Show of Force

[KyferLegs (Diria)]

The Navy:

Raim's reputation was known initially as a minor port, dwarfed by the other seaports of southern Fasai. The local village council always had to scavenge funds for repairs, and the port never had more than a few dozen small-sized ships going to and from docks to rest and rarely traded. However, when the Dirian government began to expand the armed forces, the village of Raim became relevant for what it lacked in commercial trade. It made up for its defensive capabilities. Raim's position allowed it to be the symbolic gatekeeper of the Emsgan Basin, Fasai, and a fort against Verak. Which the expansion of defenses in the late 19th century, the river and its mouth boasted 203mm, and 279mm guns, artillery pieces, and torpedo-firing positions ready to fire at any Veraki soldier or ship who wandered too close.

Further expansion happened in the early 20th century as the increasing size of southern cities forced restrictions on the naval bases, which took up valuable space for commercial ports. So when the Chiefs of Staff looked for another navy base, they chose Raim. As with time, Raim's once lackluster commercial port had grown into the country's most extensive naval base and boasted sizeable boat-building hubs. Including harboring elements of the most modern Dirian warships in service, the ceremonial HQ of the Dirian Navy, and a military base, the small village was now a bustling township and fort with sailors, marines, and the Army maintaining a common occurrence in the streets. However, the fame of Raim still hadn't ended yet, as the town became known as where the Navy had built the first Dirian battleship, the DWS Fraternity. With four primary turrets, each boasting three 356mm guns, dozens of 127mm and upgraded 152mm guns, some 40mm anti-air guns, and good armor, the ship theoretically could par with other navies. Nonetheless, the boat rarely voyaged beyond the bay, being unique with its diesel-based engines and simply having no reason to move beyond exercises. At least not until now.

With haste preparations, the Dirian Navy had organized a small flotilla to leave port from Raim and other complementary ports in southern Fasai. Leaving at dark, the DWS Fraternity, with little grandeur, traveled into the bay with other ships. The older Battlecruiser, the DWS Cillon, with a complement of three forward-placed turrets, all having two 343mm guns, dozens of 127mm guns, and new 40mm anti-air guns. Heavy cruisier DWS Kohdi, two modern light cruisers, the DWS Acruel and Mirga, and six escort destroyers. Which had last seen traveling past Mestri with haste as the flotilla gunned its way to the open sea.

[KyferLegs (Diria)]

The Army:

Koshn was a reasonably large town, not as large as its coastal counterparts but able to grow off the river, providing the lifeblood of Shawistan's growth. The city only had a small market for oil-based goods and fishing, boasting few factories or manufacturing hubs. However, Koshn instead found its lifeblood as a chain of extensively maintained highways that went east to west of the Dirian desert frontier. With great rest stops, apartments, tourist stops, and large trainyards, which branched off for destinations across the western coastal cities, Koshn formed a bustling metropolitan area in the unforgiving Nardras desert. Nonetheless, the town offered little beauty besides its ancient interior. However, Koshn's less appealing outskirts were the busiest, with trains full of industrial goods or resources traveling between destinations. The painstakingly maintained highway always bustled with traffic and trucks hauling cargo to the west or east for those brave enough for the long drives. But as the week went on, the usual traffic began to alter. The residents of Koshn couldn't help but watch through gates, roads, or around trainyards seeing camouflaged trains towing long lines of cargo containers, tan-colored military trucks, and occasionally some hauling armored cars and tankettes. As the trains passed or stopped, so did vehicles on the ground, as cars and cargo trucks mixed with tan-colored and sometimes light-brown military trucks full of crates or soldiers who continued to other destinations.

Throughout the week, the atmosphere of the city changed. With other trucks continuing into the vast unknown throughout the week, more trucks and trains began to stop within the town and dozens of military vehicles lined near trainyards. Furthermore, one large parking lot next to the trainyard was quickly swarmed and taken over by the army's arrival. Residents couldn't help but worry as tan uniformed men with bolt actions found areas to loiter and wait. The military wasn't exactly hostile, and most soldiers apologized for the inconvenience. However, soldiers gave little explanation for their sudden appearances besides rumors of the south. With the apartments, rest stops, and trainyards overtaken with uniformed personnel, it was natural to ask questions. Fortunately, as curiosity began to peak, most soldiers seemed ready to move on, but not without one last moment of grandness. In the early morning, residents traveling to work or school faced barricades and diversions as the military began to unload vehicles from the trainyard and moved them through the city. The unfamiliar sound of tracks from two tankettes, the loud engines of armored cars, and the dozens of trucks once parked were now full of soldiers who seemed to be ready for the worst. However, as the convoy left town with only the large parking lot still having some military stationed there, most residents couldn't help and talk amongst themselves about the week of confusion. One of the rumors was the road they went down, "Why were they going to the border?"

[KyferLegs (Diria)]

The Navy:

It has been a busy and terrible couple of days for the Dirian sailors. Although they had roles and positions on battleships or destroyers, some had never been out to sea like this. Most crews were rookies or inexperienced; they'd only seen as much as live-fire exercise and the schooling and training days drilled into them. Still, most felt odd without angry officers watching down on their backs and correcting the duties they'd have to fulfill. Those duties now felt overwhelming, and simple training began to feel inadequate with every day. At least the crew on the DWS Cillon and destroyers had enough age and experience to resist the rocking of rough waves or the tight corridors of their boat, which had never seen actual combat. However, on ships like the Acruel or Mirga, most wanted to be back on land. Either it was sea sickness or exhaustion, as crews found the rocking taxing.

Meanwhile, as the lower ranks adjusted, the upper echelons, at least, had experience from isolated war games, Veraki posturing, or historic hindsight from previous battles, like those in the Poheram Ocean. Still, the condition of their flotilla was at a low. They had big guns and armor. To the nations of the CMS, they'd be intimidating, but it was the south and far north that scared them. The Admiral, Asil Binay, of the DWS Fraternity, felt this the most. He thought of massive ships that the Kumo had at their disposal or the experience of UKUG and Lusatia. The thought of their eyes gleaming down onto the flotilla, years of work, and with a couple of good shots, it could be gone.

Nonetheless, watching through the windows of the bridge, watching the grey figures of comrades on the blue horizon, he felt doubt about the plan the flotilla was going through. The ships under his command had relatively kept their distance from the nations they sailed past. Still, the escort destroys found themselves close enough to Abbadon to see its sandy coast. Still, depending on the negotiations of higher powers, he held onto the faith that he wouldn't have to get any closer. By now, Abbadon had to know of the ships, as they passed next to their coast every few days, only to find a port, replenish supplies, and repeat the process.