Chapter 5: Titan of the Seas: An Epoch Collision

The Qua-Toyne Conference Room January 19, 10:21 AM.

In the grand hall of the government building, a place of power and decision-making, every official had gathered. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and concern, a palpable tension that hung heavy in the air. They were engaged in a heated discussion about the looming threat of war, a topic that stirred emotions and ignited passionate debates. The room was filled with the murmur of voices, the rustle of papers, and the occasional sharp rap of a gavel calling for order. Charts and maps, the visual representation of their predicament, were spread out on the table, illuminated by the harsh, unforgiving light of the chandeliers above. The officials, each representing different facets of the government, were trying to navigate the complex web of strategies and countermeasures. Their faces, etched with the gravity of their responsibility, reflected the weight of the decisions they were about to make.

Just as the ornate clock on the wall marked the passing of another minute, a sudden interruption came. A distress message, urgent and unexpected, arrived from Gim, a border town known for its strategic importance. The room fell silent as the news was relayed, each official absorbing the implications of this new development. The impending war, which had been a distant thundercloud on the horizon, suddenly felt more real, more immediate. The discussion that had been theoretical and strategic was now charged with a new urgency, the reality of their situation settling heavily on everyone present. The meeting continued, but the tone had irrevocably shifted. The war was no longer a distant possibility, but a pressing reality.

"Louria has begun their invasion. We should have increased the troops stationed in Gim," Kanata, the Minister of Defense, said in despair, his voice echoing in the silent room.

Just as the tension in the room reached a palpable level, the grand doors of the hall creaked open once again. All eyes turned towards the entrance as another figure stepped into the room. This individual moved with a certain stealth and grace that was markedly different from the rest. Their eyes, sharp and observant, scanned the room, taking in the scene before them.

This person was no ordinary attendee. As they moved further into the room, their identity became clear to the officials present. This was one of their own spies, a shadow operative who had been stationed in Louria, the rival territory. Their arrival was unexpected, adding another layer of intrigue to the already charged atmosphere.

The spy, seasoned and skilled, had been living undercover, gathering intelligence on Louria. Their presence in the hall signaled that they had returned with information, possibly of critical importance.

"Prime Minister, we have returned, with very disturbing news," the spy announced, his voice steady despite the gravity of his words.

Kanata looked at him, steeling himself for what he was about to hear. "State your report."

"Just 2 hours ago, while I was gathering info, the Lourian Navy departed from their Harbor. Maihark, being the closest city, is likely their first target. They might already be on their way. As for the number of their navy, it was said that it's already about 4,000 vessels," the spy reported, his words sending a chill down everyone's spine. The room fell into a stunned silence as the officials grappled with the enormity of the situation. The war had begun, and they were in the eye of the storm.

The government officials were shocked to hear that Louria had amassed a massive fleet of vessels. The news hit them like a tidal wave, leaving them stunned and speechless. Kanata, the Prime Minister, fell back into his chair, his face pale as he grappled with the enormity of what he had just heard. The thought of how they were going to win this war weighed heavily on his mind, casting a shadow over the room.

As the meeting continued, the grand doors of the hall opened once again, revealing another figure. This was their Foreign Diplomat for the Solstice Empire, a man known for his diplomatic prowess and strategic mind. He was carrying a document, its contents unknown to the rest of the room.

"Prime Minister, I have some news to share!" Yagou announced, his voice echoing in the grand hall.

Kanata looked at him, his eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and dread. "So there is more, then what could this be? Is it worse than what is currently happening?"

"No, it's a message from the Solstice Empire. This document was given to me just a few minutes ago," Yagou replied, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation.

"From the Solstice? Read the document, we would like to hear it!" both Kanata and RInsui, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in unison.

"Immediately," Yagou replied, his voice echoing in the grand hall. He reached for the documents that had been placed before him, his fingers brushing against the crisp paper. With a sense of urgency, he unfolded the documents and began to read, his eyes scanning the lines of text.

"The Solstice Empire," he began, his voice steady and resolute, "has always upheld its principles and values. We have never, and will never, ignore the plight of those who suffer injustice." His words hung in the air, a solemn promise echoing in the silence of the room.

He continued, "The actions of the Louria Kingdom, their blatant discrimination against the Fauna and their inhumane use of slaves, cannot and will not be tolerated." His voice hardened, the gravity of the situation evident in his tone. "Such atrocities will be met with force, a force as relentless and burning as a thousand suns."

