Ragna, Gra Valkas Empire
Gra Valkas Bureau of Information
Naguano scratched his head as he reviewed the most recent after action report from the Battle of Groun Sea. The strange interference phenomenon had struck again, rendering Gra Valkan radar and radios useless. And again the opposing force was equipped with weapons far beyond their technological level. At first, he and other researchers analyzing the battle chalked it up to a very coincidental magnetic storm or solar flare, but for the same phenomena to happen again, during a major battle no less? There was only one possible explanation: the Americans were involved.
He looked up from his desk, seeing his colleagues sifting through the same documents he had in his hand. None seemed to bear any expression other than boredom. He stood up from his seat, ready to ask one of them, but decided against it and instead went directly to his boss with the findings. He navigated around the floor until he arrived at his boss' office, then knocked on the door three times.
"Come in."
With a soft creak, Naguano opened the door. "Mister Heimdall?"
His boss' aged scholarly face lit up, "Ah, Naguano! What do you have for me, lad?"
"Sir, I think the Americans are interfering with our conflicts in the Sonal Kingdom and the Nigrat Union."
"Why, that's a bit tangential to your task, is it not?" Heimdall pointed out.
"Sir, I do believe it is related." He offered a report to Heimdall, who began looking through it. "My analysis of the enemy's weapons suggests that they have purchased technology from the United States."
"Oh? That's quite a bold accusation there, lad. Do you have evidence?"
Naguano shrugged, "Well, not directly, sir – not unless we've captured any guns from the Sonalians or the Nigrati."
"We haven't, not to my knowledge," Heimdall confirmed.
With a nod, Naguano continued, "Descriptions of the weapons that the Sonalians are purported to be using match the descriptions of American light arms. I've listed the specifications of the weapon used by the Sonalians here, and compared it with the specifications of the M2 Browning here. The rate of fire, along with recovered bullets, really point to the two weapons being one and the same. Plus, it would explain the sudden appearance of technologically advanced weaponry in the hands of nations that are equipped with muskets and flintlocks at best."
"Well then, I think you're onto something! Looks like we're going to have to fight these natives as we would an equal, eh?"
"That would probably be the consensus, yes, sir." The heavy grip on Naguano loosened. With this news finally realized by the higher-ups in the military, he hoped that the lives of his countrymen wouldn't be haphazardly thrown away.
Heimdall nodded slowly, appalled by the implications of such weapon sales. "Still, that means we've got a bigger issue on our hands. Why are the Americans selling weapons to these natives? Do they want to test new tactics, or do they just want to slow us down?"
"Sir, I don't think they're testing anything. From what I can gather, these weapons are outdated by American standards. The Browning is decades old."
The outlook for the Gra Valkas Empire's plan for expansion grew ever dimmer, paralleled by the grim look on Heimdall's face. "A proxy war," he sighed. "The Three Great Generals and the Emperor are not going to like this... Do we know what items the Americans have sold to their puppets?"
"So far, they've sold machine guns, rifles, other basic firearms, anti-tank guns, explosive charges similar to dynamite, and naval mines."
Heimdall scribbled a note on a spare piece of paper. "Okay. Can you write up a report on these items?"
"Of course, sir."
"And Naguano, do you happen to have any evidence of these sales? That these weapons certainly came from the Americans, and not the Muans or Mirishials?"
Naguano crossed his arms, looking up into the ceiling fan as he thought. "Hmm, no, I don't believe so, sir. Why, is the Department of War looking to fight the Americans?" He asked shakily. Having been to the United States personally and studied their weaponry, he was concerned about a direct engagement. Fighting the superpowers Mu and the Holy Mirishial Empire was one thing, but fighting the technological monstrosity that was the United States? That would be suicide.
Heimdall answered honestly, "You know just how prideful they can get. His Excellency has been exercising a lot of caution though, so I doubt that he'd declare war on them. I'm also confident that the Three Great Generals, with all their wisdom, can see how bad of an idea it is to poke that giant."
Naguano felt reassured by Heimdall's answer. However, talks of technological superiority brought him to the reason he came to his boss' office in the first place. "Sir, on the topic of the Americans and their technology, I think they're doing more than just selling weapons to the Sonalians and Nigrati. I think they're interfering with our radio systems."
Heimdall stared at Naguano silently, giving him a look that clearly suggested for him to continue.
"Our forces experienced radio and radar troubles, first in Hinomawari and now again, during the battle near the Nigrati coast. These issues severely hampered our forces. Having it happen twice, both in military settings? This can't be a coincidence."
Heimdall understood what Naguano was implying and it was reflected on his face. Despite this, he still harbored concerns, "I agree with you, lad. Though, I'm afraid that proving American interference might spark a war that we are ill-suited for. I'll bring up magnetic interference to our countermeasures folk, and tell them that the enemy mages have found a way to disrupt our technology."
Naguano opened his mouth to protest. He was worried that lying about the cause of the interference could lead their researchers down the wrong path, and produce ineffective countermeasures.
Before he could speak, however, he was stopped by Heimdall's raised hand. "I know what you're thinking, lad. I want to be honest about this, but there are bigger things at stake here. Do you understand?"
