Dakshin Bhartiya Empire, Vijayanagara state, capital city - Hampi.
After the year-end summit, things actually started to pick up in the empire. All the ministries, having set goals, began scheduling tasks for the entire year with the aim of eventually reaching or even surpassing their objectives. An environnt of mutual competition was created in the empire, leading to various ministries starting a competitive rivalry with each other.
While this was happening, Vijay’s focus was on another matter: taking control of the island clusters around the Empire. Everything had been prepared, and the new frigates were finally ready to be used in battle after extensive testing.
In the royal palace, a military eting was held among four of the most powerful n in the empire: Admiral Gangadhar, Marshal Kiran Pujari, Pri Minister Vinod, and his majesty the Emperor, Vijay Devaraya.
In their presence, Vijay signed the Samudra Vyuham operation, marking the first overseas operation of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire where only the empire’s interests were concerned, unlike what happened with the Ahoms, which was a reinforcent operation.
anwhile, at the eastern military base located in Paradip port, Commander Gautam routinely conducted combat drills with the sailors. He had been ordered by Admiral Gangadhar to be ready at any mont, as His Majesty may declare the Samudra Vyuham operation a go at any mont.
With his troops ticulously trained and preparations for the upcoming naval operation conducted with the utmost seriousness, Vijay found himself restless. While leading fleets into battle was not new to him, having commanded nurous commissions between the Bhartiya Empire and the Mughal Empire, this ti felt distinctly different.
It marked an independent operation where he was granted full autonomy and tasked with achieving a specific objective by any ans necessary. Though bound by certain rules and regulations, he retained the freedom to make most decisions.
As he awaited his orders, it felt as if fate had finally smiled upon him, granting his wish soon after.
*Step step step step*
His deputy arrived bearing a sealed docunt, piquing Gautam’s curiosity. Breaking the seal, he eagerly unfolded the letter to reveal a series of numbers and letters encoded within. Recognizing the coded ssage, he swiftly dismissed the deputy with a serious deanour before retrieving another docunt from a concealed compartnt within his desk.
As he compared the contents of the hidden docunt to the coded letter from His Majesty, Vijay’s excitent grew. Confirming the match between the numbers, realization dawned upon him, and his face lit up with a joy akin to that of a child receiving a long-awaited PS5 after a year of pleading with their parents.
"Finally, it is ti," Gautam said, eagerly anticipating the start of the Samudra Vyuham operation.
"Ready the fleet."
Gautam ordered as he left the office and inford his deputy.
Within a few hours, a fleet consisting of a single man-of-war battleship, 10 Vinayaka-class frigates, and 50 Hampi-class sloops was dispatched from the eastern naval base. Their destination was the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.
Due to the strong sea breeze throughout the duration of their travel, the fleet travelled at a speed of 7 knots collectively, bringing them to the vicinity of the Andaman and Nicobar Island chain in just over four days.
they stopped near an inhabited small island near the large Andaman island
In an effort to gain a thorough understanding of the battlefield, Gautam deployed escorting boats to chart the geography of the cluster of islands.
The fleet was presently positioned just a few kilotres from the northern tip of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, specifically at a location called the Reef Island in Vijay’s past tiline, which was a small island situated in the northern region of the Andaman and Nicobar Island cluster.
"Will there be Europeans?" one of the crew mbers pondered.
"Or will there be North Asians?" another crew mber mused.
"I wonder what type of ships they have," Gautam himself began to daydream as he awaited the return of the scouting boats. After a few hours of scouting, the boats returned with a rough map of the geography of these islands.
Unfortunately, due to these islands being a little too far away from the mainland, normally taking 5-7 days for a single trip from Paradip Port to the Reef Island through rchant ships, Bhartiya External Pragya could not penetrate this far.
The operation Gautam and his fleet were performing was actually a dangerous one as they did not know what awaited them on these islands. However, for Vijay, the decision was straightforward because he knew that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were not yet occupied by the Western powers.
Additionally, he was aware that the people living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands still lived in tribal societies where each tribe controlled various parts of the island.
Unfortunately, Gautam did not have all this information. Hence, he decided to take a cautious approach. With the map in his hand, Gautam chose a location to perform a trial reconnaissance operation at a part of the island where signs of human activity were found.
He was doubtful why there were no boats in the waters off the island’s coast since there were humans, but unfortunately, he couldn’t know now. For further information, a group of three sloops was separated from the fleet and landed on the northwestern shore of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This was the location where Elizabeth Bay was located in the previous life.
The reason for the landing here was because they could see a tribal village existing beside the ocean.
With the sloops, a platoon of infantry was also dispatched.
"Second Lieutenant Varma, sir, I think they have noticed us."
"Sergeant, pass my orders. Put on a defensive formation."
*Click, clink, click, thud.*
Within a few seconds, a defensive formation was taken.
Inside the tribal village.
*Hurried footsteps.*
"Chief, chief, Hunter Crow, there are intruders from the Everlasting Ocean."
The one called Hunter Crow, dressed in leather clothes and an animal bone necklace, quickly reacted as he picked up his spear and went to et with the intruders. His movents showed proficiency in this action, but his face bore a doubtful expression as if the intruders were not supposed to co at this ti.
As he joined his n in establishing a defensive formation against the intruders, a frown creased his brow. The invaders bore a resemblance to their own people, particularly in their facial features, albeit with slightly lighter skin tones. However, what truly set them apart were the gleaming tal armour and weaponry—a sight unfamiliar to anyone in their world.
He imdiately realized that these n could have obliterated his small defensive formation if they wished. Drawing from his four years of experience as a chief, he concluded that these new intruders were not enemies.
"That also explains why they rowed their boats in the week of angry water, but are their n all as strong as if they can row the boat even in these harsh waves? Aren’t they afraid that the water god will swallow them in his anger?" he thought, fear gripping him as he rembered the monstrous waves during the last moon’s angry water week.
He quickly asked his n to lower their weapons in order to show that he and his tribe held no hostility to the unknown group of n.
"Second Lieutenant Varma, sir, it looks like they are not hostile," the sergeant said.
"Lower your guard," the Second Lieutenant Varma said as he felt like he could communicate with the obviously more decorated tribal person in front of him.
He took a chest of gifts from the supplies of the military, which was according to the tribal encounter code. Both of the n who ca face to face did not know each other’s languages, but still, they sohow managed to communicate through gestures.
Confirming that the people were not hostile to his tribe, Chief Hunter Crow invited them inside his village. They held a small banquet for the guests. Fortunately for the soldiers of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, the food was not unusual. It consisted of normal fish soup along with a gravy made with red ants as the main ingredient.
Although they found the taste to be sowhat crude, it surprisingly provided a satisfying al.
"So what brings you people here and where are you from?" Chief Hunter Crow asked with now proficient hand gestures.
"We are from a land that is hundreds of your island length away. We are here to conquer this island of yours," the Second Lieutenant Varma replied bluntly.
Silence.
Pin-drop silence.
Chief Hunter Crow was stunned. Didn’t the guy just say that he had no hostility towards their tribe just a mont ago? Now suddenly he was declaring that he would conquer the whole island which he concidered as his world just a mont ago. How bold.
Both sides started a confrontation imdiately inside the village.
Swords were unsheathed and spears were pointed.
"What is the aning of this action of yours?" Hunter Crow asked in anger.
To be Continued...
P.S. wanted to write 2 chapters today because of getting the app opening recomndation, but unfortunately, I have a lot of notes to finish, I have only 1 day to get the no-due signature from all the teachers, and practical exam on Monday, and I still don’t know which subject it is.
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