Five Civilized Nations
02-04-2007, 17:35
Beneath the surface of the ocean, a silent killer lurked, slowly stalking its prey with all the patience of a predator. It was a fast attack submarine, a devastating warship armed with torpedoes and missiles. It was a prototype, the sole boat of its class and equipped with state of the art technology that permitted the submarine to step to a whole new level. It had been named the Swordfish for its remarkable speed, but the current owners of the boat had named it Babel after the mythical Tower of Babel and a warning regarding against man’s blind advancement.
It was a deadly opponent, even more so when facing against the six utterly unprepared surface warships who had heard the patient approach of the hostile submarine. A flood of super-cavitating torpedoes erupted into the water, speeding their way towards their unsuspecting targets at insane speeds. By the time red alerts and action stations could be sounded by the surprised crews, it was too late. Torpedoes exploded next to the hulls of the ships, ripping gapping holes into the hull. With no recourse the crews abandoned ship, a distress call sent out from the flagship.
SOS! This is Commodore Aubrey Godfrey, commander of Task Force 139 of the Combined Five Civilized Nations Navy. We have been attacked by unknown enemies. Our ships are sinking and we have suffered casualties. We have abandoned ship and request immediate assistance!
Its mission completed, the submarine stole away slowly back into the depths of the ocean, arrogantly sure that it would not be discovered. The boat’s advanced anechoic tiles and its substantial array of noise dampening technology easily ensured that it would not be easily discovered. Leveling out at some 500 meters, it moved along at a leisurely pace of several knots.
For the past several months, since its theft from a research facility, it had perpetrated numerous attacks against unprotected and unwary mercantile shipping, sinking many ships and inflicting countless millions in damages and several thousand casualties. As many of the losses had occurred near the territorial waters of the Five Civilized Nations, several squadrons of warships had been dispatched to survey the area. But the Babel always struck too fast and disappeared from sonar before anyone could react. And now, six surface ships of the Navy had been lost. It was clear that something terrible was happening and that the Navy’s attempt at uncovering the truth behind the attacks had been all in vain.
With mounting casualties and economic losses, something had to be done. It was then that news leaked out about the losses over the past several months and the government cover-up. Some enterprising, muckraking reporter discovered that the submarine had been a top secret prototype developed with technology from several black programs. Quickly suppressing the politically devastating news with ruthless efficiency, the military attempted to come up with a solution to their dilemma, until sources confirmed that the attacks were slowly drifting away from the territorial waters of the Five Civilized Nations. Relieved somewhat they were no longer so openly threatened, the CINCSUBPAC (Commander-in-Chief Submarine Pacific) carefully selected a group of three hard-charging submarine captains to find and destroy the Babel, to prevent the priceless technology from being used in such a manner and fall into the wrong hands.
The Barracuda, one of the three ships sent to find the Babel, found itself in very deep water. It had intercepted a distress message from close nearby and was speeding to the location at virtually flank speed. Somehow, through some lucky break, the submarine came to a full stop at the directly the same moment that the Babel unleashed another salvo of super-cavitating torpedoes at its prey. Pinpointing the location, the Barracuda fired a forced snapshot, while it maneuvered to evade the countless torpedoes fired from Babel.
A torpedo slammed into the Barracuda’s sail, harshly tearing a gaping hole. With water pouring in, the submarine made an emergency blow and surfaced. The Babel somehow evading the Barracuda's super-cavitating torpedo and moved away. With much of the electronic equipment in the sail out of action from the concussive power of the torpedo and the water, the Barracuda was dead in the water. Of its hundred plus crew, several had been injured. In the meantime, the merchantman sank like a stone, dropping beneath the waves as its crews escaped.
With alacrity, the Babel disappeared. Without electric power to its main sensory equipment and the fire control, the Barracuda had no way of finding it. Distress signals were sent out and the Barracuda waited for help, while its crew attempted repairs and rescued the surviving crewmen of the merchantman. Her two sister ships also on this mission were still some distance away and it needed some much needed assistance and for someone to remove the civilians from a military vessel with sensitive equipment and technology.
This is Commander Alexei Darchevsky, commanding officer of the CNSS-2682 Barracuda. My command has been severely damaged during an altercation with a hostile force while trying to save a merchantman. Requesting immediate assistance.
With a look of undisguised anguish, Commander Darchevsky regarded his damaged command. It was a painful experience and he wished that it had never occurred. He made a solemn oath that he would bring to justice whoever was responsible for his crimes. Having rigged a rudimentary communications systems up, the Commander wrote a coded message and transmitted it to his superiors.
FR: COMMANDER DARCHEVSKY, CO CNSS-2682 BARRACUDA
TO: CINCSUBPAC
TOP SECRET
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BEGIN TRANSMISSION
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REPORT SIGHTING, SINKING OF THE MERCHANTMAN NAMED JICHANG, DAMAGE OF THE BARRACUDA BY PROTOTYPE SSN, BABEL.
1. HIT BY ONE SUPERCAVITATING TORPEDO (POSSIBLY MK-95 OR VARIANT)
2. SEVERE DAMAGE TO SAIL, HULL BREACHED, ESTIMATE 10 FEET HOLE
3. LOSS OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT DUE TO CONCUSSIVE FORCE OF TORPEDO
4. CASUALTIES: 7 DEAD (2 OFFICERS, 5 ENLISTED), 26 INJURED (2 OFFICERS (INCLUDING XO, 24 ENLISTED)
5. RELEASED SOS CALL TO REMOVE CIVILIAN PRESENCE ABOARD BOAT
COORDINATES TRANSMITTED.
