Nearing the Edge

by Eagle

Harpoons

April 24th, 2006
1234 Hours
Jet City, Occupied Crystal Empire

“Things are progressing as well as could be hoped,” Hot Knife told the congregation.

“I don’t think so. As of now only our initial plans have succeeded at all.” Nightingale shot back. “We overwhelmed the border, but the airborne forces failed to destroy the human regiments behind it. Our surprise attack crippled their navy but only sunk one carrier, while another is untouched and still in Equestria with its pony counterpart. Our air raids badly hurt their air forces, but they still contest the skies and our bombing campaign against their cities. That isn’t a lasting victory!”

“Not to mention the naval invasions. Nothing good came out of those,” Drag added.

The Shadow pony general across from the pilots stood up rigidly from his chair, shaking the table with a rattle that echoed the conference room.

“We are still advancing, aren’t we? These victories are still important,” Vaquero assured her. “I promise you, our soldiers will be in the capitol soon, but these things take time!”

“Time is not on our side in this war,” Nightingale explained. “Those carriers will be repaired. More aircraft will come. More divisions will come.”

“Have some faith in my friend,” Hot Knife assured her. “We still hold both air and sea superiority, and with those we can support our ground forces and choke Equestria off from reinforcements.”

“Those have to be maintained for that to happen. We have to ensure that we keep our superiority in the air-”

“Which we can,” Knife interrupted.

“We also need to maintain naval superiority to ensure any blockade, surface or otherwise.”

“That can be done,” a Changeling pilot spoke up, breaking his normal silence. “Those carriers will be hunted down once they leave their bases. Any of those fat merchant ships or transport aircraft that try will be destroyed as well.”

“If you think it can be done, then I’ll vouch for you,” Descent added in. “It isn’t easy though, surprise is gone.”

“My group was the only one to sink a carrier,” the Changeling pointed out. “Their Carl Vinson is only the first in a long list.”

Nightingale and the others in the conference room did not reply, though she wore a noticeably wary glare against the Changeling. His success could not be denied, but it could not be overblown either. He had to continue it to win the war, not lavish in what was already accomplished.

“Besides, if we’re unable to destroy them through the usual means, we do have some special weapons that could do the trick, don’t we?”

“The Hydra and its Shockwaves are ready, but we should be wary about using them,” Nightingale explained. “A weapon with that kind of power holds a great impression. It can force the United States and its allies to back down, or it may push them to desperation.”

“I hope we won’t have to use it,” Knife said, sharing his opinion. “To me it’s best to defeat your enemy conventionally. On personal combat. Beyond beating them, defeating them on a fair and personal level shows your own skill. Shows your own superiority and destroys their confidence for open battle.”

“We’ll have to do what’s necessary to win this war.”

“I know, I know. I will too, it just feels… not just unsatisfying but… not right.”

“Unless there’s anything else to cover beyond your philosophy debate, I’ll be going. I’ve got some important work to do,” the Changeling said, standing and buzzing his wings in a stretch through the window sunlight. “There’s a big fish I plan on spearing.”

“What in the world are you talking about?” Blitz groaned.

“An American battlegroup swimming around in the south, with at least two cruisers and some destroyers. I plan on sinking some of them.”

“Well I won’t keep you from it any longer,” Nightingale accepted, turning to the Shadow ponies across from her. “Hot Knife, General Vaquero? Is there anything else you would like to add?”

Both replied with a simple ‘no’, bringing the latest of the group’s secretive meetings to a productive conclusion. As they all filed through the door and out of the small, rundown building, Knife stopped Nightingale and requested to speak with her further, away from the ears of the others. Vaquero persisted, thinking it important for him to hear as well, but the pilot Shadow pony eventually sent him on his way as well.

“Nightingale, what about the Griffon? She hasn’t come to any of our meetings, or has even met any of us other than you.”

“Yes, the Griffons have been very busy. You don’t need to worry about her.”

“I heard she was once a close friend to one of the Elements. Can she be trusted to fight the Equestrians?”

