#shōkaku

[historicrad39a]

3. Frontier Rescue Rangers

Previous

Unnamed system - 135ly from Earth

Frontier Rescue Rangers Carrier Zuikaku after action report: July 13th 2538

It had been a month since the Human-Tathrax alliance had been attacked by an unknown alien civilization (henceforth known as the “Theta Aliens”). Whilst there was an initial panic about possible follow up attacks, it wasn’t until yesterday that we had any further contact. A small exploration vessel surveying systems just outside of Alliance space had been ambushed and captured by the Theta Aliens. Due to the proximity to frontier space, and the fact that this was a rescue mission, the Frontier Rescue Rangers were dispatched.

Two months ago, had you told me I would make history by being the first half-human half-Tathrax to command of one of the admiralty’s newest and largest carriers, with two brand new Kongō-class Fast Battleships (specifically modified for Frontier Defense fleet use) in tow as the head of a squadron with more firepower than the entire Frontier Defense Fleet up until that point - especially for a rescue mission of all things - I would have called you crazy. In fact, once the FDS Frontier’s captain, Zack, told me he was planning to request the admiralty’s newest toys, I called him an idiot. He had asked me if, assuming he succeeded, I would want to command one of the new ships - and if so, which type. I told him, somewhat jokingly, that I wanted to be in command of a massive voidcraft carrier. Come two weeks later and the Shōkaku-class carrier Zuikaku has been delivered to us direct from Akatsuki Shipyards, with myself named as her captain.

Unlike most people in the Frontier Defense fleet, I was here willingly. My parents were explorers, and when I was a young girl I frequently accompanied them on their journeys. On one such journey, we were in the AR Scorpii system preparing to return home when one of the relativistic beams from the system’s White Dwarf just barely skimmed by our ship. The hyperdrive went haywire and within a matter of seconds we ended up at the outer edge of the MilkyWay - having just travelled some 26,300ly in under 20 seconds. Hyperspace has a maximum speed limit of ~1 light year per second, most ships can only manage a light year per ten seconds at most. Yet somehow we managed to move at some 1,000 light years per second.

We were stranded for around a week in a near functionless ship slowly starving to death before we heard the distinct roar of a large vessel approaching in hyperspace. The Rescue Rangers had successfully requisitioned the Casablanca-class carrier ship Gambier Bay and made the week-long trip out here non-stop. Needless to say I was greatly inspired by their bravery and decided I would become a Rescue Ranger when I grew up.

By the time I was of eligible age to join the Rescue Rangers, things had rapidly deteriorated. When I was a child, the hyperdrive was just barely 50 years old. But by the time I had joined it was nearing 70 years old. Consequently, random failures, mis-jumps, and fuel exhaustion due to unpredictable fuel usage were all but things of the past. The Rescue Rangers weren’t nearly as crucial anymore, and as a result in my 2nd year the Rescue Rangers were disbanded as an independent branch and the remnants were folded into the Frontier Defense Fleet. Along with our independence, almost all of our ships were taken - including the carrier Gambier Bay I so desperately wanted to serve on.

Eight years later and the Frontier Rescue Rangers did little more than refuel stranded ships that had misjudged their remaining fuel. That is, until a month ago, when the Frontier Rescue Rangers were suddenly given 30 modified Fletcher class destroyers along with the promises of several capital ships and a massive budget increase. In addition to our normal duties, we were to combat the alien threat and rescue any individuals captured by them.

My first mission in command of the FDCV Zuikaku was to lead a task force of 18 vessels to rescue some captured explorers. As it would turn out, this was overkill. In addition to the Zuikaku we had the FDBB Hiei and Haruna - two modified Kongō-class battle cruisers which had been re-designated as Fast Battleships - and fifteen Ted Fujita-class Destroyers (modified Fletcher-class). While the main armament on the Kongōs and the torpedo launchers on the Ted Fujitas were of Alliance design, the 23cm double-barreled turrets were created using borrowed technology from the Theta Aliens.

The aliens, on the other hand, had a mere five cruisers guarding the transport vessel holding the captured explorers. The 40cm guns on the Hiei and Haruna and the Samuel B. Robert’s four 720mm torpedos practically atomized the cruisers. The Hiei’s 76cm “crew incapacitation” rounds also proved to be complete overkill. Of the three rounds fired at the transport, one hit the engines, one atomized the fuel tanker behind the transport, and the third round penetrated into the reactor room before detonating. We had included extra oxidizer in the bursting charge in case the ship’s atmosphere limited the spread of fires.

This turned out not to be the case, as the third shell set almost the entire ship’s insides on fire - killing 60% of the crew instantly. Frankly, we got lucky. Via neural implants on one of the explorers we knew they were locked inside a holding cell of sorts, but it’s very likely that had the “crew incapacitation” round been any more powerful there may have been no explorers left to rescue. Needless to say I’m prohibiting the use of these rounds until they can be fixed.

The boarding action was also very successful - there was not a single Alliance casualty during the firefight. One of the commandos transferred from the Anti-piracy force was quite amused at the 600 year old M2 Browning machine guns the Frontier Defense Force had been issued, and apparently thought it would be hilarious to bring it as his primary weapon. As it turns out, despite being 600 years old at this point, the M2 Browning was extremely effective - so much so that we have received no fewer than twenty requests to make the M2 Browning part of the standard loadout.

In terms of our primary objective, we were a bit too successful. Our orders were “to rescue as many of the five captured individuals as possible from the Theta Aliens.” When all was said and done, we had achieved a 1700% success rate - having rescued 85 of the 5 individuals captured. In addition to this, we had made first contact with three additional alien species aside from those comprising the Alliance. As it had turned out, the explorers we were sent to rescue had made friends - and upon being rescued, they demanded that we take on all 80 of the other individuals onboard the vessel. Leave it to the humans to make friends wherever they go…

Naturally, I was opposed to this request - we had nowhere near the resources necessary to care for 80 additional people, let alone 80 individuals from a variety of species we knew nothing about. It wasn’t until the explorers’ captain, Hanako, threatened to refuse rescue that I finally relented. Such is the stubbornness of humans. This is the same species that, upon seeing my Mother’s (recent) ancestors in person for the first time - a species known for being an apex predator - said “Awww, they look like kitties!” Before attempting to pet their heads, followed by sulking when my mother’s ancestors refused to allow it. I suppose it’s the human blood that flows through my veins that makes it hard to be too mad at them.

In any case, one individual was of particular interest to us due to Hanako’s claims that she had communicated with them. Naturally, we were skeptical. We had barely made any progress on decoding the Theta Aliens’ language after a month, it seemed impossible that a human could communicate with a completely different alien species after less than a day. Imagine our surprise when the alien spoke (admittedly limited, and broken) English.

I quickly discovered the secret behind their supernatural ability to learn languages, it was quite literally “supernatural” in nature. They are capable of communicating telepathically, and on rare occasions they can communicate with individuals from different species. This ability is extremely limited however, as there are many complications associated with communicating with an individual who does not share a language, and most individuals are not compatible. We had the individual attempt to communicate with everyone on the Zuikaku, and of the Human and Tathrax crew, only Hanako could hear them.

Despite this limitation, this individual would likely be very useful. According to Hanako, the individual served as a diplomat for some time, and knew many languages as a result. In addition to this, they knew a lot about the Theta Aliens (who they referred to as something like K’Lagreth). This would no doubt be extremely useful, both for information gathering, and for deciphering the Theta Aliens’ language. Given how none of the 1,500 some crew on the Zuikaku were compatible with the individual’s ability, it’s nothing short of a miracle that any of the five captured explorers were compatible.

Before returning to the Frontier to refuel and rearm, we decided to ask the individual for their name, as referring to them as “the/that alien,” or “the/that individual” was quite tiresome. Unfortunately, neither human nor tathrax vocal chords could actually pronounce their name, and I’m not certain that letters exist in any alliance language that could accurately transcribe it. In addition, their name was long, very long. Assuming that any of us could even pronounce it, most would struggle to remember. However, humans will do as humans will do, and upon hearing a part of their name that sounded vaguely like “Gregg,” the humans immediately took to calling them by that name. I suppose referring to them as “Gregg” is easier than referring to them in the 3rd person all the time…

After (slowly) providing basic accommodations for the numerous species onboard, we prepared to depart on the return journey to the Frontier. Due to the limited bandwidth for FTL communications, our transmission to the Frontier was extremely limited (speeds capped out at around 12 bits per second). This meant that most of the details regarding our new guests could not be included. I’m sure that Zack will be happy to hear that he’ll need to fill his precious space station with a wide variety of flammable gases, toxic gases, and strong oxidizers in order to provide for our unexpected rescuees.

