Author: I edited some parts in the chapter, namely the last part and the EXTRA. Future chapters might take a while to upload compared to my usual schedule.
Next chapter will have a battle...and Tirpitz having a serious conversation with Warspite.
Can things really go back the way it used to be...?
Gangut. Even if she doesn't want to get along, I still try to. We're partners and we can't really work together if we're not on good terms.
"She's harder to get along with than those British carriers..."
I have a past with aircraft carriers from the Royal navy, but I carry no grudge. As I finished showering, I thought on how Gangut always wears that sharp glare.
"Gangut..."
I thought about her recklessness during the sortie. She rushed ahead as soon as the battle started. She still rushed even if there are enemy aircraft's swarming the sky. She kept brushing off the shells shot at her...she just kept attacking.
Gangut, torpedoes to your port side!
I warned her as I rushed to her aid. She won't evade those incoming torpedoes.
Not good...
She will sink at this rate. I rushed to her at full speed and went between the torpedoes and her...
Screw this...!
The torpedoes struck me instead of her. Damage control is preventing the flooding that might cause my magazines to detonate or to capsize...
...?!
You...idiot...
I can see her yell something, but I can't hear her voice. As I was about to pass out from the heavy damage, I saw a different expression from her.
Aaah...it's cold...
She looked surprised and worried for a brief moment. Last thing I saw were destroyers covering fire as the others drag me out of the battle. When I regained consciousness, we were retreating.
"That idiot..."
I just finished docking when I thought what sent me to the dock for a whole day. As I dry my hair, I heard footsteps in the changing area.
"...?!"
When I turned to look where the footsteps are coming from, I saw Gangut.
"Gangut..."
She looked at me with uneasy eyes as if there's something she wishes to voice out. I wonder what could it be?
The secretary ship Nagato delivers newly arrived documents to the admiral who she notices to be acting out of the ordinary.
(She's been quiet since this morning...)
Nagato thought to herself as she glances her admiral, Tirpitz reading the files.
"The transfer request, huh..."
"All it needed now is your approval for the transfer of the Project ship girls Montana and Maine..."
While Tirpitz knows she fought alongside the two battleships in the past, this doesn't alarm her.
"I don't have time for this..."
"Admiral?"
"The headquarters is giving me a headache with all these reports and documents..."
Tirpitz scratches her head, visibly displaying how irritated she is right now.
"Then you don't approve the transfer request?"
"I'll think about it" Tirpitz leans back on her chair
"Ever since Gangut arrived, you've been acting strange..."
"Our relationship is what you can call...damaged"
"What happened between you two, admiral?"
Nagato thought her question is inappropriate knowing how secretive her admiral is.
"Nothing much. Tirpitz sink eleven years ago. That's what Gangut and most people knows..."
"Admiral..."
"To see your former partner who supposedly sunk eleven years ago back from the dead...and now as the admiral of the base you're posted. It's not easy to process"
While thinking about Russia, Tirpitz thought of many things including a certain Japanese Project ship girl.
"Even though I want to tell her the truth, I can't find the strength to do so..."
"This is the first time I see you like this..."
"There's a first time for everything..." Tirpitz dryly laughs
Tirpitz takes a deep breath and looks at her secretary ship right in the eyes.
"After all I've been through for the past year, I'm still avoiding my past"
"Admiral..."
"Still... I must face it as I still need to find the truth about what really happened at Norway. Not just for my sake, but for Scharnhorst...who's still out there"
"Just don't forget you're not alone anymore, admiral"
To comfort her, Nagato slowly pulled closer her admiral and gently embraced her.
(It's warm...)
Perhaps Tirpitz had remained alone in the cold for so long, the mere sensation of warmth comforts her. More than anything...she doesn't want to be trapped in the cold again...
Later...
Tirpitz had just exited the arsenal when she happens to find Gangut wandering about.
"..."
She tips off her cap and prepares to leave the other way, when Gangut calls her out.
"Wait"
Gangut grabs her wrist to make her stay. It's been a long time since she last saw Gangut so she doesn't know how to speak to her.
"Let's talk..." Gangut asked
"There's nothing to talk about..."
"Yes there is and you know it!"
Gangut yelled while Tirpitz herself is fighting the urge to avoid her former partner. She told Ark Royal she won't keep any more secrets, but her feelings...just won't let her.
"I know it's you...Tirpitz"
"I'm not who you think I am..."
To a degree, Tirpitz felt regret lying both to herself and Gangut.
"...?!" Tirpitz dodged when Gangut brought out a ballistic knife
Gangut swung the ballistic knife in her hand like she's used to it while Tirpitz easily dodges it.
"..."
