Munitions Empire

This is not the greatest loss Qin Country faces today, as a naval battle in the southern sea of the Endless Sea, located at the southernmost tip of the Western Continent, is nearing its conclusion.

The first ray of morning sunlight shone on the deck of the Winterless Aircraft Carrier, and the Chief of Staff of the Joint Fleet, Mike Ravel, gave a bitter smile.

This mouse, ultimately, could not escape its fate of being caught by the cat. The time the Navy Commander John Cleves won for him didn't allow him to escape to safety.

A Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile directly hit the hull of the Winterless carrier. Now the Winterless is listing, with a fire engulfing the bow, making it difficult for everyone on the bridge to breathe comfortably.

"Sir! Abandon ship!" the captain advised Mike Ravel: "If we don't leave now, it will be too late! This place could explode at any moment..."

As they spoke, something else exploded, engulfing over a dozen of the fire-fighting damage control troops, while the remaining members continued to spray water into the flames, trying to suppress the fire.

"Our commander's desperate efforts earned us this chance to escape, I can't give it up easily! This warship... is the pride of the Dorne Navy..." Mike Ravel said to the captain, feeling the rising temperature around him.

He couldn't leave, because his commander also stayed aboard the Dorne Empire Long Live aircraft carrier. Now, only half of the Dorne Empire Long Live carrier remains afloat on the sea, its sinking process too much like the Titanic.

However, the explosion spread from the middle, quickly breaking the warship into two sections. The front part took in water too quickly and sank fast, while the rear part is still floating on the sea...

No matter how slow the flooding, the Dorne Empire Long Live won't hold on, with most of its rear hull already submerged in water, and the flight deck less than three meters above sea level.

Seeing that his warship was about to sink, the Supreme Commander of the Dorne Navy and the Joint Fleet, John Cleves, gave a bitter smile.

Before dawn, he ordered the Winterless and Wuyang carriers, along with several faster destroyers, to quickly leave the fleet and escape.

But these two carriers did not escape far before also being hit by anti-ship missiles. The entire fleet was paralyzed in place, like a flock of plucked hens awaiting slaughter.

Now it's daylight, but the Joint Fleet no longer has any carriers capable of launching aircraft. All the carriers are burning, exploding, listing, breaking, and sinking!

Everything is over; besides a few destroyers and cruisers, the dozens of warships in the Joint Fleet will capsize today.

There is no suspense, they are isolated with no support! Ground-based aircraft are limited and not adept at naval warfare, and there's no fleet nearby to provide cover... In short, the Joint Fleet is finished, and what good would other fleets do if they came? Just more bodies for the enemy.

So John Cleves has lost all hope, sitting on a warship about to sink; his condition is imaginable.

"All lifeboats have been launched! Sir!" The captain came over, reporting to John Cleves about the evacuation status: "Pilots and professionals like those from the boiler and medical departments have all been arranged properly."

"Thank you for everything you've done for the Dorne Navy... cough cough cough!" John Cleves said a couple of words, choked on saliva, and began coughing incessantly.

"You... should also board the boat... Sir." The captain still tried to persuade him further.

"There's no need! I've doomed the entire Joint Fleet; it's my fault, and I must take responsibility for it." John Cleves shook his head.

"It's not your fault! You should return and explain the situation here clearly; the Tang have revolutionized naval warfare... Their carriers can even launch jet aircraft!" The captain continued to persuade.

Yes, they now knew that the Tang Army's carriers could launch jet aircraft. Just moments ago, two Phantom Fighters had flown over the Joint Fleet during patrol, flaunting themselves as if revealing the final mystery.

And at last, the officers and men of the Joint Fleet, having seen these two aircraft, finally understood what kind of monster they had been fighting against for the last day and night.

From start to finish, they never stood a chance of winning! They were simply being slaughtered by the enemy! Now, they have shed their last drop of blood as their enemy showed its true colors, proclaiming a grand victory for the Tang Empire's navy.

"Ultimately, someone will take this intelligence back, and besides... even if I shamelessly escape back... what would it change? We've already lost..." John Cleves continued shaking his head, speaking in despair.

For a navy commander, he still had basic judgment. From the moment his Joint Fleet was annihilated, the outcome of this war was already determined.

The vast maritime territories of the Dorne Empire would be exposed under the iron wings of the Tang Empire's Navy fleet, and the Tang Army's carrier-based aircraft could easily destroy ports, blockade sea transport, and devastate coastal cities.

Once those wealthy, important ports are attacked, Dorne's economy would collapse. As long as the war continues, Dorne will bleed, until it bleeds dry.

Moreover, the strategic route between Dorne and Qin Country would be severed, shattering their mutual support and strategic planning. The Tang Country has already taken the initiative!

Once the war starts to turn in favor of Tang Country, the Anti-Tang Alliance will immediately collapse. Those countries merely watching from the sidelines surely will not attack Tang Country anymore.

In such a tit-for-tat situation, it's already apparent who will win the war waged against Tang Country by Dorne and Qin Country together. The Great Tang Empire will eventually win, and Dorne and Qin Country will have to face Tang Country's wrath alone.

"But, they do not have your vision..." the captain finally spoke in persuasion.

"Forget it! It's all over. I've already decided to die here; the rest no longer concerns me." John Cleves shook his head once again: "I'm a criminal, and criminals must die."

Through the porthole on the bridge, John Cleves could already see the sea water lapping at the broken flight deck; their warship was about to sink to the bottom of the sea.

"Why haven't you left yet?" Retrieving his gaze, John Cleves looked at the captain of the Dorne Empire Long Live aircraft carrier beside him.

"This is my warship, sir." The captain managed a smile, clearly prepared to sink with the ship as well.

"I'm sorry I couldn't lead you all to victory... and now you're dying here with me." John Cleves apologized.

"It's not your fault; if General Strauss and General Bolton were still here, they probably wouldn't have let Your Majesty make such an absurd decision to declare war on Tang." The captain recalled the young man from those days, whose presence seemed to shine with a brilliant light.