The Battle of Fort Lightchild

The Battle of Fort Lightchild was an armed ground, naval, and ariel battle in the Southern Moon Sea between the nation of Thane's Isle, and the Sun Nation, with collaborations on the Sunnese side by the Second Afterlifian People's Republik. It was fought between the dates of July 32-34, 27 A.O.G. It is observed through the eyes of the POV characters of *Book One: Universe Eight.*

## Prelude:

The Battle of Fort Lightchild was set to occur by the Sunnese Apocolite Synod, President Caroline Ford, and the Reynolds Family, when it was revealed that Benjamin Reynolds arrived to the Afterlife. In order to complete the Reynolds Family (a secondary goal) and retrieve one of Gregoros' Chosen Five Apocolites, a task force was assembled consisting of Peter Reynolds, Naia Lore, and Armando Latorre, three experienced navy officers with the appropriate intelligence to locate Ben. Peter's relationship to Ben, Naia's scouting ability (and previous employment in the Sunnese First Rangers), as well as Armando's combat ability, lended them for the task. Other candidates were considered, but red tape prevented any apocolites, or soldiers accompanying the trio on their mission. Due to the escalation of the Thane's Isle Civil War, and a tenuous alliance with the Republik, a secondary mission was launched to invade the southern mainland of Thane's Isle, and establish a base of operations on the High Isle, to facilitate future troop deployments. This, in effect, would force the Loyalists to fight on two fronts, assuring victory for the Sunnese and Republik, and eliminating Gregoronian influence on Universe Eight. The Sunnese had not performed a naval action since the Moon Sea War, and many of its combat vessels were stored in mothball, under the assumption Thane's Isle would not attack again. This mothball stage of the vessels would later prove detrimental in the battle to come.

The southern region of Thane's Isle was selected due to the location of the High Isle as a "jumping off point" with landscape capable of flattening for airstrips, and rudimentary ports. The Strait of Africa was deep enough in its center for the allowance of larger heavy cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers to anchor there. The initial invasion force was selected between nine ships; The battleships/cruisers *SNCV* *Century,* and *SNCV Abraham,* the destroyers *SNCV* *Ugetsu,* and *Georg Thiel,* and the transports *K-26, K-27, K-28,* and *SNCV Morro Castle.* Accompanying the fleet also was a fleet oiler of unknown name and class. The ships had a compliment of 1200 soldiers supplied by the Sunnese Nationalist party, spread out between the vessels.

On the Thane's Isle side, the unaware Thane's Isle Reserve and Knights of Fall at Fort Lightchild were continuing business as usual; training drills and light combat simulations. Many of the recruits were new, or had seen combat in other theatres, and none were expecting a direct attack on a southern mainland fort. There were no navy vessels in the immediate area (save for the submarine KN 401, which was on its own mission to collect Benjamin Reynolds), With most resources focused towards the northern front, the soldiers at Fort Lightchild were duly unprepared for the organized assault.

Immediate problems appeared for the Sunnese when the *Century* was ordered to the north of the continent. The *Mother of the Seas*, a battleship of similar size, had gone missing after the Moon Sea War and was assumed sunk. This left only the *Abraham*, *Ugetsu*, and the *Georg Thiel* as the defenders of a more numerous and vulnerable transport fleet. Due to time constraints, the fleet set sail on July 31, 27 A.O.G., upon Peter Reynolds' arrival to Southport Docks. The destroyers in the task force also had been scavenged for parts during their mothball stage, rendering the *Georg Thiel* without anti-submarine equipment, and the *Ugetsu* without radar. Furthermore, the Sunnese were unaware of the civil annexation of the High Isle by businessman Jack Sharpe, who would later betray the Republik and Sunnese both in his quest to gain political power on Thane's Isle.

At the mouth of the Salt River, the KN 401 had deployed on its own mission, though tensions between the Knights of the Northern Isles and the submarine crew caused a last minute diversion of the sub, resulting in it spotting the Sunnese fleet with its periscope as it sailed southwards.

