Today is mostly some filler. Introduce a few new characters, Sydney Again, the Spirit of Freedom, and filler.
Also laying the groundwork for the future.
A/N Please note I only own my OCs and my altered version of the timeline. Characters, properties, and nations belong to their respective owners.
Somewhere Southeast of the North American continent
July 2nd, 2052 CE/80 AGW
The Leviathan, a Grimm menace that struck fear into even the most hardened of hunters and Atlassian soldiers, lurked beneath the waves. Waves that were once feared by even the most adventurous of sailors and explorers.
It wouldn't be a surprise. Leviathans weighed over a few thousand tons, had some of the thickest armour plating a Grimm could find, and a fire breath beam that could down even Atlassian air cruisers.
Now it was on the hunt. The hunt for those that had slain its kin.
When tens of thousands of its Grimm horde disappeared, replaced by a mass of confused emotion that drew the attention of every Grimm in a ten thousand-kilometre radius.
Yet every Grimm simply disappeared, wiped from existence with many unknown weapons.
But today, that would change. The Leviathan sense a horde of Humans sailing over the oceans. A tasty snack, one to avenge its lost brothers.
It slithered quietly, only a hundred kilometres away from the horde of Humans. It was time to strike, time to-
The Leviathan then screeched underwater as two projectiles impacted its side. Pain ripped through the Kaiju as parts of its body were blown off.
In a panic, the Grimm Leviathan kicked up and surfaced like an underwater ballistic missile. Where did that infernal Human attack come from? The Leviathan looked around. It would make the Humans pay for the pain it inflicted.
And it spotted a trio of Human ships only a few dozen kilometres away. Perfect.
Or at least until suddenly smoke engulfed all three ships and a dozen projectiles shot into the sky and curved towards it.
And in a blink of an eye, a dozen LRASMs antiship missiles careened into the beast. The Leviathan roared in rage and more of its body was ripped off by explosions that hit harder than any Atlas rocket weapon.
Now the Leviathan was angry. It would kill those Humans!
A small turret on one of the ships oriented itself toward the Leviathan.
And what would a single puny turret do against the Rook of the Grimm?
Its thought process would be rudely interrupted and silenced permanently as a 40-kilogram slug from a coilgun ripped its head off.
CIC, USS Spirit of Freedom (Offshore Mobile Base)
"Oh, that's got to hurt." Jaune winced as the USS John Paul Jone's coilgun ripped the head off a Grimm Leviathan class beast.
"Hah! That's got to hurt! Eat shit, Grimm!" Fleet Admiral Hela Shepard exclaimed as the footage from a navy version of the AQ-360 Hunter Killer drone showed the Grimm Kaiju slumping into the sea. Cheers erupted from across the bridge crew as the United States Navy showed that no: big scary monsters were not missile-proof.
"Got to give it up to the Cannuks as well. Those Headhunter class submarines did the trick as well." Hela added.
The Headhunter class of attack submarines was a joint project between the British Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy. Meant to counter both a resurgent Russian navy or a People Liberation Army Navy battlegroup, the Headhunter class was the ultimate replacement Astute Submarines and an expansion of the older AUKUS submarines, the Headhunter class was powered by a Canadian-designed fusion reactor that allowed it nearly unlimited travel distance. Advanced stealth composite and noise-dampening technologies made it the most advanced attack submarine in service on Earth or Remnant. Equipped with spearfish advanced torpedoes, anti-submersible interception drones, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and even a single laser air defence weapon.
16 were produced in total. 4 for Australia, and 6 for both Canada and the U.K. Canada donated two of its nearly completed hulls to the Royal Navy to bolster naval numbers against the Russians.
Still, even with a reduced number of Hulls, the two Headhunter submarines assigned to the unified battlegroup proved their worth as the HMCS Silent Reaper and Swift Currents placed a pair of Torpedos right into a weak spot.
And when the Leviathan surfaced? The Monsoor Destroyer USS John Paul Jones, supported by the Constellation Frigates USS Thach and HMCS Calgary, pummeled the living crap of the Leviathan with LRASMs before the John Paul Jones finished off the Kaiju with a coilgun shot.
"Ma'am. John Paul Jones reports that the last Grimm in a two-kilometre radius has been neutralized." a communications officer reported.
"Excellent. Let's head on our way. Helmsman. Continue onto the City of Vale, at 75% speed. Order John Paul Jones and her escorts to return to formation"
"Aye, ma'am! Continuing heading at 75% speed." the navigation officer reported.
