Drake idly flipped through the post-battle report again as he sat at his desk. He was up early for once, and the morning sun poured in through the window behind him, bathing the papers in a golden light.
Could have been worse, I guess, he mused to himself as he read the documents.
Though the sortie to take out the Airfield Princess obviously did not go as planned, they were still able to gain some useful information from the mission. The most important thing was that the fleet was now aware of a Princess' capabilities. Everyone knew about the strength of an Abyssal Princess because Tangier, but nobody really had an idea of how they would match up against a ship girl, since the Abyssals retreated as soon as Iowa and the others arrived on the scene. Truthfully speaking, INFCOM had no clue if sortieing the Kido Butai in order to defeat this Princess would be overkill or if it wouldn't be enough. Now, however, they had a basic gauge of a Princess' strength, and though it was clear that a Princess easily outclassed a single ship girl, that did not mean that they were invincible. As the Kido Butai had proven, a Princess could be brought to her knees by a handful of skilled ship girls with a decent tactician at their head.
Still, despite almost being defeated, the Airfield Princess put up an impressive fight. The abyssal had already lost some of her planes attacking the base, and for her to still be able to launch enough of them to completely destroy every single plane in the famous carrier task force's arsenal was an amazing feat. On top of that, she managed to almost sink Souryuu and then hold off the combined efforts of Kaga, Akagi, and Hiryuu for a fair bit of time before finally being overwhelmed.
Drake then thought back to the submarine attack which forced them to retreat. The abyssal force which attacked the Guadalcanal was pretty small, which was why it took so long for the ship to detect them. It was also obvious that this detachment's entire purpose was just to distract the fleet long enough for the Abyssal Princess to escape, and that the destroyers and submarines who attacked the super jet cruiser were never meant to get out alive. The American admiral wondered if those destroyers and submarines were actually sentient, or if they could just conveniently be exploited because of their lack of awareness. It was generally accepted that the abyssal capital ships were intelligent, and Kaga's report said that the Princess even spoke to them in Japanese, but nobody really knew for certain how smart the smaller ships like destroyers were. Scientific analysis of the few abyssal corpses that humans had were inconclusive, as it was extremely difficult to research these beings because of their unique biology and due to how quickly their bodies decomposed.
Though I suppose it wouldn't matter if they were sentient or not. Sentience never prevented humans from exploiting one another, after all, so I doubt the Abyssals would be much better.
As he let his thoughts drift, Drake turned to his computer and browsed the Internet, not really feeling like doing any work. He read a few news articles and checked the scores of a couple football games now that the season had started back in America, though he knew he should probably be spending his time on more important matters.
And to think that Kaga was diligent enough to dictate her post-battle report to Shoukaku even while she was recovering in the baths, Drake thought, smiling a bit at how lazy he was in comparison to his Secretary Ship.
However, as his thoughts turned to Kaga, his mood soured. He was reminded of how he had again let his cowardice get the better of him when the Guadalcanal came under attack, and he was sure that Kaga knew that there was something wrong with him. If she hadn't suspected there was a problem during the air raid, she certainly did now. Though Drake tried to ensure her that he was fine, based on the look Kaga gave him back on the ship, he knew that she wouldn't just let it slide this time.
I wonder what she'll think of me if she finds out that I'm still not over the events of one year ago…
For some reason, Drake did not want Kaga in particular to be disappointed in him. If she considered him weak and pathetic because of his inability to overcome the past, he realized that it would cause him great pain.
Who am I kidding. I deserve it. She is out there fighting abyssals up close, and I cower in fear every time they get anywhere near me.
Drake tried to clear his mind, not wanting to think anymore on that subject. He realized he hadn't checked his email yet, so he went to his inbox, not really expecting to find anything aside from the ever-increasing paperwork that kept being sent to him.
Yep, nothing but more work, he grumbled to himself, but paused when he saw an email with 'Weekly Supply Drop' in the subject line.
Strange… Usually they send this kind of stuff directly to Fleet Admiral Miiro.
He opened the email and read it. As expected, the email described the contents of the drop, which were the usual amount of fuel, ammunition, steel, and bauxite that the US government sent over every week. However, there was also an added note which asked Drake to head to the docks in order to be there for the arrival of the supply drop.
Wonder why they want me there… Maybe they sent over something that's only meant for my eyes? He read the expected arrival time of the drop, then glanced at the time on his computer. Wait, that was five minutes ago… Shit!
The rear admiral quickly got up and broke into a brisk walk towards the docks. He would probably be a couple minutes late, but he didn't want to embarrass himself by running around the base like a maniac.