Nightingale was silent for a moment, surprised that he knew about the past of the Griffon pilot she had recruited.

“I believe so. She doesn’t hold the ponies in very high regard.”

“Very well, I’ll take your word for her. But remember how much importance the Equestrians place on companionship. It may overtake her.”

“Worry about your own squadron, Knife; I promise I’ll keep an eye on her.”

---

The SAG was, like many others, an impromptu grouping, cobbled together from the various available ships at Pearl. Many such battlegroups were sent out to contest the Pacific. The cruisers Thomas S. Gates and Bunker Hill patrolled a vast open swath of ocean along with a pair of frigates and a destroyer.

The powerful force was the farthest out of the battlegroups, and as such lacked support while gaining the most attention of the enemy. They were stalked constantly by prowling eyes from both the air and beneath the waves. The Changelings carried on their hunt with a malicious patience.

The commanding Changeling organized the endeavor well. With much of their strategic bombing force dedicated to the mainland campaign, and with fewer carriers than their allies, a saturation attack would have been more costly to carry out. As such, he elected to whittle down the Americans.

Bombers would arrive by one, two, or three at various times instead of all at once. Each time they would fire their ASMs from maximum range before speeding away and allowing the next group to repeat the process. With so few missiles at once none would likely get through the mass of American SAMs, but none were expected to get through. Slowly, steadily, with each miniature volley, the American ships expended their SM-2s to destroy the ASMs without any gain, and each time revealed their position as well.

The harassment was constant, with hour after hour of spoiling attacks. Even after a day, they did not let up, with the pairs of Changeling bombers bracketing them with fire. Steadily the Americans expended their ammunition, while most sailors were required to remain at battle stations most of the time, driving them to exhaustion with few breaks.

Now the Changeling leader decided to strike. From his Foxhound he observed and coordinated the planned blow. With the strategic bombers having made constant shuttle attacks, the Changeling navy was preparing. Now its larger force of smaller jets was gathered to smash the weary Americans.

The same mass mix of aircraft that had been so effective at the start of the war was again brought before the Americans. Large numbers of fighters volleyed missiles at the ships as electronic warfare planes closed in to disrupt the vessel’s defensive systems. Others attempted to drop torpedoes and bombs from a distance. At first there was no effect, with the American navy effectively countering the attack and killing three fighters that dared to get too close with their torpedo runs. In spite of this, with the oncoming underwater ordinance, the formation had no choice but to break apart.

With so few SAMs left, the Thomas S. Gates was the unfortunate target. Twisting and turning to avoid bombs while simultaneously trying to outrun torpedoes, the old ship was in a precarious situation. Still, her captain was able to guide her masterfully, shrugging off the near misses of bombs she dodged while dropping one sonar decoy after another. Aside from some heavy shaking and spray from the nearby bombs, the cruiser was unharmed and with the torpedo outrunning its range the ship looked safe.

However, just a few minutes later, luck would desert the vessel. Separated from the SAG during the run from the torpedoes, as all the others were, she was left in a vulnerable position. With only four missiles remaining, the cruiser came to be targeted by a pair of ASMs. One was shot down before it could impact but the other struck hard on the side of the ship, slicing into her before detonating inside.

The Gates shuddered from the impact as some secondary eruptions continued inside the hull and a fire began to spread. The position of the missile strike could not have been worse for her. Almost immediately after being hit the ship lost all power, with her weapons and detection systems going offline. Her engines were damaged and stopped, and the cruiser now slowly glided to a stop as the attack subsided.

As the formation regrouped, the commanders all knew it would only be a matter of time before the strike force returned to finish them. The damaged cruiser, however, would not be abandoned to the sharks without a fight. A call was put out to Hawaii for fighter cover and, with the Donald Cook and De Wert standing by closely, the Bunker Hill attached a tow line from her stern to the bow of the crippled cruiser and began to drag her away from the battle area.

