This was originally planned to be a full arc, but cut down heavily to a short Aside. That also means I didn't do exhaustive research so the procedures here are probably far from perfect.

Author: XCVG
Canon: Full
Context: The Remnan Exchange, September 2015


Emergence: Aside
Watergate

USS Farragut DDG-99
North Atlantic Ocean

Off the course of Florida, a haze grey warship cut its way smoothly through the waves. The sea around it was calm with only the slightest bit of chop and sparkled brightly in the midday sun. The Farragut was an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, designed primarily to kill aerial threats but also with a robust anti-submarine capability, though its anti-surface capability was limited.

"So, XO, what's your opinion on this supposed disturbance?" Captain Adrian Barnett said, standing on the bridge of the Farragut.

Commander Jerry Banks answered quickly, "It's the Bermuda Triangle, sir, we've been hearing all kinds of shit about it for fifty years."

"It could be for real this time," Barnett mentioned. "It wouldn't be the craziest thing that's happened in the past few months."

"That is true, sir."

The Captain nodded. "Let's treat this like it's real, Jerry. If nothing else it'll be good practice for the crew. And if it is real, we'll be ready."

He couldn't argue with that. "Aye, sir."

The captain stepped away from his executive officer. He reached up and grabbed a phone from its cradle. "TAO, bridge, anything on radar?"

"Bridge, TAO. We're picking up a possible surface contact, but something is scrambling our sensors. This could be the supposed distortion, sir."

"Copy that, TAO." He replaced the phone before ordering, "Helm, all ahead full, come to course one-five zero, right standard rudder."

"All ahead full, come right to course one-five-zero, aye."

The Captain hesitated for a moment before adding, "Sound general quarters."

At his command, the ship jumped to life. A chief relayed the call to the rest of the ship, along further instructions. Crewmembers who had been relaxed rushed to don flash gear and get to their battle stations. Hatches were shut and compartments sealed off. Electronics were turned on and guns were loaded. In a matter of minutes, the ship was ready to take anything that could be thrown at it.

The phone buzzed again. "Bridge, TAO. I have a definite surface contact, bearing zero-three-six relative. Unknown type, best guess is a small or mid-sized cargo ship."

"TAO, bridge aye-"

A shout from the starboard bridge wing interrupted the captain. "Sir, you're gonna want to see this!"

Captain Barnett headed outside onto the bridge wing, a deck cantilevered past the edges of the superstructure to provide a better view. "What is it, petty officer?"

"Over there, sir." The petty officer pointed and stepped out of the way, allowing the Captain to look through a pair of almost comically large binoculars.

In the distance was a shimmering horizon that might have once been dismissed as a mirage if it weren't for the almost-identical portals in the news. In front of it was a small cargo ship, barely making steerageway. It was listing and an unhealthy quantity of smoke poured from its superstructure. The ship was still flying one flag- the winged emblem of Mistral, upside-down.

Captain Barnett made his decision in an instant, heading back into the CIC. "Prep a helo for search and rescue operations. Come to course zero-three-six, all ahead flank."

A distinct rumble grew beneath their feet as the helmsman brought the Farragut's four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines to full power. As they closed the distance, a trio of giant birds appeared out of the blurry portal, heading toward the cargo ship desperately trying to make its way toward the destroyer. Another three circled above, passing in and out of the portal.

"Bridge, TAO, new contacts bearing zero-three-six!"

"I already see them, TAO." A cargo ship may be easy prey. A US Navy destroyer, not so much. The Grimm were about to get a taste of what they could do. Barnett ordered, "All batteries released, kill all unknown tracks."

"Aye, sir." Down in the CIC, or Combat Information Center, the TAO ordered, "Kill tracks two, three, and five with five-inch. Kill tracks one, four, and six with Sparrow missiles."

The 5"/62 Mark 45 lightweight gun was one of the simplest weapon systems on the ship- though not as simple as the name might suggest. It was an autoloading naval rifle mounted in a computer-controlled turret at the bow of the ship. From a console in the CIC, a crewman slaved the gun to the massive AN/SPY-1D phased array radar and picked a target. The gun swivelled around and fired. In a split second, the projectile crossed the distance and blew a hole in the giant bird, knocking it out of the air. The turret was already swivelling to line up with the next target.

Beside him, another operator selected the three circling Nevermores- represented by geometric symbols- on a computer display. She took a deep breath before pulling the trigger. At the bow of the ship, three doors on the deck opened to expose the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System cells below. A RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile exploded out of each cell on a pillar of smoke and flame. They turned tightly to line up with their targets, homing on the radar signals reflected by illumination from the SPY radar. The effect on target was immediate and dramatic. The 86 pound blast-fragmentation warhead shattered bone, blasting off wings and tails. If the Nevermores didn't die immediately, they did when they slammed into the surface of the Atlantic.

