Long Xuyen, Military HQ, Vietnam
Ta-01 wiped her bridge of nervous sweat, dread forming in the pit of her holds as she finally came within sight of New Jersey. The woman was exiting the main office, her dress and white skin absolutelydrenched in blood, she tucked a stray strand of black hair back behind her horns with a contented sigh, before noticing the nervous Fast Battleship. She walked up to the Ta, flanked by the two Ru's that had been guarding the door.
"Well then, let's hear it, what is the severity of your failure." Ta-01 sputtered a little, before Jersey cut off her denial with an abrupt hand gesture. "You are too obvious. I'm in control of myself right now, I've..." She glanced back at the door. "Vented, already. The radio operator was quite forthcoming, eventually." The Ta gathered her courage.
"W-We've captured the city, any military presence left is being hunted down as we speak, the MIG's were driven off, a-and Kitty Hawk reported that she should be able to hit the retreating convoys once her flight's armaments are re-loaded." New Jersey began to pick at her fingernails throughout the report, getting chunks of flesh out from under them.
"And the losses?" The Ta's face, if possible, paled further. "Well? It was already severe when I last spoke to BatCat, tell me, how angry am I about to be?"
Her eyes started to tear up in fear, "P-Please don't sink m-" She was interrupted by Jersey, who placed her still bloodied index finger over the Ta's lips.
"Ah ah ah. Reports first, begging later." Ta-01 swallowed.
"T-The latest tally was... T-Twenty-six Cruisers sunk or mission killed, three Ru-class burned to the waterline-" Jersey's fists clenched at that. "-f-forty-six Destroyers, about a third of which were wildlings, and the Wo-class carriers, one a total loss, the other two mission killed." She took a deal breath, the tears starting to fall, mixing with the blood smudged onto her face by Jersey. "A-And two Ta-class Battleships, gone." Jersey looked at the trembling ship, before making a correction.
"Three, actually." The Ta's eyes widened.
"MAAM PLEAS-" New Jersey grabbed her by the front of her collar, dragging the begging ship behind her as the unnerved but smirking Ru's followed, the Ta's pointed feet dug a pair of lines into the floor.
"I don't mean you, idiot." Jersey pushed open the door, revealing one of the few operational Ri-class Heavy Cruisers left undamaged, standing by the office desk, stock-still in terrified silence.
Next to her was what was left of Jersey's interrogation efforts.
"Tell her what you told me." The Ri nodded, eyes locked on the floor as she began to speak.
"I-I was with CV-01, once w-we put out Wo-03's fires, I was told to try a-and get help, from the flanking ships, that were to cut off the civilian retreat. We figured t-they'd have dealt with a few unarmed ferries by then, right?" The Ri said in a questioning manner, before swiftly getting back on track at an annoyed huff from Jersey. "W-We, I mean, I, found them in the Vam Nao river, just East of their predicted interception p-point." She finally looked up, meeting the Ta's eyes. "They were destroyed."
"What?!" The Ri flinched at the Fast Battleships interruption, before shakily continuing. "I checked, there was only about 30 feet of water where they went down. My Sonar didn't get any returns matching Ta-04's hull, I-I wouldn't have missed a Battleship wreck at that range. W-Wherever she is, she likely cruised out under her own power. I came down-river as quickly as I c-could, to tell you."
"Thank you, now get out of my sight, help the others sweeping the city." The Cruiser nodded gratefully, practically sprinting out the door. Meanwhile, Jersey came to stand before the shocked Battleship, her back to the mess she'd left on the office desk.
"The miserable sack of burst flesh behind me was the radio operator for this military base, do you know what he told me?" Ta-01 shook her head. "He said that shortly before we attacked, a truck was sent out, sent to pick up an Abyssal SPY and her subordinates from among my forces."
"T-That's impossible! You can't be saying-"
"-That Ta-04 was the spy? Mabe not the ringleader, she was too new, you all are. But perhaps a patsy? We know that at least three Abyssal ships were spotted among the humans, why not one more? Why not keep-" New Jersey stepped closer, leaning down to meet her gaze. "-A sleeper agent in amongst the enemy force?" Ta-01's eyes widened at the implication.
"I... I... I'm n-not a spy!" Jersey laughed.
"Hahahaha! Ah... New Constructs, never change. 01, if I thought for certain that you were a spy, I'd have fed you to my Rigging by now. No... I will give you- Be Silent." Ta-01, used to Jersey's sudden outbursts, simply stayed silent and still, as the woman interrupted herself. "I decide what to do to her, not you. I S̵͓̈́aid S̵̈́hut U̴̙̎̇p̵̫̎!" Ta-01 squeezed her eyes shut.
"...-I̴̯͎̿̇S PUNISHMENT̸̪͊͠ ENOUGH DAMN Ỳ̸͉̦̕O̵͚͒̃Ủ̵̼!" Jersey picked up the desk behind her, throwing it out the window at her Rigging, her aim was true, the desk shattering into wooden splinters against the hull of the beast's face, it didn't flinch, still looking up eyelessly at the second floor where Jersey raged.
It looked away, suddenly disinterested.
Jersey let out a few shuddering breaths, before seeming to get to grips with herself. She turned to Ta-01, speaking as though she hadint been interrupted.
"I will give you one chance. One." Ta-01 opened her eyes, looking at the Battleship Hime in fearful curiosity.
"W-What do I have to do, please, I'll prove myself to you, just please..."
"As soon as the looting begins and the casualties have been dredged from the river, I am moving North East, along the coast, Kitty-Hawk and I have a liaison with that bit̷̝̋ch Caleuche and her spectral bullshit after I make a stopover in Saigon. Pick who you want from who's left behind for a fleet. Ru-08 will accompany you" Jersey turned from the trembling Battleship, watching as her Rigging wandered the parking lot below.
"I want you to track down that treasonous sistership of yours, and I want you to bring me back her Bridge." Ta-01 gasped, but cut-off as Jersey turned to her. "If you don't, I'll just have to settle for Ru-08 bringing me yours."