Ch. 25: Athena's revenge

A.N.:

Okay, the lemon is in this one. I hope it doesn't get this story removed because I don't think that it is any good anyway.

The thing with Athena is just me having some fun after a shitty week. Plus, I have a thing for battleships and the 1958 Plymouth Fury known as Christine. I like both the book and the movie but Athena is closer to the movie version Christine. I think I explained the whole deal enough in the chapter to make it semi-reasonable.

Come on, does it get any more badass than an immortal Yamato on steroids?

I hope the lemon was worth it because I would really like to see this story all the way through to the end.

Anyway, as always, please forgive the errors in the chapter until I can correct them. I am still swamped with school so I probably overlooked some errors.

I hope everyone likes the chapter. Review if you want.

Another wave, those oscillating coils of energy that sought to pulverize Athena into submission, collided with her bow. The wave, easily two stories tall, proved to be no match for her bulbous bow design and the horsepower generated by her nuclear power plant. From the vantage point of the bridge, I watched as the force of nature was reduced to nothing but a cloud of harmless mist that showered her forecastle.

The already foul weather had deteriorated even more shortly after Task Force One had set course for Sparta. I had heard of the storms generated by the Bering Sea and I had to admit, the infamous region certainly deserved its reputation. Behind me, I heard one of the Replicas say, "Captain, Athena reports that the main battery turrets Anton, Bruno, and Cäsar have been secured. Minor injury reported: Seaman Athena 236 admitted to sick bay for head trauma brought on by a collision with a bulkhead."

Athena's captain, Captain Athena 1, replied, "Copy that. Alert the tin cans that the waves have shifted and advise them that they should get in the wakes of the capital ships to ride out the storm."

The Replica replied, "Roger that, Captain."

With the waves as high as they were, the smaller, lighter vessels like the task force's escort Arleigh Burke-class destroyers DD01-DD12, aka "the tin cans", were being tossed around unless they got into the wakes of the larger vessels like Athena and Poseidon.

I looked away from the reinforced viewport and back at the sophisticated bridge. Athena and the IJN Yamato were actually the same ship. With every "obsolete or retired" vessel being scrapped by resource-starved nations, there was only one remaining battleship left in the entire world and she was at the bottom of the ocean. Yamato had been spared the fate of the rest of her kind because it was decided that the little amount that remained of her hull was not worth the cost of retrieving.

Alma resurrected the World War 2 battleship from her resting place on the ocean floor since the failure of Operation Ten-Go in 1945, or had in her own words, "awakened a sleeping giant and filled her with a terrible resolve". She had been referencing Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-In-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Combined Fleet during World War 2, and his famous quote about the strategic Japanese failure at Pearl Harbor. According to my goddess, she was able to "awaken the soul of the ship" and explained that it had not been her that repaired the old battleship. Instead, the Yamato herself had been the one that repaired the extensive damage inflicted upon her hull. When I had asked Alma why Yamato/Athena had decided to help us, Alma explained that the "old girl" was sympathetic and knew what it was like to be "left to rot in darkness after being used".

Literally, the battleship was now a "living" entity with a soul. She was the one that actually piloted her enormous hull, operated her weapons, and kept her other systems in working order. The skeleton crew of four hundred and fifty Replicas was mainly just stationed aboard her to provide services like piloting the onboard Sea Knight helicopters. They were also the ship's "voice" to the other Replica operated vessels and to Replica Command.

Save for the search planes and catapults located at the stern being replaced by a helicopter landing pad, she had repaired herself back to her 1945 appearance. Structurally, she was now larger and more heavily armored than she had been originally. The weak points in her armor that her original designers had allowed due to the constrictions of available resources had been corrected. In order to maintain her seaworthiness, Athena had uniformly expanded her hull dimensions to keep her iconic external appearance. While the she had been approximately 863 feet long and weighed in at close to 72,000 tons at full load in her days as Yamato, Athena was approximately 1,000 feet long and weighed in at approximately 100,000 tons.

However, internally, she had completely modernized herself. At the center of the bridge, a large circular holographic emitter about two feet in diameter projected a three-dimensional three hundred and sixty degree diagram of her surroundings. Mounted along the walls around the emitter, ten consoles reported on their own respective parts of the ship. Standard Replica Soldiers with blue camouflaged uniforms sat at the consoles and reported to the captain when notable changes occurred. The ship's wheel and telegraph were mounted to the deck near the viewing ports though they were mostly just decorations since Athena piloted herself.

