Somewhere in the Leanboxian channel
A Leanboxian destroyer navigating in the sea, the ship pitch form port to starboard due to wave yet it still steady, the hull is punched with some bullets hole but it doesn't have effect on the buoyancy of the boat…
On the deck there is a few drops of blood, there is a sailor cleaning it with a sweep "Geez, I swear, it's isn't the turn of Dominique to clean?"
"No, no we verified and its your turn." Another sailor responds
The cleaning sailor stops sweeping for a second and remove the sweat she have on the forehead "Jeez. What a boring day." She then resumes her task
"Boring? Can't you just enjoy a moment of calm? We fought pirates like 2 days ago!" Another sailor says leaning on a handrail
"Well you I can kinda share his disappointment, when I chosen the navy I expected to fight some bigger ships, not some random dudes in dinghy with a machine gun strapped to it." A sailor with a bandaged arm comments
Someone walks upon them "Its our job to stop them, even if this looks like a corvee, its an important task for Leanbox, if we don't patrol the sea they will restart." He says
"Uh! Sure."
"By the way how is your arm now?"
"I guess I will be back into fight at the end of the month."
"You are sure you don't want to be sent back to the naval base?
"No thanks Captain, that's fine."
The captain then walks back inside of the ship, at the same time the sailor on the handrail lean further
"Uh. Is that an island afar?"
From afar, the mist, a shape, is taking form.
"You are sure that its an island?"
The captain walks backs and look she then head inside and goes to the bridge "Are there is any island in the area?"
The navigator is looking at a map "There isn't supposed to have one!"
"Is that a new island that formed?"
"Chances are VERY low."
The captain thinks for a second "I'm going to send a recon."
At the stern of the ship, a ramp with a drone is rising slowly in an angle of 45 degree
Vrrrrrmmmtttt
The engine turns on and it takes off the launching ramp, it flies at the direction of the of the shape, after a few minute the image transmit something...
"Its not an island!"
A few second later a shell flies In the direction of the camera, the camera cuts
"Its a Planeptune or a Lastation ship?"
"Neither. They would have done that, they would have tried to sent message!" The captain then rush to an intercom "EVERY SAILOR AT THEIR BATTLE STATIONS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
The message get quickly heard trough all the warship, the crew runs to their stations, the guy who was sweeping the deck near the main guns quickly get inside with his mates trough a trapdoor on the floor
On a radar screen some dots appears and approaches the center of screen
"Sir! Homing missiles approaching!" The operator says
"Activate the C.I.W.S!" The captain yells
Over the bridge, a turret mounted with a Gatling laser and an dish antenna on side part of the turret, points towards the incoming missiles coming form the afar shape, the gun starts to rotate
RRRRRRRR
PRRRATATATATA
It unleashes a hail storm of lasers at their direction of missiles
BOOM
One explodes in mid air hitting a laser
BOOM BOOM
Two other one hits
The last missiles dives moments form hitting the ship are still some sailors running inside the ship
BOOM
But the CIWS didn't managed to stop it, it exploded on the ship hull, the sailors that were running through the corridor get blown up it shakes the whole ship
"WE GOT HIT! THERE IS A BREACH!" A intercom transmits
"C-Close the doors and activate the pumps!" the captain responds
"The guns are ready Captain!" The cannons operators say
"FIRE AT WILL!" Orders the captain
BANG BANG
BANG BANG
The 2 deck fast firing cannons starts to fire, The shell flies in the direction of the ennemy ship
SPLASH SPLASH
Two shells end in the water near the ship
BOOM BOOM
The two other ones hit the ship and explodes, and in their perspective:
"We got some minor damage!" a crewman says
"I see they want to play with guns. But we got bigger ones. Fire the railguns!"
The front huge Railguns turns in the direction of the Leanboxian ships, the barrel raises
…
BBBOOOOOOMMM
A salvo of a dozen of shells flies up in the air
The light of the shells can be seen form the Leanboxian ship…
"Shell coming at us!"
The captain takes the helm and roughly turns it to starboard. The boat maneuver rapidly to the north while slightly leaning
SPLOOOSH
The shells misses the ship and explode underwater raising columns of water around high as the ship
"That was close!"
"We have retreat! There is no way we can sink them! Prepare a smoke screen and distract them with silo missiles!"