On the hologram display table, which showed every single American, Canadian, and Mexican ship in the task force, the holographic models of a Monsoor destroyer, a pair of Constellation class Frigates, and two submerged headhunters began turning and making their way back to the task force.
"So Redeemer. How did my fleet do? Better than your task force?" Hela smirked.
"Shepard. You're just pissed that Woodward and the Canadians got the first naval kills." Arc just shook his head with a grin on his face.
"Pfftt, seriously lazy ass. His force consists of a few battleships and carriers. Meanwhile, I must contend with the chair force, jarheads, and dirt slingers like you." Hela scoffed.
"And I have to handle a force stitched together from not only three different nations but also some nations that don't exist anymore and mercs." Jaune rolled his eyes. "And there's the guest on your ship."
"Oh, yeah." Hela sighed. "Whose idea was it to stick Princess Iron Lady as our primary envoy?"
"Some Canadian." Jaune shrugged. "And the president."
Prince Alice Elizabeth, 18th in the line of succession for the British Royal family, followed the tradition of British Royals servicing the British military. Though unlike her ancestors, who served as tankers, airforce pilots, and royal navy personnel, Alice was unusual in that she was a Valkyrie pilot.
She was among the first to deploy behind Russian lines with a Valkyrie suit, demolishing anti-air missile sites and radar facilities to allow North American strategic bombers to inflict pain on Russian cities. She was one of the first to cross the Oder River. And one of the first non-Americans to have her aura unlocked,
Technically she still is a pilot but both the disappearance of Britain and the flux of the remaining British Royal family meant that she had to step away from her duties as a power armour pilot.
Still didn't stop her from being a pain in the ass. While admittedly Jaune admired her tenacity in a fight, the two had….arguments. And disagreements.
Let's just say that Jaune considered Alice someone if Nora and early Beacon Weiss had a child. Uptight, rigid, and a pain in the ass.
Let's just say that Jaune was going to expect a war in a few years.
"Right, I got to handle the princess. Call me over the net when you need me." Jaune straighten up from the railing he was leaning against.
"Aye. See you later Redeemer." Hela nodded before she returned to coordinate her fleet.
Jaune took this chance to move to the CIC entrance and pried the door open, stepping through, and shutting it behind him.
Walking through some corridors, a few more heavy doors, and taking a few salutes from a few army and airforce personnel on the ship, Jaune found himself on one of the exterior gangways of the Spirit of Freedom.
Leaning on a railing, Jaune observed the fleet sailing alongside the kilometre-long Spirit Class mobile base.
On the Freedom's Western side, Jaune spotted his own command. The HMCS Stephen Harper, the USS Eminent Domain, a few dozen transports carrying Task Force Zwolle, an America class Amphibious class HMCS Saipan, and over a dozen escorting destroyers and frigates.
He watched from the HMCS Stephen Harper as two CF39 Crossbows launched off the flight deck, thrown off by an electromagnetic catapult. The fifth-generation fighters shot straight up into the air and disappeared past the cloud cover.
"Ah, there you are. General." A voice that Jaune was really hoping not to run into today.
"Princess Elizabeth." Jaune simply acknowledged as the princess, wearing a standard British armed Forces uniform, came to his right and also leaned against the railing.
Elizabeth was a young lady in her late 20s with brunette hair, and brown eyes, was quite muscular, with Caucasian light skin, and had a minor scar over her left cheek that was dampened with some makeup and skin therapy.
The pair stayed like this for 15 seconds before Elizbeth spoke. "You don't want me here do you?"
"Princess, you should know the British Royal family is in chaos at this moment. They're maybe a dozen members in North America. Losing you would be a big blow." Jaune responded.
"Like losing one of three Spirits? Or four carriers and a battleship? Or over 6 divisions of army and marine units? Please, it's not the practicality that you don't want me here." Elizabeth scoffed.
"Fine. Vale's a peaceful nation. Canada already has a larger military than Atlas and all uniformed Militia units combined. The world is already on edge." Jaune explained.
"Ah yes, so sailing over 50 warships into one of their main port cities is going make things calmer." Alice scoffed again as a single Seahawk took off from the flight deck of the HMCS Orion Zheng.
"Not at all. Just the Harper, the Domain, two Americas, a cruiser liner with most of the survivors, wrecks, or bodies, and 4 frigates. The rest of the fleet will stick to 200 klicks off the coast." Jaune replied.
