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Post by EpicToaster1 on Mar 19, 2022 16:37:03 GMT -5
... --- ... .-.-.- / ... --- ... .-.-.- / -.-. --- --- .-. -.. ... / .---- ..... ----. .-.-.- -.... ..--- ..--- --..-- / ...-- ....- .-.-.- ----- --... ..... .-.-.- / .- ... / ... --- ... .-.-.- / ... --- ... .-.-.- / -.-. --- --- .-. -.. ... / .---- ..... ----. .-.-.- -.... ..--- ..--- --..-- / ...-- ....- .-.-.- ----- --... ..... .-.-.- / .- ...
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Post by Greywall on Mar 19, 2022 20:43:48 GMT -5
UKUG destroyer HMS Tython was conducting a normal patrol in controlling Gaelic waters, Captain Sheldon McClain was drinking his tea and about to turn in for the day early as it had been a boring set of days. "Five bloody weeks, no signs of any Kumo activity, intel dropped it didn't they lads?" he scoffed as he walked over to his first mate to let them take over. The crew chuckled at their captain, serving his fourth years commanding the Tython a newer UKUG destroyer made to counter the advanced warships Kumo had been building in the last 30 years. "Alright, Chaplin you're charg-" suddenly his communications officer chimed in, "sir come ore here, you need to here this!" the captain came over with a quick pace, "report" the communications officer took a long sliver of paper that had printed out from the nearby machine, "orders from control, SoS signal they've relayed the coordinates." The bridge fell silent their boring dull patrol had suddenly been broken, "full speed to those coordinates have our outlooks on deck with eyes on the sea now!" The HMS Tython began heading to the coordinates of the SoS origin.  HMS Tython built in 1926, one of the first destroyers deployed per the Royal fleet's reconstruction |
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Post by StaolDerg on Mar 19, 2022 20:48:57 GMT -5
S.S. Usio, an Elenrian merchant vessel bound for Kumosenkan received the message in the midst of heavy rain, the sound of the radio equipment deafened by that of the drops slapping against the windows outside. The teleprinter whirred as the thin strip of paper slowly printed out from the machine, the kerosene lamp on the wooden table barely illuminating it. There was no sign of life from the rooms of the station even as the reel stopped turning and the machine quieted, leaving only the sound of the rain for several minutes.
Finally, nearly ten minutes passed before a bleary-eyed, rain-soaked technician staggered in through the front door, grumbling all the while as he slipped off the raincoat. At first, he made no hurry to read the telegraph, taking his time hanging up the raincoat before disconnecting the printed strip from the reel.
His speed increased with the wind outside as he read the message to the light of the lamp, eyes widening all the while. Fumbling for the broadcast equipment, he began tapping out a message to nearby Kumo ships with the message attached, trying to boost the signal to any nearby Kumo vessel, both to receive further instructions and in the hopes that were the distress message was truly what it was made out to be, there would be some rescue attempt at the least.
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Post by Sophie on Mar 20, 2022 7:56:58 GMT -5
A beast of steel roamed the open ocean. RBS Kōun'na hi, a brand new Sento class battleship slammed against the surface of the ocean in the midst of a horrific storm. Captain Ayame Nishimoto, a redback Kumo, had her hands firmly clenched against the back of her helmsman as she navigated the ship. This ship was undergoing sea trials in preparation for her commission. A weather report had informed the captain of the nearby storm and the battleship steamed at full speed for it. This was Nishimoto's first command all her own, and she had something to prove. There were special awards given out to captains who guide a ship through a storm this brutal, especially for a ship that has yet to be proven. "Rogue wave! Forty-three degrees off the starboard bow!" A watch officer screamed into the bridge, her voice barely carrying over the whistling winds. Nishimoto jerked her head to the right and saw it. A massive wave, one that would tower over the pagoda superstructure of the Kōun'na hi, one that would easily capsize the boat without a single ounce of effort. "All hands! Emergency stations!" The captain's voice echoed throughout the battleship. "Helmsman! Hard to starboard and ahead flank! Get our nose to the shoulder of that wave!" "Hard to starboard and ahead flank! Helm aye!" The helmsman shouted back before pushing the speed lever to read ahead flank, giving the command directly to the engine room. She gripped the helm with all her strength and ripped it to the right. Soon after, thirty-five thousand tons of steel began shifting to the right. Eight meters below the surface the battleships screw's turned much faster than they were intended to, giving their all to swing the