When he made it to the docks, he headed over to the small airstrip that had been built towards the back. Because of the Abyssals, bringing in supplies by ship was no longer feasible, so they had to make due with small airplanes or helicopters. As expected, a pair of large cargo planes were sitting on the pavement, and machines and IJN sailors alike were busy unloading the planes' boxes and dragging them farther into the docks.
I guess I wasn't that late after all…
Even so, Drake didn't see anything out of the ordinary going on, so he wondered why he had been asked to go there. As he stood silently, he noticed a few of the sailors shooting him strange looks, probably wondering why one of the admirals was just standing there and watching them. Just when he decided to stop staring awkwardly, Drake saw someone emerge from the plane's cargo hold.
The first thing he noticed about her was her long, blonde hair. A light breeze blew as she stepped out of the plane, and her yellow locks trailed behind her, a river of shimmering gold. The next thing that drew Drake's attention was her uniform, which looked like it had been designed by some Nazi fetishist. She wore a cap, coat, thigh-high leggings, and a pair of military boots, and everything on her outfit was colored in black, white, gray, or red. She was obviously a ship girl, and based on her uniform, Drake guessed she was from Germany.
As he approached, the girl's icy blue eyes fixed their gaze on him. The sailors continued to work, and though they stole a few curious glances at the ship girl and Drake, they didn't interrupt.
"Are you the commanding officer here?" she asked in English. She had a slight German accent, but other than that, her English was very good. Apparently ship girls were just naturally efficient at learning languages.
"One of them," Drake replied. "I'm Rear Admiral Richard Drake. Who are you?"
"I am Bismarck, Flagship of the European Fleet and nameship of the Third Reich's Bismarck-class battleships," she declared proudly. "If you are Admiral Drake, then you are the one I was sent to find. Here."
She held out a sealed letter to Drake, who took it with a raised eyebrow.
"That rude black man told me to give this to you," Bismarck added.
The hell? Drake thought as he opened the letter and read its contents:
Dear Dick (I hope you don't mind me calling you that),
Fleet Admiral Cassius forwarded me your request for another battleship to supplement your fleet. Unfortunately, we could not spare Iowa, but I was able to twist a few arms and call in a favor to get you Bismarck. She is the former flagship of the European Fleet, so you can bet your ass that you got your money's worth. This is my gift to you in hopes that we can have a productive relationship in our efforts to defeat the Abyssal threat, so you're welcome.
Enjoy your new toy,
Fleet Admiral Boston
Aside from the shortening of 'Richard' to 'Dick,' Drake was quite pleased with the letter. Despite the rumors about Fleet Admiral Boston, Cassius was apparently correct when he said that Boston at least knows how to get things done.
"So, you're going to be joining my fleet, then?" Drake said to Bismarck as he pocketed the letter.
The German ship frowned. "Temporarily, I suppose. Apparently the Japanese are struggling over here, so International Fleet Command sent me to straighten you out. Consider yourselves lucky."
"I see you're quite modest as well," Drake replied with a smirk. "Anyway, welcome to the fleet, then. Did you bring your equipment with you?"
"You think I would leave my guns behind? They are in one of those crates. I was told they would install it in this base's launching facility."
"Good, then you can start training today, since you seem so confident. Is that all right with you?"
She shrugged lightly. "If those are your orders."
"All right, then. The rest of the fleet should be starting their morning training by now, so if you'll follow me…"
Normally, Drake would have just had Bismarck watch the rest of the fleet train for the first day, but since she was the former flagship of the European Fleet, he assumed that she was probably already very skilled. She also came off as extremely arrogant, so he wanted to see if she could back up her big words with action.
They walked in relative silence. Drake was never good at starting conversations, and Bismarck didn't seem to be eager to talk to him anyway. The rear admiral had no doubt in his mind that the German ship girl considered this posting a demotion, which was probably true considering her former position. If it weren't for whatever Fleet Admiral Boston had done, Bismarck wouldn't have even had to leave Europe in the first place, so it wouldn't surprise him if she resented the Americans for that.
And then there's also the fact that she's a literal Nazi, he thought, shooting her a quick glance out of the corner of his eye. But I have to admit… She is quite nice to look at. Maybe that Aryan master race crap wasn't complete bullshit…
Soon enough, the pair arrived at the portion of the beach reserved for the Fifth and Sixth Fleets. As expected, the twelve members of Drake's fleet were already there and prepared for training, most of them standing around on the sand before the start of the run.
"Sir," Kaga greeted with a salute, her golden eyes briefly taking in the newcomer as well.
"Good morning." Drake returned the salute. "How are your injuries?"
"Fine. Both Akagi and I have healed enough for training."
