February 5th, 2017 of Gregorian calendar
Commodore Walter looked from the bridge of the USS Typhoon as she led a squadron of twelve other Cyclone class patrol ships through the relatively calm sea. This was their first day on patrol and already had spotted their targets heading through the Blue sea that separated the Glass peninsula to the west and the Arbuscula peninsula to the east, Sadera of course at the very north in the middle with Propter as the largest port in the Empire to the southeast.
Since the discovery of the Blue sea, the United States had ordered not only the existing Typhoon, Chinook, Zephyr, Tornado, and Shamal to be transferred but the creation of new members of the class christened USS Mistral, Etesian, Bora, Khamsin, Levant, Tsunami, Bayamo, and lodos. These vessels and numerous aircraft would dominate the sea and prevent any goods from reaching the Sadera heartland directly. A P-3 Orion had spotted a convoy of warships protecting two cargo ships flying Avionese flags that passed the channel islands east of the Kingdom of Toumaren. "Captain! I see multiple ships on our starboard side." Called out a sailor, Walter pulling out his binoculars and identified the flag on the biggest ship instantly.
"That's our targets, get us a thousand yards away and prepare weapon systems!" The men without question got to work, one enlisted man getting on the radio and relayed the order to the rest of the group. Just before they got into range, he ordered half of his force to break off and to check for more enemy vessels with the remaining ones dealt with the enemy flotilla. "Turn hard to port! I want all the guns we have the send that convoy to the bottom of the sea!" Barked the grey haired man and his ship slightly rocked as it prepared to attack. Men scrambled for the 25MM M242 Bushmaster autocannon and selected single shot mode as to not waste ammo.
He waited for the rest of his ships to aim and with a slight chuckle shouted, "Fire!" Two shells going three thousand-six hundred feet per second were sent flying and soon after two small warships exploded as the HE rounds detonated the gunpowder. The firepower of one patrol ship was scary but seven was just apocalyptic, the convoy having zero way to fight back as their weapons had only a maximum range of an estimated three hundred yards.
Almost every shot was a hit, meaning the destruction of a another ship and many sailors going down. After about five or so minutes the last ship sank and with it hundreds or possibly thousands of sailors who's lives were lost. He presumed that his ships fired a average of four shots during the battle and if not for the need to resupply could destroy small convoys like these hundred of times overs. But it was time come home at the port of Deabis. "Attention all ships, mission complete, regroup and let's get home." With that the task force turned to the west for port.
Januseos 8th, 688 of the Imperial calendar
The tavern was lively with music, sea shanties, rum, stories, and prostitutes that prowled about looking for men to sell their services. Meanwhile two cloaked people sit alone in a dark corner., whispering in hushed voices. One was a older man with thin white hair and bright green eyes while the other was a woman with long braided brown hair. "Are ye mad?" She asked, "if a few ships could destroy one of Pizha's squadrons then what's stopping a fleet from annihilating an entire navy?" The man grinned, "Don't worry...unlike their army, it's much more tiny and quite vulnerable if surrounded by swarms of your ships." His words sly like a fox and she had experience to deal with these men. "Worry not Zeniadi." He said, "I have a plan that wil benefit us. And if you agree..." He placed a piece of pyrite in front of her. The pirate scanned it over and over, absolutely dumbfounded. It stated that if she mangled to expel the Other-worlders' navy then she'd been rewarded three hundred thousand Imperial Suwani and bounty dropped and given rule over her very own Island! It was simply too good to be true. "Your bluffing mate, it can't be that easy? And to let one of the most successful pirate captains off free?"
But the man had an answer already. "The house of Ezimaas tells only truths, there's even the royal stamp there. We can beat them if we partner up and play it smart. You get your freedom and I get my Saderan gold, deal?" He took his hand out for a shake. The Gulf witch thought for a moment and stated her answer, "I'll except your offer, on the condition there would be complete transparency between us. No trickery!" She stated before she took a chug of rum, He extended his hand to which Zeniadi uneasily shook, official beginning an alliance between pirates and scheming nobility.
Januseos 10th, 688 of the Imperial calendar
Lord Ezimaas almost wanted to laugh in the witch's face, taking the bate like a pond fish. The king had in reality had zero idea of his grand plan and used the myth that the royal family was cursed for all eternity to not say a single lie to reel Zeniadi in. He not only got her in but also the Pizha, and Galanis houses respectively to unknowingly serve as his puppets. These two families were bitter rivals to Ezimaas and had fought amongst themselves for generations at that point. But considering lord Pizha was very greedy and Galanis prideful, he had worked out a "treaty" to essentially destroy American naval presence in order to "protect the Avionese dominance in her realm that is the oceans of the world". This of course was a cover for his real goal to destroy all opposition to his house, becoming the dominant force in Avion.
