"Army Air Corpsman, Sergeant Dawson reporting for duty as requested." Dawson said as he found himself standing behind Isaac, who was on the bridge of the Norfolk.
"Excellent." Isaac said as he turned and removed his helmet.
"What are my orders, Sir?" Dawson asked.
"You're a pilot?" Isaac asked.
"Yes sir. Father was a pilot in the Great War. I followed in his footsteps and became a recon and bomber pilot." Dawson said.
"That's fantastic, so you can fly a Catalina?" Isaac asked.
"Quite easy to do, sir." Dawson said.
"Do what you have to to get her ready. Taka and his men are available to you until mission start." Isaac said.
"Do we have a mission, sir?" Dawson asked.
"We do. And it will require your particular set of skills to be a success. Six of my ships' lives depends on your ability to do this properly. Do you think you're up to the task?" Isaac asked.
"Yes sir. I will not fail." Dawson said.
"Good. I will tolerate nothing but the absolute best." Isaac said.
"I wouldn't expect you to, sir." Dawson said as he threw up a salute. Isaac returned it.
"Go ahead and get going. I want you to be ready the minute I call for you." Isaac said.
"I'll be ready for your team." Dawson said.
"Make sure there's space in the cockpit. I'm coming too." Isaac said.
"What?" Norfolk asked.
"I said, I am joining the team to assist 13 and Laffey." Isaac said.
"No the hell you're not. That is way too far into enemy territory. Oceana is out there still. I haven't greenlit the mission yet." Norfolk said.
"Then I'm sending Odin in my place." Isaac said.
"That I can allow. She can manage the team and she'll be able to stand up to any opposition." Norfolk said.
"So what am I to do while they are away?" Isaac asked.
"The Bulins and I created something for both teams to keep you in the loop." Norfolk said as she pointed to a small visor on the table.
"What does it do?" Isaac asked.
"It will link directly to your helmet, which will be wired to my hull so we both can watch what is going on. Every member of each team will be given one that begins recording the moment they leave the port." Norfolk said.
"So I have to stay not only in the port, but on the ship?!" Isaac asked, clearly upset.
"It is for your own good. I will also be reversing into the harbor after the start of the missions so you are not tempted to go running off to play the hero." Norfolk said.
"What you are describing is borderline insubordination." Isaac said as he pointed at Norfolk.
"Well, If I had a proper body, I'd keep you here another way, but this will have to do, won't it?" Norfolk said as she looked at him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Isaac asked.
Norfolk was saved from explaining by Dawson clearing his throat.
"Did you need anything else, Commander?" Dawson asked.
"Load 6 harnesses and the Evacuation pack into the Catalina. Once we receive word from Akagi or Eagle, I will send you out with the team to drop the supplies along with the team. I will be watching them as they complete their mission, so I will have you return and refuel your aircraft for the extraction. When I give the order to launch, You need to just get there and evacuate the team. Nothing fancy. Just in and out." Isaac said.
"I understand, sir." Dawson said as he left the bridge.
"What of the hunting team?" Isaac asked.
"They are coming now. I want to give them their visors before they head out." Norfolk said as the Head bulin came in, her hands dirtied by black liquid.
"I brought you cubes, Commander." The bulin said.
"Good lord! How many did you grab?!" Isaac asked as he knelt down to see the Bulin eye to eye.
"I was only able to get ten. The rest shattered or were too damaged to use. Most of the girls aimed for the head..." The bulin said.
"Alright. Ten should do us well for right now." Isaac said as he took the cubes from the head Bulin.
The head bulin smiled.
"What are my orders now?" the bulin asked.
"Go get cleaned up. You are filthy." Isaac said as she nodded. The bulin ran off down the corridor towards the room the bulins hat taken for themselves. A new sign had been added in favor of the old one. This new sign read 'The Pond', an ode to the bulin's love for ducks.
"You seem to have gotten comfortable with letting them fight. Any particular reason?" Norfolk asked.
"I would hate to sit onboard a ship every minute of every day with nothing to do. Most of the fights in the near future will be land based. If the bulins can fight... and they definitely can... then why not let them? If they find it fun, so be it." Isaac said.
