Friedrich stood on the bow of her vessel, looking out over the ocean as if in a trance. In reality, she was replaying the entirety of the battle in her mind. Watching Hood and the Siren fleet come into view. Watching her sister fly out over the enemy fleet in an attempt to thin their numbers, only to be forced to pull back. Friedrich turned her head to the sky, envisioning the high altitude bombers flying overhead, dropping thousands of pounds of ordinance onto the enemy fleet.
Isaac walked out onto the deck just in time to see Friedrich shudder. In her vision, she just watched the Hood detonate, with her beloved Head Bulin trapped inside. Isaac ran forward in time to catch Friedrich as she fell to her knees, crying almost hysterically, replaying the moment in her head over and over as she had heard it from Isaac and Australia.
Richthofen and Otto also approached, lending their hands to comfort Friedrich.
"My child... I'm sorry that I failed to protect you." Friedrich managed to say between her tears.
"Friedrich... there was nothing that could have been done." Isaac said softly.
"I could have gone with... I could have saved her..." Friedrich said softly.
"Schwester... I was one of the closest to the blast... it would have torn even you apart." Richthofen said.
"I don't care!" Friedrich yelled.
"But I do. And your sister does. And your father does." Isaac said as he knelt down next to Friedrich. Richthofen and Otto did as well.
"I just wish... she wouldn't have gone in there. I wish nobody would have went in. This fleet... it's all I have. I was abandoned during my construction. I have nothing to go back to..." Friedrich said as she turned her tear filled eyes to Isaac, who for the first time, witnessed the true toll that war could take on someone else.
"We will have our revenge. We will keep moving forward, just as she had wanted." Isaac spoke softly.
"My dear husband... war will continue to tear apart this fleet. I don't want to lose any more of my children." Friedrich said as she started to calm down.
"And I will continue to do my best to ensure that we don't lose anyone if we can help it." Isaac said firmly.
"Kommandant. My schwester may be strong, but she has limits." Richthofen said as she squared off with Isaac.
"I know. All of you do. I count my blessings every day that you all can do what you do, and that you find me capable enough to command this fleet. But... you all are like my family as well now. Much like Friedrich claims... I have nothing but this Fleet." Isaac said.
"So you feel the same as her?" Otto asked.
"I don't want to lose anyone. The loss of Rosie was completely preventable, and it hurts to know that. I feel like there was something more I could have done." Isaac said.
"Like what you tried to do? Try to keep them from going by detonating the bomb yourself? Losing you would have been more devastating to the fleet." Richthofen said coldly.
"What else would you have done? That whole battle was a mess from start to finish. We had no intel until it was too late, no weapons capable of attacking the enemy on our own terms, and we even lost part of our fleet. Nothing about that battle went in our favor." Isaac argued.
"Well broadcasting your plan to kill yourself really didn't do much for morale, now did it, Kommandant?" Richthofen said angrily as she got in his face.
"Stand down." Isaac ordered.
"What? Too scared to admit you screwed up? Too scared to admit that you were wrong?" Richthofen asked as her finger dug into Isaac's chest.
"Tochter, enough. He is still the Kommandant. You will treat him with respect." Otto snapped.
"No. He looks for pity when he knows he screwed up. He tries to dive out of taking responsibility under the guise of self sacrifice. How could I respect someone like that?" Richthofen argued, realizing too late that she had been flanked by Friedrich's rigging and was now staring down an angry tear-stained battleship.
"My husband is not to blame. You heard his orders. He told nobody to go near that ship once we learned of its contents from you. While the loss of my child was regrettable and preventable, the blame lies solely on her shoulder. A price she paid with her life. So don't you DARE go after MY husband. You don't know half the things I know about the struggle he's faced." Friedrich ground out as a slow somber music began to play, seemingly from nowhere.
"Friedrich... it's alright. She's right. I was ready to throw in the hat. You all mean more to me than I can ever show. And if my sacrifice would have saved you all, I would have been happy to pay the ultimate price." Isaac said, trying to calm down Friedrich.
"Schwester, why do you defend him? What stood out to you so much that he's worth standing off against your own sister?" Richthofen asked as she summoned her own rigging, ready to engage Friedrich at any moment.
Friedrich stood in front of Isaac before she began to speak.
"When we found him... he was fighting hand to hand with Mikasa, a Sakura battleship. He had no support. And he put himself on the line to save another one of my children. Nimi couldn't win against Mikasa on land. So he ordered her to stay out of sight as he tried to buy them time. His courage, valor, and willingness to put it all on the line... made him appealing to me. And as I grew to like him, I learned of his past. How he was treated in the Union. How he lived and what he had to do to survive. Things you would know if you cared enough to learn." Friedrich spat.
"Then educate me, Schwester." Richthofen said as her rigging made a move towards Isaac, prompting Friedrich to take action and use her rigging to restrain Richthofen's Leviathan.
"You would attack my husband?!" Friedrich yelled as her rigging clamped down on the Leviathan, threatening to crush one of it's many limbs.
"Sie beide, klopfen Sie es jetzt ab! This is madness! You two are sisters, for god's sake. As your father, you two are going to listen to me." Otto yelled in a tone Isaac immediately identified as the tone of a superior German officer.
Richthofen and Friedrich froze and slowly turned their heads to face Otto, who had taken a stand next to Isaac.
