"Admiral! We have them on radar but we don't have a visual!" The radio on the bridge blurted out a warning from the first mate at the forward gunnery station.
"Shit. Keep the AA guns trained on the sky." Nimitz spoke as he changed the radio frequency to hail Tirpitz.
"Tirpitz, we can't see them. We have them on radar, but this fog is too damn thick." Nimitz spoke.
"The fog of war, Admiral. Keep your eyes trained on the fog, the enemy fleet should be almost on top of you. I have Illustrious sending torpedo bombers your way to lend aid until we arrive." Tirpitz replied.
"We still can't... wait... THEY'RE HERE!" The first mate yelled, breaking into the line between Nimitz and Tirpitz.
"First mate, where are they?" Nimitz asked as he ran to the window of the bridge and looked around, scanning the fog.
"20 degrees off the port bow. 1000 meters and closing!" The first mate said as an explosion rocked the Missouri.
"Damage report!" Nimitz ordered.
"Forward gunnery station has been destroyed by an unknown enemy. The one in front of us has not fired." A sailor replied.
"And the first mate?" Nimitz asked as he attempted to look over the forward turrets to see the gunnery station, only for his eyes to be met with smoke and flames.
"Dead on impact sir. The shell penetrated the deck and has damaged the forward turret. Damage crews are assessing the damage now, but it is pretty much assured that the number 1 turret is out of commission. We need orders." The sailor spoke.
"Fuck... I guess Admiral Garner had a point. We are easy targets. Because if we're in range, so are Tirpitz and her fleet." Nimitz said as he slammed his fist on the glass.
"This is no time to be thinking like that, sir. We need to issue orders before that fleet takes out the rest of our weapons." A Lieutenant on the bridge spoke.
Nimitz thought for a moment.
"Screw it. If we're going to die here, then we won't do so without a fight. Aim the guns via radar and fire when able. We may land a few lucky hits." Nimitz said as he watched the number 2 turret swing around and level into the fog before firing each barrel independently.
"Admiral, We are almost in range. Hold on just a little longer." Tirpitz said.
Nimitz looked to the sky as several biplanes crossed his beam, followed closely by Spitfire escort.
"How are they going to hit anything if they can't see?" Nimitz asked.
"No clue." The Lieutenant spoke.
"I have a visual of the enemy fleet." Illustrious said as her planes flew slowly through the fog.
"How many are there?" Tirpitz asked.
"Not many. Maybe 50 or so battleship class. What worries me is that I can see a grey woman among them." Illustrious said.
"A grey woman?" Tirpitz asked.
"Yes. Grey hair, dark grey skin crawling with scars. She's clad in black with arms that look like Graf Spee's." Illustrious said.
"This is bad. This is very bad!" Tirpitz said as she changed frequency to contact the Missouri.
"Admiral, you need to retreat!" Tirpitz spoke urgently.
"Retreat? Why? What do you see, Tirpitz?" Nimitz asked.
"It's Strength. One of the Arbiters. Ironblood has limited knowledge of the siren Hierarchy, but our intel during the war tells us that Strength is the most cruel and unforgiving of the Arbiters. Every ship she has ever faced has never been heard from again." Tirpitz explained.
"Shit... Looks like we are even more screwed than I thought." Nimitz said as the Missouri rocked again under the force of another explosion.
"Damage?!" Nimitz yelled as the secondary gun turrets on the Missouri opened up on the fog.
"The number 3 turret has been obliterated. We have lost 66% of our effective firepower. They're picking us apart!" One of the sailors radioed in.
"Tirpitz, can you engage? We are being torn apart out here!" Nimitz yelled over the radio.
"Understood. We have just made it into the effective range. Get out of there." Tirpitz spoke as Spee and Tirpitz opened up with their main guns, their shells flying wildly into the fog, glancing off the armor of the Siren battleships.
"I want this ship out of here. Give me flank speed and a hard turn to starboard. We need distance." Nimitz demanded.
"Oh? They are turning away from us? Ha! Kill them all." Strength said as several mirror seas opened among her fleet.
"I don't think so, Strength." Tirpitz's voice played over the battleship's rigging.
"Hmm? And who are you?" Strength asked as ships began to emerge from the mirror seas.
"You should know me rather well, after all, we duked it out quite a few times in the North Sea." Tirpitz replied.
