/* This turned out a bit longer than expected, so brace yourselves for three chapters of, I hope, epicness */

Choukai woke up with a slight hangover, despite barely drinking anything during the before-party. She's always been a light drinker, and even human alcohol was strong enough for her to get drunk. Not thinking much, she woke up Maya and started changing into her combat uniform. A bit too revealing for her taste, it still made her feel the most comfortable.

"So, it's the big day finally, huh?", Maya started, still just half-awake. "Hopefully we can have an after-party too, say what you want but these American shipgirls know how to drink!"

Choukai had mixed feelings about what her sister has just said. On one hand she admired her easy-going attitude and surprising ease with which she made friends with Americans, on the other she couldn't help but contempt Maya's drinking habits.

With their uniforms put on and teeth brushed, the Takao-class cruisers made their way to the mess for a breakfast. After arriving they've joined a specially designated table and were soon joined by other members of their task force. Surprisingly modest in comparison to last night's feast, the meal was enough to fill them with energy required for the upcoming raid.

After the last, short briefing, the entire force was put on long range transport aircraft. They were supposed to be taken to the Wake Island, the most advanced American base, some 3800km away from Pearl Harbour. Choukai wished they've gone there in the first place, instead of visiting Pearl Harbour, but having both American and Japanese C-i-C at the front lines would be too dangerous.

After few hours, they've finally arrived on a small, yet heavily fortified island. They were welcomed by three Iowa-class battleships, two Essex-class aircraft carriers and some Fletcher-class destroyers. "America's finest" she thought. This operation was the first one aimed at Marshal Islands and held enormous psychological meaning for the USN, as such only the best shipgirls were chosen to participate. The plan was to sortie around midnight, so everybody hit their beds after a light lunch.

The fleet was woken up by an intercom around eleven at night. After quick meal, it was finally time for Choukai's favourite part of sortie preparations – the fitting out. Wake Island's docks were smaller than what their base outside Kobe offered, but filled with a lot of cutting edge machinery doing most of the work. This killed some of Choukai's enthusiasm for the process.

"Remember to take additional proximity shells for your AA guns. Destroyers, load up additional oil, I have a feeling we'll need heavy smoke screen.", Choukai ordered in her usual warm, yet calculative voice. She trusted her admiral with her life but couldn't shake the bad feelings about this operation. Despite warm welcome, she couldn't bring herself to entrust her eastern flank to Americans and would have much preferred having at least one Japanese shipgirl there. Choukai's task force was supposed to launch third, some thirty minutes after the flanking fleets, and be followed by Zuikaku's combined fleet after another hour.

After finally launching, Choukai triggered a switch in her brain, and from quiet, introverted girl, turned into decisive and fierce commander. Within four hours it began brightening. Going at full speed they've reached the frontlines two hours later and the water started changing its colour, becoming more and more crimson. They had to expect reconnaissance aircraft and submarines, so high alert was in order.

"Maya, Sendai, Teruzuki, air search radars, full power! Yuudachi, Shigure, sonars!", everybody quickly followed the orders.

Not even two hours have passed, before Maya picked something on her radar.

"Maya, reporting! One blip on the radar. IFF: foe. Probably a recon, it'll notice us in 15 minutes if we stay on this course.", air defense cruiser reported.

Choukai's expression turned into a frown. There's no point changing the course now, and with the cloud cover, they might remain unspotted. Hopefully, these same clouds won't hinder their carriers.

"Stay on course, we won't escape it and clouds may provide us with a cover."

"Aye, commander!", the remaining girls answered.

Ten minutes later the enemy recon changed its course and turned back. The fleet let out a sigh of relief. Getting discovered so early would be problematic. With around 260km left to the Bikini Atoll, Choukai ordered reconnaissance aircraft launched. Each cruiser contributed two scouts, which were divided in trident pattern. It wasn't even two hours as the first reports of enemy sightings came in.

"Multiple Abyssal task forces converging at 11°79'N, 165°39'E. 30km north of the target. Light carriers and heavy cruisers spotted. Seems like flanking fleets are doing good job for now. Estimated contact in 40 minutes!", Choukai reported.

"Americans might have fancy docks, but nothing beats Akashi's predictions. Spot on once again.", Sendai summed up.

"Fleet! Prepare for combat! Armour piercing ammunition, keep the torpedo launchers prepared! Yuudachi, switch from sonar to surface search radar!", second-in-command Maya ordered.

"Aghr, why can't we go any faster? I want to see the new toys, poi!", Yuudachi was getting bored with the long, uneventful journey.

Choukai shared the sentiment but preferred to have it this way than losing time and ammunition on meaningless skirmishes. She was a bit worried about her fleet. It was rare for Maya to be on the sane side of the squadron. One night battle idiot, one blood hungry lunatic with a weird habit of saying "poi", and one land mine ready to either come apart or explode the moment somebody gets moderately damaged. It'll be a pain to command. Hopefully things go as planned and they'll be back home for the dinner.

"Multiple blips on the radar! IFF: one friendly, poi!", Yuudachi's finally announced after 20 minutes. "Twelve enemies to the starboard! Visual in 10, poi!"

After ten minutes, the first enemy task force was spotted. Three Ri-class heavy cruiser, two He-class light cruisers and seven destroyers. Light and easily dispatchable enemy.

"Fleet! Change course, 30° to the starboard! Shigure, torpedoes…", Choukai raised her hand. "… now!", her hand went down hard.