They go low, we go high

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"AHHHH FEEL THAT MORNING AIR!" Captain Carrigan strolled onto his bridge deck with his usual energy holding a cup of Alban dark tea mixed with some honey to fight the bitter taste of the black leaf. He sipped some its potent caffeine enriched flavor stinging his tongue, "helmsman our status? report please." The helmsman wasn't as energetic but responded sharply, "should be in Cricon in a few hours sir." the tapping of a boot on the hard metal floor from the captain prior to him saying, "excellent, well done. We shall refuel and carry on this little arrangement. Carry on, First mate Gibbs you have the bridge." They saluted him as he cheerfully walked out to the exterior deck over looking the carrier. HMS Vercingetorix, still considered an expensive and insane investment by many in the Royal Fleet was to demonstrate its use in a possible open sea war. Her crude build which resembled early carriers was still finely crafted by Gaelic shipbuilders as it smoothly cut across the Shawbalt with ease. He looked over his escort group, several destroyers, some corvettes and one light cruiser he brought his cup to his lips smelling the tea entering his nose 'no way we came South undetected' he thought to himself 'mayhaps want command wants?'. 

On the deck of the carrier were six Mud Dauber aircraft being inspected by mechanics, they were going to test something the UKUG had tried and failed to implement for years into their new war doctrine aerial assaults on enemy ships. The dive bombs would bounce off or not detonate, torpedoes would be slow or inaccurate, time and time again failure met with failure as years melted away like wax on a candle stick with the Gaelians trying to figure out how to use their aircraft to supplement their fleet. But if there was one thing that could be said about Ulster-Gaelians, it was that they are stubborn and determined, they made the bombs heavier and more prone to pierce top decks and the torpedoes while inaccurate still could be extremely deadly if the pilot knew where to place it. That was what they were going to find out today, millions if not billions of pounds to invest in this arm of their military to get an edge over the rest of Ouhiri. 

The mechanics looked over the massive engine of the Mud Dauber, "this ole girl is loud as shit, any ship she approaches will here ere' but if this ain't a damn beautiful thing I don't know what is." The Dauber had the largest engine of any single seater aircraft in Ouhiri, or to the knowledge of the Gaelians it did, built solidly and capable to doing a lot of damage to sea faring vessels and providing ground support to troops it had one flaw it was loud. The Staol powered engine used a lot of air intake and the combustion process was going through a forged steel case that sent a loud roaring sound that could deafen pilots, they built a closed canopy with a radio for the aircraft to keep the pilots from losing hearing and keeping in tabs with the fleet. "Make sure she flies earnestly, I want her to be top grade for this project." the mechanics turned around and saluted the Gaelic woman standing behind them as she had been watching them from a distance and slowly and quietly walked up to them, "Captain Jones! didn't see you there! We were-" she rose her hand to the mechanic to stop his rambling, "At ease and carry on, I just want you to know to do your jobs." they all nodded and returned to their work. She walked to her plane and let her fingers glide on the metal body, it was painted light blue for the deployment of her squadron, and she admired it over the ugly brown the Army used on the mainland. 'I hope we pull this off, I don't want to fly the bloody Bulldog anymore.' she thought to herself, she then walked to the rear of the carrier where some mechanics were arming a Mud Dauber with torpedoes were 16 inch custom made ones for the Airforce, they had never been tested outside of theory within engineer spaces in Edinburgh and this was its first test. 