The Leaboxian destroyer launch a smoke screen and do a U turn while the silos opens
WOOOSSHHHH WOOSSSSHHH WOOOSSSSHHHH
The missiles leaves the silo and fly in the direction of the unknown ship
The Captain of the unknown ship see the incoming missiles approaching
"Activate the DSG."
on the center of the ship, there is a pretty large sphere with hexagonal pattern that make half the size of the beam. It the hexagons lines turns form black to red
The swarm of missiles start to dive on the ship but it get get destroyed by a shock wave coming form the "sphere", as they got destroyed the crew cheers of their victory, the captain sighs in relief
"Should we chase them?"
"No, we are only supposed to test the Ship."
"But if they make it back to Leanbox, isn't its gonna cause problems later?"
"Less than if we kill them. They probably already called the rest of fleet. Let's head back to the port."
The unknown ship was actually a dreadnought, a very old battleship but refitted with the most modern weapons of Gamindustri ranging form the 3 heavy triple barreled rails guns (2 on the front 1 in the rear), a range of 4 double barreled heavy laser auto-cannons as secondary guns and 2 fixed anti-ship missiles launchers on the side and of course, the sphere that is actually a Defensive Shockwave Generator, there is also various point defenses
"So, any causalities?"
"The doctors aboard died. Not due to the shell explosion, the armor contained it but it still caused some shards that killed them."
"The armor is to change then. Steer the ship." The captain then get up his chair and leave the bridge
"Yes Captain."
The Captain then move to his private room and activate his computer, he get greeted by a video transmission form Magic
"So how went the testing of the SCS Action Replay?" Magic asks
"Perfectly fine supreme leader. We tested almost every thing, only the laser auto-cannons wasn't verified. We are heading back to the naval base." The Captain responds
"Very well Admiral, but I think you will have the occasion to test the auto-cannons, in the day there is going to have Planeptune air force that will transport important passengers including the CPU candidate, I want you to shot it down and capture the prisoners if possible. Recall me when its done."
"As you wish..."
The calls ends...
Previously in Inventor tales
Nepgear and her friends, with the help of a former ASIC and MOD commander who turned against them, they escaped their grasps and headed back to Lowee, at the same moment Bethesda and Id were charged of the task consisting of going to Lowee to warn about the ASIC and ask them to use the mascot to power up their candidate instead of the Planeptune one, they refused but they still decided to send with the Inventor and the slayer with some of the best makers of Lowee to protect it in waiting the arrival of Nepgear, but instead of Nepgear, the new group of makers encounter the same underling that shot Bethesda years ago, after a long fight, the underling have been defeated and the Mascot got cloned which allowed Nepgear to carry it with her, the makers says goodbye to each others and now they are heading to Leanbox for the last Mascot!
The Nep force one vertidragon flies over Planeptune, its rotors slowly starts to point up as it starts to hover on the top floor of the Planeptower, on the floor there is Histoire and some Basilicom staff looking at flying machine, the machine then deploys its landing gear and touch the ground, the door opens…
Histoire advances a few meters ahead and talks "Greetings, I had to call you all over for numerous reasons, but you are already aware of which ones?"
Nepgear steps in front and responds "Yes. Bethesda told us during the flight."
"Good."
A Basilicom staff walks to them with the crate containing the weapons of everyone (excluding Bethesda and Id), the girls pick up their weapons, Meanwhile Id is forcefully pulling the underling out of the vehicle
While seeing that Bethesda remembers something "Uh, Histoire, I lost my gun at Lowee, can I get a weapon?" Bethesda then asks
"We don't have time to look for a weapon, I will contact Chika to get you a new one." Histoire responds
"Thanks."
At the same moment, the underling is walking, arms behind her her, well its not like she had the choice, she's attempt to says something but the only thing she can pull out is some muffled words, like if she was talking with her teeth clenched
"What are you trying to jabber?" Id asks
The Underling attempts to talk again: "Canz youz loosenz my armz?" she says in a weak voice
Id raise an eyebrow "What?"
RED and Compa walks to them "I think she trying to say to hold her less." RED says
"That's hard to understand."
"Its normal since you broke her jaw." Compa says "So she sound like that."
