"Where are we going, Dear husband?" Friedrich asked as they walked down the corridor.
"We're going on a small trip." Isaac said as they emerged on the main deck.
"Heading somewhere, Kommandant?" Otto asked as he walked over with Richthofen.
"Otto? Yeah. Friedrich needs some fresh air, so we're gonna go out for a bit." Isaac said.
"Would you mind if we accompanied you?" Otto asked.
"I think it would help." Isaac said as he turned to Friedrich.
"We're heading to your ship." Isaac said.
"My ship? Why?" Friedrich asked.
"You haven't had time to properly grieve. Nobody here had the same connection with Rosie that you did. And as your Kommandant... and your husband, I can see you suffering beneath that façade of strength." Isaac said.
Friedrich nodded softly as tears welled in her eyes.
"My child... she was very brave." Friedrich said softly.
"Aye. That she was." Richthofen said as she walked over and draped her jacket over Friedrich's shoulder.
"Let's get one of the Bulins to accompany us, make use of this small voyage to perform a maintenance run." Isaac said as he looked over the port.
"Voyage?" Friedrich asked, uselessly wiping tears from her eyes, only for new ones to immediately take their place.
"We're going back to the battlefield. You will have the chance to grieve her there. You didn't get to see her sacrifice... so this is the best that I can do." Isaac said.
"I'll fire up the boilers, Kommandant. I'll provide air cover for you and my sister." Richthofen said as she walked off towards her berth in the port.
"I shall remain with you, Mein Tochter." Otto said as she rubbed Friedrich's shoulders gently.
Isaac whistled to one of the Bulins, nodding in a way that drew her over.
"Yes, Commander?" The bulin asked.
"You're coming with us. We need to perform a maintenance run." Isaac said, earning a nod from the bulin. Isaac turned back to Friedrich.
"Let's go, my darling Friedrich." Isaac said as he took her hand and led her towards her vessel. Friedrich followed willingly.
"Dear Husband... isn't this a bit much?" Friedrich asked.
"Not at all. I want to believe that this will help you." Isaac said as they looked over at the dry docks, seeing the projects moving ahead on schedule.
"If you believe it best... Why am I being the one taken care of? I'm supposed to be taking care of you." Friedrich said.
"Because, even the strength of mountains can be undermined by stress and grief. You're one of the many supports of this fleet. If I leave you out to dry, how will that reflect? But even more than that, how would you feel?" Isaac asked.
"It makes sense, my dear husband." Friedrich said.
"Alright. Let's get under way. Richthofen is already nearly a quarter mile out." Isaac said.
Friedrich nodded and walked up the gangway. The roar of her boilers coming alive was unmistakable as thick black smoke billowed from the smokestacks.
"Weigh anchor, my love. Destination, ground Zero." Isaac said as he and Otto flanked Friedrich, supporting her as she sailed after her sister.
"Nothing is showing up. Looks like those subs really were what was giving us away." Ranger said.
"I'm still pissed at you, flattop. You and Enterprise and Intrepid all think you're so great, yet, when it comes down to something like this, you're the first to throw your life away?! You can either be prideful, or humble. you can't have it both ways flattop." Washington said spitefully.
"I never claimed to be better than you... or any of the battleships... In fact, I'm good friends with your sister, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. I even have a friendly rivalry with Jean Bart of Vichya Dominion. I never once claimed to be better than battleships. I just serve a different purpose." Ranger said softly, realizing Washington's hatred for carriers.
"Your purpose is what makes us obsolete. You can strike farther than my guns can, and you can deal more damage. Your very existence makes me and my sister, along with every other battleship in the Union navy, a complete waste of steel." Washington said angrily.
"I NEVER ASKED TO BE BUILT!" Ranger yelled over the radio.
Washington went silent for several long minutes, during which, Ranger looked down at her hands and began to weep softly. she fell to her knees on the flight deck.
"If you hadn't been built... we wouldn't be here right now." A young lady spoke as she knelt down next to Ranger.
"Mary!? You can't be up here!" An older woman said.
"Why not, mom? She saved us. And the explosions have stopped. Daddy always said to inspect the damage once the fighting stops." Mary said.
"That's your father. You're not him. This is a warship, we can't be on the flight deck." The older woman said as she looked at Ranger.
