The Tokkeitai
Also known as the IJN Special Boarding Unit (特別警備隊/Tokubetsukeibitai), the Tokkeitai are an elite force of marines specializing in aether anti-terrorism and the boarding of hostile vessels. It was established in the wake of the Go-Sanya no Ran, the event when Chinese insurgents attempted to destroy the Yamato. The force requires rigorous training for hostage situations and EOD, as well as drills for low-oxygen and low-gravity scenarios. Even though their unit is quite new, they already have a reputation amongst the Navy and Rikusentai for being ruthlessly efficient in combat, only firing on the enemy when necessary, and rarely missing shots.
Their reputation comes from an incident on their first deployment on the 6th of July, 1938, when one of their trainees accidentally ruptured a bulkhead mid-firefight. The enemy combatants were sucked out along with the trainee, who was fortunately recovered 4 hours later, with his oxygen supply still functioning. Ever since the incident, the senior officers in the Tokkeitai have intensely focused on shot control, insisting that every miss can result in mission failure. This has led to recent operations aboard suspect vessels resolving with less than a dozen shots fired between all soldiers involved. How these skills would translate to open combat is unknown, but their record as a military unit cannot be disregarded.
The Tokkeitai is under the command of Rear Admiral Tamao Kazumasa, who answers directly to Admiral Murakami of the Yamato. The force has at least a few thousand trainees, though current numbers are kept confidential. While Tamao is often present aboard the Yamato, his troops are actually based aboard the Kurotsuki, an aether-carrier whose location is a closely guarded secret when not in operation. In addition to the rear admiral, the Tokkeitai is commanded by several veterans of the Former Joseon-Japanese War, survivors of the Go-Sanya no Ran, and on occasion receives training from the notorious Captain Kaeda Goemon.
As of August of 1939, the Tokkeitai has been given clearance to operate in the aether over China, in an effort to continue the suppression of Korean naval operations. They additionally have been ordered to raid merchant ships attempting to transport military equipment into Joseon territory, claiming the vessels for themselves if found to be arming the enemy. While lacking in heavy vehicle training, the unit has been known to use Heike to create insertion points, ripping open the enemy hull in order to launch troops aboard by force. Many of their members are still itching to test their mettle in the field of open battle.
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