Ise POV

The base has been a hive of activity for the past half-hour and we're anxiously waiting for orders. All of us have our own little ways to keep ourselves occupied. The destroyers have formed small groups and are quietly talking with each other save for a few who are doing their own thing. The cruisers have done much the same except for Furutaka and Kinugasa; they're trying to form a battle plan with Fuso and I but with no information, it's very bare-bones at the moment.

As I hummed a little tune I suddenly felt uneasy like someone is watching me. Scanning the room I didn't notice anybody staring until my eyes settled on the podium and my gaze met hers. She's standing off to the side and didn't care about being noticed; something flickered across her face before she continued scanning the room silently evaluating everyone. She doesn't look like any Kanmusu I've seen.

"Furutaka, do you know who that is?"

"Who?" I nodded toward the mystery girl and Furutaka's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I don't know. When did she get here?"

The door opened and Vice Admiral Takeaki stepped up to the podium; he cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention and the room became silent.

"Sorry to keep you ladies waiting but lets get on to the briefing. One hour ago the destroyer Inazuma returned to port the Captain reported they were responding to a distress call from Okinawa. He reported that an hour later they received a communication from the Commander stating Okinawa was being bombarded and they were to search for the three Kanmusu who managed to escape. They rescued them a few hours later and all three of them are in critical condition; they lost consciousness before any information could be obtained about the abyssal force and we have received no communications from Okinawa or the Ogasawara islands. Yokosuka has already dispatched a task force to deal with Ogasawara so our focus will be on the retaking of Okinawa. With our lack of information on enemy forces, Kaga will be invaluable for the battle to come." He gestured to our mystery girl, now named Kaga, and she stood taller in response.

If I know my history, and I do, Kaga is an aircraft carrier. I didn't know we had summoned carriers and from Furutaka's expression neither did she.

"The plan is as follows. Taskforce ten will consist of Kaga, and Destroyer squadron fifteen. They will be screened by the Third fleet which will be thirty nautical miles ahead of them and Destroyer squadron eighteen which will be ten nautical miles ahead of them. Kaga will launch airstrikes against the fleet and attack the battleships if they are spotted. After this is completed her taskforce will disengage and Destroyer squadron eighteen will join the battle. If the plan works the enemy's main strike capacity will be destroyed or crippled and the main fleet can sweep in and finish them off. The main fleet will not engage until the airstrikes are completed that being said the taskforce Commanders have free rain to adapt the plan as the battle progresses, understood?"

"Understood!"

"Excellent, you move out in twenty."

"Our entire plan revolves around a single carrier we're putting a lot of faith in her," Fuso said.

"Well, we are talking about Kaga," Kinugasa pointed out.

"I still don't like it. The main fleet should engage first once we have the abyssal's attention we launch the airstrikes." She walked off and Kinugasa followed her I'm assuming they're going to tell Kaga about their revision to the plan.

"What do you think?"

Sighing, "I agree with Fuso, although, I see both sides of the argument."

I hissed in pain as a headache rapidly came on it feels like my head is splitting open. I rubbed my head in an attempt to lessen the pain but it only got worse and as my vision started to blur my headache disappeared as quickly as it came.

"What was that?" I directed the question to my crew but they don't have an answer. They started running checks looking for anything unusual while I tried to make sense of what the hell that was.

"Hey, Ise lets go."

Slightly shaking my head I saw Furutaka waiting for me looks like she didn't notice that... episode. Yeah, that's what I'll call it. Most of the girls have already left leaving just a few of us behind so we managed to avoid the traffic jam.

"Did Fuso and Kinugasa convince Kaga to revise the plan?"

"No, we're still proceeding with the original plan."

"Understood."

"Hey, are you alright," she asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You seemed zoned out a few minutes ago."

Damn, I guess she did notice. "I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About the plan?"

"Yes." I mean it isn't a complete lie.

"We'll be fine if we need to we can change the plan when the battle starts."

It's not the battle that has me worried.

Twenty-six hours later my navigation officer reported that we just passed the island of Amami Oshima we have officially entered enemy waters. As my spotters scanned the horizon looking for ship silhouettes my crew reported in. Damage control teams and gunnery crews are green; I tuned out the rest of the reports as those were the only two I wanted to hear personally.

A few minutes later the sound of radial engines drew my attention to the skies as a squadron of A5Ms flew over-head closely followed by a squadron of B5N torpedo bombers. Its strange to see A5Ms instead of the Zero fighter which is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of our carriers. I asked Kaga about that and she simply said she didn't have them. That didn't answer my question of why she didn't have them but she wasn't pleased about having A5Ms either so I dropped it. As the squadrons got further away it became silent across the taskforce once again occasionally broken by the ocean lapping at our feet.