The carrier group approached the Northern naval base on Cricon where they docked for refuel and debrief with Cricon Naval Command. Captain Carrigan still buzzing with excitement led his officers down the offloading ramp, "This is quite exciting, my second time in down under. They have a really good steak and potato dish here, they season the bloody thing heavily but it tastes amazing." his officers gave an awkward laugh in response, Carrigan was notorious for being slightly unprofessional but was a brilliant naval officer in the academy. Three older men dressed in dark green approached them adorned with medals and their tartans, "Salute!" Carrigan called in the most serious tone he had of the day, his team froze saluting the three men. "Admiral Jackson, Admiral Gordon, Admiral Vincent we are here as instructed." The oldest of the three waved his at them, "At ease Captain, you've done well coming here. Fleet Admiral Lennon seems set on this test, so whatever it is we are to do it." Admiral Vincent was one of the few left in command following the 1910 war, his age made him the oldest Admiral in the Royal Fleet and he cared little for the pageantry of military protocol. "Admirals, we are to test the bombing craft code name Mud Dauber to see if it has the capabilities to destroy enemy ships with our new bombs and torpedoes." The Admiral left of Vincent rolled his eyes, "more tests? Fuck me we should invest in the fleet not flying circu-" before he could finish Vincent slapped him "Admiral Gordon, you shame your clan. The Fleet Admiral wants this, which means the King wants it. Honor this task given to us." Gordon's eyes flashed with anger, he was ultimately an entitled man of nobility and furious at a middle class clans man touching him in a way. "What are the test subjects?" Admiral Jackson said to break the awkward situation, Carrigan still keeping his serious tone before the admirals pointed to the bay, in came two ships an older monitor ship and skeleton crewed dreadnought albeit much older dreadnought. "The monitor is covered in metal, we shall test dive bombing on it, if we can puncture it we can puncture most modern ships and the battleship is-" Gordon once again interrupted "THE FUCKING GALL OF YOU PEOPLE! THAT'S THE VIR LA MARIE'! YOU FU-" another slap came from Vincent this time he was silent staring into the younger admiral's eyes he saw anger mixed with sadness. "I know. It was hard to read in the report Admiral Gordon, our former flagship." Admiral Vincent then turned to Captain Carrigan, "Prepare the demonstration we deploy for the Southern coast in two days" Carrigan saluted the admirals and turned around to lead his officers back to the carrier "One more thing Captain" Vincent called out, "Fleet Admiral Lennon telegrammed us after you left Alba, he is coming here." Carrigan smiled and nodded, "Good, haven't seen the bloke since-" Vincent's harsh tone interrupted him "He's bringing O'Donnell." Carrigan choked up as shock and fear filled his face, his officers looked at their joyful captain in horror, "Wh...what?" Vincent was also concerned, "the Black Falcon wants to report personally to the King. We need to be at our best. Understood." They all nodded as Carrigan and his officers left 'O'Donnell, of all the people.' Carrigan was concerned about the tests, the Taoiseach was hard on the military to get better for the eventual outbreak of a war and he rarely showed tolerance to failure. 

As they boarded the carrier Carrigan's energetic mood came back, he always enjoyed being on the Vercingetorix his first command as a captain. He turned to his officers who still looked concerned, "now then!"  he clasped his hands together, "how about I tell the crew to wrap their duties up and we head off for that steak eh? I think there's an officers pub here in the port that serves it with a nice wine from Roskana!" he walked down the loading ramp as one of his officers said, "Sir, what about the Taoiseach?" Carrigan turned to him and smiled warmly, "Please, let us enjoy tonight. Okay?" the officer smiled back he was lucky to have this 'fool and idiot' as the other captains called him as his captain. "I cannot wait!!!! I've been hankering for this slab of cow all trip!" Carrigan yelled loudly attracting the attention of the other crews who looked at him in confusion, Carrigan was putting on a brave face, deep down he was panicking 'O'Donnell...' he kept thinking to himself as they approached the pub for a night to relax and then prepare the next two days for the test and arrival of the Fleet Admiral and Taoiseach. 

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Preparations had been completed within a day or so as the two outdated vessels were taken to the Southern coast of Cricon and anchored, the escort fleet had moored itself near Brittany. They awaited HMS Boudica the Gaelic flagship carrying onboard Fleet Admiral Lennon and Taoiseach O'Donnell, after four hours being anchored the behemoth dreadnought and its escort of heavy cruisers came into view. "There she is, Boudica, what a giant" the dreadnought and its group came in close to radio in their intent to arrive the Southern naval base altogether, once the anchors came up the carrier group joined the Boudica group to the Southern coast. Some of the sailors on the carrier were on deck looking at imposing ship, "hearsay some she and a few can match those monsters the Kumo got, but that old girl, I think this is the furthest South she's been leaving Edinburgh." 

