ZNS Emperor Zeroth (CVN-21)

ZNS Emperor Zeroth Thunderking-class aircraft carrier
Emperor Zeroth photographed during seaborne operations, 2152
Operation History
Builder		Freetowne Shipyards
Laid Down		December 15th, 2139
Launched		February 1st, 2142
Commissioned		April 24th, 2142
Stricken		January 22nd, 2115
Homeport		Die Slen Quattrostadt

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The ZNS Emperor Zeroth (CVN-21) is a Thunderking-Class carrier, designed by the Orion Empire, and constructed in Freetowne Shipyards, Zokesia. She is the 3rd Zokesian ship to bear the name of Emperor Zeroth the Terrible, the fearsome Zokesan ruler who brought war to Old Kolus and eventually led to the formation of the Zokesian Commonwealth in 1442. The flagship of the 2nd Zokesian Naval Task Force based in Slen, Kafrica, Emperor Zeroth has seen service in the Zokesian Civil War, the Strelkan Crisis, and in the Reclamation War as part of Operation Carolinas as well as nearly a dozen exercises over her 18 year career.

Construction and Sea Trials

ZNS Emperor Zeroth was the first of two Thunderking-class carriers built for the Zokesian Royal Navy. The class featured dual hydraulic elevators allowing aircraft to be stowed below deck, much like previous fleet carriers, and incorporated a considerably larger landing area thanks to its angled flight deck. Equipped with six CIWS defense turrets and dual LANTRN-Lazer pods for missile evasion, the ship was heavily defended at the immediate close range while sacrificing medium and long range missile capability. As such, the carrier was designed with an escort force in mind, designed to keep enemy aircraft, missiles, and ships as far from the ship as possible in the event of conflict. Her primary combat weapon was her fighter and bomber wings. With a capacity of 80-100 fighters, and reduced numbers of bombers, the class was the largest fleet carrier ever constructed at the time, and ought weighed by factors of two to three fleet carriers from just a few decades prior.

The ship's initial contract was signed as far back as 2135, when the Zokesian budget for shipbuilding was at an all time high. Unfortunately, with the Great Kolusian Dust Bowl of 2136, funding was slashed and the order was shelved for several years, with the Zeroth's hull finally being laid down in December of 2139, as the Green party president Herbert Mundarius was on his way out of office and the pro-military spending John Kallan Kurrman was just taking office. Still, the lingering economic recession meant of the initial budget of 4 fleet carriers, only two would ever be built in Freetowne Shipyards, the Emperor Zeroth and her sister, ZNS Imperator Drekevak.

CVN-21 ZNS Emperor Zeroth undergoing sea trials offshore Freetowne Shipyards, Zokesia, 2142

Construction went without a hitch until 2141, when the defection of the Stahlsieg in the Zokesian Civil War caused nationwide disruption of supply and the threat of destruction from both sea and land. Fortunately, the success of the coalition against Stahlseig forces in Schrschnell and Juno meant the Emperor Zeroth was able to launch early 2142, and was hastily shaken down for naval service within the next two months to bring the fight to the Stahlseig abroad. Unfortunately, teething issues due to rushed production and acceptance meant she was in port the night Operation Redbuck occurred, allowing the bulk of the Stahlseig's forces to escape to Crytil.

After Operation Redbuck the civil war was all but complete, and the Emperor Zeroth took the next two years working up to full operational capacity, with crews from older fleet carriers learning the new ship and her sister, the Imperator Drekevak as she came into service in early 2144.

The Strelkan Crisis

The unrest that sparked in 2144 in Strelka meant the Emperor Zeroth was deployed to Slen to patrol the waters in reaction to both mercenaries fighting in the internal struggle as well as deter foreign powers from meddling with Kafrican affairs. Working closely with the Morser class battleships that were left in service, the operation and fleet coordination formed a reliable and capable air-sea operations force which would sow the seeds for the future for the Zokesian Royal Navy, when war brewed in the east.