"All targets destroyed, sir."

"Begin SAR operations. Get our helo in the air, launch RHIBs." Captain Barnett turned to his XO. "Bermuda Triangle?"

Commander Banks nodded grimly. "Aye, sir."


Four days later
Shibuya Maru
Philippine Sea

Captain Yoshirou Watanabe chewed his lip as he looked out the rain-battered bridge windows of his vessel. The deck rolled beneath his feet. The Shibuya Maru was a small cargo vessel, and though it was a sturdy ship the storm made him nervous. He hadn't been expecting it, and they'd run straight into the heart of the storm. No way out of it but through, now.

Suddenly, there was a loud bump and a sickening lurch as the ship appeared to drop out from underneath the crew. The storm appeared to have let up, and the captain stepped outside to get a better view. He gasped when he saw what had happened.

They were now in relatively calm water, with only a trickle of rain. Behind them was an unmistakable shimmering portal with stormy seas visible on the other side. The bump he had felt was the transition between the storm on Earth and the calm water on Remnant.

He had heard of a similar portal being discovered on the other side of the world, but he'd never expected to run into such a thing himself. He realized very quickly that he was between a rock and a hard place. It seemed much safer on this side, in calm water rather than in a storm that could wreck his ship. But he knew the dangers lurking in this world, if that was where they truly were.

"What do we do, Captain?" his helmsman asked, no doubt thinking the same thing.

Calm water with unknown dangers versus the known dangers of a storm. A formation of black shapes dropping out of the sky forced his hand. Eyes widening in fear, the captain turned and ordered, "Come about! Full engines!"

He turned to another man and ordered him to send a distress call and launch flares. It was a slim hope. Most likely, this was a deserted patch of water, and there was no way anyone on the Earth side would see their call for help.

The Shibuya Maru was a cargo vessel designed for economy, not manoeuvrability or speed. Its single rudder and twin shafts meant a long, lazy circle before they could return through the portal. As the ship made its desperate turn for safety, the birds began their dive. They were used to safe waters, and the ship was completely unarmed. There was nothing they could do but run and pray.

A small grey aircraft, scorpion-like but otherwise defying description, swooped out of the clouds toward them. It went not for the cargo ship but the Grimm birds diving toward it. High-caliber, Dust-enhanced rounds exploded from a turret underneath the aircraft, tearing into the lead Nevermore. It tumbled and fell out of the air, bouncing off the ship once before dropping into the ocean.

There were still three more of the massive birds. Two broke off and headed toward the aircraft. The third continued toward the Shibuya Maru, unleashing a flurry of razor-sharp feathers that punched holes in its thin steel decking. It swept back upwards, circling ominously above and readying itself for another pass.

The strange aircraft had not come alone. Its companion swooped down out of the sky, shredding the Nevermore circling above the Shibuya Maru. The aircraft continued to relieve its partner, which had just rolled out of the way of a stream of deadly feathers. The second aircraft opened fire on the Nevermore from behind, tearing it out of the sky.

The last Nevermore was outnumbered, but as a young Grimm it had only the slightest intelligence. It circled around and went for the second aircraft, leaving it completely open for the first to come around and dive toward it with guns blazing. Its life- if one could call it that- ended moments later in a stream of deadly bullets.

"What is that?" the helmsman asked, still in shock at the display.

"Airships from the military of Atlas," he answered simply, staring at the hovering machines through a pair of binoculars.

The helmsman blinked. "We've made history, captain."


One day later
The White House
Washington, DC

"More portals."

It was a question as much as it was a statement. The National Security Advisor had worked with the President long enough to realize that, and she answered, "Yes, sir. One in the Philippine Sea, one off the coast of Florida."

He raised an eyebrow. "The Bermuda Triangle?"

She nodded. "It's tempting to say that the locations aren't coincidental, Mister President, but the fact is simply that we do not know at this point."

"A Japanese freighter went through the Pacific portal."

"The Shibuya Maru, sir. There's the sensational aspect that they've discovered the secret of the Devil's Triangle," she explained. "Even if you discount that, you've got a lost merchant ship happening upon this portal to another world. It's great press if nothing else."

The President turned to his Secretary of Defense. "What's your recommendation?"

"Don't take any chances. A carrier strike group off each portal site for the time being," the new SecDef answered. "That's a hedge both against invasion from the other side and people on our side trying to exploit the new portals."

"Okay, do it." He turned back to the National Security Advisor. "Keep me posted. This could be a great new opportunity, but it's another complication for an already complicated situation."

"Yes, sir."