"Admiral! Who's that!" Suzuya demanded as she pointed a finger towards Bismarck.
"Oh, right. This is Bismarck, a member of the German Kriegsmarine. Remember how I said we needed another battleship? Well, she'll be joining us from now on."
Bismarck gave the fleet a salute, though she looked thoroughly unimpressed with them.
"Oh, cool!" Suzuya cried out. "So, you're from Germany? What's it like there? Do ya fight Abyssals too?"
"Will she be training with us today?" Kaga asked, interrupting the heavy cruiser's constant questions.
"I guess so," Drake replied. "Kaga, if you could explain to her -"
"So you must be this fleet's flagship," Bismarck said, fixing her blue eyes on Kaga. "A Japanese aircraft carrier? Interesting."
Kaga said nothing, still wearing her usual blank expression.
Drake frowned, slightly annoyed at being cut off like that. "As I was saying -"
"One more thing," Bismarck began as she turned to face both the fleet and Drake. "Let me make this clear: I did not come here of my own accord. My admirals ordered me to Japan to help your struggling fleet, and so I will do so. However, I refuse to take orders from those who are below me. I am Germany's greatest battleship! My respect must be earned."
Drake just stood there, unsure of how to react to that. Thankfully, Kaga stepped in for him.
"Is that so? And what is it we must we do in order to earn your respect?"
"Show me the strength of Japan's carriers," Bismarck answered. "I challenge you to a duel. If I defeat you, then you have no right to give orders to me, and the flagship position will be mine."
"That is the Admiral's decision to make, not yours," Kaga replied, nonplussed.
Bismarck scowled. "Strength and skill must be valued. Any half-decent admiral would know that. But if you are too afraid to face me, then all the same, you don't deserve the position of flagship."
Akagi stepped forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "Excuse me, but you can't just come in here and make such bold claims when you know nothing about any of us or this fleet."
Bismarck glared at her. "And why not?"
"Because that's rude, obviously," Amatsukaze supplied. "God, are all you Westerners this barbaric? Show that you're better than the rest of us before you try and challenge for the top position."
"Yeah, if you wanna fight Secretary Kaga, you'll have ta get through me first!" Suzuya exclaimed with a grin.
"Oh, please. I've got no interest in fodder like you two," Bismarck proclaimed haughtily. "I will fight this aircraft carrier here, or I will not fight at all."
"Fodder!?" Suzuya and Amatsukaze yelled at the same time.
"Um, maybe we shouldn't be arguing like this," Haruna said, trying to de-escalate the situation while giving Drake a pleading look.
The American admiral had been watching the proceedings with a mix of amusement and wonder up to this point, but he figured that Haruna was right and that he should do something to prevent things from worsening.
"Everybody, shut the hell up," he ordered, his deep voice cutting through the chatter. "Bismarck has challenged Kaga, so the rest of you have nothing to do with this. Kaga, if you're willing to accept this challenge…"
"Admiral, you can't be serious!" Akagi cried out.
"No," Kaga said, cutting her adopted sister off. "I accept."
Drake gave her a nod. "All right. Then instead of today's morning run, there will be a match between Kaga and Bismarck for the position of Secretary Ship."
Drake and the rest of the fleet stood on the shore of the training beach, looking out onto the ocean where Kaga and Bismarck faced off against each other. Also on the water was Shoukaku, who would be refereeing the fight and stopping it if necessary. All three of them wore their standard gear and were armed with training rounds.
"All right! Let's go, Kaga!" Suzuya shouted from the sidelines. "Kick her ass!"
"Yeah! Teach that snotty bitch a lesson!" Amatsukaze yelled, both her and Suzuya still smarting from Bismarck's earlier dismissiveness towards them.
"Kaga! You better not lose!" Zuikaku also called out.
Akagi walked up beside Drake. "Admiral… Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Why are you asking? Don't you have confidence in Kaga's abilities?"
"Of course I do! It's just that… I don't see why you had to give in to Bismarck's demands. You're the Admiral, so couldn't you just refuse her request? We're supposed to be training right now."
Drake shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I could have said there would be no match if I wanted, but I doubt Bismarck would have just sat back and accepted that quietly. Like she herself said, Bismarck respects power and skill, so in order to stop her from causing problems in the future, it's best that we eradicate her arrogance right here and now. Kaga understood that as well, which is why she agreed to the match."
"I… Suppose you're right… But won't Bismarck dislike this fleet even more if she loses?"
"Maybe, but if we refused her request, she would see us as cowards and weaklings, which would definitely make her hate us. At least this way, we can prove that we're stronger than she is, so she has to listen to our orders even if she doesn't like it."