Captain Athena 1 approached me and I said, "She is an impressive vessel captain."

He nodded in agreement before he said, "Yes, she certainly is. The men love her and have even nicknamed her The Iron Maiden."

I smirked at the name before I said, "Pity that she is the last of her kind. The last American Iowa-class battleship was sold for scrap a few years ago by the state that owned her. Most of the shipwrecks around the world, even those protected by maritime law as graveyards, were salvaged for resources a few years ago too. Earth's population is outgrowing the planet's natural resources so sentimentality went out the window a long time ago."

I smiled slightly as I rubbed the surface of the armored wall behind me with my bare right hand before I said, "She is a testament to when warships were warships and not seagoing runways or seagoing missile platforms. When the worth of a nation was measured by the steel and fire of their battleships' mighty guns…not by its ability to unleash the power of the atom or to kill from the air. Navies actually faced each other back then...the sailors looked death straight in face and not at some dot on a monitor. Back then, warships weren't just numbers…they were the living embodiment of the nation itself. Battleships…were the pride of a nation…the heart and soul of the nation that they carried on their armored backs."

The lights in the room flickered briefly and I smiled slightly before I asked, "You like that Athena?" The blast of her foghorn was her response.

Alpha 1 entered the room and walked over to me. He informed me, "Sir, the information from Titan has been analyzed as you requested. Most of the sites are in land but there is one that I think you might be interested in." He walked over to the emitter and placed a flash drive into one of the open slots.

Seconds later, the three-dimensional image changed into the image of what appeared to be an ATC surface fleet steaming in a wedge formation with a large vessel slightly behind the protective line of escorts. The smaller escorts appeared to be a combination of one ex-Soviet Union Kirov-class battlecruiser, five Cyclone-class patrol ships, and one Supply-class fast combat support ship. At the center of the formation was a large aircraft carrier, approximately the same size of an American Nimitz-class.

I asked, "Why am I supposed to be interested in this again?"

Alpha 1 explained, "This is the last major ATC surface fleet that is still operational. It is also now the personal fleet of one of the members of the board of directors. After the Mogadishu Incident, the fleet pulled anchor and disappeared into the Bering Sea."

I nodded before I asked, "So…where is it?"

Alpha 1 replied, "According to the data we collected, it was the source of the short-range communication network that Titan Facility connected to while we were there. The eggheads have triangulated the location as being in the international waters of the Being Sea."

Athena 1 asked, "So close to the territorial waters of the United States and the Russian Federation. How has the fleet evaded detection by both nations?"

I replied, "Without their military satellites, the nations are all but blind. Their militaries are paying the price of having relied upon technology for so long. All they have now are recon aircraft, and the tension between the Russians and the Americans shielded the ATC fleet."

Alpha 1 said, "I don't understand."

I explained, "They would laugh while the other burned to death…cooperation between the two, even against a mutual enemy, is shaky and full of distrust. They were probably too busy making sure that the other did not blink to properly search for the missing ATC fleet."

Athena 1 commented, "I never have understood 'normal' human beings…repeatedly killing each other because of their differences instead of mutual cooperation…its impractical and childish…no offense sir."

I shrugged before I said, "None taken. I used to make a living because of it."

Alpha 1 said, "I wonder why their battlecruiser hasn't engaged us with its long range missiles or why their carrier hasn't launched an air attack. We are within range."

I explained, "Basically all modern vessels relied upon Armacham's weapon and communication products. When ATC pulled the plug on their software systems, they not only paralyzed the new technological marvels of the world's militaries, they paralyzed their own too. Those ships are fucking blind without their satellites and their radar systems."

After thinking through my options for a moment, I looked up at the armored ceiling and asked, "Hey Athena, want to go give a 'superior'aircraft carrier the middle finger?" A prolonged foghorn blast was her response. I smiled in response. Not wanting to risk my unconscious friends, I ordered, "Have Stokes transferred to Poseidon. Then, have the rest of Task Force One continue on their course to Sparta. Athena will intercept the ATC fleet and eliminate it."

Athena 1 replied, "The storm is too severe for our Sea Knights to transport Stokes. She will have to remain aboard. Don't worry sir, the hospital is one of the most protected areas of the ship." I nodded and he turned to look at one of the Replicas.

He said, "Inform Command that Athena is in route to the ATC fleet."

The solider replied, "Roger that, captain."