ship around. Anything that wasn't bolted down in the bridge had clattered and smashed to the floor. The ship had swung round with seconds to spare, the bow directly pointed at the shoulder of the wave. "Rudder amidships helmsman!" The captain screamed, the helmsman quickly responded and turned the helm to the left until it settled at zero degrees. The captain began barking orders into a tube marked 'engine room.' "Damn the safety measures! Get this ship going as fast as she can!" Deep in the belly of the battleship, the staol engines began to roar. Spinning at such intense speeds that they would soon begin to rattle themselves apart. The driveshafts themselves were spinning fast enough to cavitate on their own, and the screws pushed more water behind the boat than any battleship had ever dreamed to do in the past. RBS Kōun'na hi began trimming by the aft. "Trim at 10 degrees!" A damage-controlmen shouted. Seconds passed, that felt like hours, "20 degrees!" The captain held her breath and began to say a prayer in her head to her ancestors, begging them to stop the wave from cresting. "30 degrees!" The boat was still several meters from the apex of the wave. "40 degrees!" The dcmen shouted. Her heart beating out of her chest, no battleship ever survived an angle so sharp. She began to form the word "45" on her lips but the boat had reached the top. Her bow quickly plummeted until it slammed into the wave. The aft had come completely out of the water. The screws were fully in the air, spinning themselves even faster without the resistance of the water. The boat began racing down the spine of the wave until it hit the surface of the ocean again, the bow dipped a full 10 meters into the water before the ship could once again stabilize on the water. Every woman on the bridge was dead silent. None could believe that they had survived such an intense wave. The captain finally exhaled and let go of the helmsman's shoulders. "Absolutely phenomenal work everyone!" The captain cheered, and the bridge followed suit, everyone launching into a quick celebration. "Helmsman! Bring us down to one-third." The captain smiled and patted her on the back, "Ahead one-third, helm aye." The engines began to spool down. After a few moments of celebration, and finally calm a fireman burst into the bridge, "Captain! Message from the engine room. Some of the steam generators were damaged during that rogue wave. We need to take at least half of them offline so we can make repairs." Nishimoto pinched the bridge of her nose. "Damn it. Alright, take them offline. Bring up the rest ahead full." The FN nodded "Aye aye captain." She quickly turned out of the bridge and made her way back to her station. "Crew this is your captain speaking, release from emergency stations." Nishimoto barked into a few tubes that would allow the entire ship to hear her orders. Before she could sit back down for even a moment's rest, the radio office began to speak, "Ma'am! Incoming distress signal! It seems to be coming from an Elenrian ship." The captain walked over to the radio officer as she relayed the full message. "You're right. Damn it. We're obligated to check out any distress signal from Elenrian and Kumo ships. Very well. Helmsman! Make course for coordinates 159.622, 34.075." The helmsman saluted, "Yes ma'am, making course for 159.622, 34.075, helm aye!" The thirty-five thousand ton beast began to turn once again, her screws in a much more relaxed state than before, making way for what they believe to be an Elenrian ship in distress. It burst through the waves of the storm with ease, thankful to not see another rogue wave for miles. Still, the watch crew remained on high alert and turned on their searchlights. The RBS Kōun'na hi began broadcasting openly herself, "ELENRIAN SHIP, DISTRESS RECEIVED, KUMO BATTLESHIP UNDERWAY" RBS Kōun'na hi built in 1929, the tenth battleship of her class |
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Post by EpicToaster1 on Mar 20, 2022 13:47:33 GMT -5
[OOC Note! If any other nations wish to respond, feel free to include both your reaction to the signal as well as arriving to the point!]
159.622° W 34.075° N
Drowning is the best way to describe the weather.
The seas chopped from the passing storm, the outer bands of rainclouds crossing the area. The air feels thick with humidity, a fog making each incoming wave invisible until it's almost upon the approaching ships. A faint drizzle falls on the decks of the ships, the sun obscured by the gray clouds above.
A single point of light could be seen through the fog, the clouds above a faint glowing orange, indicative of a staol-powered engine still in operation. Its details hidden by the weather, the only noticeable thing about the ship beyond its bellowing smokestacks and single still-lit lamp is that the ship is listing faintly to one side, though it is still clearly afloat. The signal still repeats, though the transmission is slowly beginning to fade out.
