The skies above the naval yard are clear where a battleship rests ready to be launched. Suddenly a crowd explodes in applause as a name echos throughout the shipyard and the ship is sent sliding stern first into the waves. A single figure stands proudly on the bow watching the crowd with a smile.
My eyes fluttered open and quickly shut when the bright light of the rising sun nearly blinded me. Rolling out of bed I rubbed my eyes and began to dress while my mind attempted to make sense of the... vision I had. It faded away like fog and focusing on it only made it hazier and after a few seconds, I couldn't recall a single detail despite how realistic it felt.
"Maybe Akashi can make sense of it." The rumbling of my stomach told me that would have to wait.
It's fairly early in the morning so the mess is practically deserted save for a couple of destroyers and a cruiser. Piling my plate with food I sat at an empty table and immediately started eating relived that no one even glanced my way. Three days ago this was a very different story.
"So, what do you think of Ominato so far," Furutaka asked.
She's leading me and her sister along with Karukaya and her two sisters to the mess hall for lunch after we explored the base.
"It has a lot of similarities with Yokosuka, although, it seems empty."
"I kinda expected it. They don't have the same fleet size as Yokosuka does," Kaka confessed.
"Yeah, it also explains why Goto wanted to get reinforcements here; if the abyssals do attack they'd need all the help they can get."
"If they do attack we'll send them running with their tails between their legs," Fuyo growled.
"Down girl," Sanse said with a smile much to Fuyo's annoyance.
The mess hall is as large as the one at Yokosuka and despite having a smaller force the amount of noise created would fool you into thinking its packed. Making our way down the line its obvious the cooks were warned about how much a battleship eats which I'm grateful for.
By the time I'm done piling food on my plate most of it was gone which didn't surprise anyone who knew me and we made our way over to Aoi and Hishi who saved a table. I was solely focused on eating for the first few minutes so I didn't notice that the mess had gone surprisingly quiet. I heard Karukaya gasp in surprise and Furutaka ask, "Hey, what's wrong?"
Looking up for a moment Karukaya had her head bent down avoiding eye contact with everyone which isn't like her, especially if its just the eight of us.
"Seems we've attracted some attention."
No longer solely focused on eating I wiped my mouth and looked at Furutaka, "What do you mean?"
"Look behind you."
Tilting my head in confusion I did and froze on the spot when I finally noticed that half of the mess is staring at me. I felt my face heat up like a volcano and quickly averted my eyes but could still feel their stares.
"Alright, that's it," Furutaka stood up and her voice turned to steel.
"Alright, what the hell is so interesting that caught all of your attention?" When she received no answer she continued. "Well I don't know how watching a battleship," she stressed that, "eat is more interesting then what you were talking about so how about we all go back to what we were doing and continue on with our day."
The feeling of being watched disappeared and my body began to relax.
"Thanks."
She smiled, "No problem."
"Yeah, no one can embarrass you but us," Taka added.
"Really?"
"Yep!" She said popping the p.
I shook my head and sighed but had a smile on my face non-the-less.
"Ise, Ise you there? Well, you asked for it."
"Ow! What'd you flick me for Taka?"
"Well, you didn't seem to hear me so I figured flicking you would get your attention," she said like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"It definitely did," I huffed.
"Heh, heh, yeah it did. So what's got you so distracted?"
"Nothing just glad I don't get stared at while I eat."
"Hey, I told you only WE have the right to embarrass you," Taka stated proudly. I could only roll my eyes, then she became serious, "I know we were sent here in case of an abyssal attack but I think Rear Admiral Jojima overacting with the patrols. What about you?"
"I'm not sure. I mean I can see where he's coming from but at the same time I don't think it warrants such a large response." Taka hummed whether in agreement or not I don't know.
"Enough about that. We'll let the Admirals worry about the strategies all we have to do is blast the abyssals to hell when they show up."
"Damn straight," with that we did a little toast and finished off our drinks in one go.
Furutaka pov
This is the third time in two days we've been sent out on war patrol and I'm starting to believe Rear Admiral Jojima is overreacting. The other girls have found no indication of abyssal activity around Ominato or Hokkaido and yet he still sends us out frequently and for longer periods of time, plus I'm down four girls with Kako and Ise back at base and Aoi and Hishi patrolling the waters around Wakkanai with two other destroyers.
"Hey, Furutaka I see gunfire. Bearing three-three-five," Karukaya reported.
"Gunfire," my spotters scanned the horizon looking for flashes... There!
"I got them. Range thirty-three thousand yards looks like destroyers. Form up ladies we're going in."
Closing in I noticed they seemed to be firing at the water which didn't make any sense. They're not being engaged so why would they be firing their guns... unless.
"They're engaging one of our submarines Karukaya, Fuyo close in and engage Sanse stay with me!"
"Yes ma'am!"
As the two sisters rapidly closed the distance I swung my aft around just enough to bring all my guns to bear and fired. The first salvo fell short and behind yet the abyssals didn't notice so my second salvo found its mark without a problem. Realizing they're under attack the destroyer at the rear turned and began to retreat while the other one charged headlong into the armor-piercing fire from the sisters. It didn't last long with multiple fires raging and its bridge destroyed it began to sink burning from bow to stern. The other destroyer used the time bought by its dead comrade to lay a smokescreen and try to break contact and we scored some hits but failed to do any real damage and it escaped.
