Episode 14: New Friends?
Lucia sighed as she looked out to see. It had been a few days since she had made her way into Brest, and about a week since her stunt with the train. Since making her way into Brest, Lucia had made contact with the light carrier Elbe, who's vessel sat in the harbor. Currently, the two were sitting at a small cafe across the harbor from Elbe's vessel, consuming lunch.
Elbe sat sipping on a glass of red wine, while to her left sat Lucia, drinking a glass of water. As they sat, Lucia's mind began to wander.
'I wonder what Clarence is doing? It's been at least half a month since I said goodbye to him. At least Carina knows I won't be back for a month at least. Dutchess… I have no clue what she's been up to, but I assume that that siren and her are up to something.' Lucia thought.
Lucia seemed to snap back to reality when Elbe's planes did a low fly-by close to their location as they headed back towards the intake of the port.
"Elbe… why have you launched your fighters?" Lucia asked as she traced the trajectory of Elbe's planes.
"Huh? Weren't you paying attention? Geez… I said that a small fleet has appeared on radar. I can't tell from here if they're friendly or not… but I've blown my cover here so I have to react to them. I launched my fighters, but it looks like they aren't attacking. However, they are not making any attempt to contact me, despite launching their own fighters in response." Elbe explained.
Elbe took another sip of her wine, prompting a waiter to come over to the table and refill her glass.
"Damn French can't procure a decent beer… this will have to do." Elbe spoke sourly as she sipped at the deep red wine she had been poured.
"Anyway, Lucia… what should I do?" Elbe aske.
"I don't know. It seems odd that they have made no attempt to contact us despite the fact that you launched aircraft at them. Try hailing them again, but…"
"Wait… I see aircraft… Shit! Union warplanes!" Elbe cried, her sudden motion almost spilling the wine in her hand.
"What the hell are Union warplanes doing out here? Is that a Union carrier fleet?!" Elbe cried as she tried to use her planes to spot the fleet she had just encountered.
'Elbe, for the love of God, don't get us killed.' Lucia though, before opening her mouth to speak.
"A union carrier fleet?" Lucia asked before sighing. "Elbe… Try not to get us killed please. I'd like to make it back to Germany without the help of a body bag."
"R-right…" Elbe said as she set her wine glass on the table and stood from her seat. Activating her rigging, she attempted to hail the Union fighters.
"Union fighters, this is KMS Elbe. Fighters have been launched in self-defense due to a lack response to my hails. I am once again asking for you to identify yourselves, or face the consequences."
Elbe glanced at Lucia, who simply nodded her approval. That would have to work for now. If the Eagle Union fleet didn't respond, Lucia didn't want to think about what might happen.
"KMS Elbe, this is USS Yorktown, CV-10 of the Union Navy, acting under orders of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. I have been instructed to inform you that we do not mean you any harm, and are requesting a promise of safety to enter this port. However, should your fighters refuse to leave this airspace, they will be shot down and you will be targeted. Please acknowledge." Yorktown's voice played over Elbe's rigging.
"Oh shit… she's serious!" Elbe said as she looked at Lucia, who continued to stare down the German carrier.
"Uh… USS Yorktown. This is KMS Elbe. Light Carrier of the Kriegsmarine. This is really one big misunderstanding. You see… what had happened was…" Elbe's response was cut short by the detonation of one of her aircraft.
"GOD DAMN IT ELBE, STOP FUCKING AROUND ALREADY!" Gneisenau's voice was heard over the radio as the report from her 11-inch guns was heard throughout the port city.
"Gneisenau! What are you doing here!?" Elbe cried as her planes split off and made haste back towards her vessel.
'Oh boy. This will be fun.' Lucia thought, seeing the expression on Elbe's face.
"We came to pick you up, stop being annoying and let us enter before I turn your flight deck into a cup holder for my beer steins." Gneisenau growled.
"R-r-right… Welcome to Brest, Frau Gneisenau." Elbe spoke sheepishly as she cut off her radio.
"Frau Gneisenau? A friend of yours?" Lucia asked sarcastically.
"Y-yeah… you can say that." Elbe said as she tugged at the collar of her shirt.
"Elbe… What the hell did you do that warranted them firing a god damn cannon…" Lucia asked, her tone conveying pure unadulterated agitation.
"It wasn't my fault! I was trying to explain what happened and then Gneaisenau shot at my planes!" Elbe tried.
"Uh-huh. From what little I know, Gneisenau has plenty of Anti-air, why would she use her big guns to fire at your aircraft?" Lucia asked pointedly.
"Well… you see…"
"Elbe. Cut to the point already." Lucia deadpanned.
"Gneisenau thinks I'm annoying and scatterbrained… she probably isn't too happy to be dragged here if she is with that Union carrier." Elbe surmised.
'I can definitely understand why.' Lucia thought to herself, 'Althou I'm not going to say that.'
"Anyway, what did they say?" Lucia asked.
"They were requesting safe passage into port. Apparently they came for me… don't know why." Elbe said as she scratched her cheek.
"Well? What are we waiting for. We should at least head over there if they are coming to your vessel. Don't want them shooting at you again, right?" Lucia asked as she finished her water and stood up, looking out from their spot at the restaurant to see a decent-sized fleet entering the port.
A/N: Alright y'all, listen up real good. From this point onward, TitanSlayrOG's story and mine will be incredibly similar, but with minor and/or major differences, depending on what is happening. So don't be surprised when our chapters/episodes are incredibly similar. Got it? I damn well hope you do. Alright, next episode will be the season 1 finale, despite the 25-day gap between episode 13 and this one. Be prepared for things to change as I will start to focus on Carina as well as Lucia.