He sat in his sleeping quarters thinking of how he'd killed several birds with a single stone. The Americans had firepower but not the numbers and would eventually run out of ammunition, while his three main rivals would be bled dry. If they all combined their forces, this new fleet would be comprised of a staggering three thousand ships with a estimated three hundred thousand sailors against what his little birds in Deabis told him, only twenty four ships. It'd be a bloody battle but they would be swarmed and either sunk or more preferably captured. It'd allow him to negotiate with the Americans on favorable terms and possibly convince them to allow him to claim the arbuscula Peninsula for himself. Now why attack them when just directly joining the Americans' war on their side would be more beneficial?
In his mind, joining them would hold little reward. They would want to share the soils of their wealth and he and he alone wanted to be the master of the sea; supreme over all whom resided on the shore using his intellect to make his enemies destroy each other. He chuckled softly, 'I can hardly wait for the day they'll rip each other to bits like mad dogs! Only the intervention of the gods could ruin this.' The noble thought to himself before blowing out the candle next to his bed and falling asleep, unaware that fate had a different plan in mind.
February 11th, 2017 of the Gregorian calendar
The war in Falmart would ramp up again and the Stars and Stripes would fly over Sadera soon, as soon as spring came. Usually the snow wouldn't be an issue for armored vehicles and soldiers but the snowfall since late November was insane as such as seven feet of snow covered the landscape, preventing a quick blitz to the capital. The president thought how bad the mostly unpaved roads would be once it had all melted. After the bombing of Bellnahgo and the atomic bomb test in a isolated part of the continent, the gods had agreed to back off and wouldn't oppose technological advancements so long as religion wasn't touched. Hardy and Palapon had objected and continued on their holy war. They couldn't close the Gate themselves so would have to rely on more conventional means like armies and spies.
Ten months had passed since the Gate first appeared, ten months since Manhattan and the greater New York Metropolitan was terrorized by an army wearing roman armor. Ten months after the fact the mountain ranges were almost secured and victory was in reach. The only true obstacle was the geography of Falmart, had there been a easier way then the war would've been over by September. It was speculated that the number of dead Falmartians had to be at least five hundred and fifty-four thousand out a estimated population of between one hundred million and one hundred thirty million.
Dispite the harsh winter the Saderans had miraculously amassed a massive amount of troops in the capital region, mostly like other legions across the continent and newly formed ones conscripted from the peasant population. It take a extremely long time to get the country stable and longer to reach its pre-war situation but it wasn't his intention. He wanted the resources of this vast world for America and America only, to make the superpower so sufficient that if something were to happen then the country would have all it needed.
They'd come real handy in the attempt to create a portal to the Special region as so the Gate could be closed before both of their worlds were destroyed. Already thousands of Americas brightest set to accomplish this grand task. With the gods not a problem he could just recruit the best magicians of Rondel to speed up the process. Thankfully, word from his spies reported that due to the earthquake, the bombing of bridges, and possibly Hardy not wanting panic, news on the attack on Bellnahgo had yet reach the rest of the empire. Zorzal the new emperor had zero idea of the nuke detonated in the northern frontier and nuclear radiation had not spread to major populations.
After that show of force, Reed ordered quickly expressed to Kowalski that Bellnahgo was an expectation and was to never be repeat as he wanted to keep the image of American righteousness, especially to citizens of Sadera whom would be the most fanatic defenders of their empire. Intelligence had shown the streets were just barley big enough to house at tank and the buildings were build of stone with wooden exteriors instead of the mainly wood houses most commonly found in Falmart. It was calculated that it'd take four days to take the city, quick in terms of urban warfare but considering the break neck advancement of technology on the Empire's part, it would be a walk in the park.
The muskets were inferior in every way but packed a serious punch, shattering bone in unprotected parts of the body and creating dark purple bruises where armor plates stopped them. Cannons that were well hidden were a threat to humvees and supply trucks, with iron and stone balls through tests were capable of smashing wheels, windows, doors, windshields, and often crew compartments. They however were utterly useless against tanks and could only really scratch the paint and maybe damage the auto-cannon of Bradleys. The Saderans' real ace in the hole was booby traps; devises hiding and not making their presence known until they caught their prey.
This war had dragged on long enough, the people wanted results and they'd get it, once the ground became better suited for the weight of his tanks then the Saderans would be screwed and unable to stop America from claiming their crown jewel: Sadera.