Finding an opportunity, Tirpitz grabs Gangut's right wrist and knocks off the knife on her left hand.
"If you're not Tirpitz then you would have skillfully moved like that"
"..."
"Stop with all the crappy lie and tell me the truth!"
"You're just wasting your time..."
Tirpitz couldn't find the strength to face her old partner so even if it's against her feelings, she turned away, leaving a disappointed Gangut.
"Damn it!"
Angry at herself, Tirpitz punches a wall until her fists reddened. As she wallowed in self loathing, someone spoke to her.
"That wasn't very like you, admiral"
The aircraft carrier Akagi greeted her admiral with a smile who is puzzled to see Akagi of all times.
"Akagi..."
"I know it may seem rude, but I saw the little skirmish earlier. Knowing you, I surely thought you would have told the truth"
The two sat together near the cape where they looked at the peaceful ocean.
"I feel like a wuss for turning my back on her when I should have told the truth"
"Why didn't you tell the truth?" Akagi asked
"Whenever I would think of Russia...I get scared. More than the time when I first saw Abyssals as a child"
Tirpitz removes her cap, letting the wind blow the hair between her eyes.
"You know, partners shouldn't keep secrets from each other. Trust is always the first thing that must be established"
Since Akagi is partners with Kaga, she can relate to her situation in a way.
"You can't run away from your former partner, admiral. She's someone precious to you, right?"
"She is..."
"If you care about her, then why do you keep avoiding her?" Akagi grabbed the admiral's cap
Tirpitz thought for a while on what to answer.
"Admiral, partners must always consider each other's feelings. That's because if they don't...it damages their relationship"
"Akagi..."
"If you just turn away from it...there will be a point where the damage can't be repaired ever again"
Akagi grabs Tirpitz's hand and removed her glove, looking at the reddened fist since she had punched a wall repeatedly.
"I...don't want that kind of thing" Tirpitz's hand tensed up
"I know your relationship with Gangut is damaged, but it's not broken. It depends on you if you want to fix it...or severe it"
Akagi advised her admiral as she returns the cap back to her head and fixing it's angle.
"To fix it...or severe it..." Tirpitz thought
"So what will you choose, admiral?"
"It's already obvious, right?"
She slips her glove back on and stands up while Akagi looks up at her.
"Thanks for the advise, Akagi. That really helps" She tipped off her cap
"Anything for you, admiral"
Tirpitz tips off her cap again before leaving the cape.
"Just like Kaga and I..." Akagi giggled
She's glad it encouraged the admiral even if she doesn't fully understand her true feelings.
Later that night...
Upset at what happened earlier, Gangut throws every pebble she finds at the sea and kicks the sand.
"You shouldn't take out your feelings like that, Gangut..."
Gangut turns around and she is surprised to see Tirpitz in her ship girls uniform.
"You..."
"Don't get angry at yourself-"
Before Tirpitz could finish, Gangut punches her, but she didn't use full force. It surprised Tirpitz for a few seconds, but she can understand why.
"I deserve that..." She massages the cheek where Gangut punched her
Gangut looked like she's about to cry and Tirpitz can also understand that.
"You good-for-nothing, stupid, damn...battleship...!"
Gangut weakly hits Tirpitz's chest while spouting out her anger while the latter is silently letting her do so.
"You're Tirpitz all along...so why didn't you tell me the truth?"
"...because I was scared" Tirpitz replied
"What?"
"I was scared of what would you think of me after all these years. Gangut, all you know is that I died many years ago. I just...don't know...what to say to you..."
Tirpitz sits on the sandy ground and so does Gangut. She looked at the German ship girl who has so much guilt and regret in her face.
"I mean it's been more than twelve years since we last each other. I don't want to disturb your life or anything..."
"Tirpitz..."
"After all that's happened to me...I'm still scared ha ha ha..."
The two of them went silent for a while. Gangut looks away for a brief moment, looking at the waves.
"You have every right to be angry at me" She told Gangut
"You're right. I'm angry at you...but I can't hate you"
The way Gangut says it, Tirpitz felt like it's just like the time when she talked out her feelings to Bismarck more than a year ago.
"I'm angry at you because you've been avoiding me for the past few days. I'm angry at you because you didn't tell the truth!"
"..."
"Still...I couldn't bring myself to hate you...because you're a comrade of mine, dumbass!"
Gangut yelled at the top of her lungs, letting out her feelings towards her former partner.
"I just don't know how to talk to you. I just don't know...what to do..." Tirpitz looks at her gloved hands
"What kind of crap are you saying?!"
"...?"
"You're the person who changed me. You should never hesitate no matter how much it would hurt!"
"Gangut..."
"The truth may hurt once, but a lie...it will hurt a lifetime!"