The image that the holographic emitter was producing changed back to the overview of her surroundings as I heard the ship's wheel turn clockwise. When the giant had changed to her new heading, I had to catch myself as the ship lurched as she went to her flank speed of 30 knots.

Alpha 1 questioned, "Sir, the battlecruiser…it carries those ship killers."

I assured him, "Dead weight without a functioning guidance system. After our little stunt with the ATC submarine in Sparta, ATC pulled the plug on the guidance systems that they manufactured for the world's militaries. The only operational weapons aboard those ships are their short range peashooters."

Alpha 1 asked, "Wait, then what about those ICBMs and the American President?"

I smiled before I explained, "Old hardware and software. They are still operational. Luckily for the world's armies, most of Armacham's tech went into the navy's and air force's toys so the armies are still relatively operational."

He nodded before he said, "Ah, makes sense now."

After about an hour of plowing through the storm that had turned into a hurricane, one of the Replicas reported, "Captain, debris sighted…believed to be aircraft related."

Athena 1 replied, "Copy, storm must have caught the ATC carrier off-guard. They probably lost the aircraft on the flight deck."

Alpha 1 said, "There goes their air cover. They won't be able to bring up the reserve flights in time. Even if they did, it would be nearly impossible to launch them in this weather."

Thirty minutes later, the hologram indicated that the ATC fleet was within the range of Athena's main battery but she continued on her course. Alma, in her child form, materialized with Amara standing next to her. Both waved at me before Alma explained, "Amara wanted to watch." My daughter ran up and hugged me around my waist. I grunted slightly because I was sore but I shook it off and returned the hug.

When she retracted, she mimed putting something on her head as she asked enthusiastically, "Daddy, are we going to kill them and wear their skulls like a hat?"

I laughed as I reached out with my right hand. As I ruffled her hair, I said, "Not today sweetie."

She pouted so I added as I retracted my hand, "Aw, don't worry, there will be explosions and stuff." She giggled as she started to straighten her hair.

Over by the hologram, Alpha 1 commented, "Hmm…the enemy fleet has just entered the eye of the hurricane. Based on our course, we are going to be crossing in front of them on the edge of the eye wall. The eye is only four miles in diameter. By then, they will be roughly in the middle of the eye. Athena will be able to fire a full broadside."

Amara asked with an innocent voice, "They go big boom Uncle?"

The armored veteran looked at the small girl and replied, "Big, big boom, your majesty."

I looked at her for a moment in shock. Finally, I asked her, "Did…did you just call him Uncle?"

She nodded with a confused expression on her face. I said, "That's what…never mind."

Amara tilted her head to the right briefly before she smiled. She said with a gentle voice, "My good half…we are the same person so I am likely to repeat some of the things that she did."

I replied, "I understand."

Before I could say anything else, Athena 1 informed me, "Sir, we are approaching the edge of the wall."

I looked down at the two young girls and said, "Let's watch."

Alma, Amara, Alpha 1, and I went up to the observation deck while Athena 1 remained on the bridge. When we got there, Athena was nearing the edge of the wall. Still, her guns remained locked in their noncombatant position. I was confused until I saw her lights go off and the Replica flag lower so it was out of view. She cut her engines so she would drift out of the wall and into the view of the ATC fleet. In addition, she tilted her deck so that she was listing five degrees to starboard.

Amara asked me, "What is she doing?"

I replied quietly, "We are dead. We are ghosts." Foxtrot 813 and Point Man joined us just as we drifted out of the wall.

The ATC ships were still in a wedge formation as they appeared on our right at a distance of approximately thirty-five hundred yards. I can only imagine the shock of seeing a warship that no living human being had seen in her full glory since 1945. I said with a humorous tone, "You would think that they have seen a ghost." The enemy ships continued to approach us until they were approximately 1760 yards away.

Then, Athena came to life with her lights shining brightly, her list corrected, and her Replica flag waving proudly in full view. A whirring sound filled the air as her guns turned clockwise as she locked onto the ships. The three thousand ton turrets clanged when they locked into position. The farthest barrel on the first turret was raised to a higher elevation than the other two. I informed Alma, "You might want to muffle the noise for us. You know, so we don't go deaf."

I had just finished my statement when Anton, what the Replicas called Athena's first main turret, fired with a deafening explosion that created ripples in the water near the side of the ship. The three barrels individually recoiled back into the turret housing as they launched their warhead while a cloud of smoke and fire erupted out the end of them. My ears were ringing even with Alma muffling the sound of the shots. Seconds later, Bruno, her second main turret, fired its three rounds. As it did, the rounds from Anton had reached the enemy fleet.