"Ah. The failure of the Kriegsmarine, Sister of the... much more famous Bismarck. Tirpitz." Strength goaded as her shields blocked in incoming round from Tirpitz's main guns.
"Yeah... back when you had little to no power, I caught you several times trying to navigate the North Sea." Tirpitz spoke proudly as the hull of her ship emerged from the fog surrounding Strength's fleet.
"You dare to come this close?" Strength spoke as her drones opened fire on Tirpitz.
As soon as the first shells were fired, columns of water shot up around Strength and her fleet.
"Torpedoes?!" Strength growled.
"You think I came alone? Your power may have increased... but it seems it may have cost you your intelligence." Tirpitz goaded.
"You bitch." Strength said as she skated quickly towards Tirpitz to engage her.
"Spee. You're up. Eugen, back her up." Tirpitz ordered as Strength was caught off guard by a deadly focused Graf Spee, whose massive ironclad fist slammed into Strength's side, adding a small cut to her many healed scars.
"Lucky shot." Strength growled as her hands locked with Spee's in a grapple attempt that Spee expertly shut down.
"Such a strong cruiser. Not many can hold up this long against me." Strength said as she put more effort into her advance, bearing down on Spee with more power and ferocity than before.
"Not many... cruisers have battleship levels of power." Spee responded, allowing a small smirk to cross her face as she too increased her effort, matching Strength once more.
"And you're the fool who came in here, alone." Tirpitz responded as Strength's shields flared around her and Spee, saving Strength from being hit broadside by Eugen's 8 inch guns.
Strength growled further before a shift in the air had her smiling.
"So nice of you to show up, VIII." Strength said as she managed to jump back, causing Spee to stumble before catching herself.
"I have come, master. What shall I do to make myself useful?" VIII asked sheepishly.
"Send in the Bomb ships." Strength said.
"Yes, master." VIII said as she closed her eyes.
"Oh no you don't." Spee said as she rushed forward, only to be stonewalled by Strength once more in another contest of power.
"Eugen! Be on guard!" Spee yelled as her fists were met at each strike by Strength, who had no intention of giving Spee an inch of space to advance.
"Kill the humans, and then you can help me, VIII." Strength ordered, attempting to psyche out Spee.
"Tirpitz, she's targeting the Missouri." Spee spoke rapidly.
"I understand. Illustrious, change targets and provide screening for the Missouri. I don't know what these Bomb ships are, but I can assure you they aren't good." Tirpitz spoke.
"I understand. Launching planes to intercept." Illustrious confirmed.
"Admiral, you need to get out of here. Illustrious is going to try to cover your escape. We have engaged the enemy." Tirpitz reported.
"We can't go any faster than this. Thankfully your arrival has taken away most of the threat... hold on... I'm picking up something on radar. Right off the starboard side." Nimitz said as he pulled up his binoculars as he looked towards the radar contact.
Through his binoculars, Nimitz saw a small fleet of fast moving ships approaching the Missouri.
"Admiral?" Tirpitz asked.
"All gunners! Open fire on those boats!" Nimitz ordered, sending the Missouri on the defensive once more.
"Admiral, what's going on?" Tirpitz asked.
"They're loaded with bombs. Each one could be enough to sink even a ship of this size!" Nimitz spoke.
"Shit. Illustrious! Take out those bomb ships!" Tirpitz ordered as she continued her assault on the slowly dwindling drone fleet that surrounded her and her forces.
"Understood. They're moving faster than any warship. They may be modified civilian boats. These could be quite dangerous." Illustrious said as her Spitfires opened up with their machine guns, strafing the water off the starboard side of the Missouri, blowing up several of the Bomb ships before the could reach the Missouri.
"Coming back around." Illustrious spoke over the Missouri's radio as the 5 inch secondary guns continued to pepper away at the seemingly endless swarms of incoming suicide boats.
"Please hurry." Nimitz spoke as he turned to his Lieutenant.
"Order the 40mm guns to be aimed down to bolster the 5 inch guns. We need every available round being used to ward off this threat." Nimitz spoke.
"On it." The Lieutenant said quickly as he ran to the radio to issue the order.
"You're beginning to piss me off, you abomination of a cruiser." Strength growled angrily as she and Spee locked up again, appearing to be equally matched in terms of power.
"I can do this all day, Siren." Spee said as sweat poured from her brow. Strength noticed this and decided to play her trump card.
