"Admiral. Minneapolis has collected Ranger. It's as you said, she ran out of steam… however, not in the way we expected." New Jersey said as a sixteen inch shell slammed into her shields just outside the bridge, causing Nimitz and New Jersey both to flinch.
"You okay?" Nimitz asked.
"I'd prefer to not take too many more of those…" New Jersey lamented as her own cannons returned fire, launching six shells towards Washington's turrets in an attempt to knock them out for the time being.
"That aside, Minnie reported seeing a Siren that was different than the mass produced clones we've been dealing with lately. Apparently the Siren did something to Ranger, causing her to snap out of it." New Jersey said.
Nimitz froze for a moment.
"What is her condition?" Nimitz asked.
"Stable. She's exhausted. Her reserves are completely drained. Can we come back around to that new Siren? If that thing can do this to someone like Ranger, we're all at risk." New Jersey said, refusing to peel her eyes away from the sky, watching closely for incoming fire.
"I don't want to cause an overreaction and sow panic. It was likely an isolated incident." Nimitz spoke, earning him a glare from New Jersey.
"Is there something you're not telling me, sir?" New Jersey accused.
"There is. But for right now, just know that what happened to Ranger is an isolated incident. It will not happen to anyone else here, we will be subduing Washington ourselves." Nimitz said.
"I will refuse orders until you divulge this information. That is an upper class siren, Admiral." New Jersey spat.
"Fine. It was an Arbiter class Siren that goes by the name of Temperance. I know it's an isolated incident due to the conversation I was forced into having with her." Nimitz spoke.
"Forced?! You talked to an Arbiter?! Why was I not informed of this?!" New Jersey shrieked.
"Because if I had told you, she would have torn your hull in half and left your broken body scattered over the beaches! Had I done anything besides talk with her, she would have erased me from existence with nothing more than a swipe of her hand! Do you understand me, Jersey?! She could have killed us both if she really wanted to!" Nimitz yelled in retaliation.
"She… was inside my vessel?" New Jersey asked as the color drained from her face.
"Yes… she was right outside the bridge. When I stepped out to check on something, she was there waiting. There was nothing I could do." Nimitz admitted.
"What did she say, then? What did she want? What did you tell her to keep her from killing us?" New Jersey asked.
"She wanted to know about what happened to Natalie's companion, Ania. I… managed to bargain that information for her help in dealing with Ranger. I also discovered that she knows Admiral Garner personally, as she has had a similar conversation with him. Apparently, she isn't following the established stereotype of the Arbiters that we know about. She isn't interested in dominion or controlling people. She said that she needs Isaac to win this war… because she intends to study him." Nimitz said.
"So… she's a non-issue?" New Jersey asked.
"For the moment, yes. But we cannot assume the same for anyone else. Arbiters are arbiters. They are ruling continents with iron fists. They are to be dealt with using the same diplomacy that the United States uses with dictators." Nimitz spoke.
"No survivors?" New Jersey asked.
"Atta girl. Now, let's get Washington dealt with." Nimitz spoke as he took a pair of binoculars from the table.
"She's three degrees off the port bow, fifteen-hundred yards. It looks like Natalie and Pavel have engaged." New Jersey said.
Finding the area, Nimitz watched as Pavel attempted to use a mostly intact steel door to approach Washington before slamming it into her midsection, only for the gesture to prove pointless as the Battleship seemed to shrug off the blow with little effort. He wound up to try again, but Washington outsped him and got within his arc of attack before the door could pick up any form of speed, leading to a severe loss of power. Washington, now thoroughly enraged, grabbed the Russian by the head and slammed him into a ruined wall, causing several bricks to fall on his armored chest, pinning him for the moment.
"She's focusing on Natalie." Nimitz said as New Jersey kept up fire on Washington's vessel to keep the battlefield clear of raining high explosive.
New Jersey did what little she could at the moment and switched the radio to contact Gneisenau.
"Gneisenau, Washington is focusing on Natalie. Pavel is down. They need assistance, can you make it?" New Jersey requested.
"Already on my way. Where are they?" Gneisenau spoke bluntly.
"Blue building next to a burning clock tower. Pavel is under a yellow brick wall and Washington is punching Natalie into a side street. Hurry up, I'm preoccupied making sure that her vessel remains focused on me." New Jersey reported as she cut the line.
Nimitz continued the observation.
Sure enough, Washington was only seconds away from turning Natalie into a red stain on the street, when she was tackled from behind by Gneisenau, who was clearly pouring all her strength into drawing the ire of the enraged battlewagon. He watched as Pavel managed to shake off the bricks and get to Natalie in record time, pulling her out of harm's way behind a building that obscured her from his view. He then witnessed Pavel running back to aid Gneisenau.
