Chapter 13: Old endings, new beginnings
"This is Yamashiro, reaching point Mike in the Sulu Sea. We've been shadowed by aircraft the last 2 hours but they do not seem to be pressing attacks. Anti-aircraft formation adopted, will stay on high alert."
"Yukikaze reporting two submarines contacted off Palawan, both sunk, no casualties on our side."
"Yamashiro, this is Nachi, we've spotted more planes at point Victor, stay sharp, we should be able to rendezvous at the appointed time."
I sat in the communications center of the command ship, listening to the incoming transmissions from the south and center forces. The northern diversionary force was sadly out of radio range, but from relayed messages it seems they have successfully lured the bulk of the abyssals on a wild goose chase.
"Admiral Johannes, Nagato reporting fleet position at point Uniform in the Sibuyan Sea, currently under light air attack, CAP holding them off, thank the 1CarDiv for us."
I opened a porthole to wave to Akagi and Kaga, both sailing abreast of the command ship. Akagi smiled and flashed the thumbs up, while Kaga gave a stoic nod. Yes, it seemed they received that transmission as well. The command ship and its escorts were instructed to maintain radio silence, however, to not reveal its position. And yet, there are times when I'm listening to the chatter when I feel like sending them words of encouragement, cheering them on, commending them for their bravery in facing the spectre of their combined pasts. And yet the only thing I can send them are my prayers.
Status reports from the designated squadron flagships trickled in throughout the day, with occasional input from the other fleet members if they had anything worth noting. All seemed to be going well, with not even one of the girls damaged in the slightest. Subconsciously I was listening in intently, hoping to hear the voice of one specific girl, saying that she is alright, but that never happened the whole afternoon. I guess what is commonly known need not be said.
Night soon came and the command ship entered the Sulu sea. The Nishimura fleet and the Shima fleets have long passed the area and have declared it safe. Reports from the human landing forces securing beachheads on Palawan and west Mindanao state that they are encountering minimal resistance, and that abyssal presence is was restricted to within 10 kilometers of any body of running water. Even then only basic destroyer-class units were encountered, which could be handled by basic anti-tank munitions. Everything was going as expected. The Kurita fleet last reported their position in the Sibuyan sea and should be currently making a dash through the San Bernardino strait. Meanwhile I was still manning the radios, awaiting the reports from the fleets in the Surigao strait.
Indeed, in less than 5 minutes the chatter picked up.
"Yamashiro. Fast contacts on radar, likely PT-imps, preparing for evasive maneuvers."
"Ashigara taking point."
"Watch your back Michi."
"I got this!"
"They're pulling back. Radar is detecting multiple contacts at the end of the strait. Fleet, enter battle formation, carve victory into the dawn horizon."
5 minutes of silence. Then Fuso's voice crackled over the radio.
"2BatDiv will break through! Fire!"
I can only imagine the chaos unfolding. Night battles in history were never glorious. It was a fight for survival, where skill and luck were on equal footing. And for the girls, for the Nishimura fleet especially, it is where they face their demons again.
"Michi here, reporting radar signatures of multiple princess-class battleships. I know you're listening, Admiral. Having second thoughts on not giving me my Kai Ni?"
Ah, so she is still bitter about that.
Fire commands from the designated flagships (Yamashiro and Nachi respectively) were being shouted through the channel, followed by the thunder of the guns and the splashes of near misses. Even as far away as the Sulu sea one could feel the intensity of the battle. I took note of the incoming messages on a piece of paper, trying to figure out who was shooting what, and to estimate the number of abyssals that were standing watch over the strait.
"Yamagumo. Picking up signature of a Princess-class battleship. Shining searchlights in that direction."
"Oh god, she looks like…"
Asagumo was cut off right there.
"MOVE BITCH, GET OUTTA THE WAY!"
I guess I learnt that night Yamashiro had a war cry.
A minute of silence descended over the comms.
"I'm so glad... Admiral, there really is... no rain that doesn't stop... right? Thank... you!" Shigure's angelic voice crackled from the radio.
