The
city woke to shaking earth. In the
distance a great cloud of black exhaust was sighted, and soon the dull roar of
engines reverberated around Vladivostok.
The 65th Armoured Rifle Army had arrived,
and at its centre was an immense war machine.
The enormous Kursk class land dreadnought, which also served as the
command vehicle for Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich.
In the cities bustling port the mighty cranes and loaders paused in their toil as the sun was blotted out above. An armada of sleek airships comprising the 12th Lancer Division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth passed overhead, their quiet menace at odds with the deafening roar of Szabla Interceptors and the countless fighter planes that buzzed protectively around the huge double-ballooned Zamiec Sky Fortress.
At the entrance to the harbour signals flashed between the mighty iron and steel ships of the Far-East fleet of the White Navy. Boilers were stoked and towering stacks belched black clouds into the morning sky as anchors were raised. Aboard his flagship, an immense Moskva Dreadnought, Admiral Ivan Konstantinovich calmly sipped his tea, then gave the order for the fleet air-support to screen the advance. Moments later Saransk Skyships and Suyetka Interceptors rumbled overhead, the pale blue sky streaked black by their passage.
Across Golden Horn Bay the massive walkers of the 3rd Division of the Imperial Army squatted motionless, like giant steel insects, watching the approaching Russian armour. Aboard the Blazing Sun war machines final preparations for battle were made as Sky Samurai dedicated themselves for the coming battle in solemn ritual, and rockets inscribed with blessings to enhance their accuracy in flight were loaded into launchers.
Aboard the towering Kagoshima Mobile Airfield, General Ōyama Iwao read the reports of his scouts thoughtfully, then gave the signal to enact the plan he had so carefully prepared. On the carrier deck level below the deck crew raised their flags and Blazing Sun Fighter planes roared down the runway and streaked skyward.
Miles away, floating just above the white-capped ocean swell, General Zeng stood on the ornate command deck of the enormous, sprawling, Zhamadao Dreadnought. Raising his binoculars he studied the distant outline of the Russian oil rigs, then tracking upwards to follow the progress of the cylindrical Russian interceptors glinting in the sun. He turned to his assembled commanders and gave the order to sound the gong for general quarters. Moments later a ripple of activity spread amongst the ships of the 15th Sea Division of the Northern Oceanic Army, as paddle-wheels began to turn and the mighty flame cannons were readied for action.
Slowly a crackling energy field spread between the stout Dun bastions, shielding the advance of the Chinese Federation navy. Ahead of the slow-moving Chinese ships a flickering, ghostly, distortion marked the passage of an early prototype Yurei Terror Ship which scythed toward the Oil Rigs with the coiled menace of a shark hunting for prey.
The Russians had prepared for just such a tactic, and as soon as the Terror ship was sighted, the large Tunguska Skyship surged forward firing a deafening barrage. The cannons struck true, and fire broke out aboard the Terror ship. Seconds later the Russian Skyship was surrounded by a flickering, ghostly, distortion as the Russian Engineers aboard the Tunguska successfully mimicked the unique Japanese Phase Generator much to the dismay of the Blazing Sun commanders. The Battle for Vladivostok had begun in earnest, and it had not started well for the Imperial Bond.
As the great ships continued to close, early exchanges of fire strike home. Russian Saransk Skyships, tasked with seizing the oil rigs, suffer several direct hits as they drop down amongst the oil rigs and disgorged barding parties, capturing two of them in short order. More rockets rain down, and two of the skyships plunge, burning, into the churning sea below.
