Eugen awoke a few hours later next to Michael who was asleep next to her.
"Mmm. I had a feeling you'd be good… but that exceeded my expectations." Eugen spoke softly as she stroked Michael's hair away from his face.
"Are you lovebirds awake yet?" Atago spoke softly as she waited outside the tent.
"Shh. He's still sleeping. What did we miss?" Eugen asked as she slowly slipped out from under the covers to get dressed.
"Something isn't right. We haven't been spotted, but while you two were… occupied, a massive drone fleet went through the area and dropped anchor at the mouth of the Island chain. I think something may have tipped Tester off to Shikikan's approach." Atago explained quietly.
Eugen bit the knuckle of her index finger as she thought of what to do.
"Is there anything we can do?" Eugen asked.
"Not really. Even if we had our vessels here, we'd be severely outgunned. I also noticed groups of hooded people patrolling the various islands here in the Philippines. So I believe there is a cultist presence here as well, which means if we do act, we will have to move camp, lest they find and capture us." Atago said as she looked to the sky.
"That does make things quite problematic." Eugen said as she emerged, fully clothed, from the tent.
"There's a small stream about 500 yards to the south of us. Please go wash up. Despite the fun you had, you smell like sweat. And if they know we're here, your scent sticks out." Atago spoke as she pointed behind the tent.
"Danke." Eugen spoke shortly, not seeming to pay much mind to Atago's comment.
"Ladies, what's going on out here?" Michael asked a few minutes later as he exited the tent in a dark canvas green uniform.
"Eugen went to bathe in a stream to the south. And if I may… I'd like to take my rest." Atago said softly.
"Of course. I'll keep watch. Anything I need to know?" Michael asked.
"A massive fleet has blockaded the entrance to the island chain at large. And Cultist forces have begun sweeping the area. Other than that, nothing to report." Ataog said as she walked past Michael and into the tent.
"Hmm… I wonder what's gotten into her. She's usually much more excitable." Michael said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Atago sat up in the tent as she prepared to lay down and rest.
"Baltimore… I miss you. I hope you can make it here safely." Atago whispered to herself as she laid down and closed her eyes.
"Hmm?" A voice clouded Atago's dreams.
"Wait… what?" Atago asked as her eyes shot open, revealing only a pitch black world around her.
"Auntie Atago." The voice spoke as Atago whipped around to see an adolescent Yume sitting behind her.
"You're… Shikikan's… daughter, aren't you?" Atago asked.
Yume nodded slowly.
"Why are you here?" Atago asked.
"You're asleep. Mama has me bundled up in her arms at the moment. I am bored… I think." Yume spoke in the most sophisticated language she could muster.
"So… you just found my dreams and came over?" Atago asked.
Yume nodded again.
"Huh… quite the talent you have there." Atago said.
"It's just like Mama's." Yume said with a bright smile, prompting Atago to hug the kitsune in front of her and nuzzle her cheeks.
"It's no wonder then. You're so cute... But I guess that's a given. Your Mama is quite a looker too." Atago spoke.
"That's why Papa likes her too." Yume said.
"What do you think of him?" Atago asked.
"He's my Papa. When he holds me… I feel safe. I feel happy when he plays with me. He's really nice." Yume said as Atago let her go.
"Is that so?" Atago asked as she looked at Yume's black fur.
"You have very pretty fur, Yume." Atago said with a soft smile.
"Really?" Yume asked as she looked back at her tails and felt her ears.
Atago nodded.
Yume blushed a bit at Atago's comment.
"Thank you,,, Auntie." Yume whispered.
"Auntie Atago, huh?" Atago asked as she craned her neck back.
"Papa says this fleet is one big family. So that makes you Auntie Atago, no?" Yume asked.
Atago chuckled a bit.
"I guess that does. I guess that does." Atago spoke as another presence grabbed her attention.
"Lady Shinano!" Atago spoke as she immediately turned to bow to the Silver Haired Kitsune.
"Raise your head, Child of Sakura. I come as a friend." Shinano spoke as she sat next to Yume.
"Yume, did you come to Atago on your own?" Shinano asked.
Yume nodded.
"There hasn't been anything going on lately, and Papa has been really busy with work… I got bored… I think." Yume said softly.
"Lady Shinano, please don't scold her. Having her here is helping keep me focused on my mission. I found myself missing my partner, but having her here to talk to, I can focus on the task at hand." Atago pleaded lightly.
"Your partner?" Shinano asked.
"Baltimore and I… formed a pair while we were serving under MacArthur. I just find myself missing her." Atago spoke softly.
"Hmm. I shall return." Shinano said as her image disappeared from the black abyss that Atago found herself in.
"Where is she going?" Atago asked.
"I can feel myself being moved, which means Mama is up and out of bed." Yume said as she and Atago sat in the darkness for a few minutes before Shinano returned.
"Where did you go, Lady Shinano?" Atago asked.
"Atago?" A third voice was heard.
Atago whipped around to see Baltimore standing a few feet away.
"Baltimore?!" Atago asked as she looked back at Shinano.
"I put her to sleep, and pulled her into this dream. It's not much… but you can see her here." Shinano said as she looked at Yume.