"This is Furutaka unidentified submarine please respond."
Instead of responding by radio she surfaced and immediately I can tell she's seen some action. Her clothes are ragged, dark purple bruises cover her mid-section and dozens of shallow and deep cuts scare her body. Her left eye is swollen shut, and she has a hell of a wound on her head that's bleeding profusely. Despite this, she stood tall and proud refusing help from the sisters, although, they stayed close by.
"Ma'am I-51 reporting." Despite her wounds, she stood rigidly at attention.
"At ease. What do you have to report."
I could see her body relax slightly at the alternative position. "Ma'am I spotted fourteen ships, heavest being a dreadnought, six hours ago. They were one hundred and forty-five nautical miles off the coast of Nemuro. I would have called in but my radio malfunctioned."
Son of a bitch, "Alright, Sanse make sure she gets back to base I'll contact the Admiral and see want he wants us to do from here."
"Ma'am, all due respect I don't need an escort."
"This is not for discussion I can spare her and you're in no condition to dive or defend yourself. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am."
Rear Admiral Jojima pov
"Of course thanks for trying Goto."
Placing the phone on the reviver I leaned against my desk and sighed. Goto's hands are tied with no sign of the abyssals he can't send more reinforcements and with the summings being failures I'll just have to make do with the girls I have.
I've called off the other patrols scheduled for the rest of the day and decreased patrols for the rest of the week. With no sign of the abyssals the only thing I'm doing is wearing the girls out and using up valuable resources. There is one thing that has me concerned. I-51's last report stated she had entered her patrol zone that was eight hours ago and I haven't heard from her since.
The standard procedure for submarines is to contact command when they start their patrol and when they end their patrol. Most sub patrols last about eight hours and I-51 is as by the book as they come she wouldn't miss a report unless something had happened.
Ring ring ring ring.
"Jojima here."
"Sir, its Furutaka we just engaged two abyssals who were attacking I-51. She's in rough shape so Sanse is escorting her back to the base but she will live."
"That's good to hear."
"There's more sir. She reported seeing an abyssal task force consisting of fourteen ships six hours ago heaviest being a dreadnought. They were one hundred and forty-five nautical miles off the coast of Nemuro, radio problems prevented her from reporting in."
Shit. They could have crossed a lot of ocean in six hours and I don't have any ships in the area who can go up against a dreadnought.
"Understood Furutaka. I'll sortie Ise, Taka, and taskforce twelve toward Nemuro but it will be a day before they get there. I'll send whatever forces closest to provide support but it will not be much. You'll be in overall command and free to engage the abyssals as you see fit."
"Understood sir. We will do all we can."
Ise pov
"Attention, this is Rear Admiral Jijima I have just received information that an abyssal task force has been spotted off the coast of Nemuro. Taskforce fifty-two will merge with taskforce twelve and deport at fourteen-hundred hours. All forces will be on high alert and ready to sortie at a moment's notice. That is all."
"Finally, about time the abyssals show themselves," I said gleefully.
"We'll make them regret showing up," Taka said with a savage grin.
"Wait, he said we're sortieing with a different task force. I don't suppose you know any of the girls in taskforce 12?"
"Nope, shall we go meet them?"
"Lead the way."
For the next ten minutes, we asked around the base looking for taskforce twelve or their leader a light cruiser named Nagara until we were pointed toward the training grounds. Apparently, Nagara is the only girl in the task force who has seen combat so it makes sense she would be the leader. Just outside the main base, we found a ship girl pacing back and forth in annoyance.
"Hey, we're looking for Nagara have you seen her," Taka asked.
She stopped her pacing and asked, "You're task force fifty-two?"
"Yes. I'm Taka this is Ise."
"Nagara leader of taskforce twelve it's good to meet you two," she said with a nod.
"Who are you waiting for?"
"Well, now that you're here just my three destroyers they should be here- BANZAI!"
Spinning around I caught a glimpse of a white blur barreling out of the base before she slammed into me. Other than a slight tingling on my stomach I didn't feel a thing while the destroyer was knocked on her stern and rubbed her head in pain.
"Ughhhh did anyone get the name of that ship," she groaned as she shakily stood up.
"Akikaze what have I told you about watching where you're going!?"
"Wait, when did you tell me about that!?"
A very irate destroyer stormed through the door and marched right up to Akikaze, "You didn't listen!?"
"Noooooo?"
SLAP!
"OW! What the hell was that for Shiokaze!?"
"Maybe next time you'll listen to what I say!"
The three of us backed away from the argument and just watched not bothering to break it up.
"Fascinating to watch isn't it."
I jumped slightly at the sudden voice and turned to find yet another destroyer standing right beside me. She resembled the other two enough to be their sister but had a few key differences that defined her.
"Yeah, you could say that. Who are you?"
"Nokaze. The other two are Shiokaze and Akikaze."
"You're the lead ship of the Minekaze sub-class."
"Got it in one. Those two will tire soon their arguments are fierce but short."
"Well I'm not waiting on them come on you three lets go over the information we have and form a plan," Nagara announced beginning to walk away.
Nokaza fell in behind her and Taka shrugged before following them. Looking back at the arguing girls I sighed and followed Taka.
"This is gonna be interesting."