"Yeah yeah. Still gunboat diplomacy. What's the real reason you don't want me here?" Alice scoffed.
"Besides that fact that you also somehow got your aura unlocked from one of my guys?" Jaune eyes twitched. Alice was one of the few, very few, non-North Americans to have their auras unlocked; a dying JTF3 operator unlocked it for her. "And that you're a constant pain in the ass."
Out of his peripheral vision, Jaune noted a maroon aura field flowing over the princess's hands.
"You act as if Aura is something you can only bestow," Alice added.
"There's also a reason why only a few NAU troops have theirs unlocked. And now you're using your newfound power to be the utter dagger into my spine." Jaune muttered
Alice giggled. "Aww, knight doesn't want a princess in bed?" Alice smirked.
"Not a princess who would be willing to drag me through all those stuffy royal fashions. Uggh, Coco is bad enough." Jaune grimaces, reminding him of his time in Europe after the war.
"It's not that bad," Alice added and the two fell silent.
Finally, Jaune spoke up. "Truth be told, something in my gut tells me shits going down in Vale."
"Oh, just your gut?"
"When I left Remnant years ago, trouble was raging in Vale already. Someone was going around instigating violence in Faunus Equality Protests, the White Fang's mass recruitment and someone's given them some of the best gear Atlas can make." Jaune replied. "I'm not some dolt out of middle school anymore. It's pretty clear there's someone behind this scheme."
"Well, then I'm glad a certain someone with Aura, military experience, and a Valk suit is going to be joining us on the ground. Itinerary?" Alice turned to Jaune.
"When we arrive, Phase 1 is to return all the refugees and crew we picked up. Shows us being nice, considering we patched them up free of charge. See if we can talk to Ozpin, and negotiate somewhere to park the fleet. Phase 2 is the boring political crap you dealing with. Tour Vale, meet people, meet their council. Phase 3 is fluid. More negotiations, maybe more tours, etc. We'll see when we get there. We'll have overhead drone support and a surprise QRF on standby." Jaune smartly answered.
"Hmm," Alice murmured. "Just who got picked to be my bodyguard?"
"I say Amy but I know you too well. My Venom suit is ready. Yours?"
"Never leave without it," Alice smirked an evil smirk.
"Oum help us when you meet the council. I bet you something's going to explode when we're there."
"I'll take it. It's going to go as well as a teenage child through a bar."
"That good or bad Princess?"
"Depends on the side. Bad news for the bartender though. But no one is stupid enough to piss off the people in the bar."
()
HMCS Stephen Harper, STT lounge
Same time
It was at this moment that y of Team RWBY sneezed. "Someone's talking about me," Yang whispered.
Amy just rolled her eyes. Kids.
Currently, Amy was watching over the four teams, all of whom were housed in a specific section of the Stephen Harper reserved for special forces. Thanks to a Canadian modernization and automation program, a lot more space had been freed onboard the Gerald R. Ford for the personnel. As such, special forces teams, including the two platoons of JTF3 and Seal Team 7. So there was plenty of room for Jaune's friends to bunker down.
And by then, the special forces teams on the Harper had more or less adopted the kids for themselves. While there was some queasiness about having fifteen-year-olds on the ship-
"Suka Blyat! dammit!" One of the Seals, Lex Kolosov, exclaimed as Ruby, Coco, Sun, and Yang whooped when the red reaper head shotted the SEAL in the game CREW Fortress Armageddon.
Lex Kolosov was an unusual member of SEAL Team 7. Unlike most of the arua users in the NAU, Lev was of Russian descent, his family having fled the homeland during the chaos that was the Great War on Terror and settled near the Canadian American border.
Despite his mixed heritage, Lev would become a valued member of SEAL Team 7. A former marine raider, his service history with Zwolle consisted of sabotaging Eastern air bases, hunting terrorists, and even a GRU spy by the name of the Winter Maiden.
"Getting lax Lev?" Amy smirked. "You've been getting sloppy."
"Nyet. Little kids have more energy than me." the Russian SEAL grumbled.
"I'm just a better shot than you." Ruby giggled, trying to assert dominance over the older man.
"Want to show off your shot?" Out of nowhere, Lev whipped out a Barrett MRAD bolt action sniper rifle. "Range. The winner has to buy dessert."
"Lev! You can't just challenge a fifteen-year-old to a duel-"
"Deal!" Crescent Rose unfold and Ruby smacked the blade into the ground. "Best sniper wins."