"VIII, do it." Strength spoke as Spee, Eugen and Tirpitz all fell to their knees, buckling under the sudden increase in gravity.
"Spee!" Tirpitz yelled as she struggled to stand.
"Eugen! Get her!" Tirpitz yelled as she managed to crawl to the rail on her bow and lift herself, using the guns on her rigging to attempt to hit Strength.
"On it." Eugen said as she allowed her body to go limp, putting all her power into the serpents snaking out from her rigging. She got them within point blank range of the seemingly unaware VIII and opened fire, hitting the Siren Heavy Cruiser's shields dead on, breaking her focus and releasing her control on the gravity around them.
Tirpitz swung one of her turrets towards Strength.
"Spee, back off!" Tirpitz yelled, causing Spee to bring her legs up and deliver a driving kick to Strength's stomach, doing minimal damage but allowing Spee to back off to escape the blast of Tirpitz's HE shells.
"Eugen, engage the Enforcer! We can't let her do that again." Tirpitz ordered as Eugen locked eyes with VIII.
"Looks like you are my enemy now." Eugen said as her serpents returned back to her side.
"Master... can I kill her?" VIII asked, a spark of insanity was ever-present.
"I would be disappointed if you didn't." Strength's voice permeated the smoke that billowed from her rigging after tanking a shot from Tirpitz.
"Thank you, Master." VIII spoke as she locked eyes with Eugen.
"Time to die, Cruiser." VIII spoke as she launched herself at Eugen, firing the guns on her rigging, only for them to smash into Eugen's shields.
"I'm a lot tougher than you think, Pawn." Eugen taunted as her rigging opened fire, along with her main batteries, knocking VIII out of the air, but otherwise causing no damage.
"As am I, Prinz Eugen of Ironblood. You and your friends are lucky you managed to interrupt me. After all, If you can't even stand, how can you ever hope to win?" VIII asked as Eugen felt her body slowly getting heavier.
"Tirpitz, she may be trying to activate that ability again, be careful." Eugen managed before VIII launched at her again, bringing her fist down, only to have it blocked by the mechanical necks of Eugen's serpentine rigging.
"You won't win that way. I lost to Alpha... I won't let my friends down by losing to you." Eugen said as she summoned a hidden reserve of strength and rose to her feet, widening her stance to steady herself under the rising weight of gravity.
"Your will, or my ability... which will break first, I wonder." VIII spoke as a sadistic smile crossed the Siren's face.
"You will find my will... to be quite formidable." Eugen muttered as she reinforced herself, using the serpents in her rigging to add two more points of contact to the deck below her.
"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Strength boasted as she faced off against a bruised and battered Spee.
Spee just smiled as she watched Tirpitz move her vessel behind Strength and disembark, allowing her vessel to continue fighting the few remaining drones.
"Looks like you just found yourself outnumbered, Siren." Spee spoke as she spat blood from her mouth.
"Outnumbered? By an abomination and a failure? Don't make me laugh. Your jokes might be even more deadly than anything you have done thus far." Strength said with a chuckle, spinning to catch Tirpitz's staff in her hand, snapping it in two.
"Maybe... but now we have you fighting a war on three fronts." Tirpitz spoke as a separate detachment of fighters strafed the three combatants.
"So?" Strength spoke.
"And you should know how that ends." Spee spoke as she launched her fist into Strength's midsection, staggering her enough to allow Tirpitz to strike the back of her head with what remained of her staff.
"Oww!" Strength growled as she kicked back, barely missing Tirpitz's legs.
"See?" Spee observed.
"VIII! Get down here!" Strength yelled.
"Of course, Mast-!" VIII spoke before she was interrupted by a jaw clamping on the back of her neck.
"VIII!" Strength roared.
"Looks... like my will... wins." Eugen spoke as she forced the jaw that had ensnared VIII's neck to close, removing VIII's head from her body in true Ironblood fashion.
"NOOO!" Strength roared as she avoided another swing from Spee, clocking the Panzerschiff in the back of the skull with her rigging while kicking an advancing Tirpitz in the stomach, sending her flying back into her vessel, denting the bow armor around her body.
"Eugen, get out of there!" Illustrious spoke as Eugen saw a flash of grey right before being knocked backwards into her superstructure. In the fading moments of her consciousness, she saw Strength fire several shots from her rigging before collecting the body of VIII and retreating via mirror sea.
