———
USS Gonzalez, Atlantic Ocean
August 7th, 2025
In the dark-lit room of the CIC, Captain Sarah looked at the moving symbols highlighted on the tacmap.
Beside her, Fischer looked at it with a stoic face, his mind already working to the possible outcomes on the unfolding situation.
The USCG will be on standby, they will respond when called, as of now. The Gonzalez was the closest to investigate the fleet, although she was not alone as a P3 is with them.
“Repeat?…” A radio operator raised his eyebrows.
“What is it?” Fischer approached the man.
“Sir, Kingfish reports no merchant vessels. Instead they report a fleet of world war two looking ships,” The operator paused, knowing that gazes were landing on him with questionable looks.
“Patch me through to Kingfish,” Sarah interrupted their gazes. “We will know if the pilots are having a stroke or telling the truth.”
The operator fiddled with his console before giving a thumbs up to Sarah, she nodded before pulling the telephone close to her mouth.
“This is Captain Chen, of the Gonzalez. Kingfish please repeat your report,” She heard the whine of engines from the otherside.
“This is Kingfish, we have visually identified a fleet of seven World War Two looking warships sailing towards you. They have responded with a change in their formation.”
“Could you send Visual?”
“Yeah Captain, sending visual now.”
Another operator with a separate role reported, “Video received, patching video now…”
Displayed on a unimportant screen in the CIC, a video feed from the P3 — Evident by the backround noise and height of which the video was recorded at — was displayed.
The screen showed a fleet of warships, consisting of what looked liked a Battleship at the head; Three large Cruiser types; Two small destroyers from the looks; and a normal looking supply ship.
“Kingfish, maintain separation and continue with reporting the fleet's movements. Captain out,” She placed the telephone back.
“Get me the Commander,” The operator followed.
The operator looked at Sarah, “He is on the line Cap.”
Grabbing ahold she immediately questioned, “Commander, Captain Sarah, we have a fleet of unidentified warships.”
“What?” George who was the commander of the 2nd fleet exclaimed.
George recomposed and questioned, “What do you mean unidentified?”
“Sir, its better if you see it. We are sending a datalink,” Sarah spoke.
“Receiving, datalink confirmed. Opening Now,” The other side went quiet.
George took a long time to respond, which in the meantime. Sarah used it to check on the crews expression in the CIC.
Most had a hardened face, some had a bored expression, and a tiny amount were staring indifferent to the situation.
Fischer was looking at the tacmap, staring intensely at the symbol that indicated the unidentified fleet moving towards the Gonzalez.
George returned, albeit with new orders, “Captain, you are to investigate, approach with caution and maintain 10 mile separation, orders from the President. Additionally, be advised the USS Gerald Ford and her strikegroup is enroute ETA 1 hour.”
‘President?’ Sarah thought before replying, “Copy Commander, investigate fleet and maintain 10 mile separation. Thanks for the info, Gonzalez out.”
She dropped the call and approached the telephone, “Bridge, CIC, get me to the XO”
The voice of the XO came through, “This is the XO.”
“XO, This is the Captain, set for Condition Yellow, get the word out. We have unidentified fleet closing,”
“Copy,” The XO confirmed.
Turning her head to the tacmap she noticed the TAO, “TAO, get our weapon systems to Condition One.”
The TAO answered calmly, “Aye, Captain.”
Then communication's operator again got his captain's attention with a report, “Kingfish reports; We have a small warship being detached from the formation, ship is currently closing to their holding pattern.”
Sarah thought for a moment before responding, “Tell Kingfish to maintain distance from the warship, if fired upon; vacate and maintain 20 mile seperation.”
“Yes ma'am,” He confirmed.
“Captain, XO is trying to talk to you,” A operator informed.
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Sarah gave her thanks before answering, “XO?”
“Captain, we have visually spotted Three vessels on our starboard bow… Make that Six, sizes are alternating.”
Sarah turned to ask Fischer, “Do we have any electronic emissions coming from them?”
Fischer eyed the tacmap, “Got small emissions, but we can barely make it out.”
“And, this is just my opinion. Who would send their fleet into US waters without notifying us, unless they staged the blackout last night…” He trailed off.
She dismissed it, “Cant say anything for now, this is either a stupid billionaire's prank or something else entirely.”
She returned to the call, “XO, Maintain visual and report if they do anything suspicious.”
“Aye, also just about to report. Their signaling us with lights, dont get anything what they are saying cause their spelling the words wrong.”
She turned to Fischer, “Get me visual feed.”