Moving forward, the admiralty will need to make a decision on how to proceed from here. Clearly, the Alliance aren’t the only ones threatened by the Theta aliens. If Gregg’s reports are to be believed, the Theta Aliens have subjected no fewer than ten different civilizations, possibly more. They also noted that the exact location of the Theta Aliens’ homeworld is unknown to most, if not all outsiders. Originally our goal was to protect Alliance interests from the Alien threat, and negotiate a ceasefire as soon as possible. However, I now feel this is unlikely to work. The Mylr’s (Gregg’s species) were supposedly able to fend off the Theta Aliens for some time, but eventually, they too fell.

I feel a military campaign is necessary. There is much we could learn from these captured civilizations, and depriving the Theta Aliens of their resources, both living and non-living, would make it very unlikely that they could continue to attack us. In addition, it would ultimately be beneficial for us to free those countless individuals who are suffering at the hands of the Theta Aliens… Y’know, from a objective standpoint of course. Definitely nothing as ambiguous or illogical as feeling moral obligation to help them just because they’re in need. Nothing like that at all.

In any case, the sooner we can get the individuals we rescued back to their homeworlds, the better. While it’s true they were no longer in what could only be described as slavery, they hadn’t exactly returned to a normal life either. It would be best for them to return to their homeworlds. But as those homeworlds were supposedly under occupation, it would be hard to just bring them back and expect things to turn out fine.

I’ll chat with Zack about this once we return. I’m unwilling to just abandon the individuals we rescued today, and I’m sure Zack will feel the same (once he’s done complaining about having to fill the Frontier with a variety of dangerous gases). I don’t care how long or what it takes, but I swear on my ancestors that we will wage total war against the Theta Aliens - and we will free those unduly oppressed by them. Even if the admiralty refuses my plan, I will not allow the Theta Aliens to exploit any civilization any longer. The Theta Aliens’ empire’s collapse begins today.

Log end

Hey y’all. So as it turns out I’m physically incapable of sticking to schedules, so here’s this entry a day or so early. The next entry will probably be from Gregg’s perspective and may end up being a bit shorter (although I’ve thought this about literally every chapter so far) as it won’t be as focused on the larger plot. It will be a little more in the spirit of “humans are fucking weird” as it deals with Gregg adapting to the *ahem* oddities of living with humans.

Depending on how long it is, the next chapter/intermission may come out as early as next week. Like I said, apparently I’m incapable of sticking to a schedule. In the meantime, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. See y’all in anywhere from a few days to two weeks!

~Rad

[captain-price-unofficially]

Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku under dive bombing attacks by USS Yorktown aircraft during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Flames are visible from a bomb hit on her forecastle. 8 May 1942

[kanjis-yajan]

Kanji #47 昇

昇

Significado: elevar, levantar, alzar

Explicación: Es un kanji compuesto por el kanji 升 y el kanji 日

Nemotecnia: Puedes medir (升) el sol (日) mientras se eleva (昇)

ON: ショウ / SHŌ

Kun: のぼ- / nobo- のぼ＊る = 昇る = elevar, ascender, subir escalar. (planetas, lunas, personas que van al cielo). También personas que toman ascensor. A diferencia de la palabra relacionada 登る, 昇る implica que no hay ningún esfuerzo por parte de la persona o cosa ascendente. ★★★☆☆

Ranking de uso: ★☆☆☆☆

Jukugo:

昇格 - shōkaku - 昇 (elevar, levantar, alzar) + 格 (estado, rango, posición) = ascenso en el trabajo ★☆☆☆☆

[needer-of-xenodruggies]

Maybe but what are the odds that the weeds know about Ryūjō or Hōshō or Zuihō or the utter disaster that was what they did to Ise and Hyūga? Plus, I would wager that most Terrans wouldn't be able to tell you more than four of the eight capital ships in the Kidō Butai. In my experience, people know Akagi and Kaga (although they don't know why Akagi and Kaga were converted specifically, as they don't understand the implications of the Washington Naval Treaty and the damage of the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923) and they know Sōryū and Hiryū, but if you went out on the street, I would guess that most people, much less plants who just fought a war against the Accord, would be able to pick Shōkaku or Zuikaku out of a lineup, much less Hiei or Kirishima.

Considering the amount of military obsessed trans girls I've met I wonder how these inevitably domesticated sophonts would manage to explain to their owners that they need detailed WW2 battle reports for their latest overnet video breakdown of some obscure battle between the USS *insert state* and the DKM unbekannt

[schlachtschiff-captain-1916]

From left to right: Akagi, Kaga, Shōkaku, Zuikaku, USS Enterprise, and USS Hornet

Akagi was originally designed as an Amagi-class battlecruiser. However, due to the Washington Naval Treaty, the Imperial Japanese Navy had to convert the two ships into aircraft carriers. Amagi was critically damaged in the 1923 Tokyo Earthquake, and was scrapped. Akagi would go on to serve as the flagship for the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, before being sunk at the Battle of Midway in 1942.

Kaga was originally a Tosa-class battleship, who fate became ambiguous with the Washington Naval Treaty (her sister ship, Tosa, was completed as a target ship). With the scrapping of Amagi, it was decided to complete her as an aircraft carrier. She also sank at Midway.

Shōkaku and Zuikaku were built in the late 1930s, and took part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Santa Cruz, and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Shōkaku would sink due to damage inflicted by the submarine USS Cavella, while Zuikaku was sunk by carrier based bombers at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

USS Enterprise was a Yorktown-class carrier, that went on to become the most decorated American ship in World War II, serving in the entire Pacific Theater. The Japanese claimed sinking her on three occasions, leading to her being called ‘the Grey Ghost’. Though she was decommissioned in 1947, the name continues on in the form of the first nuclear-powered carrier, and a planned Gerald Ford-class carrier.

USS Hornet was also a Yorktown-class carrier, best known for carrying the B-25 bombers used in the Doolittle Raid. She sank during the Guadalcanal campaign.

Models are from ModelsInMiniature on Etsy:

[pictures-of-the-war]

Shōkaku

[ww2photoarchive]

Japanese pilots of A6M Zero fighters from the aircraft carrier Shōkaku

[usafphantom2]

Nakajima B5N lands on the deck of Shōkaku

[harvard-art-museums-prints]

Festival Boats Under Bridge, with poems by Hakyūan Shōkaku and Heisokusai Juraku, Katsushika Hokusai, Edo period,, Harvard Art Museums: Prints

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of the Friends of Arthur B. Duel Size: Paper: H. 18.1 cm x W. 17.0 cm (7 1/8 x 6 11/16 in.) Medium: Ukiyo-e woodblock-printed "surimono" in "shikishiban" format; Ink and color on paper

https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/207657

[nebris]

The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific (Japanese: 南太平洋海戦 Minamitaiheiyō kaisen), was the fourth aircraft carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was also the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the lengthy and strategically important Guadalcanal campaign. As in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and the Eastern Solomons, the ships of the two adversaries were rarely in sight or gun range of each other. Instead, almost all attacks by both sides were mounted by carrier- or land-based aircraft.

In an attempt to drive Allied forces from Guadalcanal and nearby islands and end the stalemate that had existed since September 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army planned a major ground offensive on Guadalcanal for 20–25 October 1942. In support of this offensive, and with the hope of engaging Allied naval forces, Japanese carriers and other large warships moved into a position near the southern Solomon Islands. From this location, the Japanese naval forces hoped to engage and decisively defeat any Allied (primarily U.S.) naval forces, especially carrier forces, that responded to the ground offensive. Allied naval forces also hoped to meet the Japanese naval forces in battle, with the same objectives of breaking the stalemate and decisively defeating their adversary.