Several loud bangs alerted Nimitz to something wrong on the Missouri.
"What's going on?" Nimitz asked.
"We've been hit by... inert shells?" A sailor spoke in a questioning tone.
"What?" Nimitz asked.
"THEY AREN'T INERT! RUN!" The sailor spoke right before a massive explosion rocked the Missouri.
"What's going on?" Nimitz asked.
"Time delay. You need to run, one of the shells landed below the bridge!" The Lieutenant spoke as another shell detonated, this one closer than the last.
Nimitz tried to protest but was overruled when the Lieutenant pushed him to the opposite side of the bridge just as the shell below the bridge detonated, throwing Nimitz out the port side of the bridge with enough force to throw him to the waves, remaining awake long enough to witness the destruction wrought by a chance encounter with a Siren elite.
The Missouri was unrecognizable. Her superstructure was gone, and the batteries along with it, allowing the few remaining bomb boats to slam into the starboard side of the vessel. Planes overhead began circling Nimitz and the few survivors that had been thrown from the superstructure. Several minutes later, the survivors and Nimitz were pulled onto the flight deck of the Illustrious and taken directly to the medical bay.
"Spee? Eugen? Tirpitz? Somebody respond, please. Tirpy, please respond." Illustrious's voice rang in the heads of the three Ironblood kansen.
"Ugh... Illustrious... what have I told you about calling me that." Tirpitz responded hazily as she pulled herself back to reality. She immediately recognized the situation and scanned the battlefield for Strength before realizing that Strength was long gone.
"Tirpitz, the... the Missouri has been heavily damaged. I managed to save some, including Admiral Nimitz. But... Missouri will need to be towed back to Bermuda... she is no longer able to sail under her own power." Illustrious reported.
In the aftermath of the battle, the fog had dissipated enough so that Tirpitz could see the destruction.
"Mein Gott... I have to give it to the Union. They know how to build ships... but... no ship should have to endure that." Tirpitz spoke as she saw the still burning hull of what was left of Missouri. Several large holes on her belt and one penetrating hole beneath the waterline had created a 5 degree starboard list that the sailors were attempting to patch.
"I have not heard from Eugen or Spee. Are they alright?" Illustrious asked.
"Spee, Eugen, are you two alright?" Tirpitz asked.
Spee opened her eyes and rubbed her head before sitting up on the surface of the water, her rigging still deployed.
"I'm here." Spee said softly as she forced herself to her feet, the aches in her body being made apparent.
"Eugen?" Tirpitz asked.
"Yeah... I'm alright. Maybe a fractured rib or three... but I'm fine. They can't break me again." Eugen said as she propped herself up with her rigging.
"Spee... we still have to cross the pacific. You're not looking too good." Tirpitz said as she looked over the mighty panzerschiff.
"Speak... for yourself." Spee muttered between heavy breaths.
"I am ordering you to take the Missouri under tow and take the long way back to Bermuda. Instruct the surviving sailors on how to operate your vessel so you can rest. I will take no argument." Tirpitz demanded.
"But..." Spee started.
"You will do as ordered. It is for your own good." Tirpitz spoke sternly.
"Spee, please. I can see from here that you are no longer capable of traversing the pacific. The strain on your vessel will be far too immense." Illustrious spoke.
Spee stopped and thought.
"Maybe you're right... Fine. I'll tow what's left back to Bermuda." Spee spoke shortly with no attempt to hide the discontent.
"When you feel like you can make the trip... I'll allow you to take an escort down around India. I have not heard anything from our network saying anyone controls that area. And if I can contact you from Isaac's fleet, I'll let you know where to find us." Tirpitz reasoned.
"You better. As much fun as it was fighting her... I'd rather not have another surprise run in with her." Spee said as she rolled her shoulder before ramming her side into the hull of her ship, popping her shoulder back into socket.
"You did very well, Graf Spee. I don't think any cruiser lesser than you could have survived that encounter." Tirpitz praised the disgruntled Deutschland class cruiser.
"The Fatherland armed me with the power of battleships and the speed of a cruiser. I must say... I'm thankful for this fact." Spee said as she looked at her vessel, which had seen better days.
"I have the survivors onboard. I'm bringing them to you." Illustrious said.
"How many made it?" Tirpitz asked.
