NationStates Jolt Archive

"So, what's up, Spooky?"

The Savant didn't even look up from his computer terminal as he addressed his superior.

"Colonel Antioch. We are currently tracking a Griffencrest supertanker via satellite. Escort has been determined to be two Um Al Maradim Fast Attack Craft, based on visual and thermal profile. Chimera Battlegroup II is in range for optimal intercept. Requesting permission to intercept."

Jordan Antioch groaned inwardly. Goddamned Savants. No sense of humor. Thank the Gods that the surgery was strictly voluntary, or he'd go crazy...

"Thanks for calling me then. Permission granted, get Battlegroup II there ASAP. With an escort that light, we should be able to take the prize and get the hell out of there before any reinforcements arrive. Good work, Savant."

The Savant barely nodded, engrossed with relaying orders throughout the fleet. Sighing, Antioch plopped into one of the room's computer booths, and brought up the system's internet browser. And now I wait... Wonder if there's anything good on...

____________________

The Chimera battlegroup skipped quickly across the waves, engines at full, quickly closing the gap between them and the Griffencrest tanker...

OOC: Battlegroup is composed of 2 Sanzoku-class fast cruisers, 1 Subako light carrier, and 4 Ryoushi destroyers.

[snip]Escort has been determined to be two Um Al Maradim Fast Attack Craft, based on visual and thermal profile[snip]

OOC: Hopefully they mentioned somewhere that they would have that specific escort, or else this is a godmod

OOC: Yep, in the main privateering thread.

OOC: Sorry, didn't see this until you said it in Demon's thread. And this will likely be three tankers (Thats what I usually send) and six Um al Maradims.

IC:

The captain of the leading Um al Maradim picked up the enemy ships nearing his convoy. He had heard of these pirates elsewhere, but for some reason never thought he would encounter any. "Battlestations! This is not a drill! enemy privateers off starboard! All units report to your stations!" he shouted into the loudspeaker as klaxons began to sound.

Within minutes, every ship had their Simbad twin launchers, Oto Melara 40mm guns, Giat type M621 20mm guns, and two 12.7mm general purpose machine guns manned, and activated their RADAR jamming systems, hopefully enough to defend against any missiles the pirates can throw at them. If not, chaff and infra-red decoys were prepared. After that, all six ships fired their volley of four Sea-Skua seaskimming missiles, bringing a total of twenty-four anti-shipping missiles screaching towards the invaders.

OOC: Fair enough. I'll edit my above post...

The first thing Captain Yamada heard was the missile alert, quickly followed by the burping of nearly a hundred Barachiel 35mm CIWS opening fire, sending thousands of shells to rip through the incoming missiles, accompanied by the barely audible sound of RAM launchers firing. Swearing, Yamada barked orders across the crowded bridge. Didn't even give us a chance to ask them to surrender. Ah well, guess it's easier this way...

Leaning over the tactical display, Yamada surveyed the damage, or more accurately, lack of damage. The radar on the cruisers was easily powerful enough to slice through the jamming, and the sheer number of Barachiel mounts cut through the Sea Skuas like a hot knife through butter. Glancing at the positioning of the enemy vessels, the Captain began to bark out orders again.

The two cruisers each picked a target, aligned their twelve inch guns, and opened fire, sending nine of the massive rocket-propelled shells at each target, enough high explosives to disable a vessel twice their size. The destroyers doubled up on their victims, their fast-firing five inchers aiming below the waterline on the much smaller Um Al Maradims, going for a quick kill.

Well, at least we've got superior firepower. Now let's see if we can get out of this with a nice fat paycheck... Yamada grabbed the radio, and flipped it on...

"This is Captain Yamada of the cruiser They Don't Pay Me Nearly Enough For This. You are outclassed and outgunned. Surrender immediately and you will not be harmed. This is your final warning. Reply immediately!"

OOC: I'm assuming your escorts are surrounding the tankers at the moment, and my fleet is crossing your T (easy enough considering a tanker's turning radius). Of course, if I'm wrong, everything above should still work out, except I'll have one more target.