Isuzu sailed up beside me after a time, "T-this is just a thought... but what if they have... carriers," she timidly asked.

"If they do we'll take care of it until then try not to worry yourself about it." She rapidly nodded obviously still worried. I squeezed her shoulder, "We'll be fine if they do have a carrier its squadrons won't get close Kaga will make sure of it." Some of her worry disappeared as she smiled. "That's the spirt now get back in formation don't want Furutaka yelling at us."

Once I knew she wouldn't hear me I sighed. She brings up a good point and I'm sure Furutaka and Fuso have asked the same question. Now that I think about it I hope they don't have carriers. We have shit for AA individually the formation we have makes it better but that's not saying much. I'm pretty sure half of our taskforce only has two AA guns to their name at best. If they do have a carrier it will fall on Kaga to destroy its planes and if they do get through we'll deal with them... somehow.

Fifteen minutes later we're still sailing toward Okinawa with no sign of the abyssals and no update on how the airstrikes have gone. Operating under radio silence is a must but I would love to hear how Kaga's airstrikes have gone. At least its a beautiful day blue skies as far as the eye can see and not a cloud in sight. It makes spotting possible air threats easier of course that works both ways.

'Flash, flash, flash, flash... flash, flash, flash, flash... flash, flash.'

That's from Hatsuyuki says she spotted aircraft but can't make them out.

'Hey, hey, hey, hey.'

My spotters pointed them out twelve black dots split up in two groups of six. One group is heading towards us while the other heads toward Fuso's taskforce. As they closed in more details became apparent. They're biplanes which is strange as Kaga doesn't have any biplanes and they're trailing black smoke but it looks off somehow. I flashed a signal to Hatsuyuki asking if she had positive identification. She singled back immediately 'Enemy torpedo bombers!'

Light anti-aircraft fire raced upward from the destroyers doing practically nothing to stop them. As they got closer the cruisers began firing and seconds later my eight-centimeter anti-air guns started firing. Their attack run takes them head-on the worse possible angle so dodging their torpedoes is simple. As they flew over-head I got a good look at them. Their fuselage is a mix of midnight black and pale white with strange growths dotted across it and their wings are much the same. The most... defining feature is the mouth where the engine should be located and it's filled with razor-sharp teeth. The cockpit is covered in that black material and a blood-red eye filled with hate is glaring down at me.

BOOM!

The plane I was examining blew apart as one of my 8 cm guns finally found its target. They exited the effective range of our AA guns thirty seconds later of the six that attacked our formation four escaped unscathed. Looking over toward Fuso's force I spotted five torpedo bombers escaping their AA fire. I opened up a low power frequency, "Fuso your force alright?"

"Green. What about yours?"

"Green. Now we know they have a carrier at least." Closing the channel I sailed over to Furutaka. "Fuso's force is green we should ask Kaga for some air cover."

"That's what I'm doing right now. Kaga, do you read me?"

"We were just attacked by torpedo bombers can you sortie a squadron to give us cover?"

"Understood. How did the airstrikes go?"

"Roger Third fleet out. The airstrikes failed the bombers were pounced while their escorts were engaged. She's pulling them back now and has dispatched a squadron to provide us air cover. Don't bother with using low-power frequencies anymore you can use medium but don't use high."

"Understood I'll let Fuso know. Fuso you can use medium but high is still restricted."

"Understood."

Eight minutes later the sound of engines drew my attention to the A5Ms flying over-head. I know they'll do their best to intercept enemy squadrons but I would love to have Zeros instead that and more anti-air so I could effectively defend myself and not be defenseless.

'HEY! hey, hey, hey!'

"I'm not insulting you but you know as well as I do that those eight-centimeter guns won't do much."

'Hey, hey.'

"I know you do and I do feel safer knowing that you'll give it your all."

'Hey, hey, hey!'

"Heads up Kaga's planes just reported the position of the main abyssal force and they launched a strike we have one less cruiser to worry about."

That means her planes were engaged by the carrier's CAP and not fighters covering the main force. "Kaga, can you repair your squadron and have them attack the main abyssal force?" With medium frequencies, it takes a second for her to receive and respond to the message.

"Affirmative. I can have a strike ready in forty minutes."

"Forty minutes!?"

"It takes time to rearm and repair and I have to do that for two squadrons. I'm not sending in my bombers without an escort."

"Understood." Just then the torpedo squadron flies over-head with their escort slightly behind and above them. She only lost two planes but all of them have varying degrees of damage. "It will about fifty minutes until Kaga can have another strike ready so we're doing this the old-fashion way."