He paused, letting his words sink in before he continued, "And so, we, the Solstice Empire, now officially declare a state of war against the entity known as Louria, which has shown itself to be less than human in its actions."

His gaze swept across the room, meeting the eyes of each official present. "We stand in defense of our allies and their people. We seek not conquest, but justice. We ask for permission for our military to step onto your sovereign soil and sea, not as invaders, but as liberators. Our aim is to extinguish the threat that Louria poses."

The room erupted in a chorus of relieved sighs and murmurs of approval. The officials, who had been grappling with the enormity of the situation, rejoiced at the news that the Solstice would send help to them.

Kanata then stood up, his figure casting a long shadow in the grand hall. He raised his hand, calling for everyone's attention. "Yagou, tell them that we give them permission to do as they please to eliminate Louria," he said, his voice resolute and determined. The room fell silent once again, the weight of his words sinking in. The war had begun, and they were ready to face it head-on.

Qua-Toyne Maihark Naval Base January 19, 3:21 PM.

At the Qua-Toyne Maihark Naval Base, a strategic location known for its military significance, two figures stood waiting. The Solstice Empire had requested an observer to be sent, and answering that call was Breweye, the second fleet officer, and Pancare, the second fleet admiral. They stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the horizon where a flying object was rapidly approaching.

As the object drew closer, they could see that it bore the symbol of the Solstice Empire, a sign of hope and alliance in these troubled times. The object, a helicopter as they had come to know it, landed swiftly on the available land, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"That must be my ride," Breweye said, his voice filled with a mix of anticipation and resolve.

"I heard them calling this a 'helicopter'. This thing truly has a strange shape. Are you really sure that you would be just fine?" Pancare asked, his concern for his comrade evident in his voice. Breweye replied with a firm 'yes', reassuring him.

"The Headquarters informed us that the Solstice Empire requested an observer and that they also wanted to take on Louria by themselves. From what I understand, the Solstice Empire only sent 3 vessels, while Louria has 4,000 vessels. That is just suicide," Pancare said, his voice heavy with worry.

"Please Admiral, remember this is the Solstice we are talking about. They have a massive iron ship with them so there must be a chance for victory. Besides, they are our allies. That is why I am willing to risk my life to board those ships," said Breweye, his determination shining through.

Once they finished their conversation, Breweye walked towards the helicopter. At the door, a Solstice soldier was waiting for him, his posture straight and his expression serious.

"Good day to you, sir. We have come to pick up the observer officer," the soldier said, his voice respectful.

"Uh yes... I am the observer, and I would like to express my gratitude for sending help to us. I will be under your care," Breweye said, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation.

"Very well, please board the chopper, for we're in a tight hour right now," the soldier replied, gesturing towards the open door of the helicopter.

As Breweye's eyes scanned the boundless ocean, he beheld a massive vessel and discerned two additional ships in the distance. These ships, though sizable, were dwarfed by the titanic vessel that dominated his view. They stood like two stalwart protectors on either side of their queen, their presence contributing to the breathtaking panorama. Despite their comparative size, they were equally formidable, their metallic exteriors shimmering under the sun, primed for the impending battle. The sight of these three vessels, resolute and majestic against the infinite ocean backdrop, instilled in Breweye a sense of optimism and resolve. The war had commenced, and they were not solitary in this conflict.

"That vessel is so massive, it's like a floating fortress. This thing must have tremendous firepower. Perhaps we could even win this battle, but how is this even possible?" Breweye mused aloud, his eyes wide with awe and disbelief as he stared at the colossal ship in front of him.

After a few minutes, the helicopter slowly descended onto the dreadnought's helipad. Upon landing, Breweye was greeted by the Solstice Marines, their uniforms crisp and their expressions serious. They escorted him through the labyrinthine corridors of the ship towards the main control room where the captain of the vessel was waiting.

Navigating their way through the ship, they finally arrived at the main control room. There, standing in the middle of the room, was a man wearing a different uniform. His authoritative stance and the respect he commanded from the crew made it clear that he was the captain of the vessel.

"You must be the observer. I am the commanding officer of this vessel, Jonath Sutra Krailian. I welcome you to the Titanic Thunder Dreadnought," Jonath said, offering a salute which Breweye returned.

