1905
#1 of Random Works
Yeah... original title, I know...
I wrote this story kinda as a side project to my Red Storm series after it popped into my head one day so I decided to write it. It's inspired by the events at Tsushima in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War. Hope y'all enjoy!!
Off the coast of Japan, 1905
Admiral Migi stood on the deck of the battleship Hachikiro, the old serval's eyes scanning the horizon. He waited, surrounded by his officers, who looked with worried faces. But Migi stood watching with a face of steel as the smoke plumes from the Russian warships appeared in the distance. The Hachikiro moved closer, flanked by three other massive, smoke-bellowing warships, the Kagama, the Jiro, and the Mutada. Migi watched as the Russian vessels showed the yellow band on their steamstacks, just before the first ship fired its first volleys at the Imperial Japanese Naval vessels, the two main, double-barreled guns ripping through the quiet morning air. The shots missed the Hachikiro by a little more than five feet, Lieutenant Kagoyoshi calculated before many other explosions hit near them, causing the four Japanese battleships to set their course at the Russian fleet. Once in front, the order was given to fire all main batteries, followed by the thunder of almost 30 guns firing at once. Migi turned and looked at one Russian ship, which was now burning at the bow. The other Russian ships continued their barrage, even as their lead ship started listing away. Migi looked at Kagoyoshi and nodded, prompting the young fox to raise his hand as a thrid volley of 305mm shells were fired. Suddenly, a massive explosion was heard, catching the attention of every crewman on every ship. One Russian warship, marked "Vrmachitov," was sticking out of the water, bow first and sinking. Kagoyoshi looked on with a look of astonishment as the massive ship sunk at the angle it was at. He looked at the admiral, seeing a cold look on the old serval's face before he spoke. "We finish this. Right here, right now." He said. Right as he spoke, the guns on all the Japanese battleships opened up, tearing the Russian fleet apart.
An hour had passed, and Admiral Migi was ready to accept the surrender of the Tsar's navy. He sent Kagoyoshi to retrieve the message for him. As he boarded the small landing craft, the lieutenant looked over their enemy's burning and shattered fleet, thousands of different thoughts ran about his head. The craft shook free of its restraints, and the engine started up. Nearly ten minutes later, he arrived at one of the last surviving ships of the Russian fleet, walking aboard. He walked below the deck, suddenly stunned at the sight at the back of the room. Ignoring Russian insults and threats, he walked over to the back wall, his eyes not leaving it. The bodies of fallen Russian soldiers, the ones able to be recovered, were laying in the back of the room. He stepped in front of the bodies and took of his officer's cover, and fell to his knees in prayer. The battle had finished.