Isaac and Odin arrived on the top deck of her vessel. Workers were scrambling about assessing damage to ships that had been damaged in the battle. Isaac stopped and looked among the fleet, seeing obliterated turrets, busted deck boards, torched steel, shell holes and spilled oil leaking into the port.
"Why didn't we retreat sooner and save all of this damage?" Isaac asked, looking around and surveying even more damage to the rest of his fleet.
"Norfolk sent you away with 47 after we saved Hood. She didn't realize that doing so would hinder your ability to give commands, and thus, without telling me, she tried to give commands to the fleet. But with nobody willing to listen, everyone stayed and fought. If you'd given her the capability to give commands herself, we might have been able to pull back sooner and let the Bulins do what they did." Odin said.
"So it all falls back on my lack of insight then." Isaac said as he looked at his hands. Hands now stained in the blood of his own men.
"Yours, mine, Norfolk's, Nimitz. Everyone's. You're not solely to blame for this. But you also have to remember, that while this kind of stuff hurts when it happens, it takes so much more to kill us. We expect our ships to be damaged when we fight. None of us expect to come out in one piece, so your ability to have done that so far has been astounding. You should be happy that it took them pulling something like this to get the drop on you." Odin said as she led him down to the docks, where most of the Kansens were waiting for him.
Isaac pulled his cap down to cover his eyes as he walked through the fleet, heading to wherever Odin was taking him. The Docks were relatively quiet as the girls watched him walk by. Odin eventually lead him over to the Vestal to begin his rounds of damage control.
"Starting with the worst case first, huh?" Isaac asked, not quite ready to take in everything he knew he had to accept.
"It's the only way to get it done, Isaac. I'm here, let's survey the cost of war." Odin said softly. grabbing Isaac's hand and pulling him up the gangway onto the deck of the Vestal.
Isaac knew it was bad the moment he stepped into the med bay and saw Baltimore asleep on the edge of the bed, tear tracks marring her face, showing she had been crying the whole time.
Vestal walked over to Isaac and looked up at him.
"How bad is it?" Isaac asked, hesitant to hear the answer.
"Bad, Commander. What we saw back in Fiji with St. Louis was childs play by comparison." Vestal said, removing her bloodstained apron and gloves.
"Will she make it?" Isaac asked.
"She's very very lucky. Maybe you cursed the gods to the point of fear, or maybe you have a guardian angel for this fleet, but Bremerton will pull through. Although, while her skin and bones will heal, I could not fix the eyes. Shrapnel decimated the left eye completely. Vengeance is already working on something to replace it using the wisdom cubes. Hopefully it will take." Vestal said.
"Com...man...der?" Bremerton's voice called out to the room.
Isaac slide Vestal aside and went to her bedside, being careful not to awaken Baltimore.
"I'm here, Bremerton. I... I'm so sorry." Isaac said as he took her outstretched hand.
"Commander... I... was I useful?" Bremerton asked, her voice masked by the bandages covering her face.
"Bremerton, you did a fantastic job today. You really gave 'em hell." Isaac said, keeping his breathing quiet so she wouldn't hear him crying.
"Did I? That... makes me happy." Bremerton said, her voice getting softer, indicating that she was falling asleep, her pain meds kicking in.
"Damn it..." Isaac said softly as he hung his head, his voice stirring Baltimore from her slumber, putting her face to face with Isaac.
"Commander... what are you doing here?" Baltimore asked.
"I'm doing my rounds, as a Commander should." Isaac said as he took off his hat.
"I'm sorry for the pain and suffering that you are going through as well, Baltimore. If I'd been more diligent... maybe this wouldn't have happened." Isaac said.
"Commander, everyone heard it... your argument with the Vice Commander." Baltimore said as she looked at Isaac.
"So I've heard." Isaac said, affixing the cap back on is head.
"You were ready do give up everything to save us. How could I get upset with that?" Baltimore asked as she rested her hand on Isaac's shoulder.
"You have every right to be." Isaac said softly.
"You're right. And I have every right to not be as well." Baltimore said, a small smile crossing her face.
"How? How are you smiling at me like this?" Isaac asked, her smile doing more damage to his morale than the argument with Odin.
Baltimore cocked her head.
"Because. My sister will survive. And she is finally asleep. She's been fighting sleep ever since I brought her here." Baltimore said.
"Why has she been fighting it?" Isaac asked.
"She was scared of what you would say to her. After our experience with MacArthur... it comes with the territory." Baltimore said as she looked lovingly at Bremerton.
"She did an amazing job... how could she think I'd berate her?" Isaac asked, his chest growing tight.
"She was knocked out of the fight and caused issues within the fleet... at least that's how MacArthur would have worded it." Baltimore said as she clasped her sister's hand.
"I will ensure she is better protected in the future. I've decided to begin another facet of research after all." Isaac aid, steadying himself, hoping that this news would be received well.
"I hope your research goes well, Commander. But I'm sure you have other people to visit than just us." Baltimore said with a small sad smile, her hand gently rubbing the bandaged hand of her sister.
"I pray for her speedy recovery." Isaac said as he removed his cap and bowed as a sign of respect.
"Get going, Commander. My sister needs her rest." Baltimore said as Odin tapped Isaac on the shoulder.
"We need to head down the hall. Someone is calling for you." Odin whispered.
"Rest well, ladies." Isaac said as he followed Odin out of the room, followed himself, by Vestal.
Isaac rounded the corner and his heart sank.
"The Commoner has finally come to see me." Elizabeth said as Bismarck helped her to her feet.