"They are brutal! They literally scare anyone who doesn't know them!" Norfolk cried.
"Well... most of the combat experience comes from fighting with Friedrich..." Isaac said.
"Is Friedrich a bad influence?" Norfolk asked.
"Absolutely not. Friedrich kicks ass enough to make her a fleet in and of herself. She just does not hold back in the slightest." Isaac said.
"That much is true, I guess." Norfolk said. As if summoned by their conversation, Friedrich, Gangut, Bremerton and one of Shinano's bulins walked through the door to the bridge.
"Wow, quite the powerful looking crew." Isaac said as Friedrich strolled over to him and kissed him on the lips.
"My big, strong, Kommandant~~~" Friedrich said as she released his lips.
"Damn... Lone wolf ain't so 'lone', huh?" Gangut said as Isaac shot her a glance.
"Friedrich..." Isaac asked after picking up a peculiar taste from Friedrich's lips.
"Ja, Kommandant~~~?" Friedrich asked, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.
"You taste like a brewery. Have you been drinking?" Isaac asked as Gangut made it painfully obvious that she was trying to not draw attention to herself.
"Gangut. I know you drink heavily. Did you leave a bottle unattended?" Isaac asked sternly.
"I never leave a good bottle behind. I share my wealth with my comrades." Gangut said proudly.
"Friedrich is drunk! Why would it be a good idea to give a lightweight the vodka you gave me?!" Isaac cried.
"She asked for some, who am I to refuse?" Gangut asked.
"You four knew you would be receiving orders! Drinking ahead of a mission is bad practice for everyone." Isaac said.
"Isaac~~~? Are you questioning my effectiveness?" Friedrich asked.
"I am not questioning anything but your sobriety. I don't even know if it would be a good choice to send you out now." Isaac said.
"I can still kill. I can still fight." Friedrich said.
"I'm sending Texas with you. Hopefully you can sober up before you engage the enemy." Isaac said as Norfolk spoke up.
"Actually... Texas is spearheading the advance into the city. She is unavailable for this mission." Norfolk said.
"Damn it." Isaac growled.
"Can we send anybody else?!" Isaac asked.
"No sir. Everyone besides the subs are busy on the front. They have taken more than 45% of the city while Intrepid has been busy pushing back the insurgents." Norfolk said.
"So I have an Alcoholic Dreadnought, a Drunk Battleship, Bremerton, and a hammer wielding Bulin." Isaac said as he held his head in his hands.
"I can keep Friedrich on the right path, Commander." Bremerton said.
"I have no choice. Oceana is a foe I have not been able to judge. She is cunning and was able to strike when we were weakest. She has the ability to think critically and does not have fear." Isaac said, remembering his sole encounter with the demon known as Oceana.
"What will you have us do?" Bremerton asked as Isaac glared at all four of them.
"I want to teach the Sirens that I am not an insect to be squashed. I command a fleet that the warriors of the past present and future wish they could have. The Union unleashed a weapon in early august. And it wasn't the bombs on Sakura. I want you to bring Oceana to me, ALIVE. I will send a message to the rest of the Sirens. I will bring their world shattering down upon them. You four will be my four horsemen to begin their apocalypse." Isaac said.
"Apollyon." Norfolk said as the four girls in front of him nodded at her assessment.
"The Destroyer." Gangut said as a fire lit behind her eyes.
"Abaddon." The bulin said, gripping her hammer tightly in her small hands.
"Demon." Friedrich said, the golden glow in her eyes was unmistakable.
"You four, get your visors on and head out. Norfolk will be in constant contact with you. I want Oceana alive. That is the only requirement. Beat her. Burn her. Tear her fucking arm off. I don't care. I want her alive." Isaac drove the point home.
"Yes sir." The four of them said as they fixed their visors to their heads.
"Now go!." Isaac said as he reached under his desk and found his own bottle of Vodka.
"You're going to drink?" Norfolk asked.
"Damn right. After all this? I feel like I need one." Isaac said as he took a swig from the bottle and sat in the chair.
"So how does this thing work?" Isaac asked.
"The bulins will be up to plug your helmet into the projector.
"I see. Then I will wait here." Isaac said as the two of them went over the mission again before they watched the hit team leave the port.