He didn't need to repeat the order before a operator, put up on one of the screens a live feed of the ships in view.
“Damn, they look like their underarmed for a world war two lookalike warship.”
“Yeah they look like some interwar period warships,”
“What are those etchings on the hulls?”
Some operators talked amongst themselves, while Sarah and Fischer's eyebrows were raised.
She talked to the XO again, “Get us to their port side, if any evasion is taken immediately get us out. I don't want to take chances, CIC out.”
“Aye, Captain.,” She heard the reply before the phone was returned to it's place and the call ended.
“Sonar reports; the ships have stopped, they are drifting.” A operator reported while listening intently, “Screws are dead, they are absolutely drifting.”
“Captain! Rowboat…” Fischer paused and checked again, “Rowboat has departed from the largest ship, and heading towards us.”
“Fischer, maintain vigilance. I'll be up on the bridge,” She checked the tacmap one last time.
Sarah then exited the CIC, passing a rushing sailor who was entering CIC. Stepping on the deck of the small hallway, she began the journey to the bridge.
After a short walk, she entered the bridge. Finding the XO using some binoculars to look at the ship.
“Harry,” Sarah called out the XO
Said XO put his binoculars down, “Their right there, one small ship joined the fleet while you were coming here.”
He handed her the binoculars he was holding, “Take a look.”
Seeing said ships, her eyes examine the hulls and the various weapons that could be seen.
“Have we tried hailing?”
“Yes, but we have no response. Even on a open channel,” The XO shook his head.
Sarah sighs, “Alright, get to CIC. I have the conn.”
“Aye, Captain has the conn.”
He then left the bridge, leaving with the claks of shoes in his wake.
Placing down the binoculars, she orders, “Helm, full stop.”
“Aye, full stop,” the Helmsman relayed and the ship suddenly shuddered.
Grabbing ahold, Sarah grabbed her phone near her chair, “Engine room, bridge.”
“This is the engine room,” A soft voice came from the phone.
“Get our engines ready for anything, they might try something.”
“Aye, bridge out.”
Placing the phone down she turns to look at the Operations Officer, “Thompson, get Jackson and his team deploy via rhib, get them to report every 30 minutes.”
“Aye ma'am,” The man confirmed.
———
Kolri Ocean, Aetheria
Month of Harvest 7th, 1256
The grey ship in the distance had stopped, its intentions unknown to the curious Princess.
She had seen many many ships, and that was an understatement. She had seen all the world can offer, but now this?
She smiled at the thought of a summoned nation like the ramblings of Enriko from the 1st continent, her only non-nobility or essentially a commoner from anyone's eyes
She was princess Hanalia Metri, of the kingdom of Cretia. 2nd princess of the royal family, and a smart girl.
She was wearing a dress, from the shoulder to the knee. The dress had golden linings, and the kingdom's colours of Red, White, and Yellow.
She wore the dress due to it being standard of an ambassador, if they were royalty.
Looking back at the now drifting ship, she analysed it from bow to stern.
The ship had one small looking cannon at the front, the only weapon that she can see.
“Princess,” Her trusted bodyguard Moryl emerged from behind.
“Yes?” She didn't glanced back.
Moryl questioned, “May i question why you are out and about while a mysterious ship around?”
“Hmm… Its royal matters,” She tried playing it off.
Moryl saw through it, but never said anything as he was busy examining the ship.
Glancing to look back at the grey ship, she noticed that the ship had dropped a smaller but black boat.
Looking around the fleet she noticed a lone rowboat, it's crew of four were slowly moving towards the ship.
“Why did we sent a small rowboat?” She asked to no one in particular.
Looking at the rowboat, Shirl felt pity for them rowing. Remembering that, she drifted her eyes to look at the small black boat.
There she noticed that the boat was speeding across the ocean, it's occupants wore in blue and holding on to the boat, not even rowing.
“How…” Moryl said in disbelief, losing his mind at the boat's fast speed.
“Hm?” She noticed the boat slowing down near the middle point between the ship and the fleet.
After a while, the rowboats arrived at the middle point. From what she can see, the otherside was visibly holding some stalves, if they were stalves.
The two sides talked to eachother, after a while of waiting a sailor approached.
“Your highness,” The sailor bowed in respect. “Queens Admiral Elliott, has requested your presence.”
She thanked the sailor and left without even leaving Moryl a glance, to him it was quite saddening.
Well deep inside he knows that the princess was quite annoyed with him, because ever since they came aboard he had painstakingly forced the sailors to do their absolute best in front of her.