The first round tore into the carrier's island and exploded internally, reducing the primary control/nerve center of the ship into a fiery chunk of steel. The second round tore into the bridge of the Kirov-class battlecruiser and continued to detonate deep within the ship below the waterline. The third round penetrated through the thin armor on the battlecruiser's front deck but luckily for the Russian vessel, the round failed to detonate before the armor-piercing warhead exited the bottom of the ship.

With the exception of the carrier, all the ATC vessels started to take evasive maneuvers. The three barrels of Athena's front secondary 6.1-inch turret fired their 123 lbs rounds just as the rounds from Bruno reached the enemy ships. The first round just barely missed the battlecruiser off her port and a huge column of water erupted from the surface of the ocean. The second round, however, hit its mark and tore into the side of the battecruiser's bridge. It exploded internally and reduced the superstructure to a roaring inferno. The third round penetrated the insufficient armor of the port side of the burning vessel below the waterline and exploded inside the ship.

Athena's aft secondary 6.1-inch turret fired its rounds just as the first three 6.1-inch shells reached the enemy vessels. The first round exploded against the bridge of one of the small patrol ships and the vessel began to drift helplessly while fire ate away at its hull. The second round tore into the mortally wounded patrol boat's front deck and exploded internally. The explosion blew off the ship's bow and it began to sink bow first as its stern rose into the air. The third round penetrated into the sinking patrol ship's aft deck but failed to detonate until it passed through the bottom of the hull. Even still, the patrol boat sank within seconds, presumably taking all its crew with it.

Whirring filled the air as Athena rotated Cäsar as she adjusted her aim. Seconds later, a clang indicated that the turret locked into position. The barrels were raised to different elevations. Seconds later, deafening thunder filled the air as the barrels recoiled as they fired their 3200 lbs rounds. Moments later, the second three 6.1 inch shells reached the ATC vessels. The first round exploded against the port side hull of the Supply-class cargo ship near the middle of the ship. The explosion left a burning hole in the side of the ship. The second round hit the hull of the ship near the first, obviously, and left a second burning hole. The third round however, penetrated the hull and exploded internally. The explosion must have started fires inside the vessel because smoke began to billow out of the entry hole.

The rounds from Cäsar reached the vessels moments later. The first 18.1-inch shell hit the flight deck of the carrier near the bow and exploded on impact. The explosion left a huge hole in the deck, making it nearly impossible for aircraft to be launched using the primary catapults. The second round hit the flight deck further back near the island and again exploded on impact.

The explosion left another enormous hole in the deck, which rendered the secondary catapults useless. The third round penetrated the flight deck further back but continued until it exploded as it exited the bottom of the hull near the screws. The explosion rendered the massive carrier unmaneuverable and immobile. Fires broke out on the flight deck and moments later, ATC sailors could be seen trying to extinguish the blaze that was threatening to set the entire flight deck ablaze from bow to stern.

While Athena retrained and reloaded her guns, we waited for the ATC reply. The battlecruiser was the first one to give a reply as it launched its remaining three operational type 53 torpedoes while its three ATC attack helicopters roared into the air. Meanwhile, the remaining four patrol boats regrouped and began to close on Athena so they could get below the minimum elevation of her big guns. I heard the whirring of her AA armament as she prepared to defeat the counter attack.

Moments later, the air around the battleship was filled with flak bursts from her starboard side 12.7 cm turrets and machine gun fire from her starboard side 25mm guns as the helicopters closed in as they fired their Gatling guns and bunker busting missiles. The first few missiles hit the water but the remaining four exploded against her hull, the top of Anton, the top of Bruno, and between the barrels of her fore 6.1-inch turret.

The modern, specialized warheads of the bunker busting missiles easily penetrated the World War 2 era armor on the turrets. The explosions vibrated the hull slightly and opened up the turrets like can openers; rendering them nonoperational. Moments later, the three torpedoes impacted against her starboard hull. Enormous columns of water erupted into the air and the entire ship rocked so violently that we were thrown off our feet.

Athena's secondary armament tore into the helicopters seconds later and the three annoying pests were ripped to shreds. The chunks of the helicopters landed in the water as trails of flame followed them. Athena began to list heavily to starboard. Thinking that the battleship had been mortally wounded, the ATC vessels slowed and ceased their evasive maneuvers as they started to regroup around the incapacitated carrier to offer aid.

