From now on, my update often take longer than usual because of personnel issue. Just let you know.
For USS Albacore, the experience she has for being within the kill zone of falling-down dept charges barrage was no laughing matter. In the past, 3 destroyers came for her blood by dropping 20+ dept charges. With the current situation, she'd likely receive more than double than before from more than 10 IJN destroyers. No matter which class they were, if she was spotted then her fate was sealed.
The SSN-218 urgently submerged, she slowly spin her turbine rotor. She feared that if she accelerated to her maximum velocity, those destroyers would notice her.
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Finally, she gained a greater distance away from the IJN ships. She sighed out of relieve, but she was careful enough to check her surrounding by passive sonar. A lone vessel was coming in fast, the underwater noise for spinning propeller was hard not to notice.
This situation was ideal to her, she was sure as hell that the above ship doesn't know she exist underwater. If she had to strike, she must do it now. However, was that ship her ally or her enemy?
'It's too risky to take a look now, I must identify her via propeller sound only.'
She cut off all her sense temporary to add extra concentration for faster processing to find the matching sound within mass database of all navies around the world, she started with the Axis' ships especially IJN from her paranoid.
The answer caused her to frown yet again.
'Another Japs! Pacific is really your playgro-'
BOOM!
She was thrown hard against her iron wall, she immediately saw many stars flashing around. She only knew she just got a hit right in front of her which suddenly floods the entire compartment with sea water. It was lucky enough she's still alive but she had to hold her longest breath to escape her own wreckage.
Her earlier murmur about Pacific is playground for the IJN was very very true. However, she forgot something important. It wasn't for only surface ship, but submarine likes her as well!
She swam out, but she couldn't go far as she saw another deadly fish closing in.
'God Dam-'
BOOM!
The Liberator might be tougher than human with healing factor but they weren't immortal. The bullet wounds that Arashio, Verniy, and Wichita received couldn't be compared to a torpedo hit in point-blank range. The fatality was on a whole different level.
As of today, the USS Albacore experienced death a second time, and this time by enemy submarine instead of mine. Should she be proud of this achievement?
The killer was seen at close range to her sinking wreck, which was astonishingly within a nautical mile. How careless of her to let enemy came this close?
"Too easy~" A comment from the silent hunter, her torpedo tubes were open, stand by ready to fire more.
Up to the sea surface, The explosion underneath push a column of water high into the air. Of cause, it put a Jap destroyer under alarm, she paused her propeller and focus on her sonar for anything dangerous.
There was a submarine emerging!?
She was more curious than astonish, because she knew the fact that no hostile sub will show herself within eyes reach of another surface ship, especially a submarine hunter like destroyer. This showed that the submarine herself was sure enough she won't be attacked on sight.
The rising sun paint job on her body indicated that she was an old comrade of the destroyer. Then, the girl got incoming transmission.
"Hi-Hi! You should pay attention more under the water, American sub's lurking around, you know?"
"You just shoot her to save me, isn't it?" Arashio connected the dot. Verniy backed at the bridge at that moment.
"You can say that, even I don't know her intention but an enemy vessel isn't a welcoming sight." The sub replied.
"Her intention?"
"Well, I chill out around here as usual under the water. Then, I pick up a faint sound of motional submarine which I roughly identify as Gato-class, she come to stop TOO CLOSE to me like she doesn't see me at all (Praise my camouflage skill!).
Then again, I notice you coming in fast and loud without zig-zag. When I'm sure you're IJN ship, I quietly adjust my firing position and fire 2 wire-guided torpedoes with 30 seconds interval. I fear she might fire at you but she hasn't done that."
"That's terrible, the American I met is hostile toward me at first, but we became acquaintance after we talked." Arashio refered to Wichita.
"Better safe than sorry, I'm sure not all the USS will forgive us easily."
This left bad taste in her mouth, but she couldn't do anything for the sunken submarine now anyway.
"By the way, who are you?" Arashio guessed she's one of the I-series.
"I'm I-58, sorry for not telling you earlier. And you?"
"Arashio….I-58, do you happen to know any IJN ship around here?"
"I think there's plenty, this area used to be our home turf after all. Why so you ask, to fine your sisters?"
"It's not that simple, you see…."
Arashio told I-58 her side of story from the beginning, I-58 was shocked from the given information, she isolated herself so there's no way she know what happen with the world.
"Wow! You're on the way to save our homeland. That's awesome!"
"I have to go now, what about you?"
"Count me in. You can go ahead without me, I'm slower than you."
Due to her none-cigar-shaped hull, I-58 speed when submerse was very slow. It'd be waste of time for speedy destroyer to wait for her.
"We'll keep in touch."
They exchanged their private channel before broke up.