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Post by Greywall on Mar 20, 2022 13:52:27 GMT -5
The Tython pierced through the rough waves of the storm, water and wind ravaged at her steel sides as the crew on deck tied via safety ropes and floatation devices did their best to keep an eye out for the vessel broadcasting the SoS signal. On the bridge Captain McClain was keeping himself held up by one of the stations, "keep her pace steady, blast this bloody storm where did it come from!?" the destroyer rocked as it kept fighting against the rain and wind. Visibility was cut, the ship couldn't see much more than a few thousand kilometers out when a voice shot threw the chaos of rain and waves, "Port! we have it on our port!" the captain leaned toward the portside window of the bridge and saw the shadowed figure of a vessel. "What in blazes? Whose is it!?"
"Can't tell captain, too far away"
"Fuck it then, prep the crews for rescue we're bringing the aboard. Head in lads"
The Tython zeroed in toward the SoS vessel, not knowing who it belonged to but her crews began preparing to rescue the crew of the SoS vessel.
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Post by StaolDerg on Mar 20, 2022 14:18:28 GMT -5
The Usio's captain squinted through the dense sheets of rain, the merchant vessel's hull creaking as it navigated the harsh waves with difficulty. The relatively small crew dashed between their stations to keep the ship floating while manning searchlights, trying to spot the source of the broadcast. The old steam boilers coughed and died twice- a leak in one of the lower decks had breached the bulkhead neighboring the engine compartment and briefly flooded the four engines before the engineering crew finally managed to pump out the water.
It was during the treacherous din of panicked shouts from the lower decks that a watch officer spotted the prow of another vessel not that far off ahead of them, headed for a plume of orange clouds not that far off in front. Unsure of the vessel's identity, the Usio nevertheless began to prepare its sparse lifeboats while the radio technician attempted to contact the vessel ahead of them.
"UNKNOWN VESSEL BEARING AT 1.3 KM IN FRONT, THIS IS S.S. USIO OF ELENRIAN MERCHANT MARINE REQUESTING IDENTITY. REPEAT. UNKNOWN VESSEL BEARING AT 1.3 KM IN FRONT, THIS IS S.S. USIO OF ELENRIAN MERCHANT MARINE REQUESTING IDENTITY."
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Post by VoxApocrypha on Mar 20, 2022 14:34:54 GMT -5
The Roskanan warship the 'Hadaya', a Akula class long-range patrol cruiser would be on a cruise through the northern ocean, preparing for a voyage between Arema and the northern holdings of Roskana. The vessel would pick up the distress call and then begin to turn so that it could begin to steam in that direction, following standard Roskanan naval protocols and pushing in that direction to commence a rescue mission, quickly speeding up to the quickest it could safely run at and maintaining that speed.
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Post by EpicToaster1 on Mar 20, 2022 15:04:45 GMT -5
As the ships sailed closer towards the stranded ship, the markings of the ship became clearer. The bow of the ship had a single word in white and a symbol. KuubikukiriNext to it lay the bright orange and white symbol of a staol vessel. The distress signal would suddenly cut out, the ship falling completely silent save for the single light shining through the fog.  |
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Post by Sophie on Mar 20, 2022 15:11:14 GMT -5
Battleship Kōun'na hi continued to sail northeast through the chop. Even a ship of this size was affected by the storm. Sailors in their bunks would occasionally be tossed out onto the floor, some even began webbing themselves in place. Her engines were still crippled but she was able to make ahead 15 knots. The repair crews estimated over twenty-four hours for engines to return to full power.
Even with every spotlight on the vessel at full power, the watch crews couldn't see beyond two kilometers. Hours passed before the crews spotted three separate light sources in the fog. "Ship spotted! Bearing zero, one, eight!" The watch officer belted. "Zero, one, eight aye." Captain Nishimoto affirmed, "Helm, bring us up ahead slow. Remain on alert, we don't know what we're coming up to here. All hands man action stations! Prepare crews for rescue boarding!"
From the perspectives of the other ships a cacophony of light sources could be seen in the fog, and not long after the beast. The massive bow of the battleship came into clearer and clearer view. Her two forward fourteen-inch guns imposing upon the space. Her screws began to spool down upon coming into visual contact with the other ships. She blasted her foghorn, drawing all eyes to her. The captain's voice followed shortly after, "All ships, this is Captain Nishimoto of the RBS Kōun'na hi. Identify yourself immediately and your current status of distress."
A watch officer began reporting more specific details, "Ma'am! We've got a Gaelic warship here! Two other unidentified merchants as well." Nishimoto's brow furrowed. "Commander Shimada," she addressed the weapons officer, "Bring turrets one and two to bear on that warship. Load HE and prepare to open fire. Get star shells in the sky." She ordered. The weapons officer nodded, "HE in turrets one and two, weapons aye." She began disseminating the captains' orders to the relevant crew in the belly of the steel beast.
