better idea of where our submarines are hiding during attacks." The Rear Admiral did her best to answer insightfully.
The Empress smiled, "I guess the only question that remains for me is whether to allocate this technology to destroyer command, or submarine command. That's why the both of you are here correct? Vice Admiral, make your case."
Kaneko panicked for a moment as she had not realized she would be debating in front of the Empress. She quickly finished off the rest of her tea to wet her throat. "Shiraori-kama," She searched for the right words in her head, "The surface fleet has always been the pride of Kumosenkan. Our naval forces proudly display themselves and strike fear into the heart of the enemy. If we equip these weapons onto our destroyers they will become one of the most feared weapon systems on the sea. When a destroyer fleet shows up anywhere in the world our enemies will flee in fear, knowing our torpedo hits are guaranteed. As a final point, we have many more destroyers than submarines, the new guided torpedoes will be deployed much further across the world and be able to do much more damage if we prioritize our destroyer fleets."
The Empress nodded, "That's a fair argument, what do you think, Rear Admiral Kawasaki?"
Kawasaki was thankful that she went second, it gave her a moment to mentally prepare herself. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak, Shiraori-kama. As Admiral Kaneko pointed out there are many more destroyers than submarines in our fleet. As such it will take significantly less time to retrofit our submersible fleet for the new weapon system. Our submarines utilize torpedo weapons as they are to their fullest effect. It is the primary weapon of the submarine. Installing it into our subs will much further increase their capabilities than it would for a destroyer. Most importantly, it would allow for a sub to be able to continue to engage the enemy effectively even after the enemy has become aware of the presence of submarines and begun evasive maneuvers. To the final point, as our submarines make more and more kills they will become as feared as Kaneko-kama believes the destroyers would become. With the important exception that our enemies will have to constantly be in fear of our submarines as they could be anywhere in the world at anytime."
"You make a pretty good argument as well, Rear Admiral." The Empress stated introspectively, "What do you think, Reitō?" She asked turning to her daughter.
The princess tensed in her seat. Her hands were firmly planted in her lap and were fidgeting with her forelegs. "I... um. I think both Admirals make some really good points. However, I think that since our submarine force is more dependent on the torpedo, I think they would get more value from having the new weapons first." She tried to sound confident, but her voice shook throughout.
The Vice Admiral's eye twitched in annoyance. "I apologize your highness, but I do not think the princess is qualified enough to weigh in on this matter." The words made the princess wince.
Everyone glared at the Vice-Admiral, who had hastily covered her mouth with her hand. Empress Shiraori closed her eyes and took a long sip from her tea until it was finished. She quickly opened her eyes and whipped the empty cup at the Vice-Admiral. It shattered on impact with her forehead. She flinched down and covered her face with her hands. Blood dripped down her face and onto her yukata. Shiraori climbed onto the table and walked over to Kaneko. She bent down and grasped her collar. She pulled her up so that all eight of their eyes met. "Are you doubting your Empress?" She hissed as her grasp tightened. "Have you no faith in my choices, Admiral?"
With tears in her eyes, she began to beg, "I have faith in you, your highness! I am so sorry. Please forgive my outburst it will never happen again."
Shiraori grinned, and slowly pulled a ceramic fragment out of the Admiral's face. She took a napkin off the table and placed it on the now open wound. "Hold that there, until the end of our meeting." She let go of the admiral and slowly returned to her seat. The princess was frozen in fear, her eyes locked on her mother. "As I was about to say. I agree with my wise, and insightful daughter. I think the best option is to roll this new technology out to our submarines first and foremost. Especially since there are fewer of them, it will take less time to complete and move on to our destroyers. Thank you, Princess Reitō, for your input." She smiled and softly patted her daughter on the head. "Is that all we had to discuss today, Secretary Kure?"
The events even made the Secretary stutter, "Y- yes your highness." She had heard stories of the Empress's ire but had never seen it firsthand. "Thank you for your insight, and your time." She bowed, hoping she was able to hide her fear.