Naguano nodded, the fear of war with the Americans stifling any protest he was ready to give. "I do, sir."
"Alright then, if you have any more news, come back to my office."
"Of course, sir." Naguano got up, ready to leave. As he reached the door, he heard more words behind him.
"Keep up the good work, Naguano. You've provided a lot of insight on the Americans. Hopefully we won't need it in the future."
—-
Nivles Castle
The War Department's main strategic center plunged into chaos as the Three Great Generals scrambled to determine what went wrong. The defeats in the Sonal Kingdom and off the coast of the Nigrat Union were unprecedented, so much that nobody believed these losses until the devastated units actually showed up to friendly bases. Monstrous Wilder Heavy Tanks and once-impervious Mjolnir-class Battleships were somehow brought to ruin, not by a foe of equal might, but by primitive barbarians who were inferior to the former superpower Leifor in terms of technology. After suffering heavy losses, these vanguard units were forced to turn back and call for reinforcements that were never expected to be required.
According to a report from the Bureau of Information, advanced weaponry, either from Mu or the United States, were combined with creative magically enhanced tactics to outwit the Gra Valkan forces. The invasion forces dispatched to Sonal and Nigrat were unprepared for what they encountered. Much to the Generals' disappointment, these forces also recklessly charged into the enemy, believing that Gra Valkan technology was invincible and unbeatable. Evidently, this wasn't the case.
Such carelessness enraged Caesar, who was known for his conservative, yet relentless strategies. "Fire these idiotic egomaniacs from the Fourth Armored Division and the Twelfth Fleet!"
"S-sir," a staffer stammered out, "The admiral of the Twelfth Fleet was one the Vergeltung when it sunk..."
"Well then, integrate the Twelfth Fleet with the Eleventh and make sure their admiral is competent!" Caesar yelled, disgusted by the blemish that these defeats had on his image.
Mirkenses crossed her arms, adding onto the fire. "I didn't expect General Flats to fail me so badly," she said, her voice mixed with disappointment, denial, and confusion.
"Ma'am, General Flats was not in command at the time. He was in attendance of a joint meeting with General Lucre of the Eighth Army when his forces began their invasion. We don't know who was in charge, but they're likely dead as well."
"Looks like our problems solved themselves," Siegs remarked.
"Not quite," Caesar disagreed. "We still have to find a way to counter these new strategies."
Siegs shrugged nonchalantly, "I'd say countering the Sonalian strategies are simple enough. They employ guerilla tactics and prefer to ambush. Consolidating our forces to better defend against hit-and-run tactics, waiting for air support, and avoiding urban areas might significantly delay our conquest of Sonal, but it'll mitigate damage from Sonalian forces."
Mirkenses nodded in agreement. Raising a finger, she added onto Siegs' suggestion. "We'll also want to equip our men with equipment to combat fire. I doubt water will be able to put out magical fires. The new foam extinguishers on our ships should suffice."
"Excellent," Caesar said, approving of the suggestions. "And what of their navy? Long range radar shows that they have less than half of the ships they initially started with, but a second engagement may be just as brutal if we find no workaround."
"Reports show that the fog spontaneously appeared upon making visual contact with the enemy fleet. At about the same time, our radars went haywire and radios went dark," Siegs explained. "I've heard of a solution being devised by R&D. They think the malfunctions are a result of directed magical energies, so they're looking into modifying our systems to become resistant to this jamming."
"How long will that take?" Caesar asked hopefully.
"They should have a response ready within a month's time."
"A month's time?!" Caesar almost yelled, incredulous. "Why, by that time the Army would have already conquered the entirety of Sonal. Such a drastic delay would derail our current strategy, and likely draw the ire of His Excellency." Caesar shook his head, unable to accept this solution. "No, we can't wait that long. Any other ideas?"
The Three Great Generals simply stared at each other, shrugging and shaking heads. Finally, it was Mirkenses who noticed something peculiar. In an effort to further their discussion, she pointed out, "Siegs, you mentioned that our equipment malfunctioned only when our ships came into visual range?"
"A tad bit closer than that; about ten miles from the Nigrati."
"Then, perhaps that is the range of their magic? Our battleships have a range of what, upwards of twenty five miles? We can simply strike out of their range. Our accuracy will be reduced, but if they have been backed into the coastline, they will have nowhere to run," Mirkenses proposed.
Siegs made a face, as if saying "that could work".
Caesar's eyes squinted as he thought deeply about the proposal. "Hmm, this could be viable... But then, the moment we fire, can't they just create another smokescreen? There also still lies the issue of their... mines, or whatever they were." A flash of brilliance then struck him. "Submarines... That's it! We'll use submarines to clear out the enemy fleet, then sweep the area for their mines before landing our forces on the beach."
The Three Great Generals came into agreement, then began to enact their plans. New orders were sent to the Gra Valkan Army and Navy as they each consolidated, building up stronger forces to break through the Sonalian and Nigrati defenses. No longer could they underestimate their enemy; the Gra Valkans finally decided to bring down the full might of their armed forces.
——
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