"Uh, Ruby? Your blade?" Neptune pointed to where the blade of Crescent Rose had carved into the floor.
It was at this moment that Ruby turned bright red, realizing she just damaged military property and drilled a hole through the floor.
"Isn't there some piping underneath us as well?" Lev suddenly looked concerned.
"AAYYYYEEEE! WHERE'S THIS WATER COMING FROM-OH GOD ITS FREEZING!"
Amy just stared at the floor, realizing that it was some poor REMF's office below them.
And then she just stared at Ruby, who had a look of shame on her face.
"Ruby. Do I need to explain why we lock our weapons up?"
()
Back on the USS Spirit of Freedom.
"Bbbbbbaaarrrgggg!" At this moment, the multi-million-ton carrier hit a little wave trough that made a certain leader of team BRNZ vomit his guts out into the ocean.
None of the three teams with Brawnz wasn't much better. As it turns out, all of them were dealing with some form of sea motion sickness. Considering most of them were from Kingdoms with a rather minimal seaway access.
Initially, they were fine. They were accidentally housed on the American flagship instead of the cruise liner that was rented out but hey, they could live with this.
And a day passed by and they all found all of them were suffering from motion sea sickness.
Arslan was taking it the worst. She was from the Eastern portion of Mistral, where it was hot and arid. Up until her time at Haven and Beacon, she didn't see or traverse any major bodies of water except for the occasional pond, river, and lake.
Arslan assumed she would be fine, considering she was perfect considering her pleasant rides in airships.
As it turned out, none of them were safe from the rolling waves. Or at least continuous batterings.
This was why all three teams were currently on one of the side platform railings (Which contained a Phalanx CIWS and Patriot Missile Turret) vomiting their guts out or just being miserable.
Some U.S. Navy crew members were going to shoo them away, but one glare from Arslan sent them packing.
"By the brothers." Reese moaned. "How do the Americans handle this?"
"Please….kill me." Flynt panted over the railing before hurling another spit of vomit into the seas.
Arslan was going to say something before the Freedom crashed into another wave that knocked her off balance.
This is it. This is how I die. Motion sickness and cracking my head open on some alien flagship. Arslan thought as she fell backwards-
Right into something soft. Soft like the fabric of clothing or a uniform. Something warm and buff holding her shoulder steady like a warm buff arm-
Arslan's eyes shot open and cranked her head to look behind her-
"Hey Ar? You dying?" the familiar voice of her old chaperone rang out, his friendly smile every present as he caught the falling hunter in training.
"Uh? Syd-" It was at this moment Syd stuck a metal bottle in front of Arslan.
"Here, take a sip. It's a special kind of milk tea blend that will help you with your motion sickness." the Logistics officer offered.
Arslan took the bottle without hesitation and began chugging the contents like a seasoned alcoholic. The sweet, creamy, and silky drink guzzled down her throat.
It wasn't until she polished off the entire bottle did she notice that her queasiness began to dissipate. She waited as the odd drink did its work, her ill feeling disappearing as she leaned back on the chest of the slightly older soldier.
"Ummm, what are you doing here?" Arslan asked.
"I got drafted into Zwolle. I'm one of Redeemer's logistic chiefs now. I'm overseeing resupply and rearming for any troops deployed. And I'm his assistant basically now." Sydney shrugged.
Or more specifically, he'll be in charge of making sure the supply bases and pads are set up correctly, ensuring an adequate supply of all troops, and generally cutting down paperwork for the General.
"Mmmm, ok." Arslan just wanted to bask in the comfort of Sydney's uniform, though she then realized that the rest of her team, and her friends, were staring at Sydney with jealousy.
They had just turned to see the Lioness of Haven having a nice rest leaning against the older soldier.
Who brought drinks.
And now they were giving him puppy eyes.
"Well, I was going to let you guys suffer for the hell you put me through." Sydney sighed. "But I'm nice and brought something for all of you."
And none of the teams noticed the cute quadrupedal robot who gave a cute chirp. And there was a tray on the back with more metal bottles.
"I brought plenty of milk tea. Drink up kids, it'll help you out."
The still seasick kids waddled and dragged themselves over to the robot dog drone and began snagging bottles from the drone and also began chugging the drinks as if they were the cure to every single disease on Remnant.
"I take it most of you haven't been on a boat?"
