The Red Sun Rises: Voyages

by The Atlantean


Tally Ho No

It was a few days after adjusting course to a more easterly direction. Robinson stood in the Bridge, with Amber in the Tower to direct air traffic. Officers were busy working to launch the first air patrol since they arrived in the Celestial Sea, punching buttons and talking on radio.
On the Flight Deck, two Super Hornets waited for the final green light, their exhaust glowing orange in the darkness of early morning. Behind them, two more taxied towards the catapults for launch into the cool air. Several more were rising up the four elevators from the Hangar Deck.
Celestia had determined that she could swap the sun and moon more slowly, giving a more realistic feel to the cartoonish world of Equestria, so light came later and dark came sooner. This was a relief to the carrier and her escort because the sun didn’t come up within half an hour. As a result, early morning tended to come with plenty of warning.
Robinson found himself quietly singing the song “The Final Countdown” as Amber gave authorization for takeoff. As the cycle of twenty aircraft catapulted forward two by two, he could hear himself over the dim roar of jet engines.
“Sir, all fighters in the first cycle have launched.”
Robinson shook his head back into reality. “Understood. Keep me informed.”
Another one of the officers looked at the admiral. “I didn’t know you were one for musical numbers, sir.”
“I’ve done lots of parodies to modern songs, most of them getting good notes. They’re all up on YouTube; if we get back, I’ll tell you the username,” he replied.
The one at communications had a message come in. “Sir, Nebraska has a contact off the port bow, identifying now.” A few moments later, he said, “Tactical, activate radar. Admiral, contact is a Chinese nuclear carrier, listing heavily to starboard. Her hull seems to be mostly intact, with the exception of a massive chunk taken out of the stern. They have sealed the damage, but require assistance to prevent the ship from listing too far and capsizing.”
The radar activated, and dots appeared in a cluster just over the horizon. Several smaller vessels, probably an escort, and a larger one, presumably the carrier, were to the north. According to scrambled radio signals coming in, the Americans could assume they were in serious trouble.
“Helm, head for the Chinese fleet, ahead flank. Comms, inform the fleet of our course change.” Robinson called up Amber, still in the Tower. “Amber, I need all fighters ready for launch. We have a Chinese fleet dead ahead. And-” He was about to recall the fighters already in the air to refuel and arm, but remembered that only the Admiral in the Tactical Flag Communications Center aboard Reagan or the CAG (in charge of all aircraft while at sea) could recall fighters.
He was saved by the CAG’s request to land the first cycle for armament. So, as the first cycle landed, the second prepared for launch.
Aboard the other vessels, the captains hurried to follow the carrier on its new heading without hitting anyone. With little steering on the frigates and one destroyer, it was easier said than done. The three navigationally damaged ships almost sailed into each other, but quick-reacting crews prevented a looming disaster.
The two fast attack submarines and Scorpion circled the disabled Chinese fleet, ready to defend their carrier at the first sign of hostility. But for now, the Chinese seemed to be focused on keeping their ships afloat instead of dealing with American submarines. The scariest prospect for them was to lose probably one of only three carriers in their navy in an unknown world.
The Reagan Task Force was soon less than a nautical mile from their Chinese counterparts. No sign of hostile activity could be seen on radar, with sonar revealing the same results.
“Chinese carrier, this is Admiral Robinson, captain of USS Ronald Reagan. Identify yourself, loud and clear.” Turning to Celestia, who had teleported to the Bridge, he asked, “Do you think they can understand English?”
She shrugged her shoulders in reply. Again, it just looked really weird.
Static crackled over the line-of-sight communications system, then an English-understanding Chinese sailor replied. “USS Ronald Reagan, this is CNS Liaoning. Please stand down your fighters; we mean no hostility.”
“I can see that.” Turning to the comms, he heard that the CAG figured his move and recalled the jets. One by one, they all landed on Reagan.
“We have lost all propulsion, and our refueling tanker is lost at sea. If you could find it for us, we would be extremely grateful.”
“CNS Liaoning, the United States is at war with Russia and China. By assisting you, we betray our own country. We've already disobeyed orders by not attacking as soon as we found you.”
“USS Ronald Reagan, we are willing to put our differences aside for the time being in order to get home. Are you?”
Robinson looked at Celestia. She nodded her agreement to the Chinese offer, hoping he would as well. Her belief was to kill as little as possible, and use diplomacy whenever able. Makes sense, considering she is literally from a kid's cartoon.
He thought of every outcome. If they helped the enemy, it meant a court-marshaling for every single crewman. It would be counted as treason. On the other hand, it might mean getting home sooner.
If he left the Chinese to sink, it would go against all ethical ideals he believed in. Plus, it might erupt into a battle as he sailed east. A battle that could cost him half his escort. The only viable option was to assist the Chinese.
