Warspite flipped the switch on the communication relay, activating the cube inside it to begin transmitting to the Norfolk.
"Admiral Garner, come in. This is Warspite." The battleship spoke sternly into the receiver.
"Warspite, this is Odin. Norfolk is predisposed at the moment and the Kommandant is busy with dockside business. What can we do for you?" Odin asked.
"I am calling to check in on Her Majesty." Warspite said.
"Do you want the truth?" Odin asked.
"Of course I do! Why would I ask for a kraut to lie to me, assuming you're not already." Warspite spat.
"Queen Elizabeth is doing fine, recovering well. Her vessel, however, was sunk." Odin said.
"WHAT?!" Warspite roared angrily.
"We were blindsided by a completely new class of Siren drone ship. Elizabeth and Bismarck were up front when the shells started flying. Her shields didn't hold up so well, and took 3 shells to the magazine." Odin said.
"What is that idiot thinking, putting her up front?!" Warspite growled.
"It was her own request... Hood was our opponent." Odin reported.
"Oh... oh no... I... I'm sorry. I didn't know that was what had occurred." Warspite said solemnly.
"Hood was recovered, but the cost was our Head Bulin and the loss of Queen Elizabeth's vessel. She seems to be taking it rather well however." Odin said.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Warspite asked.
"Cruisers. Zara, Heinrich, Mainz, Belfast, Atago, and Baltimore are still in commission. Bremerton has been put out of action for the near future. And Norfolk is more of our Command ship, less of a cruiser. And with a fleet of this size, we need more cruisers to escort the battleships and carriers." Odin said.
"Hmm. I only have two I can spare. I can't send Azuma, her power is needed here to defend this station. But I have a cruiser and a destroyer I can bring with me." Warspite said.
"With you?" Odin asked.
"You bet your Kraut ass! I refuse to allow Her Majesty to suffer anymore indignity. I will be making this trip as well. I also must escort the only available cruiser I can send." Warspite said.
"Who are you sending?" Odin asked.
"Roon."
The line went silent for several minutes before a voice picked up on the other end.
"This is Admiral Garner, who is this?" Isaac asked.
"This is Warspite. I am reporting before I make my way to you." Warspite said.
"Odin told me about that. You have more?" Isaac asked.
"The seas here have been clear for over 3 weeks since Akashi arrived. Phoenix has made a full recovery from her injuries sustained in Fiji. She is back on light patrol duty and other light load work. Akashi has made excellent progress with the Bulins and with Wisdom dust research. She will be sending information with me to deliver to you. St. Louis has been getting help from Azuma and Illustrious with her personal issues with the Union, ad she's feeling a lot better. Graf Spee has been rehabilitating Prinz Eugen and is getting her back up to snuff. Other than that, Mutsuki has been behaving quite well for a Sakura kitten. I recommend bringing sweets for her once we return." Warspite reported.
"I see. well done, now, what is this about you bringing Roon to this port?" Isaac asked.
"Odin has requested escort ships for your fleet. Roon and Kitakaze are the only ones I can spare. Eugen is not combat ready, Spee is tending to Eugen, and the Brooklyn class sisters are not being recommended for return to the pacific theater. So those two are your only choice." Warspite said.
"And you said you'd be escorting Roon? Does she have her ship?" Isaac asked.
"No. We sunk her when she attacked. But the Kansen known as Roon will be kept aboard my vessel, shackled to the deck to ensure she is well looked after. I am assuming you have a fleet capable of containing her." Warspite said.
"Friedrich and Richthofen should be able to keep her in line. So I won't complain about the requisition. What about you, will you be sticking around?" Isaac asked.
"I will. I have confidence in Illustrious to continue running this base with Tirpitz. So I shall be making haste for Australia the moment I get off the line." Warspite said.
"I see. Then we eagerly await your arrival. Please stay safe." Isaac said as he cut the line.
"So that's happening." Isaac said as he scratched his head.
"What should we do?" Odin asked.
"Bring me Bismarck, Friedrich and Heinrich." Isaac said as he sat on the bridge of the Norfolk.
Odin left the bridge, leaving Isaac alone by himself.
"Shit... I forgot to get her to issue orders to Mutsuki. Maybe I'll send one of the subs. Since Patty has been tending to them almost constantly since she got here, they're in top shape for longer range missions." Isaac said before stopping himself.
"I can't do that... the same thing happened with 13." Isaac said softly as Odin returned.
"I have brought them, Kommandant." Odin said as Heinrich, Friedrich and Bismarck all walked onto the bridge.
"Ladies." Isaac said.
"Kommandant." Heinrich and Bismarck replied.
"What can we do for you, dear husband?" Friedrich asked.
"So, I have received a report from Warspite in Bermuda. "Isaac said as the girls looked at each other.
"What is that war dog doing now, Kommandant?" Bismarck asked.
"She's coming here with reinforcements." Isaac said.
"Who is she bringing that warrants us being informed?" Friedrich asked.
"Roon."
"Has she lost her mind?" Bismarck asked calmly.
"Apparently not. She believes that if we can contain Roon, she will be of use to us." Isaac said.
"Containing her will not be easy. She is wrath incarnate on a hair trigger. It took both me and Heinrich to subdue her when she attacked us in Bermuda." Bismarck said.
"So I had heard. But here, you'll have the backup of the entire fleet. And I'm sure Friedrich and Richthofen wouldn't mind the extra combat training if Roon were to get too unruly." Isaac said.
"Kommandant... I may have had to fight her in Bermuda... but she isn't evil. She just needs some help." Heinrich said as she crossed her arms under her chest.
"So you think that rehabilitation will be beneficial?" Isaac asked.
"Armed supervision will 100% be required... but yes. Her blueprint was never completed. Maybe if we spend some time with her, we can bring her some form of stability." Bismarck said.
"What is Roon exactly?" Isaac asked.
"We aren't sure, but we believe that she was supposed to be a bigger modified version of the Leipzig class cruiser, although, the story is that her designer lost his mind and was put down before proper blueprints could be finalized." Bismarck replied.
"Could we finish the blueprints and add them to her cubes? Is that something that might work?" Isaac asked.
"I doubt it. But maybe giving her a proper purpose and something to spend her excess aggression on might help keep her in check." Heinrich said.
"Well, she'll definitely have things to do here. But we will need to prepare for her arrival, which means we need an open dry dock in three week's time." Isaac said.
"Did she say anything else?" Bismarck asked.
"We're getting a destroyer. Kitakaze." Isaac said.
"That will help greatly. We need more of them as well." Odin said.
"Agreed. But most of the destroyers from Sakura take the form of small children... I won't make them fight." Isaac said.
Odin nodded as the other girls looked at Isaac.
"Alright girls, back to work. I'm headed to the dry docks to check on construction." Isaac said as he stood and left the bridge.