AN: Finally getting back into the step of things. I spotted a few more follows and favorites than last time, so that's encouraging. I'm actually a little bothered by the ending of the last chapter, so I may end up changing it later on. For now, let's just get on with the 1v1 practice battle between the Ayanami-class destroyer (sub-class of the Fubuki-class depending upon who you ask), Akebono, and the Gearing-class destroyer, Cole.
If either destroyer had hopes to end the battle early, during the opening shelling phase as they close the distance between each other, they are sorely mistaken. Cole holds the advantage in firepower, as her radar-directed 5-inch guns begin bracketing Akebono, her turrets firing in sequence, forcing the Japanese destroyer to begin quickly altering course, hoping to at least gain slight respite from the shellfire. The American destroyer can't help but grin slightly though, as the Mk37 Fire Control System within her rigging tracks her opponent with computerized efficiency. Akebono responds with a hurried salvo of her own, trying to find the range of the Gearing, which falls short. Her next salvo passes over Cole's head, to Akebono's frustration, as her own firing solutions are thrown off by her maneuvering. Nevertheless, Cole also fails to score any hits, despite having Akebono on the back foot.
"If they don't close the range soon, this is going to keep dragging on, to Akebono's detriment," Midlothian mutters, loud enough for Fubuki to overhear.
The Special Type destroyer can't help but agree. As one of the minority of destroyers who actively read about the capabilities of foreign vessels after the first such ships arrived in Japan, Fubuki has at least a general understanding of the advantage United States Navy ships hold in fire control.
"Neither of them are capable of launching an accurate torpedo attack like this either," Fubuki comments. "Akebono-san can't hold a targeting solution long enough to fire a spread, but at the same time Cole-san can't guarantee a hit against a maneuvering target like that."
A guarantee of scoring a hit isn't what Cole is looking for though, as she acquires a targeting solution from her Torpedo Director Mark 27 and fires the Mark 17 torpedoes from one of her pair of quintuple launchers.
Torpedoes serve a primary and secondary purpose… destroying the target, or limiting its movement…
As soon as Akebono spots Cole's torpedoes hit the water, she realizes what makes them much more dangerous than the usual American Mark 15s: the lack of wake thanks to their Navol propellant. With no wake to spot the incoming torpedoes, Akebono is chooses to turn into the attack, rather than continue evading the shellfire, and hope she avoids taking a hit directly to the bow, she'd rather not learn about the Mark 17's enhanced warhead too, even if it is just a practice battle.
Forced into a predictable course, Akebono takes a shell hit to one of her torpedo launchers, but is fortunate enough to only have it knocked out rather than detonating the torpedoes. Still, losing a torpedo launcher is preferable to taking a torpedo head on, and Akebono avoids the spread, much to Cole's frustration. Akebono uses the moment's respite she gained by dodging to launch torpedoes of her own from one her remaining triple launchers, while also firing her main battery. The Japanese destroyer doesn't have a perfect firing solution for her guns yet, but her shells are falling uncomfortably close, before finally beginning to bracket Cole in return. Despite each having the right range for their main batteries now, Akebono still feels some mental pressure from the sheer rate of fire the Gearing's guns are able to achieve.
"You shitty destroyer, you still can't get any more hits on me even with all those shells you're shooting at me!" Akebono shouts, using her taunt as a way to calm herself just as much as actually directing it at Cole.
"That so? You haven't even scored a single hit yet!" replies Cole, while using the twin rudders of her class to turn sharply into Akebono's torpedo spread.
Cole's change of course begins rapidly closing the distance between the two destroyers, and both increase the intensity of their shellfire. Akebono scores her first hit as the distance closes, holing one of Cole's funnels and spraying fragmentation over one of the American destroyer's 20mm AA gun positions.
"If they get much closer than they already are, Cole will probably end up pulling out one of her special tricks from her sleeve," notes Midlothian, standing behind Midlothian and Fubuki.
"Eh? What kind of trick do you mean, Horizon-senpai?" questions Fubuki.
"You know about the Bofors 40mm gun, right?" inquires the American cruiser.