The southern force made it. Seems there were no casualties as well. I heave a sigh of relief as I slump forwards against the table, letting my head rest in my crossed arms. At daybreak the center force is expected to reach Samar and a rendezvous at Leyte Gulf should happen by late afternoon.
-0-
I pour some creamer into my tea and put in more sugar than normal. I need to perk myself up somehow. I hold the handle in my left hand, stirring with my right as I walk back to the communications center. It seems in the time it took for me to make a drink and walk back, the center force encountered a small surface force. I take a big gulp from my cup as I settle down in front of the radio set. Again, I listen intently, paying particular attention to a specific voice, anything to affirm what my feelings told me.
It seemes to be a generic surface fleet with a few battleship-class and light carrier-class abyssals mixed in. So it was true that the northern force did draw away and destroy the fleet carriers. I'm listening to the flagship's fire orders and all seemed well.
"This is Tone. Fleet be advised, scouts report a heavy reinforcement fleet approaching Samar from due east. Presence of a Princess-class carrier confirmed."
"Nagato. Copy. All units, finish off what you can for now, I want the battle lines formed in 5 minutes."
"Akagi, Kaga. Launching fighters now, ETA 30 minutes. Hold out."
I take another gulp of lukewarm tea. A princess-class being held in reserve was a first. Their tactics are evolving, but that is something that the planning arm would take care of later. For now, I pray that the scenarios covered in wargaming would pay off.
"Kumano. Aircraft spotted on air search radar. Launching fighters to intercept."
Air support from the 1CarDiv would still take 20 minutes to arrive. In the meantime they just had to survive. And soon radio chatter picked up again.
"SHIT, THEY AREN'T PULLING OUT OF THEIR DIVES!"
Suzuya's voice sends a chill down my spine. This really is 1944 all over again, but which side are we on now?
I stand up to take a look around the communications center. My crew are looking at me with determination in their eyes, almost anticipating what I was going to say next.
"Attention men, we are going to break radio silence. Tell the lookouts to be on high alert and telephone the bridge to prepare for evasive manoeuvres. Those buggers aren't easy to spot on human radars, but with them pounding at the fleet I doubt they would send any our way." My words are met with curt nods and the crew scrambled to action. I sit down an picked up a microphone.
"Fleet, stay in anti-aircraft formation and try to close the distance, even a princess-class won't have enough planes to send more than 1 more suicide wave. Engage with your guns, carve victory into the distant horizon."
"Yes, Admiral!" was the simultaneous response.
Fighter support arrived just as the second wave came. The fleet was already down a few ships, with Maya and Choukai having to fall back due to damage sustained, among other girls. Even with CAP a few bombers slipped through, and from the communications received it seemed Musashi and Kongo were out of the fight, so was the entire Takao-class. The outlook was bleak, with almost half of the capital ships taken out of the fight the chance of victory was slipping away.
"We see the enemy. Fleet, forwards! Battleship Yamato, opening fire with all guns. FIRE!"
The running gun battle had begun. The abyssal fleet had not changed course and were now in range of the shipgirls. The remaining heavy cruisers, led by Kumano and Suzuya, were engaging the abyssal escorts that were fighting like cornered dogs to defend their masters.
"Not this time, bitch," Kumano exclaimed. It seems she was dodging a torpedo from a plucky destroyer.
"Shit, there're too many of them," shouts Suzuya.
"Enemy fleet sighted! Prepare for the battle!", a familiar voice cut in. It is Yamashiro. The southern force has arrived at Leyte and crept up on the furball under radio silence. She was barking firing orders, while Nachi leading the charge.
Again, I am tracking fleet communications, sorting order from chaos. The bombardment from the 2BatDiv seemed to be effective, with the outer abyssal screen decimated. The fast destroyers of the 17DesDiv were tasked with making a torpedo run on the princess, supported by Yahagi and the remaining members of 2DesRon. It was a classic striking manoeuvre, one that needed great skill to pull off, and Yukikaze's team was the cream of the crop.