Akagi's golden eyes surveyed the two combatants on the sea. "And… And if Bismarck happens to win?"
"So you aren't sure that Kaga can win after all."
"Fine, I'm not," Akagi admitted, glaring at her admiral. "How can I possibly be one-hundred percent sure that she will win? Yes, Kaga is very skilled, but Bismarck said she used to be the flagship of the European Fleet. Unless you have some information that the rest of us don't, then you can't possibly know for sure that Kaga is going to be able to defeat her."
Drake smirked. "You're right, I don't have any extra information. But think about it: do you really think that the European Fleet trains like we do? The Atlantic doesn't nearly have as many Abyssal attacks that the Pacific and Indian Oceans do, so how much experience do you think Bismarck actually has? I'm sure she is a powerful ship, but can Bismarck really defeat someone who fought against an Abyssal Princess and survived?"
Akagi sighed. "I hope you're right, then."
Yeah, me too, the rear admiral thought to himself as he turned back to the ocean, where the match was about to begin.
Out on the water, the two ship girls prepared themselves for the sparring match, each of them wearing a focused expression.
"Okay, then," Shoukaku began, a bit uncertainly. "This training match will end when one of you gives in or is rendered unable to fight… Um, I think that's all… You may begin."
Shoukaku stepped back and sailed away from the battlefield. For a moment, the two combatants did nothing, and simply stood there, sizing each other up. Suddenly, Bismarck shot forward, and Kaga notched her bow with an arrow, pointing it straight at the charging battleship.
The projectile cut through the air with amazing accuracy, but Bismarck merely altered her cruising direction slightly, allowing her to completely dodge the arrow. However, the German frowned as she heard the sound of a small explosion behind her, indicating that the arrow had transformed into a squadron of planes.
"So that is how you Japanese launch your planes," she noted as the fighters and bombers flew up into the air and circled back towards Bismarck.
Kaga's fighters dove low to strafe the blonde ship girl, but Bismarck's anti-air Flakvierling guns struck true, eliminating the planes. The bombers also made their dives, but the fast battleship easily swerved away, causing them to completely miss.
However, as she dealt with the planes, Bismarck forgot to take Kaga herself into account, and her blue eyes grew wide as she turned back and found an arrow flying straight towards her face. Bismarck grit her teeth as she deflected the arrow with her arm, though the arrow did manage to tear open Bismarck's sleeve and leave a deep cut on her forearm.
Bismarck's main guns fired in retaliation, their furious song splitting open the morning air. At this distance, Kaga was able to dodge all the shots, and the towers of seawater that erupted around the carrier obscured her from view.
When the spray cleared, Bismarck was met with another arrow, but this time, she was ready. The battleship ducked underneath the projectile and kept pushing forward, trying to get close to Kaga in order to prevent her from shooting more arrows. Bismarck angled her guns towards Kaga again, deliberately aiming slightly to the right.
She'll dodge to her right, but I'll cut her off now that I can dictate where she will go, Bismarck thought with a smirk.
The German fired her cannons, and, as predicted, Kaga slid towards Bismarck's left in order to dodge the shots. Since Bismarck was expecting this, she was able to sail straight towards Kaga's position after firing, and as Kaga skidded to a stop, she found that Bismarck was right in her face.
Kaga tried to raise her hands to defend herself, but Bismarck was quicker. The battleship kicked Kaga in the stomach, sending her flying. The carrier skipped along the surface of the ocean as she flew back before finally righting herself.
She is faster than I expected, Kaga thought as she regarded the blonde battleship, who was angling her guns towards Kaga again. She can easily dodge a bomber or two, so I would need to launch a large squadron in order to land a hit on her. However, in this type of one-on-one fight against a fast battleship, I don't have the time for that.
Kaga sailed to her side, trying to avoid the trajectory of Bismarck's guns. Bismarck frowned as she watched Kaga continue to move away from her guns, preventing her from getting a good hit.
Seems like neither of us can get the other with our traditional weapons, Bismarck realized. I suppose I will have to resort to using my fists…
Bismarck stopped trying to aim her guns and simply sailed towards Kaga using all her speed, catching the carrier off-guard. Kaga frowned as she quickly notched her bow with another arrow, but in the short amount of time that it took her to do that, Bismarck managed to fire off a shot from her 38 cm guns. Since Bismarck didn't have much time to properly aim, her shot was a bit off, but it had the intended effect of throwing Kaga off-balance and forcing the carrier's arrow to go flying away from Bismarck and landing harmlessly in the water.
After recovering from the slight recoil of her guns, Bismarck continued forward, her face contorted into a snarl as her ice-colored eyes locked onto Kaga.
