Prologue
Leviathan - Word Origin… Hebrew
Meaning(s):
1. (in biblical use) a sea monster, identified in different passages with the whale and the crocodile (e.g. Job 41, Ps. 74:14), and with the Devil (after Isa. 27:1).
2. a very large aquatic creature, especially a whale
3. a thing that is very large or powerful, especially a ship.
Gunner - Word Origin… Middle English
Meaning(S):
1. One who operates or aims a gun
2. One who hunts with a gun
Shipmaster - Word Origin… Middle English
Meaning(S):
Commander/Master/Captain of a ship
Since the past century, the World has been changed in a way that's unprecedented in human history.
A group of Japanese formed the Freedom Forces and waged a guerrilla war against the Empire in 1937. Their success sparks several rebellions against the Empire as the UK, United States, and Germany based groups joined the Freedom Forces in 1939. In 1942, the tide of the war began to shift to the Freedom Forces when two unidentified Destroyers suddenly appeared and assisted the Freedom Forces to escape. Since then, the unknown Captain and Crew's continued assistance had robbed the Empire victory after victory, superships after superships, and territories. By 1945, the destruction of the last Supership Druna Skass was the final blow as the Empire collapsed as Freedom Forces advanced upon their last territories.
Plans of reorganizing the world as we know lasted until 1952 where Wilika's government was overthrown by a coup led by Admiral Karl Weisenberger. The coup turned Wilika as the new Empire and history that was World War 2 was repeated. The Wilika Freedom Forces forge an alliance with the same countries that defeated the Empire during the Second World War in order to defeat them. Despite having its own allies, Weisenberger's Empire was defeated by the next six years.
In the aftermath, the public were frightened enough that all ideologies related to the concept of Empire could trigger another world war so that both existing and new governments made measures to prevent such fears from becoming reality. These measures were so extreme that it declared several parties of various counties as terrorists or traitors in the eyes of peace, including once-supporters of the two Empires. As such, the ideologies of imperialism and other systems that would birth an Empire had officially died out by 1991.
Before the remnants of the Weisenberger's Empire were discovered, the countries that were once subjugated by the Empires formed the United Nations to propose peace and understanding among all nations, so that the mistakes of the past shall never threaten the peace with future World Wars.
When I was a kid, I often looked up at the stars, basking in the Peace forged in the aftermath of the World Wars, and wondered if there was life up there…
Turns out I was looking in the wrong direction…
When alien life entered our world it was from deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. A fissure between two tectonic plates… A portal between dimensions… The Breach!
It was September 11, 2001 when the first ever Leviathan entered our world through the Breach and sailed towards San Francisco in the form of a battleship. We first thought that it was an enemy attack as it opened fire on the Golden State Bridge without warning before focusing its attention to the very city itself. That idea was washed away as it ran into dry land and transformed into a monster.
By the time the army and navy took it down… the city was destroyed… with 87% of the population loss. It was hell on Earth!
As the days turned to weeks and weeks into months, we mourned the death, memorialized the events and tried to move on.
And then, only six months later… The second attack hit Manila.
And then the third one hit Cabo. And then the fourth. And then we learned… this was not gonna stop.
This was just the beginning! World Peace was shattered with a new War.
Believe it or not, it got much worse as another Breach was detected on the Atlantic Ocean and Lisbon was attacked soon after.
We needed a new weapon to help combat this new threat. It was Marie Stevenson, Founder and CEO of Reformation Industries presented in front of the UN, a game changer. One that the world can pool its resources. One that can change the Navy in all ways both imaginative and unimaginable forever.
To fight monsters, heroes must be made…
Thus, the Gunner Program was born!
Imagine a warship that doesn't need a crew to be manned, but by one person who can control it with a thought or a wave of their hands. A ship equipped with a technology that allows itself to adapt and evolve. A ship that doesn't need to be repaired from nearby harbors as it will repair itself by any means.
Sounds insane for the whole world, but the world has changed with the arrival of the Leviathans. So, it would be foolish not to completely take the words of the World's greatest inventor.
What was crazy turns into hope as the first Warship Gunners have successfully destroyed a Leviathan fleet consisting of a Supership and a few cruisers just off the coast of Vancouver. The Gunners that defended that are Stacker Pentecost of the Destroyer Coyote Tango, Sergio D'Onofrio of the Battleship Brawler Yukon, Lo Hin Shen of the Carrier Horizon Brave, Trevin Gage of the Cruiser Romeo Blue, Kaori Jessop of the Cruiser Tacit Ronin, and Aleksis Kaidonovsky of the Battleship Cherno Alpha.
Since that victory, the Pan Atlantic and Pan Pacific Defense Corps were born with Gunner Academies popping up across the World and Marie Stevenson helping to develop the new ships or repurposing the decommissioned ships for new Gunners.
Things were starting to turn good for us. We started winning!
Gunner Fleets stopping Leviathans… everywhere; preventing further bloodshed and destruction.
But these ships were only as good as their ship masters.
So Gunners… turned into larger-than-life heroes.
Danger… turned into propaganda.
Leviathans… into toys.
We got really good at the business. Fighting. Defending. Winning.
And then, I never imagine what will happen next!
Despite not having played the game version, I have some interests over the anime and the limited amount of information posted onto the internet. I would love to shout the author of fanfic Azur Lane Warship Gunner for cementing this fanfic into existence. While I am researching what this azur lane is going to be like, there was one mention of the Sirens' true enemy which the word Leviathan as it triggers many theories to what they are. I thought I might be writing to explore what these little mention here and there meant since we might not be able to see an Azur Lane Leviathan due to the game series having continuity issues or something along the lines.
To make this story more unique than the other timelines we're used to seeing, the world I had just introduced you all reflected the Real World aspect with its History more based off of Naval Ops: Warship Gunner 1 & 2 and Pacfic Rim. We know that this particular Earth isn't our Earth nor the Earths being observed/invaded by the Sirens as it is being invaded by the Leviathans instead. The character Marie Stevenson came from the Hero Have Returned manwha.
Keeping my notes short on the prologue, I would like to ask on the strengths of the "canon" Leviathans since I hear one person states that they're broken strong/powerfully but I had no idea on what their strengths are. Since I don't understand the Leviathans' powers, how are they comparable to the heroes and villains of DC or Marvel comics.
It's going to be some time for the next chapter since I still need mastery overs the Warship Gunner games to gather what the "main" Gunners' ships should be like. So to anyone who played Warship Gunner games and would like to have their ship(s) making a cameo, please make a comment on their hull type/ ship class, country of origin, weight, defense, velocity, armaments, superstructures (bridges & smokestacks) and engines (how many boilers and turbines).
If you have any questions about the contend of the chapter(s), feel free to post them in the comments as I would love to answer them.