"Ah, Commander." Bremerton said as Isaac walked onto her bridge.
"Bremerton. I am here to get you and take you to Vengeance. She said she has dialed in the procedure for fixing your missing eye." Isaac said.
Bremerton nodded but hesitated to move.
"Everything alright?" Isaac asked.
"I know we are fighting the Sirens... but Observer Zero surrendered... didn't she?" Bremerton asked.
"She did. I gave her to Vengeance to do as she saw fit." Isaac said.
"Commander... do you know how she dialed in my procedure?" Bremerton asked.
Isaac looked at her and shook his head.
"I can't say I do." Isaac replied.
"She's been using Zero as a test subject..." Bremerton said as she looked at Isaac.
"As a test subject?" Isaac asked.
"She told me that she would do the procedure on Zero to see if Zero survived. But knowing her anger towards Zero..." Bremerton said.
"Alright... I think I see what you're trying to say. Let's go so we can correct this." Isaac said as Bremerton nodded softly.
Eagle was waiting for Isaac and Bremerton on the starboard stern of Bremerton's vessel.
"Eagle, let's get to the Vengeance quickly. I fear I may have condemned our prisoner to a much worse fate than death." Isaac said as Eagle nodded and helped both Bremerton and Isaac onto her rigging.
"Please hold on, Darling." Eagle said as she jumped to the waves and broke out into a near sprint across the waves, rushing in a straight line towards the Vengeance.
"Isaac. We have arrived in New Guinea. Shall I give the order to begin docking procedures?" Norfolk asked via Eagle's radio.
"Yes. Give the order. Put Shinano and Yume's vessels closer to port. Anyone who can drop anchor outside of a berth should consider doing so. We aren't going to be staying for too long. We're going to pick up the troops that stayed behind, drop off fresh troops and decide who we are taking with us to the Philippines. So let's not make a career of it." Isaac said.
"I understand, Isaac. Transmitting the order now." Norfolk said as she cut the line.
"We're splitting the fleet again?" Eagle asked.
"I don't think so. In face, I only want to leave a skeleton crew behind in terms of ships." Isaac said as he looked over at the approaching port.
"And by the looks of it, it seems that the Skeleton crew is already here." Isaac said.
"Darling, might I recommend taking the Iowa? We have sent Nimitz and the Missouri on their way as we are missing the firepower we have become accustomed to." Eagle suggested.
"I guess we can. And I believe those men have a decent lay of our next battlefield. So having them along might help us." Isaac said.
"It would certainly put the fleet at ease." Eagle added.
"I see. Well, then I guess I don't have much of an option." Isaac said as Eagle's radio went off.
"Unknown Fleet. This is Union Battleship Tennessee. Identify yourselves." Tennessee's voice spoke.
"So good to hear the voice of another Union Battleship. Hello, Tennessee. This is Admiral Garner." Isaac said.
The radio was silent for a few seconds.
"Tennessee? Do you copy?" Isaac asked.
"S-sorry sir. I was not expecting to hear you picking up the line. Welcome to New Guinea." Tennessee spoke.
"No need for apology. I see you have done well in holding down the fort." Isaac said.
"I cannot take credit, Sir. Cali, Alwyn and I have only just arrived here yesterday." Tennessee said.
"Well, either way, I see several ships there that were not present at my last departure. So you must have done something right." Isaac said.
"I appreciate the praise, Sir. Reminds me of my previous Captain..." Tennessee trailed off.
"I suspect we will have plenty of time to talk about it if that is what you desire. Do you have anything to report?" Isaac asked.
"Yes sir. Iowa has gained sentience." Tennessee said.
"Sentience?" Isaac asked.
"Apparently her crew found a single intact cube and attempted to introduce it to the hull. It fused but did not give Iowa a Kansen form." Tennessee said.
"So Iowa is self aware?" Isaac asked.
"Yes sir. She communicates via Morse Code and has limited control of her own instruments. However, she cannot operate her guns or move on her own." Tennessee explained.
"I see. That is quite the discovery. I shall send Otto to investigate once we dock. Anything else?" Isaac asked.
"Otto, sir? I know it seems unlikely, but I have captured a Sakura vessel with several strange and infuriating individuals onboard. Two of them mentioned a Mr. Otto." Tennessee spoke.
"Hmm. They must be German. Otto is a good friend of my late father, and is practically family. He was the one who looked after the girls of the Kriegsmarine during the war." Isaac said.
"That seems odd, since one of them appears to be the Commander of the Sakura kansen. Why would a German be commanding a Japanese warship?" Tennessee asked as Eagle jumped onto the deck of the Vengeance.
"Maybe he was transferred from the Kriegsmarine to the Imperial Navy." Isaac suggested.
"I guess that would make sense. Well, other than that, nothing to report. We eagerly await your arrival." Tennessee said as she cut the line.
"She seems reasonable." Eagle said.
"She was..." Bremerton said.
"The mystery grows." Isaac said as he looked at the second of the Baltimore class sisters.
"Let's go. I feel like I need to nip this in the bud real quick." Isaac said as he and Bremerton made their way into the superstructure of the Vengeance.
"Cruiser Bremerton." Vengeance said as Isaac and Bremerton walked into the medical bay.
