The newly appointed British prime minister and defense minister were well aware of their so-called "big cousin" across the Atlantic. While Britain was a top-tier partner in the collaborative F-35 fighter program, Lockheed Martin—a company driven entirely by profit—had no intention of sharing its groundbreaking "optical camouflage" technology with the UK or any other nation.
This technology wasn't part of the original F-35 development plan. So despite Britain's hefty investment of $2.5 billion, they were being offered a less advanced version of the jet, lacking the dual capabilities of both electromagnetic and visual stealth that the U.S. version would possess. The thought of getting a second-rate fighter despite such an enormous expenditure infuriated both the prime minister and defense minister.
"Why should the Americans get the best technology while we're left with scraps?" they fumed.
Adding insult to injury, the British government had also learned that the developer of this new technology was none other than a New York-based bestselling novelist. This same novelist had previously refused to collaborate with Rolls-Royce, turning down their offer to acquire his engine upgrade technology. As a result, Rolls-Royce's competitiveness had nosedived over the past year, falling behind rivals General Electric (GE) and Pratt & Whitney.
The British leaders were livid. If the technology couldn't be obtained through diplomacy or business, they would take it by force. After all, wasn't that the Anglo-Saxon way?
Historically, Britain had built its empire through piracy and conquest. The mindset of taking what they couldn't earn had become ingrained in their national identity. And they had taught this same mindset to their "students"—Japan being a prime example. Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan had modeled much of its military and political structure on Britain's, from their imperial navy to their parliamentary system.
Like Britain, Japan was an island nation with limited resources and an insatiable appetite for continental expansion. During World War I and II, most of Japan's top naval officers had been trained in Britain. The influence of Britain's "Nelson Doctrine," which emphasized aggressive naval engagement, resonated deeply with Japan's own Bushido warrior code.
Even today, both nations shared a constitutional monarchy where the prime minister held executive power and was frequently scapegoated for political scandals. In Japan, prime ministers resigned so often it had become a political tradition. It was no surprise, then, that when Castle had rejected the Japanese Watanabe family's overtures, their response had been to attempt a brazen abduction. Now, Britain was following a disturbingly similar playbook.
The British prime minister and defense minister summoned M, the head of MI6, and tasked her with securing Castle's technology at all costs.
However, M found herself in a difficult position. Her most famous operative, James Bond, was unreliable. While Bond excelled at seduction, he had a habit of turning missions into chaotic brawls. Sending him to infiltrate the estate of a paranoid, well-guarded novelist seemed like a recipe for disaster. Instead, M chose a more discreet operative—one skilled in both cyber warfare and stealth.
Unfortunately, this operative had a complicated history. During a previous mission in Turkey, he had been exposed and subsequently placed on a cooldown period to avoid further incidents. Nevertheless, due to the urgency of the mission, M had no choice but to pull him out of retirement.
What M hadn't anticipated was that this operative would run into an old enemy the moment he set foot in New York: agents from Turkey's intelligence service. These Turkish operatives had long held a grudge against MI6 for supporting Kurdish separatists within Turkey. Upon recognizing the British agent, they acted swiftly, killing him before he could even begin his mission.
The news hit M like a ton of bricks.
"Damned Turks… Damned novelist… Why couldn't they both drop dead instead?" M cursed under her breath as she read the mission report.
This wasn't supposed to happen. MI6 agents were trained to handle foreign operatives, but Britain's diminished status on the world stage meant their resources and support networks were not what they once were. Britain was no longer the "empire on which the sun never set." Its intelligence apparatus had been hollowed out over decades of budget cuts and political scandals.
Even James Bond, for all his bravado, was more of a liability than an asset. M had to admit that his approach—breaking heads and bedding women—was hardly suited to the delicate task at hand. If she sent Bond to New York, there was a very real risk he'd create an international incident. The U.S. government wouldn't tolerate such recklessness, especially given Castle's close ties to the White House.
Britain's strained relationship with the U.S. complicated matters further. Though the two nations shared a common heritage, they had diverged significantly in interests and priorities. The Americans were fiercely protective of Castle, whose technological innovations had become a cornerstone of their defense industry. Any aggressive move by MI6 could lead to severe diplomatic fallout.
To minimize risk, MI6 had deliberately limited its support for the mission. The operative was sent alone, with minimal resources, under the assumption that subtlety would protect him from scrutiny. But this decision had backfired spectacularly. Now, with their best option dead and tensions rising, M was at a loss for how to proceed.
She clenched her fists in frustration. How could everything have gone so wrong so quickly?
The once-proud MI6 was now grappling with a harsh reality. Gone were the days when they could deploy an army of seasoned spies across the globe. Their current roster was stretched thin, with many of their veteran agents having retired or defected to more lucrative private-sector roles. Even one of M's old contacts, the former MI6 officer Robin Masters, had left intelligence work to become an eccentric novelist living in Hawaii.
And Bond? M couldn't shake the feeling that sending him would only make things worse. The thought of Bond rampaging through New York, leaving a trail of broken furniture and broken hearts, made her shudder.
"We don't have the resources for this… and I sure as hell don't have the patience for another Bond fiasco," she muttered.
But with no other options available, M had to decide—quickly. Would she risk deploying Bond and gamble on his chaotic methods, or would she have to come up with an entirely new plan to salvage the mission?
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.
Every 5 reviews = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.