Fine. Kaga put her bow away and bent her knees, getting into the CQC stance that her admiral taught her.
The two warships met each other head-on, and Bismarck started the close-quarters exchange with a right haymaker. Unfortunately for the German, Kaga slid under the punch and pounded her own fist into Bismarck's gut, audibly sucking the air out of the battleship. Kaga then grabbed Bismarck's hips and lifted the blonde ship girl, picking up both her and her rigging briefly before slamming her back onto the surface of the ocean.
As the battleship sputtered on top of the sea, Kaga notched her bow with the quickness of a practiced warrior, aiming her arrow at Bismarck's head in order to knock her out with the arrow's dulled training point. However, before Kaga could fire, Bismarck's anti-air gun suddenly went off, shooting its projectile dangerously close to Kaga's face before exploding in the air in a burst of flak. Though the attack didn't hit Kaga, it did give Bismarck an opening to kick the carrier away and get to her feet.
The German ship girl panted and wiped at her mouth, glaring at Kaga all the while. Her 38 cm guns were pointed directly at the stoic carrier, but Kaga appeared unfazed.
"Heh… You're better than I expected," Bismarck admitted as she finally caught her breath. "But I am far from finished. Prepare yourself, Carrier!"
Bismarck rushed Kaga once more, though Kaga didn't see why Bismarck was just doing the same thing again. From the previous exchange, it was clear that Kaga was better at CQC than Bismarck, so the Japanese carrier was confused as to why Bismarck seemed so eager to get smacked around again.
If I were her, I would try and use my superior speed to my advantage, Kaga thought, though even then, there isn't much she can do. Even though she is faster, her speed won't help her if she is too far away, and if she gets in close, my superior CQC skills make up for my slower striking speed.
Kaga dropped into her stance as Bismarck approached, and once again, the battleship started the exchange with a heavy opening strike.
Arrogant fool, the Japanese ship girl internally chastised Bismarck.
Kaga easily slid past the punch and prepared to counter, but suddenly, a loud booming noise sounded, and Kaga felt something heavy slam into her. As she stumbled from the impact and tried to regain her footing, cold metal smacked her in the face, followed by a savage uppercut which sent her flying. Kaga grunted in pain as she landed hard on the surface of the ocean, and she got to her feet with as much speed as she could muster, trying to figure out what had just happened. As she coughed up blood and winced from the sting of the consecutive blows, Kaga realized what Bismarck had done.
The German had intentionally missed her first punch, luring Kaga into a false sense of security and making her think that she could easily counter Bismarck's strike. However, that was when Bismarck fired her cannons, and since Bismarck didn't bother to plant her feet firmly, the recoil sent the battleship backwards, right into Kaga. This was meant to throw the carrier off-balance, which it did. Bismarck had then swiveled around, and that must have been when Bismarck's guns hit Kaga in the face, further disorienting her. Finally, the coup de grace was Bismarck's full-force uppercut, which had sent Kaga flying.
Impressive, Kaga had to admit as she surveyed the damage. She found it hard to stand, her vision was swimming, and her awkward impact on the ocean's surface probably bruised a few ribs.
Despite the pain, Kaga forced herself to keep moving, lest Bismarck's guns take advantage of the stationary target. But what should I do now? With my head still spinning, I am unsure if I can effectively repel her next close-quarters attack…
The 38 cm cannons fired again as Bismarck attempted to check whether Kaga was still capable of evading in her current state. The aircraft carrier did manage to dodge the shots, but this time, they were much closer hits, and Kaga's uniform was completely drenched in seawater by the blast.
After briefly pausing to wipe the wet hair from her eyes, Kaga drew her bow, notched it, and aimed it towards the battleship. The arrow was let loose, and before it reached its target, it exploded into a flurry of dive bombers. As per Kaga's orders, the planes flew up into the air, avoiding the bursts of Bismarck's Flakvierling. They then made their dives, and Bismarck prepared to evade.
However, to the German's surprise, the bombers didn't target her directly, and instead dropped their loads a few meters in front of her in a straight line, sending a huge wall of water up into the air. Bismarck frowned and shielded her face from the water with her arm, grimacing as the salt sprayed into her wound from earlier.
This is the same tactic she used earlier, Bismarck realized. She hides herself behind the columns of water, then fires an arrow at me as soon as the explosion dies down.
Sure enough, the moment the spray subsided, an arrow came flying straight towards Bismarck. Knowing Kaga's strategy, Bismarck chose to leap to the side this time. The projectile sailed past her and burst into three planes, all of which came at Bismarck from behind. Making sure to keep an eye on Kaga, Bismarck zigzagged rapidly through the water, preventing the dive bombers from getting a good lock on her position and causing them to miss their dives.