"We actually forgot about the sub threat; I'll handle the sonar and anti-sub warfare if you don't mind." Verniy asked for permission from Arashio, she was ashamed of herself to forget about one of critical issue of navy battle as the one who's older than the ship owner.
"No, I don't mind. I assign you for your request, Verniy. You have control." Arashio just winked for the confirmation before she transferred some of the ship control to Verniy.
"I have control." Verniy saluted.
"Now, I know how much all of you like to carrying a load, but the truth is we could use a little help." Tom Chandler introduced 2 new team members: one male, one female.
"So I want to introduce you to two of our newest members. Both of these sailors were part of the Navy's special warfare joint operation training program in Norfolk when shit hit the fan months ago. They volunteer to join us on the mission."
He gestured to the male first.
"First, Senior Chief Taylor, Royal Australian Navy."
"You can call me Wolf." Wolf spoke with Australian accent; he seemed very open, friendly, and easy to get to know in a short time.
"He is the real deal; a diver, E.O.D. expert, and all- around operator." Nathan James' CO narrated how special he is. He hinted his subordinate not to underestimate the new recruited.
"And this is Lieutenant Ravit Bivas, Israeli defense forces…Expert diver and intelligence operator."
"Proud to join the team." (Israeli accent)
"Welcome aboard." Miller approached the new members first by shaking hands with both of them.
They spent some times greeting and introducing within a new reform team including Tex. They made new friends to feel welcome to maximize team dynamic.
"Captain, here you are…..Am I interrupting something?" Wichita, who was on a break, suddenly came in contact to the group.
"Nope…..What's up?"
"Your decision is silly."
"My decision about what?" Sudden attack from Wichita confused Tom rather than angry.
"About just sitting here and only waiting a call for help, I've so much time to rethink of your strategy so far, but I always get dump at this part." She stated her unpleasantly.
"Excuse me! Who are you, lady?" It was normal for Wolf and Ravit to not know her since she was forced to stay in the lap most of the time. Ravit's patient ran out faster than Wolf, she looked Wichita from head to toe and frown from her casual cloth, she didn't know who the blonde is but she considered her act and cloth to be disrespectful toward the highest authority of this ship.
"I can say the same to you. Tom, explain will you?" Wichita was in a similar situation, she barely remembered all Nathan James' crew face. The distinct uniform of them help her much to separate them from the usual James' crew.
"Ah..I forget. Ravit, Wolf, meet Wichita, the Captain of the bigger ship near us, USS Wichita." Tom shortly introduced her.
'What the heck with that lazy ass introduction?!' She didn't outright shouting in return, but her eyes showed it all.
"Apologize, Ma'am!" Ravit quickly apologized. Sure, Wichita's attire backed Ravit's earlier point (It raise question), but she already offended a superior which was another more serious point.
"Apology accepted. Let me formally introduce myself; I'm Wichita, the Commander of the USS Wichita." She didn't bother about the new joint sailor anymore. "As I said, I think we should give random call to check for any survivors. It'll be quicker this way." She didn't beat around the bush, she avoids being asked for her technical details by subject-change.
"Didn't you hear the XO protest?" Chandler said on behalf of his XO who's on the bridge.
"I heard him, but we must make a gamble otherwise we can't achieve anything. No risk no reward."
"I know that, but we're doing fine now. No need to rush." It wasn't like the Nathan James' CO hasn't thought about this, but the risk was too high. As far as he knew, his ship could be the only ship on USN active duty (Minus Wichita). He once nearly lost his ship in Baltimore, he wouldn't repeat it again.
"Really? Don't you feel anything about our States situation? Huh." Her tone got more aggressive.
'It's in disarray, of course. What's your point?' Chandler thought loudly that anyone can predict 70%-80% of what he thought.
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"Look, what if another country can recover faster than us and take advantage from us? Like Russia and Japan, you just dismissed a Japanese Captain girl and the little Russian Fleet Admiral."
"Hold on a second." Tex, along with the original crew, got an insecure feeling that Wichita felt. He handed up.
The interruption might be rude, but Chandler was familiar with Tex's character so he let it slid. Tex could add something he's missing.
"You speak like they'll come back to bite us behind our back. I've a gut feeling they aren't that type!"
For old soldier, gut feeling wasn't something to be ignored entirely. After the vote of confidence from the mercenary, Wichita burst out laughing.
"Yeah! I've the feeling. But those brats are just destroyers at the end of the day, their opinion weight less than Cruisers, Battleships, or Carrier. Unless, they're flagship which is not likely the case."