The Japanese ground offensive on Guadalcanal was underway with the Battle for Henderson Field while the naval warships and aircraft from the two adversaries confronted each other on the morning of 26 October 1942, just north of the Santa Cruz Islands. After an exchange of carrier air attacks, Allied surface ships retreated from the battle area with the fleet carrier Hornet sunk, and another fleet carrier, Enterprise, heavily damaged. The participating Japanese carrier forces also retired because of high aircraft and aircrew losses, plus significant damage to the fleet carrier Shōkaku and the light carrier Zuihō.

Santa Cruz was a tactical victory and a short-term strategic victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk and damaged, and control of the seas around Guadalcanal. However, Japan's loss of many irreplaceable veteran aircrews proved to be a long-term strategic advantage for the Allies, whose aircrew losses in the battle were relatively low and quickly replaced. Japan hoped for and needed a bigger, more decisive victory. The fact that the naval battle was won just after the land battle was lost meant that the opportunity to exploit the strategical failure had already passed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Santa_Cruz_Islands

[scoobydoojedi]

Honda clan

The Honda clan is a Japanese family that claims descent from the medieval court noble Fujiwara no Kanemichi. The family settled in Mikawa and served the Matsudaira clan as retainers. Later, when the main Matsudaira family became the Tokugawa clan, the Honda rose in prestige. The clan includes thirteen branches who had daimyo status, and forty-five who had hatamoto status. Arguably the most famous member of the Honda clan was the 16th century samurai general Honda Tadakatsu. Two of the major branches of the clan claim descent from Tadakatsu, or his close relative Honda Masanobu.

*Prominent People*

*Honda Tadakatsu* (1548 –1610) Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four "Heavenly Kings" along with Ii Naomasa, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Sakai Tadatsugu. Ieyasu promoted him from daimyo of the Ōtaki han (100 000 koku) to the Kuwana han (150 000 koku) as a reward for his service. In addition, his son Honda Tadatomo became daimyo of Ōtaki. In 1609, he retired, and his other son Tadamasa took over Kuwana. His grandson, Tadatoki, married the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Senhime. Despite his years of loyal service, Tadakatsu became increasingly estranged from the Tokugawa shogunate(bakufu) as it evolved from a military to a civilian political institution. This was a fate shared by many other warriors of the time, who were not able to make the conversion from the chaotic lifetime of warfare of the Sengoku period to the more stable peace of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Such was Honda's reputation that he attracted notice from the most influential figures in Japan at the time. Oda Nobunaga, who was notoriously disinclined to praise his followers called him a "samurai among samurai". Moreover, Toyotomi Hideyoshi noted that the best samurai were "Honda Tadakatsu in the east and Tachibana Muneshige in the west". Even Takeda Shingen praised Honda, saying that "he is a luxury of Tokugawa Ieyasu". It was widely acknowledged that he was a reputed samurai and a loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Tadakatsu is often referred to as "The Warrior who surpassed Death itself" because he never once suffered a significant wound, despite being the veteran of over 100 battles by the end of his life,and because he was never defeated by another samurai. In theater and other contemporary works, Tadakatsu is often characterized as polar opposite of Ieyasu's other great general, Ii Naomasa. While both were fierce warriors of the Tokugawa, Tadakatsu's ability to elude injury is often contrasted with the common depiction of Naomasa enduring many battle wounds, but fighting through them.

*Honda Tadatomo* ( 1582 – 1615) Tadatomo was the younger son of the famous Honda Tadakatsu

During the year 1615, Tadatomo fought very valiantly during the Battle of Tennōji. He led an attack that led to the death of Sanada Yukimura. Tadatomo himself did not survive the battle.

*Honda Tadamasa* ( 1575 – 1631) Tadamasa was the son of Honda Tadakatsu. Tadamasa's first battle was during the Siege of Odawara, in 1590; he also fought at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. After his father's retirement in 1609, he succeeded to the Honda family headship, becoming the second generation lord of the Kuwana Domain. Several years later, he took part in the Siege of Osaka, and received the Himeji Domain, with 150,000 koku of revenues, as a reward.

Tadamasa's wife was Kumahime, the daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu's eldest sonMatsudaira Nobuyasu. Their eldest son,Honda Tadatoki (the husband of Tokugawa Hidetada's daughter Senhime), was in line to inherit the Himeji Domain. However, as Tadatoki died in 1626, at age 31, the domain went to his younger brother, Honda Masatomo.

*Honda Tadatoki* (1596–1626) Tadatoki was born as the eldest son of Honda Tadamasa. His mother Kumahime was a granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga.

In 1616, Tadatoki married Senhime, another granddaughter of Ieyasu, and who had been married to Toyotomi Hideyori before Hideyori's death the Siege of Osaka. As adowry of his new bride, Tadatoki received 100,000 koku.

Tadatoki also sponsored the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi for a time. Musashi taught swordsmanship to Tadatoki's retainers; Musashi's adopted son Mikinosuke served Tadatoki as a page.

Tadatoki died of tuberculosis in 1626. Miyamoto Mikinosuke committed junshi soon afterward, choosing to follow his lord in death

*Komatsuhime*(AKA Inahime) (1573 –1620) Born the daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, she was adopted by Tokugawa Ieyasu, before marrying Sanada Nobuyuki. Komatsuhime was known in her childhood as Inahime and also Onei. After witnessing the martial prowess of the Sanada at the Battle of Ueda, she and her father were captivated by them. Tokugawa Ieyasu himself arranged for Komatsuhime to marry Sanada Nobuyuki, the son of the Sanada lord.

In 1600, when Nobuyuki had decided to cast his lot with the Tokugawa, his father Masayuki (who had not done so) was en route to Ueda Castle, accompanied by his other son, the famed Sanada Yukimura. The two stopped at Numata Castle, where Komatsuhime was managing affairs. Masayuki relayed a message to her: "I want to see my grandchildren," and in response, the princess emerged, dressed in full battle attire, saying "Since we have parted ways in this conflict, though you are my father-in-law I cannot allow you into this castle."Masayuki and Yukimura withdrew to a temple, Shōkaku-ji, and were surprised when they saw Komatsuhime (with her children) arrive soon after them, honoring Masayuki's wish.

After the Battle of Sekigahara, during Masayuki and Yukimura's exile, she took charge of sending them food and other daily necessities.

Komatsuhime was praised as a good wife and wise mother . She died in Kōnosu, Musashi Province at age 47, while en route to the Kusatsu hot spring.Nobuyuki lamented her death, saying that "the light of my house has been extinguished."

[peachlover94]

Zyuraijin Conceptual Series Pitch

SOLAR KNIGHTS ZYURAIJIN: GOSPEL OF A REVOLUTION

(太陽騎士たち獣雷神: 革命の福音 Taiyō Kishi Tai Jūraijin: Kakumei No Fukuin)

Written by Robert D.C. Barnes III (aka. PeachLover94)

Inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion created for Studios Gainax, Khara and Kadokawa Shoten by Hideaki Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED 2006.cosmo@gmail.com

THIS SERIES PROPOSAL IS TO BECOME THE PROPERTY OF ROBERT BARNES III, TOEI COMPANY, OLM INC., BANDAI AND SUNRISE INC. ANY PUBLIC EXHIBITION, COPYING OR REDISTRIBUTION WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZED, WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE OWNING PARTIES IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY LAW. ALL OTHER RIGHTS RESERVED. EYES ONLY!

