I do not own Azur Lane nor any radio messages from the historic bikini atoll footage
July 25th 1946
Bikini Atoll
Saratoga walked onto the bridge of her ship, he had finished one last inspection of her ship. "The final switches have been thrown, no-one can stop it." a voice said over her radio, she looked towards the window. "the atomic bomb is about to explode."
"Firing time!" a man said. "Four, three, two, one."
Enterprise shields her eyes as she stands there as the bomb explodes sending a huge column of water into the air.
A bright flash overtakes Saratoga as Saratoga herself is blinded by the bright flash.
A mass of steam, sand and blasted coral starts racing up into a spray dome.
They watch on as a tsunami wave at 94 feet high crashed into the Saratoga, knocking the blind ship-girl to the floor
Saratoga can hear her mooring chains snap one by one.
Feeling her ship moving all by itself, she tries to stumble onto the flight deck as wave after wave washes over the flight deck further irradiating her flight deck.
Looking down at her radiation-exposed skin, she starts coughing up and stumbles towards the edge of the deck as another wave washes her and an avenger torpedo-bomber over the side.
Saratoga hits the radioactive seawater, she looks towards the sky as brown sand and coral vaporised by the blast start raining down on her ship.
Enterprise watching ran off, grabbing a boat and some rope and ties it to around herself then called on her worn war-weary rig, she jumped off the ship, "Enterprise wait!" a man called.
Enterprise ran into the maelstrom not caring if she is irradiated, "Independence, Nevada, Arkansas, Pensacola, Salt-Lake City shout out so I can find you!" she said loudly.
"Over here, Enterprise," Nevada cried.
Enterprise finds Independence, Nevada, Arkansas, Pensacola and Salt-Lake City amassed together, she helps them into the boat.
Nagato, Prince Eugen if you can hear me please shout out!" Enterprise called.
"Koko ni!-cough-cough-Koko ni!" Nagato shouted Enterprise hearing her rush to where the noise was, seeing the former Sakura Empire ship-girl, helping her into the boat.
"Hier drüben!" Eugen screamed, Enty hearing the screams, hurried over, finding the Iron Blood heavy cruiser and helps Prince Eugen into the boat.
She rushes back, "Vestal save them please." Enterprise begged, then with no hesitation turned around to go back out and find Saratoga.
Smashing away falling sand and coral, she sees Saratoga floating in the water, she picks the wounded, irradiated ship-girl out of the water. "Enty."
"Sara, hold on I'm gonna get you to Vestal." The grey ghost responded pulling the boat near only for debris to smash it, Enterprise pulled her up into her arms.
"Enty, it's too late for me," Saratoga said weakly.
"No it's not Saratoga." the Eagle Union carrier said starting her return,
"Enty why?" Saratoga asked, her strength was fading.
"I couldn't leave you, you and Vestal keep me from going over the edge, I need you Saratoga," Enterprise said, tears rolling down her face.
"My cube is damaged and won't last," Saratoga said growing weaker.
She comes back but Vestal looks upset, "Vestal."
"I'm sorry Enterprise but Arkansas's dead, Nagato and Prince Eugen are not going to make it, I'm gonna make them as comfortable as possible but I can't save them," Vestal's words didn't help how Enterprise felt.
Saratoga coughs again.
Men wearing hazmat suits, "Come on let's get you girls cleaned up,"
Later
Enterprise in an isolation chamber with Saratoga next to her, "Saratoga how do you feel?"
"Terrible," Saratoga moaned.
She coughs and Enterprise walked, "Hey, don't cry, you'll see me again soon, what's the time."
"8 minutes past 4 in the afternoon," Enterprise replied when she heard the beeping monitor flatline.
"Saratoga no!" she screamed, bursting into tears.
She cried as Doctors in hazmat suits rushed in,
"The USS Saratoga sank at eight minutes past 4:00 Bikini time, seven hours and 33 minutes after the atomic bomb had dealt her the death blow." a man over the radio.
Just as Vestal said, Nagato passed on the night of the 29th and 30th of July 1946.
Prince Eugen died three days before Christmas, after getting through 1947 into 1948, Salt Lake City, Nevada and Pensacola all passed away.
As the 1950s dawned, Vestal working with the irradiated ship-girls died of radiation-induced illness, Enterprise watched the funeral from afar as she decided what to do.
As early 1951 started, Independence died and was buried at sea.
In Eagle Union HQ
Enterprise walked into the chief of the Admiralty's office, slamming a piece of paper down on the table, "What is this?" the admiral asked.
"My letter of resignation," Enty said somewhat resigned.
"Enterprise why?" he asked.
Enterprise sighed, "I'm tired, I want to go out on my own terms in peace as my ship is too worn out to be saved, so just let me live my final years in peace please."
"My sisters are dead, my best friend is dead and now the only person who could help me keep my demons at bay is gone, so I want this sir."
The admiral composed himself, "Enterprise I'm willing to offer you a house on a quiet Hawaiian island where you can live till your ship is broken up, you'll be given enough provisions to survive as long as you need, does that satisfy you?"
"It does." She said.
"Goodbye sir." the grey ghost said, turning to leave.
Weeks later
Enterprise stepped onto the island, she had a simple white bikini and headed inside her new home.
1st of July 1958
Enterprise lay in her bed, she could feel her ship as it lay on the breakers, settling in her bed and making herself comfortable.
She took her final breath and closed her eyes letting the darkness overtake her.
October 3rd 2022
Azur Lane Base
Enterprise's eyes snapped open, she sat suddenly, "Enterprise! Enterprise! take it easy." a voice said making the grey ghost look to her right seeing Vestal holding her,
"Vestal you're alive," Enty said happily hugging the repair ship,
"She's not the only one," a second voice spoke as Hornet, Yorktown, Wasp and Saratoga came in, Enterprise jumped out of the bed, getting the four into a big hug.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Enterprise cried each held her as she cried into Yorktown's coat.
"It's alright Enterprise, you did what you could, but it couldn't be helped, but some more people want to talk with you," Hornet said as Independence, Nevada, Arkansas, Pensacola, Salt Lake City, Nagato and Prince Eugen entered.
"Hi." Enty stammered.
"Well Enterprise, I want to say thank you for saving us at the Bikini Atoll," Nevada said joining the hug.
"Arigato gozaimasu Enterprise for saving me even though I died later," Nagato said as Enterprise broke out of the hugging the sakura empire super-dreadnought battleship.
"Likewise Danke schön Enterprise, Iron Blood holds a deep respect for you, willing to risk your life to save your former enemies." Prince Eugen said.
"Vestal can we take Enty and get something to eat."
"I think so, just help her settle in and take her to see the commander," Vestal said.
Enterprise's uniform was beside her bed.
After changing, she and her two sisters, Wasp, Vestal, Saratoga, Independence, Nevada, Arkansas, Pensacola, Salt-Lake City, Nagato and Prince Eugen headed for the canteen.
A/N
So this one-shot was inspired by Drains the Oceans Season 3 episode 2: the Atomic Ghost Fleet
Watching the drain the oceans season 3 the atomic Ghost Fleet, Looking at the wreck of USS Saratoga, the scale of the destruction is stunning, most of her flight deck from aft to amidships has basically collapsed in on itself and the place where her number 1 elevator is just totally destroyed and her funnel has fallen off
then the CGI recreation of how Saratoga was sunk is stunning just how the bomb ultimately did what two Japanese Type 95 torpedoes and five kamikazes could not
Anyway see ya next time
