Isaac and Norfolk arrived on the bridge, welcomed by the constant thudding of exploding artillery in the distance.
"How goes the battle, Odin?" Isaac asked via radio.
"Secondary batteries are working over the dockyards meticulously. Several of the girls have launched spotter craft and are surveying the damage from above, so far, our accuracy and precision has warranted damage less than 5% of the total structure of the yards. In your absence, I tasked the carriers with ensuring that any who flee are met with machine gun fire as opposed to adjusting sector artillery. If there's excess steel and materials here, I'm doing my best to preserve them." Odin reported.
"Atta girl. That's why you're my Vice. Have we softened them up enough to begin landing the troops?" Isaac asked.
"No. Unlike the Philippines, these cultists really know how to dig in. While they lack heavy firepower, they've managed to make strong makeshift bunkers using steel beams and what Yamato and Musashi have both identified as armor plating that would have been used to build their fourth sister. So we've forced them to use super battleship level armor, and we're stuck attacking with what amounts to throwing pebbles." Odin remarked.
"That could cause problems. And with Richelieu in the Mediterranean, I have no access to her special HE munitions." Isaac lamented.
"What's so special about it?" Norfolk asked.
"She has occasionally called it Fue Grec, or Greek Fire. But after feeding Zero my testing information, she said it is more similar to American Napalm laced with thermite. Sadly I do not have the material on hand to mass produce these shells for use by everyone. The compound would be able to melt through the armor they are using." Isaac said.
"Well… why don't we make some anyway and have the carrier girls drop them via bombs?" Norfolk suggested.
"That would be highly inaccurate." Isaac said.
"Not if Vengeance was the one to deliver the strike. Her aircraft can outpace their AA and she can maneuver quick enough to make accurate low level strikes." Norfolk pushed.
"And then we'd only need to develop one or two so the girls could learn how to materialize them on their own. Not a bad idea. Contact the remaining bulins on the tug and get them here, we need their help making these things." Isaac said as Norfolk nodded and contacted the bulins.
Several minutes later, a small knock came to the door of the bridge.
"It's open." Isaac called, allowing the door to open and watching as three bulins waddled in, each carrying a component to Isaac's prototype bomb that he was using for wisdom dust munitions.
"Are we going to convert those cases?" Isaac asked.
One of the bulins stepped forward.
"Yes sir. So far, all the carriers know how to manufacture wisdom dust munitions. So if we use these cases for your napalm bombs, we can teach the girls a lot quicker." The bulin said.
"I understand. That makes a lot of sense. How quickly can we manufacture the prototype to get to Vengeance?" Isaac asked.
The bulins looked at each other for a moment before a fourth set of footsteps came from the door.
"There she is. Did you get all of it?" The bulin asked.
"Yes I did. It took a few more minutes to make the thermite to mix in, but I have a can of our own Gerry-rigged Richelieu shell juice." The fourth Bulin spoke.
"That was quick… a little too quick. You had Napalm just laying around?" Isaac asked.
The four bulins gave him a blank look and nodded.
"How do you think we melt down the Siren plates to make your body armor?" The first bulin asked seriously.
Isaac scratched his head.
"I guess Napalm was the only thing in my notes that was able to melt down the plating… alright, carry on then." Isaac said as the four bulins got to work assembling the bomb casing right on the bridge of the Norfolk.
"Pretty simple to construct, huh?" Isaac asked.
"The bomb casing is already pretty decent at containing the explosive filler and detonation catalyst in separate compartments. In all reality, it's the fuse that needs adjusting." The first bulin spoke.
"And I assume it's safe to do that here?" Isaac asked.
"Can be. Depends on how much explosive material we need to get this to work properly. The case hasn't been modified for Napalm use specifically so we aren't working at maximum effectiveness. But it will do the job." The first Bulin replied as she reached into a bag and pulled out a coil of what Isaac could only assume was det cord.
"So tell me how this is supposed to work." Isaac said as he sat in his chair. Norfolk walked over to the window to continue observing the battle.
"The detonation cord will be used to ignite magnesium shavings in the head of the bomb before breaking the seal into the Napalm reservoir. The molten magnesium will ignite the napalm and thermite mixture as well as a small explosive charge in the center of the reservoir to expel the burning mixture in all directions." The second bulin explained as she threaded the det cord into the tip of the bomb. Once she sealed the casing, she hoisted the bomb up and presented it to Isaac.
"It's a bit small. You're sure this is big enough?" Isaac asked.
"Yes. We did our own research with one of Lady Richelieu's shells and matched the mixture to hers as close as we could. This relatively small bomb will have a projected throw of around eight feet. And it will burn through the steel plating that our enemies are using." The first Bulin explained.
"Well, if that's the extent of it, get it to Vengeance and tell her to contact me for her orders. The sooner we field these, the better." Isaac said as the bulins nodded and waddled back out of the room, the three other bulins surrounding the one carrying the bomb as they made their way back to their raft.
Isaac then watched as the raft motored quickly throughout the fleet until it reached the Hybrid battleship that housed Vengeance. The sight of this caused Isaac to shake his head.
"This is still, by far, the most absurd thing I can think about. There's a battle going on, shells and bullets flying everywhere, and they're having the time of their lives motoring around in a small rubber boat. I shudder to think about what goes on in their heads." Isaac said.
"You raised them that way, Isaac. You had to imagine that this would happen eventually." Norfolk said.
"I can say that the thought never crossed my mind." Isaac said as the radio beeped at him, prompting him to switch channels.
"Vengeance?" Isaac asked.
"The gremlins have given me a device that is able to melt through the armor the Wolf Pack is using. Am I to mass produce this?" Vengeance asked.
"Please do so. We have no idea when these will become useful aside from this, so when we take the yards here, I want you to teach the other carriers to utilize them. But for now, I need your low level bombing maneuverability to hit the armor and minimized collateral. You think you can do that?" Isaac asked.
"I can do so easily. I am insulted by your doubt, and I will have you pay for such insolence afterwards." Vengeance said in a slightly agitated tone.
Isaac turned to Norfolk, who shrugged at her assessment of the radio call.
"Well… I guess I'll be seeing you shortly. See that we are able to break down the resistance here and then you can come over and talk." Isaac said as he cut the line. Out in the distance, Isaac watched as several of Vengeance's planes took off in sequence and made a beeline for the fortified positions within the dockyards.