Task Force 42
The seas between Philades and Rodenius saw one of the largest concentrations of Southeast Asian naval force in history. They backed up routine bombardments of shore-based facilities and S'vam settlements, acting as decoys to force any Annonrial naval vessels into the open for their anti-shipping operations on Philades. Two frigates and three modified flight-decked cargo vessels were designated as Escort Carriers to avoid confusion with the upcoming amphibious transport dock/helicopter carriers with similar profiles but dedicated military vessels at the shipyards of Southeast Asia. Escorting them were an additional three corvettes, seven OPVs, four submarines, and over a dozen support ships, forming the core of a 34-ship fleet. Currently sailing with them was the John F. Kennedy Strike Group, a Gerald Ford-class supercarrier, one of the two US supercarriers transferred from Earth after the Latistor was sent back to New World. The strike group consisted of three cruisers, two destroyers, and one submarine. Not far from them, 120 kilometers east, was the Theodore Roosevelt strike group.
Aboard one of the latest Gerald Ford-class carriers in service, Rear Admiral Nathan Erickson's gaze swept over the Southeast Asian Kilo-class submarine on the port side at periscope depth. He could see it cutting through the deep blue sea with its white wake moving forward alongside the fleet.
He then sighed. Erickson had received information about the incoming Annonrial fleet from Southeast Asia and immediately requested to begin repositioning the carrier group in support of the intercept of the Southeast Asian naval task force. Though they had to move as close as Verlander, in the open mouth of the strait, putting themselves in open danger, they couldn't withdraw either. The lives of nearly 20,000 Americans, who were preliminary settlers of the New United States government there, were currently residing there. They could evacuate them, but it was impossible for them to abandon their own recognized territories in enemy hands or under attack without taking action, let alone evacuate them in time.
The soft hum of machinery and computers, the distant sound of waves crashing against the hull provided a background of tranquility amidst urgent conversations taking place around him.
"Admiral," his executive officer, Commander Karen Thompson, approached him, her expression grave.
"Yes, Commander?" Erickson turned to face her, his brow furrowed with concern.
"We've just received updated intel on the Annonrial fleet's movements. They're heading straight for Verlander," Thompson reported. "A carrier strike group, with battleships appears to be equipped with VLS like Kirov class."
Erickson reached his chin in contemplation at the news. He knew they had to act swiftly to intercept the enemy fleet; time was ticking, and they had to protect their people and interests in Verlander. But the thought of putting his own ships in harm's way weighed heavily on his mind.
"It's not an arsenal ship, right? Like the Ravies in Galapagos?" Erickson said, his voice firm despite the unease gnawing at him.
Thompson nodded, her eyes scanning the horizon as if searching for answers. "Yes, it appears it's not as dangerous as the Ravernal battleship that swept Chilean and Brazilian patrolling fleet off the coast of South America. And attributing that with the very stupid decisions of the Ravernal back on Earth, we assume Annonrial will have the same mindset, potentially with much lower IQ than their predecessors, sir. But we'll have to move closer to Verlander, right into the mouth of the strait. It's a risky maneuver."
Erickson clenched his lips, fully aware of the dangers they faced. "I know, Commander. But we can't afford to let the Southeast Asians face the Annonrial fleet alone—there's no guarantee they could stop them."
Thompson nodded again, her expression agreeing. "Understood, sir."
"They're talking big too. The Asians are quite shrewd."
"Yes, or so I've heard. They're actually saying they had to provide infrastructure projects in return for our carriers?"
"Laughable," said Erickson. "With the amount of abandoned and Ravernal-controlled intact cities and settlements good to be resettled by our people, there's not much trouble. Rather, many are already debating whether they should send all of their people to Latistor, to recreate America in the new world. The options are plentiful."
With the war ending with a UN-mandated victory—no an Earth victory—the United States and other major victors of the war, relatively unscathed or opportunistic, partitioned Latistor into their security sectors or controlled zones to guarantee peace and disarmament accords. There was a scramble for any technological marvels salvaged from the Ravernal ruins, as well as for resources, and prevent any potential war from reigniting in the region.