Amara cried out, "Athena, no!"

I smiled before I assured her, "Have faith sweetie."

She looked up at me and sniffled before she said, "Bu…but…daddy, lo…look…at…her." She put her head in her hands and started to cry.

However, the Imperial Japanese Navy marching song started to play over Athena's intercom and Amara looked up with a look of bewilderment. The song got louder and louder until it was nearly deafening and I was sure that the ATC sailors could hear it. As the song continued, Athena's list corrected itself and the broken sections of railing on the deck around where the torpedoes had impacted the hull began to repair themselves. The groaning of warping and stretching metal could barely be heard over the song of her creators as the turrets repaired themselves.

Alma commented, "She is certainly dramatic isn't she?"

I laughed darkly in response. Amara asked, "How…?"

I explained, "The heart and soul of a nation can never die, not as long as its sons and daughters can still draw breath."

The confused ATC sailors did not understand what was happening and thus failed to respond in time. With the song still playing, Anton, Bruno fired their six rounds in quick succession. Seconds later, she fired her fore 6.1-inch turret and then her aft 6.1-inch turret. Finally, seconds later, she fired Cäsar.

By then, the rounds from Anton and Bruno had reached the ATC vessels. The first round penetrated the hull of the battlecruiser, which had turned ninety degrees and exposed her entire starboard side to Athena, below the waterline near the stern and exploded internally. The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth round did the same as they ripped open the battlecruiser's starboard hull in a line.

The once mighty Kirov-class guided missile cruiser began to capsize and shortly afterwards, a massive explosion, likely caused by the detonation of its munition storage for the AK 130 130mm (5.1-inch) turret, erupted into the sky as a mushroom cloud. The remains of the battlecruiser quickly sank beneath the surface of the ocean as smoke continued to billow up from the fire that was still burning inside the shattered hull.

Meanwhile, the rounds from her fore and aft 6.1-inch turrets had reached the enemy ships. The first round exploded inside one of the patrol boats, which broke in half as a result. The second round penetrated the hull of the patrol boat that had been moored next to the now sinking one below the waterline and exploded internally. The third round penetrated the patrol boat and lit off its munition storage for its 25mm autocannon. The resulting explosion further demolished both patrol boats, which quickly disappeared beneath the surface of the ocean. The rounds from the aft turret caused near mirror image results and the last two patrol boats went down.

Moments later, the rounds from Cäsar reached their target. The already struggling 45,000-ton cargo vessel had no chance to survive the onslaught. The first round penetrated the starboard side of its hull near the stern and exploded deep with the ship. The explosion blew off the ship's stern, which began to sink beneath the surface of the water. Meanwhile, the rest of the ship began to rise up into the air bow first. The second round penetrated the sinking vessel's hull amidships and exploded internally.

The explosion further broke the vessel apart, which began to sink in three pieces. The final round penetrated the hull of the bow section of the ship, which was already perpendicular with the surface of the water. The explosion blew off the very front of the ship. The separated section fell away from the rest of the segment of the hull and hit the water as it ejected a huge column of water around it.

The carrier was now alone and defenseless against the powerful armament of Athena. I felt the vibration of her engines as she turned so that she was on a course that would take her within yards of the carrier. Meanwhile, whirring filled the air as she retrained her guns to their noncombatant position. We closed in on the port side of the burning, defenseless carrier agonizingly slow with the Imperial Japanese Navy marching song still blaring. I understood why Athena was tormenting one of the ships whose World War 2 ancestors had rung the requiem bell for not only her mother country, her battleship brethren all over the world, but also for her as well.

Her last mission, Operation Ten-Go, was a suicide mission that had her and a handful of useless smaller vessels facing off against the entire 1500 ship strong American Fifth Fleet. The Japanese only gave her enough fuel for a one-way trip and her orders were to "fight until destroyed". The Americans detected her almost immediately. They had sent nearly 400 aircraft against her. No surface vessel in the history of mankind would have had a chance to survive such an onslaught of never ending waves of dive bombers, torpedo bombers, and fighters without the protection of air cover. Even her mighty 18.1-inch guns, her thousands of tons of armor, and her 1,000+ watertight compartments were no match for the airborne assault.