"Of the 2,000 onboard... I count 1276 onboard the Illustrious and an additional 223 repairing what they can to make what's left of the Missouri capable of an extended voyage..." Nimitz spoke, his voice weak.
"Over 500 lost..." Tirpitz spoke softly.
"Admiral Garner was right..." Nimitz added.
"About?" Tirpitz asked.
"You girls are the best at fighting the Sirens... Human crewed vessels just get in the way." Nimitz spoke, his voice taking on a dejected tone.
"Admiral. If it were not for you, we would have all been killed. Your radar and quick thinking got everyone prepared for battle in a short period of time and allowed for a decisive assist. We may be able to control our vessels by ourselves, but you humans will always be crucial in some regard. Take Isaac. We all have the power to fight the Sirens, but yet we look to him for orders and tactics. He is our Kommandant. A human commanding a massive fleet capable of felling nations and Sirens alike. Don't be too hard on yourself is what I am trying to say. You played a crucial part in this battle, Admiral. As I said, we all owe you big for your quick actions." Illustrious reassured Nimitz as he fell unconscious due to his injuries.
"Illustrious, is he alright?" Tirpitz asked.
"He was thrown from the bridge of the Missouri during the attack. He is the only surviving member that was on the bridge. The others who survived the destruction of the superstructure were on AA mounts or in secondary turrets on the opposite side of the vessel. As for the Vessel itself... she will most likely be out of action for at least a year. The damage done, as you can see, is quite extensive." Illustrious spoke.
"I think a year is a bit much. I know that the Union task force brought plenty of builders and mechanics during their escape from the Union. She'll see battle again soon." Tirpitz reassured her.
"Isaac!" Norfolk spoke as he, Vestal and Zero walked onto the bridge of the Norfolk.
"Norfolk?" Isaac asked as he allowed Vestal to take Zero to the medical bay.
"I have picked up a massive power surge on the tip of South America. Records match the power to be that of Strength and an unknown Siren doing battle." Norfolk spoke.
"Tirpitz!" Isaac shouted.
"What do we do?" Norfolk asked.
"Get her on the line now! I don't care what you have to do. Patch her into my helmet communicator when you establish a communication link." Isaac said as he put on his helmet.
"Where are you going?" Norfolk asked.
"To greet our new guests." Isaac spoke.
"Admiral." Tennessee spoke as she and California saluted Isaac as he approached the gangway of the Amagi.
"Girls. What do we got?" Isaac asked.
"One Imperial. One Nazi. One no-good piece of shit. And a battleship named Amagi." Tennessee spoke sternly before earning a glare from California.
"Huh... quite the odd ensemble." Isaac said as he was joined by Otto.
"Otto? What are you doing here?" Isaac asked.
"Can't an old man stretch his legs?" Otto joked.
Isaac chuckled a bit.
"Alright Grandpa. Let's go." Isaac joked.
"Oi, only Graf Spee gets to call me that, boy." Otto joked in return, causing both of them to laugh.
Isaac and Otto made their way down the deck towards the pagoda-like superstructure of the Amagi. Isaac eyed the guns, noting carbon buildup on the ends of the barrel along with plenty of scratches in the paint.
Isaac and Otto made their way onto the bridge, walking in to find a brown furred fox prying a hulk of a man off of a masked man in a flight suit.
"Damn you, you Nazi fuck! How dare you talk about my mother that way!" The hulking man spoke.
"Hey, I'm only saying I have seen a lot of men that look like you, I only suggested that your mother might not have been the most... loyal." The masked man spoke.
"Both of you knock it off... I swear. This is why Amagi and I can't spend any time together. Because you two are always at each other's throats." A third man spoke.
Isaac looked over and saw the third man in a dirty Imperial naval commander's uniform.
Otto gasped.
"Jager? Michael?" Otto asked, causing all the commotion to cease immediately.
"H-herr Otto!" The masked man and the Imperial spoke at the same time.
"Otto, you know these men?" Isaac asked.
"Of course, Admiral. These two both used to be soldiers of the Fatherland. Jager I would run into down at the docks while he was testing his fighter with my wife. And Michael I would run into down at the docks when checking up on the girls of Ironblood. These two are always a bit of a handful." Otto spoke.
"I see. And the American?" Isaac asked.
"I can answer that, Admiral!" California chimed up from behind Isaac.
"California?" Isaac asked.
