First Light of a New Age

Chapter 106: First Attack

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The bridge of the Sovereign-class battleship buzzed with activity as multiple personnel were communicating and coordinating operations.

This formidable vessel, powered by eight boilers producing 220,000 shaft horsepower, boasted six geared steam turbines and six screw propellers that could travel at speeds of up to 30.5 knots and a maximum range of 35,000 kilometers.

Its armament included three triple 406mm guns, ten twin 127mm guns, twenty quadruple 40mm anti-aircraft guns, and forty single 20mm anti-aircraft guns.

Additionally, all Sovereign-class battleships had been modified to launch ballistic surface-to-surface missiles for long-range engagements. However, these advanced ships were limited in number, and so the other battleship classes lacked missile capabilities and relied solely on traditional armaments.

On the bridge, the captain of the ship was making orders and commands throughout the bridge and was being passed down to the lower decks.

This battleship led a task force, one of many within the Liberation Navy, tasked with capturing strategically significant islands.

The fleet comprised four Destroyers, three Light Cruisers, two Heavy Cruisers, twelve Utility Ships, and ten Marine Convoys carrying approximately 1,000 Austronesian Liberation Marines.

As of now, they are approaching the destination marked on their systems and they expect possible resistance. So the Sovereign-class battleships were prepared to commence shore bombardments along with the cruisers, while the destroyers would patrol the surrounding waters, while waiting for the shore bombardment to be finished.

With engines roaring and waves crashing against the hull, the fleet moved forward while being bathed in the golden light of the morning sun.

Inside the ships the brightly smiling faces of the sailors could be seen, after all they were now in fact liberating their fellow kind, which is the most pleasurable thing that they could do, as they cannot just stand by as their fellow kind gets abused in all kinds of ways.

For these sailors, the mission was more than duty, it was a moral cause, a responsibility to right the wrongs of their world.

After the engine roared, the navy started up the radio and was now being broadcasted in the entire taskforce.

The music was composed of numerous folk and modern Xihuan and Austronesian songs. These songs remind them of their homeland and were widely popular among the sailors.

Whether traditional or contemporary, the songs held a special place in their hearts and served as a reminder of the people they fought to protect and the home they longed to return to.

--Music--

"Silent night in the armory

The sea rocked the battleship gently

The young sailor rested his head on the waves

The sweet smile of the sleep dream

The sea wind blows you softly

The sea waves you shake lightly

Back to the ancestral mother's bosom

Let our sailors sleep well

Silent night in the armory