The Future of Warfare

Chapter 2: First Contact Part-2

-Wolvenshire, Central Militarized Zone-

-10:45 AM, August 14th, 1949(?)-

Inside the Wolvenshire headquarters, it was simply just chaotic. Personnel of different ranks, departments, and roles all rushed through the corridors and hallways while carrying papers, documents, and even some trays carrying coffee cups, doughnuts, and cakes as a form to fill empty bellies of all personnel in the Wolvenshire. 

Inside the War Room, Chancellor Nelson W. Banks, Army General Jaeger Busch, Air Marshall Travis Armstrong, Fleet Admiral Spencer J. Bradley, Defense Minister Stein Frank, Ministry of Intelligence Agency Lance Schmitt, Minister of Foreign Affairs Forrest Abrams, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Trade, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infastructural Developement and all other Ministers of different sectors all gathered around as they looked at the map which showed the map of their world, Atlas. 

Or at least before the strange occurance that had befell upon the Sorathian Empire.

On the old map of Atlas, Sorathian Empire can be seen bordered with bodies of water on the Northern, Western, and South-western side of the Mainland, connected by another stretch of uninhabited land down in South-eastern part of the continent. To the eastern part of the continent lies an inland sea named Sapphire Sea connected to the Ashmoor Ocean via Greyston natural canal, which was considered as the largest natural canal that had ever existed in Atlas. Beyond the canal lies a flatland which was occupied by nomadic tribes and smaller kingdoms which were once protected by the Sorathian Empire. 

However, a new map was currently drawn up after receiving reports of a previously non-existant mountain range in the east, a suspected but possible signs of civilization that shouldn't be there in the south-west, and the north that finally saw snow in places where there should never be any snow to begin with. Because they don't know anywhere beyond those strange sightings, they were literally in the fog of war, unable to see what's ahead or around the Sorathian Empire for now. 

"So. Whatelse we know about our situation before our people finally smell a rat?" Nelson asked hopefully as he looked at the old map. 

"Well, other than our reports of strange occurance up North, East and South-east, we have a good one as of now." General Busch replied as he then gave a file with detailed report. Nelson then took the file and began reading the contents. 

"Huh. So we finally regained our communications with our vassal states and our overseas bases. And we finally reestablished contact with the 12th BatDiv!" Nelson smiled before somethinf clicked in his head. "Wait a minute. 12th BatDiv?" he then looked at the Fleet Admiral. "Pardon me for my curiosity but… weren't they sailing in waters close to the Kingdom of Antaria?"

The 12th BatDiv that the Chancellor was asking about stands for 12th Battlegroup Division which made up of a single superbattleship, two standard carriers, two fast battleships, two converted AA Battleships, three large cruisers, four heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, seven destroyer leaders, and eighteen destroyers. Being considered by the Empire and the whole world of Atlas as the largest fleet in terms of combined tonnage and firepower, the 12th Battlegroup Division was also considered as the youngest of all fleets, only founded at the beginning of the World War as a way to bolster up fleet numbers. Fleet groups come and go, but the 12th Battlegroup Division lasted all throughout the World War, almost threatened to be disbanded once or twice. The group saw action on multiple occasions, ranging from ship-to-ship combats to escorting troop transports for island occupation to even shore bombardment to assist troops landing on the beachfronts. Intially, it was named 12th Battleship Division due to the fleet having just battleships as the central forces at that time, but after the introduction of carriers into the group, it was renamed into what the people of the Sorathian Empire had known since 1942.