Azur Lane: Dragon Rising

Ch33: Journey (1)

We've been travelling along for some time now onboard Jiangsu's carrier and yet haven't come across any other signs of life. I know I shouldn't be asking for trouble but I at the very least expected that we'd quickly garner interest from the US but so far there haven't been any signs of us being observed which is even weirder considering the fact that now two of my nation's carriers are virtually undefended and far from friendly forces. If there's ever a perfect time to attack, this would certainly be it and yet here we are...

Uneasy about the entire thing, I prep my Changhe Z-18 helicopters to begin ASW (anti-submarine warfare) patrols. Jiangsu, in the meantime, launches her own with an AEW (Airborne early warning) loadout. With 4 helicopters each, we're able to allocate two at a time for each type of mission and have the others on standby. Still, as they take off I can't help but feel that the small force would be easily overwhelmed if only one of us were here. Then again, we do have other aircraft capable of performing/built for the exact same role(s) so I suppose it wouldn't be much of an issue. One of the key advantages of being a Type 003 instead of an earlier model, I suppose. 

Ping!

Surprised that my Z-18s already detected something after only a few minutes, I have them confirm thinking it's an error but the next reading comes back even clearer than the last. We're being shadowed by a submarine but who's? 

Concerned, I mention it to Liang who then contacts headquarters using Jiangsu's radios to check with them while I prepare to go on the offensive just in case but the answer we receive shocks us both. While it isn't our sub, we shouldn't engage it unless fired upon first...

It takes Liang breaking down the political ramifications of blowing up another nation's submarine intentionally to convince me not to immediately attack upon hearing that but even then I decide that leaving it alone is quite literally the worst thing we could do and as a result choose the next best thing.

Me: [Unidentified submarine, you-]

The minute I address its crew on open channels, the submarine begins diving as if expecting an attack. I can't tell what surprises me more, the fact that they didn't know we'd detected them prior to that very moment or the fact that they thought we'd attack them but wanted to warn them first. Still, regardless of the motives of their actions it still remains that we're hopelessly defenceless out here and still have no way of confirming exactly whom we are up against.

Me: Prepare two J-31s Jiangsu. I'll be right back.

As she gets to work, I head downstairs with Liang to get her prepared but as we arrive on deck the submarine returns. This time, however, my helicopters also detect a launch.

Me: [Jiangsu! Arm your rig!]

She does and in response the carrier all but vanishes from beneath our feet in an instant causing us to plummet towards the sea. As we fall, I grab Liang and reposition our bodies so that she won't be harmed from the impact but despite my efforts, she's still knocked out when we hit the water after her head slams into my chest.

Jiangsu: [What happened?]

Me: [Torpedo, evade!]

We barely manage to move away from one another before two torpedoes pass between us. I'm not certain if they can track us in this form but not wanting to take any risks, I immediately have my helicopters drop depth charges on the submarine's location as I put as much distance between it and me. Jiangsu, perhaps not wanting to stray too far from me, maintains visual range even while taking evasive manoeuvres. 

Ping

Ping x15

Ping x30

Me: Fu-