Admiral Goto POV
Date: 01/25/15
I'm concerned. Not worried mind you but concerned. There's been no abyssal activity for the last three weeks and that's just not like them. I've taken advantage of course just like the whole base has the fleet girls are using this time to polish their skills and help train our newest girls and I've used it to thin out the mountain of paperwork on my desk the navy just loves their paperwork. The abysssals have not been completely quiet as they have launched multiple harassing attacks against Yokosuka. That's not much of a problem by its self as they do little damage but its got the diet and my superior, Fleet Admiral Jakuchu, worried enough that they've ordered me to keep our heavest girls at Yokosuka where they're sure the abyssals plan to attack. I don't agree but my reasoning went unheard they haven't fought the abyssals and don't know their behavior as I do and stopping all large raids on shipping and launching skirmishing attacks isn't their MO. Rear Admiral Jojima, the Commander of Ominato Naval district, agrees with me. Ominato Naval district has just recently built their summing pools and their fleet only consists of a handful of fleet girls the largest being a light cruiser he's convinced the abyssals are pinning Yokosuka down so they can attack his much weaker force without worry from possible counter-attacks and might use it as a staging point for an invasion of the home islands. He brought this to the attention of his superiors but they waved off his concerns citing the lack of abyssal activity around Ominato.
I've dispatched Ro-33, Ro-34, Ro-35, Ro-39, Ro-60, and Ro-61 to scout for a possible abyssal fleet. If they don't find one great if they do I can send reinforcements to Ominato or launch a preemptive attack before they become a threat.
Ro-36 POV
This. Weather. Sucks. The rough seas, heavy clouds, and light rain make this scouting mission considerably more difficult than it should be. On the plus side, I should be practically invisible to them on the downside, that goes both ways and with these sea conditions, I'll be fortunate to spot even the largest ship silhouette. I'm very tempted to call this search off and continue tomorrow when the weather is more favorable if the abyssals are out here there's a high chance I won't be able to spot them.
"Hey! Hey, hey."
"An encoded message from who?" Maybe I won't be calling this off.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey."
Yeah, definitely not returning now my sister, Ro-37, just reported seeing smoke on the horizon. She closed in and confirmed they're ships heading toward me at a speed of fourteen knots. She couldn't get an exact number of ships before she had to dive but she confirmed at least one dreadnought battleship. That's worrying as we've only seen pre-dreadnoughts before. If they stay their course and speed they'll reach me in eight hours and Japan's coastline is just 300 nautical miles away. I can't draw any solid conclusions without more information but this might be part of an invasion force. Trusting she already alerted the Admiral I began to move into a better position to spot the ships as they passed. Now I play the waiting game.
The taskforce definitely increased speed from their last point of contact they're moving at about eighteen knots now and have changed their heading. The weather still isn't great and I can just make out their destroyer escorts and their new course takes them away from Japan's coastline but towards Hokkaido. If this is part of a task force heading for Hokkaido I need to shadow them and report back to Admiral Goto on their numbers. Lowering the scope and diving to twenty-four meters (80 ft) I tailed the task force by using my hydrophones and with the weather as it is I'll be nearly impossible to detect with sonar and there's a chance they won't be equipped with it still being cautious is a good idea.
Rear Admiral Jojima POV
This lull in action is very beneficial for the base even if it does have me weary. We've finished getting the base fully operational a week ago and already have a small fleet girl force consisting of two light cruisers, a dozen destroyers, and four submarines along with various support ships more than enough to defend convoys in our jurisdiction. The girls are short on one vital thing though, experience. Sure they train their gunnery accuracy, fleet movements, and tactics along with mock battles but training will only get you so far. The destroyers are eager for action and less so the cruisers but all of them are anxious to a degree; they've heard about how aggressive the abyssals are so with no contact for so long I can see why they would be. They're not the only ones Admiral Goto agrees with me that the abyssals are planning something he just doesn't know what. He's not entirely convinced the abyssals plan to invade but does agree if they do they'll attack Ominato to cover their invasion.
It's hard to believe we're at war with how calm things have been but there's always calm before the storm the question is how we'll weather it.
'Ring, ring, ring, ring... ring, ring, ring, ring.'
"Admiral Jojima speaking."
"Jojima its Goto I have some information you need to hear," That's concerning.
"Ro-37 reported seeing a possible abyssal surface action group just over seven and a half hours ago. A few minutes ago we decoded a transmission from Ro-36 reporting that she'd reacquired the task force and that they changed course toward Hokkaido. She's shadowing them now in case they lead her to a larger force it's a real possibility they plan to hit Hokkaido," He reported.
"Did she confirm the composition of the force?"
"No, but we have reason to believe at least one dreadnought battleship is present."
"A dreadnought. You know if that thing attacks there's very little I can do about it. One of the girls might get lucky with a torpedo but if it has proper escort they'll never get close."
"I know, I'm gonna contact Fleet Admiral Jakuchu and see if I get some reinforcements to Hokkaido. I'll let you know how it goes."
I stood up from my desk and walked over to the window overlooking the entire naval base and sighed. The abyssals are going to attack that's fairly certain the question is when and what numbers will they bring. I can dispatch my submarines to search the waters around Hokkaido maybe with a few destroyers to cover a wider area faster and I can try to summon more fleet girls.
