Chapter 3: Trouble in the Marshalls
"What exactly am I looking at?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes. Abyssals didn't really sleep, our bridge and command crews were replaced by the night shift, and during that period we "slept." That wasn't the point though. The point was that I was woken up at 03:43 in the morning because of a radar contact 73 miles to the south of Wake Island.
"We picked up this contact about an hour and a half ago, ever since it's been moving closer to us, not too quickly, but if it could be a potential trial threat." The radar station was abuzz with activity, the ships stationed here were doing what they could to identify the contact but it wasn't looking like we would find anything. Our databases didn't stretch much past 1950, and the ledgers the previous inhabitants left didn't have anything as of yet.
"Do we have any subs in the area? I'm not sure I want to risk sending a scout plane just yet." I watched the cruiser to my left as she flipped through some channels.
"Two, ma'am. So-23 and Ka-119 are patrolling about 30 miles to the east."
"Good, reroute them to intercept the contact and to hold when they get a visual. Do not engage. If it moves you tell me, if it changes course you tell me. I want to know every action that contact is taking until we know if it's a threat or not." I heard the cruiser relaying my instructions and I took a good look at the blip that was moving steadily closer to my home. It was small, but that didn't make me any less wary.
Another hour and 15 miles closer we finally identified the contact. It… wasn't what I expected it to be.
"It's… a fishing trawler?" Sure enough, when the submarines got close enough to raise their periscopes, and more importantly weren't fired upon, we got a visual confirmation. It helped that when the submarines got their visual the trawler was in the middle of retrieving a net.
"Where the hell did it come from? Do they not know we're here?" I didn't get an answer, but looking around the room, my fleet was just as confused as I was. Abyssal Intelligence didn't show many, if any, inhabited islands or population centers nearby Wake Island. The fact that there was a random fishing trawler within spitting distance of an Abyssal Base was an enigma in and of itself.
"What… what do we do about this, ma'am?" I heard a voice from behind me ask, "do we call this in?" I looked at the cruiser who woke me up in the first place.
"No, and don't prepare any strikes either. Keep awake on alert but let's not waste our fuel on a fishing boat. No, I'm baffled and I want to know where they came from. Send Des-Div-3 with a message. 'Crew of the fishing trawler, you are violating Abyssal territory and are hereby ordered to make an immediate stop at Wake Island for questioning. Failure to do so would be unwise.' I'm going back to bed, wake me up when they're 20 minutes away." I didn't wait for a response, already walking out the door and back to my room. Through questioning or interrogation I would find out why a fishing vessel was violating Abyssal territory.
"The Marshalls?"
The Marshall Islands. A group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific in between Hawaii and the Philippines, and roughly 600 miles to the south of Wake Island. The islands were home to a series of offensives by allied forces against the Empire of Japan, mainly to establish air bases for further offensives and supplies.
"That's a long way from home for a mere "fishing trip," wouldn't you say?" I asked, looking over folded hands, staring at the very nervous and fidgety man sitting across the table from me. Then again, he had the right to be nervous under the circumstances. His ship and crew were being held as "guests," with just about every single gun on the island pointed at them. Also, quirk or not, he didn't stand a chance in hell against me if he decided to attack.
"Y-yes ma'am. It is a long way," I raised a single slender eyebrow, "b-but I have good r-reasons. You see, umm, I–" he began stammering, and it didn't take a genius to see that he was panicking.
I raised a hand, silencing him. I lowered it and looked him over. He was wearing what would pass for a fisherman's outfit. Overalls and an insulated jacket. He obviously wasn't military, and I felt it safe to assume that his crew wasn't either. He was of Micronesian descent with tanned skin, he looked on the older side, with weary eyes, an unkempt beard, and lines on his face that spoke of frequent laughing. There wasn't any outward visual cue to what his quirk was, maybe he didn't have one?
He was an easy read; he lived a hard life but he easily found joy in it, he cared for the people he worked with, and if all of that was true he would do whatever he could to keep his crew safe.
At that moment the door opened, a cruiser walked over to me and handed a list of what my fleet had found while searching their ship.
Personal items, fishing equipment, survival gear, and fish. They really were simply fishermen.
I waved the cruiser off, and with the click of a door it was just us two again. "I recommend that you take a deep breath and try again. I'm not going to kill you, and unless your crew does something monumentally stupid my fleet won't kill them either," I leaned back in my chair, "a good place to start would be explaining why you, a supposed fishing crew from Majuro Atoll, are fishing well within Abyssal territory." I blinked, "your name would also be a good thing to know."