THE STORY OF ZYURAIJIN In the year 3000 - Friday the 13th of June, a giant crippled spacecraft the length of Manhattan Island (from Lower to Upper Manhattan) crash lands deep down under in the Simpson desert of Australia. Fearing what sort of threat the alien could pose to life on Earth, a massive military blockade is ordered around the crash site and a survey and salvage team from the United Nations Interplanetary Taskforce for Earth Defense (U.N.I.T.E.D.) goes to investigate the crashed ship. The 29-year-old leader of the expedition, Yoshiko Iwata, discovers a genderless alien who has lost all memories of their previous life from before the crash. Their name is Kōkō and they are a Draconite who has taken the forms of birds like eagles, condors, swans, swallows, owls, cranes and vultures. The salvage team uncovers a gold mine of information. Through managing to reverse engineer and translate the ship language, the team learns that Kōkō comes from the planet Draco Zeta in the Draconian Galaxy (M102) having been sent on a mission by the Crimson Hand Empire of Vyrus who rules the Draconites to destroy the inhabitants of Earth and claim it as a tribute planet for Emperor Vyrus XIII. But with Kōkō having lost their memory of their original mission and life before the mission in the crash, they could not transmit the message that they were ready for the Empire to bring in the rest of the grand Imperial Star Fleet to begin the invasion. Over the course of the next thirteen years, U.N.I.T.E.D. sets about salvaging the various systems and raw materials aboard Kōkō's starship to build Earth's first faster-than-light capable aircraft carrier battleship hybrid starship. Combined with being a colony ship for journeys to new worlds beyond our galaxy or even our own Universe, this new "exploration dreadnought" is christened the United Star Ship (U.S.S.) Paladin (CVABB-13). But the technology to create and power such a ship and other advances in human technology is in those years copied and the forged blueprints delivered to the shadowy and mysterious organization known as NACHT working with various criminal and terrorist organizations in direct conflict with U.N.I.T.E.D. To pour salt into the wound, the Supreme Commander of the NACHT Paramilitary is Commander Genichi Iwata - Yoshiko's estranged husband. To combat the usurpation of their research by NACHT, U.N.I.T.E.D. begins research and construction of seven giant humanoid fighting machines called Galaxy Knights to defend Earth. These giant robots are called the Galaxy Knights with each one differentiated by their color and name/unit number. When all seven combine into a more powerful battle robot, they form the Beast Thunder God which is more commonly known as Zyuraijin. The white Unit 01 forms the torso and head, the red Unit 02 forms the right arm and hand, the green Unit 03 forms the right leg and foot, the blue Unit 04 forms the left leg and foot, the yellow Unit 05 forms the left arm and hand, the pink Unit 06 forms the jetpack and twin shoulder cannons, and the black Unit 07 forms the wings, elbow and knee armor. Zyuraijin would be more than capable of going up against the forces of Vyrus' eldritch Spectre monsters or even NACHT's own paramilitary forces - and it's a good thing because the Empire is on the move for the Solar System. To pilot the Galaxy Knights, seven children chosen from their seventh year of life are summoned to train and practice for their inevitable duty assignment when they turn 13 years of age. There is Yoshiko and Genichi's lonely and anxious son Saburo, the gung-ho but dependable Ayume Lexington Shōkaku, the troubled but strong Takeru Shimamoto, the mysterious and withdrawn Rika Akamine, the intelligent and sociable Kentaro Araki, the beautiful but insecure Miyoki Ingraham Murayama, and the philosophical but fatherly Koichi Noguchi. Together serving aboard the Paladin as teammates, they may find fighting the forces of Vyrus' Empire and NACHT to be just as difficult as but later on less so than confronting their own inner demons and

psychological issues growing up. Find out when they fight as the Solar Knights Zyuraijin! MEET THE TEAM ♂ Saburo Iwata - Pilot of Unit 01, the White Galaxy Knight ♀ Ayume Lexington Shōkaku - Pilot of Unit 02, the Red Galaxy Knight ♂ Takeru Shimamoto - Pilot of Unit 03, the Green Galaxy Knight ♀ Rika Akamine - Pilot of Unit 04, the Blue Galaxy Knight ♂ Kentaro Araki - Pilot of Unit 05, the Yellow Galaxy Knight ♀ Miyoki Ingraham Murayama - Pilot of Unit 06, the Pink Galaxy Knight ♂ Koichi Noguchi - Pilot of Unit 07, the Black Galaxy Knight 1) SABURO IWATA (岩田 三郎) ♂ - Age: 14. Height: 5'4". Hair: Brown. Eyes: Blue. Pilot of the White Galaxy Knight – Unit 01 which forms both the Torso and Head of Zyuraijin. Saburo shows emotional pain and a great fear of being hated or left behind, likely due to his perception of being abandoned in his youth and, subsequently, blaming himself for not being good enough to make his father Genichi stick around. In general, Saburo is shown to be introverted and disconnected from physical reality due to having little to no meaningful contact with others aside from his often guardian Mai Koyanagi. Though he denies it, he yearns for praise, and he eventually begins to pilot Unit 01 to gain the approval and praise of others, having reconnected with his mother and hoping to save his father – in the process coming to terms with his own masculinity and femininity. Over the series, he inherits leadership from Koichi. In the “Seven Knights” band, he plays lead guitar and shares the three lead vocals. 2) AYUME LEXINGTON SHŌKAKU (翔鶴 あゆめ レキシントン) ♀ - Age: 14. Height: 5'1.5". Hair: Ginger. Eyes: Blue. Pilot of the Red Galaxy Knight – 02 which forms the Right Arm and Hand of Zyuraijin. Aggressive in battle but calming in social life, Ayume and Saburo often must take their turns reining each other in before the other does something they may never be able to live with themselves over. Despite being Saburo’s number two in the chain of command for the default Zyuraijin configuration and believed to harbor resentment for not being in what some believe is the coveted position of leadership that would fit Miyoki more, Ayume is one of Saburo's most ardent supporters and they share a very close-knit brother-sister relationship. Ayume's gung-ho attitude is due to wanting to be like the heroes in fairy tales. In their school band the “Seven Knights”, Ayume will often perform lead vocals alongside Saburo and Koichi while playing the trumpet during their songs’ instrumentals and the bridges. 3) TAKERU SHIMAMOTO (島本 たける) ♂ - Age: 14. Height: 5'6". Hair: Black. Eyes: Brown. Pilot of the Green Galaxy Knight – Unit 03 which forms the Right Leg and Foot of Zyuraijin. One of the school jocks alongside Montaro, Takeru is a tough boy, the stereotypical "jock" of the Solar Knights, as evidenced by the fact that he is the only student in Saburo's class that refuses to wear the school uniform in favor of his tracksuit. When his sister Sorano Shimamoto is hurt during the first attack by the Vyrus Empire on Earth and NACHT’s destructive scuffle with Vyrus, Takeru is eventually selected to be the pilot for Unit 03 and agrees on the condition that his sister be moved to U.N.I.T.E.D.'s medical facilities both on Earth or aboard the Paladin. His interactions with Saburo are rocky at first, but only because he is pressured with the belief that he must be strong for his sister who is the only family he has left. In the “Seven Knights”, Takeru will play the drums while performing background vocals. 4) RIKA AKAMINE (あまね りか) ♀ - Age: 14. Height: 4'8". Hair: Cerulean. Eyes: Auburn. Pilot of the Blue Galaxy Knight – Unit 04 which forms the Left Leg and Foot of Zyuraijin. Rescued as a little girl from the NACHT laboratories for implementing the NACHT Revelation Initiative through genetically engineered humans by U.N.I.T.E.D. forces, Yoshiko Iwata tried to give the young Rika a chance at a normal life with the Akamine family. After they died, Rika was one of the first to join the Galaxy Knight Program under both Yoshiko