Yet, she had survived for nearly two hours without any air cover. It had taken twelve bombs and seven torpedoes to sink her. Unlike her sisters Shinano and Musashi, even as she capsized and began to sink, she refused to go quietly. In one final act of defiance, the largest battleship in history self-destructed in a massive mushroom cloud towering nearly four miles into the air that was seen one hundred and twenty miles away.

She took nearly all of her crew with her. Only 269 of her crew survived. It was 2:23 P.M. on April 7, 1945. The last hope for the Japanese Empire was gone. They truly believed that as long as the Yamato could still fight, they could never be conquered. When she succumbed to the juggernaut of the American industrial might, all hope for winning a war that was already all but over went down with her.

Finally, as the other side of the eye wall was only a mile away, we pulled even with the once proud carrier with only a hundred yards between us. Athena cut her engines and she slowed to a stop. On the flight deck, the fire was burning out of control near the bow. I saw the damage control teams desperately trying to fight back the blaze, but it seemed like one of Athena's rounds had rendered the pump system nonoperational because the fire hoses had been abandoned. With only fire extinguishers, the situation was all but hopeless for the crew. Upon seeing Athena positioned a hundred yards off their port side, the crew threw down their extinguishers and ran for cover.

As if she was enjoying herself, Athena began to blast her foghorn while firing sporadic and brief bursts of machine gun fire at the side of the helpless giant. The song playing on over the intercom changed to Kimigayo, the national anthem of the Empire of Japan, and Alma said, "Michael, look." She pointed at where the ship flew her flags.

I looked and saw that the Replica flag had been replaced by the Nisshōki, the national flag of Japan, and it was waving proudly. I nodded and looked back at the carrier as I said, "Ah, I see…ATC is an American based company. All these vessels were manufactured by an enemy of Japan while she was still serving in the Imperial Japanese Navy…the Soviet Union and the United States. Put ATC and these ships together and you make for one pissed off Yamato."

An ATC sailor emerged out of the black smoke and approached the edge of the flight deck. In his hands, he carried a pipe with a white piece of fabric attached to it. When he reached the edge of the deck, he started to wave the pipe over his head to signal that the ship was surrendering. However, Athena gunned down the man with a burst from one of her machine guns. As the man cried out and fell over the side, I commented, "And now they are cowards in her eyes."

I addressed the immortal battleship, "Athena, I will not pretend or claim to know your feelings for this ship, its crew, and what they represent. I have never experienced what happened to you and your motherland so I cannot understand how it feels. So, I am in no position to tell you what to do. My qualm is with the board member. All I ask is that he dies…how, I leave up to you. That is all I have to say." Whirring could be heard over the sound of the Japanese national anthem as she took aim at the burning supercarrier with her 18.1-inch main guns and her 6.1-inch secondary guns.

At the range of one hundred yards, Athena unleashed a full broadside into the carrier. The three rounds from Cäsar blew off the carrier's bow. The aft 6.1-inch turret's rounds exploded against the hull and left gaping, fiery holes in the carrier's side. The fore 6.1-inch turret's rounds exploded against the hull and left similar gaping, fiery holes. The three rounds from Bruno penetrated the hull amidships and exploded within the ship.

The explosions ignited the aviation fuel tanks. The resulting massive explosion snapped the spine of the ship and broke the ship in two at the middle of the island. Only the keel at the bottom of the ship was holding the two sides together. The three rounds from Anton blew off the stern of the carrier. I was shocked by the level of devastation. Athena and her "obsolete" mighty guns had reduced the $14 million technological marvel supercarrier to a smoldering coffin with a single broadside.

As we watched with macabre fascination, the bow and stern quickly sank beneath the surface of the ocean. The force of the invading water caused the two sections of the ship to pull further apart. The screech of metal and cries of dying ATC sailors filled the air as the jagged sections of the hull formed a kind of pyramid for a moment. By that time, Anton, Bruno, and Cäsar had been reloaded. Athena concentrated her aim on the sinking remnant of the carrier and then fired one last broadside with her main battery. Like a plate being dropped onto the floor, the explosions shattered the hull into fragments.

With a column of smoke billowing into the air, the remains of the carrier slipped beneath the surface of the ocean. I saw no survivors amongst the debris field and besides, if there were any, the approaching hurricane would take care of them. The ATC naval force was no more. As the last piece of the carrier disappeared from view, Athena gave off a prolonged blast from her horn as she fired her machine guns and flak cannons into the air.