Id doesn't elaborate further and hand over the underling to the Basilicom staff who takes her away, Histoire glance at the Underling, the Underling taken by the staff then finally leave
Histoire then sighs "I think we wouldn't be able to interrogate her right now." she turns back the group "Well we will make sure she can talk. Nepgear, make sure that Bethesda don't attempt to kill other ASIC agents."
"Uh?" Nepgear quickly looks at Bethesda, Bethesda just glare at her with a neutral face "I-i will try!"
"Good. Also Id I got a new mission for you. I will explain it when the others are gone."
Id listens "Um um."
"Wait? You could have found another agent? I mean we are pretty effective together." Bethesda objects
"I don't doubt that, but the mission implies getting rid of some trouble makers, something that she does very well."
"Okay then."
"Oh! Histoire I forgot about something." Nepgear says
"What is it?"
"Well..."
Nepgear explains to Histoire what happened in the former Lowean territory
"I see… I'm going to see what I can do about it." Histoire then responds
Nepgear responds by a nod and she get to the vertidragon, with the makers following her and it takes off: direction the south. Histoire and Id then turns back and start heading back inside with the other staff
Histoire and Id are now walking in a hallway of the Planeptower "So, you must be wondering what's the mission I wanted to give you?"
Id nods
"Last days some of our agents managed to retrieve an information about a hypothetical operations of the ASIC on Rosen island, we are not really sure where exactly, but you will go to Erethisan city and start to recon the island to find them, of course you are allowed to eliminate them if necessary, there is others agents of the guild and adventurer that we hired on the island, one of them is called Falcom, you will contact her, she is born the on the island so it would be easier for you to go with her."
"I See… So That, Falcom what does she looks like?"
"She have a short red hair and orange eyes. Do you want me to get a picture of her?"
They stop their walk when they reach an elevator
"No, that will be enough."
"Okay, good luck then."
Id push the elevator button and the doors open, she steps inside of it and closes the elevator, Histoire then heads to her room, she sighs, remembering the works she have to do, but it doesn't really bother her that much since she got used to it, its not like Neptune helped her a lot anyway
When she start to process about the paperwork, she remember about the deal, she thinks about the advantages and the disadvantages, and if the such operation will be organized
Firstly for the advantages, in the base case, the Changers manage to make a counter-coup and establishes a more neutral nation then in case of potential conflicts with the ASIC, it wouldn't be a problem, it also prevent a potential refuge for the ASIC remnants
The bad things are that Lowee will probably be very unhappy if they hear about the plan. Also other things that the logistic for that operation will require to fly over Lowee airspace, but the flight of cargo planes in a repeated cycle and going to the MOD territory will provoke suspicion form Lowee. She also can't be really sure if such operation will succeeds
She hesitate of what she should do, it might not look like it but the decision might be more important in consequences then it looks. After a long time of brain storming, she as an idea pops up in her mind...
[Meanwhile.]
SOMEWHERE IN THE LEANBOXIAN CHANEL
AFTER NOON
On the way to Leanbox, the Tilt-rotor is joined by two Planeptune fighter jets who flies behind, the Nep force one forms, the Candidate and the Makers are inside of the vehicle are doing different things, IF on her phone (nothing unusual), Compa and Nepgear are talking…
"I heard that Leanbox is the most different country compared to the mainlands ones. How should we act there?"
"We should ask Bethesda." Compa responds
...Bethesda who is currently sleeping next to RED, RED who seem to be in a pensive state, hand on her chin, she then shakes the Inventor who quickly wake up
"By the way your sister looks pretty nice. I would like to make her my wifey."
Bethesda glances at RED "What are you meaning by wifey? And you woke me up just to say that?"
"RED we already had that talk, especially when you are talking about other people family."
"Awww."
"I wonder how the heck you managed to join this group but the thing that impress me even more is also how you girls didn't kicked her out already."
"She saved us form an ambush of the Underling and she is kinda strong."
"I see..." Bethesda chuckle in middle of his sentence "...the Strong but Dumb trope."
IF responds to that by rolling her eye while smiling she then turns her sight back to her phone
RED get up of her seat in an angry way "HEY!" she yells "I don't allow you to call me dumb you ugly old man!"
Bethesa look at her and just responds non nonchalantly "Ok BTLL."
RED angry face turns into a confused, she tilt her head "BTLL?"
