Dark Wave Fleet

The Dark Wave Fleet was a fleet of ships under the command of the Tainted Yoritomo Kitao. The fleet was responsible for instigating the War of Fire and Thunder.

Beginnings
The fleet began operation shortly after the Rain of Blood in 1165. Kitao and many of the crew on her ship, the Bitter Flower were Tainted by the rain and fell to madness. Kitao immediately set sail for the Phoenix city of Toshi no Omoidosu, where she had just departed. Kitao and her men slaughtered everyone in the city, save Garen Hawthorne, who had befriended Kitao during her time in the city. Garen arranged a rendevous for Kitao's fleet and his ships and gave Kitao the Eternal one of his own ships for her to use.

The War of Fire and Thunder
Kitao's fleet and Bloodspeakers working for Asako Kinuye arranged an incident that made it seem as if the Mantis Clan was involved in Maho. The Mantis, of course took exception to the charges and waged war on the Phoenix Clan to protect their honor. During the war Kitao and her forces would attack Phoenix targets while using Maho, adding more evidence to the false charges against the Mantis.

The Battle of Broken Waves
The matter came to a head in 1167 at the Battle of Broken Waves. The Mantis launched an all-or-nothing attack on the Phoenix, commiting their entire fleet to one battle. In the middle of the battle the Dark Wave Fleet emerged from hiding, firing on Mantis and Phoenix alike with tainted gaijin cannons that Kitao's beloved, Garen, had installed for the fleet.

Kitao was killed when she and Mantis Clan Champion Yoritomo Kumiko were incinerated by the living cannons. Shortly after, Isawa Sachi raised an island from the bottom of the sea and Yoritomo Kaigen created an enormous wave, destroying most of the fleet in a hammer-and-anvil attack. Mantis kobune and Orochi destroyed the rest of the fleet.

Major References

 * Treacherous Seas, Blood Dawn, Part IV
 * The Gift
 * The War of Fire and Thunder, Part I
 * The War of Fire and Thunder, Part II
 * The War of Fire and Thunder, Part III