Nihonkoku Shoukan: Beyond

Chapter 51: The Capitulation

With the temporary alliance between Fleet Admiral Hanako Yotsuba and Vice Admiral Armos, the ships of the Imperial Fennese Navy are now acting as a security force for the Port of Beropen and the supply convoys traveling back and forth from Esthirant. Utilizing their powerful over-the-horizon radar, data-link capabilities among the combatants, and the uplink with Japan's numerous surveillance satellites, the IFN ships can afford to spread out and patrol a large region of the sea while still being able to come and support their comrades.

This is a capability unique to Japan and her allies that none aside from one country in Elysia has been able to achieve. For the Superpowers, their magic radar and mana detection systems still have the horizon or technical capabilities limiting their range. In the case of the Parpaldian Empire, one of the least technologically capable Superpower, their navy's magic radar and mana detector both have to be mounted at the top of their main mast for maximum performance and overall consumes more magic gems compared to their more advanced Milishial counterparts.

With the largest ship in the Northern Fleet service, the first-rate magic ship-of-the-line Pall has a mast height reaching about 90-ish meters from the water line, they can theoretically look out 39 km away to the horizon without the ability to use refraction to their advantage. This is extremely short when compared to the strong search radars equipped on the Shinonome-class and Mogami Kai-class, not to mention that the ships can link their finding together in a network with satellites.

From this, allied navies and airforces can delegate their units or group them together in a vast zone of engatement to engage targets. They no longer have to wait for the units to detect their targets seperately. Thus, they can also link together their targeting to avoid overlapping fire, saving the ammunitions and use them more efficiently, lengthen the intervals between supply for units in the field. This is an advantage of Network Centric Warfare, a concept pioneered by the Americans in the last decade of the 20th century.

So for now, the Northern Seaboard of the Empire can be considered guarded. All movement on the surface of the region of the ocean from the Southern Coast of Riem, out to 400 km away to the Sea of Japan, to almost the northernmost tip of Awan Kingdom on the ocean is being monitored closely by the 4 vessels of the Imperial Fennese Navy. The trip from Awan straight to Esthirant is also being patrolled regularly by the Parpaldian home fleet, so the supply convoy to Beropen from the sea is as good as being untouchable by the Riemian Navy.

On land, however, the situation is not as good as on the sea. Due to the vastness of the Northern Border Regions, the Parpaldian Grand Armee cannot guarantee the safety of the supply convoy without drawing more of their reserves of troops from other duties. Since the rebels have fallen back to guerilla tactics, there has been an increase in ambushes for the overland supply route. Anticipating this development, Supreme Commander Arde has ordered the wyverns to begin escorting the soldiers and more securities to be attached to the convoys. In conjunction with Arde's orders, the Emperor also ordered the cities along the supply routes to raise arm and become the safe rest points for the convoys.

These changes in tactics betray the rebel leaders' expectation that they could halt the supply line to Beropen. Now with the 6th Legions relieved from duty, they have also moved to Beropen to join in the defense of the fortress. It is more infuriating for the invaders as the defenders have broken the levees and dams that manage the water of the Beropen River, effectively creating a large moat that would require extensive bridges to be built to cross.

IFS Tachibana, Parpaldian Northern Seaboard, 21 March 1640 CCY

It has been a few days since the joint operation with the Parpaldian loyalists began. The destroyer Tachibana of the Imperial Fennese Navy is now sailing alone on a patrol route to the North. With the Government of Fenn having officially answered the call for help from the Empire via communication from the Parpaldians and their embassies in Tokyo, this mission is now officially sanctioned by the Sword King Shihan himself. It also helps that the Sword King intends to show off the new martial capabilities of his country as part of his political maneuver to keep Fenn's independence for times to come.