"Yume, let's leave these two girls be. I think Papa was looking for us." Shinano said with a small smile.
"Okay, Mama. Bye Auntie Atago. Bye Auntie Baltimore." Yume said, waving happily as she and Shinano disappeared.
"Well… that happened." Baltimore said as she was nearly tackled by Atago.
"I missed you so much!" Atago said as she rested her head on Baltimore's chest.
"You've only been away for about a day, my love. And we have begun moving towards the Philippines. So we'll be there soon." Baltimore said as she put her hand on Atago's head.
"Oh that's right! Hey, there's been a massive mobilization here. There's a fleet that has been used to blockade the entrance to the Island chain as a whole. And Cultists have been on patrol for the past few hours. I think they know that you're coming." Atago said.
"I see. If I remember it when I wake up, I shall relay that information to the Commander. But right now… what is this?" Baltimore asked as she looked around.
"It's a dream. My dream specifically. Lady Shinano has the ability to draw people into dreams like this, where we have complete control." Atago said as a field of flowers sprouted beneath them, and the dark abyss turned into a flowery meadow.
"I see… Well that explains why she made me fall asleep on the bridge of my vessel." Baltimore said off-handedly.
Atago giggled.
"She has a habit of using her tails to put people to sleep. But I… think she did it because I said I missed you." Atago said.
"She put me to sleep so that you could see me?" Baltimore asked.
Atago nodded.
"I see… well… then I guess my body could use the sleep." Baltimore said as she and Atago laid back in the field of flowers.
"The bulins have a report, nyaa." Akashi said as she knocked on the door of Ranger's bridge.
"Ah, Akashi, come in." Ranger said as she and Max sat in front of a map with Ranger teaching him how to read it.
"It's Akashi!" Max exclaimed as he ran over and hugged the green cat.
"Nyaa?!" Akashi jumped a bit before breathing and relaxing into Max's hug.
"Max, it isn't nice to scare her like that. You know she's skittish." Ranger said as she stood from her chair.
"Well, what's the news?" Ranger asked.
"The cult uprising caused massive damage to Benson-san's Damage control center. Hence why she took so much damage and now is suffering from an infection, nyaa." Akashi said.
"Can we fix it?" Ranger asked.
Akashi shook her head.
"We don't have the parts, nyaa. The Cultists sabotaged all of her damage control equipment to the point of irreparability. We need new parts." Akashi said.
"So there's a chance we can lose her?!" Ranger asked.
"The chance of her surviving… is less than the chance of her succumbing to her illness." Akashi said.
Ranger slammed her fist on the desk, scaring Max into hiding behind Akashi.
"Damn. We need to send someone ahead. She needs those parts." Ranger said as she struggled to find a solution.
"I can go, Ranger." Brooklyn said as she walked in.
"Brook?" Ranger asked.
"I have a much higher top speed than the rest of the fleet, and I'm more heavily armed than the rest of our light cruisers. I can get to Gibraltar and acquire the parts, then return to the fleet before you arrive." Brooklyn spoke.
"Then I will allow it. Please, hurry. Benson's life depends on it." Ranger said.
"I will take my leave immediately." Brooklyn said as she ran out of the bridge towards the flight deck.
"Mi Amore?" Vittorio asked.
"Hmm? Oh. It's you." New Jersey said as she hugged Vittorio.
"So cold." Vittorio spoke.
"Sorry. I just have this upcoming mission on my mind." New Jersey said.
"It'll be alright. Simple in and out. We just need to use Abruzzi's distraction to steal the blueprints for the Comandante. Agir and August were their names, no?" Vittorio asked.
"That is correct. And using the information network we've built, we have narrowed it down to two warehouses where she could be hiding." New Jersey said.
"Exactly. So don't you worry about the mission, Mi Amore. It will be just fine." Vittorio said as a plane flew overhead.
"Hello? Gibraltar, this is Ranger. Come in." Ranger's voice was heard.
"Ranger? CV-4?" New Jersey asked.
"That is correct. Who is this?" Ranger asked.
"BB-62 New Jersey, Iowa Class Battleship." New Jersey replied.
"Oh thank goodness. Look, we're within 700 miles of Gibraltar. Brooklyn is coming ahead to get parts for a Benson Class destroyer. Benson has been gravely injured during a cultist uprising among the refugees of Bermuda. She's in it in a bad way. We are making decent time, but her prognosis just became very grim." Ranger said.
"Damn. We'll have the parts ready, what do you need?" Vittorio asked.
"We need… basically… a whole new damage control center. They sabotaged the whole damn thing." Ranger said.
"Understood. We have parts that we can make work. I'll send some of my engineers to assist in the repair." Vittorio spoke.
"Uh… who are you?" Ranger asked.
"Vittorio Veneto, Eternal Flagship of the Regia Marina. Myself, along with New Jersey are the leaders of this little cell of resistance." Vittorio said.
"I see. Well… then we shall be joining you shortly, but I sent Brooklyn ahead to get the parts to help Benson." Ranger explained.
"I understand. We will be waiting." Vittorio said as she cut the line.
"Well. Here comes Isaac's friends." New Jersey said as she looked to the sky.