With the last of the planes dealt with, Bismarck fixed her guns on Kaga, who was still standing in the same spot. Bismarck momentarily halted her movement so that she could aim properly.
Hmph! Does that carrier actually believe she has a chance to dodge this if she simply stands there? It looks like she has finally run out of stamina…
Bismarck's 38 cm guns had their sights set directly on Kaga. Even if she starts moving now, the impact will still be close enough to knock her off-balance. Once that happens, she is fini - wait, what is that buzzing noise?
The German looked up, and her eyes widened in horror at the sight of four dive bombers hurtling directly towards her.
"Wha -"
Bismarck's sentence was cut off as a quartet of bombs exploded right on top of her, sending water, blood, and chips of metal flying into the sea breeze. Though the training bombs weren't powerful enough to kill, they could definitely cause major damage. By the time the smoke and spray had cleared, Bismarck was floating limply on the surface of the ocean, her bruised and unconscious body bobbing with the gentle rocking of the waves.
"This training match is now over!" Shoukaku declared. "The victor is Kaga!"
Back on the beach, the fleet cheered as they watched the conclusion of the match unfold.
"Try talkin' shit now, you bitch!" Suzuya yelled in excitement.
Fubuki stared out at the ocean with a captivated look. "... Amazing…"
"Great job, Secretary!" Sendai called out as she waved.
"Yeah! That's the power of an IJN carrier!" Zuikaku fistpumped.
Drake was slightly surprised that even Zuikaku was celebrating Kaga's victory, but he had to admit that he himself also felt a bit proud. He expected nothing less from his Secretary Ship.
"What a victory," Akagi breathed as she looked out towards the sea. Kaga was slowly steaming back to shore, and Shoukaku was busy towing the unconscious Bismarck back as well. "You were right, Admiral. It turns out I had nothing to worry about."
Drake nodded. "Kaga never fails to impress me. Bismarck put up a much better fight than I thought she would, but Kaga still managed to win."
"There was one thing I was wondering about, though," Sendai interjected, "where did those planes from above come from?"
"Idiot, weren't you paying attention?" Amatsukaze asked incredulously. "Kaga launched them!"
"Thank you, Genius! That wasn't what I was asking, obviously!"
"It seems as though Secretary Kaga's distraction also worked on you, Sendai," Yahagi said with slight smile. "Kaga had her bombers throw up that wall of seawater in order to block herself from view, fooling Bismarck into thinking that Kaga would just use that wall of water in order to launch another arrow at Bismarck when the spray died down, like she did earlier in the match. However, this time, Kaga also launched an arrow high up into the air while the wall of water was still up. While Bismarck's attention was focused on countering the arrow that Kaga would fire directly at her, the first arrow which had been shot into the air would launch a surprise dive bomb attack."
"Both combatants made excellent use of misdirection tactics," Drake added, his tone approving. "That was definitely an entertaining match to watch."
Normally, a lone battleship would just be a sitting duck for a carrier's aircraft, but with ship girls, things were obviously different, as Bismarck was able to put up a good fight. This was a whole new age of naval combat, and despite his less-than-pleasant experiences so far, Drake felt thankful that he was able to be a part of it.
The two carriers arrived back at the shore, and Kaga was immediately swarmed by the rest of the fleet, who were eager to congratulate her. Drake decided to wait until the crowd died down and instead went over to Shoukaku, who had laid Bismarck down onto the sand beside the battleship's damaged equipment.
"How is she?" Drake asked, leaning over to observe the battleship. Her clothes were ripped up and parts of her body were covered in black bruises and blood.
"She has taken some significant damage, but she will be fine after some time in the baths," Shoukaku said. "Should I tow her over there?"
"I will do it," Kaga said from behind the pair, causing them to turn around. "It was I who caused the damage, after all."
"Kaga, that's -"
"Okay," Drake agreed, cutting Shoukaku off. "You should get yourself repaired too. I'll give you the day off from training today, so take as much time as you need."
Kaga nodded, then pulled a strong, steel wire out of her rigging and wrapped it around Bismarck's feet and equipment. The damaged carrier strode out to sea and began sailing towards the docks, dragging the defeated German behind her.
After Kaga sailed away, Drake turned back to the rest of the fleet, most of whom were chatting excitedly among themselves about the battle.
"What are you people doing? Aren't you supposed to be training?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Aaaadmiraaal!" Sendai whined, and a few other girls also groaned.
"What, did you actually think that you wouldn't have to train today just because there was a practice match?"
"No, but we thought hopefully you'd forget and we wouldn't have to," Amatsukaze said.