The summoning pools were built exactly how the fleet girls said they should but there's no guarantee the summoning will work or what type of girl will be summoned. Some progress has been made on how to increase the chance of the summoning working such as pouring fuel oil into the pool at a specific time during the ritual but that doesn't guarantee that it will work. With this margin of error, Admirals are given full authority on when to try and summon. I'll need more supplies brought in but I don't think it'll cause too much of a problem.
With a plan in mind, I ordered the submarines I had along with the destroyers Minekaze, Sawakaze, and Okikaze to report to my office I didn't have to wait long.
"You wanted to see us sir," Minekaze said. Her sisters stood beside her and the submarines I-51, I-152, I-153, and I-159 stood to their left all of them standing at attention.
"At ease. I just got word from Goto an abyssal surface fleet has been spotted and they're heading towards us. Minekaze, Sawakaze, and Okikaze will search the waters within two hundred nautical miles of Hokkaido while I-51, I-152, I-153, and I-159 will search the waters from two hundred to four hundred nautical miles. Understood?"
"Yes sir!"
"Sir, how large is this surface group?" Minekaze asked.
"I don't have exact numbers but at least one dreadnought makes up the composition."
"A dreadnought!?" Okikaze exclaimed worry written across her face.
"A Dreadnought! Oh, its gonna be so much fun sinking that son of a bitch!" Sawakaze shouted in glee.
"Please, that thing will be sunk long before you even see it." I-153 smugly declared.
"Ladies, I believe you have a job to do," I needed to intervene before this broke out into a full-fledged argument.
"Will get it done sir. Come on girls," Ah, Minekaza always the serious one.
"Yeah, we have to show these lewdmarines how superior destroyers are," Sawakaze yelled.
"Seriously," I-51 said in a deadpan tone.
"Ladies!"
"Right, sorry Admiral. Come on you two."
"Hey! Minekaza that hurts!"
As the three sisters made their way out with the four submarines right behind him I sighed in relief that I wouldn't hear another one of their arguments and began to make the preparations needed for a summoning.
Ise POV
The thundering of guns grew louder as I headed to the training grounds for the fleet girls. With no activity from the abyssals, I volunteered to help train the new fleet girls with Kawachi and Sendai. I've talked with the two of them a few times and they're easy to get along with along as you don't try and prank them; I still feel sorry for those destroyers no one should have to suffer through that and now they talk to them like they're walking on eggshells. It was the first time I got so see the flip side of their personality and it was not pretty. Thankfully that was only a special occasion they may run the girls ragged but they have their best interests at heart.
The only reason I don't have to go through it is that Kawachi found my performance during my first battle acceptable that didn't mean I slacked in my own training though as Kawachi seems to have higher expectations of me probably because other than her I'm the only battleship we have.
Arriving at the training grounds I found what I had come to expect: Mock battles, gunnery practice, torpedo practice, fleet actions, evasive actions fairly standard affair. One thing that stood out to me though was a four on four mock battle with each side having a light cruiser and three destroyers. The reason this interested me? Kawachi herself is observing the battle.
Curious, usually Sendai trains the girls in anything fleet related. Deciding this needed further investigation I made my way over to where she stood which allowed an elevated view of the battle. As I got closer she turned her head and greeted me with a simple nod as I stood beside her.
"So what's got you so interested in this battle you usually leave the fleet training to Sendai," I said while the two of us continued to watch the battle. Not looking away she replied.
"True, but they've managed to impress Sendai so I want to see how good they are personally."
"And if they meet your standards?"
A full smile spread across her face when she answered, "Why that would spoil the surprise."
I sent her a look. Anytime she says something about a surprise in training its never good. Some of the girls started callings these 'surprises from hell' an accurate statement.
She noticed my look, "Nothing like that Ise, although if they don't impress me I'll make them pay for wasting my time."
Yeah, I'm really glad I don't have to train with her. I felt a cold shiver go down my spine at her gleeful tone of voice; I feel sorry for the poor bastard who incurs her wrath.
"Will Task Force fifty-two report to Admiral Goto's office."
"Well see you around Kawachi."
"Kick the abyssals asses for me Ise," She hollered over her shoulder.
Task Force fifty-two is one of the first to be put together at Yokosuka second only to Task Force fifty which Kawachi leads. It consists of me, Furutaka, Kako, Karukaya, her sisters Fuyo and Sanse along Aoi, and Hishi. Furutaka is the Force leader but since I'm a battleship and likely to receive my own command shes put me in charge of most of our training battles so I can get some experience and with her's and Sendai's help I've gotten better at leading the Task Force.
Meeting up with Karukaya and her sister Fuyo the three of us entered Goto's office where the rest of the task force was waiting for us.
"We're all here sir. What do you need us for."
"Thirty minutes ago Ro-36 reported an enemy surface action group heading toward Hokkaido with one possible dreadnought battleship. Fleet Admiral Jakuchu approved my request to dispatch reinforcements in case they plan to attack and that's where you come in. Task Force fifty-two's objective is to reinforce the Ominato naval base and to assist in the defense of Hokkaido if the abyssals attack. I haven't heard from Ro-36 since her last report so we have no idea how large the abyssal force might be which makes your mission that much more important. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Good you deport in thirty. Godspeed."