"Vittorio." New Jersey said as they walked through one of the many Villas in Gibraltar.
"Mi Amore?" Vittorio asked as she turned to face the American Battleship.
"Ranger said Benson right?" New Jersey asked.
Vittorio nodded curiously.
"We don't have parts here to repair a Benson Class destroyer." New Jersey said as she pulled out a clipboard.
"What do you mean? Do we not have any Union Sailors in port? I could have sworn I saw several of those types of destroyers." Vittorio said.
New Jersey shook her head.
"We sent them to the other Cells within the Mediterranean. And unfortunately those gunboat crews are needed to stave off even the weakest of drone incursions." New Jersey explained.
"But we have Benson Class destroyers here?" Vittorio asked.
"If we remove the parts for damage control, that will cripple our resistance efforts here. And while you and I are powerful, we need the support of our other cells to maintain this small foothold." New Jersey said.
"So we can't spare even one vessel to save this poor girl?" Vittorio asked.
New Jersey cast a sour look to the floor.
"I'm afraid not… as much as I hate to say it… our hands are tied." New Jersey said as she looked to the sky, scouring it for the plane that Ranger had sent.
Vittorio cast a sad look to the sky.
"To think, we don't even have the strength to help those who fight for us." Vittorio whispered.
"Ranger." New Jersey spoke.
"New Jersey, this is Ranger. What's wrong?" Ranger asked as her plane buzzed overhead once more.
"I'm afraid to report… we do not have the resources you requested. All Benson class destroyers are in use and are required for our maintained foothold here in the Mediterranean. That is to say… we are unable to provide Brooklyn with the parts to save Benson." New Jersey reported.
A dreadful silence befell the radio line.
"Is… there anything else to report?" Ranger asked solemnly.
"No. The port will be ready and secure for your arrival. We pray for your safe arrival." New Jersey ground out as she cut the line with a sour look on her face.
"Mi Amore?" Vittorio asked as she approached, only to narrowly miss being blindsided by a furious punch from New Jersey, who had slammed her fist into the brick wall of the courtyard they were traversing, punching a hole through said bricks.
"Damn it!" New Jersey cried as she finally allowed her tears to flow.
"Jersey!" Vittorio cried as she ran to clasp New Jersey's bleeding fist in her hands before embracing her tightly.
"Why? Why are we so powerless to help those who need it?" New Jersey cried into Vittorio's shoulder.
"There is nothing we can do about it, Mi Amore. We must trust that fate has something better in store for her." Vittorio spoke tenderly.
"We are Kansen! We are supposed to be beings that defy fate. We are supposed to be the best defense for a world like this. But yet we failed to stop the Siren advance. We failed to retake Europe. And now we are so powerless that we can't even save the life of one of our own." New Jersey cried as she bawled helplessly.
"Hush now. We need to get this wound treated. Let's report this to the Commander, since I doubt the incoming fleet can toss him a line." Vittorio spoke softly as she guided New Jersey through the Villa to the control room, where Abruzzi sat on the radio.
"Abruzzi, connect us to Admiral Garner." Vittorio spoke shortly.
"On it." Abruzzi spoke as she began dialing in Isaac's radio frequency.
Ranger sat at her radio with a harrowed look on her face.
"What's wrong, Aunt Ranger?" Max asked softly.
Ranger looked at Max and forced a smile.
"We ran into a spot of bad luck, nothing more, Max." Ranger said softly as she ruffled his hair.
Washington came in a few seconds later.
"What's the news, Ranger?" Washington asked.
Ranger gave Washington the look that needed no explanation.
"I see. Max, dear. Come along. We're gonna go visit San Diego. She's been bugging me all day to get you over there to meet her. So we're gonna go say hello to the Union's most upbeat Light Cruiser." Washington said as Max nodded.
"Okay, Mama." Max said, causing Washington to blush. Washington then looked over at Ranger.
"Fill me in." She mouthed as she and Max walked out of the room.
Ranger nodded as she got up and walked out of the room a small distance behind them.
They parted ways at the main deck as Ranger split off to head to the Med bay.
Ranger walked into the med bay to see Benson awake for the first time since she had been brought from the Akashi.
"Benson. Glad to see you woke up." Ranger said, hoping all was well.
Benson coughed, and immediately Ranger's hopes were dashed as a moderate splash of blood came up with the brutal sounding cough.
"Ranger?" Benson asked weakly.
Ranger rushed to her side and held her bloodied hand.
"I'm here, Benson. Please hold on." Ranger pleaded.
"Your tone… the look in your eyes… I already know there's no hope left for me." Benson said with a sad smile.
Upon seeing her smile, Ranger lost all control of her emotions and allowed the tears to flow.
"You can't give up!" Ranger cried as she squeezed Benson's hand tightly.
"If there's nothing that can be done… then what harm is there in accepting my death with grace?" Benson asked as she turned her eyes to the ceiling, allowing a steady stream of tears to roll down the sides of her face.
"We tried contacting Gibraltar… but they can't spare any parts, not even for a moment. They don't have anything that they can use to save you." Ranger spoke as she tried to choke back the tears.
"I see… so all is truly lost then." Benson said as her eyes slowly began to close.