and Captain Mai Koyanagi's joint command. At the start of the series, Rika is socially withdrawn, seemingly emotionless, and rarely interacts with anyone but is glad to have at least one friend in Saburo who along with Koichi and Ayume help her move past her dark origins. Over the course of the series, she and Saburo hope to unlock the secrets of NACHT to defeat it. In the “Seven Knights”, Rika will play the keyboard/piano along with performing background vocals. 5) KENTARO ARAKI (荒木 健太郎) ♂ - Age: 14. Height: 5'2". Hair: Light Brown. Eyes: Blue. Pilot of the Yellow Galaxy Knight – Unit 05 which forms the Left Arm and Hand of Zyuraijin. Kentaro has a quirky and self-dependent personality, being the opposite as Saburo at first, all confident and objective. This includes his passion and desire to pilot a Galaxy Knight right out of the gate. This is in contrast to Saburo who is reluctant at first at having the fate of humanity on his shoulders. Even if Saburo seems distant consequently, Kentaro may have become a more mature boy thanks to this, understanding that he is the only one responsible for his own dreams coming true. Kentaro will prove himself a good friend, supporting his teammates in the fields of technology and science to add to both U.N.I.T.E.D. and the Galaxy Knights’ arsenals while they support him in his burgeoning romance with Hakue Hino. In the “Seven Knights”, Kentaro will often play the saxophone to impress his new girlfriend. 6) MIYOKI INGRAHAM MURAYAMA (ムラヤマ 見よき イングラハム) ♀ - Age: 16. Height: 5'3". Hair: Brown. Eyes: Teal. Pilot of the Pink Galaxy Knight – Unit 06 which forms the Jetpack and Twin Shoulder Pack Cannons of Zyuraijin. Miyoki is an immensely proud individual, especially in her piloting, and comes across to others as proud and strong, with a remarkably high opinion of both her appearance (particularly her recently "busty" body) and her skill as a Galaxy Knight pilot. She is stubborn and finds it difficult to express her true feelings to others. She does not like being looked down upon or told what to do as she wants to be viewed as an adult. She is quite aggressive and is opinionated. However, this personality is a front protecting a vulnerable and insecure girl who sees Saburo’s anti-masculinity as a thorn in her side for her insecurity leads her to covet the position of Zyuraijin leadership Saburo holds. In the “Seven Knights”, Miyoki will often play the tambourine/xylophone/steel drums. 7) KOICHI NOGUCHI (野口 浩一) ♂ - Age: 15. Height: 5'6". Hair: Silver. Eyes: Red. Pilot of the Black Galaxy Knight – Unit 07 which forms the Wings, Forearm/Elbow Armor, and Shin/Knee Armor of Zyuraijin. Despite being an infant Draconite once brainwashed and sent to destroy it by the Crimson Hand Empire of Vyrus, Koichi shows a marked interest in and protectiveness of the humans’ culture, as well as a sensitivity to human issues of pain and loneliness having chosen to grow up as a human himself. As Saburo’s closest student mentor, Koichi appears comfortable in his identity (far more than Rika), whilst being warmer and more emotionally open. However, he does show a detachment from human protocols and shares Rika's tendency to speak in the universal rather than personal terms. He comes to see the rest of the team as though they’re his children serving as a temporary leader when Saburo cannot. In the “Seven Knights” band, he will play bass guitar and share the three lead vocals.

MECHA/ARSENAL 1) U.S.S. PALADIN (CVABB-13) - Over 14 miles long and built from salvages of all the wasted raw materials on Earth plus the remains of Koichi and Kōkō's starship from long ago, the Paladin stretches from the forward lizard head to the aft engine cluster pod with four long landing/launching bay flight pods on either of the corner sides (port dorsal, starboard dorsal, starboard anterior and port anterior) plus four large spinning torus rings the diameter similar to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge connected to the main body at four points along the main hull. The outer two rings generate the warp bubble to attain faster-than-light velocities while the inner two rings serve as vast cities and living spaces similar to Earth aboard the ship. With enough weapons and fighters to defend Earth, the Paladin is an aircraft carrier-battleship hybrid crossed with a colony ship to create an "exploration dreadnought" which is the pride and joy of the U.N.I.T.E.D. space forces protecting our entire Solar System. 2) WHITE GALAXY KNIGHT (UNIT 01) - Standing over 50 meters tall, Unit 01 is piloted by Saburo Iwata and forms the torso and head of Zyuraijin. When fighting as Zyuraijin, the cockpit head expands to turn into a bridge like that on the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek for the other Galaxy Knight pilots to operate from after they are conveyed from their own units' cockpit heads. The cockpit head bridge of Unit 01 also serves as an escape pod in case of a sustained battle which Zyuraijin cannot win in one go. During the research and development of Galaxy Knight technology, Yoshiko Iwata conducted experiments that led to her creating an exact mimeograph of her mind and soul which was imprinted and implanted into the circuitry and metal of Unit 01 that allows her to be with her son Saburo in some fashion during a heated battle. One of the peculiar traits Unit 01 possesses is the ability to sniff out Spectre monsters and or renegade Mass Production Galaxy Knights sent out by NACHT. 3) RED GALAXY KNIGHT (UNIT 02) - Standing over 50 meters tall, Unit 02 is piloted by Ayume Lexington Shōkaku and forms the right arm and hand of Zyuraijin. In the heat of a fierce battle, Unit 02 carries inside her the hilt through which Zyuraijin can form the Thunder Saber capable of destroying not only Spectre monsters but other Galaxy Knight units if they are not careful. During the research and development of Galaxy Knight technology, Yoshiko Iwata conducted experiments that led to the creation of an exact mimeograph of the mind and soul of Ayume's mother which were imprinted and implanted into the circuitry and metal of Unit 02 that allows her to be with her daughter in some fashion during a heated battle. Whenever they have down time together, Ayume likes to do face painting on the cockpit head of Unit 02 which puts on victory marks to tally how many kills/successful missions they do together - which tickles Unit 02's funny bone as Ayume's mother liked to do as well. 4) GREEN GALAXY KNIGHT (UNIT 03) - Standing over 50 meters tall, Unit 03 is piloted by Takeru Shimamoto and forms the right leg and foot of Zyuraijin. Among the Galaxy Knights units, Unit 03 has some of the more tragic circumstances of the entire program. Mrs. Shimamoto managed to successfully implant the practically perfect mimeograph of her mind and soul into the metal and circuitry of the robot, but the experiments had something of a whiplash effect on her psyche. The fact that there were now practically two of her at exactly the same time in different places was too much for Mrs. Shimamoto's mind to handle as she went slowly madder and madder until she committed suicide by hanging herself along with a plush doll which she took as a reminder of her own son Takeru. As a result, Takeru steeled himself in order to support his sister Sorano - which exacerbates him connecting properly with Unit 03 at first. It will take him loosening up and embracing his inner femininity to work her. 5) BLUE GALAXY KNIGHT (UNIT 04) - Standing over 50 meters tall, Unit

04 is piloted by Rika Akamine and forms the left leg and foot of Zyuraijin. Despite her number as the fourth in the Galaxy Knight production line, Unit 04 is the first successful Galaxy Knight ever built and the prototype from which all six of the other units were built from. The first bipedal fighting robot to be powered by a Chōgenshi (super particle) fusion reactor reverse engineered from the Australia wreck that emits no harmful radiation in the enormous output power it provides, Unit 04 was the first with five-fingered hands which allowed her to use giant versions of existing U.N.I.T.E.D. weapons, tools and hardware for multiple duties operation which could range from prolonged defense to construction work and extravehicular activities around a large space object such as a warship or space station. Like Raidon, Unit 04 is prone to speculation and contemplating the nature of existence whenever she is off the battlefield. 6) YELLOW GALAXY KNIGHT (UNIT 05) - Standing over 50 meters tall, Unit 05 is piloted by Kentaro Araki and forms the left arm and hand of Zyuraijin. In the heat of a fierce battle, Unit 05 carries inside her the beam/blade through which Zyuraijin can form the Thunder Saber capable of destroying not only Spectre monsters but other Galaxy Knight units if they are not careful. Originally, the plan was for there to be five Galaxy Knight units - but the success of the previous four plus this one in their computer simulations convinced the U.N.I.T.E.D. Research and Development (R&D) Works to build two more units. Even though it carries as part of its A.I. circuitry and the metal over it an exact imprinted mimeograph of Mrs. Araki, Unit 05 is one of those units more receptive to customization of the weapons and equipment she carries - almost as if she were a fashionista trying on different clothes. Compared to some of the other Galaxy Knight units, Unit 05 likes to show off her features moreso than others. 7) PINK GALAXY KNIGHT (UNIT 06) - Standing over 50 meters tall, Unit 06 is piloted by Miyoki Ingraham Murayama and forms both the jetpack and twin shoulder pack cannons of Zyuraijin. Among the Galaxy Knights units, Unit 06 has some of the more tragic circumstances of the entire program alongside Unit 03. Mrs. Murayama had managed to successfully implant the practically perfect mimeograph of her mind and soul into the metal and circuitry of the robot, but the experiments had something of a whiplash effect on her psyche. The fact that there were now practically two of her at exactly the same time in different places was too much for Mrs. Murayama's mind to handle as she went slowly madder and madder until she committed suicide by hanging herself along with a plush doll which she took along thinking it was her own daughter Miyoki. As the Unit tries to synchronize and connect with her pilot Miyoki, she begins to bring out long repressed memories in Miyoki that she has hoped to forget. 8) BLACK GALAXY KNIGHT (UNIT 07) - Standing over 50 meters tall, Unit 07 is piloted by Koichi Noguchi and forms the wings, forearm/elbow armor and shin/knee armor of Zyuraijin. Among the stranger cases of the Galaxy Knight units, it was revealed that a genetic mimeograph of Koichi's Draconite birth mother survived in the memory banks of the Australia wreck to reveal that Koichi's parents were members of a rebel cell fighting against Vyrus' tyranny and had planted it aboard the ship in hopes of someone finding it and using it against Vyrus' empire. Knowing it was still missing some parts, Koichi's adoptive Earth mother Mrs. Noguchi volunteered and duplicated her own mind and soul for a genetic mimeograph to be imprinted on the metal and circuitry of Unit 07. This would also be an explanation for why it would seem to have multiple personalities - that of his Draconite birth mother fighting against Vyrus' tyranny and that of his adoptive Earth mother trying to raise their son.

