"What?" Isaac asked, unable to comprehend what he had heard.
"Warspite has passed, or at least there's nothing we can do until she does. Her cubes are not responding to Stimuli and every time I try to get her under the knife, those damn shells batter this vessel to hell. If we're hit during a procedure, Warspite will be history." Vestal spoke.
"Shit..." Isaac said as he balled his fist on the table beneath the radio.
"Isaac. I can handle it here. You have your second in command here, and she has proven herself capable. Go, see what you can do." Vengeance spoke as she turned her attention to the skies where her aircraft swarmed an incoming wave of rockets, destroying them in flight.
"Since when do I take orders from you?" Isaac asked.
"Since you lost a battleship and need to do whatever you can to keep from losing more." Vengeance deadpanned as her forward guns fired out into the distance, striking an Enemy carrier drone, detonating the planes and munitions that were leaving the flight deck, sending the drone quickly to the bottom.
Isaac grumbled and looked out over the deck.
"I guess it's lucky that I brought my suit onboard." Isaac said as he walked quickly to the small closet in the command center where his suit was hanging, along with his helmet.
"Let's hope that suit works." Vengeance said as she continued to focus on the battle, changing her frequency to Odin to receive orders.
"Well, it kept my head from being blown off... so I trust Norfolk. If she says it combats radiation, then I have to trust her." Isaac said as he slipped on the suit and put on the helmet. As soon as the helmet sat in place, the suit compressed and sealed to his body, creating an airtight environment for Isaac to breathe the air in his suit's internal oxygen tank.
"Ooo scary." Vengeance spoke as Isaac emerged from the changing room.
"You think?" Isaac asked.
"Well, not to me, maybe the others." Vengeance said as he shot him a glance.
"What does this helmet mean to you?" Isaac asked as he opened the door.
"Rage. Death. Destruction. Everything you are when that helmet goes on." Vengeance spoke seriously.
"I see." Isaac said as he walked out into the smoke filled air that surrounded the battlefield. AA guns working over any incoming aircraft as main batteries shifted, targeting new targets before unloading salvoes that would send drone after drone to the bottom. Isaac looked out in the distance, seeing a sea of yellow and coming to the realization that this was the biggest invasion fleet he had ever seen.
Isaac poked his head back into the bridge of the Vengeance.
"Vengeance?" Isaac asked.
"Isaac." She replied.
"With a fleet this big, did they travel the entire way from the Union like this?" Isaac asked.
"No. If this is XIV, and I am 99% sure it is, she is transporting ships using a Mirror Sea connected to the Union Drone production sites. She takes newly minted ships and brings them directly to here using a fractured dimension that we call a Mirror sea." Vengeance spoke.
"So she has a limitless supply of these ships?" Isaac asked.
"Essentially. Unless we find a way to cancel out her mirror sea, or we find a way to kill her, we will not have any respite from the incoming enemy." Vengeance spoke as she pointed out to a tiny speck on the horizon. Isaac zoomed his visor in so he could see what she was pointing at. Sure enough, the twin flight deck of a carrier drone was seen for a split second before it disappeared into a cloak of invisibility.
"Son of a bitch. So this isn't a stalemate, it's a war of attrition." Isaac realized.
"Correct. This is not going to end until either we die, or she dies." Vengeance spoke.
"Then let's work to make it the latter." Isaac said as he tapped the side of his helmet.
"Patty?" Isaac asked.
"Ah, it's the commander! What can we do for ya?" Patty asked in her usual happy tone, despite the sound of shells shattering against her shields.
"Patty, I need you to prep the subs. I need them to go hunting." Isaac spoke.
"I only have 13 with me, Commander, you sent the cute German boats out before the assault." Patty responded.
"Right... alright, tell 13 she is looking for a Siren elite. If she or you can contact the U-boats, relay the same message to them." Isaac said.
"I understand. Are those bombers going to keep dropping paint?" Patty asked.
"I hope so, new ships are continuing to drop out of nowhere and are being cloaked immediately. We need to find the Siren responsible for leading this assault." Isaac explained.
"Ah, yeah... that sounds like a problem, Commander." Patty said. Isaac could swear he could hear her smile.