Operation Carolinas

At 00:45 the night of February 12th, 2148, the combined forces of Zokesia, Laveska, and Imperial United Front launched Operation Carloinas, a mission to strike at the island of North Point, Arcadia. The operation was launched primarily from Sur-Krakain, with support from the Combined Fleet, consisting of Belkan, Laveskan, and Phoenian naval assets.

Emperor Zeroth sails with the Nautilane-Laveskan CNS Fort Grace during Operation Carolinas, the mission to invade North Point.

As the Combined Fleet set sail to hunt down the Arkadii-Soyuz task force, the northern fleet left harbor and sailed for two days before splitting off into two groups - the Emperor Zeroth and the CV-04 (UIF) Fort Grace rendezvousing directly north of the island, with an escort force of four Laveskan destroyers. The rest of the fleet turned south, a combined force of eight Laveskan destroyers, four Zokesian battleships, and thirty-two Heavy Landing Craft, with the Zokeisan 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions aboard, the 3rd Marine Support Division, the 12th SS. Grailjungend, 14th SS. Belasrien, 17th SS. "Morado" Nautilen, and 19th SS. Arkerien - 180 Main Battle Tanks and 75 Support Units in all. To the South of the invasion fleet, the 1st Belkan Fleet shoots the gap of North Point and Arcadia main, acting as a quick reaction force should large-scale fleet action occur in response to the landings. Stationed just 40km from the landing site, the 1st Belkan Fleet will respond to any surface engagement the convoy should come under, and prevent reinforcement of naval assets to harass the landing force once it arrives onshore. As the force began bearing down on the island, the destroyers took up flank positions port and starboard, in line astern, and the Zokesian battleships in turn made another line astern on the starboard side of the landing force. Steaming due south, the four lines went - destroyer, battleship, landing craft, destroyer. These were the most dangerous times for the force as detection meant a surface engagement before the landing craft were in their final run-in ashore. Above them, a dozen anti-ship Kargadans from the carriers were on station, as well as another dozen on combat air patrol.

Unbeknownst to the Arcadians, the operation may well have been detected earlier - but from out of orbit, the Munar Marines dropped from orbit like fiery angels onto the rocky mountains in the northwest of the island, where a key long-range radar site overlooking the Tau sea was built. Taking the radar dish was their priority, as it would leave Arcadia blind to incoming threats, as the island blocked the mainland's early warning radar from the northwest sector of ocean. The marines landed under sporadic ground fire and managed to secure the radar site, but the defenses of the island were alerted and surprise had been lost. Now, Arcadian high command knew there was a threat on North Point and was ready to respond, early warning radar or not. Upon landing on North Point the UIF Marines were immediately engaged in a heavy battle with the island's defenders. Their primary mission, the radar tower overlooking the Tau Sea, had been eliminated after several hours of fighting, and now the task was upon them to head south and attempt to take the hard surface of NAS Stihland, the largest runway in 100km, situated in the southern part of North Point. Fighting their way through was hard going, and they would not make it without the reinforcement by sea.

F-52 Kargadan fighters from VFQ-3 engage Arcadian aircraft above North Point, 2148.

Zokesian Fighters launched decisive strikes on Arcadian ships eliminating the threat to landing. The battle of North Point saw Zokesian and Stahlsieg tanks along with UIF Space Marines destroy all resistance on the island, backed up by a decisive battle in the air which became known as the "Great North Point Turkey Shoot." Zokesian and UIF aircraft then proceeded to hunt and destroy the remaining Arcadian fleets south of North Point in the 2nd Naval Battle of North Point, and the battleships "Rommel", "Kercia", and "Osyrus" engaged the remaining Natalia-class battleships, sinking three at the loss of three Laveskan destroyers. In 180 air-to-ground and 140 air-to-air sorties, Zokesian and UIF fighters had accounted for four battleships, 110 torpedo boats, ten OPVs, an arkadii-soyuz carrier, and over 110 Arcadian fighters. they had suffered just 20 fighters lost in the process. North Point was securely in UIF hands once again and the pride of the Arcadian navy had been broken. The Zokesians had lost one battleship and one damaged, and the Laveskans had lost three destroyers.