THE SIBERIAN WAR-CHAPTER 2: SEA OF BLOOD
By Red Star
Note: All anime and real characters mentioned here do not belong to me.
The Imperial Russian Army begins to strengthen the east.
And the Russian Pacific Fleet strikes at Japan's invasion forces.
* * * * * * * * *
KHABAROVSK, EASTERN SIBERIA
Colonel General Vladimir Sergeyevitch Lakov stood with Rear Admiral Victor Berinsky as they watched the Antonov-124 unload it's cargo, a pair of T-80 Tanks. Lakov glared at these tanks with unhappiness in his eyes. If HE had been the Commander in Chief Eastern Theater of Military Operations, he would have insisted on at least two armies with the distinguished "Guards" tacked onto their names. But these were the way things were done. The Russian military and the civilian population had always been friendly toward each other, and the military had always obeyed it's civilian commanders. If the Emperor thought that an invasion wasn't imminent but still possible, he would take baby steps to insure that he wouldn't appear to be the aggressor. But Lakov brooded nonetheless.
Vladimir Lakov was one of the younger generals in Russia's military, his last birthday was his forty-third. A widower at age thirty-two, he had lost her when a band of Chechen savages abducted her from a city she was visiting in Ingushetia and brought her back across the border. Lakov had been a Major then, his battalion had recently captured a powerful guerilla leader. The savages (He always thought of them that way, afterwards) treated her horribly. Lakov had found her when Russia's state television services showed the world how the Chechen "Freedom Fighters" had butchered a small village that had raised a white flag to surrender to the Russian forces. Children lay dead in the streets. Women, after being raped, were killed and then covered with cloth because of these maniac's interpretation of the Koran. An officer with the Occupation Forces happened to take off one of the cloths of one woman, his dearest Svetlana. There she was, on television. Lakov's subordinates had tried to offer words of comfort to him. But Lakov was just quiet, the only sound came from his hard breathing. He reached into his holster and walked out to the cages where he held Abdul Kaseem, a migrant from Saudi Arabia who had volunteered to help the Chechens. He ordered Kaseem brought out. When Kaseem finally faced him, the Arab spat at the Major's feet. The Major simply pulled out his gun and shot Kaseem's foot. The terrorist doubled over in pain. The Major had looked down and said, "Looks bad. We'll have to amputate. There's no tools for that kind of wound around here." Lakov then shot Kaseem in the other foot. The Major walked away, leaving the crippled Kaseem to be dragged to the medic.
The last he heard, Kaseem had died in the gulag, when one of his former colleagues saw the terrorist's gold tooth.
He owed his continued military career to the Emperor. Amnesty International found out and demanded that Dane punish his soldier. The Emperor ignored them, and in fact canceled their Observer status. The Emperor said, "He may be useful someday."
Lakov remembered those words as he climbed inside his jeep and went to Eastern Theater Central Command, a large building surrounded by barracks. Over the door hung a statue of the coat of arms. General Lakov entered into the modestly decorated entryway. He showed his I.D. After a short elevator ride he walked to his office. The secretary gave him some messages. Mostly reports and some complaints. He tossed these onto his desk and hung his coat and hat on the coat stand by the door. Lakov's office was not grand. It had enough room for a desk and a conference table and that was all he needed, no, all he WANTED. On his desk sat a model of the Su-S-37, one of Russia's most advanced fighter planes and a small Russian flag. Lakov sat down to read a report from Vladivostock. The Submarine fleet had reported activity in the sea of Japan. He sat back with a sigh and rubbed his eyes tiredly. What was going on?
SEA OF JAPAN
Tai sipped from a cup of coffee, and leaned against the carrier's hull. The rumbling of the jet engines felt comforting a little. These carriers were a wonder. If he had seen these things on land, he would have thought them to be some new kind of plane. But the truth surprised him. While resembling a plane in design, these carriers were meant for invasion from the sea, for quick and effective delivery of Marine troops. Tai's division would land in the second wave. Ahead of him were about 50 more carriers of this type, carrying members of the Japanese Imperial Marine Corps. They would land first and establish a beachhead. Surrounding them was the Japanese Second Fleet, which included two aircraft carriers of the Chrysanthemum Class. His division had been assigned to the 2nd Army. He wondered if this General Nohitomo was as good as they said.
S.S. KONEV, FLAGSHIP, PACIFIC FLEET OF THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL NAVY
Vice-Admiral Nikita Georgiov, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet, looked through the binoculars. He saw them coming. A bead of sweat fell down his forehead. These carriers were coming straight for him and Vladivostock beyond. He turned and went into the bridge. He picked up the radiophone and said to the communications officer, "Get me the Sea Banner!"