The US focused on securing the almost-northern regions, deemed safe from the war's devastation. While they maintained a presence in the eastern regions, these were primarily occupied by CBRN battalions or scientific outposts. Despite the fact it was facing the west coast, it was only a token force, the reason why, is due to encounters of radioactive presence and toxic substances of unknown origin in eastern latistor. Despite their efforts, they were unable to discern the source, but they were working to eliminate these hazards using magitech acquired from Ravernal survivors who had partially integrated it with modern science.
Meanwhile, the northern regions of Latistor remained largely unharmed. However, people were abandoning them or being forced to leave as they moved further inland to UN-mandated camps or settlements. The areas near nuclear wastelands were particularly concentrated with radioactive sickness, starvation, and suffering. Out of the original 20 million inhabitants in the north, only around 4 million remained by Americans occupation.
While it was looking from a perspective, a unjustified invasion from Earth, other countries were also doing the same — more focused on ensuring that the Ravernal will not and never will regain their strength before the Earth nations had recovered from the devastation and consequences of the war against them. Numerous investigations and inquiries were initiated on these so-called atrocities or crimes against humanity committed against Ravernals, but most were deemed unnecessary or lost causes due to the widespread hostility towards the Ravernal and the perception of them as a very dangerous existence.
The indoctrination of the Ravernal to its people ran so deep that it was well-known not to even approach a Ravernal child, as they were likely to attack anyone on sight like ferocious beasts in the wild. This hostility stemmed from their perception of people other than light-winged folks as vermin or lowly insects, a belief exacerbated by the fact that the war against humans had almost destroyed their civilization, further fueling their hostilities towards any non-light-winged beings.
They would only engage in conversation when guns were pointed at them, and even upon surrendering, they still clung to their pride and arrogance. This behavior often blurred the lines between who was the loser or victor of the war, making the atrocities committed under the UN mandate appear justified. To the point where even some human rights activists agreed with the actions taken, the extent of the Ravernal indoctrination and hostility made it difficult for many to sympathize with their plight.
"I'll coordinate with the navigation team to plot our course."
"With coordination with Asians,"
"Yes, sir!,"
As Thompson hurried off to carry out her orders, Erickson couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension that settled in the pit of his stomach. The bridge buzzed with activity as crew members worked tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming situation.
Erickson watched as their fleet on the horizon, one of the Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke firing missiles off their decks, with white smoke and flames bursting forth, launching Tomahawks towards their intended targets in Philades. He then set his gaze on the direction of Verlander on the horizon. The open mouth of the strait stretched out before them, a gateway to potential danger and destruction.
"Sir," Thompson's voice cut through the din, drawing Erickson's attention back to the present with urgency in her voice. "We've got a broken arrow situation."
Erickson looked at her with seriousness as she continued.
"Annonrial from northern Philades appears to be firing ballistic missiles suspected to be armed with core magics."
"The direction?"
"Potentially towards our forward units attacking Nurzaga."
"They're going to nuke their own allies too?"
"So it seems."
"Ravernals are insane, even their descendants are nuts," he said bitterly.
"ASEAN and CSG-12 already assumed that Annonrial will fire ballistic missiles from north Philades. Their F-35s are in intercept posture, and THAADs in their rear line should be the final defense."
"Ugh, broken arrow. We have to comply," he said in annoyance. "Make some arrangements and send in F-35s, have them loaded with ABMs."
Then Thompson followed in silence as their decks filled with aircraft began to warm up for the upcoming war. As they sailed deeper into the strait, the sense of danger grew more acute. The waves crashed against the hull with greater force, a reminder of the unforgiving nature of the sea.
"Steady as she goes," Erickson murmured to himself, his eyes never leaving the horizon.
And so, with 100,000 tons of steel and objective, the carrier group pressed onward, preparing to face whatever challenges lay ahead in the turbulent waters of Verlander and Philades.