"Get 13 ready." Isaac ordered.
"It will be done! She looks so pretty now, not that she wasn't cute before." Patty spoke as she cut the line.
"She will never not be a ray of sunshine, will she..." Isaac said as he smiled and shook his head.
"Norfolk, can you send a bulin to come and get me?" Isaac asked.
"I sent one the moment Vestal called. She's waiting for you now." Norfolk said as Isaac looked at the bow of the Vengeance where Chief Bulin climbed onto the deck from a rope ladder before waving to Isaac.
"Odin, you have command. Keep up fire and move the fleet as needed to optimize defense." Isaac said, earning a confirmation of his orders from Odin.
"Now... off to try and save a life." Isaac whispered as he ran down the steps to the main deck of the Vengeance where Chief was waiting for him.
"Such a fearless little repair woman. Did you have any trouble coming over?" Isaac asked as she guided him to the rope ladder.
"Only a couple of torpedoes, Commander. Nothing more." Chief spoke with a smile.
"Torpedoes versus your little duck raft... you girls are insane, you know that?" Isaac asked.
"Eh... but we know how to have fun, Commander." Chief argued as she followed him down the ladder into the duck themed rubber boat.
"Where to?" Chief asked.
"Norfolk. Double time. We need to help Warspite if we can." Isaac said.
Chief looked down sadly.
"Lady Warspite isn't looking good. Massive gash to her neck from shrapnel and a huge chunk of wood from her deck is lodged in her stomach. Zero and Elizabeth are doing what they can, but... we may have to say goodbye, Commander." Chief said dejectedly.
"I didn't give her permission to die. She is not allowed to die on my watch." Isaac spoke defiantly as the little rubber boat launched from the Vengeance, just in time to avoid being struck by an air dropped torpedo aimed at the Vengeance, thudding against the shield before detonating in a column of water.
"What of the others?" Isaac asked as they motored quickly towards the Norfolk.
"I have the other girls spread throughout the fleet doing damage repair as the battle continues. Thankfully the shields from Texas are making our jobs easy." Chief explained.
"How so?" Isaac asked.
"Well... even Laffey and Nimi are covered from bow to stern in a full strength battleship shield. And Friedrich has two full strength battleship shields covering her vessel. Nobody has suffered much more than a few popped rivets from the constant impacts." Chief spoke.
"And Shinano?" Isaac asked.
"She's doing alright. The Ultra Rare Bulins are keeping her in tip top shape." Chief said as they avoided a small cluster of bombs that was dropped overhead.
"Jesus..." Isaac said as the tiny boat was almost capsized by the waves created from the bombs detonating.
"Yeah, I think they really want us dead, Commander." Chief said with a smile.
"And you're happy?" Isaac asked.
"This is fun!" Chief said happily.
"I would have to happily disagree." Isaac said as they pulled up alongside the Norfolk.
"We have arrived, Commander." Chief said as she tipped the cap she got from him.
"Thank you. As you were." Isaac said as he climbed the rope ladder onto the Norfolk, only to find Elizabeth waiting at the top for him.
"Commoner!" Elizabeth cried as she hugged him with tears streaming down her face.
"Lizzie." Isaac said as he followed her inside the Norfolk and headed straight for the Medical bay. True to Vestal's words, every couple of steps Isaac took, the vessel was rocked by bombs detonating in the water or Torpedoes detonating against the shields or shells shattering on the shielded deck.
"It's bad... it's really bad." Elizabeth spoke as she ran after Isaac.
"Vestal said she isn't responding to anything. Does she still have a pulse?" Isaac asked.
"Barely. But it keeps getting weaker. Commoner, I don't know what to do!" Elizabeth cried.
"Fuck... And we're not getting any relief from this fire any time soon." Isaac said.
"What?" Elizabeth asked.
"XIV, the siren presumed to be leading this assault, is using a Mirror sea to bring constant reinforcements from Drone Factories in the Union. So unless we take her out, we are in a war of attrition." Isaac said.
"And we just lost one of our best war fighters." Elizabeth said softly as she realized the gravity of the situation.