ALLIES/U.N.I.T.E.D. (UNITED NATIONS INTERPLANETARY TASKFORCE FOR EARTH DEFENSE/ユナイテッド) 1) HAKUE HINO (日野 はくえ) ♀ - Age: 13. Height: 5'0". Hair: Brown. Eyes: Blue. Whenever the Galaxy Knights are attending high school on Earth at Narumashi High School on Earth or in the Paladin High Academy aboard the USS Paladin, Hakue is the class representative of Class 26, the class that Saburo Iwata and the other Galaxy Knight pilots attend. She takes her role as the "class representative" seriously, and although she will frequently bicker with Takeru and Kentaro, when Ayume asks her about her feelings for Kentaro, she tells Ayume that she is in love with him, but she is unable to confess that at first. Because a major part of her job is to make sure the class follows proper protocol, Hakue first appears to be aggressive, hot-blooded, and rigid. When she can loosen up, however, Hakue is an accomplished cook who appears to take care of her two sisters and her friends in the Galaxy Knights. She is also starstruck by the job the Solar Knight have which they cannot really share. 2) MONTARO MURAKAME (ムラカメ モンタロ) ♂ - Age: 17. Height: 5'6". Hair: Silver. Eyes: Blue. Whenever the Galaxy Knights attend high school on Earth at Narumashi High School on Earth or in Paladin High Academy aboard the USS Paladin, Montaro is the deputy class representative of Class 26, the class that Saburo Iwata and the other Galaxy Knight pilots attend. Alongside Takeru, Montaro is a tough boy and stereotypical “jock” who at first could not care less whether the world ended or not for he just wants to have a good time until the end. This would include getting rough and competitive in sports on one extreme and looking out for perfect scores be they girls or fellow boys alike. His flippant attitude towards the end of our Universe often rubs Saburo the wrong way at first because of what he has heard about his father Genichi’s involvement with the NACHT Revelations Initiative and its objectives. The Solar Knights hope he and Hakue could someday join them in the greater fight. 3) YOSHIKO IWATA (岩田 よしこ) ♀ - Age: 44. Height: 5'8. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Brown. As Saburo’s mother and Secretary General of U.N.I.T.E.D., Yoshiko has played a key role in the research and construction of the Galaxy Knights of Zyuraijin to counter her husband Genichi’s usurpation of her research to further the NACHT Revelations Initiative. Yoshiko is a mix of a brilliant scientist, a military officer and politician who works diligently for her organization; however, she is a warm and involved mother towards her son and will only reluctantly use and discard people to achieve humanity's survival if there was no other choice. With six other mothers, her experiments led to her creating exact mimeographs of their own minds and souls implanted into the circuitry and metal of the Galaxy Knights to protect their children. With Renora and Mai as her closest confidants, she is in functional command of the U.S.S. Paladin. She represents an intelligent femininity fighting galactic forms of toxic masculinity. 4) RENORA ASANO (浅野 レノラ) ♀ - Age: 37. Height: 5'9". Hair: Blonde. Eyes: Blue. Before she worked for U.N.I.T.E.D., she was working for NACHT when she came across their genetic engineering experiments and sought Yoshiko Iwata's help in rescuing little Rika from their laboratories. Serving as the head scientist for U.N.I.T.E.D. and the combined science officer and engineering officer of the USS Paladin (CVABB-13), Renora co-developed the Excalibur supercomputer system which administrates U.N.I.T.E.D with her late mother. She is extremely intelligent, with a strong dedication to her work and a logical, detached attitude which is frequently contrasted against Mai Koyanagi's hotheadedness, especially during the Galaxy Knight combat. All the Galaxy Knight repair teams answer to her, but it is through her upbringing of humans, aliens and machines alike and together that she hopes to prove humanity’s worthiness of life. But like Mai, she also seeks male companionship on a long-term basis. 5)    KŌKŌ (こうこう)

⚥ - Age: ∞. A baby Draconite alien that takes the forms of birds sent supposedly to destroy the people of Earth and the various manned and unmanned installations across Earth’s Solar System from Mercury to Pluto, Kōkō lost their memory upon crash landing in the Simpson Desert of Australia along with the humongous starship that carried them all the way there. Kōkō’s starship crashing and their being taken in by U.N.I.T.E.D. for care was the event of First Contact which proved mankind was not alone in the universe and spurred the development of the Zyuraijin Galaxy Knight program and rebuilding of their starship with various other components to create the USS Paladin (CVABB-13). Now living as Mai’s pet both aboard the ship and down on Earth, Kōkō is referred to as a valued member of the Solar Knights’ family – displaying increased intelligence and an appreciation of humanity. He is also a target for experiments by the NACHT organization under Genichi Iwata. 6)    MAI KOYANAGI (小柳 真衣) ♀ - Age: 30. Height: 5'7". Hair: Violet. Eyes: Brown. She is the operations director at U.N.I.T.E.D., initially with the rank of captain and the duties of formal commanding/functional executive officer of the USS Paladin. Her duties at U.N.I.T.E.D. include acting as a field commander for the Galaxy Knight pilots, issuing orders and relaying battle strategies as well as processing input from Renora Asano and the technicians monitoring the Galaxy Knights. She also handles many bureaucratic aspects of U.N.I.T.E.D.'s operations. Even though she broke up with Raidon Kobe prior to the series, they still stay connected as he is her spy within U.N.I.T.E.D.’s adversary organization NACHT. As one of the few adult friends Saburo and Ayume have, Mai is very professional and capable while on the job – but Saburo and Ayume must help her when she is a vortex of contradictions at her home aboard the Paladin. Her hard drinking party girl image baffles poor Renora Asano to no end. PRIMARY ANTAGONISTS - CRIMSON HAND EMPIRE OF VYRUS (真紅 の 手 ヴィラス の 帝国) 1)    EMPEROR VYRUS XIII (帝王 ヴィラス XII) ♂ - Age: 65 (by Earth/Human years). Height: 6'4". Hair: Violet. Skin: Grey. Eyes: Red. The thirteenth generation of Emperors of the Draconites who ruled the planet Draco Zeta in the Draconian Galaxy (M102) with a reign of unparalleled terror, Vyrus came to power by once serving alongside and then betraying and murdering the intergalactic peacekeepers the Nova Rangers. Before his near debilitating injury in his ultimate battle with the Nova Rangers, Vyrus sired two children with his wife and court sorceress the Queen Callista. After his injury, his son Serphent and Zorra placed him in a dark and concealing life support suit of armor with a horned helmet and protective cape where he keeps his Crimson Sword. In need of more planets to add to the Crimson Hand Empire of Vyrus, Vyrus will often send his Spectre monsters to attack U.N.I.T.E.D. forces while not reckoning on the NACHT’s organization’s own plans for original negation. 2)    SORCERESS QUEEN CALLISTA (魔女の女王 カリスタ) ♀ - Age: 57 (by Earth/Human years). Height: 5'9". Hair: Silver. Skin: Lavender. Eyes: Red. Married to Vyrus for her keen mind for strategic warfare and prowess in the fields of occult science and dark magic, Callista is given the glorious position of creating the Spectre monsters used to try and destroy the defenses of the U.N.I.T.E.D.-affiliated space colonies across the Solar System. In contrast to her belligerent counterpart in General Drokkus, Callista is appreciated by Vyrus for brainstorming plans that play more on human emotions of their hopes and fears. Upon receiving word of the NACHT organization trying to commence the NACHT Revelations Initiative (an Original Negation form of the Apocalypse - the end of all existence both before and after), she is the first to push for Vyrus to ally with the humans of U.N.I.T.E.D. to defeat NACHT and save all of existence. She believes Humans and Draconites are not all that different inside. 3)    IMPERIAL PRINCE SERPHENT (皇太子 サーフェント) ♂ - Age: 21 (by