The Southern naval base in Cricon was the furthest military base in the UKUG but it was home to several battle groups, operations had increased in the last thirty years or so with the increase in naval fleets in the Southern seas. Most of the Southern fleet patrolled, escorted Staol ships out of UKUG waters, reported on Kumo vessels they ran into and maintained control over Gaelic waters. The Boudica docked near another dreadnought the HMS Virgo which was in for some repairs to its staol engine after over doing it during a routine patrol in the Northern Poheram, Carrigan and his officers disembarked as the flight crews went over and over their flight plan for the demonstration, half would be equipped with dive bombs while the other half torpedoes Captain Jones was putting everything she had into preparing and displaying the absolute best a Gaelic pilot could at being ready. Carrigan and the other captains were to join the admirals and the Taoiseach for dinner in the naval base. In the Admiral lounge were several lavish and expensive furnishings and high quality marble floors that led into several rooms of the building meant for visiting admirals and members of the government. Deep within would be a dining hall and a long oak table that had carved into the center top to bottom the Gaelic islands, the mid keys and the Southern islands with the words ár n-impireacht cosnaímid or in the common tongue our empire we protect. Several staff were preparing the tables and seats which had small signs showing who sat where, Carrigan looked for his name and his was at the head of the table near the carving of the Gaelic islands near the Admirals and Taoiseach. "Fuck" he muttered, everyone began taking their seats as staff began putting baked rolls at the center of the table and poured water into the glasses by each chair, "Captain, is there anything we can get you to drink?" a staff member asked Carrigan, he responded "Roskanan wine" the staffer nodded and went to fetch it. After a few minutes of the staff taking the orders from the captains and officers the admirals walked in leading the Admiral Lennon, a national hero to the UKUG and the only Gaelic naval commander to have defeated the Kumo on the high seas he was an older man now sporting a white beard and a tired expression. Following them was a man taller than most Gaelians, wearing all black and imposing to anyone in the room, he kept his head shaven the only hair on his head being his thick eyebrows and mustache. On the left side of his face was a very visible scar given to him during the Kumo war, he had fought on the ground and nearly died in the fighting but instead became infamous for killing the spiders with deadly efficiency. He said nothing as he pulled the head chair at the table and sat down with no expression on his face, his dark grey eyes slowly shifted to Carrigan who caught himself staring at him and immediately in a defensive decision drank some of his wine trying to shake it off but he looked back and saw the grey eyes still staring him down sending a chill down his spine. 

