Author: Next chapter will focus more around the shipgirls of the Maizuru naval district while the admiral is...temporarily out of commission. Starting next chapter, Tirpitz's past in Norway along with her past in Russia will be further explored, revealing more details with each chapter.
It's August 08. If I didn't browse through Reddit this morning, I would have forgotten it's Yamato's launch date which is her birthday! I commented to greet the first LSC ship on her birthday. She may not be the best battleship in WoWs, but I love using her and melting brain dead enemies with her 46cm guns.
This has gone too far...
It's just another day in the naval base. Like on certain occasions, the admiral herself is away from her naval base, currently in a meeting.
"Damn. Where the hell is Tashkent? None of the little ones saw her since this morning"
Gangut removed her cap to scratch her head, a habit whenever she's frustrated. The feeling alone is visible on her face and how she grunts.
"Hey..."
As Gangut softly murmurs to herself, Bismarck happens to pass by and saw her looking somewhat frustrated and troubled.
"What's the matter? You look like you haven't drank vodka in days"
Bismarck jokingly remarks as joins Gangut in sitting even though the latter is clearly not in a good mood.
"Very funny, German...but that's not it. I've been looking for Tashkent, but not a single shipgirl saw her since this morning"
Gangut told Bismarck on what's currently frustrating her.
"Hmm...well I haven't seen her either"
"I'm getting a bit worried. Tashkent's been missing since this morning"
"Maybe she's on a sortie or expedition?" Bismarck thought
"I asked the secretary ship, but she said Tashkent isn't assigned to any sortie or expeditions today"
"Hmm..."
It is indeed unusual for Tashkent to be mysteriously missing since this morning and no one had seen her nor know where she is.
"I want to ask Tirpitz too, but she's on a meeting...and she won't be back till later"
As a friend, Bismarck wishes to help Gangut in resolving this mystery, but even she has no idea on where Tashkent is.
"Maybe she went off somewhere? I don't know...I mean shipgirls don't just go missing" Bismarck scratched her head, unable to come up with a clear answer
"Where the hell could my comrade went off to?"
Gangut grunted loudly, relentlessly wondering where the Russian destroyer mysteriously went off to.
"How about we go for a walk?"
"Huh? A walk?" Gangut straightened her back
"A bit of a stroll always relaxes my mind when I'm stressed out and from the looks of it, you could use one yourself"
Bismarck is serious about her suggestion to Gangut, which the latter can tell Bismarck just wants her to take it easy.
"A nice stroll always relaxes me. The gentle breeze, the bright sun, and the sounds of the leaves swaying just eases your tension, no?"
Bismarck clearly finds relaxation in nature, but Gangut doesn't feel the same. She's not the type to get easily relaxed like most shipgirls, specially on occasions like this.
"You're quite the care free person, aren't you?"
"Tirpitz too, you know. I'm surprised how she can relax and take easy even if her job as an admiral is very tedious"
Even so, Gangut doesn't understand why she should feel relax even there's a lot going on. They are shipgirls who are at war and Gangut knows that very well.
"...?!"
Bismarck enjoys the serenity around her while Gangut is fending off the bugs flying around her. Alerted by a sudden noise, the two fast battleships instinctively entered in a defensive stance.
"Com...rade..."
A battered and injured Tashkent appears before them, weakly reaching out her hand, seeking for help. The destroyers heavily pants, greatly exhausted from pushing her stamina past the limit.
"Tashkent!"
Gangut caught her by the arms before she collapses from exhaustion and her injuries. Gangut immediately realized Tashkent must have been involved in a violent fight due to her tattered clothes along with the multiple wounds and bruises visible all over her body.
"Tashkent, what happened to you?"
"The...admiral...is...the admiral...is - Ggh!"
Tashkent clings on to Gangut's shoulders with her remaining strength, speaking before she loses all her strength to stay conscious.
"Tashkent?"
"Arkhangelsk...she's...planning...to..."
Before Tashkent can fully warn her comrade about Arkhangelsk, she went silent a split before her body collapsed on Gangut's chest.
"H-hey! What happened?" Bismarck rushed towards Gangut
"I...I don't know..."