Earth/Human years). Height: 5'8". Hair: Maroon. Skin: Fair. Eyes: Yellow. The twin brother of Princess Zorra, Prince Serphent is just as good a mecha pilot and element bender as her. More than anything, he wants the chance to fight so he can earn his rightful place as heir to the Crimson Hand Empire throne and his parents’ love. Serphent believes one becomes strong by struggling and fighting for what they want. However, he expresses contradicting mindsets; he does not want good luck because he feels he can control his fate, but also believes he is marked unlucky and that the universe is against him. Surprisingly, it is when he must rely on Ayume and Rika for survival when the three crash on Titan and are stranded together for a while that Serphent realizes what the Empire and NACHT are – using his vulnerability. Now he must redeem Zorra from sinking further down the path their father has set for themselves. 4) IMPERIAL PRINCESS ZORRA (皇女 ゾラ) ♀ - Age: 21 (by Earth/Human years). Height: 5'6". Hair: Violet. Skin: Fair. Eyes: Yellow. The twin sister of Prince Serphent, Princess Zorra is an element-bending prodigy and a renown mecha pilot in her own right. Born a princess and hailed as a prodigy, Zorra grew up to be very narcissistic and confident in her own ability which makes her a dark mirror of Miyoki. She relentlessly drilled herself toward perfection and settled for nothing less from herself or those who served her. She believes that power and domination are the defining traits of strength, and as such will only help others if she thinks there is some personal gain at stake. This worldview is frayed when she sees for herself in action the efforts of the U.N.I.T.E.D. mecha pilot Saburo Iwata – amazed by the prowess, handsome complexion and brave but kind demeanor. Zorra's obsession with Saburo makes her want to take him as her husband in hopes of overthrowing her father. 5)    GENERAL JURNAX DROKKUS (��般 ユーナックス ドロックス) ♂ - Age: 47 (by Earth/Human years). Height: 6'2". Hair: Blonde. Skin: Grey. Eyes: Red. Although often advocating for more belligerent defensive measures to be taken so to prevent a loss to either of the human factions – U.N.I.T.E.D. and NACHT; Drokkus’ personality is a mix of unbridled passion, suave charisma, abundant pride, bloody vengefulness, and supercilious charm. Perhaps his most dominant characteristic is his charisma which makes him a genuine leader. Drokkus’ skill as a mecha pilot and ground fighter combined with his charisma cause many people to respect and willingly follow his every last command, while instilling fear in his opponents. The other key defining trait of Drokkus’ personality is his tendency to hold deep grudges, seen most evident by his attitude towards the Galaxy Knight pilots. It is revealed his birth parents are dead Nova Rangers whom he hopes to avenge and unseat the Draconite royal family. 6)    COLLECTIVE (集団) ⚥ - Quite possibly the only entity that Emperor Vyrus shares a mutual respect and fear for, Collective is essentially the collective consciousnesses of all the Earth’s space probes and discarded space vehicles that were not confirmed destroyed – but fell through some spontaneous Einstein-Rosen wormholes that pop up without prior or subsequent detection to arrive at a machine planet within Vyrus’ greater Crimson Hand Empire over his fellow Draconites. The machine inhabitants found the leading space probes – Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 to be kindred to their race and discovered their simple 20th Century programming to collect all data possible – ergo learn all that is learnable and return that information to the creator. Building a massive starship for the Earth machines to return and complete their programming, the machines had in the process created the ultimate in logical beings known as Collective. In the process, it will become more dangerous than everything else in space. SECONDARY ANTAGONISTS - NACHT (夜) 1)    GENICHI IWATA (岩田 玄一) ♂ - Age: 48. Height: 6'0". Hair: Dark. Eyes: Brown. As Supreme Commander of NACHT’s military forces, Genichi is

the type of person who sees and thinks about the welfare of any organization. In other words, he'll do anything to succeed. He takes drastic and extreme measures, by fair means or foul, or by any means necessary to accomplish his own quite mysterious purpose. Genichi is a brilliant scientist, military officer, and politician (a master of puppets in the series) who works diligently for NACHT; on the other hand, he is a very cold and distant man who resents his wife Yoshiko and their own son Saburo for their rebelling against his and NACHT’s plans for the Apocalypse. Towards the end of the series, Genichi reveals the extent of his madness in the Battle of Europa where he demonstrates his own skill at piloting Mass Production Galaxy Knights, telling Saburo that he has never loved him and that he used to feel jealous of the attention Yoshiko gave to him. 2)    KONRAD LAMMERS (ランマーズ コンラッド) ♂ - Age: 57. Height: 5'2". Hair: Silver. Eyes: Red. Sometime between First Contact and 3015, most of Konrad's body below the neck was replaced with dozens of cybernetic implants. Although he uses a visor to see, Konrad still possesses eyes as a show of strength for being Imperial Chairman of the NACHT organization. Aside from all that, little else is known of the NACHT organization by INTERPOL records - and even less is known about its leader, Imperial Chairman Konrad Lammers. The surname Lammers should be enough of a giveaway that he is descended from Hans Heinrich Lammers, the Chief of the Reich Chancellery under Adolf Hitler of the early-mid 20th Century. Having gotten his start in the organization as a brutal enforcer and mecha pilot, age has not slowed his prowess by a significant margin and is willing to lead NACHT from the front lines. But even Lammers does not know all about the true aim of Genichi's machinations. 3)    RAIDON KOBE (神戸 レイドン) ♂ - Age: 39. Height: 6'2". Hair: Black. Eyes: Blue. Implanted within NACHT as a spy mole working for Yoshiko Iwata and U.N.I.T.E.D., Raidon happens to be Mai’s old boyfriend from the Academy who split with her before the series begins. In addition, he seems to maintain personal motivations beyond any known personal loyalty to either U.N.I.T.E.D. or NACHT and speaks frequently of his desire to "find the truth" about mankind’s existence and purpose. Most of the time, Raidon is very easygoing and jovial, always remaining cool and composed and maintaining his detached sense of humor even during times of crisis. Despite his irresponsible public persona, Raidon has demonstrated a great level of personal responsibility and worldly wisdom in his personal interactions, offering Saburo some contemplative advice and tries to help him understand the nature of social dynamics from time to time. His first priority for his mission is leave no trace of subterfuge. 4)    KIYOSHI FUKUHARA (福原 清) ♂ - Age: 53 ½. Height: 6'3". Hair: Light Brown. Eyes: Blue. As Deputy Commander of NACHT’s military forces and Genichi’s right hand man, Kiyoshi frequently takes command of situations at the base whenever Genichi is away on business. Genichi also tends to unload the more mundane work, such as planetary colony council meetings, paperwork, and the like, onto Fukuhara. The NACHT staff respect Fukuhara, not just for his leadership and stoicism, but also for his humanity in contrast to Lammers and Genichi's mix of cold indifference and boiling obsession. It is confirmed that he once mentored Yoshiko Iwata at the U.N.I.T.E.D. Military Academy on Okinawa and took considerable pride in her academic achievements while championing her admiration for humanity through the good and the bad. Even though he serves Genichi, his closest confidant is Raidon Kobe and will always try his best to subtly undermine NACHT's operations without leaving a trace of him.