## Battle:

The battle began on July 32, 27 A.O.G., when the Sunnese battle fleet was in view of the High Isle. The fleet command expected little resistance from the High Isle itself, and had orders to land their soldiers at five points across the island for an organized deployment. However, a scout plane was spotted emerging from a location on the High Isle itself, having taken off from the water. The plane was made entirely of bluesteel, which startled the fleet command and resulted in the first shots of the battle being fired. The seaplane performed aggressive actions, but did not fire a shot. Instead, it tried in vain to evade the AA and shells fired at it. It was struck in the engine by one of the Abraham's guns, and though it appeared minimally damaged, the plane fell into the water and sank. The pilot was assumed killed by the explosion, or by drowning.

Meanwhile on the KN 401, a mutiny broke out between the command of Captain Man Lai Choi, and Andrey "The Butcher" Ivanov, resulting in Choi's death and the Butcher being jailed. A new captain was selected, and torpedoes were fired in haste at the now-close Sunnese vessels. One torpedo slammed into the side of the Abraham near its engine room, and buckled its frames, not allowing for the water tight doors to be properly closed. Another torpedo struck the transport K-26, which rapidly capsized, and then suffered a boiler explosion that caused the ship to sink quickly. Acting quickly, Captain Reynolds ordered the ship steered onto the sandbars that extended almost a mile out into the center of the strait. The submarine is assumed to have fired more torpedoes, but many missed. The Abraham was struck again by a torpedo, this time amidships, and the port-side list worsened. The fleet oiler was struck, and due to its non-military construction, immediately split in half due to the explosion. Its cargo caught aflame, and few survivors were able to be fished from the water as the ship sank in two pieces. Morale on the Sunnese vessels significantly dropped during this period.

The Abraham was successfully beached, and the *SNCV Ugetsu* was sent to attack the submarine, which had a visible wake due to its periscope. The *SNCV Ugetsu* dropped depth charges on the submarine, which severely damaged the vessel. The *KN 401's* last act was to fire a torpedo from its rear tubes as the *Ugetsu* passed overhead, and the torpedo struck the *Ugetsu* directly in the stern, shearing off both propellers, and the rudder. According to Captain Manuel Jaco, the flooding was controllable and the ship was not in danger of sinking.

The Abraham successfully beached itself, but fires on board the ship prompted an immediate evacuation of all crew that were not damage control, engineers, or gunners. These remaining crew were ordered to fire the rear guns at the submarine, and the forward guns at the shore battery, where a mass of Thane's Isle soldiers from Fort Lightchild had appeared, firing mortars and small arms fire at the stricken battlecruiser. The KN 401, meanwhile, underwent an evacuation of its own, filling all of its forward ballast tanks to kick the undamaged bow up, so the water would flow down into the stern, allowing the crew to escape. The evacuation was messy, and semi-successful as there were many casualties. The stricken submarine crew was forced to swim for nearly a mile across the Strait of Africa with no aide from any life preserving craft, and under fire from the Abraham's machine guns.

On the High Isle, the Sunnese disembarked their transport vessels, and stormed the upper levels of the old military bunker build deep into the island. It is there that they came under the command of General Samuel Bradshaw, who took command of the general armed forces from the Sunnese Command.

The SNCV Georg Thiel attempted to fire upon the Thane's Isle combatants on the high isle, but was mostly unsuccessful. A five-inch shell blew open a portion of the bunker, allowing the Thane's Islers to escape inside. The Georg Thiel then turned its guns on the undermanned and underprepared Fort Lightchild, and successfully killed one of the commanding officers; Sebastian MacManus. It was around this time that the fires on the Abraham reached the powder magazine, and the battlecruiser exploded spectacularly.

The first ground engagement occurred on the High Isle, between members of the Knights of the Northern Isles, sailors from the KN 401, and the remaining crew of the *SNCV Abraham*. The skirmish ended when Peter and Ben Reynolds recognized each other in the carnage, and the Sunnese sailors were captured by Andrey Ivanov. They were hastily brought across the Strait of Africa on a ferry piloted by the old captain Gerold Granger, who had little understanding of what was happening around him. There, the Sunnese sailors were jailed, and Ivanov was tasked with fortifying the beachhead. Though, with few numbers and a lack of equipment, this fortification would prove almost useless.