"Yes, it's the heavy anti-aircraft cannon used on your ships," replies the Special Type destroyer.
"The Bofors fires a pretty big shell for an automatic anti-air gun, so it has a bit punch to it, and a respectable bit of range," explains Midlothian. "Some of the girls throughout the navy are known to use them to spray enemy superstructures at very close range. Doesn't cause the most damage, but it does degrade the enemy's ability to fight effectively. It works even better for the girls who have 3-inch 50 caliber guns for heavy AA."
"Um, when you say superstructure, do you mean…"
"The face, yes."
"Ehhhhh…"
The steady thunder of main battery fire being exchanged between the two destroyers in suddenly accented by the rapid fire sound of AA cannon fire from Cole's 40mm Bofors guns. A spray of 40mm shells strikes Akebono in the face, causing to suddenly flinch away, throwing off both her aim, and her evasive maneuvering. Taking advantage of the distraction, Cole dashes in, bringing the twin 5-inch gun in her hands up and pointing it directly at Akebono's face.
"Heh, gotcha," Cole says with a smirk.
"Not quite you shitty destroyer," Akebono responds with a smirk of her own.
Cole glances down, seeing Akebono's final remaining torpedo launcher, primed, aimed, and ready to launch.
"A tie?" asks Cole, raising an eyebrow.
"If that's what you want to call it," responds Akebono. "Not as shitty as I thought."
With both destroyers having avoided any serious damage in the course of the practice battle, the combined group of shipgirls and kanmusu make their way to the base's recreation room, where the rest of Rotuma's compliment of shipgirls have been wiling away the day.
"Where'd you learn to dodge shellfire like that, Bono-chan?"
"Lots of hard expeditions and escort missions gone wrong," replies Akebono. "My shitty Admiral always says he, 'didn't expect things to go bad', but it happens way too often."
"Akebono, I know you've already met some other members of the base, but the introduction wasn't the best, so we'll be doing it properly this time," interrupts Midlothian, pausing in front of the door to the recreation room. "Try to behave yourself."
"I will you shitty cru-"
"We'll both be on our best behavior!" Fubuki interjects, stepping on Akebono's foot to cut her off.
Midlothian opens the door, revealing a scene of chaos.
Lying across the sofa in the back of the room, Horizon is stretched out on her back, desperately holding back a much larger woman, who is apparently attempting to mount the large cruiser. Silently observing from a seat on the floor with a sort of empty interest is Autumn, unsure of whether to intervene, as both the larger girl and Horizon send entreaties for assistance her way.
Meanwhile, sitting in front of coffee table cluttered with various mechanical parts and pieces of paper is a girl of smaller build than Midlothian, but of older appearance. She wears a set of grey overalls with top half down and the sleeves tied around her waist, exposing a white undershirt slightly stained with oil and grease, with just the barest hint of a sports bra visible through the undershirt's fabric. She casts occasional amused glances towards the scene on the sofa, but keeps to herself, tinkering with what appears to be an anti-aircraft mount of some kind.
In a lounge chair, nearer the door to the rec room, sits a rather short woman. She appears mildly irritated by the ruckus on the sofa, but also seems to be slightly resigned to the whole situation. She is also the only one in the room to acknowledge the arrival of Midlothian and the trio of destroyers, directing her gaze towards the cruiser and giving an exaggerated roll of the eyes.
"Ahem." Midlothian clears her throat in an exaggerated manner, catching the attention of the occupants of the rec room. "If you'd all be so kind as to cease your current activities, I'd like to introduce our two newest arrivals."
"Well~, aren't they just a pair of cuties~," the woman who had been attempting mount Horizon says, eyeing the two Japanese destroyers in a way which sets them on edge.
"Everest, not now, not ever," says the woman in the lounge chair.
"So, these are the girls they sent us?" asks the girl at the table.
"Yes, they are, now, if you'd all be so kind as to quiet down long enough to let them introduce themselves," Midlothian says with a glare.
With no further delays forthcoming, Fubuki steps forward and salute, causing some in the room to raise an eyebrow, as saluting indoors is not normally authorized under US Navy regulations.