Gangut is as just shocked and confused as Bismarck. Tashkent, who had been missing for hours, returned only to be in a badly injured state and muttering something about Arkhangelsk, but unable to finish her words as she had fainted.
Later...
Upon being quickly informed on what happened, Tirpitz returned to the naval base as soon as possible, rushing to the infirmary. Before entering, she spoke to Akashi, who tended to Tashkent's wounds.
"To put it simple, the destroyer Tashkent was beaten using a blunt object. She was stabbed many times, but her injuries aren't that deep. After examining her wounds, it looked like the attacker indented not to kill her"
Akashi stated her findings after treating Tashkent's injuries. Upon learning Tashkent got stabbed and beaten horribly, Tirpitz leaned against the wall, unsure whether she should angry on whoever did this or worry first about Tashkent.
"Another thing, I found this inserted in her clothes while I was treating her earlier"
Akashi brought out a slightly crumpled paper folded into four sections. Dark and dried stains, most probably blood, scattered on the edges of the paper.
"From what it says, the attacker let her live to send a message"
Akashi concluded as she clearly implied she had read the contents, but unsure what it really means. She showed it to the admiral, knowing she needed to know about it.
Your little destroyer shouldn't have gotten in my way.
Be thankful I sent her back to you with her life intact.
This is my warning for everyone who gets in my way.
You're very pissed off right now and that's what I'm counting on.
You want to find me? I'm at the abandoned dock. I'll be be waiting...
With a deep breath, Tirpitz refolded the letter and tucked it in her pocket. Anger seethed from her eyes, but she retains her calm composure. She holds back her emotions, but she can't completely stop it from slipping out.
"Thanks for letting me know..." Tirpitz smiles at Akashi
"Y-yes..."
She enters the infirmary, to check on Tashkent herself. Bandages wrapped around to where Tashkent's wounds are, from head to toe. As Tirpitz quietly grabs a nearby chair, Tashkent groans, opening her eyes.
"..."
Tashkent slowly blinked her eyes, briefly blinded by the light in the ceiling. Tashkent couldn't move her sore and aching body after her stamina is drained, dragging her injured body all the way back to the naval base.
"You're finally awake" Tirpitz smiles
Despite her attempts to remain calm, her rage to whoever brutally attacked Tashkent can't be hidden from her facial expression.
"Ad...miral, you're here..."
Tashkent could barely remain conscious, her injuries still affecting her senses. While most of her body is in too much pain to move, her basic senses are still functioning.
"I heard what happened. You got yourself into trouble again. Just like when I first found you"
"..."
"You should have known how dangerous the person you faced, Tashkent..." Tirpitz brings out a piece of paper and placed it down near Tashkent
Tashkent can barely stay awake, but she clings on as she needs to speak with her. The destroyer weakly clutches to the admiral's sleeve, like a toddler clutching to its parent.
"Admiral, Arkhangelsk...is back. She...she's here...in Japan"
"I know
Even with her dimming vision, Tashkent can tell the admiral forced herself to smile, which is not a good sign.
"This was out of the line. That's why I can't let it just slip by..."
(Admiral...?)
"I have to take action before others get involved in this..."
Tirpitz gently pulls away her arm as she stands up. Tashkent kept pleading, but she has no strength to stop the admiral from confronting the deranged battleship.
"You have to rest for now...Tashkent"
The admiral leaves the room. As much as Tashkent wanted to warn her, she's too weak too move and speak properly. Her plead had failed to reach the admiral who had already left the room.
"No. That's...what she wants you...to do..."
She forces herself to move, but her body refuses to listen. Succumbing to the pain of her injuries, Tashkent finally gave in and lost consciousness again...frustrated after failing to warn Tirpitz about Arkhangelsk.
One hour later...
Tashkent regained consciousness again when she heard noises outside her room. She blinked her eyes, adjusting her blurry vision. The first thing she felt is the soreness and stingy pain wrapping her from the inside and the outside.
"Ouch..." Her broken leg has yet to heal
She slowly moved her body to stand up, with enough strength to make slow and steady movements. The pain of her injuries prevented her from exerting too much stamina so her movements are both slow and weak.
