Yin dropped onto his chair with a heavy sigh, quickly slipping off his soaked jacket and undershirt before he laid his head on his desk calmly, enjoying the moment of calm after a completed mission.
"Sir, this Musashi worries if Daggertail will be well enough held. If she escapes it would be troublesome to say the least." Musashi said as she stood just inside the office, her expression as worried as her tone.
"I know, but I think our small cell block should hold her. Even if it doesn't, the resulting noise would wake the entire base. . . . I don't think she'll leave anyway." Yin said with a long draw out and pleased sigh.
"This Musashi does not understand. Why do you think she would not attempt escape?"
"Because she's given up on it already." Tenryuu said carefully as she walked into the room. "She watched her entire fleet retreat and leave her for dead, so she feels considerably, . . .unwanted."
"Exactly, so we can at least have a few chances to question her a bit." Yin said with a smile as he pulled his head off of his desk and leaned back in his chair, his chin pointing up at the ceiling.
"This Musashi understand then, but does not approve of how she is being handled. Her tail alone could break any wall in the base. This Musashi does not think static defences will bar her."
"I'm not putting anyone on round the clock watch rotations; everyone is tired after that mission. You look tired too. Go get some sleep, Musashi. The suns almost down anyway." Yin said as he tilted his head back down ay Tenryuu and Musashi with a soft caring smile.
Musashi looked at Yin for a moment and sighed. "Very well, this Musashi shall be turning in. Good evening." She said with a half-hearted salute before turning and leaving the room, the click of the door signifying that Yin and Tenryuu were alone.
". . . you want to say something, Tenryuu?" Yin asked after a few minutes of silence.
Tenryuu slowly nodded. "A few things actually. I know you won't budge over joining into that fight, so I'll skip my thoughts on that one. . . . . . . . . . . I've been wondering, are you planning on telling everyone about that crystal?" Tenryuu asked as she gazed slowly around the room, as if watching to see if anything was amiss.
"Yes, I'm just not sure how to, or where to begin honestly. . . . I brought it to my private quarters, so it'll be safe there until I figure out how to explain it, or how to look into its capabilities."
"I see. That makes sense. What do you think we'll be able to use it for?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure. From what that message of Kurokami's explained, if used wrong it could be pretty bad. I don't want to do anything serious with it until I'm sure it won't cause anything horrible." Yin explained as he slowly pulled out his tablet and dropped it onto its charger on his desk, a small light on its edge blinking softly.
Tenryuu looked at the tablet for a moment before pointing at it. "Um, do you have an email?"
Yin glanced at the tablet and nodded as he picked it up and swiped it on. "Yeah, I got it just before we left. Let's see. . . . . . . Oh crap."
"What?"
"It's a notice from the admiralty board." Yin said plainly.
Tenryuu walked up to Yins desk, her face suddenly worried. "Have they ordered the attack on Iron Bottom Sound?"
"No, it's worse. It states that to enhance the strength of smaller fleets and to prepare for the upcoming battles, cruisers have been sent out to join smaller bases, including ours."
"What? This timing can't be a coincidence. Somethings up!" Tenryuu exclaimed as she walked around the desk and looked at the tablet, confirming Yins explanation for herself.
"I agree, but it states it as an official command, so we can't disregard it." Yin said in an irate growl as he dropped the tablet to the desk with a soft clatter. "at least it says that we're only having one cruiser coming."
"Did it say what cruiser?" Tenryuu asked as she took a step away from the desk.
"It did. First of the Sendai Class of light cruisers, Sendai Kai Ni."
"Oh. This is going to be a handful then." Tenryuu deadpanned.
"I know, but we'll just have to deal with it. We'll have to figure out an explanation as to why Wo and Ru are free to walk around the base though, and we'll have to inform them both that practice, and sorties will be off limits for them to a while."
"Wo is not going to like that, and neither is Ru."
"I know, but that's the way it's going to have to be. I don't want news on hybrids getting out yet, not until we've found out just what causes it, and if that crystal is to blame."
"Alright. Do you want me to go tell everyone what's going on then?"
"Please do. I'll figure out what we'll use as a cover, and tomorrow morning, when our new little helper arrives I think we'll give her a good view of something."
"What do you mean?"
"We'll need something to anchor our ruse down, so I'll speak to her while questioning Daggertail. Should be enough to make her believe what we need her to. I hope."
"I'm sure it'll be fine. I'll be heading to sleep once I inform everyone. Don't stay up too late, you are tired too, okay Yin?" Tenryuu asked.
"Will do. It should be a quick thing to figure out our ruse, it'll just be a hassle to keep it up!"