"I'm sorry for the loss of your vessel, Queen Elizabeth..." Isaac said before she interrupted.
"What's with the sudden formality, Commoner? Do you think I am upset with you over something like this?" Elizabeth asked.
Isaac stood silent, nodding his head.
"Posh. My vessel can be rebuilt. If anything..." Elizabeth stopped
"If anything?" Isaac asked.
"She's trying to apologize... just like I would like to." Bismarck said as the two girls looked at him.
Isaac looked stunned.
"Why are you apologizing?" Isaac asked, his guilt growing further.
"We practically forced you to move us up, shifting the firepower of the fleet and causing this whole mess." Bismarck said, Elizabeth nodding in agreement.
"This would... have happened regardless." Isaac said softly.
"Huh?" Elizabeth asked, her face turning red.
"The Drones... they were heavily modified battleship drones. They were purpose made to stonewall this fleet. Odin... has told me that this would have happened regardless of who was put where. She believes that this is the best possible outcome as well, which... I'm having a hard time believing myself." Isaac said softly.
Isaac was about to talk again when Elizabeth walked forward and hugged him.
"Then if this is the best way this could have gone, accept that we got off lucky. I order you to take that to heart, Commoner." Elizabeth said with a soft smile.
"That goes double for me, Kommandant. Don't expect a hug... but just know that we will accept any responsibility required to make up for this." Bismarck said.
"You two just rest and focus on repairs and rebuilding. I refuse to punish anyone in this fleet for this. I shall take the responsibility for this and hopefully you all can still see me as the commander." Isaac said.
"You're still my Kommandant. That will not change." Bismarck said with a fist over her heart.
"And you're still my Commander... I mean Commoner." Elizabeth said as she stood defiantly in front of him.
"As you were, you two. I have to check in on the others in the fleet as well." Isaac said as he tipped his hat and turned to leave.
"Commoner." Elizabeth said.
"Hmm?" Isaac asked.
"As the flagship of the royal navy... I cannot lie and say I've been perfect. But I can say, you're doing what you should in events such as this. And after everything you've done for us... I doubt anyone here will be to upset with the events of the last battle." Elizabeth said with a small thumbs up.
Isaac smiled a bit.
"Thank you... Lizzie. I'll keep that in mind." Isaac said, earning him a pout from Elizabeth and a small chuckle from Bismarck.
Isaac walked out as Elizabeth laid into Bismarck for laughing at her.
Texas was waiting in the hallway.
"Howdy, Commander." Texas said as Isaac felt a chill run up his spine.
"Texas..." Isaac said.
"Relax. I'm not here to rail ya. I'm here to thank you." Texas said.
"Thank...me?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah. It ain't everyday that a gal like me gets to have a tussle like that. This battle solidified my resolve to stay here, with this fleet. I came with Shinano because I was looking for something to do, and boy did you deliver." Texas said as she walked up to Isaac.
"But all that damage..." Isaac said.
"Damage? Boy, them's just scratches. Nothing those little bulins of yours can't buff out." Texas said.
"You're missing 3 turrets..." Isaac said.
"So?" Texas asked.
"That's more than half of your guns... just... gone." Isaac said.
"Well, maybe it's time for an upgrade. Or maybe I get rebuilt to spec, and you find some other way to make us girls more efficient war machines. But no matter the path you decide, I have to admit, that is a lot more fun than some shore bombardment bullshit." Texas said as she stood right in Isaac's face. His eyes were drawn downwards towards something that looked like a tattoo on the inside of her bust. Texas noticed this.
"Oh? Curious, commander? I might be willing to show you, but you ain't ready for this." Texas said as she smiled at him, accentuating her hips and bust before walking away.
Isaac was left speechless as she walked away.
"Wow. Didn't expect that from you... or her, Isaac." Odin said as she stood behind him with her hand on her hip.
"I just saw something that wasn't her skin color. She might have been injured." Isaac said.
"Mmhmm... I'm sure she's fine. She said it herself." Odin said.
"It's Texas... stubborn as a pack mule and many times more dangerous." Isaac muttered as he continued his rounds, eventually coming across Atago, who was sitting in a chair with one of her ears bandaged.
"Atago?" Isaac asked.
"Oh my? It's Shikikan. Did Shikikan worry about Atago so much that he came to visit?" Atago asked as she grabbed a crutch to walk over to him.
"You poor thing." Isaac said, taking in the bandaged leg, wounded ear, and bruised forearm on the heavy cruiser in front of him.
"Shikikan, I'm okay. Big sis is doing a lot better than you think." Atago said as Isaac held out his hand, receiving her and helping walk her back to the chair she had been sitting in.
"What's the damage?" Isaac asked.
"One turret lost, one torpedo launcher lost, damage to my superstructure, and my radar dish destroyed." Atago said as she allowed Isaac to sit her down.
"I'll make sure to push you up in the repair list." Isaac said as he looked at Atago.
"Big sis knows Shikikan wants to apologies, but she won't allow it." Atago said as she shook her head.
"Shikikan did nothing wrong. Atago knew right away something wasn't right with the enemy. So big sis understands." Atago said, earning a smile from Isaac, who rubbed her head between her ears. Atago made a sound Isaac could only assume was associated with pleasure as she pushed against his hand.
"Kommandant. We need to get out to the docks. Patty has returned." Odin said as she knocked on the door frame.
"Returned?" Isaac asked.
"She brought home 556. Things... don't look good." Odin said as Isaac read the look on her face.
"I understand." Isaac said, turning towards Odin and walking away, leaving a very pouty Atago in the chair behind him.