"The base? That's right..."
The last thing she remembered is being attacked by Arkhangelsk when she followed the deranged battleship to a pier where she disposed someone to the ocean
"...?"
Arkhangelsk plunges the knife on the metallic container instead, just centimeters away from her head.
"Hahahaha. Quite the close call, isn't it?" Arkhangelsk smiles
"You...!"
"Death is a terrifying thing. Specially to shipgirls like you. We don't die...we just come back over and over...and over again"
"Just what...are you planning?"
"Something interesting. That's why, I'm letting you live...but that doesn't mean you'll go back unscathed"
Arkhangelsk pulls back her fist and that's where Tashkent felt the hard blow for the first time...and countless more followed. Upon being let spared, she almost curled up in pain. Arkhangelsk had beaten and stabbed her multiple times.
"I'll send you back to Tirpitz with a message..."
Arkhangelsk pulls out the knife stuck on the metallic surface and lightly swings it. Arkhangelsk then swings it down...and that's where she blacked out. The next thing she knew, she's half consciously limped back to the naval base.
"That killer beat me up and stabbed me. Then I dragged myself all the way back to the base..."
She can feel the bruises and wounds all over her body. She grunted, mildly hoping to pay back the psychopath who almost killed her.
If Arkhangelsk wants me to come after her, then so be it...
"Admiral!"
Before she stands up, Tashkent notices a letter left on the table beside her. Remembering the admiral had put it there, she unfolds it and gasped upon realizing what it is.
"No...!"
Knowing the admiral is going to be in danger, Tashkent forces her aching body to stand up and grabbed her coat, leaving the room. The moment her left foot met the ground, the pain echoed right to her nerves, but she withheld herself from grunting in pain. Her left leg suffered bone fracture while her other leg is still functional, but this limits her mobility. Her hand pressed on the side where it hurts the most, the sore wound stabbing her constantly. Despite the stinging discomfort, Tashkent has to warn the admiral on the danger she going to get herself into.
"Ta...Tashkent?!"
Gangut and Bismarck planned on visiting Tashkent, but they have a change of plans. The two battleships found the destroyer limping on the corridors, leaning on the side, clearly forcing herself despite her injuries.
"Hey you shouldn't be moving around to much. You want your wounds to get worse?" Gangut stopped her from moving too much
"There's...no time. The admiral...is in danger..."
"What do you mean by that?" Bismarck is confused
Tashkent brought out the paper to which Gangut read. Without speaking a word, Gangut ran as fast as she could knowing what it means.
"G-Gangut? Gangut! Come back here, you damn Russian!"
Gangut hurriedly left, not noticing she just left Bismarck to take care of Tashkent who is about to pass out again.
Somewhere...
In a small and worn down looking port, Arkhangelsk softly gazes at the brooch pinned on her coat, the same brooch Royal Oak had given to her. She blankly stares at the sky, hoping to find comfort.
"I hope you can forgive me for everything I've done, Oak..."
As she speaks to her deceased sister with a regret filled voice, she stopped her current activity and looked behind after hearing footsteps.
"I know you would come...Tirpitz"
Clearly, Tirpitz is displeased to what Arkhangelsk had done to one of her shipgirls. In fact, she's overall enraged at Arkhangelsk's actions
"You haven't learned your lesson even after you were sent back to Russia brutally beaten a year ago"
"You can't force a wild animal to behave like a domestic one"
Arkhangelsk jumps down from the container she is sitting on and took a few steps forward, greeting the hostile admiral.
"That furious eyes of yours. Last time I saw them was when you took out your anger on the Abyssals ever since the A-150 project ship sunk"
"...!" Tirpitz clenches her fist
"Ha ha ha. I'm sure you'd go berserk once you realize why she sunk. You'll never forgive them...I'm sure of that. In fact I know you'll tear them to pieces with your bare hands~"
While Arkhangelsk speaks, a knife slipped down from her sleeves and into her hand, waiting for an opportunity to strike. She wanted to catch Tirpitz off guard so she restrained any form of signs she's preparing to engage her in combat.