A Thane's Isle private by the name of Julia Nixon radioed King's Hill, and informed Thane Zenzele Azikiwe of the attack. Zenzele immediately mobilized the Thane's Guard, and the Knights of Fall in the Great Bridge area. The airfort *KN Laydon* was summoned to protect the airport, and launch aircraft to deal with the Sunnese vessels. At the behest of Jack Sharpe, the Bluesteel Paragon joined the reinforcements, to test their metal as a valued force in the Thane's Isle army.

The SNCV Ugetsu moored itself on the Salt Cliffs, and used grappling hooks and climbing equipment to scale the white walls. There, they set up a base camp and intended to assist the assaulting soldiers from the north. Manuel Jaco authorized the usage of the military drug 'Kamikaze' to prevent the soldiers from rationalizing their actions, and sent them over the wall, where many were quickly slain. After a Sunnese sailor attempted to kill Ben Reynolds and was executed, Commander Alphonse Artemon determined the Sunnese needed to be removed from the fort jail. This conflicted with state orders, but those orders were not received. A parlay was established between Manuel Jaco and Artemon, but the parlay was a ploy, resulting in an ambush. Artemon freed Peter, Naia, Armando, and Ben, and sent them north to attempt to get to King's Hill, before the old commander was killed along with many of his men. Several Sunnese soldiers were shot by Thane's Islers, and many more were taken, save for one. Radio Operator Casper Roald, who had been knocked unconscious during the fray, was assumed dead and was not taken. The Sunnese destroyer captain eventually called a towboat from Oilton, which rescued the stricken destroyer and carted it away from the battle before it could be destroyed.

On the beachhead, a small mutiny erupted between the Knights of the Northern Isles, and disgruntled soldiers led by Tiger Diallo, who blamed Ivanov for his traumas and attempted to assassinate the commander. All mutineering belligerents were killed.

The Sunnese soldiers crossed the Strait of Africa, and assaulted the fort in force. Their attempts were initially rebuked, but wave after wave of nationalist soldiers high on 'Kamikaze' stormed over the walls, supported by a tank (that was quickly destroyed by the fort's single anti-tank rifle). A truck was rammed through the gate, and soldiers entered from this point as well. As the Thane's Islers prepared their last stand, the sound of hoofbeats sounded through the night. The Bluesteel Paragon emerged, clad entirely in bluesteel armor on themselves and on their horses. The Sunnese guns were useless against these knights, and many of the riflemen were ridden down, or killed by swords and axes. Apocolites Sophia Miller and Leon Broks arrived with this force, as well as many of Sophia and Leon's Thane's Guard soldiers and Knights of Fall. The KN Laydon appeared in the sky above them too, and prepared to attack the remaining active warship; the Georg Thiel. After a command reshuffle, the Thane's Isle force boarded many boats of their own (including Granger's wooden ferry) and crossed the strait to assault the High Isle. During this time, the Georg Thiel was sunk by aircraft. The assault went in two stages, the ground-attack, and then the subterranean siege. Both went in favor of the Thane's Isle soldiers, who were assisted by the Paragon. General Bradshaw was found by Leon Broks, and killed, though Leon went missing at the battle's conclusion.

## Aftermath:

The Aftermath of the Battle of Fort Lightchild left the fort destroyed, and the Sunnese fleet in shambles. Leon Broks was declared M.I.A., and all Sunnese combatants were either imprisoned or killed. The battle ended in a decisive (and unexpected) victory for Thane's Isle.

First Mate Armando Latorre was imprisoned by Zenzele Azikiwe, and was sent to Retirement Row under the escort of Sister Desiree Forcier. Peter Reynolds and Naia Lore were granted partial amnesty, and were sent to Oilton to be ferried home, at Ben Reynolds behest. This would later prove to be a ruse.