SERIES EPISODE PROPOSAL Initial Series Order - 130 Half-Hours Episodes $5 Million/¥6 Million per Half-Hour = $650 Million/¥8 Billion for Total Series

SEASON 1 1.    Episodes 1-2: Introduction of Kōkō and Yoshiko Iwata 2.    Episodes 3-4: Introduction of Saburo Iwata and Ayume Lexington Shōkaku 3.    Episodes 5-6: Introduction of Raidon Kobe and Mai Koyanagi 4.    Episodes 7-8: Introduction of Takeru Shimamoto and Rika Akamine 5.    Episodes 9-10: Introduction of Genichi Iwata and Renora Asano 6.    Episodes 11-12: Introduction of Kentaro Araki and Hakue Hino 7.    Episodes 13-14: Introduction of U.S.S. Paladin and Zyuraijin 8.    Episodes 15-16: Introduction of Koichi Noguchi and Miyoki Ingraham Murayama 9.    Episodes 17-18: Introduction of Konrad Lammers and Emperor Vyrus XIII 10.    Episodes 19-20: Introduction of Imperial Prince Serphent and Imperial Princess Zorra 11.    Episodes 21-22: Introduction of Sorceress Queen Callista and General Jurnax Drokkus 12.    Episode 23-24: Introduction of Montaro Murakame and Kiyoshi Fukuhara 13.    Episode 25-26: First Major Battle between U.N.I.T.E.D., NACHT and Vyrus Empire SEASON 2 1.    Episodes 1-2: First Major Battle between U.N.I.T.E.D., NACHT and Vyrus Empire - (Continued) 2.    Episodes 3-10: Episodic Spectre Monster-of-the-Day Stories 3.    Episodes 11-12: The Infernos on the Paladin 4.    Episodes 13-14: Beach Vacation for the Solar Knights 5.    Episodes 15-20: Episodic Spectre Monster-of-the-Day Stories 6.    Episodes 21-24: The High School Sports Festival 7.    Episodes 25-26: Saburo a Prisoner of Zorra SEASON 3 1.    Episodes 1-2: Saburo a Prisoner of Zorra - (Continued) 2.    Episodes 3-10: Episodic Spectre Monster-of-the-Day Stories 3.    Episodes 11-12: Ayume and Rika Stranded on Titan with Serphent 4.    Episodes 13-14: A White Christmas for the Solar Knights 5.    Episodes 15-20: Episodic Spectre Monster-of-the-Day Stories 6.    Episodes 21-24: The "Seven Knights"' First Concert 7.    Episodes 25-26: Death and Rebirth of Zyuraijin SEASON 4 1.    Episodes 1-2: Death and Rebirth of Zyuraijin - (Continued) 2.    Episodes 3-7: Episodic Spectre Monster-of-the-Day Stories 3.    Episodes 8-10: Miyoki and the Mass Production Galaxy Knights 4.    Episodes 11-13: Final Battle with Jurnax Drokkus 5.    Episodes 14-16: The Pluto and Neptune Campaign 6.    Episodes 17-19: The Mercury and Venus Campaign 7.    Episodes 20-24: The Earth and Uranus Campaign 8.    Episodes 25-26: Rescue of Serphent and Zorra SEASON 5 1.    Episodes 1-2: Rescue of Serphent and Zorra - (Continued) 2.    Episodes 3-5: The Mars and Saturn Campaign 3.    Episodes 6-8: Final Battle with NACHT at Jupiter 4.    Episodes 9-10: Defeat of NACHT and Vyrus Empire/Sacrifice of Kiyoshi Fukuhara 5.    Episodes 11-12: Defeat of NACHT and Vyrus Empire/Sacrifice of Sorceress Queen Callista 6.    Episodes 13-14: Defeat of NACHT and Vyrus Empire/Overthrow of Emperor Vyrus XIII 7.    Episodes 15-16: Defeat of NACHT and Vyrus Empire/Defeat of Konrad Lammers 8.    Episodes 17-21: Final Battle with the Mass Production Galaxy Knights 9.    Episodes 22-26: The Odyssey of the Collective MERCHANDISING AND PROMOTION

1.    Bandai snap-build model kits of mecha and space warships as depicted in series 2.    Hasbro-licensed series-accurate Zyuraijin toys, action figures of main characters and mecha to fit figure 3.    Collector’s figures of each character (anatomically correct) with interchangeable outfits, hand items and posable joints 4.    Licensed video game adaptation for all major consoles and personal computers with Ubisoft 5.    Licensed cosplay costumes of characters and mecha tailor-made and fitted by Cosplay House 6.    Collector’s Coffee Mugs/Tea Cups, T-Shirts, Posters, Lobby Cards and Black & White/Color Photo Sheets 7.    In conjunction with Japanese and English dubs on TV, streaming Crunchyroll and Netflix, DVD and Blu-Ray, members of a Zyuraijin fan club can enter for chances to win a retro-style VHS videocassette box set of the entire series of Solar Knights Zyuraijin: Gospel of a Revolution. 8.    A marketing campaign will proceed with trailers and spots for cinema, internet, radio, and television.

[aflsgm]

El "Akagi" rumbo a Pearl Harbor Es el 26 de noviembre de 1941. Para aquel día seis portaaviones de la Armada Imperial japonesa abandonaban el puerto de Iturup, en las Islas Kuriles, con destino a Pearl Harbor. Los seis portaaviones nipones: Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku y Zuikaku, transportan más de 400 aviones con destino a la base naval del Pacífico de Estados Unidos, donde la flota norteamericana reposaba. Los días de travesía deben llevarse a cabo en el más absoluto de los secretos, ya que el éxito del ataque, depende del factor sorpresa. Al mando del capitán Kiichi Hasegawa, el portaaviones Akagi fue el buque insignia del vicealmirante Chūichi Nagumo para la Fuerza de Ataque para el ataque a Pearl Harbor​ que intentó destruir a la Flota del Pacífico de Estados Unidos. El Akagi y los otros cinco portaaviones, desde una posición a 430 km al norte de Oahu, lanzarían dos olas de aviones en la mañana del 7 de diciembre de 1941. En la imagen el Akagi navegando el Pacífico, en los primeros días de diciembre de 1941. https://www.instagram.com/p/CDuWAm5gNuI/?igshid=1re8mkedauh2i

[zerokiller1628]

Japanese aircraft carrier Taihō anchored at Lingga Roads along with the carrier Shōkaku, sometime during the spring of 1944. Taihō represented a major leap in Japanese carrier design, being designed with an armored deck and armor belt designed to withstand bombs, torpedoes, and she fire without severely hampering her combat capabilities. As impressive as she was, however, she was not without her flaws. During the ill-fated Battle of the Philippine Sea on June 19th, 1944, Taihō was struck by one torpedo from the submarine USS Albacore. Though the damage at first seemed light, poor damage control and faults in the design itself allowed volatile aviation fuel fumes to spread through the ship. Eventually these were ignited by a random spark, causing the ship to erupt into flames. There was no hope to save the carrier, and thus command of the fleet was moved to the cruiser Hagūro. Taihō sank later that day.

[the-met-art]

枝に小禽図|Bird on a Branch by Daiko Shōkaku via Asian Art

Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/671052

[warsmith-wolf]

Battlegroup Tsushima

UCM Battlegroup Tsushima has arrived on-station to aid in the Reconquest, having received the last of its initial reinforcements. A small yet highly adaptable force, the flotilla specialises in heavy troop deployment, and can be split into four individual Strike Groups.

Line Group Midway consists of the UCM Shōkaku, a Seattle-class fleet carrier, and the battlegroup's current flagship. The oldest vessel in the flotilla by a long margin, her record is long and illustrious, though marked with several tenures in repair-docks. The Admiral has been offered captaincy of a Moscow-class heavy cruiser more than once, yet has shunned the offer in order to remain with the Shōkaku.

Line Group Okinawa consists of the UCM Ashigara, a Berlin-class cruiser, while Pathfinder Group Leyte Gulf consists of UCM Tenryū and UCM Tatsuta, the Taipei-class missile frigates. Both groups have already been described, and thus repetition is unnecessary.

Pathfinder Group Coral Sea consists of the earlier mentioned UCM Zuihō and UCM Shōhō, both New Orleans-class strike carriers. This group has been reinforced with UCM Yamashio Maru, a San Francisco-class troopship, though in-field the strike carriers and the heavier troopship often target different objectives to each other. Yamashio Maru is well-liked by the Legionaires who deploy from her, and her scarlet honour-stripe has earned her the endearing nicknames of 'Big Red One' or 'Crimson Chin'.

Comparison of the cruisers’ distinctive prow markings. No two vessels of the cruiser tonnage scale look exactly the same, while frigate squadrons will usually be assigned markings to distinguish strike groups rather than individual vessels.