When she finally simmered down, she repositioned her guns into their noncombatant position. Her intercom went silent and her Japanese flag was replaced by the Replica flag. I said, "Let's go home." The ship vibrated as her engines activated. She turned her bow towards Sparta and increased her speed to "ahead standard".

I looked at the people around me and said, "Come on, let's get below before we reenter the hurricane." They nodded and we left the observation deck. Later, while Athena was powering her way through the hurricane with a noticeable "bounce in her step", I was visiting Stokes in the infirmary. As I sat across from the hospital bed in a worn chair, the onboard Replica medical officer was finishing his examination of her. I gazed at her pale body that had been covered by the thin hospital blanket with worry. Her skin was still grey in some spots and dark rings were under her closed eyes.

Finally, the Replica walked over to me and informed me, "Nothing to worry about, sir. The stress did not cause any permanent damage and her quick recovery is remarkable. As soon as she wakes up, she should be good to go…though I would recommend letting her rest for a few days."

I nodded before I said, "Thank you, trooper." He nodded in response before he left the room. I stood and started to leave but a stirring from Stokes caused me to stop. I looked back to see that her eyes had opened. I turned to face her as I said, "Stokes…"

She looked up at me with an ashamed look on her face. She looked away as she said, "I'm sorry."

Confused, I asked, "Sorry? For what?" I went to stand next to the right side of her bed.

She continued to look away as she replied, "I nearly caused a failure of the mission…I let my guard down."

I said, "So…you do remember what happened."

She nodded before she said, "I was aware of what I was doing, but I couldn't stop myself…"

I sat down on the edge of the bed before I assured her, "It's okay Keira. I do not hold it against you."

She shook her head as she replied, "I was useless against Fettel and I am useless now."

Shocked, I reached over with my left arm and cupped my left hand around her right arm. As she looked up at me, I said, "You are not useless."

She shook her head and replied, "Yes I am."

Before I could say something comforting, I heard Alma say, "Let me try Michael." I looked to see Alma approaching the left side of the bed in her seductive form.

Alarmed, I asked, "Alma, what the Hell are you doing?" She gave me an evil smirk before she turned to look down at Stokes. The blonde operative looked around with a confused expression. I nearly face palmed when I remembered that Stokes could not see Alma. The Queen must have allowed her to see Alma when she was possessing her. After gazing at Stokes for a moment, Alma used her mind to remove the blanket that was covering her.

Stokes started to cry out, but Alma placed her left hand around the back of Stokes's neck and pulled her in close. Stokes's cries were muffled as Alma placed her mouth over the blonde operative's and kissed her deeply. As Alma used her left arm to pull Stokes into a sitting position in a kind of embrace, her right arm lowered down towards Keira's shaven womanhood slowly as the fingers of her right hand were just barely gliding over the surface of the operative's creamy skin. I wanted to intervene and get Alma away from Stokes but I was too shocked by the sight to move.

As Alma continued to kiss Stokes, her fingers began to tease the Delta soldier's womanhood, first by rubbing and then by inserting her fingers. By the time that she had opened Stokes up enough to fit four of her fingers into her orifice, she retracted from the operative's mouth. A trial of saliva briefly connected their mouths before Alma guided the submissive woman to rest her head against her left shoulder.

With Stokes looking up at where she assumed Alma's face was, Alma extracted her right hand and brought it up to Stokes's mouth. She inserted her hand into the soldier's mouth and let her suck the juice off her digits. Alma looked at me as she continued to caress the blonde soldier. She smirked at me before she said, "Such a good little girl. So responsive and tight. Come Michael…"

Despite being aroused by the sight of both Stokes sucking Alma's hand and her wet womanhood, I shook my head as I said, "No Alma…" My goddess frowned briefly before she pouted. Again, I shook my head.

She sighed before she said, "Stop being a prude…come on, she thinks that this is a dream."

I shook my head before I explained, "It's not that…I told you that I would never betray you…even if you consented."

Alma gave me a slight smile before she smirked again. Confused, I watched as my goddess dissolved into a cloud of ash. Before the cloud completely disappeared from view, it moved to envelope Stokes briefly. As it disappeared, Stokes sighed and sank back onto the bed. Worried, I asked quietly, "Kei…Keira?"

She turned her head in my direction and slowly opened her eyes. I cried out when I saw the fiery golden orbs that had replaced Stokes's blue eyes. I stood and drew my .44 magnum from its holster. As I aimed at Keira's head, I said with an angry voice, "Damn it Alma! You've killed her!" Alma, in Keira's body, threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood.