Three of the six assault ships went down without firing a shot. The other three, however, returned fire with their 40mm rapid fire turrets, hoping to at least do damage, before they too were hit and sunk. The crews of the tankers than raised up the white flag, and marched out onto the deck, hands in the air.

With only 40mm guns, there was little the Um Al Maradims could do. A well aimed burst managed to take the radar off of a pair of Barachiels on the They Don't Pay Me Nearly Enough For This, as well as putting a line of rather unsightly scratches and dings in the cruiser's superstructure. Still, the rounds were far to small to do any real damage to the CTS privateers, with most of their fire merely causing cosmetic damage at this range.

Wincing at the sound of the shells ricocheting off of his hull, Yamada noted the two Barachiels go offline, and made a note to patch them into the ship's main radar once the battle was over. Watching his crew at work, he let his XO take over, and watched as the cruisers each picked a new victim, firing off another broadside. The destroyers surged around the sides of the tankers in order to draw a bead on the last Um Al Maradim, opening fire again with their five inchers, this time raking the deck and superstructure with fire now that the tankers no longer were in danger of being damaged.

Looking out from his vantage point on the TDPMNEFT's bridge, Captain Yamada could see the sailors on the tankers on the deck, white flag waving above their heads.

"Looks like the tankers have given up. XO, relay orders to our carrier and have them launch boarding parties as soon as those last few escorts are gone. Low-V rounds and kolo 'nades in those HVARs. Don't want to set the boats on fire if some idiot sailor starts a firefight. Once the tankers are cleared, send over prize crews from our Subako."

*bump for Blackhelm*

I'm sorry, but what am I replying to, the tankers surrendered.

OOC: Ah, okay then. I'll just take 'em back to Rosdivan, hock 'em, and start over on another convoy.

Captain Yamada smiled. The boarding action had gone over without a hitch. The crews were locked up tight in the brigs of the CTS vessels, and his prize crews had assumed control of the tankers. Repair crews were already at work on the damaged Barachiel mounts, which would soon be patched into the ship's main Radar system. The warships were now in escort position around the tankers, headed now towards Rosdivan at full steam to be auctioned off. Three of these massive vessels would fetch a pretty penny, and with his crew's promised 20% of the profits, Yamada was already thinking of ways to spend his cut...

For my info on figuring out how much money is to be awarded, what's the size of those supertankers?

OOC: There are 1.2 million barrels between the three tankers. Griffincrest sends out ten convoys like this a day, each ship has 400,000 barrels.

IC: Seeing that the Um al Maradims were in sufficient as escorts when facing these well trained GASN hired pirates, Griffincrest higher ups decided to replace the Um al Maradim attack ships with the larger, more powerful Rajput class destroyers that they had just recently purchased from their allier in Leafanistan. With two destroyers to every tanker, six in the convoy, it would take a small naval battle for these privateers to gain their booty so easily.

Another upgrade that was decided upon was for the tankers. Each tanker was fitted with a Bofors 40 MK3. These 40mm naval guns had the capacity to fire 330 rounds a minute up to 12,500 metres, thus giving the fleet another valuable weapon. Also, four RPG-7's, a Javelin anti-tank weapon, and ten G36E's were put aboard the ship, so that the crew would be better able to defend themselves. Another raid would not be as easy as the last one.

Communique from Durandel Tanking to Chimera Mercenary Company

Having heard of your success through the Commonwealth Privateering Oversight Commission, we would like to tender the first bid for the ships and cargo that you have captured. Should you accept, we will pay twenty million dollars per ship, and sixty million dollars for the cargo of oil, for a total of one hundred twenty million dollars. Half of this will be sent to government of the Supreme Commonealth of Rosdivan, in accordance with existing regulations regarding the government's share of prize money. Should you accept, we will fly out suitable crews to finish taking the ships into port, and transition them into our own service.

Most sincerely,
John Redenbacker, CEO of Durandel Tanking