A/N: First and foremost, I wanna thank you for coming to view the first chapter of what will hopefully become my first full-length story. This is something I've been thinking about doing for a while and with a little encouragement, I have decided to post my new story here. Chapters will be posted when possible, so do forgive me if there seems to be a good gap between posts. Until then, please enjoy Azur Lane: Infinite Seas!
I do not own Azur Lane. All credit goes to them
Chapter 1: Departure to a new world
To many, the sea represents another form of transportation, allowing for the safe passage of cargo and people. Every year, billions of tons of cargo are shipped by cargo ship to ports all over the world. But to a very select few, the sea represents so much more. A place for new adventures, familial bonds to forge, and work that someone has to do. And for many years, civilian merchants and sailors from navies have worked to ensure the world can keep going around. And that's how it was for many years….until they came.
Sirens. A group of extraterrestrials of unknown origin. They played hell with shipping, destroying cargo ships without mercy or hesitation. Warships from the world's navies did their best to defend the seas, but the firepower of the Sirens was too great, and it seemed they would win. And then, like angels, the shipgirls appeared. These girls, who each possessed the spirit of a warship, fought back against the Sirens with equal firepower. This marked the beginning of The Siren War. To make a long story short, we won the long and hard-fought war. But a great rift formed in the formed group called Azur Lane, and the ships from Germany and Japan split off to form their group, the Red Axis. The ships from the United States and Great Britain remained allies while they focused on their respective home fronts. Thankfully, nobody from the two factions attacked each other, and the world finally gained peace.
That was 1945. It's now 2022, and a great many things have happened. Newer generations of ships with more advanced weapons and firepower have appeared, and with them have come the Fleetmen, young men who possessed the same quality as the Shipgirls. Though fewer in number, they fought just as hard in any conflict assigned to them. This is the story of eight of these Shipgirls and Fleetmen, whose journey will come together in a way nobody will ever expect.
Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States of America
April 15th, 2022
11:15 AM
The sun hung in the sky on this day. The docks were alive with the hustle and bustle of sailors as they moved from one area to another. Ships were rearming from training exercises, sailing into dock with sailors eager for shore leave, or preparing to head underway for another four-month deployment. But three of these sailors looked out of place. They looked young, fresh-faced like they never attended Bootcamp. They wore the Navy jumpsuit, but with a black leather jacket overtop. But for the enlisted sailors around them, they gave these three a wide berth. The three sailors, two girls, and a boy made their way to a building with a sign on the door, marked 'SUBRON 19.' Walking inside, they took a seat in the front row and awaited the arrival of their commander. The young man, a black-haired man who looked to be in his late teens and would be graduating this year, spoke first. "Hey, Florida. What do you think this mission is gonna be?"
Florida, a blonde hair girl who looked to be in her mid-teens, shook her head. She looked as if she was getting ready to enter high school. "No. I heard nothing. Roade? What about you? Know anything we don't?"
Roadie, full name Rhode Island, was in her early teens, with fair black hair and a bit of a baby face. "Sorry. Sis hasn't said anything to me at all. I half expected her to tell you. Michigan. You two are the highest ranking in the squadron."
"Man, you know Ohio doesn't tell me anything at times. I may be the executive officer, but sometimes I'm not told things Ohio is told. All I know is we were meant to meet here at 11:30 hours for a mission briefing. And knowing Ohio, she hates it when we're late." Michigan chuckled at Rhode Island's statement, but she wasn't wrong. Ohio was the lead ship of their class of submarines, the Ohio-Class. Michigan was the second oldest, followed by Florida, with Rhode Island being one of the youngest of their class. That's what made them different from the others on base. They were Shipgirls and Fleetmen. And they were submarines, no less. Very rare for anyone to see a submarine, Shipgirls, and Fleetmen at all. As the siblings chatted away, the door opened and slammed shut. This got the attention of the siblings and they were quick to stand up at full attention. The woman who entered the door also wore a black leather jacket and Navy jumpsuit, but her ginger hair and short stature could make anyone think that she wasn't related to the other three, not like they looked the same.
"Good afternoon, Ohio!" The three called out as Ohio strode down towards the projector. She smiled softly and motioned for the three to sit. "Good afternoon, you three. Let's cut out the pleasantries and get down to business. First and foremost, this is not a retaliation op. A recon flight from Airborne Command and Control Squadron 113 flying off the carrier Carl Vinson picked up some strange blips on their radar that looked to be a strike group of unknown origin. Contact with the flight was lost afterward. Carl Vinson picked up the blips and took note of a bad storm. The Carl Vinson Strike Group is making best speed for San Diego, but with this happening so close to Pearl, the command wants subs to form a radar line and monitor the place where the AWACS was lost."
"That's it? Then why not get the Seawolf-Class subs to do this? If there was a threat, then they're built to engage them, not us." Michigan wasn't wrong in his sense. The Seawolf-Class were attack submarines, built to strike enemy vessels from the shadows. But the Ohio Class was more for long-range shore strikes from a distance.
