Laws of the Sea (An A10 Warthog)
August 10th, 2005
1140 Hours
South of Equestria
The U.S.S. Boxer, and an escort Arleigh Burke-class destroyer were approximately fifteen nautical miles off the Eastern coastline of the Acarian continent, where a classified mission was currently taking place. Despite the significantly superior armament of the American ships, Captain Jack Williams was definitely nervous. He was hoping the pararescuemen would hurry up and finish this mission up, before he would end up having to shout at the Royal Equestrian Navy to get them to pay no attention to his ship.
To improve the odds of them being able to claim they were in this area for a peaceful reason, the destroyer, the U.S.S. Howard, was going to head further off the coast in the meantime. While the Boxer had no choice but to sit in uncertain waters until the team came back. The captain knew that under no circumstances, could he leave the pararescue team behind. Sitting on the bridge, he heard a radio call come back, from the helicopter that had left with the rescue team.
“Boxer, this is Padre One. We’re coming in for a landing.”
At this the captain walked over to one of the radio consoles, and picked up a handset. As he did this, all of the other personnel on the bridge didn’t even consider responding to the HH-60, and knew that they wouldn't be doing anything until after their captain spoke to the pilot.
“Padre One, do you have Prancer?”
“Negative. Prancer is Oscar Mike on foot to the target.”
Williams groaned and moved away from the console, as the control officers cleared the helicopter for landing on the deck. This was exactly what he was afraid of; more delays.
It was less than ten minutes after the helicopter landed back on the American ship, that one of the Boxer's radars picked up a ship moving straight towards the Boxer, from the north. Williams immediately began ordering his officers to get an ID on the ship moving towards them, to figure out if it would react in an immediately hostile manner. It didn’t take long for them to figure out from both its speed and size that it was in fact an Equestrian Coast Watcher patrol boat, a branch quite similar to the American’s own Coast Guard, but couldn’t get a name or class.
On the bridge, an officer hailed the Coast Watcher ship via VHF Channel 16, but the Equestrians didn’t respond. To the captain, it seemed that they may not be using radios thanks to their nation’s isolationist policy, however, that seemed like it would be a little bit too far. So, the captain decided that if the Equestrians were there, they would most likely end up responding, so he told the officer to keep at it.
“Equestrian Coast Watcher vessel, this is the U.S.S. Boxer, we have no hostile intentions, if you intend to contact us, respond immediately. Break.”
The American captain sighed, as this hailing was repeated again. He had been at this job for a long time, and had seen his own share of action against smugglers, pirates and other hostiles on the high seas. When he was growing up in Seattle, he’d been around ships of all sizes, and had decided that with the world going the way it was around the late 1980s, he felt that becoming a US naval officer was a good route for him. But, after all the incidents he had seen, he really would prefer not having to deal with any of the ramifications of any confrontation, even a peaceful one.
After the eleventh time repeating the message, the ponies finally had their own response. “Boxer, this is RECW Orange Sunset, we want to figure out exactly what you’re doing in our waters, without prior permission.” It was noteworthy that this radio message came in when the boat was about three nautical miles away. And, at this declaration, the captain decided he needed to speak to them.
“Orange Sunset, this is the captain of the U.S.S. Boxer. For the record here, we’re fifteen miles out. Everything twelve miles, or more, out is in international waters as established by the United Nations convention on laws of the sea.”
“Boxer, we are aware as to what the UN,” the pony said those two letters in clear disdain, “believes the definitions of naval territory to be. However, Equestria’s policy has always been fifty nautical miles. I’m sure you understand that.”
The Equestrian vessel continued traveling closer to the American ship, two and a half nautical miles at this point. “Orange Sunset, what exactly do you want?”
“We received a report from one of our pegasi about one of your helicopters flying into our territory. We are unsure of the motives behind this move, and we would like to find out.”
“Orange Sunset, why didn't you state this earlier?”
“We just got a report of a helicopter flying towards our country, from about where you are now.”
The American sighed. He knew he had to stall their arrival, for at least as long as it took for the HH-60 to head back out for the team. "Orange Sunset, you are aware that under US Navy Rules of Engagement, if you get within 350 yards of this ship, you will be fired upon, correct?"