"Wonderful," She answered warmly, "I would normally invite you to stay for a meal, but I'm afraid I promised my daughter I would spend the rest of the day with her. Have a pleasant day, and thank you all for your hard work." She stood and bowed deeply. "I will invite you all back sometime soon to have a meal together. I would love to have a more casual conversation with you all." She rang another bell, and the maid from much earlier re-entered the room. "Nishimura-kas, would you please lead our three guests safely to their car."
The maid bowed, "I live to serve you, Empress Shiraori." She didn't even blink when she saw blood leaking from the admiral's face.
Both Kure, and Kawasaki had to help guide her along as the blood had started to seep into her eye. They all three turned and bowed to the Empress. "Thank you, for your time Empress Shiraori. We would all be honored to dine with you in the future. We are blessed by your kindness." The Secretary spoke for all three of them before following the maid's lead. Once they were outside of the dining room Kure began whisper swearing at the Vice-Admiral. "What in the FUCK were you thinking Kaneko-kas?! Have you completely lost your mind?! How did you get promoted to Vice Admiral if you're this dumb?!? Why would you ever speak up to the Empress like that?! She is the wisest and most intelligent woman on the fucking planet! Never, ever doubt her, or her family ever again. Especially if you want to keep your job. I am shocked that she didn't demote you on the spot."
The Admiral began weeping, her tears mixing with her blood as the grip on her napkin weakened. "I am so sorry, Kure-kama. I don't know what came over me." She said between gasps of air as she cried. "I just wanted to take care of my destroyers."
"Nishimura, could you hold on a second?" Rear Admiral Kawasaki spoke up. "Can you grab us some bandages or something to hold her over until we can get her to a hospital?"
The maid looked back at the Admiral and bowed, "I would be happy to serve you, Kawasaki-kama." She walked off in a different direction, leaving the three in a nearly empty hallway.
"Listen, Kaneko," Kawasaki spoke softly and sat both herself and her fellow Admiral down. "I get it. You messed up. You somehow managed to piss off the Empress, but she is a kind and loving woman. I am sure that she has already forgiven you in her heart. She knows that you are a good and hard-working woman who would do anything for her subordinates. You proved that, albeit foolishly, by speaking up back there. You are a good woman. I will speak on your behalf if it comes to that, okay? You're going to be fine." The maid returned, with a small first aid kit in her hands. She handed it off to the Rear Admiral who quickly opened it.
"Th-thank you, Kawasaki. You're - Ahh!" Kaneko winced as Kawasaki pressed a cotton ball drenched in disinfectant onto her wound, "You're an amazing leader. And you're right. The Empress is a kind woman. I'm sure everything will be fine." Kawasaki wrapped a bandage around her head, covering up the wound. She shuffled her hair around so it would cover up most of the bandage. They both stood back up and the maid once again began leading them out of the Palace.
They walked outside and their car was waiting for them right outside of the building. Secretary Kure spoke to the driver, "The Vice Admiral had a little accident inside. Take us to the nearest hospital." The driver looked incredibly worried and confused but finally knew better than to speak up. The three women climbed into the back of the car and began driving off to the hospital.
A rather long line had formed in front of a particular stand just outside of the capitol park. A woman was walking towards the front of the stand. She was a Spined Micrathena spider, her upper torso had soft white skin and long golden hair that flowed over her crimson floral yukata and was shaded by her matching parasol. As she reached the front of the line the woman who was up next spoke up. "Hey excuse me, the back of the line is-" The woman turned around closed her eyes, and smiled. "-I... uh... I'm so sorry Secretary Kure. Please, go ahead." The secretary nodded and turned around.