"Why are you here, Arkhangelsk?"
"I'm ordered to go after a special human. A rear admiral that goes by the name Rikawa Isomi"
Since Tirpitz knows who that rear admiral is, she took a defensive stance. She will not let Arkhangelsk harm any humans. Arkhangelsk realized this and read her expression very well.
"So you know her, huh? Well this makes things more interesting..."
"What do you want from her?"
"She's a human the KGB has been looking for. Her existence is deemed a threat so I was ordered to neutralize her"
Arkhangelsk mentions the KGB, an organization which is supposedly had collapsed and been replaced, but apparently not.
"If she continues to live then it will become a persistent threat to the KGB"
"I can't let you kill any more innocent people" Tirpitz obviously disapproved of Arkhangelsk's intentions
"Innocent, you say? Then you know nothing about that person. She shouldn't have been born in the first place!"
Arkhangelsk made the first move by charging forward and fiercely swung the knife to which Tirpitz barely dodges. The close call merely tore her sleeve.
"What makes you think you can just judge a person like that?"
"She's a major piece to this war. She's not like any other...that's why she is viewed a threat!" Arkhangelsk swings the knife again
Tirpitz catches her by surprise and maneuvered to disarm her in one swift move. It's something she learned from Gangut a long time ago and it prove to be useful to situations like this.
"What have you become? I feel sorry for Warspite and Ark Royal who still wants to save you!"
"Like I care about them!" Arkhangelsk exclaims
Their fight starts to become more personal. As Arkhangelsk draws out a handgun from behind her back, Tirpitz wrestled Arkhangelsk's hand before she could ever thought of firing it. During the struggle, the gun's trigger is accidentally pulled, a bullet shooting Arkhangelsk on the side.
"...?!"
She staggers back and fell on her knees while Tirpitz throws away the gun, uncomfortable of handling one.
"What about you, huh? You're letting the people responsible for your sinking get away!"
"What are you talking about?"
"You fucking idiot! You still don't realize it was humans who got rid of you! Along with Yuki and Scharnhorst whom you cared so much!"
The memory of how she sunk in Norway is part of Tirpitz she hasn't fully accepted. The day she sunk still brings bitter feelings, but she no longer hated it. But what she still loathes is how she is present when those two shipgirls sunk, yet she couldn't do anything to prevent it.
"It was merely by chance since you couldn't go out. Thru couldn't get rid of Bismarck so they got rid of the younger sister instead. A fair compensation in their opinion"
Arkhangelsk laughs even blood leaks out from her wound. She suffered something worse than a gunshot wound so she merely took it in a stride. This mildly surprised Tirpitz as Arkhangelsk is able to fight, without showing any signs of being weakened.
"..."
"The Abyssals wouldn't know about the anchorage unless someone from the navy passed that information to the enemy"
"Someone...in the inside was...was...Nein! I refused to believe that"
"The aim was the anchorage, but a lone battleship was a bonus"
Tirpitz recalled her memory of the day she sunk at Norway eleven years ago. It was a memory she wished to forget, but she had learned to accept it as part of her past.
"You were betrayed by someone from the Kriegsmarine, Tirpitz!"
"I don't believe you!" Tirpitz is still upset, refusing to believe it
"The person you least expected was the one responsible for your sinking!"
Arkhangelsk taunted Tirpitz who keep refusing to believe what she is saying. She could never easily believe what the demented battleship is saying.
"The same thing happened to Scharnhorst, you know. There are only four battleships in the Kriegsmarine. Getting rid of two...was enough"
Arkhangelsk swiftly regains balance and stands up, the gunshot wound being not her concern anymore. Before Arkhangelsk goes on an offensive, Tirpitz noticed how the wound healed in mere seconds. She has the clear advantage against Tirpitz, repeatedly punching her with quick succession.
"If you were smart enough, you should have realized someone in the Kriegsmarine is a traitor!" She punches Tirpitz in abdomen
Tirpitz fell on one knee, grunting in pain as that once punch is equivalent to the force of solid steel hitting her.