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Sendai breathed a sigh of relief as she finally saw Kala Island appear on the horizon. Her mission was simply to join Admiral Akimoto's fleet and to discover what she could, but she never realized just how out of the way his base was! Just getting this far had tired her out, but she knew it was only going to get worse.
In her time being a secretary ship she had mellowed out and become more serious than any other Sendai she knew of, and if she did not act as expected, it could get her caught, meaning she had to act as she used to, full of energy, addicted to night battle, and having no sense of timing. It was going to suck!
With another sigh Sendai made sure her old Kai Ni uniform was unwrinkled and pressed on towards Kala Island, where admiral Akimoto's Coalition fleet was located.
The name had always confused her from the very first time she had heard it was a research base to discover more about the abyssal ships, but beyond that, Sendai had hear nothing about it. After being given her mission she had done some quick looking into Admiral Akimoto's base, but found little on it, or the ships under his command. Information on him was near impossible to find, and information about the island base itself was impossible to. No information on the base's history, when it was built, what for, nothing. It made her even more curious about what the base, and Admiral Akimoto, could be hiding. And if that audio file had been any indication, he was hiding a lot.
Reaching the docks themselves Sendai energetically leapt up onto it to find Admiral Akimoto's secretary ship, Tenryuu, standing before her, but something felt off about her, and she looked strange. Her clothing was far darker that it should be, and its patterning made no sense to her. Her one headgear piece had the upper tip blown off of it too, and it looked permanent, not something that could be fixed oddly enough. Tenryuu class ship girls did not have Kai Ni Upgrades, so why did she look different from any other Tenryuu?
"You're the new transfer then?" Tenryuu asked Sendai, her gaze stoic and somehow cold, causing a shiver to run down Sendai's spine. Tenryuu's usually had an air of strength and a bit of arrogance about them, but this one, she felt less arrogant and more powerful; like she could rout an entire enemy force without firing her gun, relying solely on the blade at her waist. It was frightening.
"Yes! First of the Sendai Class, Sendai reporting!" Sendai responded quickly and as happily and energetically as she could.
"Alright then. I'm Admiral Akimoto's secretary ship. He asked me to give you a quick tour of the base before we go to meet him." Tenryuu said as she turned and began walking away, expecting Sendai to follow.
"Oh, why do I need a tour though?"
Tenryuu stopped and looked to Sendai. "Because Kala Island is not organized the same way as most other naval bases. It was made years ago before naval bases began sharing the same base organizations. Yin also wanted me to explain some things to you. Before that though, I must make one thing absolutely clear."
Sendai waited for a moment, expecting Tenryuu to continue on her own, "And that is?"
Tenryuu walked up to Sendai, using their differencing height to glare down at her as a hand drifted onto the pommel of her sword, obviously an intimidation tactic. "Kala Island, and our fleet is primarily a research base that looks into the abyssal. You know this, right?"
"Yes, but-,"
"That means that while we do often sortie, there are things on this base that are of great importance. Any information you find here, whether on your own or told to you, does not leave this base unless specified by the Admiral. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes!" Sendai said quickly with a small smile, hoping her next words could lure Tenryuu into spilling some information she could inform her own admiral of. "But what would need to be kept so secret anyway? Shouldn't research be shared to help every fleet?"
Tenryuu narrowed her gaze at Sendai and turned back away from her, "Follow me, you'll see in a few moments."
Following Tenryuu Sendai instantly realized that she was being watched from many directions at once. It wasn't the kind of feeling she got when people were curious about her, it was the kind when people were cautious of her. It made her realize that this Admiral Akimoto was no fool; he knew something was off with her being transferred to his base, and it seemed that every ship girl on the base had been told what he thought. She would just need to find out what they were told, only then could she figure out just what he knew.
"Are you listening?" Tenryuu suddenly asked causing Sendai to flinch.
"Yes, sorry. I just noticed that the buildings seem to be connected for the most part."
"Yes, the dorms and mess hall are connected, as is the factory. Only the firing range, just over there, is on its own." Tenryuu said as she gestured to the firing range at the base's edge, a large building with a pool that was raised up, higher than the rest of the bases buildings.
"Oh . . .where is the factory then, I don't see it?"
"The factory is built into the back of the base, behind the mess hall and dorms. It is however, off limits to anyone but the admiral or myself unless stated otherwise." Tenryuu said carefully as she stopped at the double doors that led from outside to the mess hall."
". . . Are we going in then?" Sendai asked as Tenryuu just stood in front of the doors, slowly breathing but making no other sounds.
"Yes, but I'll warn you now, do not overreact to what you'll see, and what you see does not leave this base under any circumstance. Understand?"