"Just one order of Takoyaki." The stand owner nodded and began quickly cooking Kure's order of fried octopus balls. Once it was finished Kure took the order and paid with a ¥100 coin, well over double the price of her order. She walked off before the owner could thank her. Her day was going to be a long and busy one. She made quickly for the underground parking structure beneath one of the capitol buildings. There a car was waiting for her.
The driver bowed, "Good morning Kure-kama. Ready to start the day?"
Riko Kure climbed into the back of the car, "Take me to Rear Admiral Kawasaki's home." She spoke curtly before finally popping a single fried ball into her mouth. The car started and began driving out of the park.
"Is that takoyaki from the stand just outside the capitol? I've heard it's incredibly good. Do you recommend it, Kure-kama?" He asked, trying to make friendly conversation.
Kure finished what was in her mouth already and answered, "I am not one who enjoys conversation with men who are inferior to me." She said rather calmly and quietly. The driver, dejected, shut his mouth and kept driving.
Once they arrived at the admiral's house the secretary quickly hopped out of the car and knocked on the door. The admiral answered the door bleary-eyed and disheveled. "S-secretary Kure, what are you doing at my home?"
"You and Admiral Kaneko have been summoned to have a meeting with the Empress. Go and get dressed." She glared at the admiral, unamused with her current state of undress. It took 15 minutes for the admiral to re-emerge from her home. Secretary Kure sighed in relief that Kawasaki took note of her level of dress and wore her own formal yukata.
"Driver, take us to Admiral Kaneko's home." The admiral ordered once she got into the car. "I apologize for my state when I answered the door. It was my understanding that I was on leave. My husband and I... usually celebrate late into the night. We were drinking quite a lot."
"When the Empress calls, Admiral, we answer. Regardless of our status." Kure answered softly.
Kawasaki nodded, "Of course, you're right Secretary. I am honored to answer the Empress's call."
The two of them exited the car as soon as they arrived at the next house. Vice Admiral Kaneko was quick to answer the door. "Rear Admiral Kawasaki, Secretary Kure. I haven't seen you two since Elenria. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Kaneko-kan," Kawasaki spoke up, "The Empress has called upon us for a meeting."
"I see. I haven't seen her since my promotion to Vice Admiral. Very well, let's get going." Kaneko began walking out of her door before Kure put out her hand and stopped her.
"Surely you don't intend to meet the Empress, in just a shirt. Do you, Admiral Kaneko?" Kure asked in a very pointed tone.
The Admiral finally took a note from what the other two were wearing, "Of course not. I will go get dressed. Please give me a moment." She retreated into her home before rejoining the others.
Now all three adorned in finely crafted yukata entered the car. "Driver," Kure began to order, "take us to the Empress's palace." The words hung in the car like a weighted blanket. No one here, aside from the secretary, had ever been invited to the Empress's palace. It's one of the most venerated, and secure places in all of Kumosenkan. "Have either of you ever had a private meeting with the Empress before?" Both of the Admirals shook their heads. Kure nodded already knowing that would be their answer. "Some advice then. Mind your manners, and your posture. Only speak when spoken to. Do not make her wait for anything. Do not question anything she says. If she offers something, take it. Say please, and thank you. When you bow, bow deeply, and despite convention, she prefers to be called by her first name."
Both of the Admirals nodded, listening along intently. Once she was finished both of their postures had unconsciously improved to near perfection. "Thank you Kure-kama." They both said bowing slightly. The palace was only an hour's drive from the center of the capital city. Once they arrived at the palace gates the Admirals were in awe. The walls were massive and adorned in gold.
The gate guard approached the vehicle and the driver rolled down the window. "Hi... um... we're here for-" He was cut off by Secretary Kure rolling down her window and speaking over him. "Secretary of the Navy, Riko Kure and Admirals Kawasaki and Kaneko for Empress Shiraori Tetsu Kumo." She held her ID out of the window. The guard took a single look at the ID and nodded. She waved to her fellow guards and they began opening the main gate allowing the driver to continue onward. Behind the walls was a massive complex of ornate structures where all of the Empress's servants lived. In the center was a massive palace with gorgeous red walls accented by black pillars and gold. Dozens of Kumo lined the street that led to the palace. Their legs were adorned in sharp metal armor. In their arms, they carried massive yaris. Of course, there were also proper imperial guards, equipped with the latest in Kumosenkan military technology watching the car's every movement.