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Half a day had passed since the combat operation against the Annonrial 14th field army, and the entire region was littered with wrecks and burning horizons. Occasionally, large explosions from missiles hitting their targets on the Annonrial side could be seen, towering pillars of dust, fire, and smoke dominating the view. The unrelenting bombardment of tanks and artillery pounded the Annonrial forces entrenched in the ditches, which were formerly occupied by the Annonrials but now used by Southeast Asians and allied forces. Artillery pieces were loaded and fired to provide indirect fire support, their spent casings piling up as they continued to bombard the Annonrials several kilometers away. Meanwhile, tanks took cover, firing their guns towards Annonrial armored formations. The situation was leaning quite well towards the Southeast Asians, as they gunned down the Annonrials beyond their effective range to penetrate their armor, exchanging long-range tank fire that shaved off Annonrial tank formations.
In one of the infantry units securing the artillery perimeter, soldiers peered through their binoculars, scanning the horizon. They could see several burning Annonrial tanks and vehicles, with bodies strewn around. Just a few meters away, puddles of human remains could be seen, evidence of the recent carnage. Not long ago, the Annonrials had occupied this position, leaving behind visible marks of recent deaths and desperation in the ditches they had occupied. The soldiers had already disposed of the bodies of the dead Annonrials, mostly throwing them towards a nearby canal waterway, which had dried up and become too small to serve as a trench or hiding place.
"It's getting dark," one soldier remarked, observing the orange hue in the sky, a pre-imminent indicator of the sun finally setting, not just the fires raging beyond their sight.
"Better get ready, we could finally use this," his partner replied, holding up a pair of night vision goggles. The soldier looked at them with curiosity. "Wanna try?"
"I've got my own," he responded, reaching for his own NVGs strapped to his back. "But it's strange, they're usually green, not white."
"You sound like a country bumpkin or someone who only knows them from Hollywood, this isn't 80s dude," his partner teased.
"Sorry, not all soldiers have fancy equipment. We didn't have these luxuries when trekking through jungles. Barefoot. Walking ten kilometers. Crossing several mountains. And wading through overflowing rivers," he explained in cryptic and emphasizing tone.
"You sound like my mom when she talks about how she had to get to school," his partner quipped.
Despite the intensity of the deafening gunfire from nearby artillery and the chaos of the battlefield just a few hundred meters away, both soldiers chuckled in response.
The soldier soon shut up as he observed the unfolding scene before him. "And we've got a new challenger, not just one but three of them," he remarked, gesturing towards one viracel and two armored fighting vehicles that resembled open-top Stugs. These vehicles were designed more for air drop assault and fire support rather than heavy combat, with light armor only resistant to small caliber fire and fragmentation.
"Will they fire first? Oh no! They didn't, and they're getting pummeled right now," he commented nonchalantly as concentrated fire immediately poured in from their adversaries' side, tearing through the armored fighting vehicles effortlessly. One vehicle exploded in a burst of flames.
The viracel soon retaliated, targeting a modified Stryker armed with two Matador rocket launchers alongside its RCW 50. Cal mount. The Stryker quickly retreated into a dugout upon seeing the incoming flash, unwilling to take any chances of being hit. But the viracel's round flew overhead, just ten meters above, and struck a slightly elevated artificial earthwork from behind before being hit directly by a T-90 round, squarely on the driver's seat, spewing fire for a few seconds before exploding.
"And there's goes an Olympic record, 30 meters into the sky! Annonrial finally achieves liftoff," the soldier remarked humorously as the turret of the viracel soared into the air.
Furthermore, the attention of the artillery shifted, targeting the other armored fighting vehicle. High explosive shells rained down upon it as it hurriedly retreated from its imminent doom. However, it became stuck in a crater and sustained damage from several close impacts. Though the crew, barely visible through the binoculars, attempted to flee, the artillery continued to pound them relentlessly until they were sent into oblivion. "Wiped out," he concluded, summarizing the terrifying situation that unfolded before their eyes.