Nishimoto came on the loudspeaker again after the battleship's secondaries had launched several star shells into the sky, illuminating this section of ocean. "Gaelic warship. Signal intent to follow our commands or risk being scuttled." The forward turrets quickly spun a few degrees to point directly at the destroyer as the captain finished her sentence.
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Post by Greywall on Mar 20, 2022 15:45:12 GMT -5
The Tython had finally reached the vessel in distress, "Bloody hell it's a Staol ship." Crews began to see more clearly and reported another vessel, an Elenrian trade ship. Captain McClain would take all the help he could get, the storm was going to make this complicated, "UKUG Thython to Elenrian vessel please sta-" his transmission was cut immediately buy a deck watcher shouting "SPIDERS!". Captain McClain looked and there it was, the last thing he wanted to see, the metal demon came from the storm as if it was simply a nuisance to it. Hulking toward the listing Stoal ship and now them. "Watchers! what do you see!?" Captain McClain now grabbed his pair of binoculars as it was relayed to him the warship was bellowing orders to the nearby ships. McClain could see movement on the deck, it could only mean one thing if he could see it in this storm, the massive guns turning right at them "Captain, they're ordering us to follow orders, or they'll fire." The Kumo battleship would make quick work of the Tython in a straight firefight but that wasn't what McClain was thinking about. He turned his head to the listing Koian ship and realized, "they think we sank it? surely not."
He turned to his comms, "signal we don't want a fight, but we'll only comply so far." his crews began messaging the Kumo back, McClain went to his first mate Chaplin "Load the forward 127s but don't turn them yet, only thing we got is speed and that hulking monster is already in range targeting us." Chaplin nodded and raced down below from the bridge. "Comms, tell Elenrian vessel to stay away from us to avoid crossfire I won't have them at risk should the Kumo fire upon us."
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Post by Sophie on Mar 20, 2022 16:01:46 GMT -5
"Ma'am!" The radio officer called out, "The Gaelic ship intends to comply." Before the captain could acknowledge the watch officer spoke out again. "A lot of activity on the deck. Seems like they're boarding that wounded vessel." She paused, "Ma'am. It's a staol ship." The captain looked befuddled. "Gaelia is pirating staol ships now?"
"Captain! They're loading the forward batteries!" A watch officer ran into the bridge to report. "No need to worry. A gun that small couldn't scratch the paint on my husband's truck let alone pierce our armor. Keep an eye on her torpedo racks. If they move an inch we open fire." "Aye, ma'am" The officer ran back out on the deck and resumed her watch.
"Gaelic warship." The captain transmitted once again, "Cease all activities. Recall all sailors and soldiers from the wounded vessel immediately. We will be dispatching a crew to retrieve your commanding officer for interrogation." She turned to the helmsman. "Helm get us in position for S&R of the wounded ship. Watch, what's the deal with the other vessel?" "Ma'am, getting us in position for search and rescue, helm aye." "Ma'am, it appears to be an Elenrian merchant. Doesn't seem to be wounded. Likely investigating the signal just like us." Both officers answered in turn.
"Very well. Radio, make a call to the Elenrians. Make sure they are uninjured and that they are truly Elenrians." She ordered. The radio officer saluted quickly, "Ma'am transmitting now, radio Aye." The captain turned to another woman on deck, "Takeda, get a squad of combat-ready soldiers on a rescue dinghy and prepare to make way for the destroyer. If they continue to obey us we're gonna have plenty of questions for that CO." Takeda saluted, "Aye ma'am."
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Post by Greywall on Mar 20, 2022 16:22:11 GMT -5
"Captain they're ordering to cease entirely."
McClain looked at the listing ship and began shaking his head, "No we're here now, we wait for the battleship, and we might lose the crew proceed with rescue operations and relay to the Kumo we're here to rescue the crew." The Tython kept course but relayed they were on a SoS recovery mission, "they also want you sir. Apparently for interrogation..." the bridge fell silent McClain's calm mood became one of anger, he turned to his comms officer "I do not answer to them. This is his royal majesty's vessel, and we are here to aid if Kumo wants to humiliate itself on the world stage then let them, tell them we're here now and that their ship won't make it in time. I'm also not leaving...rubbish request." The crew couldn't hide their lingering fear but relayed their captains' orders, they had finally reached the listing ship and began boarding it. "Sir shall I attempt communication with Royal Command?"