The car parked in front of the palace and the three women piled out. A guard walked up to the driver's side window, "I'll show you where to park. Follow me."
A woman dressed in a highly ornate maid's uniform approached the three women and bowed deeply. "It is my absolute honor to welcome the three of you to the Empress's Palace. Please follow me, she is waiting for you." The women all bowed slightly in return, but the word 'waiting' made both of the admirals momentarily anxious. Though they looked to Kure and modeled their behavior off her calm demeanor. The maid led all of them through several corridors until finally arriving before a large door. Another maid was already standing before the door and bowed slightly when they arrived. Both of them opened the double doors revealing a massive dining room.
Within, were two women already seated at the table both of whom were crown spiders. The closer of the two was Princess Reitō Doku Kumo, her skin was lightly tanned and her hair was tied up very tightly into two buns on either side of her head. She was dressed in a bright red flat colored yukata. Slightly behind her, was Empress Shiraori Tetsu Kumo. The spines on her body were much shorter than her daughter's and were pure white. Her skin was porcelain white, it felt as if one pressed a flashlight against her, her skin would be transparent. Her hair was even whiter than her skin and cascaded down her shoulders and past her body. Both of them had piercing red eyes.
Princess Reito quickly bolted to her feet and faced the door. The Empress stood calmly and walked slowly over to the door. She grasped the hand of the maid that had led the three women here and kissed it softly. "Thank you for bringing them here Nishimura-kas. Please ensure we have some privacy." The maid wordlessly nodded and left, closing the door behind the five women.
Both the Admirals and Secretary bowed as deeply as they could. "Good Afternoon, Empress Shiraori. We are blessed to be within your presence." Kure spoke for all of them.
The Empress smiled and bowed very slightly. "Good afternoon, Secretary Kure. Vice Admiral Kaneko, Rear Admiral Kawasaki. This is my daughter, Princess Reitō Doku Kumo. She will be sitting in on our meeting."
Princess Reitō bowed nervously. "It- it's an honor to speak with the three of you. I hope to learn a lot today."
"Let's all take a seat so we may get started." The Empress turned back and returned to her seat. Everyone quickly followed suit, the princess returning to her seat next to her mom. The other three sitting opposite the Empress. "Would you all like some tea?"
All three of the women nodded, "We would love some, your highness." The Empress rang a little bell on the table and a maid soon after walked into the room through a different door holding a silver platter. She placed the platter on the table and placed teacups in front of everyone present. She poured steaming tea into everyone's cup and left the teapot on the table before exiting the room. Everyone happily took a sip of tea, it was the finest, most expensive tea either of the admirals had ever tasted.
"Kure-kas," the Empress started, "would you get this meeting started?"
"With pleasure Shiraori-kama." Kure answered, "As you are aware the three of us traveled to the Elenrian Prefecture as we were informed by the Elenrian arsenal they had thought up a very interesting modification to the current Type 97 torpedo. They had developed a guidance system by connecting the back of the torpedo to the boat that fired it with Kumo silk." She began pulling files out of a manila folder and passing them out to everyone. "As you can see here it uses an intricate system of web strands connected to a set of levers on the boat. We have forcibly increased the level of cavitation of the torpedoes used so that whoever is spotting the torpedo can more accurately instruct whoever is in control of the guiding levers."
"This is fascinating." The princess spoke under her breath, flipping through the various diagrams and reports.