"Allow me to express my gratitude for sending reinforcements," Breweye said, his voice filled with appreciation.

"It is the duty of the empire to protect those who couldn't defend themselves against a stronger foe. Also, my condolences for the people of Gim," Jonath replied, his voice filled with sincerity.

"The Solstice Empire is truly noble," Breweye murmured, his respect for the empire growing.

"Now, enough chitchatting. Allow me to explain the operation. Right now, Qua-Toyne is facing two fronts. One is at Gim, which is currently marching towards Ejie, and the other one is currently sailing from the sea, just 30km away from where we're at right now. The Solstice Empire prioritizes the safety of Maihark, which is why the Empire dispatched one dreadnought and two Coast Guard Battleships," Jonath explained, his voice steady and confident. "So, within a few minutes, we will sail towards the enemy to confront them."

Breweye, hearing this, felt a pang of concern. He knew how many vessels Louria had while the Solstice only sent three. They were massive, but he thought that it might not be enough. "I don't mean any disrespect, but the number of Louria greatly outnumbers the Solstice," Breweye said, voicing his concerns.

Seeing the panic and concern in Breweye's eyes, Jonath reassured him. "Rest assured, Mr. Breweye, we are perfectly aware of how many vessels they have. You can trust us for your safety," Jonath said, his voice calm and reassuring.

'How can he be so calm and confident that we would win?' Breweye wondered, his mind filled with questions.

Jonath then turned towards his crew, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Let us now begin and move towards the enemy under Her Majesty's orders to instill fear in the enemy," he ordered, his voice echoing in the room. The crew sprang into action, their movements swift and precise. The war had begun, and they were ready to face it head-on.

Rodenius Northern Shore 3:32 PM.

In a remote corner of the globe, where the earth meets the unyielding sea waves, lies the Rodenius Northern Shore. On this particular day, the Northern Sea was a spectacle to behold. The usually deep blue expanse of water was now shimmering under the golden hues of the setting sun, painting a picture of tranquility and serenity.

Suddenly, this serene scene was disrupted by a burst of activity. Emerging from the foggy horizon, a large fleet of galleys appeared, their imposing silhouettes cutting through the mist. These were no ordinary ships. Their sails billowed in the wind as they sliced through the water with a sense of resolve and intent, disrupting the calm surface of the sea.

This formidable fleet hailed from Louria and was charting a course towards the east, their destination shrouded in mystery and anticipation.

Standing on the deck of the leading ship, a man surveyed his fleet with pride. His name was Sharkun, the vice admiral of the Eastern Subjugation Navy. His eyes sparkled with determination as he looked at the fleet, each ship a testament to their might.

"What a truly magnificent sight. Qua-Toyne would surely tremble at our might," Sharkun said, his voice filled with confidence and resolve.

As he was lost in the thought of their impending victory, one of the crew members caught his attention, pointing towards something in the distance. Following the crew member's gaze, Sharkun saw a massive floating island in the sky, which appeared to be made of iron. As they got closer, the island emitted a loud sound and started speaking to them.

"This is the Solstice Imperial Navy. You are now entering the Qua-Toyne Territorial Water. We ask you to surrender willingly or face the consequences."

Sharkun looked at the floating island, confusion etched on his face. He knew that this floating entity was hostile since it asked them to surrender. He wanted to attack it, but due to the island floating high in the sky, he couldn't do so.

"Fleet! Reduce speed, lower the sails quickly!" Sharkun ordered, his voice echoing across the deck.

Looking at his crew, he quickly formulated a plan to deal with this floating island. "Comm Operator, send a message to the Wyvern Airbase HQ. Request aerial support to deal with this adversary. They will surely burn this thing down."

The operator immediately contacted the Wyvern Airbase HQ. The request was approved, and they would be sending 250 Wyverns to assist them. After a while, the Wyverns slowly reached their destination, their silhouettes visible against the sky as they approached the fleet.

On the other hand, the dreadnought detected the incoming Wyverns. Jonath, who had been ordered to instill fear among their adversaries, waited for the Lourian fleet to make a move. As they detected the incoming Wyverns, he turned on the radio. "Take those overgrown lizards down using our aerial Spitfire," he ordered, his voice filled with determination.