"Okay!" Sendai said energetically, already growing tired of it, and wondering how she had so much boundless energy years before when it was such a hassle, or how any younger Sendai had so much energy.
"Good." Tenryuu said as she opened the door and walked in, Sendai right behind her.
Inside the mess hall looked similar to most that she had seen, except for one thing. The seriously small number of ships that were in it. Being so early in the morning Sendai figured that every ship girl on the base would be here eating, but she instead only found five ships. Inazuma, ikazuchi, Imuya, and two ships she did not quiet recognize. One girl wore what appeared to be a white bodysuit with a red skirt, similar to a carriers, but on her neck was a black collar like object with tooth-like spikes on it, an obvious sign and thing that instantly told Sendai she was an abyssal ship, a thought that her white skin and hair doubly confirmed. The second girl was tall with long black hair. She wore bright white pants and a jacket with a bright blue shirt under it, but from the color of her skin and eyes, Sendai knew the same thing was true for her, she was an abyssal ship! "Um, those two . . . are they . . . . ?" Sendai asked as calmly as she could, forcing herself to sound unsure of her words as she spoke.
Tenryuu nodded as she stepped up to the table, "Everyone, this is Sendai, the new cruiser joining our fleet from headquarters. Sendai, This is inazuma, Ikazuchi, Imuya, Ru, and Wo!"
Sendai's entire body tensed up at hearing the names stated so clearly. She had half expected to find at least a few abyssal ships at this base as it was classed as a research base to discover things about the abyssal, but she hadn't expected two powerhouses to be found immediately, or for them to not be held in cells. "Ah, but that's, they're abyssal ships!" Sendai hissed to Tenryuu as quietly as she could.
"Yes, they are." Tenryuu said quickly as she turned to Sendai, her eyes somehow seeming just plainly wrong. "You don't need to worry though, they have no intention of leaving, and have an agreement with the Admiral. They pose you no harm as long as you do not attempt to hurt them.
"But they can't just be allowed to-."
"Tenryuu, problem in the firing range." Kaga stated as she and Zuikaku walked into the room, completely interrupting, and ignoring Sendai's presence.
"I see. Sendai, I need to go investigate something, so please go on ahead to meet the admiral. If you go through that door you'll find him." Tenryuu said with a sigh as she pointed toward a door on the room's far side.
"I – alright then, I'll go on ahead!" Sendai responded as she quickly ran off through the door, and out of the mess hall.
After a few seconds everyone in the mess hall let out sighs of relief, knowing that they could stop holding up their ruse, even if just for a second.
"Ugh, this sucks. I want to sortie too. Knowing I can't sucks!" Wo complained angrily, getting only a nod of agreement from Ru.
"That Sendai. She seems off." Kaga said simply.
"I know. She must be a spy. But until we find out for sure, we'll need to keep up our acts." Tenryuu replied. "is there actually something wrong at the firing pool?"
"No, Kaga just figured you'd need a break!" Zuikaku spoke up with a smile, causing Kaga to grumble to herself and look away from her.
"I don't get why you sent her on her own though, Tenryuu?" Inazuma suddenly spoke up.
"Because Yin wanted to speak with her while allowing her to see Daggertail Oni. He's hoping seeing a new Oni that no one has heard of before will cause her to report to whomever she needs to immediately."
"So he's using the chance as a way to find out who she reports to then? Sneaky." Ru said calmly as she leaned back in her chair with a sigh.
"Yes. I just hope his questioning of her leads to something useful!"
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Sendai closed the door to the mess hall behind her took three steps away from the door and fell to her knees, allowing her breath to escape as she tried to calm herself down. It was impossible. It should be impossible. No one had ever made deals, agreements or anything with the abyssal. Heck, no one had even held up a prolonged conversation with one before, so how did this base have two of them captured and calmly eating with the rest of the ship girls? It didn't make sense and the more Sendia thought about it, the more she realized that she needed to find out. This base obviously was keeping secrets of some kind, just those two abyssal ships proved it!
There was more to it though. Research bases primarily employed destroyers and cruisers, yet this base had a submarine and two strong standard carriers. Even with carrier support, capturing not one, but two abyssal would be an extremely difficult feat, so just how had they done it or more accurately, what other ship girls called this base home?"
Sendai suddenly shook her head and forced herself back up off the floor, quickly smacking her own cheeks a few light times. She couldn't be caught up by such shocking sights, if she did then she would be caught and her cover would be blown for sure. That was the one thing she would not allow. Her mission was of her highest priority, and if she had to hold back some reactions and keep up her old, ridiculous demeanor, she would.
Moving down the hall Sendai found herself almost immediately in front of a large metal door, a single wooden sign with the character for factory on it above the door. Did this base keep its cells in their factory?