It was far from the fastest process, but it was better than floating still. The crew of the Gates worked frantically to restore the vital systems to their crippled ship as they were towed along. Progress was made as time ticked on slowly. Finally, her power was restored, then her weapons systems, then the various other electronic subsystems one by one. Things were beginning to look up, but the propulsion still refused to start up again.

Before the propellers could be brought back online, the Changelings returned. A single flight of Hornets intercepted, blowing two missile-carrying Flankers to bits before being engaged themselves by a squadron of dark MiG-31s. The Foxhound was hardly supposed to be an agile dogfighter, and as such the Hornet pilots were confident in their ability. Yet somehow, the Changeling fighters could outfly them. They moved better than what was thought, speeding too and fro without a care for their engines, and their missiles being painfully accurate.

The Foxhounds flew at high speeds in their attacks and outpaced any F-18 that latched to their tail. Even when brought into close combat on the favorable field of the Hornets, they proved difficult to stay with, and each time one was in danger another Foxhound appeared to threaten the human pilot. Within a six minutes, all five Hornets had been shot down, with only one of their pilots bailing out into the vastness of the Pacific.

Now devoid of their air cover, the individual ships of the SAG were left to fend for themselves, rather than retain a mutually-defensive cohesion. Naturally the biggest ships proved the most attractive targets and the cruisers again were the recipients of unwanted attention. Plodding along without much maneuvering, both were terribly vulnerable.

The Bunker Hill, despite the awful position she was caught in, refused to abandon her sister. As the other ships did their best to maneuver and evade, the cruiser returned fire with every weapon in her arsenal. The first volley of five ASMs were shot down by her defensive weaponry, followed by the next wave. The planes, jammers or otherwise, grew increasingly bold in their flights overhead, and attempts at close-in attacks were met with a mass of fire from both ships. Several of the planes were damaged and driven away, with one Flanker having its wing sheared off by the Bunker Hill’s CIWS, and another’s pilot being killed by one of the Gates’ Bushmaster autocannons in an attempt to strafe her bridge, sending the jet gliding into the sea.

As the two parried the swarming fighters and the waves of ASMs, a single flight of Fulcrums came in at a low altitude carrying torpedoes. Slow and unable to maneuver, the two American cruisers could not have been better targets. Releasing and escaping unceremoniously, the cruisers were now left in dire straights, unable to defeat or escape the sub-surface ordinance.

Seeing the oncoming threat, and unable to do anything more than save his own ship and crew, the Bunker Hill’s Captain ordered the tow line dropped, speeding away as the crippled sister came to a stop. Nothing could be done for her, and minutes later three torpedoes struck the port side of the Thomas S. Gates. Each sent a massive waterspout up along her side, rocking the ship badly and immediately causing a noticeable list.

This proved to be the last action of the battle. The Changelings retreated, their weaponry again spent, but the damage was done. With three holes in her side in addition to the previous damage, everyone could see the cruiser was doomed. Her Captain gave the order to gather on deck and abandon ship, overseeing the movement and transfer of his sailors and their wounded before stepping off himself, being one of the last to do so.

The Donald Cook stood by her in the final hours, watching over the dying ship as if to ensure a peaceful end. Her crew busied themselves with taking on the men of the Gates, plucking them from the warm waves. With the seas calm, it was a relatively simple task, bringing the weary sailors aboard and ensuing their wellness. The placidity of the water, in such stark contrast to the violence hours ago, further provided a tranquil atmosphere to the funeral of the Gates.

At 0533 the rescued crew, along with the men of the other warships, watched the cruiser roll onto its side, and then turn upside-down completely, her red hull shining beautifully in the sun against the blue sea. Her colors, unable to be removed in time, remained flying definitely for all to see until they disappeared. Shortly after going belly-up, the cruiser sank further, dropping in the waves and sinking bow first. Pulled down as the water spread, the stern twisted and went up slightly before following. After a hard fight, the Thomas S. Gates sank under the calm waters of the Pacific to a respecting silence about the area.