"I'm sorry for my daughter's intrusion." The lady said.
"It's no problem... I don't mind the company. The flight deck has been deactivated for the time being, so if you would all like to come out and get some fresh air, I will permit it. just watch out for holes in the flight deck and exposed steel and wires." Ranger said softly as she pushed herself to her feet, forcing a smile on her face.
"Washington, that was a little much, even for you." Wichita said angrily as the fiery redhead jumped aboard the battleship and got face to face with it's kansen.
"She deserved it. trying to act all high and mighty." Washington said.
"She wasn't trying to do anything! She was doing what she was built to do. Cover our asses with aircraft and AA fire. So what if she can drop bombs, it's not like she wants to replace you or any of the battleships!" Wichita yelled as she balled her fists.
"Well, she aint trying to stop it either." Washington said before being slugged across the face.
"She's over there right now, bawling her eyes out. You heard her! We ALL did! The fact that you pushed her to the point that she said that, sickens me. I'm glad I never followed in your footsteps, Washington... because if I had, I would want to scuttle myself for saying the things you did." Wichita yelled angrily.
"You just hit me..." Washington said, more shocked than angry.
"Yeah, and I'll do it again and again until you realize that you being a constant bitch isn't something you should be proud of." Wichita said as she pulled her glove tighter.
"But... she's replacing you too..." Washington reasoned.
"So? I'm still here, aren't I? She doesn't make the fucking choices, you pent up bitch. You think she likes the idea of being told that her purpose is what will put her friends out of commission?" Wichita said as she towered over Washington, who remained sitting on her deck.
"I..." Washington started.
"Shut up. Every word you say right now is just pissing me off more and more. If it weren't for the fact that you're carrying civilians, I would have opened fire instead of coming over here." Wichita spat as she cracked her knuckles.
Washington looked over at the aircraft carrier on her right flank.
"I guess it isn't her fault." Washington said softly.
"You bet your torpedo protection it isn't. She didn't ask to be made into something that replaces battleships. She would rather be there, protecting your asses with her fighters than being the one forced to drop bombs on the targets that you never so much had to look at. She has to watch those bombs impact. She has to watch her targets detonate, and the people inside them be reduced to mist. You never had to. So don't go thinking that she wanted this." Wichita said as she glared at the silver haired battleship before her.
Washington sat silently in self reflection as Wichita spat on the deck next to her before heading for the side of the ship.
"Maybe when you pull you head out of your ass, you can find the courage to go and fucking apologize to her." Wichita sneered as she jumped to the waves below.
"This is very good. Kitakaze. What did you do to it?" Warspite asked as the three of them chowed down on the shark that Roon had butchered earlier.
"Nothing much. Soy sauce, Fish sauce, and sesame oil marinade to give it the dark color and then seared it in a shallow pan with some butter I found onboard." Kitakaze said as the two of them looked at Roon, who had already turned the jaw of the shark into a trophy.
"She's nothing if not ruthlessly efficient." Kitakaze said.
"She follows orders to perfection. She left no part unused." Warspite said, noting the pallet of tanned leather made from the shark's skin.
"I can see that." Kitakaze said as Roon looked at them with a soft smile.
"It tastes really good. It's different than the burnt Bratwurst and stale beer that Observer was feeding me for the past four years..." Roon said, savoring the taste.
"I can teach you how to make it, if you'd share a German beer with me." Kitakaze said.
"Ja. I will procure some." Roon said.
"Well, while you two do that, I will stand watch. We're supposedly passing through Strength's territory." Warspite said as she respectfully cleaned up her plate and washed it before putting it away.
"Have fun, Warspite." Roon said in a semi cheerful tone as she put another portion of shark on her plate, bringing her total up to 4.
"Shall we finish up so I can show you how to make this?" Kitakaze asked.
"Please?" Roon asked as she shoved the last piece in her mouth and cleaned up her area.
"You seem pretty excited about it." Kitakaze said.
"I like good food. And I want to impress my new Kommandant." Roon said as she walked to the kitchen with Kitakaze hot on her heels.
Authors note: Sorry for the lack of chapters over the past Saturday. Several injuries to my good hand left me unable and unwilling to write until today. Hopefully I can get my hand back in working order sooner rather than later. I hope you enjoy and thanks for the support.