As he pondered a decision, the Chinese carrier's escort attacked. Their guns roared and their missiles began to launch.
“Sir, they've begun an assault!”
“MOTHER FUCK!” Robinson slammed his fist down onto a console. “Initiate self-defense immediately!”
Omaha, Scorpion, and Nebraska readied torpedoes and launched. The few destroyers, cruisers, and frigates launched missiles to shoot down their Chinese counterparts, and Pennsylvania fired its booming battleship guns.
The battleship’s projectiles slammed into Liaoning’s hull and Island superstructure. They penetrated the carrier's Hangar Deck and continued on to wreak havoc in the Chinese ship. Meanwhile, the submarines’ torpedoes blasted holes into the destroyers and cruisers of the escort. Missiles exploded each other and the ships launching them, and Reagan’s landing Super Hornets boltered, zooming down the Flight Deck to regain speed and fight the Chinese enemy. Those still high in the sky simply turned around.
Robinson threw everything about civil confrontations at sea out the window. The bastards had ambushed him, and he had to do something. He ordered a full assault. “Destroy all the sons of bitches. Show them we mean business!”
Celestia was shocked, but kept herself from yelling at the admiral for his decision. It wasn't the course of action she would've taken, but he was running this show with more experience at sea than she had acquired over her thousand years.
One of the anti-aircraft weapons on a Chinese ship pelted a Super Hornet that swooped down and looped back to Reagan’s direction. The flak tore through the Hornet’s fuselage, and the pilot was killed. Momentum kept his jet flying towards the American carrier, right into the -
“LOOK OUT!” Celestia screamed as she teleported herself and Robinson out of the Bridge and onto the Flight Deck. The two turned just in time to see the F/A-18 crash into the Bridge with a deafening roar and a ball of flame. Shrapnel from the explosion flew every which-way, causing Celestia to throw a magic shield around the two for protection.
Damage Control personnel raced out onto the Flight Deck, believing the explosion originated there. Instead, they saw the forward Island in flames, with the admiral and princess staring at the Bridge. The Tower was covered in black smoke, and flaming jet fuel spilled over the Bridge’s remains of a wall to drip down the side.
The sailors reacted well, and quickly. A dozen ran back inside to fight the fire in the corridors, while more put out the one spreading across the Flight Deck on an oil slick.
Up in the Tower, Amber saw the jet a second before the entire carrier shook and her view was blocked by thick, black smoke. She ordered everyone out, being the last to leave. The corridors were heating up, but she made it out onto the Flight Deck, grateful to see Robinson and Celestia standing there.
“I- I didn't get everyone out.” The princess was quite distressed. “They died because I didn't react fast enough. I-”
“Not everyone lives through a battle, my little pony. You did what counted.” Robinson tried to comfort her.
“And what would that be?”
“You got yourself out. I mean, it's pretty damn hard to replace a thousand-year-old princess on short notice.”
“You always said, ‘Ship, shipmate, self.’ That's the order, no loopholes.”
“Honestly, I would've done the same had I been in your position. Sometimes, instinct takes over and you end up skipping things like that. It isn't your fault. My people know what we're doing, and loss is just part of it.”
Celestia looked concerned. “Don't you have at least some kind of funeral?”
“Yes, we do. But that'll happen later. Right now, we need to get command systems back online without the Bridge. Come on, there's an auxiliary center below decks!” Seeing Amber, he said, “Commander, get ready to land those planes when the battle’s over. You have Green Deck!”
She quickly saluted and hurried to command the Flight Deck from on the deck itself. Aircraft personnel ran out with their equipment, and the elevators were luckily still operational. Getting the jets to the Hangar Deck wouldn't be a problem. Landing them on a carrier without the foremost arresting wire, it having been cut by high-speed shrapnel, would.
Amber was glad to see that the Chinese force was going down to Davy Jones, and that their resistance was almost gone. Although it renewed when Reagan’s Island erupted into flames, the continued pressure from her escort destroyed it completely. She took the moment to see the American losses.
USS Halyburton was hit by a Chinese missile, and her captain had given the order to abandon ship. The fire covering her superstructure was obviously out of control, and she looked like helm control was gone as the destroyer drifted near the battleship Pennsylvania. USS Klakring had lost steering again, but her hull was intact. Her damage came from the underwater shockwave of a Chinese cruiser magazine overheating, destroying the enemy ship. Other than that and Reagan’s hit, the American fleet was unharmed.
The Super Hornets flew back to their carrier and landed, one by one, onto the Flight Deck. Their jet engines roared like there was no tomorrow, Amber had to get hearing protection, and a few missed because the foremost wire had snapped, but all surviving aircraft were accounted for.
The Chinese fleet was no more. Their only active, fully constructed carrier was heading to the bottom. The Americans headed on east, repairing their damaged ships along the way.