"Not really. FNKI is mostly from central Solitas, BRNZ is from Vacuo which is a desert, and I'm from eastern Mistral. Desert and shifting Tundras." Arslan admitted.
"The academies don't teach you to swim?" Sydney frowned. In the Canadian and US militaries, many recruits do go through some sort of swim class. Especially if they were assigned to a combat unit."
"Not-slllleeeepppp- really." Flynt gasped through his drink. "It was a secondary course. And only for second and third years."
Sydney blinked. That was unusual.
"Yeah, now that I think about it." Neon's tail began swinging around. "Several secondary courses in Atlas have been getting axed due to budget issues. A bunch of courses relating to survival and wilderness navigation are being pushed back. Things are being replaced with more combat and tech-related courses,"
"Which is weird, you would have thought they would have hammered it in earlier in our schoolings," Kobalt added.
"Really?! Wait a second that's happening in Haven as well. I remember being so pumped up to go on those cool nature trips for the first years but they all apparently got pushed back for the second and third years. They've been replaced with etiquette and political classes. Bleh!" Reese shuddered.
Ok, what the fuck? That sure was weird. Weren't the hunters supposed to be an apolitical force? Considering how much the militaries of North America tried to keep the military out of politics, it would stand to reason that hunters do the same.
"You know. I heard that Redeemer and his other bosses were considering opening the opportunity for hunters and hunters in training for joint patrols and exercises. A lot of outdoor trips I can put your names in if you're interested." Sydney added.
"Really?!" Suddenly he had the attention of all twelve of them.
"I'm the general's right hand at this point. I can talk with him if you want," he shrugged
He got nods from all of them, including the lioness in his arms.
Hold a second.
"Hey, Arslan?"
"Hm"
"I know you're comfortable but do you still need to rest on my chest?"
It was funny seeing the lioness leap up in embarrassment.
(*)
Location:?
Time:2052 AD
Recording decrypted.
?: "Tigress, come in."
Tigress: "What is it Mads? Something in Vale?"
Mads: "Even better. You know that expedition Vale sent out?"
Tigress: "Get to the point."
Mads: "Fine. They ran into a Wyvern. And get this, they were saved by a Canadian Carrier group."
Tigress: "…Canadian?"
Mads: "Didn't know the Canadians have carriers. You sure didn't tell me that as well."
Tigress: "Which Carrier?"
Mads: "The Stephen Harper? That's new."
Tigress: "The Harper….If the Harper's there…"
Mads: "Apparently, they're also led by an American General by the Name of Arc!"
Tigress: "This changes everything. See if you can get in contact with this Arc. We'll need some help, Especially with what's going on in Mistral."
Mads; "Aye Tiger. Nice to see some others from home here again."
Tigress: "….. no, Remnant is our home now. But it might be nice to see some friendly faces."
Recording ended.
()
North American Wiki…Spirit Class Offshore Mobile Bases
When the North American Union nations, including the United States, returned to the world stage to stack their claim as a superpower, they discovered an issue with force projection: they had few places to base troops. Bitter over the U.S.'s withdrawal during the Great War on Terror, Europe admittedly refused to allow North American troops on European soil (the U.K. was the exception, allowing some Canadian and American special forces on its land. South America had come under the cusp of the South American Pact, a union favouring the Russian Federation. Africa was a mess. Much of the Indian Ocean was dominated by India and Russia. Only Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and Korea accepted the U.S. and North American Forces. This meant that any response force not based in the Pacific Ocean would have to travel from the North American heartland or be based in North American carrier groups. While the combined North American carrier groups were both numerically superior and powerful, the expansion of European, Russian, Indian, and Chinese naval power meant that North American naval superiority was not guaranteed. This means that the might of the United States air force and Army would be down to whatever could be fit onto carriers or long-range bombers and transports.
However advancements in aviation and naval aviation retrieval tech, along with North American industrial prowess, meant that eventually someone proposed a ridiculous solution that somehow came about: the largest maritime aircraft carrier in existence. One that could not only carry an entire tank brigade and an accompanying airborne division, but also launch, land, service, and house B21 Raiders, C17 Globemasters, AC17 Spectres, and most of the USAF and RCAF's land-based aircraft.