The Empress firmly grasped her shoulder, "Now now, Reitō remember not to speak out of turn. But you are correct. This is fascinating. The torpedo is one of the most devastating weapons of the sea. However, its slow travel times and wake tend to make them easy to dodge by a wise crew. A guided torpedo would be almost impossible to dodge. Though I'm not sure increasing the torpedo's cavitation is the wisest solution for the spotter. This would also make it easier for our enemies to spot the weapon and maybe even deduce that we've created a guided torpedo. I think instead we should increase torpedo training for our crews so they can acquire a better feel for the torpedo's speed, trajectory, as well as the new guiding tools. What do you think, Rear Admiral?"
"That is an interesting point that we hadn't considered Shiraori-kama. I agree that increasing cavitation can be a problem, especially for our submarines. It'll give our enemies a better idea of where our submarines are hiding during attacks." The Rear Admiral did her best to answer insightfully.
The Empress smiled, "I guess the only question that remains for me is whether to allocate this technology to destroyer command, or submarine command. That's why the both of you are here correct? Vice Admiral, make your case."
Kaneko panicked for a moment as she had not realized she would be debating in front of the Empress. She quickly finished off the rest of her tea to wet her throat. "Shiraori-kama," She searched for the right words in her head, "The surface fleet has always been the pride of Kumosenkan. Our naval forces proudly display themselves and strike fear into the heart of the enemy. If we equip these weapons onto our destroyers they will become one of the most feared weapon systems on the sea. When a destroyer fleet shows up anywhere in the world our enemies will flee in fear, knowing our torpedo hits are guaranteed. As a final point, we have many more destroyers than submarines, the new guided torpedoes will be deployed much further across the world and be able to do much more damage if we prioritize our destroyer fleets."
The Empress nodded, "That's a fair argument, what do you think, Rear Admiral Kawasaki?"
Kawasaki was thankful that she went second, it gave her a moment to mentally prepare herself. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak, Shiraori-kama. As Admiral Kaneko pointed out there are many more destroyers than submarines in our fleet. As such it will take significantly less time to retrofit our submersible fleet for the new weapon system. Our submarines utilize torpedo weapons as they are to their fullest effect. It is the primary weapon of the submarine. Installing it into our subs will much further increase their capabilities than it would for a destroyer. Most importantly, it would allow for a sub to be able to continue to engage the enemy effectively even after the enemy has become aware of the presence of submarines and begun evasive maneuvers. To the final point, as our submarines make more and more kills they will become as feared as Kaneko-kama believes the destroyers would become. With the important exception that our enemies will have to constantly be in fear of our submarines as they could be anywhere in the world at anytime."
"You make a pretty good argument as well, Rear Admiral." The Empress stated introspectively, "What do you think, Reitō?" She asked turning to her daughter.
The princess tensed in her seat. Her hands were firmly planted in her lap and were fidgeting with her forelegs. "I... um. I think both Admirals make some really good points. However, I think that since our submarine force is more dependent on the torpedo, I think they would get more value from having the new weapons first." She tried to sound confident, but her voice shook throughout.
The Vice Admiral's eye twitched in annoyance. "I apologize your highness, but I do not think the princess is qualified enough to weigh in on this matter." The words made the princess wince.
Everyone glared at the Vice-Admiral, who had hastily covered her mouth with her hand. Empress Shiraori closed her eyes and took a long sip from her tea until it was finished. She quickly opened her eyes and whipped the empty cup at the Vice-Admiral. It shattered on impact with her forehead. She flinched down and covered her face with her hands. Blood dripped down her face and onto her yukata. Shiraori climbed onto the table and walked over to Kaneko. She bent down and grasped her collar. She pulled her up so that all eight of their eyes met. "Are you doubting your Empress?" She hissed as her grasp tightened. "Have you no faith in my choices, Admiral?"
With tears in her eyes, she began to beg, "I have faith in you, your highness! I am so sorry. Please forgive my outburst it will never happen again."