"You're half right on that, Michigan. However, there are a few reasons they chose us. One, it's because if these are hostiles, High Command wants us to have Big Stick Policy. A display of military dominance. And the second reason? All the Seawolf-Class subs are in the Atlantic right now. And the closest attack sub is in Naval Base Kitsap. So we're the closest to the issue. It'll be a milk run. Six hours out at sea, four of which will be underwater. Head out, form the line, and come back home. Everyone clear on that?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" The three siblings called out, then they stood up and left the building. They were ready for this mission.
47 miles South/Southwest of Naval Station Pearl Harbor
April 15th, 2022
13:27 AM
Calm seas and a gentle breeze. Just what Michigan liked on his deployments. The three of them had donned their rigging and were making best speed to their radar spots. Michigan made a final check on his rigging. On his right arm were his four torpedo tubes, armed and ready. His missile silos were on his left arm, with each missile going over a final check process. On his back was the conning tower, which housed his radar systems and his air tank, and just below that was his S8G PWR Nuclear Reactor. On his head was his diving mask, which would allow him to dive under the water and strike from below the waves. The mask was blacked out, making him rely on his radar for navigation. And he wouldn't have it any other way. He looked at his sisters. They too were checking their rigging, which was similar to his. Florida looked ahead of them and looked a bit concerned. "Hey, Michigan. Those storm clouds seem off. Wasn't the mission forecast supposed to be sunny?" Michigan took a very good look, and he too was concerned as well. The clouds were as black as the night, with lightning bolts streaking in all directions as fast as the cannon fire from a destroyer.
"That storm is nothing like I've seen before. But we'll be fine, girls. Just remain calm and be aware of the currents. Alright, we're three miles from the dive zone. Standby to dive to 500 feet. Maintain radio silence and use passive radars only. Clear?" Michigan called to his sisters, who responded with a solid "Affirm!" They had done this countless times, and everything came as routine to them.
"Two miles"
"One mile"
"Submarine Squadron 19, prepare to-" A shout ripped Michigan out of the routine he was so used to. The voice was from Roadie.
"Unknown contacts, dead ahead at 20 nautical miles! I count….there's so many, I can't tell, but they look to be in a standard battle line!" Michigan was instantly on the defensive. He took stock of what he and his sisters were armed with. While all of them were armed with the Mark 48 torpedoes, Michigan and Florida were armed with 154 of the Block V and VB Tomahawk Cruise Missile for ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship combat. Rhode Island, however, was armed with only 24 Trident II Ballistic Missiles, which were all equipped with something nobody wanted to be launched: the RV/W88 Thermonuclear Warhead. Michigan knew what he had to do. "Roadie! Get back to Pearl and get a strike group here, now! Florida! Prep you Tomahawks! I know we're giving a show of force, but just be ready!" The girls nodded and put the plan into motion. As Rhode Island turned to port and headed back at Ahead Full, Michigan and Florida lined up with each other and moved to Ahead Flank speed. That's when Michigan visually identified the ships. Some of them looked like young girls, but they looked so strange. And they were being joined by a bunch of ships, colored black with orange windows. 'Wait….are those…no. They can't be.' they were true. A fleet of beings that were long since eradicated.
"SIRENS!" Florida called out. Michigan turned pale at this revelation, and his mind went straight into battle mode. "Ready missile group one! Standby to launch!" The two held their left arms out, and with targets confirmed and rockets primed, Michigan gave the call. "Group one….AWAY!" Fourteen tomahawks in a total shot out of their silos turned 90° and bolted toward their targets. In an instant, there were a great many flashes of light, followed by a massive shockwave and a boom that could split the heavens as mushroom clouds raised high into the air. Florida cheered loudly at the sight of the explosions. "BOOM! RIGHT ON THE MONEY!" Michigan chuckled at her enthusiasm. She was the most energetic of the siblings. His laughter quickly died when distant booms here heard, followed by an all too recognizable whistle.
"INCOMING!" Great plumes of water shot skywards as shells landed all around them, two of which were mere inches from hitting Florida. What followed was the drone of piston-powered aircraft. "Emergency dive! Get below water!" How could Michigan be such a fool? He should have dived first, and now with aircraft overhead, they were sitting ducks. Every attempt to dive only resulted in close bomb hits and quick evasive turns. They had to do something. Anything to throw the enemy off. That's when Michigan had an idea. One that even Florida wouldn't attempt.
He charged the enemy fleet right into the heart of the storm. This did throw them off, but now he was in the range of every gun they had, and he could only avoid fire for so long. The aircraft also followed him, which in turn let Florida hold back. But Michigan was in too deep, and there was no backing out now. As he raced forward, the lightning bolts increased in number, and the waves got so rough they would have caused any ship to capsize. It was nothing but confusing, and it felt…tight. Like a squeeze. Tighter and tighter did Michigan feel the squeeze until he couldn't stand it, and the world soon faded out to black. The last thing he heard was the voice of a girl he knew all too well, and a voice he would never hear again.
"MICHIGAN! MICHIGAN!"