Stepping up to the door Sendia could hear noise coming from inside of it, but could not make out what was being said despite her best efforts. Rapping on the door it almost immediately opened to reveal a Yuudachi Kai Ni standing in the doorway, looking both, happy, energetic, and somehow cold all at once.
"Admiral, the new cruisers here!" Yuudachi called out as she seemed to glance over Sendai's body, as if sizing her up. It was odd behaviour for a Yuudachi, Sendia always saw them as energetic and happy, like a friendly puppy that was capable of torpedoing people.
"Let her in." came a quick response of a man, telling Sendai that that was likely the admiral.
Immediately Yuudachi opened the door fully and stepped out of the way, allowing Sendai to step into the factory. A second later she heard the door shut behind her and watched as Yuudachi walked past her down the factory and past numerous extremely large machines who's purpose Sendai could only guess at.
Turning a corner around a large machine, Sendai found she was unable to breath as she looked to see what was before her. It terrified her, more than the two abyssal she saw before.
Chained to the wall and between two of the machines was an abyssal that Sendai had never seen nor heard a description of in her life. She looked like a Re-class battleship that had a serious overhaul, and her tail alone looked the size of her entire body, and looked like if she touched it she'd die. The abyssal was awake, but showed little emotion on her face as sitting in front of her on a wooden chair was the bases admiral, Yin Akimoto. He looked just like Sendai had read in his profile, he was tall, had no facial hair, and the hair on top of his head was white as paper. He glanced at her for a moment, showing off his deep crimson eyes before glancing back to the abyssal and continued his questions. Yuudachi took a position on Admiral Akimoto's right aide, while on his left side stood another, far more imposing ship girl. Standing there with her full equipment and her arms crossed under her breasts, was the Battleship, Musashi. Her dark skin and light hair contrasting each other as her eyes glanced at Sendai for only a moment before falling back onto the abyssal before the admiral.
It was clear Musashi and Yuudachi were acting as guards in case the abyssal tried anything, but the singular fact that this base, a research base, had the nigh all powerful second of the Yamato class in it caused Sendai to be filled with disbelief. She could understand how they could beat abyssal with such firepower, but how did they beat them and take them alive?
"So, you're the cruiser from the admiralty board then? "Yin asked as he turned on his chair so his body was facing Yuudachi, and his head facing Sendai. His gaze was strange to Sendai, it seemed too calm, yet also seemed unimpressed, as if he did not want a transfer to his base. It told her even more that he was hiding things, and the Abyssal on the wall was likely one of them.
"Yes, sir! Name ship of the Sendai class, Sendai Kai Ni, reporting!" Sendai replied with a big smile.
"Hmm, alright. Dismissed. "Yin said as he turned his body toward the abyssal, surprising Sendai with how little of a reaction he was giving her. It was normally an admiral job to explain the bases rules and tell new transfers what fleet they would be in. Was he forgetting about it?"
"Um, sir, what fleet will I be in?" Sendai asked following her train of thought knowing it was the safest one to use.
"I haven't decided yet, I've been caught up with this. I'll decide later." Yin said as he gestured toward the abyssal.
"Um. . . . Is that a new Abyssal? I don't recognize it? Is it a variant of a Re-class?"
"No, it's an Oni. Daggertail Oni."
"I-I've never heard of that one."
"Of course, we only captured this Abyssal just last day!" Musashi spoke up, her tone clear, and her voice booming in such tight quarters. It made Sendai feel like she was standing near a loud speaker.
"Wait, you just captured her yesterday?" Sendai asked in surprise.
"Yep! She appeared and we caught her before she attacked any fleets!" Yuudachi chimed with a smile.
"Yes. I am in the middle of interrogating her though, so you can head back out for now." Yin said as he waved his hand, giving Sendai the all clear to leave.
Sendai looked at the abyssal for a moment, trying to memorize every detail of her that she could for a report, then turned and walked away. Within seconds the door to the factory opened and closed and after a few moments Yuudachi, Musashi and Yin let out small sighs of relief.
"Ugh, I don't like her. She feels stiff!" Yuudachi complained.
"This Musashi agrees. She is no normal Sendai!"
"Pfff, you guys are weird. Why don't you trust one of your own? Daggertail Oni said with a sly grin.
"Because, not everyone has the same beliefs. The same if for you, right? The rest of the abyss has something against you or your mother, but you don't. Your forces even left you behind when they saw you losing." Yin replied, looking back up to Daggertail.
"What's your point?" Daggertail hissed, pushing her body away from the wall and tensing the chains that held her.
"My point is I want to talk. I want to know more about you. So why don't we just talk?"
"Alright, fine. We'll talk!"