S.S. SEA BANNER, AIRCRAFT CARRIER
The Captain nodded. "Understood, sir." He hung up and gave an order to his Pilot Commander. "Prepare to launch an attack against that Carrier fleet!"
The Sea Banner is a marvel of Naval technology. It is one of the world's largest (It can carry up to 90 planes) and is equipped with a battery of missiles. And now the planes were being taxied out. These were Su-32s, armed with anti-ship missiles. The lead fighter began rolling toward the slightly curved upward ending. Within a few hours, 30 Su-32s were heading toward the 2nd Fleet.
S.S. HIROHITO, FLAGSHIP, 2ND FLEET.
Vice-Admiral Nomito Karito looked through the binoculars at the approaching fighters. He turned to his deputy, "They're Ruskies. Strike fighters." He turned toward his communications officer and said, "Tell all aircraft carriers to get their fighters in the air."
Suddenly the Admiral heard an explosion. "Too late," said the officer.
The Su-32's struck at the carriers first. Anti-ship missiles smashed into the deck, the jets were useless now. The pilots watched helplessly as the Russians struck the other carrier in the same way. The fighter group turned back and were swiftly replaced by another group of Su-32s. This time they were armed with torpedoes. The torpedoes fell from the belly of the jets. They propelled through the water into 3 destroyers, 5 cruisers, and the two damaged carriers.
6TH SUBMARINE BASE, KAMCHATKA PENINSULA.
The Kilo Class submarines received the orders now arriving from Fleet Command.
Led by the Tiger Shark, four submarines left their homeport and headed toward Japan. Their mission: Be ready to launch a nuclear strike against the Japanese islands.
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, MOSCOW
Marshal Toverov stared at the computerized map in horror. Though the Pacific Fleet had managed to cripple the Japanese Invading forces, a new situation had begun on the oil-rich island of Sukhalin.
SUKHALIN, EASTERN SIBERIA
Colonel Ferov cursed under his breath as he saw the Japanese land. Already his 134th Regiment was rushing to try and shove them back into the sea but he could see more carriers behind the Japanese Marines. Next he heard the sound of engines and looked up in the sky. It was a squadron of Mitsubishi F-1 ground attack fighters. They roared in, missiles blazing forth, into the Regiment's precious tank battalion. Ferov swore even louder and with words that made his soldiers turn and stare at him. He raced to his communications post and picked up the radiophone, "Central Command, this is Sukhalin commander Colonel Georgi Ferov, request air support, repeat: we need air support!"
EASTERN THEATER CENTRAL COMMAND
General Lakov watched his superior officer, Marshal Alexander Bolevsky, listen to the reports over the phone. The Japanese had landed 15,000 troops on Sukhalin. But on the mainland, 200,000 Japanese Marines had landed on the shores about 50 miles from Vladivostock, Russia's chief city in the East was in danger of being captured. Bolevsky slammed the phone down in frustration. "They lack the proper rank of General." What are you talking about?! There are five divisions down there and that tank corps that Moscow sent us! Vladivostock can be defended on land by our tanks and artillery, it can be defended from sea and air invasion by the air force and fleet!"
"Yes, well," sighed Bolevsky, sitting back and playing with his drooping mustache,
" Four divisions have combined to form two independent Corps. They're all arguing about who's in command." Lakov was enraged. The motherland was in danger and some idiot generals were arguing over who would get the glory! "I have a solution, sir."
JAPANESE BEACHHEAD
General Nohitomo watched his tanks advance through the weak Russian resistance. There was confusion on the other side over command. Nohitomo was pleased. So far, the campaign was a success. But things like these didn't last in Russia. Nohitomo knew this. History warned all who attacked Russia that they would regret it. Napoleon and Hitler's empires collapsed because of their invasions of the massive country. In each of those wars, talented men always came to the rescue of their motherland. Who would it be this time?
VLADIVOSTOCK
The corps quickly rolled into position. Their new commander had arrived fresh from Khabarovsk. Right now all the generals were gathered in the city hall to hear the commander's address.
"We shall meet the enemy and destroy them, not with the brute strength that the world thinks is the only attack we know how to do. We shall outwit them, destroy their weakest areas, and kill off their commanders one by one until they'll be like a headless chicken."
The audience nodded and murmured in agreement. Colonel General Lakov grasped the podium. He was dressed in the field command dress, the undress uniform with darker insignia and jackboots. A belt slung along his waist and a strap looped up and down his left shoulder. "Gentlemen," declared Lakov, "This shall be our finest battle!"