Shiraori grinned, and slowly pulled a ceramic fragment out of the Admiral's face. She took a napkin off the table and placed it on the now open wound. "Hold that there, until the end of our meeting." She let go of the admiral and slowly returned to her seat. The princess was frozen in fear, her eyes locked on her mother. "As I was about to say. I agree with my wise, and insightful daughter. I think the best option is to roll this new technology out to our submarines first and foremost. Especially since there are fewer of them, it will take less time to complete and move on to our destroyers. Thank you, Princess Reitō, for your input." She smiled and softly patted her daughter on the head. "Is that all we had to discuss today, Secretary Kure?"
The events even made the Secretary stutter, "Y- yes your highness." She had heard stories of the Empress's ire but had never seen it firsthand. "Thank you for your insight, and your time." She bowed, hoping she was able to hide her fear.
"Wonderful," She answered warmly, "I would normally invite you to stay for a meal, but I'm afraid I promised my daughter I would spend the rest of the day with her. Have a pleasant day, and thank you all for your hard work." She stood and bowed deeply. "I will invite you all back sometime soon to have a meal together. I would love to have a more casual conversation with you all." She rang another bell, and the maid from much earlier re-entered the room. "Nishimura-kas, would you please lead our three guests safely to their car."
The maid bowed, "I live to serve you, Empress Shiraori." She didn't even blink when she saw blood leaking from the admiral's face.
Both Kure, and Kawasaki had to help guide her along as the blood had started to seep into her eye. They all three turned and bowed to the Empress. "Thank you, for your time Empress Shiraori. We would all be honored to dine with you in the future. We are blessed by your kindness." The Secretary spoke for all three of them before following the maid's lead. Once they were outside of the dining room Kure began whisper swearing at the Vice-Admiral. "What in the FUCK were you thinking Kaneko-kas?! Have you completely lost your mind?! How did you get promoted to Vice Admiral if you're this dumb?!? Why would you ever speak up to the Empress like that?! She is the wisest and most intelligent woman on the fucking planet! Never, ever doubt her, or her family ever again. Especially if you want to keep your job. I am shocked that she didn't demote you on the spot."
The Admiral began weeping, her tears mixing with her blood as the grip on her napkin weakened. "I am so sorry, Kure-kama. I don't know what came over me." She said between gasps of air as she cried. "I just wanted to take care of my destroyers."
"Nishimura, could you hold on a second?" Rear Admiral Kawasaki spoke up. "Can you grab us some bandages or something to hold her over until we can get her to a hospital?"
The maid looked back at the Admiral and bowed, "I would be happy to serve you, Kawasaki-kama." She walked off in a different direction, leaving the three in a nearly empty hallway.
"Listen, Kaneko," Kawasaki spoke softly and sat both herself and her fellow Admiral down. "I get it. You messed up. You somehow managed to piss off the Empress, but she is a kind and loving woman. I am sure that she has already forgiven you in her heart. She knows that you are a good and hard-working woman who would do anything for her subordinates. You proved that, albeit foolishly, by speaking up back there. You are a good woman. I will speak on your behalf if it comes to that, okay? You're going to be fine." The maid returned, with a small first aid kit in her hands. She handed it off to the Rear Admiral who quickly opened it.
"Th-thank you, Kawasaki. You're - Ahh!" Kaneko winced as Kawasaki pressed a cotton ball drenched in disinfectant onto her wound, "You're an amazing leader. And you're right. The Empress is a kind woman. I'm sure everything will be fine." Kawasaki wrapped a bandage around her head, covering up the wound. She shuffled her hair around so it would cover up most of the bandage. They both stood back up and the maid once again began leading them out of the Palace.
They walked outside and their car was waiting for them right outside of the building. Secretary Kure spoke to the driver, "The Vice Admiral had a little accident inside. Take us to the nearest hospital." The driver looked incredibly worried and confused but finally knew better than to speak up. The three women climbed into the back of the car and began driving off to the hospital.