I backed away slightly while keeping my revolver aimed dead steady at the possessed operative. Alma shook Stokes's head before she said with her normal voice, which was disturbing to hear coming from Stokes, "No I haven't. Unlike my son, I actually know how to subjugate the people that I possess properly. I am not draining her life force Michael. She is alright. Don't you trust me?"

I scowled before I replied, "You are possessing one of my friends you bitch!"

She smiled as she slowly walked towards me. I cocked the hammer of my revolver as I started to back away. She asked with a low voice, "Bitch? I haven't heard you call me that, and mean it, in a long time. Does it bring back memories my love?"

I replied, "Get the Hell away from me." She laughed as she reached out to take my sidearm away from me. I tried to pull the trigger but I was unable to either from indecision, fright, or not wanting to harm Stokes. Alma hushed me as she gently took the stainless steel revolver from my grasp placed it off to the side.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in to kiss her. My guilt was quickly replaced by the pleasurable feeling I was getting from our embrace. Moments later, I gave in and placed my right hand around the back of the possessed operative's neck while I lowered my left hand to grasp her toned right buttocks.

Eventually, Alma pushed me away and gave me a victorious smirk. I scowled in response before I roughly grabbed her and forced her to lie on the bed on her back with her legs dangling over the side. She started to say something but I placed my right hand over her mouth. As she gave off muffled noises and glared at me with a look of mock anger, I took a moment to gaze upon Stokes's exposed body. She was not as arousing as Alma but she was certainly attractive. In my mind, I heard Alma taunt me, "Come on you pussy." I growled as I used my mind to dissolve the clothing surrounding my frame. With my member already fully erect, I roughly penetrated the wet orifice.

I held in the cry of shock as I was amazed by how warm and tight Stokes was. Alma was just as tight but she was not anywhere near as warm as Stokes was. At first, I moved slow so I could feel her warmth properly, but then Alma reached up and wrapped her hands around my throat. She leaned in close and said in a low threatening voice that was laced with lust, "You only make love to me. You fuck little sluts."

After that, things get a little blurry but I do remember trashing the room as we fought against each other to see who could last the longest. I do remember slamming Alma against the steel bulkhead of the wall and forcing her to gag on my member. I do not remember which one of us broke the bed though. The next thing I remember distinctly is holding Alma against my chest with my right hand around her throat as I thrust my member back and forth inside her rectum.

She gasped out, "Agh…fuck…come on…you…pussy…is that…al…agh…all…you've got?"

I growled, "Shut your fucking mouth you bitch."

She purred before she replied, "Yeah…I'm a bitch…now, come on, fuck me like…agh…one…pussy."

Her taunts pushed me over the edge. I could not hold back any longer. I cried out as I released inside her rectal cavity. She moaned as I held her tighter and filled her. After a moment of catching our breath, I released her from my grasp. She walked over to the broken bed and used her mind to repair it. When the bed was once again usable, she lay down and pulled the blanket back over her body. She closed her eyes and I was confused until I saw the cloud of ash leave Stokes's body. The cloud traveled to the center of the room before me and reformed into her seductive form.

She smiled at me as she reached behind her with her right hand. When she brought her hand back up, I saw white residue on the end of her index finger. She winked at me as she put her finger into her mouth. After a moment, she retracted her finger and then giggled as she disappeared.

"Sir? Wake up." I opened my eyes to find that I was still sitting in the chair and that Stokes was still sound asleep in the bed. Alpha 1 stood before me.

I smiled weakly as I said, "I'm awake. I must have fallen asleep while I was waiting for Stokes to wake up."

He nodded before he said, "Sir, Athena reports that we will be arriving at Sparta in half an hour."

I replied, "Copy that, let's get to the bridge."

He said, "Yes, sir." I was relieved that the whole thing with Alma and Stokes had just been another one of my episodes. However, as I stood, I realized that a familiar weight was missing from my right leg. I glanced down and nearly cursed when I saw that my revolver was not in its holster.

After swallowing hard, I looked around and saw it lying on top of the seat of the chair next to me. I reached over and picked it up. Beneath it, I saw a little note from Alma. As I read it, my dread and shame returned.

It read,

Thank you for being a dirty little boy Michael. We should do it again sometime. Next time though, you might not want to lose your magnum. Took Amara back to Sparta because it was time for her to wake up. Can't wait to see you when you get back.

-Alma