"Isaac." Shinano spoke softly.
"Hmm? What is it, love?" Isaac asked.
"Yamato has entered my radar range." Shinano spoke as she laid against Isaac.
"That's good news. How are you feeling?" Isaac asked.
"Tired. Harassing their defenses is becoming a chore." Shinano spoke as she looked deep into Isaac's eyes.
"I understand. Pull back. I'm going to spring the trap we have set." Isaac said as he put his helmet on his head.
"One more thing, Issac." Shinano said as they watched her recall her fighters.
"What is it?" Isaac asked.
"Musashi is right on her heels. We might be able to keep Yamato busy by hailing Musashi. Since Iowa hasn't made it here yet." Shinano said softly.
"Will she respond?" Isaac asked.
"It is believed that she came here looking for us. So it is a good possibility." Shinano said.
"Then send her a message. See if she will respond." Isaac ordered.
"Boss. We have several radar contacts!" One of the surviving wolfpack members spoke as they looked at the bloodied radar screen.
"Where are they?" The 'Commander' asked angrily.
"One is directly behind us at a range of thirty miles. Several, I count five, are directly ahead of us at a range of twenty five miles." The wolfpack member spoke.
The 'Commander' turned to Yamato, who looked unwilling to do anything more.
"Have the surviving men man the main guns. This bitch isn't going to fight, even if we attack her sister." The 'Commander said as he clamped his hand around Yamato's throat, choking her.
"Go to sleep, whore. By the time you wake up, your sisters will be dead and the salvation you dreamed of will be lost. You can think back on this day when you're getting run through by the men here after we are praised by lord Tester." The 'Commander' spoke as his hand tightened.
Yamato tried to pry his hands away, but was losing strength by the second. Ultimately, Yamato's hands fell away, prompting the 'Commander' to release her, dropping her coldly to the floor where she fell unconscious.
Yamato woke up in a pitch black world. Tears fell down her cheeks as she screamed into the uncaring void. She had felt her radar ping. She knew what was going on.
"Musashi… you dummy. Why would you come after me? What did they do to you to force you to come as well?" Yamato asked softly as the world began to form, indicating a deeper sleep.
"No. I need to try and stop them. Shinano can't fight us both. She won't survive." Yamato said as she tried to force herself awake, to no avail.
All around her, a burned out Tokyo sat, unbothered by anything. The soft crackling of flames filled the air as the wooden houses collapsed.
"We failed our first purpose… and now I will be the reason this world falls completely." Yamato spoke softly.
"Will you really?" A voice asked.
Yamato jumped to her feet and jumped back.
"Who goes there?" Yamato asked.
"I found another one!" The voice cried happily.
"Found what?! Who are you?!" Yamato asked frantically as she focused her gaze on an untouched building. Around the corner, Yume's head popped into existence.
"Another person that looks like mommy!" Yume spoke happily as she walked out from around the corner.
Yamato stood there, baffled. She had been too scared to even activate her rigging, so she stood and watched as the small black furred kitsune approached her.
"Identify yourself, small one." Yamato spoke with as much bass as she could muster.
"My name is Yume. Who are you?" Yume asked in her adorable squeaky tone.
Yamato looked at Yume dumbfounded.
"Yume?" Yamato asked.
"Yup. That's the name mommy and daddy gave me." Yume said.
"Who is your mommy and daddy? More importantly, how did you get into my dream?" Yamato asked.
"I got bored… I think." Yume said happily.
"Bored?" Yamato asked.
"Yeah… I'm sleeping on Norfolk-san's bridge right now. But I think I get bored when I sleep for too long. So I go looking for things to do. And this time I found you!" Yume explained.
"And you find dreams when you're bored?" Yamato asked.
"Yup. I'm like mommy. I can enter people's dreams… I think." Yume spoke.
"You still haven't told me who your mommy is… who is she?" Yamato asked as she sat on the ground, prompting Yume to walk over and sit next to her.
"My mommy is a fox lady like me and you. I call her mommy, but Miss Musashi calls her baby sister." Yume said as she put her tiny hand on her chin.
"Wait… Musashi?!" Yamato cried.
Yume nodded.
"I met Miss… wait… mommy said she's Aunt Musashi. I met Aunt Musashi a little while ago. She's so pretty." Yume said as she turned to see Yamato crying.
"Is everything okay, miss?" Yume asked.
Yamato looked at Yume.
"Your mother. Is it Shinano?" Yamato asked.
Yume smiled and nodded.
"My baby sister has a child." Yamato spoke softly.
"You just called Mommy baby sister too. Are you another one of Mommy's sisters?" Yume asked softly.
