Vaasa is a port city in the Kingdom of Elbe in the Special Region. It serves as the main point of interface between events happening on the continent in the Empire, and events happening in the Azure and later Avion and Kundoran Seas.
Geography
The city of Vaasa straddles the land between two key bodies of water. One side faces the Roma River, which runs far up into the continent, through Elbe, into the Empire, and ultimately past Alnus. The other side faces the sea. This key location, somewhat like New Orleans or ancient Alexandria makes Vaasa a key trade up for traffic moving in and out of the territory. In terms of atmosphere, the river-facing side is said to evoke more of a 'countryside' feel compared to the impressive ports for the sea-going vessels. This harbor, 'La Rhone', along with the mouth of the Roma, is enclosed by massive cliffs, with the harbor only accessible through massive arches in the cliff face. This makes the city an effective fortress as well. The harbor and Roma are separate ports due to the mouth of the Roma being clogged with silt and sand, making ship travel directly between the two impossible. The Japanese are trying to change this with a massive dredging operation.
Following the events of the Elbe-Tyumalen Border Conflict and the reopening of the Gate, Vaasa became a point of interest to Japan, as it offered the easiest means of logistics for sea-facing operations. As a result not only has this resulted in the appearance of Earth barges and ships in both ports, but also the appearance of dock infrastructure designed to support them.
Economy
Due to the reopening of the Gate and the combination of completed Earth goods from Alnus and finished producs from Italica, Vaasa has seen a massive boom in trade volume and population, with people rushing from all over the region to get in on the action. This has resulted in crowded streets and manpower shortages.
Unfortunately, this volume of luxury goods and cash attracted raiders and pirates, forcing Elbe to rethink its existing system of taxing vessels to fund armies that could defend both the river and the harbor, made even more complicated by the various territories that the Roma runs through. This was solved with the Roma River Navigation Agreement, by which the Elbe, Empire, and Japan would operate under a shared security protocol to defend the river and local area from pirates no matter which side of the border the attack occured on. Under this agreement Japan would provide aerial reconnaissance while the others would provide the on-the-ground enforcement.
However, Vaasa exists well outside the normal range of the Alnus Base's air patrol zone, so another, local airstrip was needed.
JMSDF Status-of-Forces Base
At the mouth of the Roma are a handful of sandbars which, due to being underwater during flood season, were declared Terra Nullius by Elbe. This allowed Japan to lease the land for building the base under a Status of Forces agreement, similar to the one used for Japan's JMSDF base in Djibouti. This allowed them to avoid problems for the local nations or having to displace a local population, as even aquatic humanoids weren't interested in the land.
To aid buildout of the base and to compy with the UN's International Convention for the Protection of Indigenous Cultures, the JMSDF employs aquatic demihuman labor to dredge out the mouth of the Roma, partially to construct additional dry land for the base, but also to dredge out channels deep enough to allow MSDF ships to dock for refuel and resupply. Once an area was above water, the ground would be flattened, compacted stones laid as a foundation, and then Roman concrete used to build the structures.
The completed base has a fully functional medical ward with Surgical OR, Barracks, Officers quarters, Mess halls, docks, cranes, a fuel depot, and a landing strip.
Hosted Aircraft
- P-3C Orion
- Shin Meiwa US-1A
Hosted Seacraft
Plot
After rescuing the main cast from the Battle of East Redoubt Reef and successfully navigating the North and South Undersea Coral Passages, the Kitashio safely arrives at Vaasa where the injured Odette Ze Nebula is offloaded for emergency treatment. While the medical ward is able to take initial measures, they instruct that she be transferred to the medical ward at Alnus and perhaps on to Tokyo for treatment.
At the same time, Edmund Chan is handed over to the American UN Accredited Lawyer and Department of State agent Ray Castanda for transport back to the United States. The Shin Meiwa floatplane used to get there is also used as an air ambulance to take Odette and Amarett (as her chaperone) to Alnus.
Seeing as they have no advantage in staying at Vaasa, Primera Luna Avion decides to follow Edajima and Tokushima to Tokyo to appeal to the Japanese government for help with the ongoing Piracy Crisis. They, along with Shura no Arch and Oux do Vi board a barge carrying the submarine Nishishio, which had earlier been damaged by Armored Whales, and take it up the Roma back to Alnus.