"Do so, tell them we're here on recovery mission and that the Kumo are complicating things." McClain knew the transmission would be intercepted and likely stir the battleship, but he wasn't about to lose the Staol crew and let the Kumo strong arm him during a rescue mission. He didn't know if any UKUG ships were even nearby, but he hoped for some if it became a worst-case scenario.
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Post by StaolDerg on Mar 20, 2022 16:27:39 GMT -5
With increasing concern the Usio's crew noted the reply of the UKUG vessel, as well as the presence of a massive battleship. Increasingly worried, the Usio's captain debated with his first mate and chief engineer for several moments over the condition of the engines in case they had to attempt a withdrawal before then ordering the radio technician to send a message to the battleship as well.
"UNIDENTIFED WARSHIP BEARING 2.6 KM TO PORT, THIS IS THE MERCHANT VESSEL USIO OF THE ELENRIAN MERCHANT MARINE REQUESTING IDENTITY."
While the message was tapped out, the captain seized his coat and with a firm hand on the doorframe, wrenched open the door to the gale outside. With soaked hands, he made his way down the stairs to the main deck, where a motley collection of sailors struggled with a lifeboat against fierce winds, trying to lower the small boat to waters below with a winch that rattled loosely against its pole, threatening to be torn off with the speed that the crewmen were trying to turn it. A small rescue team of four sailors within the wooden hull below held on for dear life as they rocked from side to side, only armed with their coats and oars.
"Captain! I don't know if we'll be able to drag the lifeboat back up in this weather!"
"You will have to try! We must attempt to rescue survivors!"
The technician received the Kumo message with pale hands as he rapidly typed out a response.
"BATTLESHIP KOUNAHI, THIS IS THE MERCHANT VESSEL USIO OF THE ELENRIAN MERCHANT MARINE, COMMANDED BY CAPTAIN YEVINA ILINE. WE ARE CARRYING FORTY TONS OF TUNGSTEN AND TEN TONS OF BAUXITE ORE, BOUND FOR THE PORT OF ECHIZEN FROM AUNDUI YIO."
Around the same time, a watch officer burst back into the bridge, seawater drenching his entire body. "Where's the captain?"
"He went outside to help with the lifeboats."
"Get him back in here! The vessel in distress isn't sinking- it's only listing."
At once, the first mate scrambled from her place by the window, holding her hood over her head as the winds of the storm blasted her in the face. She nearly fell down past the stairs and into the ocean as the ship crested a wave, her hands slipping on the rails in her frantic journey towards the small crowd of sailors still trying to lower the boats.
Her efforts were thankfully not in vain- one of the crewmen saw her waving furiously from behind the searchlight-illuminated spray of seawater and got the Captain's attention.
"What is it?"
"Bring up the lifeboats! Distress vessel is not sinking, bring them back up!"
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Post by Sophie on Mar 20, 2022 16:46:07 GMT -5
The captain felt a burning sensation on the back of her neck at the destroyer's denial of all given orders. She quickly began barking again, "Gaelic warship," Nishimoto commanded, "This is your final warning. Cease all operations aboard the wounded staol vessel and return to your destroyer. To all sailors aboard and hailing from the Gaelic destroyer. Should you not want to watch your shipmates die today you will return to your ship irrespective of your orders." She turned to her weapons officer, "Load dummy rounds into the 152s, prepare warning shots." The officer nodded "Preparing warning shots, weapons aye."
"Gaelic captain. We are willing to meet you aboard the wounded vessel to discuss your fragrantly illegal piracy. We do not wish to destroy your vessel but will do so without a second thought if we must. There are hundreds of lives that don't have to be lost today. Lives that bear on your shoulders, and yours alone." She walked away from the loudspeaker and approached the radio officer. "Has the Elenrian vessel responded?"
"Yes ma'am. Everything appears in order." The radio officer answered, repeating the merchant's message to her. "Very well." The captain nodded, "Order them to cross to the other side of our ship so they will be protected by our armor should the blistering fools decide to start an engagement."
"Takeda," Nishimoto turned to the combat officer once more, "Reviewed orders. Prepare emergency boarding of the staol ship. Helm, swing out the web hook. Takeda, get your soldiers on board that ship using their own webbing. I'm not about to let these Gealic buffoons do as they please. Make sure they are prepared for combat should they continue to act hostilly." "Aye, ma'am." "Helm aye"
The battleship's deck was abustle as sailors prepared to use their own webbing to board the staol vessel as soon as it was in close enough. As the massive ship began lumbering into a boarding position, she slowly got her entire broadside facing the destroyer. "Weapons, load HE in all main guns. train on destroyer bearing 261." "Weapons aye."
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