"M-my name is Captain Henry Kabua, and, well… I honestly didn't know there was an Abyssal presence here." He looked a touch embarrassed and even more nervous. I simply blinked owlishly. "A-also, the Philippines are very dangerous, and until now nobody really knew that we existed." He rubbed the back of his neck and I narrowed my eyes.
"Your crew?" I was really hoping I wasn't right about what I was thinking.
He shook his head, "no," he winced as he spoke his next few words, "The Marshall Islands."
"You're sitting practically in-between two main Abyssal fleet-bases, and you're telling me that there's an entire village that's gone undetected for nearly two hundred years?" I asked incredulously. I laughed. "Do you know what would happen if you were discovered now? The fury that would be unleashed against you?" If any other Princess had found them…
The Marshalls wouldn't be on the map anymore. Literally…
"I'm assuming nothing good?" he asked, laughing nervously. My deadpan look was my only response.
"You don't understand how lucky you are that we noticed you before anyone else did," I tapped the table; my command fairies were already writing down plans in my head, "the Abyssals don't know you exist. Does anybody?"
The fisherman nodded—at least it looked like he was becoming more confident and less like he was gonna pass out—"Yes, the governments of America, Japan, and Australia are aware that we exist, but with how we're positioned they can't really do anything to help us. We're small enough that we don't really appear on the map, and outside of a few minor accidents we've done really well staying unnoticed," he sighed and smiled; though it didn't reach his eyes, "until now that is." Fair enough.
I hm'd. "You know Henry, I may have a solution to your new issue, and for any further issues regarding my 'comrades,'" I stood up from the table and walked out of the door, "walk with me."
He immediately stood up and followed. We garnered quite a few looks as we made our way to the docks, but I wasn't worried. I was the Supply Depot Princess, easily the most powerful Abyssal on this island. If any of my fleet had issues with me walking with a human, tough shit.
"You… You said earlier that I was lucky that you found me first. W-why exactly is that, if you don't mind me asking?" He asked, looking around. I stopped for barely a second, motioning for a cruiser to join us.
"This war has been going on for two centuries. Believe it or not even the Abyssals are getting weary of it," I looked at him and just for a minute he could see the veteran behind my eyes, the weary commander exhausted from conflict, "enough lives have been lost on both sides. I understand that, my fleet does, but there are those among us who care only for the death of humanity. What would killing you, or your people solve?" I fully turned to look at him, both of us stopped.
"Have you or your people in the Marshalls engaged in any conflict during this war?"
Henry shook his head.
"Have you actively fed intelligence on my sisters and I to human forces?"
Another shake of the head.
"See? Your deaths would just be more innocent people who died for no reason." He didn't respond to that, it would leave him with a lot to think about.
Luckily, the cruiser arrived just then.
I handed her a manifest I materialized from my storage. "Gather these materials from our storehouses and store them in the humans' ship. Also, alert our supply vessels to fill their ship with as much fish as we can spare. Any other duties you have are suspended until this is finished." To her credit, she didn't even blink before saluting and departing. I felt Henry's confused look boring into my skull.
"What exactly are you giving us?" he asked, too cautiously for my liking.
"Abyssals don't generally have much of a need for human supplies. I'm giving you all of our medicine, medical supplies, spare resources we don't need, foodstuffs that don't agree with us, and other miscellaneous supplies we have on hand." I raised an eyebrow at him, "unless you want more?"
His sputtering and flabbergasted expression was purely for my own amusement. "There are also supplies being loaded to sustain a temporary Abyssal presence until a permanent one can be established." That got me a confused and concerned look. "I'll explain more in time, but it's a part of my solution. The gist of it is, I'm "expanding" my sphere of influence to the Marshalls, establishing an Abyssal presence, and personally claiming the territory as mine. It sounds bad, but it'll help in the long run."
We arrived at the docks, briefly going over my plan in depth, and saw the sight of a very confused human crew watching Abyssals load supplies onto their ship. I turned to Henry, still in "Princess Mode."
"Now that I technically "own" the Marshalls, you're now "under my command." My first orders for you are to leave Wake Island whenever you are ready to do so, and to make best speed to your home. Then you will give this," I handed him an envelope before continuing, "to whoever is in charge of your people, and to expect myself and a contingent of Abyssal ships within the week. You will have an escort of three destroyers until it is clear that you will make it back to the Marshalls safely." Dropping "Princess Mode" I gave a warm smile, one that you wouldn't think an Abyssal would wear. "I hope you enjoyed your unscheduled stop at Wake Island, we probably won't meet again. Farewell." I nodded once before turning on my heel and leaving a gobsmacked fisherman.