REQUEST FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS
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END TRANSMISSION
It was a deadly opponent, even more so when facing against the six utterly unprepared surface warships who had heard the patient approach of the hostile submarine. A flood of super-cavitating torpedoes erupted into the water, speeding their way towards their unsuspecting targets at insane speeds. By the time red alerts and action stations could be sounded by the surprised crews, it was too late. Torpedoes exploded next to the hulls of the ships, ripping gapping holes into the hull. With no recourse the crews abandoned ship, a distress call sent out from the flagship.
SOS! This is Commodore Aubrey Godfrey, commander of Task Force 139 of the Combined Five Civilized Nations Navy. We have been attacked by unknown enemies. Our ships are sinking and we have suffered casualties. We have abandoned ship and request immediate assistance!
Its mission completed, the submarine stole away slowly back into the depths of the ocean, arrogantly sure that it would not be discovered. The boat’s advanced anechoic tiles and its substantial array of noise dampening technology easily ensured that it would not be easily discovered. Leveling out at some 500 meters, it moved along at a leisurely pace of several knots.
For the past several months, since its theft from a research facility, it had perpetrated numerous attacks against unprotected and unwary mercantile shipping, sinking many ships and inflicting countless millions in damages and several thousand casualties. As many of the losses had occurred near the territorial waters of the Five Civilized Nations, several squadrons of warships had been dispatched to survey the area. But the Babel always struck too fast and disappeared from sonar before anyone could react. And now, six surface ships of the Navy had been lost. It was clear that something terrible was happening and that the Navy’s attempt at uncovering the truth behind the attacks had been all in vain.
With mounting casualties and economic losses, something had to be done. It was then that news leaked out about the losses over the past several months and the government cover-up. Some enterprising, muckraking reporter discovered that the submarine had been a top secret prototype developed with technology from several black programs. Quickly suppressing the politically devastating news with ruthless efficiency, the military attempted to come up with a solution to their dilemma, until sources confirmed that the attacks were slowly drifting away from the territorial waters of the Five Civilized Nations. Relieved somewhat they were no longer so openly threatened, the CINCSUBPAC (Commander-in-Chief Submarine Pacific) carefully selected a group of three hard-charging submarine captains to find and destroy the Babel, to prevent the priceless technology from being used in such a manner and fall into the wrong hands.
The Barracuda, one of the three ships sent to find the Babel, found itself in very deep water. It had intercepted a distress message from close nearby and was speeding to the location at virtually flank speed. Somehow, through some lucky break, the submarine came to a full stop at the directly the same moment that the Babel unleashed another salvo of super-cavitating torpedoes at its prey. Pinpointing the location, the Barracuda fired a forced snapshot, while it maneuvered to evade the countless torpedoes fired from Babel.
A torpedo slammed into the Barracuda’s sail, harshly tearing a gaping hole. With water pouring in, the submarine made an emergency blow and surfaced. The Babel somehow evading the Barracuda's super-cavitating torpedo and moved away. With much of the electronic equipment in the sail out of action from the concussive power of the torpedo and the water, the Barracuda was dead in the water. Of its hundred plus crew, several had been injured. In the meantime, the merchantman sank like a stone, dropping beneath the waves as its crews escaped.
With alacrity, the Babel disappeared. Without electric power to its main sensory equipment and the fire control, the Barracuda had no way of finding it. Distress signals were sent out and the Barracuda waited for help, while its crew attempted repairs and rescued the surviving crewmen of the merchantman. Her two sister ships also on this mission were still some distance away and it needed some much needed assistance and for someone to remove the civilians from a military vessel with sensitive equipment and technology.
This is Commander Alexei Darchevsky, commanding officer of the CNSS-2682 Barracuda. My command has been severely damaged during an altercation with a hostile force while trying to save a merchantman. Requesting immediate assistance.
With a look of undisguised anguish, Commander Darchevsky regarded his damaged command. It was a painful experience and he wished that it had never occurred. He made a solemn oath that he would bring to justice whoever was responsible for his crimes. Having rigged a rudimentary communications systems up, the Commander wrote a coded message and transmitted it to his superiors.
FR: COMMANDER DARCHEVSKY, CO CNSS-2682 BARRACUDA
TO: CINCSUBPAC
TOP SECRET
...
...
...
BEGIN TRANSMISSION
...
...
...
REPORT SIGHTING, SINKING OF THE MERCHANTMAN NAMED JICHANG, DAMAGE OF THE BARRACUDA BY PROTOTYPE SSN, BABEL.
1. HIT BY ONE SUPERCAVITATING TORPEDO (POSSIBLY MK-95 OR VARIANT)
2. SEVERE DAMAGE TO SAIL, HULL BREACHED, ESTIMATE 10 FEET HOLE
3. LOSS OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT DUE TO CONCUSSIVE FORCE OF TORPEDO
4. CASUALTIES: 7 DEAD (2 OFFICERS, 5 ENLISTED), 26 INJURED (2 OFFICERS (INCLUDING XO, 24 ENLISTED)
5. RELEASED SOS CALL TO REMOVE CIVILIAN PRESENCE ABOARD BOAT
COORDINATES TRANSMITTED.
REQUEST FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS
...
...
...
END TRANSMISSION