A pair of hands clapped as the maître d announced to the group, "our meal tonight will be Poheram swordfish, red Cricon potatoes and caramelized onions. We shall have desert of cranachan with strawberries and honey. Please let us know if you need more to drink or anymore of the rolls." The staff steadily moved around filling drinks and attending to the needs of their guests, O'Donnell got a dark red wine and slowly took sips of it as his eyes scanned the room he would lean to Admiral Lennon every now and then whispering something all Carrigan could tell was his mustache would move and every now and then O'Donnell would take his index finger and point it at him without looking at him as he looked down the table. "How's your wine?" the gravelly voice shot at Carrigan like a armored piercing round freezing him as he turned his gaze and saw O'Donnell looking dead at him head turned full at him, attention at full, Carrigan had the second most powerful man in the realm talking to him "I...it...It's good sir." Carrigan cleared his throat choking up his response, "the color says Roskana, good wine excellent craftsmen of that art. Something we don't master but I suppose life would be dull if we could do everything." he took another drink of his dark red wine, "ever had Amali?" Carrigan shook his head no, "shame, i'll arrange a bottle for you it's excellent as well I think Roskana and Amali make the best wines in my...humble opinion." He held out the glass now near empty and a staffer refilled it, Carrigan feeling some bravery sneaking in chimed "I shall have it here then, good sir, some Amali for me too then" Carrigan watched in confusion as the server nodded and walked off getting a different bottle his expression attracting another response from the Taoiseach, "apologies Captain Carrigan, I did not mean to appear as I was drinking it right now. But rest assured and excellent decision you have made." Carrigan rose his glass in a friendly manner and took a drink, he enjoyed the rich flavor of the wine "this is amazing, do thank ya sir. But if I may, what are you drinking?" a stern and sharp cough came from Admiral Gordan trying to silence the captain, but O'Donnell responded, "this is exceptionally rare in our country, we don't normally trade with the origin country of this wine. In fact, I had it come with me from Edinburgh, might only be a hundred...if that in the UKUG." he placed the glass down as the waiters brought out plates of food, Carrigan's curiosity was begging for an answer, "where from?" Admiral Gordan lightly grabbed Carrigan's arm, "enough captain" he said softly, "now now, it's quite alright. Admiral, he's young and wants to learn the world. It's Kumosenkan rice wine, I got accustomed to it, stealing it from their camps on the Hawaiian mainland." Carrigan felt his appetite disappear as everyone began to eat. 


As they got half way through eating, O'Donnell clicked his glass for their attention, once there was silence and attention drawn to him he stood up "thank you all, for doing your duty and coming here. What we're doing today will secure our empire and properly prepare us for the future, Parliament wants to hope and pray we keep this long and precious peace. But you are here, in his majesty's navy, you know how fragile peace is." He began to walk around the table likely unnerving many, "this test, must succeed, we're getting troubling reports. Galra is flooding the Shawbalt with their fleet, Kumo create Kaiju sized warships, stability in Touli is questionable and now we hear reports of border tension in Reseria. Galra and Seleucidenia are a powder keg, our alliance will obligate this great nation to defend the Shahdom. But more than ever, this fleet will be the arm of the realm." He made his way back to his chair still standing, "I am proud of all of you, you have done your duties and seen them through. No nation has reached the low we have and recovered as we have, our resolve will be what takes us forward and punish our enemies. Do what the King asks of you, do what your fleet asks of you, do what your people ask of you." He rose his glass to the air as all the officers, captains and the admirals stood up holding theirs as well "To our future, to the Emerald Empire, and to King Rufus McDonald. HERE!" they all drank and sat back down to finish their meals, Carrigan felt relieved by the Taoseach's words but he saw him leaning back to Admiral Lennon whispering something he felt a cold chill again when he looked down and saw the index finger pointing at him again. "Please let this work" Carrigan softly said under his breath as he drank his wine and went to finish his meal. 

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It was 11 am, the target ships had been docked and moored South of Cricon a couple hundred miles from shore. The cool air of the Southern Sea whipped across the deck of the Vercingetorix, the Taoiseach and the admirals watched on the bridge of the carrier with Captain Carrigan fixated on the targets laid out to be hit. Captain Jones' was situating herself for a final time before takeoff, the first half of her group would carry out the dive bombing and her group would fly to drop torpedoes on the aged dreadnought. She pulled out a photo of her son and gave it a small kiss, "mommy is gonna make you proud" she softly said as she put the photo back into the front pocket of her uniform. "Contact!" the flight crew leader shouted as the small, synchronized explosions of the engines quickly became drowned by the roar of the loud Mud Dauber engine. Jones put on her goggles and turned her radio on "check in" she said on it. 