"Yup! That American is my boyfriend. His name is Ben and he was a medic who landed with the Marines on D-day." California spoke proudly.
"And he's where why?" Isaac asked.
Ben snapped to attention and saluted Isaac.
"Sir! I am here due to my capture at D-day and my escape from a hidden research facility controlled by the Nazi's." Ben spoke sternly.
"You were experimented on?!" Isaac asked.
"Yes Sir. They enhanced my strength and combat ability, turning me into what they called a 'super soldier'." Ben explained.
"I see. Are you alright?" Isaac asked.
"None the worse for wear, Sir!" Ben responded.
"Good man. And you. You must be Amagi." Isaac said.
"Quite the perceptive eye." Amagi spoke softly.
"Well, from what I understand, you four surrendered to Tennessee and California pending my arrival. So... that makes you four prisoners." Isaac said.
"Sir." Ben spoke up.
"You may speak." Isaac replied.
"We surrendered with the intention of integrating with your forces. We have extensive knowledge of fighting the Sirens and are certain we will be of use." Ben said.
"Are you saying you speak for everyone present?" Isaac asked.
"It was a decision made after we left the Philippines." Amagi spoke.
"You four were in the Philippines?" Isaac asked.
"Yes. We tried to keep hidden, but the attacks were becoming more frequent." Amagi said.
"I see. Well... what skills can the three of you bring?" Isaac asked.
"Three?" Amagi asked.
"I already intended to induct you after knowing you surrendered. But I don't know anything about these three." Isaac reasoned.
"I am Michael. I was a conscripted German Sailor who was transferred to the Imperial fleet and rose through the ranks until becoming a Commander. I also am proficient with this." Michael said as he pointed to the massive 20mm rifle that hung from the back wall.
"Is that... a sniper rifle?" Isaac asked.
"Yes it is. I have very good eyes and have been known to hit targets up to a Kilometer and a half without a scope. Hence why that rifle has no scope." Michael said.
"So you have Naval tactics and are a remarkable sniper. You I can make use of." Isaac said as he turned to Ben.
"You know my name, Sir. I was turned into a super soldier by the Nazis. I was trained as a soldier back in the Union and I believe that I can help bolster your ground forces. If nothing else, I am a medic and can help the wounded on the ground." Ben spoke.
"I see. I can always use more ground troops. And your knowledge of the Philippines could prove valuable. Besides, I can't very well send away California's boyfriend." Isaac said, earning him a hug from behind by California.
"I knew you were a good Commander." California spoke jovially.
"And you. Care to remove your mask?" Isaac asked.
"Why don't you remove your helmet, 'Admiral'?" Wilhelm retorted.
"Bit of a rude tone on you." Isaac spoke as the two of them eyed each other behind their masks.
"I go by Jager. One of the flying aces of the Luftwaffe." Wilhelm spoke shortly.
"I have many carriers capable of flying their own planes. I even have a British Ace onboard the Eagle who has done more teaching than flying." Isaac explained.
"So?" Wilhelm asked.
"What need do I have for a pilot who most likely won't be flying?" Isaac asked.
"Admiral... if I may. Jager here has quite the track record with us, even after being ejected from the Luftwaffe." Michael said.
"Oh?" Isaac asked.
"He has identified every weak spot on every type of drone used in this theater. And he is more than capable of striking said weak spot every single time he drops munitions." Michael explained.
"Is that so?" Isaac asked.
"And as much as I hate the bastard... He's a damn good Pilot. I've never seen those jet things the Sirens use before... but he outflanks them every time he faces one. During our first encounter with a drone aircraft carrier, he took down the entire compliment in an ME-155A. There are no Siren aircraft that have survived an encounter with him." Ben spoke up.
"An American praising one of his captors?" Isaac asked.
"Look, I hate the guy... but I have to admit he's saved our skins more than a few times." Ben said.
Isaac sighed.
"Then I guess I have little choice. But you will also be tasked with teaching my carriers the proper way to outmaneuver the Siren Aircraft. The only two capable of doing it relatively well are Richthofen and Enterprise. Shinano, Eagle, and Graf Zeppelin have been more useful in how many planes they can project, allowing us to overwhelm the enemy with numbers. But I want everyone capable of do as you can." Isaac spoke.
"So be it." Wilhelm spoke shortly.