"Observing this scene, it seems the Annonrials still have the resources to send their soldiers to their deaths," he remarked.
"Indeed, we must have already taken out at least 10,000 of them in this entire operation. With planes continuously bombing them every 30 minutes, not to mention our ground forces and helicopters decimating them here on foot,"
"They're not yet crippled to the point where it's breaking their will to fight or depleting their assets to send to the meat grinders,"
"We still have half a day left, so we may not have killed enough of them to break their will and force them to retreat from this place," concluded other as they conversed in hushed tones while scanning the battlefield.
"There's the night," remarked one of them as the world began to dim, transitioning from dusk. Suddenly, they noticed something in the sky.
"Are those flares?" one of them questioned.
"There are too many, and they're coming from the north..." another observed.
Then, they realized it wasn't anything normal. Soon, balls of white light appeared in their own side flying towards the incoming light — colliding with — followed by explosions. Bright lights illuminated the entire region, as if the night had been a lie.
"What are those!?" one of them shouted in panic as they sought cover in the dugout and ditches.
More and more lights illuminated the skies, followed by explosions and strong gusts of wind reaching the surface. It was a surreal sight, as if several small suns had appeared in the night sky.
Unbeknownst to them, those were F-15s and F-35s engaging ballistic missiles as they climbed toward the Karman line, which is slow speed of over Mach 1.9, the missiles posed a threat, certainly, prompting the American aircrafts to fire their AIM-120s in an attempt to shoot them down after successfully locking in, at range of 35 kilometers. Ravernal ballistic missiles were notoriously slow until they reached the edge of space and entered the terminal phase. Even a Sidewinder could potentially shoot them down, a fact that Earth nations had capitalized on by creating countermeasures from remnants of Ravernal military assets. It appeared that the Annonrial forces had successfully copied their predecessors' technological patterns but had not bothered to improve upon them.
And it seemed their preparation and modification of aircraft and missiles were right on the money, as the AMRAAM collided with the ascending missiles, detonating them in the sky and triggering a massive release of energy and blinding flash of light.
"Are those iron dome?," One of them uttered in confusion, as he looks the sky beautifully illuminated yet terrifying at same time.
"Whether it is or not, you think it's normal to see the night turned day simultaneously? Get in cover!,"
Soon, behind them, a few kilometers away, THAADs and Patriot missile systems began to launch as dozens of missiles climbed to the sky at high speed. Speeding towards the inbound missiles as some began entering their terminal phase as they free fall from the karman line.
The predicament soon ended with all the ballistic missiles wiped out, or at least those that posed a threat, 71 ballistic missiles shot down. Twenty-four were taken out by air-to-air kills, and the rest were eliminated by ground-based systems. None reached their objectives; however, a few veered off course, falling short dozens of kilometers deep into Nurzaga. Soon, another bright flash of light appeared on the horizon, almost 25 kilometers away, and transformed into a mushroom cloud ablaze with delayed boom and shockwaves reaching the ranks of Southeast Asian and allied forces.
"Oh my god! Those are nukes!,"
"Get down! Get down!,"
Panic scattered throughout the front, with second core magic landing 37 kilometers northeast. The ground trembled lightly as shockwaves and flashes of light sparked on the horizon. The soldiers ducked in fear and panic as they crouch on the ground with this unexpected situation.
A few hours later, a general withdrawal was ordered, with all forces in Nurzaga instructed to fall back to friendly lines due to the potential of a second strike, the impending attack on Najar, or the Campaign against Annonrial 14th Field Army there by suspended. The operation resulted in over 81 deaths and 210 wounded, with losses including 5 attack helicopters, 2 transport helicopters, a dozen other damaged aircraft, 31 tanks and armored vehicles destroyed or damaged, and an additional 50 other vehicles damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, the Annonrial forces sustained significant losses, with over 8,000 men killed, 10 to 15,000 wounded, and hundreds of tanks, vehicles, artilleries, and missile systems destroyed. Their fortifications were also severely damaged from the attacks by Southeast Asian and allied forces. Additionally, they suffered over 10,000 additional casualties from the close-up impact of core magic during a friendly fire incident.