From the way she spoke, a fraction of her mind was still cautious of her old time enemy. Truthfully, either Wichita, Verniy, Arashio, or other liberators still suspected of each other dark-side even though they knew all the details of each other history. You couldn't fault them; history mean only ship service record and Log journey after all, it was unable to tell who really they are and their characters.
Chandler was surprised to hear this thoughtful from Wichita, it conflicted with her brass image.
"Pardon, Ma'am" Her statement confused the newcomers.
"Hmm?"
"I'm confused. The persons you're referring to, why are you using ship class instead of rank?" Wolf asked.
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Wichita sighed frustratingly. No matter what, the fact about secret weapon project must be made public, mustn't it?
"Man…..There's a reason for it. Let exercise your brain for a bit, alright! Have you wonder why I coincidently have the same name as my ship? The modified vintage design I have? And, why my ship is dead silent without the crew like a ghost ship?" She counted her fingers as the points goes on.
Now, she got attention of the whole room. Thus, she began disclosing one of the Co-government secret project (which doesn't seem to be secret now, thanks to someone disclosing it before and her mistake just now) to the present crew.
Kobe, one of Japan main port and heavy industry area since her time, was now lifeless as Baltimore as she had seen upon arriving. She looked sad upon the city that used to be her birth place.
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However?
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Something stood out livelier from the dead background here, 2 large flat deck warships berth at the deep water zone. This suddenly washed away her sadness as she instinctively knew them to be standard carrier (from the old day).
Verniy came out off the cabin, she stood next to Arashio on the ship bow. The taller girl looked happy while the shorter girl still had deadpan face. They came close to the two carriers to see a pair of 2 female adults in modified Shinto shrine maiden uniform, and they had been fishing(?). The mock up fishermen talked with each other briefly before they finished their fishery, and one of them beckoned smilingly at the two girls aboard the destroyer to meet them on the larger ship. They disappeared behind a higher deck after they threw a thick cable over Arashio.
The two girls were looking at each other for opinion; when there was none, the brown hair girl anchored then tied the cable with her ship rail.
Tom instructed his COMMO to randomly call on varieties of frequency as Wichita suggested, they didn't have to wait that long before they got respond. The responder was female, the connected time was short but the COMMO got all the information they required, one of it was the contact originate from Washington D.C.
After that, Nathan James Key-men and Wichita had a conference immediately for the contact from the DC.
"Now, I want to conclude what we got in short. Half an hour ago, COMMO got respond from their random radio broadcast. The other side contacted from within Washington D.C. She is Sara, a sailor like us. There are some civilian under their protection.
For the operation, we'll split into small five teams. I'll lead one of the onshore team to make contact, other two teams will cover the back and support us from behind, the rest will observe from afar. We learnt a fatal lesson in Baltimore with Mrs. Granderson so I must insist you all to pay extra attention. Nathan James and Wichita will come as close as naval gun range, I don't want the history to repeat itself. Newcomers stay behind, dismiss."
"Aye,sir"
Then, he shortly explained what happened in Baltimore to the new pair. Not so shock, though they looked more determined to complete the mission with zero casualty.
On the massive flat deck with various size of VLS covers of the aircraft-carrier-based vessel, presented a Japanese style meeting between 2 pairs of women and girls. The hospitality of the host was decent from Green tea and some snacks like Mochi and Daifuku. The sea breeze was comfortable enough for cooling them despite sunny day. Arashio, Verniy, and the light-grey-green hair woman were sitting in seiza position (much to slight displeassure of Ex-Hibiki). Only white hair woman sat cross-legged, was this to show who the big shot around here or she just has difficulty in seiza?
"Firstly, would you mind introducing yourselves? Please forgive my ignorance, but IJN has too many destroyers that I can't remember all of them."
If considered from fact side, her word was true and valid. From IJN era, the number of capital ships was countable, in contrast to countless disposable destroyers. However, it could be a form of polite power abuse to the listener. Their class was as clear as day, the look-like-standard-carrier owner tried to sound assertive which she didn't know it was a bit aggressive to two destroyers.
"I wouldn't mind, I'm Arashio, Forth of Asashio-class Nuclear powered Guided missile Destroyer (DDGN), Ms. Akagi." She assumed that the lady before her, who emitted faint aura of authority, is the famous Akagi from the past 1st Carrier Division.
The questioner giggled immediately while another one beside her was scowling hard.
"Good guess, girl. But I'm just Akagi's junior, I'm Shoukaku, lead ship of Shoukaku-class Nuclear powered Balistic missile Carriers (CVBN). Here is my only sister, Zuikaku."
Arashio hit too far off the mark; Shoukaku used to be in 5th Carrier Division which is the last group, she also remembered that they have bad blood between 1st and 5th division. She facepalmed inside, cursed herself for causing displeasure to the host at the start of the meeting.