"Yukikaze approaching the inner screen. We have a launch solution but there're too many targets in the way."
"Noshiro. 2DesRon is tied up on this flank, you will have to abort."
"No, Yukikaze, stay on target, Haruna will clear a path."
Darling? My mind is racing. what is she doing? I bite my tongue, supressing my urge to call out for her on the channel. Yet my thumb is trembling on the mouthpiece's PTT button. I bite on my tounge harder. 'Duty, honour, country' is how I have led my life so far and is how I ought to be handling this, and yet, I feel this conflict inside me. I taste blood. It is a battle between my values and what I value.
I hesitate. I press the button.
"Do it, I believe in you darl…"
"KYAAAAAAAAAAA!" the sound of her scream and an explosion stop me mid-sentence.
"Yukikaze launching now!"
The rest just fades to a blur for me as I slump back into my chair and black out.
-0-
I wake up in the infirmary. I check my watch. It is 6p.m. on the same day. An orderly sees me pushing myself upright and comes to assist. She puts in my hands an AAR from Nagato.
"No need to fear. I was told by your second-in-command that there were no losses. None. Zero. All of the girls are safe. The support fleets arrived a few hours ago and patched up the most heavily damaged ones, and the screening force is in position."
That is a relief I guess. I skim through the document. It seems they managed to capture the princess, and is accompanied by a picture of the princess, bound and gagged, tied to a pole by the limbs with the pole carried over Nachi and Ashigara's shoulders, cartoon-style. I chuckle a bit.
"Miss, can you pass me my uniform?"
-0-
It is 7p.m. and all the girls who could stand were gathered on the main deck of the command ship. I eyeball the crowd. I see the Shimas chatting happily, the Nishimuras looking at each other surreally, wondering if what happened had indeed happened, and meanwhile the Kuritas just looked relieved. Out of the crowd I spot the girl with silver-grey hair and chocolate-brown eyes. Our eyes meet for a brief moment, but she swiftly drops her gaze.
Odd. But I guess we are all tired and stressed. I begin my address.
"Girls. I must thank each and every one of you for your efforts today. The fate of humanity rested in the outcome of that battle, and each of you have done your utmost. It is one thing to fight. It is another fighting your inner demons. And all of you have fought both brilliantly today. For the girls under my command, I have seen you rise from strength to strength, and I had never doubted in your abilities. To the girls under temporary assignment to me, you have done us all proud, and I will make sure to put in a good word with your respective commanders. Once again I thank you all on the behalf of all humanity, and without further ado, I wish you all a happy evening. Rest well, eat, and if all goes as plan our deployment here would end in 2 weeks."
The girls started streaming below deck, either to their bunks or to the mess. But one girl stood still, head handing low, hands crossed in front of her, almost like she was embarrassed. Soon it was just me and her left. I walk up to her.
"Darling, is there anything troubling you?" I ask, my right hand cradling her chin, lifting her head up to look into her eyes. It is then she slumps to the ground, sobbing.
"Darling, please, tell me what's wrong," my voice fills with concern as I kneel in front of her, taking her by her hands.
"Hansi, Haruna…Haruna…" she stutters, "Haruna is not fit to be your wife."
"W…W…What do you mean, darling?"
"Haruna lost your baby."
Those words hit me like a truck. She breaks down into tears. I immediately grab her shoulders to pull her into an embrace, letting her rest against my shoulder, like what I did in the office 2 days ago.
To think she knew all this time…
'Duty, honour, country' is how a shipgirl is to live.
And to think I my moment of indecision could have caused this…
'Duty, honour, country' is the dogma drummed into me.
My thoughts are a whirlwind. Why weren't we more honest with each other? Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't I stop her when I could?
What good is duty and honour to a country without vested interest or legacy?
My mind turns blank. I tighten the embrace as a feel something wet roll down my own cheek.
The sun is setting. The last orange rays peak out over the treeline. Over the smoldering carcasses of abyssals that washed ashore. Over the oily seas. Over Leyte gulf.