These casualties amounted to over 30,000, almost a third of the 14th Field Army's total number. This was a tactically dangerous loss, significantly reducing their combat capability and potentially crippling their ability to conduct large scale field operations. Despite their numerical advantage, with several division-class units remaining operational, the loss of 30,000 soldiers in a single day was still a significant blow. ASEAN's relentless attacks posed a constant threat, with the potential for continued assaults until the total annihilation of the Annonrial forces. Unlike Annonrial forces, ASEAN's supply and replenishment lines were much closer, allowing for easy access to resupply of ammunition, spare parts, weapons, and manpower.
Moreover, the Annonrial forces were thousands of kilometers away from their mainland, with no viable sea routes due to blockades by ASEAN and Milishial Imperial Naval Forces. This situation made it challenging for them to replenish supplies and manpower for continued warfare, putting them at a severe disadvantage in a prolonged conflict against ASEAN. In any conceivable battlefield scenario, the Annonrial forces faced an uphill battle and were ultimately doomed without significant external support or a drastic change in tactics.
And another mistake they've made was launching their missiles, confirming their silo locations and capabilities in S'vam like an open book from orbit.
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"Bingo," exclaimed the satellite analyst as they studied the realtime satellite images. The Southeast Asian satellites had successfully captured the locations of four missile silos in S'vam, each equipped with at least 20 launchers. However, there was an unexpected discovery of an additional silo base that they hadn't accounted for.
"Four missile silo base, each with 20 launchers. There's also another dotted area that appears to be a silo launcher, but it's unclear if it's loaded, decorative, or simply not in use," the second analyst reported, noting the significance of these findings.
"A jackpot, they shouldn't fired all of them simultaneously, or fired at one base entirely so they won't uncover thier hidden bases." Said by the first analyst with a satisfaction, as on the edge of the satellite map of S'vam, on the sea, several dotted of friendly transceiver or Satellite-AIS of fleet off coast can be seen.
"Relay the information; we'll ensure they won't fire them ever again." With the information relayed and approved, procedures commenced. Four Kilo-class submarines, two of which were successfully reproduced in Vietnam and Indonesia in secrecy ahead of schedule by two years before any known formal keel-laying ceremony occurred in public, were armed with Club-S missiles and torpedoes. They had to use spare engines and machinery from existing Kilo inventory in order to make them work quickly, hastily adding three Kilo submarines to their inventory. The first one is currently being used as a training submarine, with the second and third rated as combat-capable. The fourth one is currently being built, although it was the first formally reproduced Kilo in official documentation only.
Not long after, together with cargo vessels equipped with TELs bolted on their decks, ballistic missiles were fired, and cruise missiles launched from the Kilo-class submarines, heading straight towards their targets—the two simultaneous silo bases that had fired their missiles seven hours ago. Meanwhile, from Topa, a squadron of F-16s sortied off with JDAMs under the cloak of a blizzard and the Muish Overmana amplifier. This amplifier blanketed the entire region with particles of unstable and disruptive properties, affecting both living and non-living mana-using beings and equipment. It had gruesome and destructive effects on anyone or anything that attempted to use mana. This tactic had almost a jamming-like effect and had been routinely used by ASEAN bomber formations and in Topa since the beginning of the war, even in several instances in Duro and southern Philades. This approach gave a middle finger to Annonrial tracking systems, rendering them unable to properly track or identify anything, similar to what had happened to the ASEAN fleets deployed on the S'vam coast. The Annonrials were unable to detect them properly, other than anomalous large voids on their radar. Therefore, the F-16s were flying towards the third silo base with a relatively lesser chance of detection. Lastly, the further inland areas were targeted with something the Annonrials didn't expect.
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