Isaac had to take several large steps back when the Richthofen hit the water. The sheer size of the vessel rose the water level in the port by a solid five inches for a few seconds, more than enough time to send water everywhere.
"Good lord, Otto. I'm not complaining, but are all your designs so... massive?" Isaac asked.
"Not my personal choice. Hitler wanted big, so I drew big, Kommandant." Otto said.
"Once again, not complaining." Isaac said as he turned to Richthofen.
"Carrier Richthofen, would you be able to begin a self diagnostic and flight drills right away? We are strapped for time before we come under attack." Isaac said.
"Shouldn't be a problem, Kommandant. I'll get right on it." Richthofen said as she turned and made her way towards her vessel. Her rigging reveal was so impressive that Isaac had completely overlooked what looked like a Great War Mauser slung from her shoulder.
"She pushes the Great war theme pretty hard, huh Otto?" Isaac asked.
"A Mauser 98. Ja. That rifle was also used during the great war. Maybe the name sets some kind of design precedent for the Kansens." Otto said.
"That would be an interesting subject of study." Isaac said as Otto looked at him.
"A man of science as well?" Otto asked.
"I was a day away from graduating from MIT as an engineer. So science is kind of my thing." Isaac said as Otto nodded.
"I shall go and over see her flight drills, Kommandant. I will allow you to use these to bring the other ships back." Otto said as he looked at the other girls that were surrounding Isaac.
"Thank you my friend. Go spend some time with her. I'm sure that once the battle starts, our carriers will be the primary targets." Isaac said as Otto looked at him with a fire in his eye.
"We will beat them back." Otto said in a fiery tone.
"Yes we will." Isaac said
Otto walked off to join Richthofen, who was seemingly waiting for him to arrive before summoning her rigging and skating over to her newly minted vessel.
"Alright, now we have to get you girls your boats back." Isaac said as Baltimore stepped forward.
"I will volunteer myself to go first." Baltimore said.
"Now, we don't have a matrix here. This is a civilian port, so of course they wouldn't have one here. So I'm going to try something before I bring the bulins over to build a temporary matrix." Isaac said as he took two cubes and handed them to Baltimore.
"I don't know how they work, but multiple incidents point to strong wills being a deciding factor in what the cubes do. So, Baltimore, imagine your ship how it was the day it was set to sea." Isaac said, hoping for the best.
Baltimore closed her eyes and focused, but nothing happened. The immediate fear on her face was cause for instant concern.
"Guess it was a bit of a long shot, huh?" Isaac said softly, trying to deflect any potential blame away from Baltimore.
"I can do it! I swear!" Baltimore said tearfully as Atago came up and touched her arm.
"Baltimore... he isn't the General. If you can't do it, I don't think he will do something like that." Atago said softly, wiping the tears away that were forming in Baltimore's eyes.
Isaac walked forward, and in a move that was unlike him at all, gently placed a hand on the heavy cruiser's cheek.
"Baltimore. If you can't do it, the nobody can. Your strength is something I want my fleet to strive for. The willingness to take that bullet by volunteering to be first. The scramble to allow you to try again. Your will and strength to defend you, your sister, and your lover, is something that should be rewarded, not punished." Isaac said as he looked over at the Norfolk, seeing the Head bulin looking at him from the deck. Isaac waved her over.
Atago tended to Baltimore as the Head bulin walked to Isaac.
"What can we do for you, Commander?" The bulin asked.
"We need to use that blueprint we got back in Fiji. Get me a temporary matrix and a tent to shield it from the eyes of the civilians here. I need this built on the double." Isaac said as the bulin nodded.
"We'll get right on it, Commander." The bulin said as she rushed off towards the Norfolk to grab materials and more hands.
"Baltimore, Bremerton, Atago, Laffey. You four should pitch in and help the bulins get this matrix built. Your strength will be needed in this coming battle. So stand tall and wipe away those tears, Baltimore. I will accept nothing less than your best." Isaac said as Baltimore scrambled to her feet and saluted Isaac.
"Thank you for your leniency, Commander. I won't fail you again." Baltimore said as Isaac shook his head.
"Atago, may I?" Isaac asked. Atago nodded as Isaac walked forward and hugged Baltimore.
"You haven't failed me, Baltimore. None of you have failed me. And don't think that I'm going to throw you in the front. You girls are going to be safe behind our battleships and our aircraft. I will personally change the formation if Nimitz puts you up front. None of you deserve to be punished for anything you didn't do. Your days of cowering are over, you hear me, Baltimore?" Isaac asked as he held the still shaking heavy cruiser.
"Commander... thank you." Baltimore whispered as she calmed down and relaxed.
"There. Now get ready, I see the bulins coming. When that matrix is done, Bremerton, Baltimore, and Atago, you all take two cubes and bring your ships back in their most current configuration. Laffey, you'll take one and bring your ship forth in its most up to date form as well." Isaac said.
The three heavy cruisers saluted while Laffey gave a lazy wave, causing Isaac to smile.
"You girls don't have to worry about abuse, or anything of the sort. As someone who knows what kind of treatment you have endured, and as someone who has endured similar treatment... You have my word that you will never be treated that poorly ever again." Isaac said with a soft bow.
"Thank you, Shikikan." Atago said, bowing in return, Bremerton and Baltimore following suit.
"I am going to go and talk with Vengeance while you girls are busy. Radio for me right away when you're finished. I would like to be here to see such magnificent girls like yourselves setting out to sea." Isaac said with a smile.
"Thank you again, Commander. We will give it our all." Bremerton said as Baltimore and Atago nodded in agreement.
"That's all I ask." Isaac said as he walked back over to the Norfolk, passing the bulins carrying all the materials that they would need for their project.