At 1,345 metres long, 257 metres wide, and 367 metres tall (including island towers), the Spirit Class is essentially an upsized, up-armoured, and up-gunned Olympia class supercarrier. Rather than rely on the traditional single-angle landing flight deck and launch catapults, the Spirit class is a hybridization of the duo runaway concept instead. Spirits have two massive runways running along the length of the ship on the port and starboard sides. This is necessary to accommodate jets like the B-21 Raider, Aurora tactical bombers, and AC-17 Spectres 3 Gunships. These massive runways, 60 metres in width, are the primary launching, landing, and servicing points for land-based aircraft. There are four elevators, 2 each next to each runway, that each can accommodate two of the large land-based aircraft or 8 smaller F-36s. Unclassified reports have determined that while the land base aircraft of a Spirit still uses enlarged electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft (can also be used to launch smaller aircraft as well), the runways use an advanced magnetic, gravitational deceleration system to slow down aircraft that otherwise need kilometres of runway space.
Down the centre of the Spirit class is a single runway that is longer but narrower and runs to the bow of the ship (holding the extended bow similar to that of smaller carriers). This is the primary landing zone for smaller fighters like the F-36 Widowmaker or the CF-39 Crossbow. It uses the same magnetic/gravitational deceleration system as designed for larger aircraft, it also uses the tried and tested capable arrestor wires used on the Ford and Olympia class. The section close to the bow houses 6 electromagnetic launchers that can quickly accelerate jets to high speeds to allow for flight. To accommodate the launch complement of fighters, a single-angle flight deck slant over the rear of the Spirit interests with the rear areas of the runways.
All four runways can also be used to land, load, unload, or launch VTOL aircraft, including Harrier Jump Jets, Seahawks, Blackhawks, Vipers, Commanches, and Ospreys. These are also locations for the deployment of troop transports and airborne ground units. It's quite common to have other smaller carriers like the Ford and Olympia class handle operations for smaller jets and sea helicopters while a Spirit conducts long-range bomber strikes and ground assault operations.
Located between each side of the central runway are two command bridge islands, commonly nicknamed Venator Bridges in comparison to the fictional space carriers Venators. These command islands are focused primarily on off-ship operations, all internal shipboard daily operations are conducted in the safety of the CIC. The port side bridge handles antishipping, strategic Bombing, and long-range tactical ground strikes while the starboard side handles the deployment of fighter jet craft and ground force operations.
Its airborne complement eclipses the size of some nation-states, and just one can quickly turn the tides of an air battle. Its strategic bomber complement is either 16 B-2 Spirits, 20 B-21 Raiders, 22 B1 Lancer supersonic bombers, or a combination of all three. Spirit mobile bases can also carry 24 C-17 Globemasters or the armed AC-17 variant, 32 C-130 Hercules transports, 54 V-44 Starlifters, or a combination of the formers. A Spirit may also carry 36 organic Seahawk or Osprey VTOL rotorcraft, either geared for supply transfers, anti-submersible operations, and ECM support. In addition to this fearsome force, a Spirit Carrier's one hundred Unmanned Airborne Vehicles, either naval Hunter Killers or support Sentinel drones, and up to 300 manned fighter jets. These jets primarily consist of F-36 Widowmakers/ Lightning 3s or naval variants of the Aurora Supersonic tactical bombers. However, with its ability to operate land-based aircraft, Spirits have been known to launch and service craft like the airforce Nighthawks, French Rafale, British Harrier, European Eurofighter Typhoons, Canadian CF-39 Crossbows, Japanese and Korean F-15s, and even MiG fighters from the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
However, this is not the end of a Spirits onboard complement. It is expected that a Spirit class MOB is to carry a large force of ground troops. In addition to a dedicated US marine or Canadian and Mexican Naval infantry corps regiment for shipboard security, a Spirit can birth up to 3-4 divisions of army or naval troops; roughly over 60,000 troopers (depending on unit type). These are usually mobile tank divisions using Crusader 2 MBTs, helicopter and parachute airborne until using Acolytes and LAVs, mechanized infantry divisions, or amphibious marine units. While capable of housing, supplying, and deploying these three divisions, the Spirit commonly acts as a sort of airport for the rapid rallying, resupply, and deployment of troops coming from the Northern American homeland. Thanks to extensive command and control centers, a single spirit can deploy, reinforce, and command up to 18 divisions from any of the three North American states. These troops are traditionally deployed by army Blackhawk, Osprey, Starlifter, or chinooks, temporarily being housed on a Spirit and being rearmed, refuelled, and repaired onboard. However, a spirit also carries two dozen Landing Air Cushion hovercraft, 40 Amphibious Combat vehicles, and can deploy up to 60 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats for amphibious operations, along with 56 RAH-66 Commanche Helicopters.