The fighters would chime in reporting their status, after all the aircraft cleared, she rose her thumb in the air to the flight deck officer and one by one they began to fly off the deck. The first few fighters had some nerve wracking take offs with a shorter deck to work with but eventually all the fighters entered the sky circling and gaining power in their staol engines before being able to accomplish combat speed. "Alright lads, launch tactical dive bomb strikes on target one group 1 make your run, group 2 lets get our distance set." Jones and her team broke off as the first group ascended to the horizon, Carrigan looked over at the admirals and Taoiseach as they followed the fighters ascension. "Hornet 1 we've reached target, permission to engage" said the break off squadron leader, Jones immediately responded with no hesitation as her fighters turned to make their return at a lower altitude "engage target!". In unison the fighters began their decent toward the target, the monitor vessel, "approaching target at maximum velocity switch to target scope" the pilots would lean into a specialized scope to help them better aim where the bombs would land, "engage diving flaps!" the aircraft would slow down slightly as they dropped toward the ship "4,000 feet.....3,000.....2,000" as the fighters closed in they one by one dropped their payload. The first set missed entirely earning some scathing remarks from Admiral Gordon, but the last set hit directly where they needed to inflicting a fatal hit. "What's the status on the monitor?" Carrigan called to his observation crew, "she's taking water, it was a kill!" the admirals sighed some relief but O'Donnell seemed unimpressed as Jones and her squadron approached their target. 

"Stay low maintain speed and use scopes" Jones leaned in her scope as it pulled up the battleship, the Dauber fighter squadron spread out to inflict as many torpedo hits as possible. O'Donnell was now clearly annoyed as he watched them approach, as they approached and dropped their torpedoes most would set off inflicting damage to the battleship. Jones dropped hers off last and pulled off as the distinct sound of it hitting the battleship set off letting her feel some relief, "status on the Vir La Marie?" Carrigan called out, "she's listing sir! It's a kill!" the admirals clapped and began congratulating themselves. "Well done Carrigan, your pilots did very well." Admiral Lennon said as he shook the Captain's hand, their celebration was cut short however "I guess this will have to do, I assumed there would  be...more." O'Donnell slowly made his way over to the Captain "congratulations Captain Carrigan, you're now at the forefront of a very expensive expansion of our navy. File all of this to Royal Command and have a copy sent to my office." Carrigan felt dread as the Taoiseach walked toward the bridge exit, "Wasn't good enough Richard? We got the results we wanted." The room fell silent as Admiral Lennon called out the Taoiseach. O'Donnell turned around to face his Admiral, "They sank some dead in the water ships, what of it? Yes the technology has been...eh. Annoying to master, I assume that'll be good enough for his highness. But next time, they'll shoot back."  Admiral Lennon kept his annoyance under control but still retorted back, "It's a start Richard, with this we can beat Kumosenkan." O'Donnell smiled "my old friend, it'll need to be more to beat anyone." O'Donnell left the bridge, Lennon grabbed Carrigan's arm to sway his attention back, "ignore him, we'll send this report in. We're going to get another carrier out here soon and begin work on more drills like this." Carrigan spoke freely as the moment swept him up, "Sir, with all due respect why invest in this? Just build more dreadnoughts and destroyers." Lennon nodded, "that would be to some the smart route, but we tried matching with numbers. It worked till it didn't, and now we must evolve our way." The Admiral saluted Carrigan as they others who were lost in conversation suddenly lined up behind Lennon to salute as well, "Your crew did well, a week of shore leave and then back to it." Carrigan saluted his Admiral and they left for the Boudica. 

As the carrier group found itself alone again and preparing to depart while securing the fighters down, Jones and her squadron celebrated loudly with their mechanic and flight crews as the fighters were lowered below deck and secured. Carrigan sat in his Captain's chair lost in thought as his helmsman approached him, "sir we're ready to raise anchor and depart for Brittany." Carrigan drew a long loud breath as he stood up, "well, let's go start our shore leave then." The crew smiled as the stress of having several high-ranking officials seemed to finally wear off, "SO!" Carrigan clapped his hands and rubbed them furiously, "I hear there's this place in Brittany that has the best steak you can get in the entire kingdom! I am going to eat like a king!" the crew fell silent but kept smiling as the comms officers softly muttered "theeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeee he is." The Vercingetorix and her escorts made their way back North toward Brittany for a much needed rest.