NationStates Jolt Archive

General Transmission
To: All Interested Parties
From: Delkorian Naval HQ
Subject: Naval Exercises
Message:
The Delkorian Navy will be conducting training exercises in open waters against simulated targets. These excercises are NOT to be mistaken for agressive actions. Any civilian ships in the area will be tagged 'Non-Combatants' and ignored. Repeat: The Delkorian Navy will be conducting training exercises in open waters. Please do NOT mistake these exercises for Agressive actions. End of message.

(OOC: Pics and stats Here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=528624))

Admiral Darragorn stood on the bridge of his flagship. The heavy cruiser Valiant, first of her class, was leading the 1st Combat Fleet on their training exercises. His mission, to protect the escort carrier Chadek from an 'enemy' submarine attack, to be carried out by the 1st Attack Group under Captain Daron.
"Is the group deployed?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," replied the ship's Captain. "All ships in defensive positions."
"Good." He turned back towards the window, and looked out upon his fleet. With the Valiant in the lead, the Chadek followed, with two defenders on each side, giving the fleet a 3x2 formation. At least, that's all you could see. For under the surface, Darragorn had six Gamma-class patrol subs and four Zeta-class defender subs. Not a huge force, but enough to deal with most major threats...

-------------------

Captain Daron stood behind his NAV officer, "Time to station?"
The young man looked up from the charts. "20 minutes, sir. Underwater landmarks make navigating this area a bit hazzardous. This is the safest course through the area."
"Very well." He turned to his first officer. "Keep the reactor at eighty percent. I don't want to give away our capibilities until required. And inform me when we reach the target area."
"Yes sir." Darragorn left the command room. One of the crew turned to the first officer. "Why aren't we at full power? What is the Captain afraid of?"
The first officer turned to face the sailor. "Other nations will be observing our exercises. The Captain wants to wait until we are 'attacking' before revieing the boat's full speed." He laid a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Don't worry. The Captain knows what he's doing. He's been in the Navy since the beginning. Trust him."

(OOC: picture the Russian crew from the movie 'Red October', with Sean Connory as Daron...)

To: Delkorian Naval HQ
From: Colstream Naval HQ
Subject: Naval Exercises

The Colstream Navy has a Destroyer, CSD Adventurer, passing through your waters on her way back to the Republic Of Colstream. She is flying the Republic Of Colstream Flag and Colstream Navy Insignia. She will try to avod your submarine at all costs but she may pass you. We are warning you just in case you see a destroyer during your exercise.
End Of Message.

To: Colstream Naval HQ
From: Delkorian Naval HQ
Subject: Naval Exercises
Understood. Admiral Darragorn has been informed. Your vessel will be tagged 'Non-Combatant' and be ignored.
End of message.

"Admiral, we have intercepted a transmission from HQ."
Darragorn turned to take the note from the Captain. "Hmm. Very well. Inform the squadron, and forward that message to Captain Daron along with the order "Comence exercise."
"Sir." The captain turned to relay the orders to his crew, while Darragorn checked his watch, and gazed out the window. Let us see what kind of legend you are, Daron, he thought...

----------

"Captain! Signal from the Valiant"
Daron reviewed the message. "Very well. Relay to squadron, then retrack radio mast. Prepare to dive, 10 degree down angle." The crew scrambled around a bit to get to their dive stations. The deck officer hit the dive alarm three times, and shouted "Dive! Dive!" as the white lighing in the boat changed to red. All six subs in the group, which had been cruising at parascope depth, began to nose down in the water and head for the bottom. Daron stood in the center of the control room, ignoring the angle of the boat. "Take us down to 250 meters and hold position. Begin tracking the carrier's last known course..."

Darragorn checked his watch. Two hours had passed since he gave the 'Comence exercise' signal. And still no sign of Daron. His crews had been monitoring their sonar constantly, but nothing. "I know you're out there," he muttered.
"Sir," said the captain, "Status report. Still-"
"No sign of enemy subs."
"No, sir." The captain stepped next to Darragorn. "Perhaps he didn't recieve your signal," he sugested.
"No, he's out there," Darragorn's eyes remained on the water, "he's waiting for the right moment..."