Time to assemble everyone and everything I would need for a FOB.
The Marshalls were different, but honestly I'm not sure what I was expecting. The people were uneasy when we arrived, but that was expected. With the reputation we had I'm not sure we'd be welcome anywhere, but at least no one tried attacking… yet…
But what I wasn't expecting was the, for a lack of a better term, life that the Marshalls had. The Majuro Atoll was the most inhabited part and it showed. Colorful houses, restaurants, shops, you name it, it was here. There was the marina where we docked, full of fishing ships and small patrol craft. And the people there were just living, enjoying life as much as they could with us there. Wake Island held a spark to it, we had lit it ourselves when I made our fleet a sort of family. Majuro was like a bonfire, these people had been here for generations, surviving without the help of anyone.
I wanted to know how they survived, and I wanted to know how I could keep it this way.
Because of my letter, there was a very nervous looking group of militiamen ready to greet us and take us to the ruling body of the atoll. A general sense of unease followed us the entire way, even if I had gone out of my way to make my delegation as small as possible. We were Abyssals, in the eyes of these people; soulless monsters who killed without thought or mercy. To a certain point that was true, except for some cases.
Even with the fear I was fascinated by all that I saw, absorbing as much of the culture as I could and reminding myself of the importance my task held.
The response to my proposal was… expected. Unfortunate, but expected nonetheless.
What I had proposed was nothing less than a full military occupation of their atoll, it didn't matter if I sugarcoated it or not. It was a testament to the President's patience—or fear—that I wasn't shouted out of the meeting room. However, I made my proposition perfectly clear.
The Abyssals were ramping up offensives across every front, and traffic between islands was going to dramatically increase. Sooner or later, they were going to be discovered, whether by accident, or by another Princess wanting to do what I was doing the not-so-nice way. By laying claim now, I could dictate who could and couldn't come here, and any fishing craft would be "mine" and ignored. It was no secret that I supplied fish to other Abyssals, fishing boats would just be seen as an increase in acquisition. An Abyssal military presence would also shift attention away from the Marshalls as it would just be seen as another installation.
The only thing I was asking for in return would be parts of Majuro and Arno Atoll to actually set up an Abyssal Installation/Naval Base, and I was asking for news on current events. I made it perfectly clear that any news received would not be used to inflict harm, but it was debatable if he believed me or not. I think that both of us knew that I was right, and that realistically this was the only chance the Marshalls had of surviving another few years. Silence stretched between us.
"I think now is a good opportunity for a recess, take time to look over the proposition in detail and call for me when you've made a decision," I stood and gave a small bow before leaving the room.
There really wasn't much for me to do except wander. I had no money, and even if I did I figured that people would be… reluctant to do business with me. It would also make people uncomfortable if I even entered their shops, which was a pity. I saw quite a lot of interesting things. My internal clock read that I had been wandering for about 15 minutes when I found something really interesting.
A small crowd was gathered around a satellite TV, the reception wasn't the best but it was clear enough to watch. It looked like a building was engulfed in flames, and the footage was taken by a handheld camera.
"Who is he? This guy's already saved a hundred people at least and it hasn't even been 10 minutes!" The man recording the footage exclaimed. "This is… this is crazy! I can't believe it!" His camera panned to a piece of the collapsed building.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha," came a booming laugh as a shadow began to emerge, holding at least four more people.
"Look! He's got more!" Came the same voice recording the footage. And finally the figure came into view.
He was… a mountain shaped like a man. Laughing all the while while carrying injured civilians out of danger. He was wearing a blue suit with yellow boots and bracers, and red and white accents across. His face was chiseled like a renaissance carving, and I didn't doubt it would make even the toughest Abyssal swoon. The crowd in front of me was losing their minds, and it seemed to grow by the minute. Even I was somewhat dragged in by the energy. Imagine that, an Abyssal impressed by a human.
"Fear not citizens! For hope has arrived," the man exclaimed, smiling, "because I AM HERE!" The footage continued, showing the hero saving more people and combating the fire all the while. The footage cut to a news station which described how this recent footage was the debut of a new hero in Japan. All Might. Said hero was blowing through the ranks, quickly rising on a path to become the Number 1 hero in the country of Japan. The rest was lost on me, but nonetheless I wished him luck. It really showed how far removed the Abyssals were from the rest of the world, that the majority of the names being mentioned meant nothing to me. Endeavor was another name being mentioned, but again it meant nothing to me.