"Big Tit Lesbian Loli"
RED confusion turns into anger again but even angrier
In front of them there is Compa and IF who just observe at the drama between the Wifey collector and the Inventor
"They don't seem to like each other." Compa comments, in a pretty obvious way
Nepgear nods and sighs "I hopped they would at least get a bit along."
IF attention turns back to Bethesda and RED "Hey! Can you two stop that? At least wait we till we are landed before fighting."
"Or-r don't fight at all!" Nepgear pleads
"Its not a good idea to fight inside of a vehicle, especially a flying one."
Bethesda get back into his seat "Anyway… another topic of conversations?"
"Since you are awake now and we are going to Leanbox, what do we need to know there? You know, local culture?" Nepgear asks
Bethesda then start to list things about Leanboxian culture and other stuff "Well its a land of athletes, at the point that it becomes ridiculous some times, and also its full of 12 years old send you messages about how they did your mom after they lost a FPS match. The climate is also pretty hot most of the year the exception being winter where it can fall down to 8°Celsius."
"I heard that they still do conscription, that's true?"
"Pretty much but its not an "if you don't do it, we kill you." situation, in some case you can avoid it or being an in a better post following your studies."
"So you were a battle scientist or something like that?"
"No… I didn't made any very advanced studies after high school. I failed the entry test for the university."
A bit everyone is surprised by that response
"I-Impossible." Nepgear says, shocked of course
"I was overconfident, that's something that tends to cause me a ton of problems."
"So where you were exactly?" Compa asks
"In the specials forces, in a squad with only makers. I was sent there after being one of the best in the training camp"
"How was the training?" IF asks
"Rough, and for me it was VERY rough. I was pretty bad in sports in general and I almost never exercised."
"Wow, you must have suffered!"
"Yeah I did, I was literally one of the worse in the physical level."
"But how you made it to the special force if you were that bad?" RED asks
"do I have to remind you that I literally have an aimbot in the brain? I blew it at the fire range."
"Oh." everyone says
"That make sense I guess, by the way I noticed that you are pretty athletic so it must come form there." IF says
"Exactly. I was the worst on the physical level but it got better with time, at that age the body muscles develops rapidly."
"And how your superiors were?" Compa asks
"Well you see Full Metal Jacket? Its kinda the same thing but instead of having a sergeant Hartman we got, uhm… a corporal Hartman, a staff sergeant Hartman, a sergeant first Hartman, a maste-"
"Okay, okay we got it they were assholes." IF cuts off Bethesda
"The supervisors only started to respect us after being affected to companies. Well anyway if a had to list everything I made in the military it would make a few extra chapter. But it wasn't that bad."
"Uh… Ladies… and Sir. Sorry to interrupt your conversation but we got a warship in the sea right in front of us." The pilot of the vertidragon says
"It is a Leanboxian one?" Nepgear asks
The group look at each others and they then gets up of their seats, and move to the cockpit, there is a gigantic ship, it looks one dreadnought form the early 1900s and its not very far form the Nep force one position and it looks very heavily armed
"I don't know. It don't have a flag to identify it." The Pilot says
"Maybe a pirate ship." IF says
"A pirate battleship? that's more than improbable. They would prefer lighter and faster ships." Bethesda responds
"Try to talk with it." Suggests RED
The pilot then opens the radio and changes the frequency of the device he then turn it on
"Warship can you receive me? I can you hear us?"
[On the Battleship.]
"Captain! We are receiving a transmission form the planeptunes vehicles."
"Time to know. If they are the ones." The Admiral thinks "Let them talk."
The radio operators then set up the communications, the Admiral comes to them and he take a microphone on the radio table
"Here the HGS Gate form the Leanboxian navy. Identify yourself."
"We are the Planeptune Nep force one. We are heading to Leanbox for a diplomatic mission."
The Admiral chuckles and then cut off the call "They fell for it." he says
"What do we do sir?" The radio operator says
The Admiral smiles… "We engage them!"
TO BE CONTINUED
An inventor tales Vol6: When Bethesda comes marching home
I wanted to start this volume a bit earlier but as usual I didn't have time to do so. But I Should have more time for the two next weeks
The suffixes I took for the two name of the warships are not chosen randomly of course:
- SCS stands for Syndicalist Combat Ship, the dreadnought itself is named after a brand of catridge made for cheating
- HGS stands for Her Goddess Ship, quite the Leanboxian version HMS