It's not everyday Gangut would say words of wisdom to anyone, but on this occasion...she's speaking what she feels right now.
"I don't care if you're a ship girl or admiral. It doesn't matter to me! Because I see you as my partner...whatever you become"
Tirpitz is surprised Gangut is less angry than she thought she would be.
"I feel like I'm a horrible person when you're not angry at me. I avoided you rather than face you. I was a coward..."
"It's been years ever since then. Things have changed...but not our relationship"
"Gangut..."
"Even if things between us became damaged after all these years, if it's fixable...then we'll just fix it"
"How are you not angry at me?"
"I asked the same thing to you many years ago, remember?" Gangut smiles
Tirpitz is a but forgetful so there are things in her past she tends to forget.
"When I acted like an asshole to you, I asked you why you're not angry at me even though I keep pushing you away"
"..."
"You told me...it's because we're partners"
Tirpitz remembered that memory. It was a memory when they both returned damaged. It was Gangut's recklessness that got them in that state. Despite that, Tirpitz didn't show signs of anger towards Gangut.
"It sounded stupid, but I realized you weren't angry at me...because you want to understand me. The first thing about partners is understand each other"
"Yeah. I remember telling you that"
Tirpitz giggled and so did Gangut. The two of them stared at the night horizon, enjoying the moment.
"Remember when we were in an operation. We were taken by surprise and it caused the sinking of one of our own" Gangut reminded Tirpitz
"What happened to Yuki devastated me. Even to this day..."
"Back then I didn't know how to talk to you. I just don't know what to say to make you feel better"
Gangut lowers her head with her hand holding the tip of her cap.
"Still you never left my side. You made sure I didn't do anything that would get me killed" Tirpitz smiled at her
"That's because you were always there for me, making sure I won't get myself killed. Besides...that's what comrades are for"
Gangut raises her fist and Tirpitz gently bumps it with her fist as well.
"You even rushed to protect me when I fought that powerful Abyssal. I would have sunk if you didn't arrive in time..."
"You're...very important to me. I would never forgive myself if I lose you..."
"Same thing goes to me" Tirpitz responded
"We're partners. We watch each other's back...even outside of the battlefield"
Gangut stands up and laughs proudly while Tirpitz feels happy for her.
"Tirpitz, no matter how many years would pass or whatever we may become...nothing will change between us. Remember that..." Gangut reaches out her hand
"Yeah. Nothing...will change between us..."
Tirpitz holds her hand and Gangut helps her stand up.
"Partners?" Gangut reaches out her hand again
"Partners" Tirpitz shakes it
As the two battleships who rekindled their relationship, the aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga had seen and heard the whole thing.
"It's nice to see them be friends again..." Akagi sighs in relief
"You encouraged the admiral so you helped, Akagi-san"
"Their relationship is not broken. It just needs the two of them to fix it"
Akagi lightly giggles as she walks away while Kaga follows after her. She faintly smiles as she looks at Akagi from behind.
The following morning...
Early in the morning, Tirpitz picks up her usual coffee and head to the office to start her day. Before her daily paper works, she focused on the transfer approval. She wasn't able to focus on it the other day because of the situation with Gangut.
"Montana and Maine, huh. Well they were comrades...and they were the one requested the transfer in the first place"
As she sits on her chair and relaxes, the door suddenly bursts open and a really energetic Iowa rushed to her.
"Tiiiiirrrr-chan!"
The lively fast battleship shakes the admiral who is about to get annoyed.
"I hear Montana and Maine is going to come here"
"Technically, they requested a transfer...and all it needs is my approval to make it official"
"Then you'll agree to it, right? Montana and Maine is coming here!"
Iowa shakes Tirpitz even more, increasing her annoyance. It't early in the morning and Iowa is already bothering her.
"I haven't thought about it much. I was busy for the past few days"
Tirpitz fixes her wrinkled uniform and sighs while Iowa is eagerly waiting.
"You'll say yes, right? RIGHT?! RIGHT?!"
"Like I said, I haven't decided yet"
Iowa can't seem to recognize how Tirpitz is not in the mood right now since she went to bother her early in the morning.
"But you'll yes, right?!"
"..."
"Please, please, please...pretty please!"
The energetic fast battleship pleaded in a loud manner.
"I'll think about it if you stop bothering me so early in the morning!"
"Really?"
"I might say yes if you stop disturbing like this so suddenly. Got it?"
"Got it, yo!"
Iowa quickly ran out of the office, purely hoping Tirpitz will agree to let Montana and Maine transfer in the Maizuru naval district. As she sits back on her chair, she noticed her fairies had slipped when Iowa went to bother her. The little ones dug through her desk's drawers and found some pictures.
"Hey!"