The pony offered no immediate response to what was clearly a threat. While the pony at the other end was no doubt working up the courage to come up with some form of retort, the line was completely empty. Or it was, until another individual using that channel popped up. "This is the Equestrian Trader Vessel Autumn Breeze, we're in distress! One-hundred twenty miles south of Baltimare! Can anyone assist? Oh sweet Celestia, what is-" The voice on the other end of the channel was cut off with a piercingly loud, static-filled sound that the captain recognized as machinegun fire.
"Autumn Breeze, this is the Equestrian Coast Watcher Vessel Orange Sunset. We're sending a pegasus to investigate what is going on at your position. Can you hear me?"
There was no response from the trading vessel, as the crew of the American ship had already anticipated. The American captain knew that it was a blessing that the Equestrian ship would be distracted, but he also knew that if they went to help in their current state, they'd all inevitably die. Sighing, the captain made the choice he knew he would regret the least. "Orange Sunset, this is the U.S.S. Boxer, from what we can make out, it sounds like that vessel was attacked by machine guns. I can't recommend going in there unarmed."
"What exactly do you recommend then?!" the pony was clearly panicked at this point, so much he could clearly hear that through the radio.
It was as this message came in, that the ship's XO, an officer named Richard Cox, entered the bridge. As he did so, he took off his cap. "Sir, a seaman on the flight deck said he spotted a modern patrol boat off our port side. About four or so nautical miles off. I'm getting a feeling they're not here to go sightseeing."
The captain moved away from the radio console, then sat down in his chair as ran his right hand through his hair. He mumbled something and then addressed one of the men using a radio. "Say that the U.S.S. Boxer will be moving out to rescue a civilian vessel."
The flight operations officer on the other side of the bridge looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. "Sir?"
Williams nodded "Send a Sea Hawk and a Cobra. Of course, make sure there's an Search and Rescue team on the Sea Hawk."
The officer nodded to his superior and then began the process to send the two helicopters out for the mission.
"Guardian One, this is Boxer, report status, over."
"Boxer, this is Guardian One, we're approximately two nautical miles to the reported position, I can see two small ships in the distance, they are both right next to each other, over."
"Guardian One, what's it look like is going on down there? Can you get a look yet? Over."
The helicopter's gunner looked down the FLIR display in front of him.
"Uh, definitely looks like they're boarding the shipping vessel. Appears to be a Bloc military ship, presumably a patrol boat. I see a Russian fifty caliber on the bow. How copy? Over."
"Solid copy, Guardian One. Try to make radio contact with the Bloc ship," It was obvious from the tone of the radio operator's voice he wasn't expecting there to be this far into Equestria already. What made it more shocking, was that the small ship didn't have much in terms of range, so there had to be a Bloc land presence close-by, or at least a destroyer siting off the coast.
"Roger," the pilot said back to the command vessel, switching over to a maritime radio frequency, he began talking to the patrol boat in question. "Bloc patrol vessel. This is a United States Marine Corps helicopter, accompanying a United States Navy Search and Rescue mission. This is a response to a call from the Equestrian civil vessel Autumn Breeze. We come in peace. Please state your intentions, over."
From the FLIR, the gunner could barely make out individual crew members of either vessel, but did notice that the civilian ship was taking on water. Before the gunner could tell the pilot what happened, a surprisingly long 11 seconds after the Americans called the Bloc vessel, and a crew member responded in English, but it was apparent English was not his native language. "American helicopter, this is none of your business. This is between us and the Equestrians."
"Bloc patrol vessel, please state your intentions," The pilot of the helicopter knew that he couldn't decided to engage them, even if the bastards had slaughtered civilians, thanks to the ROE that was already in play.
"We already know you won't shoot at us. Leave, before we make you."
Suddenly, AH-1's gunner watched that the machine gun on the Bloc ship had begun shooting in the direction of the Equestrian civilian vessel, no doubt just to make a point to their American would-be rescuers. The gunner repeated what he saw verbally, so that the pilot would have an idea of what was going on. As the situation continued to unfold, the pegasus that the Equestrians had sent out earlier finally showed up. Or at least, that's when the Sea Hawk pilot noticed him. With this new arrival, the Navy pilot reported the arrival of Equestrian authorities onto the scene of the distress call.