The remaining ships were left to complete rescue operations and retire. Though it was fought over three hundred miles from its namesake, the Battle of the Caroline Islands proved to be another painful loss to the American navy when it could ill afford one. It was also a defeat the the admirals attempted to conceal, not needing to further bad moral or provide their enemy with propaganda or military matters, but this was not an easy task.

It was quite noticeable to the massed fleet at Pearl Harbor when the battlegroup returned without the Gates. Though the crews of the returning ships were sworn to silence, it did not take much thought as to why the incoming SAG was missing a vessel. Rumors and word of mouth traveled quickly and though it would be a long time before there was official admittance, the general underground understanding of the islands, and eventually the country and the armed forces, was that the cruiser had been lost.

The victorious Changelings, however, had no such problems to worry about. Their clear victory was a cause of celebration, especially with praise towards their vaunted commander who planned and led the operation. He likened it to using a harpoon to slaughter a great whale, something that went over well with the other Changelings, as well as Nightingale herself. It did not take long for Changeling propaganda posters to appear, taunting how their ‘Harpoon’ had scored another victory over the Americans. It was an interesting distraction for Nightingale, away from the other failures of the invasion, but her attention had to be turned elsewhere.

Author's Note:

I really have to give a big thanks to TNB, who's been pre-reading all the stuff you've read consistently. It wouldn't be what it is without his help.

Comments

[Eagle]

9462800
Blue-on-Blue is a hurting thing, though it's a bit more common than people think. Especially in a conflict of this scale.

[Earthpatriot117]

AWESOME has always bro! I never get tired of reading new chapters.

[Time Reaper]

Now that I'm reading this I come to realize. If there was no 9/11, that means that no Iraq invasion happened. With no Iraq invasion, then there was no Oil Boom between 2004 - 2006 and with no Oil Boom from 2004 - 2006 that means that there was no oil prices that could pay for Chávez's social programs which were what boosted his popularity to the sky (with 2006 being the year where he won the Presidential elections with 62% of the votes, which is the highest turnout in all fo Chavismo's history) which means that, even if he could have afforded the social programs in 2004 to save his butt on the 2004 recall referendum, he wouldn't have the quick buck to keep his popularity unless the war in Arcaia somehow increased the oil prices (more demand from nations that never had it before) which could keep him in power.

Otherwise, history could be changed since this is the year where Chávez was going for the reelection and his popularity could be dwindling. I suppose I could go further (especially since Chávez loved to "help weak nations being attacked by empires" with our oil) both with Venezuela and the rest of Latin America if you are interested.

I really forgot how the lack of an Iraq war could have changed history in the Latin American continent.

[Eagle]

9486102
Well there's no war in Iraq but there is a massive one in the Pacific with Arcaia, and the US is seeing a massive militarization that can barely be handled, so it's still possible.

There's also the issue of China becoming more powerful in a couple ways than it is irl, which also includes them putting more into their regional allies like Iran and some South American countries. So you can assume China put a bit more effort into propping up Venezuela as a 'base' closer to the US along with Cuba and Nicaragua. This bit is actually going to be the focus of an upcoming chapter, one rather close to give a global look of the conflict and how it starts sliding into becoming a world war, rather than just in Arcaia.

[Time Reaper]

9488064

Got it.

[Veyron]

I just have a feeling that the changeling commander is gonna meet his match and be handed a major defeat.

[Scourge the yellow cat]

I'm getting a Changeling WWII Japanese vibe here

Win victory over victory in the beginning of the war, but eventually began to lose defeat after defeat.

[Eagle]

9532708
Negative, it happened a little while back but it's an issue with the site's image hosting. Until they fix it none of them can be seen, and they better fix it quick. Though you can at least follow the source link underneath to see what it should be. Most of the non-irl ones have their sources linked, and the ones that don't are for real units like the 75th Rangers or 1st Armored Recon.

EDIT: Okay I checked and apparently it only likes certain images, such as some of the patches hosted on DeviantArt... sometimes. I'll fiddle with it and try to figure out the problem.

[Eagle]

9532708
Update, I seem to have fixed it. I'm honestly not sure how, I don't know what I did differently. But for now you can see the images again.