"Make yourselves at home with the others. We will be departing in a few days to head towards the Philippines." Isaac said as he spun on his heel and walked off the bridge, allowing Otto and California to stay and talk.
"Isaac." 13 spoke from the water next to the docks.
"13? What are you doing out in the water like that?" Isaac asked.
"I was waiting for you, silly." 13 replied.
"Ah. That explains everything." Isaac said with a sarcastic smirk.
"You seem troubled." 13 said.
"Things just got a bit more complicated." Isaac said.
Isaac was going to explain when the hull of the new I-13 rose to the surface next to the docks.
"Come inside. We can talk." 13 said in a tone that Isaac knew too well.
"Will we actually be talking?" Isaac asked.
"Of course. But you also seem very stressed. Maybe I can help." 13 said as Isaac sighed with a smile.
"Are you sure you're not jealous?" Isaac asked.
"I've been jealous ever since I found out you fucked Nimi. Now get in here before I drag you in here, damn it." 13 said as she pulled herself from the water, the water allowing her white dress to stick to her body, showing that even with her new bigger form, 13 refused to put anything underneath.
"13! Everyone can see you!" Isaac whispered as 13 smiled.
"Well then I guess you had better get me inside before everyone sees my new body, Isaac." 13 spoke, forcing Isaac to comply.
"Alright, let's go." Isaac said as he draped his coat over her shoulders.
On the Amagi, The three men and Amagi watched as Isaac and 13 boarded the Submarine and sunk below the surface.
"What do you think of him?" Michael asked.
"He seems to have a lot on his shoulders. I felt it while he was talking to us." Amagi said.
"Did we make the right call?" Michael asked.
"He has the biggest fleet I have ever seen. And I was at D-day, where I was aided by the combined Union and Royal forces to land on that damn beach. I would fear him more if he was all smiles with this kind of pressure on his back." Ben spoke.
"Jager?" Michael asked, taking note that California was still in the room.
"He's alright. Skeptical to be sure, but in this day and age, you'd be stupid not to be." Wilhelm responded.
"What's he doing with that submarine?" Michael asked.
"Ooo! I can answer that!" California spoke, showing that despite her nonchalant attitude, she was listening.
"Oh?" Michael asked.
"I heard some chatter from the girls, and that submarine was just married to the Admiral. So they might be looking for a quiet place to... consummate their union." California said with a blush as she looked at Ben.
"Ah, a man of war and love." Michael said as Amagi rubbed his shoulders softly.
"I know it's personal... but is she the only one?" Michael asked.
"Nope. Admiral Garner has several wives throughout the fleet. Friedrich, Odin, Nimi, Eagle, Shinano, with whom he has a child, Norfolk, and now I-13 after her retrofit into an I-400 class submarine." California said as she walked over to Ben.
"Damn." A collective response from the three men caused California to laugh. Amagi's grip on Michael's shoulders tightened.
"I mean, with a man like that? From what I hear, he is not a conventional Admiral." California said.
"How so?" Wilhelm asked.
"He has next to no self preservation. He fights land battles from the front, and commands his fleet from the battleship line, right up front in the thick of it. On top of his rumored good looks and smooth talking... It's more amazing that more of his fleet haven't bedded him." California explained.
"You haven't seen his face?" Wilhelm asked.
"I only just met him when he came to see you four. So I have only seen his helmet. Kinda scary." California spoke as she looked at Ben.
"What's up?" Ben asked.
"He said you four can make yourselves at home... why not spend the night on my ship. We can... catch up?" California said with a smile.
"Well... I guess it would be nice to get out a bit, no offense Amagi." Ben said.
"It's okay, Ben. None taken. Go have fun." Amagi said, her mind focused elsewhere.
"Alright. Cali?" Ben asked.
"I call top!" California said happily as she practically pulled Ben down to the main deck and across the port.
"Dear, you're beginning to hurt me." Michael spoke softly.
"Did she say... that Shinano and the Admiral... have a child?" Amagi asked.
"Oh no..." Michael thought to himself as he formulated a reply.
"I can't really remember... I wasn't really paying too much attention." Michael said as he rubbed his neck.
"I shall have to speak with her at once." Amagi said as she adjusted her Kimono and made her way quickly down to the docks and towards the Shinano.
"You're fucked." Wilhelm said with a chuckle.
"I'm so fucked..." Michael said as the two of them looked out over their new fleet of allies.