"My name is Fubuki, first ship of the Fubuki-class Special Type destroyers! I will do my best to work alongside you!"
Akebono is next, stepping forward a bit more grudgingly, but receiving a thumbs-up from Cole as she does.
"My name is Akebono, eighth ship of the Ayanami-class Special Type destroyers… I-I'll try not to call any of you shitty."
Midlothian nods in satisfaction to the two destroyers, before turning to her fellow shipgirls.
"Now then, it's all yours' turns."
The introductions by the Americans start off with the woman in the lounge chair.
"My name is Endeavour, of the Nevada-class Standard Type battleships. I mainly take care of the living quarters and supplies. My speed isn't high enough to keep up with the fleet most of the time, but it does mean there's always a full battery of 14-inch guns at the base if the Abyssals ever mount a raid."
Next is the girl at the table.
"Yo, name is Ajax, second ship of the Vulcan-class repair ships. Do all the same jobs as the other repair ships at other bases, so if you need anything fixed or equipment developed, I'm the girl to do it. I'm actually working on something right now to see if we can fit any-"
"Not now, Ajax," interrupts Endeavour.
"Ah, right, sorry. I can just get really into when talking about equipment. I mean, equipment if what can make the difference between living and y-"
"Ajax!" barks Midlothian.
"Sorry, sorry, I'll shut up now," the repair ship replies, holding up her hands in surrender.
Autumn goes next.
"Hm~, my name is Autumn of the uh… Baltimore-class heavy cruisers. Let's all be friends, m'kay?"
After pushing off away the woman who had been harassing her, Horizon introduces herself to the destroyers.
"Um, my name is Horizon, of the Alaska-class large cruisers. Ah, I'm not a battlecruiser though! Despite what people say and my 12-inch guns, I'm a cruiser, I promise. Oh, but my guns have just as much armor penetration as the older 14-inch guns used by the Standard Type battleships, so don't underestimate me!"
Not leaving any time for the Japanese destroyers to process Horizon's introduction, the dangerous to their chastity looking woman goes next.
"My name is Everest, of the North Carolina-class battleships. I hope we can all becomes best friends~. Stop by my room anytime you like, hm~? I'd love to show off just how great I can be, hm~."
"Everest," Midlothian says flatly.
"Yes?"
"No. Statutory rape is a thing."
"Aw~."
Are we going to be safe with that woman around here? Fubuki and Akebono think simultaneously.
"So, how are the girls settling in?" asks Admiral Carter, as Midlothian enters his office.
"Well enough," responds the cruiser. "Cole and Akebono seem to have at least bonded over almost blowing each apart in their practice battle. Endeavour has her hands full stopping Everest from trying to… well, you know how Everest can be."
"Yes, we're all quite aware of how… touchy she can be at times," Carter says with a sigh.
"Autumn and Horizon haven't done much more than introduce themselves so far, but they're both rather private people. I'm more worried about how much of their time Ajax is spending," continues Midlothian.
"What's our repair ship up to this time, eh?"
"She's working on a way to refit Bofors guns to fit their AA positions. It's a worthwhile project for sure, she's just trying to do too much of it all at once. I'm working on seeing if I can convince her to work on a temporary refit of 20mm Oerlikons in place of their pretty crappy 25mm guns, along with the fire control systems for them," Midlothian explains. "At the very least it will help lighten some of the logistics load. It's not we can't supply the ammunition for the Japanese weapons, but it does strain the supply fairies a bit. There's also, the-"
"Midi, it's alright. We have plenty of time to work all this out before the next convoy passes through for escort duty. Relax, take a breather. I know even you need to take a break from time to time."
"But, sir, I-."
Admiral Carter cuts off Midlothian's protest, "Midi, don't make me make it an order."
"Yes sir, understood," Midlothian says with a sigh. "I don't suppose I could get a stateside pass?"
"Don't push your luck."
"Understood, sir," the cruiser says with a grin.
WHOO! CHAPTER 4!
Combat is going to be quite technical in this fic, and national flavors of the navies will be retained, even if at the detriment of kanmusu combat performance compared to shipgirls.
plox don't hate me for that