"I've never seen Warspite fight, but her instincts and knowledge of the battlefield are legendary." Isaac said, remembering the opening act of the battle where Warspite's instinct alone saved his fleet from complete destruction.
Elizabeth looked at her feet, a troubled look crossing her face as they entered the med bay.
"Status?" Isaac yelled, causing everyone to look at him briefly.
"She's dying. That hasn't changed." Vestal spoke.
"Her Vessel has sunk, so there's no life boat for her." Norfolk spoke.
"Lifeboat?" Isaac asked.
"If her vessel had survived, she would be going into a coma. But with her vessel gone, she is in very real danger of being lost forever. If we can't stabilize her, she will not be coming back." Vestal spoke.
"I have a suggestion... but nobody will like it." Zero spoke up, earning Vestal's rifle in her face as Alice took over Vestal's part in treating Warspite.
"Stand Down." Isaac ordered, Vestal complied.
"I'll hear it, Siren." Isaac spoke, his helmet still concealing his face.
"If Warspite has a sister ship... using her cubes could revive her." Zero spoke.
"I'd be trading one for another. No." Isaac said simply.
"I'll do it." Elizabeth whispered.
The room went quiet as Isaac slowly turned to face Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, no. I won't allow it." Isaac spoke sternly.
"It's my life, Commoner... no, Isaac Garner. And if I choose to use it in this manner, you have no right to deny me." Elizabeth said.
"We can find another way. I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself. Not before you get to do what you want with your life." Isaac said.
"What ever does that mean?" Elizabeth asked.
"Belfast told me everything..." Isaac said.
"Of course she did... well. I have spent my life playing the role of a queen based on my name. And now is not the time to be selfish. A queen sacrifices for her people, even if it means giving everything." Elizabeth spoke as she looked at Isaac.
"I am going to do as I please, and you will not stop me, Commoner." Elizabeth spoke sternly as she looked at Zero.
"Will it hurt?" Elizabeth asked.
"Like nothing you've ever felt before... you will not survive, as your cubes will be used to bring Warspite back to life." Zero said as the Vestal's rifle was leveled at her again.
"You're talking about killing a Kansen to harvest cubes!" Vestal yelled.
"ENOUGH!" Elizabeth yelled, shocking Isaac and everyone else.
"I have made my decision." Elizabeth spoke as she looked at Isaac.
"I am happy to have met you, Isaac Garner. I truly am." Elizabeth said as she took a step closer to him.
"Elizabeth, you don't have to throw your life away. We can make something else work. We have Vengeance and Norfolk, they can do something with the cubes to make her tick again." Isaac tried.
"Isaac... I have lived a very long life. I was launched merely one month before Warspite. And even though the Royal Navy and Warspite treated me as a Queen... Warspite is still my sister. I have lived long enough. I brought my country victory and fulfilled my purpose." Elizabeth spoke as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"But you haven't lived the life you wanted." Isaac spoke, trying to talk her out of it. In front of him, was the first woman who ever treated him right, setting the precedent for how he wished to run his fleet and how he wanted to be treated by those around him. He began to tear up at the thought of losing such an important and dear friend.
"It matters not. I met you, and I have felt a lifetime of happiness in your presence, as much as it embarrasses me to admit. Knowing that I met you, and helped you on your journey... brings me more satisfaction than my service to the crown. I have... but one request." Elizabeth spoke.
Isaac froze, forced to accept that he was unable to stop her.
"Anything. You name it, and it will be done." Isaac spoke, Zero cocking her head at the shuddering in his voice.
Elizabeth walked her hands up to his helmet, dusting off his suit before hitting a small button on the side of his helmet, releasing the pressure and allowing her to slip off his helmet, causing Zero to gasp.
"I want... to give you my first kiss, Isaac Garner." Elizabeth spoke as she pulled him down to her, allowing her lips to meet his and explore a bit before pulling away. Isaac squeezed her hand as tears rolled down his face.
"Don't do this..." Isaac begged.
"I've made up my mind. Be sure to keep Warspite safe for me, Isaac. I won't forgive you otherwise." Elizabeth spoke softly as she turned to Zero.