Unfortunately for the pegasus, the Bloc vessel spotted him before he realized what the ship actually was, and a burst of green tracers cut into the air towards the pegasus. This first burst missed the pegasus, but it did cause him to stop in midair and begin to turn around. Then, the second burst was let loose, but this time at least some of the high-caliber bullets intercepted the Equestrian. As the pony's lifeless corpse fell towards the water, the Marine pilot decided that he should call the Boxer back, and see what kind of orders that the Captain had for him.
"Damn it. Tell the helicopters that we are going to assert the rescue of the Autumn Breeze, and crew, as our priority. If we back off, it'll arouse suspicion as to why we're here," Jack said to the radio officer, who had just reported what the situation looked like with their 'distraction'.
Cox, who was also on the bridge, turned to speak to the captain, "I'm not sure how much longer we need to be here, we've got a report they're less than a mile out from the crash site, and their helicopter has already left. We don't want to be here for longer than we have to."
Williams nodded, "Really doesn't seem like a good idea to call them back right now, though. This is political posturing at its finest. We aren't going to allow a small Bloc ship to make a fool of the United States Navy."
The captain nodded to the radio-man again, and he relayed his CO's message.
"Americans go. Or we shoot you down."
"We are requesting you leave the civilians. What are you even trying to accomplish here?"
The gunner could see a crate get thrown from the shipping vessel and onto the patrol boat. As far as was visible on the FLIR, the Bloc sailors were intending on getting some spoils from their war. "They're looting the fucking ship!
The pilot shook his head, then radioed the Boxer again. The response he got was expected, the ROEs still had to be followed, and all of the other standard lines. It took only a couple more minutes for the Bloc vessel to start up its engines and sail off, in the opposite direction of the American helicopter. Right as the pilot was about to radio back what had happened, the Boxer radioed them back. "Guardian One, Caregiver One, return to the ship now. We are leaving these waters, we can't stick around here much longer."
At this, the pilot knew he needed to let the Boxer know what happened, "Boxer, this is Guardian One. The Bloc vessel just left, we could attempt a rescue of the crew of the Autumn Breeze if needed, please advise, out."
"We'll let the Equestrians know, but we need to go now."
The pilot sighed. "Copy that, we're RTB. Out."
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I'd like to go out of my way to say that I absolutely love this series and look forward to every new installment.
Short but exciting.
And just tell me what and when, and you've got another chapter.
soon................
5112193 Not to be nit-picky but this isn't a series.
5113104 It's a series of chapters, yes?
5113971
Oh, you mean like, a story? *DUN DUN DUUUUN*
Seriously though there is a difference between a story and a series. Educate yourself.
5114589
5113971
Take it somewhere else ladies, there's no fighting in the comments.
And no personal attacks or insults Trek; I have a 0 toleration policy for that. And yes, telling someone to go 'educate themselves' ( ie implying they're dumb) counts.
5115067
Um no, that was not me implying that he was dumb. There is no way you could possibly know what I mean by my words. You may think you do, but you don't. The reality is I was telling him to go get educated on stuff before arguing about something so he doesn't make a fool of himself. You could almost call it giving advice. I also corrected him for the same reason, because the fact is this is not a series.
This isn't fighting. Again, you are acting like you can tell exactly what I mean from my words. There is no hostility here, so therefore there is no fighting. Fight =/= argument =/= conversation. Also for a little turn of the table I will accuse you of calling me a wuss (and therefore insulting me) because you said "ladies" when addressing me, despite little to no evidence for it *cough cough* exactly what you did *cough cough*.
5115119
There's no excuses here; the conversation had the potential to turn into a long argument, and your advice, regardless of intent, was worded in a disrespectful form. Nor will I become involved in an argument either.
Now, you can either end the conversation with me here, and take your discussion with Contrail to PM, and we can go about our business; or I can issue out a block. It's your choice.
5115233 Fine, I'll stop. But let me make this clear, I'm doing this because I want to, not because you are telling me to. If you are under the illusion that a threat of a block is making me do what you say, it isn't.
5115233 I'm sorry, what's going on? I wasn't paying attention.
5116630
No arguing in the comments.
5117622 Gotcha.
Hmm...
Soon...
Celestias isolationist policy is killing her ponies. I'd say damn the ROEs and destroy the Bloc. It's those same ROEs that's killing our guys in the middle east.