Location: Unknown
Date: Unknown
Time: Unknown
Things seemed calmer when Michigan awoke. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the blue sky and white clouds. Instead, he saw a white ceiling with light shining inward. Slowly sitting up, he realized that he wasn't in the ocean, but instead in a room. A clinic to be more precise, based on the medical tools and the cot he was laying on. He also wasn't in his typical attire, but in sweats instead. 'Strange. When did I end up here? It couldn't have been a dream.' A ship's horn sounding turned his attention outside. There were docks a good distance away, and a familiar site to him. But the ships docked? They were old. Not in run-down, mothballed ships, but old warships from the past. Siren War Era, if he had to guess. He would have kept staring at the ships had a sharp knock at the door made him snap his neck in that direction. There were two girls in the doorway. In the doorway were two girls. The first had long white hair, a white top and back skirt, and a black jacket with a long cape added to it. The other had short black, a white shirt and what looked to be a red corset, and a long blue coat to go with it. They looked at Michigan with a curious look, then entered. The girl with black hair spoke first with a British accent. "Good day. Please allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm Ark Royal from the Royal Navy. With me is Enterprise from Eagle Union. We've come to ask you some questions. Start by telling us who you are, if you could."
Michigan thought about it. As a submarine, there were a great many things he couldn't tell people. Hence the reason why being a submariner means being a part of the 'Silent Service. So he chose some basic info. "I'm USS Michigan." Ark Royal nodded, then asked him another question.
"What were you doing out in the middle of the ocean?"
Michigan shook his head. "Classified." This didn't earn him a good look from the pair. Enterprise was next to ask him a question.
"You wouldn't have been out there on a pleasure cruise. What was your mission?"
"Again. Classified. As in I can't tell either of you two." Michigan could tell this was earning the ire of the two girls, but his mind kept going back to their names. Enterprise and Ark Royal. He could distinctly remember learning that the ship of the Royal Navy named Ark Royal was retired back in 2011, and there was yet to be any Shipgirl or Fleetman of her. As for Enterprise, she was a Shipgirl, but Michigan remembered her looking vastly different. He remembered her having jet-black hair cut short, a blue version of the Naval Service Uniform with a black cord around her right arm, and was a rather quiet person. This girl, however, wasn't the Enterprise he knew. Now he was getting mad at being thought of as a fool, and their constant questioning was not helping. And soon, he snapped.
"You know what, why are you two asking me these questions? Better yet, here's a question for you two. Who exactly are you girls? Cause I know for a fact that you're not Enterprise and there hasn't been an Ark Royal since 2011 and there's no Shipgirl or Fleetman of said ship! And don't say you are Enterprise! I served alongside her and she has black hair, not white!" He could feel his blood boil in agitation at the idea of being played as a fool. He would not have these two lie to him.
The two girls looked puzzled, and after an exchange of glances, looked at Michigan. "What's the current date? Do you know that?" This caused Michigan to go from 0-100, and he was very quick to snap.. "What do you mean 'what's the current date?' It's April 15th, 2022! What's next? Who's the current Chief of Naval Operations? Answer! Admiral Gilday is the current Chief of Naval Operations!" His anger and rage seemed to hit the brakes just a bit when he saw their faces go a bit pale, and for a few minutes, they remained quiet as if letting the info sink in. Soon, Ark Royal spoke.
"Michigan. It's currently April 15th. But the year is currently 2014. There's no such thing as what you call 'Fleetmen'. Every ship here is from the Second World War, and the best tool we have to defeat the Sirens and the Red Axis." This all took a minute for Michigan to process. How was any of this possible? That's when it hit him. Everything started to make a bit of sense. "The storm. My mission was for my two sisters and I to form a radar line and see if any ships entered. A fleet of Sirens attacked us, and those Sirens were in the center of this massive storm." He then explained everything, seeing as how hiding behind the 'Classified Wall' wouldn't help his case, and with him in this current situation, he would have to be honest. Once he finished explaining everything, the two carriers nodded and stood up. Enterprise spoke to him. "Well, that's all we wanted to ask you. We'll let you get some rest. What to do with you will be another question entirely."
"I want to stay and fight." Michigan blurted out. A bad habit of his, yes. But he wasn't wrong. He wanted to stay and fight. It was Sirens that attacked him. It was Sirens that could have harmed his sister. For all he knew, Florida could have been badly damaged or sunk. He wanted to get off his butt and join the fight. He also knew he wouldn't be leaving this new world anytime soon, so he best makes himself useful. His enthusiasm shocked Ark Royal and caused Enterprise to crack a smile as she spoke. "Alright. I'll talk with the Commander and see what he says. For now, get some rest and try to eat something." Michigan nodded as the two left and looked out the window again, looking past the destroyers and cruisers. He was able to spot his submarine and smiled at how it was still in one piece. That's good. Now he was ready for what lay ahead, no matter if they were Sirens or enemy Fleetgirls. He would fight his hardest. And he would make sure that if possible, he'd find a way back home to the world he knew of, and to his sisters, he had to leave behind.
A/N: And that's Chapter 1. Hope you guys liked it. Yes, it's a bit short (to me, at least). Do feel free to comment on where I should fix some things and what you thought about it. Do hope to see you guys soon