Once she found out, he was banned from ever approaching her until the fleet had reached the first Continent.
She bared some grudges but decided not to openly display it, until now.
He caught up once the princess entered the bridge room, to their supprise the room had a tense silence hanging in the air.
No one spoke, no one looked around, no one reported. They only looked at their work areas and made only light noise.
QAdm. Ronan Elliott, quickly took notice of them, “Ah Princess, the ship has been identified.”
Hanalia had her interest piqued, “Continue.”
“It's from the 'United States of America' and they are it's Navy,” He pointed at the ship.
“United States of America? Never heard of it,” Moryl dismissed it, causing Hanalia to shoot a pointed look at him.
Rowan continued nonetheless, “The ship has requested someone to clear up any misunderstandings, while they too will ready someone for the same thing.”
“I'll go,” She immediately said, shocking everyone in the bridge room.
“Princess…” Rowan tried to persuade her in a serious voice, but was cut off by Moryl.
“No, you are not going there.”
“I can and i need to, does anyone onboard know diplomacy like i do?” She asked, knowing full well that she was the only diplomat here.
The fleet had only the princess as the diplomat, no one else was here other than some aides of hers.
“No…” Moryl said, “We dont know them, how are we going to trust not to harm you?”
“A leap of faith? Anyhow, this is our only chance to get home. I apologise but i have already overheard your conversation Ronan,” She looked at Ronan with a apologetic look.
Ronan waved it off, “Well, i can't effectively hide it from you eventually.”
“What do you mean?” Moryl was confused.
“Not now, Moryl.” She quickly dismissed, “Ronan, where do we meet?”
He laid down the choices, “I have two options for you, either here onboard or onboard theirs.”
Moryl was about to voice out the second option, but Hanalia had spoken first, “I would like to go on their's.”
“I will go by myself,” She added, but Moryl was having a heart attack.
“No, they will come here. You are a Princess,” He raised his voice, but Hanalia didn't get bothered by it.
“I need their trust, more than ours,” She plainly said.
Moryl went blank, and Hanalia took that time to tell Ronan to get that black boat to fetch her.
Ronan unlike Moryl, had another approach of just a sailor accompanying her to the ship.
To which she was forced to say yes, “Fine, I'll bring one sailor only.”
“May your ancestors guide you, your accompanying sailor will be aboard already of the black boat,” Ronan bowed before returning to his duties.
Once it was finished, she left the bridge and moved to amidships. Greeting some sailors passing by, of which many were busy so they didn't properly greeted her.
She didn't mind them, and finally reached the place where the rowboats were stored.
Clearly one was missing, but she didn't mind it as her eyes was on the black boat. It gained distance from the rowboat, it was heading towards the Spirehold.
Inspecting the occupants aboard the black boat, she noticed a fellow Cretian sailor among them directing the boat towards her position.
Reaching the side of the ship a loud sound assaulted her ears, only after the boat came to a stop the sound eventually died.
Two sailors aboard hoisted down a ladder, one of the unknown men grabbed it and secured it.
Now she was second guessing, she had forgotten to change her dress.
Without even telling them to look away, the four men aboard respectively looked away. Much to her gratitude, she then climbed down.
Upon stepping aboard, she was then guided to sit down.
“Welcome aboard Princess,” One of the unknown men greeted.
The two didn't speak, but they looked at Hanalia with curiosity.
The accompanying Cretian sailor also greeted, but with a bow.
The unknown man introduced himself, “I am Lieutenant Jackson, please kindly sit tight as the ride will be fast.”
“I'll be in your care,” Hanalia held her dress down, not that it was necessary but well because of etiquette
The sailor sat across from her, eyeing the unknown men including this Jackson who was driving the boat.
The sound again assaulted her ears, but she merely ignored it as it will be quick if they say so.
The boat suddenly sped away from the hull, suprising her body as it jerked back. A hand kindly stopped her body from falling down, looking back it was Jackson's hand who caught her.
She thanked him before looking around, she was surprised to see the hull of HQRS Witches Hunt pass by her view.
Jackson noted the suprise of both of the so called 'Cretians',
He carefully stayed on course, not getting distracted by the princess's dress.
It was carefully crafted from his experienced eyes, but there was clearly some mistakes and small damage found.
Remembering to report he grabbed the radio on the rhib, “Gonzalez, this is Lieutenant Jackson, VIP aboard, ETA two minutes.”
“Solid copy, stay on course,” Came the reply.