The sisters woke up and melancholically ate their breakfast. Hopefully, it would not be the last.
As they separated into pairs -Enterprise with Yorktown to the north, and Wasp with Hornet to the south- their stress became apparent.
Hornet grabbed Wasp's hand for comfort, and Enterprise looked gloomy, never lifting her head up.
At 8:00, they set sail, and launched scouting squadrons in a radial fashion repeatedly. At 11:30, they found the southern group, comprised of Akagi, Kaga and Soryu which had been bombing the island base the whole morning.
(Enterprise)-Big sis, we have to do something! If they spot them, our little sisters will be outnumbered. And you know how frail they are!
(Yorktown)-I know. We'll attack them at once!
Just before they could, though, Yorktown's radio station blared.
(Commander)-Task Force 17, hold fire!
(Enterprise)-But we spotted an overwhelming number of carriers who will outnumber Hornet and Wasp soon! We have to save them!
(Commander)-Then Yorktown has permission to fire. You, Enterprise, are to hold yourself until the north had successfuly been found.
(Enterprise)-Yes sir!
(Yorktown)-Hornet, Wasp! Send your planes where I tell you!
She gave them the coordinates.
(Wasp)-Roger. We act at once!
They launched a storm of alluminium towards the unsuspecting enemy bulked forces. Clearly, the Sakura repeating history is their blessing.
First to arrive was Yorktown's torpedo bomber group, but unfortunately, the AA umbrella had gunned all of it down, with the exception of only one.
On the bright side, it created a blind spot, where Hornet acted.
Stupidly enough, the Sakura held their carriers in a line formation, so, when Hornet's planes came, she caught all of them in a single strafing run. Wasp landed a dozen bombs and a few torpedoes too, but by this time, it was overkill.
But even with three carriers going down in flames, the girls felt uneasy. There was no telling how many are in the northern group.
Yorktown thought that there were supposed to be three, as to make a symmetrical front, and kept debating the notion...
When a wave of aircraft came, dodged her AA batteries, and utterly wrecked her. A total of half a dozen torpedoes and a dozen bombs hit Yorktown, so hardly that her vision turned red, and she couldn't stand on her feet anymore.
(Enterprise)-Yorktown!
(Hammann)-Mommy Yorktown!
(Commander)-Follow the enemy planes Enterprise! Avenge your sister! As for you, Hammann, don't get closer to Yorktown!
Burning with rage, Enterprise launched her entire complement, and followed Hiryu into her hiding spot, doing to her what she did to Yorktown. Hiryu was crippled.
But Hammann disobeyed the Commander's order and rushed forth to tow Yorktown back to port. Before reaching Enterprise, which stood just next to her 'mommy', a submarine found her and launched a flurry of torpedoes. Only one of them hit Hammann.
But one was enough. The torpedo torn Hammann in half at the abdomen, flinging her bloody remains in a gruesome manner.
Now, the submarine steered for Yorktown, but Enterprise threw herself in front of the torpedoes...
...and recieved three crippling blows in approximately the same spot. Water began flooding her lower deck at an alarming rate.
Seeing Enty's wounds, and realising her failure as an older sister, Yorktown lost her temper and launched her last airstrike, whose power torn Hiryu in half.
The battle was over. The Sakura lost.
What was now left was to say farewell, and the two older sisters, now soaked in blood, held eachother in a final embrace, as they slowly lost buoyancy and dipped deeper into the ocean.
Back at the Command HQ:
(Fletcher)-We won, but not without sacrifices.
(Mannerheim)-What do you mean?
(Fletcher)-The northern group was torpedoed and is slowly sinking. Should we scuttle them, sir?
(Mannerheim)-Are you crazy? Scuttle two carriers? Make all efforts to tow them back to port!
(Fletcher)-There is the danger of submarines around.
(Mannerheim)-I want those carriers towed back to port even if it means losing a hundred thousand tons of ships!
(Fletcher)-I fail to see the relevance of those two carriers. We'll have the new Essex-class soon out of the Californian ports.
(Mannerheim)-Not for an entire year, and I won't stand to lose a third of my mobile air platforms for no reason other than laziness. What do we have in the area? Submarines? Destroyers? Cruisers? Fuck them! We can build those back as if it was child's play, but two carriers take an year to build and deploy.
(Fletcher)-I see your point. I will oversee their recovery then.
The two admirals salute eachother and go to their business.