"Don't worry about it, please continue the introduction." Shoukaku gestured to Verniy.
"I'm Verniy, turned-over Hibiki destroyer to the USSR as a war prize." Stoic Verniy introduced, Arashio noted why she mentioned her old name because she said it is a sore spot for her. Or she didn't want anybody to mention about her part except herself?
"Wow, you're actually that Phoenix! Nice to meet you." Zuikaku mood turned 180 degrees.
"Ms. Shoukaku, Ms. Zuiakaku, I would like you to help me to restore Japan."
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Their face told her they just hear something ridiculous.
"What?" Zuikaku had no clue.
"Now, the world faces the pandemic which it has never ever faced before, I rushed from the United States with the sample solution to solve this crisis." The destroyer girl said.
"No wonder why we see dead everywhere. But why the heck have you gone to America?" Zuikaku connected the dots, she and her sister stationed here for sometime so they checked everything in this area. The mentioned about Arashio just come back from America, the Empire's old adversary, made her twitch.
Shoukaku calmed her sister by restraining her shoulder, she was far more collective.
"Tell us the whole story, Arashio. I'm willing to listen."
'How many times must I have to repeat the same story?' The Asashio-class destroyer was beginning to feel bored of repeating her tale from the beginning, and each time she repeated it would be longer and longer. Yet here she was, beginning to explain her journey once again since she encountered Nathan James destroyer until she collected the cure sample and returned home.
'I should really find a recorder along the way before coming back to Japan.'
Not so surprise to anyone, the meeting point was none other than the White House, one of the Icons in this Central Government State.
Except one in particular...
"I can't believe we have a meeting at the White House!" Tex shouted excitingly, his voice was loud so his team leader glanced back sharply.
"Tex, we're on an important mission now. Keep your excitement for another time." Caution from Tom.
"Ok..OK…Sorry."
Red hair lady who wore some kind of uniform was out to welcome them with slung Thompson.
"Hi, are you from Nathan James?"
"Yes, we are. I'm the CO: Thomas William Chandler. Just call me Tom."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Sara."
They shook hands.
"No family name?"
Sara was vividly a bit bother but she still smiled.
"It's personnel. Come, let's talk inside."
After Tom advised the following teams, his team followed Sara inside.
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The meeting was held at the modified living room, there was someone who sit next to Sara, she seemed to be one of an important figure too.
"Hello, I'm Lex, Sara's sister. Nice to meet you all."
"Sara said she's from Navy, are you the same, Miss Lex?" Tom started mild interrogation. Lex and Sara dressed themselves casually, like they were cosplayer in some comic event.
"Exactly! It's good to see fellow sailor in this apocalypse. Are you the one in charge?" Lex looked truly appreciated for what she said.
"That's correct. I'm CO of USS Nathan James, Tom Chandler. Can you two tell me your rank?"
If the women were unpleasant with how Tom shaped up the conversation, they did a great job hiding it. Sara gestured to her sister to go first; Lex pointed at herself, Sara pushed on by smiling and nodding.
'How should I put this?'
"I'm the CO of the USS Lexington; if you want to ask where my ship is, she's afloat some distance away from here."
'Lex as shortened from Lexington? I highly doubt she and Sara are Liberator judging from outstanding figure and garment. Let see.' Nathan James' CO began to get bore of this exposed secret.
"Let me guess. You two owned an aircraft carrier each, which the carrier has no crew besides you, you also can command ship as fast as you think. The name you have which appear to be the same name with the ship: USS Lexington and USS Saratoga, is not a coincident. YOU ARE THE SHIP."
It was as if they saw a ghost. Their face got pale suddenly, anxiety reaching its' maximum now.
"Wh…What are you mumbling about?" Sara tried to act brave though the lost confidence didn't completely return.
"Let's talk openly Liberator, we know your existence a while ago. We made contact with some of your kind so far: Arashio, Verniy, Sendai, Jintsu, and Wichita. This secret project isn't a secret anymore." Tom spoke.
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Chandler regretted he made that move. He miscalculated that they might be more friendly like Wichita since they are the US Navy. The killing aura was beginning to leak from the sisters. Their face became neutral, their eyes couldn't betray their inner killing intent however. Sara and Lex had heavy inner struggle.
Should they get rid of him because they know their secret or not?
At the moment this chapter is published, Lexington hasn't been entered Kantai Collection yet. Lexington in Warship Girls is nice for normal form and remodeled form (+ bridge form :D). Thus, I left Lex form in this fiction to your imagination. Overall Saratoga's design for Kancolle is well done, the only unnecessary thing is the small smoke pipe on her head. It make her look weird.
The Last Ship last season has been aired, but I've got no time to watch. It's a shame really.