"Do it." Elizabeth said as she activated her rigging and pointed it at Vestal, who had already attempted to move towards Zero.
"Please prepare yourself. This will not be pleasant." Zero said as she summoned her rigging and touched a tentacle to Elizabeth's neck. Her scream of pain was immediate and spine chilling as Elizabeth felt her cubes begin to be pulled from her body. Her immediate reaction was to lock lips with Isaac once more, wrapping her arms around his neck to anchor herself to the spot and keep her from collapsing to the floor. Isaac held her for everything he was worth, his tears flowing more as he felt her body losing strength.
As Isaac saw the cubes resting in Zero's hands, he looked down at Elizabeth, who still had a few moments of life left.
"The pain... is gone, Isaac. Is this... death?" Elizabeth asked weakly. Her rigging began to fade away as Isaac caressed her cheek.
"I'm so sorry." Isaac whispered.
"I can't hear you... but I can read your lips... you have nothing to be sorry for... if you were in my shoes... you'd do the same for your sister, would you not?" Elizabeth asked as her grip on Isaac's hand weakened.
Isaac nodded, his tears flowing, along with Vestal, Norfolk, Chief, and Alice's.
"I'm glad we met... Isaac." Elizabeth spoke softly.
"I love you." A soft admission from Elizabeth marked her final breath as the life left her eyes and her body disappeared in Isaac's arms.
"Isaac?" Norfolk asked as Isaac stood and pulled his pistol from it's holster.
"You better hope and pray to whatever deity you believe in that your idea works... because you just killed my friend right in front of me... and if I lost her for nothing... I will make your death ten times worse than Oceana's." Isaac spoke as he aimed his pistol at Zero, his bloodshot eyes full of rage and tears. His anger caused Zero to flinch, her mind going back to the video that the man before her had sent them not more than a half a month before.
Zero turned towards Warspite with the bloody cubes still in her hands.
"Isaac, The Queen Elizabeth has gone dark. There aren't any shields protecting it!" Penny's voice came through the radio in his helmet. Isaac put on his helmet to reply.
"I know." Isaac whispered.
"What do you mean?" Penny asked.
"Elizabeth is gone. Zero killed her to use her cubes for Warspite." Isaac spoke.
"And you let her?!" Penny snapped.
"It was Elizabeth's wish... I tried to stop her...but she wouldn't have it." Isaac spoke, his pain ever-present in his voice.
The line was silent for a long while.
"Commander... You have my deepest condolences." Penny spoke softly as she cut the line.
Outside the sounds of gunfire became heavier as the news of Elizabeth's death stirred anger among the fleet, damning the powers that be for the existence of Sirens.
"If you would, please move." Zero spoke shakily as she moved to Warspite's side, moving Alice with her rigging.
Zero placed Elizabeth's cubes on Warspite's wounds. Almost instantly, the wounds began to heal. Vestal acted quickly and removed the wood in Warspite's stomach as her body quickly healed itself under the power of her sister's cubes.
"Her pulse is strengthening. She's breathing!" Alice spoke as color returned to Warspite's face.
Outside, the Queen Elizabeth began to glow brightly as the hull began to change.
"Commander?!" Penny's voice cried through the radio.
"What is it, Penny?" Isaac asked, his voice dull as the pain of loss made itself at home in his heart.
"The Queen Elizabeth is glowing brightly. It's changing. It's... growing" Penny spoke as she watched the hull change into something completely different.
Isaac sat on the floor of the Med bay until he heard Warspite's voice begin to speak.
"Where... am I?" Warspite asked as Isaac looked to her, and she looked at him.
"Welcome back... your majesty." Isaac spoke softly.
"Your Majesty? What's that supposed to mean, have you gone blind?" Warspite asked.
"Zero, you are to be escorted to the hold of the Norfolk and await further action. Get out of my sight before I decide to shoot you anyway." Isaac spoke darkly as Warspite noticed the pain in Isaac's voice.
"Commander... I've heard that tone before... who did we lose?" Warspite asked.
"She saved your life..." Isaac spoke.
"Who?" Warspite asked.
"Lizzie."