Another Worldly Summons

Chapter 105: Own's Folly

January 2, 1642

In the midst of the New Year in mainland Southeast Asia, in the cold waters of western Philades, a fleet of 40 ships emerged from the early morning fog. Among them, four noticeable flat-deckers with cargo vessel hulls filled with helicopters on their decks stood at the center of the fleet, their helicopters warming up. This is the ASEAN Task Force 59, bringing the fight to the heart of S'vam. They sailed a week ago after the invasion of the northern Coalition, set up to hit their ports and sink all hostile shipping in the area, while simultaneously hunting down potential threats to Topa and allied countries in Philades in the west.

Inside the AFNS Aurelia, an auxiliary ship requisitioned by ASEAN and one of the cargo vessels of Panamanian origin now serving the ASEAN merchant marine fleet, its 249-meter-long hull is suited for the work. Its decks have been reconstructed with a 170-meter-long flight deck, enough to carry 16 helicopters and capable of launching small drones onboard with an elevator for internal storage. Furthermore, it's armed with 4 Bofors 40mm guns and 2 ZSU-2-23, along with countless smaller caliber machine guns and MANPADs aboard for the personnel's standard-issue defense weapons.

It's one of ASEAN's increasingly large fleet of modified merchant vessels with flight decks, standing at 27 ships, as their first and second light carriers are still at the keel laying stage and won't be seen in action for at least 2 years. Smaller flat-decker assault ships/helicopter carriers are still at the shipyards, with the nearest at 60% completion but likely won't be finished and commissioned this year. It's expected that the first three of these ships will be in service in the first quarter of 1643, almost a year from now.

Thus, whether ASEAN likes it or not, their means to project naval air power is through these numerous but cheaply repurposed ships. Inside the base of operation, the Aurelia, several officers stand on the bridge as they watch the horizon shrouded in fog.

"Admiral Lawrence, we just received additional information that there's a fleet that appears to be battleship class and cruisers arriving at the port of Neuma. One battleship and three cruiser-class vessels, they're docking in," said the executive officer (XO) to the admiral, who is also the commanding officer of TF 59, which also had to be wary of potential Annonrial fleets patrolling the area.

"We're expecting light opposition in Neuma before demolishing their berthing wharf and cranes, but now they've got ships," Lawrence said. He was a Singaporean vice admiral originally, later promoted, who was about to retire but extended his service for a few years due to the restructuring of several armed forces into one unified force.

This restructuring necessitated additional admirals and keeping those who about to retire for a couple more years for the increasingly large fleets of the SEADF. Since the transfer, they commissioned an additional 79 ships, not counting requisitioned ships, recommissioned vessels, or those transferred from coast guard, and the ships registered to Southeast Asia Naval Militias (SANM). The SANM had been increasingly large, with fishing trawlers, private, and even RoRo vessels operators registering on them to be certified and allowed to carry arms due to increased piracy and the fear of open attacks on civilian vessels by natives of this world like Parpaldia in the early years of transfer. They were under sector fleet jurisdiction more often than not, under semi-retired or already retired admirals, who requested their monthly renewal in the roster of SANM and retraining every six months to be able to use small arms, perhaps larger caliber weapons if allowed by the coast guard and navy.

"Should we proceed as planned, sir?"

"Of course, why not? We had plans to sink anything along the way to Topa anyway," he said to him enthusiastically. "We aren't pussies of sinking some battleships and slapping their silhouettes on our hulls, right?" He said to his XO. "Prepare the drones and Alphard - we're attacking them."