"This man is many things, but a coward is not one of them, as you would like to believe, Richthofen. I've been with him since New Guinea. I saw a broken man when I arrived in this fleet. A man who has known loss. And while I agree that it was an unfortunate accident that his words during battle were broadcast, I could understand the desire to make sure that those I am close to survive, even if it means my death. Does that make me weak to you? Am I also a coward? ANSWER ME!" Otto yelled angrily, his colors finally showing.
"N-no. you're not a coward, Vater. But you're not the Kommandant. He has a duty..." Richthofen started.
"Yeah! A duty to protect his fleet above all else! As a father would for his family. You heard him. This fleet has become his family, and I am glad that my tochter Friedrich managed to land herself such a man. I am glad that she gives him a reason to fight like every minute is his last." Otto spoke sternly.
Richthofen looked at her father, then at Friedrich, and finally at Isaac.
"Why? Why do they fight for you?" Richthofen asked.
"Because... my husband has nothing else but his life to give. And if he gives that, then we stand to lose much more. So if standing and fighting with him is what keeps us here, then I do so proudly." Friedrich said as her rigging clamped down harder.
"Friedrich... that's enough. Release her." Isaac said as he put a hand on her shoulder.
Friedrich nodded and did so the moment he told her to, allowing her rigging to fade away.
"Richthofen... I understand if you would rather be led by someone else. I can have you transferred to Nimitz or to Perkins. Or I can let you go entirely if that is your wish." Isaac said.
"No. I had my doubts the moment you greeted me in drydock, all the way through up until now. But my Father, and my sister both seem to be enamored with your ability to command this fleet. So I will stay, if you would permit me after my outburst." Richthofen said as she looked at Friedrich, who had turned back out to the sea.
"I see no problems with you staying. Everyone has their own set of beliefs, Mine just don't happen to fit yours. But I learned something valuable from this last battle. And it was something Richelieu had said." Isaac said.
"The Cardinal looking one?" Richthofen asked.
"Yes. She said that while sacrifice for a good cause is noble, throwing one's life away is foolish." Isaac said, remembering the talk with Odin during the fighting.
"Wise words. I seem to have misjudged you to some small degree. I would like to amend this firsthand." Richthofen said as the sounds of horns blaring became apparent as three vessels dropped anchor next to Friedrich's vessel.
"Kommandant. Is everything alright?" Bismarck asked as she jumped aboard.
"Yes, Bismarck. What would make you think otherwise?" Isaac asked.
"The scuff marks on the deck. I had originally come out here to give you some important information, but it seems I stumbled onto something." Bismarck said.
"What is the issue here?" Bismarck asked sternly.
"Bismarck, I have already scolded these two. They have learned the error of their ways." Otto said as he looked at Bismarck.
"Herr Otto. I fear that your love for us may have made you go too soft on these two." Bismarck said, earning a concerned look from Friedrich and Richthofen.
"Maybe you are correct, Frau Bismarck." Otto said as he stepped aside.
"I merely addressed my concern about the antics of the Kommandant. Nothing more." Richthofen spoke before getting hit in the head with Bismarck's staff.
"Nein. Scuff marks on the deck tell me another story. You two turned on each other. Are you two not sisters of the same class?" Bismarck asked.
Friedrich nodded, followed by Richthofen who nodded while rubbing her head.
"Then why would you turn on each other? We are at war! We do not have time to fight each other!" Bismarck said as Eagle and Nimi came aboard.
"Eagle, you're up and about I see. Are your repairs finished?" Isaac asked.
"Yes, darling. All repairs have been made." Eagle said as she looked at Richthofen.
"I called into question the Kommandant's willingness to sacrifice, and it offended my schwester to the point that it came to blows." Richthofen admitted earning her a slap across the back of the head from Bismarck.
"The Kommandant has been through more hell than any one of us can imagine. Calling his actions into question his manner in battle is not only disrespectful, but a breach of trust." Bismarck said sternly.
"Bismarck, please. My sister has already admitted her wrongdoing and has made her wish to make amends known." Friedrich said as Bismarck turned to her.
"And you, you may be grieving, but that is no reason to fly off the handle at your own ally, not to mention your own sister. Keep the temper under control, or I will make life in port far more difficult for you." Bismarck said.
"What's that mean?" Friedrich asked.
"Under Kommandant Isaac's command. I am retaking my place as the flagship of the Ironblood. All who fly the colors of Ironblood, are under my supervision. I will not have this kind of misdemeanor on my watch, is that understood, ladies?" Bismarck asked sternly.
"Yes, Frau Bismarck." Friedrich said.
"Ja." Richthofen said simply.
"Now, Richthofen, you said you wished to make amends?" Bismarck asked.
"Ja. I want to learn more about this Kommandant, so I may get a better grasp on how he plans to operate." Richthofen explained.
"Then go with Eagle. She has a few things that she can tell you, since she was one of Kommandant Garner's first ships. Then when we return to port, meet with Norfolk. She has battle records of every battle she has taken part in." Bismarck said, dismissing Richthofen, who walked away.
"And you, Friedrich, are to remain here. You need time to mourn, and possibly some time with your husband. Your discipline can be carried out by him if he wishes to impose any." Bismarck said as she turned to Isaac.
"With that out of the way. I have come to inform you that Hood has awoken and is fully cognitive. I have her being held by Queen Elizabeth and Prinz Heinrich for questioning upon your return to port." Bismarck said as she saluted Isaac.
Isaac returned the salute and smiled.
"Thank you Bismarck. Glad to see you're finally back where you belong." Isaac said as Bismarck gave him a quick smile.
"It feels good, Kommandant." Bismarck said as she left, returning to her own vessel and turning back towards port.