Tirpitz found her fairies looking at a picture. It's a picture she hid, but the little ones somehow found it.
"You guys..."
The fairies stood away from the picture and she realized it's the picture of her and a certain Project ship girl.
"Yuki..."
She muttered the name under her breath as she looked at the cheerfully smiling ship girl beside her in the picture.
"I...couldn't do anything..."
Tirpitz sat on her chair while the fairies all looked at her. She held the picture and closed her eyes, reminiscing a memory from a long time ago.
"Are you okay?"
She remembered first meeting her back in Russia. The first time she saw "Yuki" was when she was still new. She helped the Project ship girl stand up after she saw her on the ground.
"Is there something on my face?"
Tirpitz thought since the Yuki stares at her. The moment the Japanese ship girl saw the German ship girl...it was like something struck her.
"We haven't met before. You must be new"
"My name is Yuki. I'm a planned ship that was never constructed back in the old war...but thankfully I was given a second chance in this world!"
She bowed as she introduced herself to the curious Kriegsmarine ship girl. Yuki swallowed her breath as Tirpitz smiles at her.
"So what planned ship are you based on?"
"I'm based on the A-150 project. The supposed successors of the Yamato class..."
It's like she's shy saying the last part and Tirpitz noticed it.
"Thanks for helping me, uhm...aah..."
"Sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Tirpitz, second of the Bismarck class fast battleships. I'm a proud ship girl of the Kriegsmarine"
She held out her hand and Yuki shook it. Her curious yet gentle smile made Yuki feel something. Admiration perhaps?
"I'm pleased to meet you, Tirpitz-san"
"Same goes to me"
She remembered it was the first time she ever saw the Project ship girl smiled with such friendliness at her.
"Forgive me, Yuki. I couldn't do anything...for you back then..."
While she doesn't blame herself, she feels regret over what happened to one of her dear comrades. As she is reminded of a sweet yet bitter memory, the fairies brought her a pendant.
"I told you not to take my stuff without my permission. Honestly..."
Tirpitz sighs as she holds the pendant. It was given to her by Yuki as a sign of their friendship. Even of Tirpitz doesn't wear it, she keeps it with her most of the time.
EXTRA
Looking quite bored and annoyed, Battleship Water Demon returned only to find a few Princesses currently present, with Central Princes notably absent.
"You're back early. You must probably be bored"
Submarine Princess polishes her 'precious' torpedoes like it's her prized possession. New Submarine Princess just silently sits in a corner, with the usual expressionless face.
"Where is Central Princess?" Battleship Water Demon asked Aircraft carrier Princess
"She went somewhere. Something about talking with that ruthless and savage Abyssal"
The Abyssal aircraft carrier lazily lied on her living rigging and answered with little care.
"What?"
"You heard it. Central Princess already got bored so decided she'd have some fun" Aircraft carrier Princess
"Why does she have to call her? My power is enough"
"If you're power is enough, how come you got sunk in the most stupidest way by being pummeled by puny ship girls. If I recall, the Beast humiliated you by escaping multiple times"
Aircraft Carrier Princess mocked Battleship Water Demon who lost her patience at the moment she is reminded of her defeat and about how she never finished her fight with the beast. Seeing how Aircraft carrier Princess triggered her, the other Abyssals backed away.
"Kyah!"
Battleship Water Demon grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground.
"No one can match my power in the battlefield! I may have been defeated once, but I will never be defeated twice!" She threw Aircraft carrier Princess to a side
"We all know you have a competition in strength and it's her. You're not the only powerhouse in the Abyssal fleet" Supply Depot Princess adjusted her headphones
"You...!"
"You shouldn't feel threatened about that dreadnought. She does what she wants, but she's loyal to Central Princess" Harbor Princess turned to look at her
"I don't feel threatened. I can take her own any time"
Battleship Water Demon's pet slammed the ground, making large cracks.
"It's fine, isn't it? She's not going to steal your prey or anything. That's why you shouldn't worry"
"I don't want that dreadnought or any of you stealing my prey. Because any of you do...I wouldn't hesitate to send any of you to the bottom of the sea!"
Her pet growled and slammed the ground again, visibly intimidating all the present Abyssals, except for New Submarine Princess who definitely unfazed. Battleship Water Demon left after warning her fellow Abyssals.
"I just wish those two Abyssals would sink each other. They're such a brute!" Airfield Princess gritted her teeth
"Idiot. Those two may be ruthless, savage, and hard to deal with...but they're the aces of the Abyssal fleet" Aircraft carrier Princess spouted at Airfield Princess
While the other Abyssals chatter, New Submarine Princess walked away with her monstrous midget submarine following after her. Submarine Princess noticed this.