"You should have learn your lesson by now. That is...to never trust humans"
As Tirpitz slowly gets up, Arkhangelsk grabs both of her shoulders and sends a powerful knee kick to the abdomen, breaking a rib or two.
"The day when the fleet was ambushed and forced to retreat, remember it? For you and everyone else to live...that paper ship had no choice but to give up her life"
(Damn! It hurts everywhere...!) Tirpitz pressed her hand near where she felt she broke a bone
"Once you know the truth, both Schanrhorst and Yuki's sacrifice were all for naught. They were betrayed...just like you..."
Tirpitz has yet to recover from Arkhangelsk's powerful blow. She never thought Arkhangelsk would possess physical strength the rivals or even surpasses the Iowa class and the Yamato class. She had gotten much stronger since their last fight.
"Kkh...Arkhangelsk, you...!"
"Don't look at me like that, Tirpitz. I'm doing you a favor by letting you know about who really caused your sinking eleven years ago"
While the two conversed, Arkhangelsk made her way to pick up the gun that had been knocked off earlier and aimed it right at Tirpitz's head.
"I know you're not going to pull that trigger"
Tirpitz isn't the least afraid nor intimidated that a gun is pointed right directly at her, at close range. Why would she be? She was shot down before and even experienced death. Having a gun pointed right at her face is the least of her worries.
"Heeeeh~ What makes you think of that?"
"You didn't kill Tashkent when you had the chance. In fact...you never killed a single shipgirl"
For a moment, Arkhangelsk broke away from her usual composure, something that is thought to never happens. This hinted what Tirpitz saying is the truth.
"All the people you disposed are working for the KGB. You work for them, but you secretly dispose of their members. That's doesn't make sense, does it?"
Tirpitz stands up straight, staring Arkhangelsk right in the eyes, whom she can tell is affected by her words.
"You said you don't care about Warspite anymore, but you still wear the necklace she gave you. There's something you're not telling, Arkhangelsk..."
The evidence is as clear as day. That necklace on Arkhangelsk's neck is something Warspite gave to her so she would never "forget". If she truly lost care, then there's no reason in keeping it...and yet she did. Tirpitz saw this flaw and pointed it out, in order to convince Arkhangelsk to confess.
"Tirpitz, I...I-" She slightly lowered her arm
Arkhangelsk's voice softened, like she reverted to her old self as "Royal Sovereign". That moment didn't last long when an unexpected guest crashed in, unintentionally ruining the chance to revealing Arkhangelsk's true intentions.
"You bastard!"
Gangut tackled Arkhangelsk in an effort to stop her to whatever she is about to do to Tirpitz. She acted as the scene implied Arkhangelsk is seconds to killing Tirpitz.
"Gangut?! What are you doing here?"
She never thought someone would interfere, specially someone like Gangut, who showed up out of nowhere. To a degree, she expected there would be someone to interfere sooner or later. It appeared she isn;t to accurately predict such events.
"I came here as soon as I realized you were in danger. Good thing I came just in time!"
"All of you just like getting in my way!"
An irritated Arkhangelsk gains the upper hand over Gangut and with little effort, she threw Gangut off to a rusted container, denting it inwards upon impact.
"Gangut! Tch!"
Tirpitz quickly reacted, preventing Arkhangelsk from firing a shot towards Gangut.
"You're a fool...for trusting humans, Tirpitz! In doing so...cost the life the people around you. Like Scharnhorst!"
"You know nothing about me!"
"Hahahaha! I know a lot about you, specially your past. What were to happen if certain people were to know you and Bismarck are sisters"
Tirpitz made a mistake by briefly loosening her guard, something Arkhangelsk is well aware off. This mistake caused her to be overpowered by Arkhangelsk, who somehow possesses strength that rivals even the strongest of shipgirls.
"I know you very well, Tirpitz. You're the useless battleship who left Scharnhorst to die at North cape. I guess it was a right decision for that man to get rid of you"
She could have pulled the trigger earlier, but she didn't. Perhaps it's her sadistic personality that let her prolong the confrontation between the three of them.
"Aaargh! You people are a bunch nuisance!"
