Chapter 9: Shadows of Steel
Off the coast of Saseba
Once the transmission was both received and need answers was sent, the Louisiana went back deep.
But not before she was detected.
Now as the Japanese self-defense naval forces close in on the modified ballistic missile submarine, Daina Vonole felt a chill craw up her spine.
"Sonar, surface ships have gone active."
Meaning they were using active sonar, a bad move in wartime as it will pinpoint your position as well as your opponent's.
But America and Japan were supposed to be at peace.
And the Louisiana was not supposed to engage the enemy. But Daina Vonole had other tricks up her sleeve. Like all submarine commander, she understood ASW (anti submarine warfare) and thus know the fundamentals of sonar. Now she ordered her submarine into a thermal layer, which disrupts sonar as the change in temperature in the water hampers and sometimes block sound waves.
The Louisiana was now safe from the surface ships hunting for her.
But not from other submarines.
As they were in unfamiliar waters, Capt. Daina Vonole decided against using towed sonar arrays as a unexpected cliff or some other protrusions could cut the array right off. However, not using the array have left a blind zone, a zone that leaves a Japanese Oyashio class submarine hidden in the very layer the Louisiana was hiding in.
As with the surface fleet, the diesel-electric submarine was tasked with sinking the Louisiana. A task she was going to succeed. As the Oyashio class submarine moved into torpedo range, she opened her torpedo doors…
"Sonar, detecting possible enemy submarine, recommend we check our bafflers."
Then the report that fill all submariners with dread:
"Torpedo in the water! Torpedo in the water!"
Wasting no time Capt. Daina Vonole gave the orders.
"All ahead flank! Launch decoys! Launch noisemakers!"
"All ahead flank, aya."
"Launching decoys, aya!"
"Launching noisemakers, aya!"
In undersea warfare, there are no sights, only sounds. A battle between two shadows: shadows of steel.
As the reactor fired up, a though occurred to Capt. Daina Vonole.
"Belay flank speed, all engines stop, all nonessential equipment shut down!"
The XO, executive officer, was confused.
"Madam, we are under attack, recommend we go flank and try to outrun torpedoes."
"Type 89 torpedoes have a speed of 55 knots, possible maximum of 70 knots, we'll never outrun them."
Capt. Daina Vonole was referring to the Japanese submarine launched homing torpedoes.
"But the noisemakers and decoys…"
"..sounds like a Ohio class submarine going flank, no we try to sit and wait, and hope the decoys do their job."
She made the correct decision.
With all nonessential equipment shut down, the Louisiana was what Soviet submariners once called a "Black Hole" in the sea, undetectable, except by extreme diligence.
The decoys on the other hand sounded like a Ohio class submarine trying to run away, and thus the torpedoes homed in on those.
For safe measure, Capt. Daina Vonole, launch simulators creating the telltale reports of a submarine breaking up after the Japanese torpedoes exploded on the decoys.
They were safe again, in the deep sound channel.
Until the Japanese discovered they have hit a decoy.
In the upper atmospheres of Saseba
Although the modified B-2 bomber flew at near supersonic speeds, it didn't create any sonic booms, or even any sounds.
Strangely, the B-2 stealth bomber, the Spirit of Louisiana, flew in complete silence, like her namesake counterpart below the waves.
As it zoomed through the air, heading for Saseba, her Marine cargo made last minute preparations before they land on Saseba.
Similarly onboard a C-130 Hercules, a group of Japanese Special Operation Group, called in as reinforcements, was also making similar preparations.
As soon as they were over Saseba, both the American and their Japanese counterparts were air dropped and both parachuted onto Saseba.
The two sides never knew they landed at exactly the same time.
The Japanese Special Forces Group were armed with Howa Type 89 assault rifles, the rough equivalent of the M16.
The Marines were armed with M4's with all types of gadgets on them.
The Japanese, as were ordered, radioed Dr. Ishii as soon as they made landfall, who happily informed them that all the Diclonii were captured and now all they needed to do was kill the Americans on the facility.
Then two sides ran into each other.
It was the Marines who fired first.
M4's blazing; they aim for their Japanese counterparts.
The Japanese Special Forces, however, quickly took cover and suffered no more that splinters as causalities.
The Marines, all gung-ho, quickly went after the Japs.
And were cut down by the Howa Type 89 assault rifles the Japanese carried.
Even before the Deltas even arrived, the Marines were wiped out.
As the B2 bomber that carried the marines to their doom prepare to return to the States, a Mitsubishi F-2 spotted it.
When the F-2 pilot realized what he was seeing, he altered headquarters.
Headquarter quickly told the F-2 pilot to shoot the stealth bomber down.
The B-2 stealth bomber is supposed to be undetectable, and intractable, by radar.
But infrared is another story.
When the F-2 was ordered to shoot down the stealth bomber, the pilot knew his radar homing missiles were useless, so he fired a Mitsubishi AAM-3 aimed directly behind the B2 bomber, where the heat signature was the greatest.
For safe measure, he spun up his JM61A1 cannon, and prepared to take out the stealth bomber at close range if the missiles failed.
It wasn't necessary, a fireball appeared in the sky and the Japanese pilot knew he hit his target.
As the first stealth bomber kill in history.
In the lower levels of Saseba
Dr. Ishii was pleased as he smiled on his newly recaptured charged.
Ever since the Diclonius research facilities was split in two, Dr. Ishii had saw much he could do with a facility of his own.
Now as he looked at the frightened faces of his "children" he felt there was more that needs to be done.
"We received reports that the newly arrived Japanese Self Defense force have wiped out the Americans."
That fast?
"Very good, return our specimen to their cells."
Thinking the American problem was over, Dr. Ishii became relaxed again.
He watched as the struggling little horned girls were placed back to their cells, little more that containers fitted with sensors and computers.
Don't struggle, little one, Dr. Ishii loves you, Ishii told it.
"All right people, let's get this facility repaired and running again."
And so Seseba returned to normal.
Not knowing that the Deltas were still out there, somewhere.