"No… don't give up." Ranger pleaded.
"Give my regards to the Commander. And apologize on my behalf for failing so early on." Benson said weakly.
"No. I refuse, damn it!" Ranger cried.
Just as Benson was about to close her eyes, Spee managed to walk over and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Look. It isn't much… but before Lady Tirpitz left to join the Kommandant… She received a report that he had brought one of us back from the dead. Cling to that hope… so that you too can make it back." Spee spoke softly before collapsing onto Ranger, who shifted to support her.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, Spee!" Ranger spoke as she looked back at Benson and gasped.
Benson's body had vanished, leaving a blue cube behind, which had a major crack that threatened to chip off a corner.
Spee smiled.
"I'm glad… she got the message… in time." Spee said between heavy breaths.
Ranger placed a hand on Benson's cube, feeling a familiar warmth to it as she placed it inside the pocket of her outfit.
"We will find a way to bring you back to us… I swear." Ranger whispered as a transmission came in from Washington.
"Hey, what the hell is going on over there? Benson's vessel just got really heavy all of a sudden." Washington spoke.
Ranger's silence told the story.
"Damn it…" Washington whispered.
"What should we do with her vessel then? Right now it's too damaged to be used by Humans, and we don't even have a trained crew to run it." Washington spoke.
"We are going to have to scuttle it. It's dead weight at this point." Ranger spoke, disgusted with herself for even speaking the words.
The silence between them was deafening, as if the entire world froze to accommodate the loss.
"So… who's going to do it?" Ranger asked.
"Do what?" Wichita asked from the doorframe of the Med bay.
Ranger turned to see her standing there.
"Where's Benson?" Wichita asked.
Ranger's eyes cast a sad look to the floor as she dug into her outfit to procure the cube that had once made up Benson.
Wichita's eyes grew wide.
"She's… dead?" Wichita asked.
Ranger nodded as she handed Benson's cube to Wichita.
"So… the problem now… is who's going to scuttle the vessel tied to Washington's starboard side?" Wichita asked.
Ranger nodded.
Wichita looked down at the cube and allowed a singular tear to fall.
"I'll do it. Hunting destroyers was part of my duties back during the war… so I know how to put them down… I'll ensure that it is quick." Wichita spoke as she returned Benson's cube to Ranger before turning away and heading back out to the flight deck. Ranger helped Spee back into bed before running out to her flight deck to see San Diego distracting Max with a song, as Washington untied the now dead Benson from her side. Wichita broke from formation and allowed herself to fall behind as she leveled her guns at the empty destroyer.
"All hands have evacuated to the Washington?" Wichita asked to confirm.
"Yes. All hands that survived the revolt are onboard my vessel." Washington spoke.
"Good… I didn't want to add more sadness to this day." Wichita said as Ranger looked on.
"May Benson rest easy now among the flow of the sea. You will be remembered and you will be missed. And should fate deem it so… we will meet again." Ranger spoke over the open channel as Wichita opened fire, riddling the Benson with eight inch high explosive shells, causing the vessel to sink rapidly below the waves.
Around the small fleet, survivors of the Missouri all unscrewed the caps to their flasks and poured whatever liquor they had into the sea below to honor the loss of Benson. The Kansens of the fleet all turned their guns out to sea and fired a volley honoring the dead in the only way they could think.
From the Ranger's bridge came another message.
"This is the first I am hearing of this, so I apologize for the lack of professionalism. But, while I never personally served with Benson or her crew… I heard tales of her deeds as Admiral. She was a friend and an ally to many in the Union fleet. She escorted President Roosevelt, assisted Texas in the Hunt for Bismarck, Aided the invasion of Sicily, and eventually aided in escorting the carriers in their strike against Wake Island. Her service was long and eventful. Rest Well, Benson. And may we meet again." Nimitz spoke over the open channel.
"Comandante." Abruzzi spoke on the radio.
"Abruzzi, was it? What can I do for you?" Isaac asked as he looked forward over the bow of the Norfolk.
"We hate to be the bearer of bad news… But if you had not heard… There was a revolt on the Benson in the group coming from Bermuda. In said revolt, Benson's damage control center was severely sabotaged and she was attacked by Siren Cultists. Ranger contacted us in an attempt to procure parts to fix Benson's vessel so she could recover. But sadly, we cannot spare the parts." Abruzzi spoke.
"That's not good… what's the status of the Bermuda fleet?" Isaac asked.
"Stand by… Vittorio is receiving an update now." Abruzzi said.
After a few minutes, Vittorio took the line.
"Comandante?" Vittorio asked.
"I don't like that tone, Vittorio…" Isaac said.
"We have just received word from Ranger… Benson has succumbed to her injuries and has passed away. Her vessel has been scuttled by Wichita and the remaining members of their fleet are making their way here at flank speed." Vittorio spoke, her tone one of sadness.
Isaac stared blankly out to sea.
"Comandante?" Vittorio asked.
"Thank you for your report. Please welcome them and give them the best accommodations you can. I will begin working to see what we can do to rectify this." Isaac said as he slammed his hand on the rail of the Norfolk.
"I understand. We shall be in touch." Vittorio said as she cut the line.
"Isaac?" Shinano asked softly.
"We lost another one."