Gangut uses all her strength, but even though Arkhangelsk is an old model like Gangut, she proved to be much stronger than a regular battleship.
"I wanted to play more, but this game has gone far enough!"
Arkhangelsk has no interest in facing Gangut so she knocked her off to the metallic side of the container, hitting her head in the process.
"Check!"
Yet again, Tirpitz attempted to wrestle control of the gun off Arkhangelsk, but the latter weary of this annoying stand-off, used her strength to turn this confrontation into her favor, ending it right here...right now.
"You can never face the truth with the way you are..." She whispered
...Arkhangelsk had pulled the trigger and gunshots are heard a few times.
"...?!" Tirpitz could utter a word
"You lived an invalid life...and you will die a cripple's death..."
As if taunting Tirpitz, she recited a familiar line while Tirpitz knelt on the ground, her shaking hands pressing her the side of her abdomen. She widened her eyes at the sight of her gloves stained with her own blood. With one last look, she opened her mouth, attempting to speak...but no words came out. Her body collapsed on the ground, unable to deliver what she wished to say to the remorseless shipgirl.
"Tirpitz!"
"It's either you try to stop me and let Tirpitz die...or not be an idiot and not let her die"
"Arkhangelsk, you...you...Argh!"
Gangut cannot simply let Arkhangelsk walk away after all she had done, but she is in a situation where one choice will drastically affect the other. Gangut is impulsive and reckless, but she cares for Tirpitz more than her desire to face off Arkhangelsk.
"Check. Now it's your turn..."
Having accomplished her mysterious goal, Arkhangelsk had done her what she needed to do...for now. She has no intention of going any further, so she left Tirpitz's fate in Gangut's hands. She wished to see more, but it will compromise what she had worked for. With a faint and assured smile curved on her lips, the unstable shipgirl left the the scene.
"Tirpitz! Hey, Tirpitz! Stay with me, partner!"
"G...Gan...gut..."
She could barely say anything with her gunshot wounds forcing her to succumb. Gangut desperately cried for Tirpitz not to close her eyes. Her words merely echoed and faded to Tirpitz, clinging to the fading light.
"Y...You're..."
Inside a closed world where the existence of her other self resides and slumbers, Tirpitz finds herself lying on the cold surface water. She is drained of strength, helpless to make a move. The pale and emotionless Abyssal's bright red yet ghostly eyes stared directly at her dying shipgirl self. It muttered two words, directed at Tirpitz.
Not yet...
Tirpitz couldn't responded a single word. She tried to, but her wounds had crippled most of her ability to take action. The last thing her fading vision saw is Gangut bursting into tears as she sought aid to prevent her heavily wounded partner from dying
"I won't let you die! Never again!"
No more words from her partner came passed her senses. Tirpitz felt the cold seeping through her skin, urging her to close her eyes...and so she did. All she felt is the memory of sinking to the bottom of the ocean, similar to what she experienced eleven years ago.
Not just yet...Tirpitz...
EXTRA
The Abyssals have been actively terrorizing convoys recently, making transporting supplies difficult. Along with Central Princess reappearing after staying quiet for a long time, the navy of different countries finds themselves in a pinch with one problem piling up with each passing day.
"I wasted my precious aircrafts on useless shipgirls protecting helpless ships" Aircraft carrier Princess swept her hair
"I'm fine whatever ship. I just feel good torpedoing my enemies~"
Disgusted by looking at Submarine Princess creepily and affectionately rubbing her cheek on her torpedoes, Aircraft carrier Princess took several steps away.
"The humans are surely angry at how we intercept their transport ships" Armored carrier Princess smirked
"Of course they are. Our fleet have been keeping them...distracted after all" Anchorage Water Demon joined in
"Which reminds me. Because Battleship Water Demon and Dreadnought Princess were busy trying to kill each other, they let a shipgirl fleet escape. Those two fight for petty reasons"
Airfield Princess openly and loudly stated while her fellow Abyssals aren't too comfortable having her mention that. None of them dares to speak about it since those two powerful Abyssals have a short temper and extremely violent when provoked. Airfield Princess continuously mocks the two while the other Abyssals are silently gesturing her to stop talking about.
