01-02-2022, 10:52 PM
18 October 2020
Promethean Sea
SNS Hercules
"Captain, sir", the warrant officer cried over the wails of the storm surrounding them. "Captain, she's listing to starboard. The rocks must have torn through the rivets on her belly". The auburn-haired, soaked-to-the-skin veteran of the Sanctarian Navy nodded grimly. "Aye. We've contained the flooding but we're too exposed out there, we need to make for port. Where's closest?"
"Sir?", the warrant officer and navigation guide of the SNS Hercules could barely hear his commanding officer over the din.
"Where's the CLOSEST PORT?", the captain screamed. Though he knew the answer. The closest port that would be friendly to Sanctarian ships was likely either Laeral or Libertas Omnium Maximus. "LOM, sir", the shout from his subordinate confirmed it. He nodded in the direction of his shipmate, who diligently set the course in navigation. It'd be a long few hours in this storm before they got to Libertas Omnium Maximus.
---
01 November 2020
Department of Homeland Security
Sanctus, Sanctaria
The Director General of the Department of Homeland Security had only just had his first coffee of the morning before it was time to meet with military top brass. He hated it. They treated him like an idiot because he never served, and because he wasn't a politician elected by the people, they claimed he had no mandate to boss them around. Which was partly correct, but everyone and their mother knew the Secretary had to delegate some meetings to civil servants, and he headed the department!
"Dr. Carson", one middle-ranked soldier said, nodding in his direction as he entered the room. The flag officers all looked up to acknowledge he had entered, but soon went back to ignoring him. He cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, we need to discuss ship maintenance, I believe? The message to Secretary Stewart indicated it was urgent?"
"It is", a gruff reply from an older officer came back. An admiral, judging by the uniform, though Carson didn't recognise the name. "SNS Hercules, of the 4th Fleet, was damaged during a storm while they were on a routine navvy in the Promethean Sea. They're in port in LOM, but the damage is too severe for them to get back to us."
"Ok", Carson said. "Don't LOM have shipyards and maintenance bases?".
The admiral smirked. "Aye sir, they do", sarcasm heavy on the sir, "but we haven't vetted their personnel. We don't know enough about the people at those dockyards. We have national security considerations. We'll need to send our own people out there for repairs."
Great, Carson thought. Foreign Affairs were going to love him for sending them this problem. "How long is it going to be out of operation", he asked.
"That depends on how long it takes our maintenance and repair crews to get there. Once there, maybe 6 months, maybe longer, we need to properly survey the damage." The admiral paused. "We need a naval base out there if we're going to be keeping the 4th Fleet in those waters. It's too long at sea for the men, and we need to be able to maintain our ships."
Carson nodded. He knew the admiral was right. "I'll take this specific incident to the Secretary and I'll draft a memo for government on the need for naval bases in the area. We'll need DFA's input, though", he said, referring to the Foreign department. The admiral just grunted in reply and went back to the huddle of military officers discussing something else.
"Well", Carson said quietly to himself. "I guess we're finished then".
---
Promethean Sea
SNS Hercules
"Captain, sir", the warrant officer cried over the wails of the storm surrounding them. "Captain, she's listing to starboard. The rocks must have torn through the rivets on her belly". The auburn-haired, soaked-to-the-skin veteran of the Sanctarian Navy nodded grimly. "Aye. We've contained the flooding but we're too exposed out there, we need to make for port. Where's closest?"
"Sir?", the warrant officer and navigation guide of the SNS Hercules could barely hear his commanding officer over the din.
"Where's the CLOSEST PORT?", the captain screamed. Though he knew the answer. The closest port that would be friendly to Sanctarian ships was likely either Laeral or Libertas Omnium Maximus. "LOM, sir", the shout from his subordinate confirmed it. He nodded in the direction of his shipmate, who diligently set the course in navigation. It'd be a long few hours in this storm before they got to Libertas Omnium Maximus.
---
01 November 2020
Department of Homeland Security
Sanctus, Sanctaria
The Director General of the Department of Homeland Security had only just had his first coffee of the morning before it was time to meet with military top brass. He hated it. They treated him like an idiot because he never served, and because he wasn't a politician elected by the people, they claimed he had no mandate to boss them around. Which was partly correct, but everyone and their mother knew the Secretary had to delegate some meetings to civil servants, and he headed the department!
"Dr. Carson", one middle-ranked soldier said, nodding in his direction as he entered the room. The flag officers all looked up to acknowledge he had entered, but soon went back to ignoring him. He cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, we need to discuss ship maintenance, I believe? The message to Secretary Stewart indicated it was urgent?"
"It is", a gruff reply from an older officer came back. An admiral, judging by the uniform, though Carson didn't recognise the name. "SNS Hercules, of the 4th Fleet, was damaged during a storm while they were on a routine navvy in the Promethean Sea. They're in port in LOM, but the damage is too severe for them to get back to us."
"Ok", Carson said. "Don't LOM have shipyards and maintenance bases?".
The admiral smirked. "Aye sir, they do", sarcasm heavy on the sir, "but we haven't vetted their personnel. We don't know enough about the people at those dockyards. We have national security considerations. We'll need to send our own people out there for repairs."
Great, Carson thought. Foreign Affairs were going to love him for sending them this problem. "How long is it going to be out of operation", he asked.
"That depends on how long it takes our maintenance and repair crews to get there. Once there, maybe 6 months, maybe longer, we need to properly survey the damage." The admiral paused. "We need a naval base out there if we're going to be keeping the 4th Fleet in those waters. It's too long at sea for the men, and we need to be able to maintain our ships."
Carson nodded. He knew the admiral was right. "I'll take this specific incident to the Secretary and I'll draft a memo for government on the need for naval bases in the area. We'll need DFA's input, though", he said, referring to the Foreign department. The admiral just grunted in reply and went back to the huddle of military officers discussing something else.
"Well", Carson said quietly to himself. "I guess we're finished then".
---
Quote:Department of Foreign AffairsBruton HouseSanctusDivine Federation of SanctariaVice-Speaker Tiacihitli
Huenyan Federal Legislature
Chuaztlapoc
Federation of Huenya
02 January 2022
Your Excellency, Vice-Speaker Tiachitli,
I write firstly to congratulate you on your decisive victory in the recent elections. The Divine Federation is hopeful this will continue the very good relationship that your good nation has with us, and that it will lead to further opportunities of development.
It is on further opportunities of development that is the secondary reason for this letter. The Divine Federation, as you know, has made significant investment into the enlargement of our fleets, including our Fourth Fleet which operates in and around the Promethean Sea. This investment, however, requires us to ensure proper maintenance of our fleet, and the distance between Divine Federation lands and the waters in which the Fourth Fleet, in particular, operates is creating less than satisfactory outcomes.
In order to satisfy my government's legislative and regulatory requirements in the upkeep of our fleet, the Divine Federation has been conducting reviews into locations in the Caxcanan region where a safe haven for our fleet could be established, and, whereby, the Divine Federation would be able to headquarter the Fourth Fleet to ensure satisfactory outcomes in terms of morale of our seamen, and upkeep of our ships.
The Sanctarian Department of Homeland Security has identified the port city of Ixtenco as a suitable location to establish a naval base, and as such I have been tasked with opening negotiations with your good government to realise this. Naturally, the Divine Federation of Sanctaria would not expect such a gift to come freely, and I am happy to discuss any terms your government may have in this regard.
Congratulations, again, and warm regards,
Brian Young
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Divine Federation of Sanctaria