While Nimitz watched from afar, the battle between allies was showing signs of coming to an end. Washington was losing steam. Fighting a battle on three fronts, she was ultimately outmatched. Washington managed to throw Gneisenau off her back and moved to knock the Ironblood battleship out of commission, only to be blindsided by Pavel who had managed to get the steel door back and swung fast enough to derail Washington's attack, throwing her off to the side, where Gneisenau was able to deliver a sharp blow to the back of the battleship's neck, ending the fight entirely.
Nimitz's attention was then drawn to a bright purple light flashing and disappearing from behind the building that Natalie had taken refuge behind.
"Looks like she got what she wanted then." Nimitz muttered to himself, knowing full well that Natalie had just had her own encounter with Temperance.
New Jersey sighed a sigh of relief as the shells finally stopped impacting her shields, proving that Washington was officially out of the fight.
"Looks like they managed to take her down. We should begin the assault in earnest, who knows how long the threat of bombardment will keep the cultists from retaking the beaches. And if they are getting dug in further inland, we have a hell of a fight ahead of us." New Jersey said as a new voice came over the radio.
"Amore! I have come! The blockade to the west has been decimated to allow the flow of resources from Gibraltar. We can move ahead with the assault!" Vittorio spoke excitedly, as if she had been waiting for this very moment to dredge up her anchors and set sail for another battle.
"And our new allies?" Nimitz queried.
"Ready for orders, Admiral." A sultry tone permeated the radio.
"And you are?" Nimitz asked.
"Parseval class flagship, August von Parseval. At your service, Admiral." August spoke.
"And I'm Agir. O-class Super Heavy cruiser. I'm excited to try out the body that I have been graciously given." Agir spoke, her tone indicating excitement for the coming campaign.
"And I'm here too! You better be damn sure Natalie is okay!" Kinsburgen spoke over the radio, causing New Jersey to chuckle.
"So much spunk for such a tiny little sloop." New Jersey said as she collapsed backwards into the captain's chair on her bridge.
"New Jersey!" Nimitz said as he rushed to her side.
"I'm okay… who would have thought fighting Washington would have taken so much energy… guess that's what you get from a battle hardened Vet." New Jersey said as she allowed herself a few moments to relax.
"You're a Vet too, Jersey." Nimitz spoke softly as he helped her sit properly in the chair.
"But training with Warspite and being present since the beginning… someone produced mid-war wouldn't stack up in terms of experience." New Jersey spoke dejectedly.
"But yet, you won. You held out against an unending barrage of her fury. Vet or not, you aren't weaker than she is. Don't you dare let your sister hear you say that." Nimitz said with a smile. This caused New Jersey to smile.
"She's gorgeous, Admiral. I wish you could have been there to see her." New Jersey said as she rubbed her head.
"I'm sure I'll get the chance to meet her eventually." Nimitz said as New Jersey stood up.
"Let's get moving then. Enough feeling bad for myself." New Jersey said as the vessel began moving forward towards the deeper parts of the beach.
On the beach, the Italian forces had begun landing and setting up tents on the beaches to act as forward outposts to aid in the remaining landing efforts. Overhead, a formation of twin engine BF-110s set out to begin patrols.
"Fighter bomber support? August, are those your planes?" Nimitz asked.
"They are, Admiral. It seems my Jade class sister in arms has collapsed and is not using her fighters to provide cover. So I shall pick up her slack and punish her later." August spoke flatly.
"She faced off against an American fleet carrier. She deserves what rest she's able to get." Nimitz warned.
"I see. I misunderstood the situation. I shall send a guard to keep her safe until she awakens." August spoke as a mechanical roar flooded the air.
Whipping his binoculars towards the sound, Nimitz witnessed a massive iron dragon landing on Elbe's flight deck and crawling over to the collapsed woman before sitting down and wrapping its tail around her, keeping watch over her and her vessel.
"I'm assuming that is your rigging? It's like Roon's." Nimitz commented.
"I do not know this Roon… but I shall enjoy meeting her in the future. Yes, Eisendracht, my eternal companion. He shall watch over her slumber and see to it that no harm befalls her. Now… my patrol has spotted a motorbike approaching city limits at high speed. It would be wise to prepare our defenses if this contact isn't friendly." August spoke.
"Understood. I'll get Cole on the line when he and Brooklyn make landfall." Nimitz confirmed as the secondary fleet finally came into view on the horizon.