"Ex…cuse me, ma'am?" a voice came from behind me.
"Hm?" I turned around, finding a… secretary? Assistant? It was a young woman in a sharp suit and a pencil skirt, whatever she was.
"The President has made his decision, if you'd follow me," she said before turning sharply and walking away. It spoke volumes of her professionalism that she didn't stutter when speaking to me.
Again we walked through the village/city, passing all manner of buildings I found interest in. Until once again I found myself in front of the President of the Marshall Islands.
"Princess," he said neutrally
"Mr. President," I responded in kind
He sighed before talking, "this is not a decision I made lightly, and if it weren't for the reports you've provided I probably would have had a very different response, "he took a breath before continuing, "under great duress I have decided to accept your proposal. Though I'm still not sure about your real reasoning, the evidence you've provided shows that we probably won't last a year until we're found out."
I nodded, inwardly heaving a sigh of relief, and expressing nothing outward. "As fantastical as it sounds, my reasoning is mostly benign."
There was a stretch of silence between us before the man across from me broke it, "you know, I think I finally understand the meaning behind that old saying. "Making a deal with the devil," was it? Forgive me but I can't help but feel that I've signed my peoples' death warrant."
I sighed, "you may not believe me, you might never believe me, but by agreeing to this partnership the entirety of the Marshall Islands are now under my protection. A threat to you would be like a threat to my own fleet." I stood up, giving a polite bow before I made my leave.
"Give us a chance to prove that we mean well. Good day, Mr. President."
So concluded my visit to the Marshall Islands.
The relationship between the Supply Depot Fleet and the Marshall Islands was… rocky, to say the least. The people living there would need time to adjust to the change. It wasn't everyday that humanity's greatest foe just happened to move in next door and become neighbors, but they would have to make do.
As I had predicted, Abyssal traffic increased dramatically as the Pacific fleets began ramping up attacks and operations near Papua New Guinea and Australia. Marshallese fishermen found themselves in the unique scenario of fishing unimpeded and ignored by Abyssal surface vessels. I had made it clear to allied fleets that I was utilizing fishing vessels and they went largely ignored. Said fishing vessels now had free reign from the Marshalls all the way to Wake Island.
Over time the relationship became more tenable, and dare I say more comfortable. I wouldn't exactly call us buddies, but the people in the Marshalls realized that I wasn't there to hurt them, and the fishermen could even arrange for escorts if they wanted. My fleet and the civilians weren't exactly mingling, but it wasn't uncommon to see an Abyssal eating in a cafeteria here and there. Over time I had proven something that had once been seen as a fantasy, something beyond comprehension.
Humans and Abyssals could live in peace.
Also, it was incredibly common for members of my fleet to assist with construction, or moving heavy materials. In a way I formed an Abyssal Corps of Engineers composed of fleet tenders, cruisers, and a handful of battleships. The other big change I made was to copy Wake's radar installation and communications facility. It was… mostly successful, and while it wasn't as powerful as the original it allowed for instant communication between the Marshall Islands and Wake Island and we had radar coverage stretching nearly the entire distance minus a small dead-zone.
A few years had gone by. The Marshalls were bustling and livelier than they had ever been since the war's advent. My 'fishing business' was greater than ever, everybody's bellies were full with more than enough to spare for trade. Kabua International Airport, which had been abandoned and had fallen into disrepair, had its airfield restored. My cargo planes could ferry materials making everything easier to do. And most importantly our two peoples had finally grown somewhat comfortable with each other. Some would dare to call us friends.
I had single-handedly carved a small paradise in the South Pacific, and it went totally unknown to both sides of the war.
Unfortunately however…
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end.
It had started out as a normal day. I was going over manifests and reports in my designated "office" on Wake Island when I got the news. I had just started a report on a new building project when Dione practically knocked my door off of its hinges.
She ran in, somehow pale with her snow-white skin. "M-Mari. You have to see this," she shoved a transcript in my face.
"Calm down, what's got into you? You're usually more collected than I am?"
"Read the transcript, it'll explain everything."
I gave my lieutenant an odd look before looking at the seemingly innocent piece of paper in my hands. It was an intercepted transmission between the Heavy Cruiser Princess and the Battleship Princess. A Wolfpack in the Philippines had made a discovery.