The stage was set for a confrontation, the tension palpable in the air. The calm before the storm was about to be shattered, and the fate of Qua-Toyne hung in the balance.

From the perspective of the Lourian fleet, they watched in awe and terror as their wyverns soared above them, only to suddenly explode in a burst of light. Tracing the origin of the light, they saw it emanating from the floating island. Disbelief washed over them as they witnessed the island continuously firing at their wyverns, causing them to fall into the ocean like flies. 'What is this madness? An island shooting down wyverns as if they were stationary targets. This is impossible. Wait, don't tell me they are the Ravernal Empire. Should we retreat? If I order a retreat, I would be executed, but without anything to reach that floating island, it's basically pointless,' Sharkun thought to himself.

Gathering his resolve, he issued his command. "Reverse course! We're heading back to base!" The fleet obediently pivoted to retreat, oblivious to the island's deadly intent. As they commenced their journey back, a sudden blast engulfed five of their vessels. Sharkun, casting a glance back at the island, noticed its ominous advance towards them. He observed a streak of light emanating from the island's tubes, succeeded by a brilliant flash and billowing smoke. It dawned on him that they were under assault.

The island continuously fired at them, sinking ship after ship. Sharkun looked at his fleet in despair, seeing his vessels being sunk with no means to fight back against them. He then looked at his crew. "You there, raise the flag of surrender. It seems like they won't allow us to withdraw," he ordered, hoping that if they surrendered, they would be spared. After a minute, as their fleet continued to sink, they managed to raise the flag of surrender. He ordered to lower the sails, assuming that the enemy wouldn't attack them.

He saw that the ship then descended. He assumed that it was descending to take them as prisoners of war, but what he didn't expect was that it was descending right at them. "What the... Raise the sails immediately or we'll be crushed!" They tried to raise their sails as fast as they could, but it was already too late. The island was now just a few seconds away from landing on them. Sharkun fell to his knees in despair and fear, as he never wanted to die like this.

After a few more seconds, the island landed, destroying his ships and killing his crews along with him. The remaining Lourian ships saw this as an opportunity to attack since the island was now within their reach. They turned around towards the island, but the island moved towards them, continuously shooting at them. As it got closer, they realized that this wasn't an island, it was a massive iron vessel. As it got closer, they saw that the ship was about to ram them. They tried to get out of the vessel's way, but it was too late. Their ships were being rammed by the vessel.

A few vessels erupted in flames as they were rammed by the iron vessel. Seeing this, they realized that they made a mistake in confronting the vessel. As they tried to once again turn around, they didn't have much time as the iron vessel was faster. It rammed them while continuously firing at them using its smaller cannons. Those who had managed to put some distance between themselves and the iron vessel thought they were safe, but then they saw two more massive vessels. These were a bit smaller but also made of iron. Seeing this, they immediately went into a panic as the vessels started firing at them.

After a while, the battle came to an end. The dreadnought sank the last of the Lourian ships, except for 50 galleys which they let escape to tell the tale. The observer, on the other hand, was completely in shock to see that only three ships caused this devastation. 

"Attention, all hands on deck! Immediately conduct a rescue operation for those who managed to survive," Jonath ordered, his voice echoing through the control room. His order left Breweye a bit perplexed. He had been observing the battle closely and hadn't noticed any Solstice soldiers getting injured during the fierce confrontation.

"Excuse me, Captain Krailian," Breweye interjected, his voice filled with confusion. "Why would the Solstice conduct a rescue operation? Did the Solstice suffer any casualties during the battle?"

Jonath turned to face Breweye, a calm and composed expression on his face. "Not at all," he replied, his voice steady and reassuring. "We are merely extending our help to those in need. Right now, those Lourian soldiers who survived the battle are now prisoners of war. It's our duty to ensure their safety and well-being."

His words served as a reminder of the Solstice Empire's commitment to uphold the principles of humanity, even in the face of war. It was a testament to their nobility and compassion, qualities that set them apart in these troubled times.

But what Breweye was unaware of was the grim reality that awaited the prisoners. Far from being mere captives of war, they were destined for a fate beyond his comprehension. They were to be transformed into test subjects for a series of forthcoming experiments.

...

Hi everyone.

This is the author speaking. The idea of ramming was actually drawn from cinematic inspirations, specifically the films 300 Rise Of An Empire and Ben Hur 2016.