The new Shuiqiao barges, or “battle barges” as some called them, sat highlighted on Shen’s display. “One hundred ten meters, one hundred thirty-five, one hundred eighty-five,” Shen murmured, visualizing each barge variant’s position and function. They would deploy sequentially — shallow to deep water — to form a temporary eight-hundred-meter pier for rapid offloading.
“Sequential deployment,” he said quietly. “In theory, that’s how it’s supposed to work.”
His secure phone buzzed. Admiral Deng Litian’s caller ID flashed, a comforting yet stern reminder of the immense pressures at hand.
“Iron Wolf.” Deng’s voice resonated warmly despite the tension. “Reviewing the exercise parameters again, are we?”
“Yes, Admiral.” Shen gazed out the window, watching civilian ferries, converted roll-on/roll-off ships, materializing from the rain like phantom vessels. “Considering the disaster from last October, we are attempting a highly ambitious recovery. We’re compressing six months of training into three weeks.”
Deng sighed. “Correction, Captain. The Central Military Commission has compressed six months of training into three weeks. They provide the timeline and mission. We execute it.”
Lightning briefly illuminated the horizon, followed by rolling thunder. Shen watched deck crews hurriedly securing cargo on the ferries. While officially, the vehicles concealed beneath the tarps were “agricultural equipment,” in reality, they were unmistakably armored vehicles.
“I reviewed the reports you sent. Intelligence suggests the Taiwanese have been substantially upgrading their defenses,” Shen said carefully. “It seems the Americans are supplying autonomous underwater drones and surface vessels. I’m concerned this so-called Ghost Fleet concept could render our tactics and preparations obsolete.”
A silence stretched uncomfortably between them. Shen wondered if he’d overstepped.
“Tao,” Deng said finally, deliberately, “do you remember why we named you the Iron Wolf?”
Shen almost smiled at the memory from long ago. “I do. My first captain said I was too stubborn to quit, yet too smart to charge blindly into a fight.”
“Exactly. Tomorrow’s exercise at Yalong Bay isn’t just about proving the new jack-up barges can deploy efficiently,” Deng explained firmly. “It’s about demonstrating that despite setbacks and adversaries’ new toys, our human ingenuity and perseverance remain unmatched. Machines can malfunction and fail, Tao. Our resolve does not.”
Commander Gong Jun approached, a weather report clutched tightly in his hands. Shen quickly concluded the call and turned toward his executive officer. “Give me the forecast, Commander.”
“Sea State Three predicted during the exercise window, Captain,” Gong replied, voice steady but eyes uncertain.
“Hmm, manageable,” Shen acknowledged, exchanging a brief, uneasy glance with his XO. “But let’s not forget what happened last October, Gong. Command thought that storm was manageable too.”
Lieutenant Commander Zhu Mingzhe, Zunyi’s operations officer, joined them. “Captain, the four Shuiqiao barge teams are reporting ready. All three variants operational. The maritime militia crews are ready, and the training officers are aboard and ready to assist.”
Shen nodded solemnly. Six days to practice and implement the skills they’d been taught with their instructors on hand should be more than enough time. “Great, and our escort disposition — are they ready for their part in all of this?”
“Yes, sir,” Zhu answered. “The Zunyi will lead and act as the command-and-control vessel for the landing force with Nanjing, Wuxi, and Changsha providing aerial cover for the task force. The four Shuiqiao barge teams will advance toward the beach, supported by twelve Type 054A frigates and two Type 901 supply ships. A squadron of J-11s and J-15 will provide air cover, while Z-8 and Z-20 helicopters land the initial assault force and Z-10s from Hainan provide close-air support. Everything is ready.”
On paper, the exercise was impressive. But Shen felt a gnawing apprehension as he imagined unseen autonomous vessels lurking beneath the waves like silent predators. He sighed, recalling Admiral Deng’s insistence. “The Southern Fleet Commander, Admiral Chen Weiming, has made our priorities clear. We are to get our Shuiqiao barge teams certified and ready to join the fleet and whatever operations we could be tasked with.”
Zhu’s tablet chimed with perfect timing. “Captain, speak of the devil. We just received the fleet command orders. Ferries begin loading at 0800. We begin escort operations to Yalong Bay by 1000 hours.”
Through the rain-streaked windows, Shen watched more ferries arrive, hulls heavy with their disguised cargo. Each ferry could carry a mechanized battalion. The task force could rapidly deploy a significant amount of combat power to a hostile shore, assuming the Shuiqiao barges performed flawlessly.
“XO, gather department heads in the wardroom immediately,” Shen instructed decisively. “I want to prepare the crews thoroughly on the kinds of autonomous threats we may encounter. Oh, and, Zhu — instruct every sonar operator to review the acoustic signatures of our Dragon Pearl unmanned underwater vehicles. I don’t want our sonar operators getting them confused with the recently identified acoustic signatures of those American UUVs. If Americans are going to seed the waters around Taiwan with their drones, I want our people practiced at identifying them immediately.”
“Yes, sir, Captain,” Zhu promised, leaving to make it happen.
Once alone, Shen revisited the deployment plans and how these jack-up barges were supposed to work. The first of the three barges was the Shuiqiao-110, which had four deployable jack-up legs that would anchor the barge into the shallows near the coast, lifting the barge platform out of the water. Positioned at the front of the barge was a drawbridge-like structure that lowered a ramp several hundred meters long, onto a beach or the scrub just past it.
The second barge was the Shuiqiao-135, a slightly longer barge with six jack-up legs that lifted the barge to either float on the surface of the water or rise just above it. The third and final barge was the Shuiqiao-185. This was the largest of the barges, with eight jack-up legs that extended into deeper water, forming the pier’s end for ferries and roll-on, roll-off ships to dock with and offload their vehicles. There were also several angled docking entrances for additional ferries to use. Once connected, the entire system of barges could extend between four hundred and four hundred and fifty meters in length, providing a mobile, improvised pier in contested waters.
Tomorrow, Shen’s squadron would escort the vessels to the training grounds where they would deploy the Shuiqiao barges under simulated combat conditions. Their primary training objective was to count the number of vehicles they could unload per hour.
Smooth is fast; fast is life, Shen reflected. The more armored vehicles they could put ashore per hour, the higher the chances they could secure a beachhead before the enemy could push them into the sea.
Chapter Twelve:
The Weight of Duty
The Silverado’s Duramax diesel engine growled as SFC Ramon Torres pulled into his driveway. He sat for a moment, engine ticking as it cooled, staring at the basketball hoop mounted above the garage. The net hung limp in the windless El Paso evening.