Nothing out of the ordinary yet…
While on a routine patrol So-333, So-078, Yo-1255, and Ka-223 were patrolling to the north of Papua New Guinea when they found an unnatural section of a coral reef. At first they thought it was an old cargo ship, so they investigated on the off chance that there was something still there. It was not an old cargo ship.
It was the remains of an American Ohio Class Submarine.
The Wolfpack immediately broke radio silence and a message was sent to their Princess, the Battleship Princess. They were ordered to investigate. They found the remains of the crew, a very eroded submarine, and…
I looked at Dione, my face in abject horror. I looked back at the transcript just to verify that I didn't misread it.
Three… intact Trident nuclear missiles in their tubes and in near perfect condition…
Said missiles were recovered and transported to the Philippines.
"When was this sent?" It couldn't be real.
"An hour ago, give or take a few minutes." She responded.
"I need time, time to think, time to…" to what?
Every Abyssal knew. There were stories. An event that took place after the war had ended. Some of us were there, the Jellyfish Princess being the most prominent.
An event that had taken place at Bikini Atoll, ushering in a new age of warfare…
Operation Crossroads…
Every Abyssal knew about the Fire. Humanity had split the atom and unleashed its fury. It was something that we all intrinsically feared. The Fire was not to be trifled with. We didn't use it, we wouldn't even consider using it. Using the Fire would make us no better than those we sought to destroy.
At least… I thought we wouldn't. Recently though?
Standard Abyssal Protocol in this scenario would be to inform the Supreme Princess, the Pacific Princess in our case, where she would then send her own ships to take the warheads and lock it away.
The Battleship Princess had ordered the Tridents to be sent to her closest ally in the Philippines. No matter what scenario I went over in my head, it all fell to one conclusion. The Battleship Princess was going to use those warheads…
She was going to deploy nuclear weapons against civilian targets.
Three warheads, where? Somewhere in Australia, obviously. They had been a huge thorn in the Abyssals' side since the war started. Where else? China, Japan, the United States, anywhere in the Pacific. It could all be a target. Knowing her…
I looked at Dione, a plan already forming in my head, "we cannot let those warheads reach the Philippines. Send DesDiv-5, 7, and 14 to intercept those submarines and, "I swallowed thickly, "use whatever force is necessary to retrieve those warheads." Both of us looked shocked, but it was necessary.
No Abyssal had ever sunk another Abyssal, until now…
"Then they are to make best speed to the Marshalls. Send a secure communique to Indiana as well. Gather the largest available fishing vessel and a fast escort. She will then personally escort the small fleet to Nabu Island."
I stood up, "what I'm about to do will not be mentioned outside of this room. I'm going to go with you to the comms facility, and after you finish sending your message… I am personally going to call the Yokosuka Naval base and arrange a meeting at Nabu island, where Indiana will transfer the warheads to the Japanese. Let's go."
Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan
Admiral Mato Toyoda was a stern woman, but underneath that cold layer was a warm heart that cared deeply for her subordinates. She was the fourth admiral who had the honor to lead the charge against the Abyssals in this never-ending war, and she would like to think she was doing a good job at it. I'm her near decade of service here not a single shipgirl was lost under her command.
Right now, however, she was facing a far more difficult enemy…
Paperwork.
But with her dauntless secretary Nagato and the ever-present Ooyodo, she was sure that they could overcome the formidable opponent. And I'm fact, they were close to the end! She only–
"Ma'am, you have a call from the…" the usually collected face of Ooyodo broke into confusion as she read something, "you have a call from Wake Island?" She questioned and stated.
Wake Island?
Intelligence reports, if she remembered correctly, labeled Wake Island as an Abyssal Stronghold deep in Abyssal territory. Why would they be getting a call from an Abyssal Princess?
Nagato looked just as confused as the other two, "it could be a prank?" That was definitely a possibility, but…
"What if it's not?" Mato countered.
"Why would an Abyssal Princess be calling us?" Ooyode asked the question on all of their minds.
Mato stood up and walked over to Ooyodo's station, feeling they eyes of both of her subordinates on her back.
She picked up the radio, "Yokosuka Naval Base, this is Admiral Toyoda, to whom do I have the… pleasure of speaking with?" she spoke into the microphone.
A cool voice came back through, "listen to me very carefully…"
This took a bit longer than I wanted it to, but I like how this turned out. Our little Princess has a big mission ahead of her, and unfortunately this will be the least of her trials to come. Don't worry, we're getting closer to the world we all know and love, but patience is a virtue! I'll see you next time~