Drake frowned. "... Really? You thought I'd just forget? Well, whatever, just get to it. I'll be nice and let you skip the run today."
The fleet realized they probably wouldn't get any more concessions out of their admiral, so they reluctantly began heading towards the ocean for close-quarters-combat practice.
"Oh, right," Drake stopped them, remembering something. "I forget to say this a while ago because of all the shit that happened right after, but good job on your first successful sortie with those airfields. Looks like all that training paid off."
"Yeah! Let's go on another sortie soon!" Suzyua cheered.
Sendai nodded. "A night battle this time!"
"Well, it's only natural that we would succeed," Zuikaku boasted, puffing out her chest. "You're very lucky to have us in your fleet, Admiral."
"I'm sure I am," Drake replied with a smirk. "Anyway, that was really all I wanted to say, so -"
"Admiral, we should have a party to celebrate our victory!" Suzuya quickly exclaimed.
"A party?" Amatsukaze repeated.
"Yeah! Do you not know what a party is?"
"Of course I do!"
"Hey," Drake interrupted, "this is a navy, and we're a professional military organization. We can't just go around throwing parties."
Suzuya deflated. "... Yeah, I guess you're right…"
"Aw, you're no fun, Admiral!" Sendai complained.
"It does seem like it would be fun…" Amatsukaze said after giving it some thought.
Drake stared at them incredulously, and Shoukaku then spoke up.
"Sir, this may be a navy, but we ship girls are not conventional soldiers. We are, after all, still young women, so it's only natural that some of us would have trouble abiding by regular military standards."
"Yeah, but… Throwing a party here still seems kind of weird."
"Huh? So you think we're weird?" Zuikaku asked aggressively.
"That's not what I - all right, you know what? Fine. We can do something in celebration of your first successful mission. But it won't be anything too grand," Drake conceded, finally giving in.
"All right! What are doing?" Sendai demanded to know, bounding up to Drake.
Drake thought for a bit. "Hm… Ah, I have just the thing. There's this great movie you all should watch. In fact, attendance is now mandatory. Clear your schedules for this Saturday night!"
"Yeah!" Suzuya cheered. "But… Where are we gonna watch it?"
"Does this base even have a movie theater?" Yahagi wondered.
"That's a good question…" Drake had no idea. "Well, we could watch it at my house, but -"
"That's a great idea!" Suzuya decided. "Party at the Admiral's house, this Saturday! All right!"
"My, the Admiral is inviting a group of women over to his house at night? How scandalous~" Kashima teased.
"I do kind of want to see how the Admiral lives…" Shoukaku admitted, tapping her chin in thought.
"I bet he's a real slob! Er, no offense, sir," Zuikaku said, grinning. "It's just that Shoukaku always says you forget to do your paperwork and that you make her and Kaga cleanup your mess!"
"Shoukaku! Seriously?!" Drake exclaimed, feeling betrayed.
"N-no, I didn't put it like that!"
"You all," Drake sighed. "Just so you know, my house is very clean…. And I don't make Shoukaku or Kaga do all of my paperwork either!"
"All right, all right," Zuikaku backed down, "what time should we show up, then?"
"I don't know… Around nine, I guess? The movie is like three hours long or something. By the way, if you have any requests for food or drinks, tell Shoukaku at some point and she'll forward it to me eventually… And yeah, I think that should be it. Now can you all finally go and train?"
The fleet saluted and headed out on the water, but one ship girl stayed behind.
"Um, Admiral…" Yamakaze began nervously. "Do we have to go on Saturday?"
Drake gave her a questioning look. "Yeah. Do you not know what 'mandatory' means?"
"T-then… Can I bring one of my sisters with me?"
"Sorry, this is for my fleet only. If I let you, then I'll have to let everyone else do the same," the rear admiral explained. "Why do you need your sisters? Do you just not like anybody else in the fleet? You seem to get along pretty well with Fubuki and Amatsukaze, from what I've seen."
"No, that's not what I meant…" Her green eyes looked down at the sand. "... I just thought… It might be scary watching a movie late at night…"
"Don't worry, it's not a scary movie," Drake assured her, resisting the urge to laugh. Though considering they are ships, this movie might be a bit scary for them…
"O-okay."
Drake tried to smile at her, putting his hand on her seafoam-green hair. "We'll all be there with you, so there's no reason to be afraid. I mean… You've fought the Abyssals before. I don't know how you think this can be scary in comparison to that."
"Understood, sir…"
"Good," Drake said as he reached out and pinched Yamakaze's cheeks between his fingers.
"Mmph! A-admiral! Shtop that!" she cried out.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Drake said as he finally let her go.