----------

Indeed, that's exactly what Daron was doing. His subs were holding position at 630m, sitting silently. Daron stood over the navigation charts, thinking to himself, while the crew's eyes wandered the room, waiting for action. One leaned over to his neighbor, "What are we waiting for?"
"Captain wants to be right under 'em," he relied. "Then we hit 'em from below!"
"Quiet!" ordered the deck officer. "Don't give us away." The men straightened in their seats. The officer moved next to the captain. "Sir," he said, "When are we going to move?"
"Wait," Daron replied, "Wait." He checked his watch, aand counted the seconds. "Sound a single ping."
"Sir? Won't that give away our-"
"Give me a ping, Vasillie," ordered Daron, "One ping only, please."
The officer moved over to the sonar station, reached down, and pressed a large button. A loud ping vibrated the hull. Daron smilled and studied his charts, where his postion was marked, right under the marked course of Darragorn's fleet. Time marks noted along the course, and at this exact moment, it would take them over Daron's squad.
"Captain, what is our plan?" asked Vasillie.
"Right now, two of our boats are rising to target and eliminate Darragorn's escort subs," Daron replied. "In five minutes, we will rise and take out the carrier. The battle will be over before it started..."

Darragon smilled. There you are, he thought while watching the sonar. "We've got him! Signal all subs to intercept-"
"Sir! Incoming attackers!"
"Report!"
"Two contacts at 500 meters and rising! Closing fast."
"Re-deploy in a defensive screen! Have our subs intercept them. Move the Chadek away from the engagement zone," he studied his NAV charts, "course 277. move us between her and the attackers."
Six Gamma-class patrol subs moved to intercept the two attacking subs. The Chadek changed course and turned away, trying to get clear. Little did her captain know that he was falling right into a trap...

----------

Daron smiled as he watched the sonar screen. "Perfect. Darragorn is responding exactly as I predicted."
Vasillie turned to his captain. "What is our next move?"
Daron checked his watch. Three minutes had passed. "Sound another ping. Then take us to position A-4, slowly."
"Yes sir." Vasillie nodded to another officer, who hit the sonar button, sending a ping through the hull. "Helm, ahead slow," ordered Vasillie. The sub began to move forward in the water, as another followed it. Meanwhile, two others from the group now began to rise up and head for the surface ships...

"New contacts! right below us and heading for the carrier!"
"Blast!" Darragorn quickly moved to the sonar station. "Where are they-"
"Sir!" the radio officer called out, "Battle report. SPN-'s 164, 166, and 167, and SDN-8 are 'dead', moving out of the engagement zone."
"What?" Darragorn was shocked. "So quickly? Did we get any of them?"
"One confirmed 'kill'," he reported. "Then they dove deep. We lost track of them."
Darragorn shook his head, recovered, and turned back to the sonar. "He's going after the Gondor. This was a diversion!" Standing up straight, he faced the radio officer. "Warn the carrier! Change course back to our position!"

----------

Daron'e eyes were glued to his watch. Vasillie and the crew watched him. They were in position, and were waiting for orders. Tick, tick, tick, tick, the seconds slowly rolled by. Daron waited a moment longer, then looked up. "Very well. Take us up. Load dummy torpedoes, and prepare to fire, straight ahead."
"Yes sir." Vasillie started to move, then hesitated, "Sir, straight ahead? Not awuire target?"
"Straight ahead," Daron repeated. "Don't worry. I know what Darragorn is doing. He has realized our first move was a diversion, and is now recalling the carrier from being hit by our second move. However, to rejoin the group, it must pass right through our current course in," he checked his watch, "90 seconds. The torpedo Vasillie."
"Yes sir," he turned to relay the orders, as the sub angled itself up and rose to the surface. "Torpedo ready."
"Stand by." Daron, yet again, turned to his watch. He counted the seconds, then, "Fire."