While essentially a mobile airbase, it's incorrect to say that a Spirit is defenceless. Each Spirit Carrie's up to 500 cruise missile-sized missiles, typically Tomahawk ground attack cruise missiles or Hypersonic anti-shipping missiles, launched from 25 releasable Vertical Launchers. 30 navy Cyclops tactical laser turrets ringed the entire ship, supported by 8 Phalanx CIWS turrets, 10 RIM-116 RAM turrets, 4 Patriot Air Defence missile batteries, 12 Mark 38 Mod 4 30mm autocannons, and 8 mark 47 short range coil guns turrets. This is all powered by 8 Fusion Reactors. The hull of the ship is made of Titanium Alloys and Military Grade Steel, further reinforced by the U.S.'s first attempt at creating Nano Shock absorbing armour.
All three spirits would begin construction in 2042, eventually consuming the budgets for several other projects including the budget meant for the Domain class battleships. The first ship of the class, the USS Spirit of Freedom, was launched and rapidly commissioned in 2046 from the Newport Shipyards on the American east coast, just into the first years of what would become the third world war. The second ship of the class, the USS Spirit of Independence, was launched in 2048 from the revitalized San Francisco Shipyards and deployed to the Pacific Ocean, just as the North American continent declared war on the Russian Federation and their Allies. Due to the immense crew size needed for such a ship (over 12,000 personnel and not including ground forces or airforce pilots), the Mexican and Canadian navies would collaborate on the construction of the HMCS / CV03 Spirit of Unity, jointly crewed and operating non-US crews and equipment and launching in early 2049 from the New Philadelphia Shipyards.
Each Spirit would serve with distinction during the Third World War. The HMCS/CV03 Spirit of Unity and the USS Spirit of Freedom would be deployed to the Atlantic, effortlessly sweeping aside Russian and Balkan naval forces harassing the Remnants of the European Mediterranean fleet. The Freedom would then split from the Unity, moving to support the landings of Task Force Zwolle in North France and the Benelux nations. It was here that the legendary reputation of the Spirit's durability came to light. During this time, a detachment of elite Russian paratroopers managed to seize French Guiana and capture the ECA's space administration centre there. Then the Russian forces managed to temporarily force the control of a Solaris Relay Satellite and fired its onboard stored energy at the Spirit of Freedom. Mere minutes after Task Force Zwolle departed from the Freedom, a bright yellow beam of solar energy struck the starboard runway of the Freedom. Yet thanks to a combination of the Nano Shock Absorbing armour, Titanium Alloy, and the lucky positioning of some aircraft, the Freedom on suffered moderate damage instead of the instant annihilation like the USS Regan off Crete during the Great War on Terror. Only two B-1 Lancers, an F-36, and 23 flight deck personnel were lost during the attack. Subsequently, the United States Space Force Particle Beam Satellites destroyed the offending Solaris relay Satellite and the Freedom retreated to the United Kingdom for repairs before returning to the surface during the late 2049s. The Unity would continue operating as the primary allied flagship of North American, European, and Commonwealth forces in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, the USS Spirit of Independence joined with Filipino, Japanese, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Mexican, and Korean naval and air forces. They had two primary goals: seize the port city of Vladivostok and destroy the Russian Pacific Fleet. The Russian Pacific Fleet would duke it out with a battlegroup centred around the Canadian Carrier HMCS Warrior, supported by the Korean and Japanese light carriers Geojo and Kaga. Despite fierce resistance, most of the Russian surface and submarine fleet would be felled by a combination of aggressive manoeuvres by Admiral Limburn, overwhelming allied land-based airpower, and a simple lack of supplies and adequate maintenance caused by the European front. The Independence would then land 4 divisions of army mobile armour and infantry units, alongside several supporting marine regiments from allied nations. Over 13 Allied divisions landed in Vladivostok and ultimately seized the city after two weeks of intense fighting.
With any foreign bases a complete impossibility due to the blip (the transfer of the North American Continent to Remnant), it will be up to the Spirit class to make sure North American troops can operate far from home with access to resupply, reinforcements, and overwhelming fire support.
If you've read the Tom Clancy Endwars series, you might recognize Lev from the third book. He's the marine raider who takes up a good chunk of our POV.
As for Mads and Tigress? Try and guess :).
If you want to send any OCs, go ahead. I could use some. Any help would be appreciated.
