The sun hung low in the sky, casting an eerie orange glow over the turbulent waters that separated the Valorian and Ruthenian fleets. The morning mist had dissipated, leaving a stark clarity that seemed to amplify the tension between the two navies. The Ruthenian fleet, led by the imposing RNS Imperator, held its V-shaped formation, anchored just outside Valoria's territorial boundary. On the opposite side, the Valorian fleet maintained its defensive line, each ship bristling with loaded cannons and primed torpedoes, waiting for a signal.