Yamakaze pouted at her admiral before joining the rest of the fleet on the ocean.
She's really cute… Anyway, I don't need to be here if they're just working on CQC. I should probably go see how Kaga and Bismarck are doing.
Drake left his fleet to their training and went to the bathhouse, though when he got there, he paused before entering.
Should I really be entering a girls' bathhouse like this? Ah, whatever, it's not like I haven't done this before.
The rear admiral walked into the baths, and he was glad that it seemed to be mostly empty this time. However, before he could make it too far, Kaga stepped out onto the main pathway, thankfully fully-clothed.
"Admiral. I thought I told you that it isn't appropriate for you to be in here."
"And I told you that an admiral has a right to check on his ships," he countered. "You know I wouldn't just come in here to leer at you in the baths, right?"
Kaga frowned. "Fine. As you can see, I am doing well. Bismarck is still unconscious, but she is being repaired by her Fairies as we speak, and we should both be ready for further combat in a few hours."
"Oh. That's good, I guess. You both seemed pretty beat up earlier, so I just wanted to make sure."
"I see. Either way, I suppose it is good that you are here. There is something I wanted to discuss with you as well."
This can't be good, Drake thought.
"On the ship… You seemed a bit out of sorts," Kaga began, referring to the day of the Airfield Princess sortie. "And before that, when the base was bombed, you also appeared to be… Greatly uncomfortable."
"... I don't know what you're talking about."
Kaga closed her eyes and sighed. "Please don't play dumb with me, sir. I am your Secretary Ship, so it is best if there are no secrets between us."
Drake knew he couldn't squirm his way out the situation anymore, so he grit his teeth and decided to come clean.
"Fine. I was 'greatly uncomfortable.' Are you happy now?"
"Why?" she asked, her golden eyes boring into his brown ones.
Drake looked away, unwilling to say it. "You know already."
"So… The Abyssals. You fear them, for some reason."
"'For some reason'!?" Drake snapped. "You know the reason! I did tell you that I fought at the Battle of Tangier, right?"
Kaga's eyes lit up in realization. "I see. So that's why…"
"Yeah," Drake responded, frowning bitterly. "I know you must be thinking how much of a coward I am. I don't care. I know that already. But at the end of the day, I'm still your admiral, and you still have to follow my orders."
Kaga's gaze was serious. "So you're a coward, are you?"
"What?"
"I asked you a question, sir. Are you a coward?"
The rear admiral froze, unable to say 'yes or 'no.' I know I'm a coward… But why can't I come out and say it? Disgusting… A coward who can't even accept his own pathetic reality.
"If you are a coward, then why are you here?" Kaga asked. "This war has no place for cowards."
Drake briefly wondered if Kaga was insulting him, but he sensed there was something else behind her monotone words. Spending so much time everyday over the past month with Kaga had made Drake very familiar with her and her thoughts.
"What… What are you asking? I'm here because I have to be!"
"Oh? I wasn't aware they execute you in America for quitting the Navy."
Drake clenched his fists. "That's not…! I… I have to be here…"
"Why?" Kaga asked again. "I thought you were a coward. If that's true, then go and run away."
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"Stop asking that!" Drake finally shouted. "I don't stay because I'm brave or courageous or anything like that, if that's what you think! I stay because…"
He paused briefly, his expression darkening.
"... Back at Tangier, I made the decision to let the Abyssals bomb the city so that I could escape with my life. I paid with blood for my survival, blood that I had no right to use. So that's why… If I don't stay and fight, then why did I survive that day? Why did I manage to escape? If I don't defeat the Abyssals in the end, then what the hell did all those people die for?!"
Kaga listened to her admiral's passionate outburst, then closed her eyes. "... As long as you have a reason to fight, then I don't see a problem. You may think yourself a coward, but if in the end, if you're still combating the Abyssals, then I have no reason to object to your leadership."
"But you saw how I was on the ship," Drake countered softly. "I… Even after all that, sometimes I can't help but freeze up in fear when I remember that day…"
"Is it truly the Abyssals you're afraid of when you recall that battle? Or is it something else you fear?"
"What do you mean?"
"... Never mind. Just know this," Kaga started, looking her commander in the eyes. "Whatever it is that frightens you, as long as I draw breath, I can promise you that you won't have to face it alone. That is the Secretary Ship's job, after all. I will fight by your side until the end, Admiral."
Despite his worries, Drake felt a warm feeling blossom in his chest when she said those words to him. He gave her a rare smile.
"Thank you, Kaga. In that case, we will win this war, together."
Kaga responded with her own smile, an even more elusive thing than Drake's.
"Yes, sir!"