"We can begin the procedure right away if you lay on the table." Vengeance said.
"Now you hold on just a minute. Vengeance. I gave you Zero do do with as you please, right?" Isaac asked.
"You did. And I have kept up my end and not killed her. But without her, I would not have figured out the proper way to perform this procedure." Vengeance said.
"Did you give her anything to help her? Morphine, or anything?" Isaac asked.
"Why would I waste our important medical supplies on her?" Vengeance asked as Isaac narrowed his eyes.
"So you're torturing her." Isaac stated.
"Look, if I can't kill her, I am going to torture her. She killed my friend." Vengeance snapped.
"While I understand the desire for revenge... I would rather torture be kept off the table. I have received information that might help everyone involved." Isaac said.
"Isaac." Vengeance said with a small hint of distain.
"Look. I know you don't like it. But you will have a chance to fight those who wronged not only you, but your friend as well. But Zero has been nothing but helpful to us, despite even my poor treatment of her." Isaac said.
"I... guess you have a point. What do you have in mind then?" Vengeance said as she rested a hand on her hip.
"I would rather you find a use for her instead of torturing her." Isaac said.
"I see. There's something more. You have a question?" Vengeance asked.
"Not a question, but information. Iowa, the battleship commanded by Perkins, has gained sentience." Isaac said.
"Really? Why is that so important?" Vengeance asked.
"There's no Kansen on the Iowa. Tennessee reports that Iowa communicates via Morse Code and has a small bit of control over her instruments." Isaac said.
"That sounds like a partial conversion." Vengeance said.
"Partial conversion?" Isaac asked.
"Bigger ships need more cubes to compensate for all of the information present. So if the crew only used one cube, this is the kind of thing that happens." Vengeance said.
"Can you fix it?" Isaac asked.
"Of course. And I can find use for Zero while I'm at it." Vengeance said.
"How..." Isaac asked skeptically.
"Well, a partial conversion is quite the conundrum for a Kansen. It requires much more energy to finish the conversion process. Zero's cubes contain that power. You get a new battleship Kansen, I get my revenge, and Zero gets to die helping you. It's a win-win-win." Vengeance said.
"Vengeance. You are a very smart individual. You might even be a miracle worker. You've done a lot in my service. If you wish to use her cubes... do to her what happened to Nimi when she passed. I wish to keep her conscious alive and onboard the Norfolk as an added source of Siren Intel. Can you do that?" Isaac asked.
"Easily." Vengeance said with a hint of pride.
"Then consider it an order. But I want it done properly. And without pain. You have access to the Morphine onboard the Norfolk in the Med bay, use it." Isaac demanded.
"Yes, Isaac." Vengeance said as she turned to Bremerton.
"Let us get you under for the surgery. You'll be ready to go by tomorrow morning." Vengeance said.
Bremerton looked at Isaac, who nodded.
"Then... I am in your capable hands." Bremerton said as she laid on the table.
"Vengeance, where are you keeping Zero?" Isaac asked.
"In the brig." Vengeance said.
"Understood. Take care of Bremerton, please." Isaac said as he left the medical bay after reassuring Bremerton with a squeeze of her hand.
"Zero?" Isaac asked as he walked into the brig.
"A..poll...yon." Zero's voice spoke as Isaac ran to where the voice was coming from.
Isaac nearly lost his lunch at the scene he saw.
"Zero... I am so sorry." Isaac said as he pressed a button on the other side of the room, opening her door.
Zero's face was stained in blood and staples held together the skin around her right eye.
"She didn't even bother to wrap your wound." Isaac said as he looked down at Zero, who was curled on the floor of her cell.
"Please... kill me. It hurts... so bad." Zero pleaded as tears formed in her left eye.
Isaac knelt down, feeling a bit of pity for Zero.
"Zero. Look at me." Isaac said as Zero's good eye tracked him.
"Apollyon... please kill me... make it stop." Zero begged.
"I am transferring you back to the Norfolk. We are going to use your cubes to bring about the awakening of the Iowa. But I have requested that your consciousness be saved. You will feel no pain. And you can still help me, as you have since you came here. I am sorry that this happened to you." Isaac said as Zero softly grabbed his foot.
"Please... it hurts." Zero said as Isaac sat down next to her.
"I ordered Vengeance to use proper medical technique to perform your operation. So rest assured you will feel no pain in your last moments in a physical body." Isaac said.
"W-why? I... I'm your enemy." Zero asked, breathing heavily to stave off the pain.
"Because... after sending you here, I realized that you have done nothing to attempt to destroy or otherwise screw with my fleet since your surrender. You don't deserve the poor treatment that I have bestowed upon you... so... I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am sorry. You surrendered to me in the confidence that you would be treated decently... and I betrayed that confidence by handing you to Vengeance. This operation will allow you to live on as Norfolk's assistant. While your cubes will help bring forth a powerful new ally. And to make up for the treatment you received... I am ensuring that you will no longer feel pain... starting now." Isaac said as he stood and found a receiver at the end of the hall.
"Vestal. Report to the brig of the Vengeance immediately. And bring plenty of morphine." Isaac said over the radio before returning to Zero.