Isaac stepped onto the bridge of the Norfolk, met immediately by Odin, Nimitz and Vengeance.
"Quite the welcoming committee." Isaac said sarcastically, causing a small chuckle to come from Vengeance.
"What's the bad news?" Isaac asked.
"Norfolk has picked up the enemy fleet with the help of Perkins back in New Guinea.
"Oh? And how is that going?" Isaac asked.
"Thankfully the New Guinea port is safe, as the fleet passed by, but reports from Perkins say that it is a massive fleet consisting almost entirely of Battleship class drone ships." Odin said.
"Okay, so the carriers will have to be putting in work to down those shields so our Battleships can mop them up." Isaac said.
"It won't be that easy." Odin said just as Bismarck and U-556 came from the corridor, Bismarck had her rigging active, keeping an eye on U-556.
"Why won't it be easy?" Isaac asked, moving towards Odin, keeping her between him and U-556.
Odin looked at Isaac.
"Perkins swore he saw a heavily damaged Hood leading the enemy fleet. He said the turret and paint was unmistakable." Odin said, causing Bismarck to freeze.
"What did you say?" Bismarck asked.
"Perkins has reported that the HMS Hood was at the head of the incoming Siren fleet. After looking closer, the Kansen known as Hood was seen knelt on her forward turret. He couldn't make out details, but he claims that the Hood should not be floating in the condition it is in." Odin said, causing Bismarck to fall against the wall, the old memories flooding back.
"Lord Bismarck?!" U-556 cried as she turned to tend to Bismarck.
"Bismarck!" Isaac said as he immediately moved around Odin and kneeled next to Bismarck and U-556.
"Are you okay, Bismarck?" Isaac asked softly, holding the blonde battleship's hand.
"I... I never thought I'd see her again. I felt horrible for sinking her like that. I was only following orders." Bismarck said as U-556 looked over at Isaac.
"Do you need to sit this out?" Isaac asked softly, completely surprising both Bismarck and U-556.
"No! Not at all! If I can save her, then I will do everything I can to make up for what happened on that fateful day." Bismarck said as she pushed herself to her feet.
"We will help her. There is no doubt about that." Isaac said as Bismarck nodded, trying to keep her tears hidden.
"Bismarck, if this becomes too much to handle, I am giving you a direct order to hold back and let the rest of the fleet handle this. I cannot let you put yourself through this and leave yourself open to attack." Isaac said.
"Kommandant, Garner... please give me my ship back. I will protect Lord Bismarck with everything I have." U-556 said as she stood in front of Isaac, expecting to be shot for her disregard for orders.
"Can I trust you?" Isaac asked.
"My only wish from here on is to be by my Lord's side. The Sirens hold no power over me anymore. And If I do something that threatens your safety, I will allow myself to be scuttled and spend eternity in the deep." U-556 said as a single tear fell from Bismarck's eye.
Isaac thought for a moment.
"Then, U-boat number 556. I am ordering you to get down to the dry docks and prepare for rearming. Your orders are to protect Bismarck with everything short of your life. Prove yourself here, and I will present your case to the fleet and fight for your autonomy. Do not make me regret this." Isaac said sternly.
"I will not fail, Kommandant. I will die before I fail." U-556 said with a passionate Ironblood salute.
"Now go." Isaac said, watching as the blue haired submarine ran off towards the gangway.
"Was that a wise move, Kommandant?" Odin asked.
"We will see. I will give provisional orders to sink her if she turns on us." Isaac said, earning himself a troubled look from Bismarck.
"Bismarck, if you are going up on the front lines, then I give you permission to do as you see fit with U-556 to keep her on our side. The last thing I need here is Norfolk being hit by German torpedoes." Isaac said.
"I will ensue that does not come to pass, Kommandant... but please... don't make me kill her again." Bismarck said as another tear rolled down her cheek.
"Nobody in this fleet is going to fire on her unless she becomes a threat. We are going to have to treat this like a danger close mission. Actually... I have a mission for your submarine." Isaac said.
"I'm sure she would be grateful." Bismarck said.
"I'll go and inform her." Isaac said as he looked at Nimitz.
"I want our heavy cruisers inside the battleship ring. I made a promise to Baltimore and the others." Isaac said.
"I already made something I think will work. The Heavy cruisers will be our last line of defense for the carriers." Nimitz said.
"Excellent. I want the Missouri behind Friedrich and Odin. Their shields will hold the best due to their immense strength. I don't want any heroics here. Nobody dies on my watch." Isaac said.
"Understood. Our 16 inch rifles work better at range anyway. What will you have that blue haired submarine do?" Nimitz asked.
"Something isn't adding up. Some of the older guys back in the shipyards in the Union said that they had worked on Hood during one of her visits to the Union. They said she was by far the most proper and upstanding lady they had ever met. So it doesn't make sense that she would be willingly following the Sirens. Which leaves mind control or Blackmail, or a combination of both. I'm going to have U-556 take a small squad of bulins over to the hood once the battle starts. Under the confusion, they can assess what is wrong and what our options are. If we can extract the Kansen from the enemy side, we can scuttle and rebuild her ship. But I want to ensure that the Kansen is safe." Isaac said.
Nimitz and Bismarck both nodded.
"I will allow Parzival to undertake this assignment. Her completing it should be a step in the right direction." Bismarck said.
"I agree. Nimitz, give the orders to the fleet. I'm going to go and brief U-556." Isaac said as Nimitz nodded.
"Let's move everyone, we have less than 48 hours before they are on our doorstep. Let's get ready to pull out and defend the port." Isaac said as a collective agreement sounded throughout the bridge.
Isaac left the bridge and made his way quickly back down towards the dry dock.