"I mean they couldn't even-"
The reason why they did so is because Dreadnought Princess overheard Airfield Princess making fun of her. 'Kratos' grabbed her head and lifted the Abyssal airfield a feet or two off the ground.
"D-D-Dreadnought Princess?! I-I was just joking. You see..."
Fortunately for Airfield Princess, Dreadnought Princess isn't in the mood for punishing anyone who dare mock her right now. After her little spat with Battleship Water Demon recently. Both of them continued to fight, until Central Princess "disciplined" and "grounded" them Besides, Central Princess had forbidden any Abyssal to take the life of another Abyssal without her permission.
"Annoying..."
Dreadnought Princess snapped her fingers and telepathically ordered her dear pet Kratos to toss aside Airfield Princess like old rubbish. She left without inflicting much harm to Airfield Princess, something the others find strange. She's an Abyssal who goes violent on everyone that insults her so her little to no violent action today...is very unusual.
"Kratos, I've been having unusual dreams lately"
Dreadnought Princess pets her monstrous rigging she nicknamed 'Kratos'. Her metal clad hands gently pets it, treating like a house pet and often speaks to it.
"These dreams. It felt like it came from a long time ago. Ever since facing the lonely Queen of the North after she escaped me eleven and a half years ago...these dreams surfaced again"
She gently closes her eyes and presses her head against her monstrous pet's head, recalling about the same "dreams" she had been seeing. It was in the North sea. She experienced it in the eyes of a person she doesn't recognize.
"You've been working hard today, Yuki"
A blonde woman wearing a distinctive military like uniform pats her head. She couldn't recognized the face with staticness and abstractness. For some reason, she remembered feeling her heart race whenever "this person" would talk and sit with her.
"As a shipgirl who is just a chosen candidate, I want to give it my all so I won't burden my fleet. Since I'm big and slow after all..."
"Ha ha ha. There's nothing wrong with being big or slow, Yuki. You're a battleship just like me...even if everyone says you're not a real shipgirl. I'm sure your big sisters are proud with all the great things you've done"
"Do you think so?"
"Yeah. Even I have to give it my all...to make my fatherland and my big sister proud..."
'Yuki' embraced Tirpitz. Dreadnought Princess can't explain, but she exactly felt the warmth from the bottom of her heart. That is something she deemed impossible. Alon with those joyful memories comes along horrible ones. In a midst of a dreadful battle, almost deafened by the sound of cannon fire and explosions, she felt desperation. The same feeling this "Yuki" had at that moment.
"We're all done for if this continues. Something...something must be done!"
"What are you talking about? We have to go!" The blonde shipgirl shakes her
"We all can't go and you know it! Someone...someone has to hold them back long enough for the rest to escape"
Regret filled every core of her body. Unknown to her, it's a farewell...a tragic one.
"You won't last even fifteen minutes with those numbers! You will sink!"
"Even if...even if it's less than fifteen minutes...that's long enough for everyone to escape!"
"Don't do this...Yuki. Just don't...please..."
The blonde shipgirl burst into tears, shaking her head and refusing for Yuki to hold the enemies long enough for everyone to successfully get away.
"Don't do this...Yuki...!"
Dreadnought Princess doesn't understand who the shipgirl is and why she's seeing that dream in 'Yuki's eyes' as if it's her own. The shipgirl Yuki turned towards the direction of the enemy, preparing to face them, while the other shipgirls forcefully drag the pleading and screaming blonde shipgirl.
If I were to be reborn again...I hope we'll still be friends. Even if my memories were to vanish...my heart...will always remember...
To Dreadnought Princess, it felt like it was more than just a dream. Those dreams felt too real to the point they're all long forgotten memories. She doesn't recognize any of it as her own...yet something deep inside her urges her to remember. A forgotten voice repeatedly muttering something.
"The lonely Queen of the North. I must face her again..."
The blonde shipgirl in her dreams resembles the Lonely Queen of the North - Tirpitz, more than any other shipgirl she fought. Dreadnought Princess perhaps thought facing Tirpitz again might clear her confused mind and gain answers to her vague dreams.