"Guns and torpedoes I don't have a problem with that," Kako said.

"Understood Ise," Fuso said.

Three minutes later, "Ladies the abyssals will be within range soon take up formation Delta-Zulu and prepare for contact!"

Delta-Zulu is a fairly standard formation with destroyers upfront battleships in the middle and cruisers in the back. The only thing different it that four destroyers are selected to form a wolf-pack and launch a flanking attack against the enemy. Aoi, Hishi, Yuzuki, and Sanae are going to carry out the attack so they've fallen back with the cruisers and are off the starboard side of the formation.

A minute later my spotters report ships on the horizon and I train my guns on the battleships.

'Hey! Hey, hey, hey!'

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

The battle has begun.

Third-person POV

The opening salvos from the six battleships weren't partially accurate with shells going long or short but Ise's and Fuso's are noticeably more accurate. The second salvo is much the same. Both forces are keeping their distance from each other allowing their battleships to engage but keeping their cruisers and destroyers out of the fight... for now. Four minutes in and the battle hasn't changed. Ise and Fuso are holding their fire until the enemy battleships close in as they're at the maximum range of their guns while the abyssal battleships happily fire away.

Kaga's fighters, still circling the fleet, spot a torpedo and dive bomber squadron seemingly without an escort. They pounce on the unsuspecting abyssals and cut through the squadrons downing four planes in a single run. They split between engaging the dive bombers and torpedo bombers and quickly destroy both squadrons; with that done they climb back up and reform continuing their patrol.

That seemed to kick the abyssals into action as six destroyers broke off from the main force and started to lay a smokescreen concealing their fleet. The Third fleet cuts their speed and starts to turn away in case the smokescreen is hiding abyssal destroyers waiting to launch torpedoes. Thirty torpedo boats charge out of the smoke fifteen heading towards each taskforce. Abyssal torpedo boats look a lot like sharks if someone cut it up and then pieced it back together, poorly. They're armed with a single gun sticking out of their mouth and carry two torpedoes. Their speed and maneuverability are their strengths as they are extremely fragile.

The destroyers engaged first with two of them focusing on one boat to increase the chances of a hit. The cruisers closed in adding their firepower to the mix while Ise and Fuso held their fire. Kaga's fighters dived on them aiming for the torpedoes on their sides. Fire sailed out of the smokescreen from the battleships dispersing their cover and giving Ise and Fuso clear targets.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Multiple shells from both ships slammed into the same target they're focusing their fire to reduce the number of big guns in play as fast as possible. The abyssals don't have the same mindset as two target Fuso one targets Ise and another targets Furutaka.

"Yuzuki! Launch your attack," Furutaka orders.

"Understood! Come on girls lets shove a torpedo up their asses!"

As they moved into position to attack Furutaka and the other cruisers start to engage abyssal cruisers which have split from the battleships. The remaining torpedo boats launch their torpedoes forcing the cruisers to break off their escort of the battleships. They engage in a gunnery duel with the abyssal cruisers while the destroyers split themselves to cover both the cruisers and the battleships simultaneously. Taskforce Fifty-five finds themselves in a somewhat similar situation but the splitting of their ships is nowhere near as successful.

Ise cussed under her breath when she realized what had happened. "Fuso they've split our fleet we need to regroup!"

"Understood! Kinu take Asagiri, Hatsuyuki, Isonami, and Uzuki and hold that gap between our fleet! We lose that they'll cut us off!"

"Understood! Come on girls!"

"Mikazuki, Satsuki lay smoke to cover them!"

Instead of responding they raced ahead and laid a smokescreen covering Kinu's group and the rest of the girls as they entered it. The abyssals changed their course to follow and fired blindly into the smoke. Furutaka's force, having recognized the same situation, turned to regroup as well their destroyers covering them with a smokescreen. While all this was happening Yuzuki's force fired their torpedoes and retreated. They didn't know at the time but they destroyed a cruiser crippled another one and landed one hit on a battleship causing it to fall back.

With the gap successfully held both formations regrouped and reorganized. Strangely the abyssals have also fallen back allowing them to reform safely, relatively speaking.

"Fuyo, Sanae, Usugumo you three have taken the heaviest damage stay at the back for now."

"Yes ma'am," Their voices are tired and somewhat strained with Fuyo wincing every so often.

"Yuzuki how did your attack go?"

"Fired off our torpedoes ma'am that smoke is preventing us from seeing the damage."

"Right, we're operating as one force now the abyssals are not splitting us again, understood?

"Yes ma'am!"

The first round has ended in a victory for the Kanmusu. Will the next one be the same?