Yamato nodded.
"My name is Yamato. Oldest of all the Yamato class sisters." Yamato said.
"Whoa..." Yume said as her eyes got wide, looking at the impressive black furred Kitsune before her.
"So I guess that makes you Aunt Yamato then." Yume said, earning her a hug from the battleship.
"I have a niece." Yamato spoke softly as she held Yume close. Yume looked at Yamato and saw bruises, cuts and other marks.
"Aunt Yamato…" Yume spoke softly.
"Yes, little one?" Yamato asked in as cheerful a voice as she could muster.
"Your body… were you hurt just like Aunt Musashi?" Yume asked softly.
Yamato froze.
"I… I was. The hooded men on my vessel have beaten and used me…" Yamato spoke dejectedly.
Yume's face twisted slightly, leaning towards anger.
"I don't really understand… but the ones in hoods are bad guys?" Yume asked.
Yamato nodded, pulling Yume into her lap.
"They are evil people. I can't hurt them, or they will kill Musashi. I am hopeless." Yamato spoke softly.
"No you're not, Aunt Yamato. Daddy is going to save you. Just like Mommy said." Yume said softly.
"How? They have taken control of my ship? They will kill everyone that stands against them." Yamato said.
Yume shook her head.
"Mommy and Daddy are there. Daddy has a plan to help you. And since Mommy isn't here to take me away… I think I'll stay with you. You won't be able to wake up as long as I'm here… or so mommy says. Is that okay?" Yume asked.
Yamato nodded.
"I don't think I want to wake up for a while, little one. So there's no worry." Yamato said as she ruffled Yume's hair.
"Commander, I have urgent news." Norfolk spoke.
"Norfolk? What's going on?" Isaac asked.
"Yume's vessel has begun moving on its own. It's approaching the landing area." Norfolk said as she looked around the bridge for the small ball of black fur, only to see Yume sitting right by the front window, in full view of the beach.
"Maybe she's bored?" Isaac asked.
Norfolk looked out the window.
"More news to report!" Norfolk cried as she hit her vessel's siren button.
"Let's hear it." Isaac replied.
"A sizable force of Wolves has managed to push past the western flank and is making a run for the forward command center. Odin is in the city and unable to react!" Norfolk reported.
"Send word to the forces there! We can't let that foothold fall!" Isaac replied frantically.
Suddenly and without warning, Yume's vessel steamed past Norfolk and turned hard, positioning itself 3000 yards from the shoreline.
"What's going on Norfolk?" Isaac asked.
"Yume's alarms are going off! Her Anti-air weapons are spinning up! Oh no…" Norfolk spoke, her voice one of terror and foreboding.
"What is it?" Isaac asked, his voice teetering on frantic.
"They're aimed at the beach. She's engaging!" Norfolk cried as Yume's guns opened up, spitting red hot lead faster than one could follow. Both CIWS systems on her vessel had targeted the hooded figures on the beach and opened fire all at once, kicking up a cloud of sand on the beach that caused Isaac's ground forces to duck for cover and hit the deck.
"She's what?!" Isaac yelled.
Several seconds of ear splitting fire later, the guns stopped, the yellow-hot barrels cooling rapidly due to the cool air of the November sky.
"Norfolk, report!" Isaac demanded.
"The enemy advance has been halted…" Norfolk said, her voice wavering.
"Norfolk? What happened?" Isaac asked.
"There's nothing left… the sand has been stained red, but there's nothing left…" Norfolk spoke as she walked over to Yume and picked her up.
"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Isaac demanded.
"I mean there's nothing left... Just red mist and stained sand. She cut them down in the blink of an eye like it was nothing. Swatted them aside in mere seconds." Norfolk reported.
"Is she okay?" Isaac asked.
"Yes. She's here, sleeping soundly. Please inform Shinano. There may be something she knows that we do not." Norfolk said as she cradled Yume, who had not stirred at all during the fiasco.
"What happened, Isaac?" Shinano asked.
"Apparently our daughter has just taken out a group of Wolfpack members that were pushing the forward operating command center." Isaac said as he scratched his helmet.
"She's done what?!" Shinano asked.
"Yeah. Apparently her anti aircraft guns targeted the enemy personnel directly and opened fire, leaving nothing behind. The way Norfolk describes it, it sounds like she was settling a grudge." Isaac said.
Shinano looked at Isaac worriedly.
"She is too young to be fighting yet. She still must grow. She doesn't even have aircraft yet." Shinano said.
"I understand this… what do we do?" Isaac asked.
Shinano thought for a moment.
"We have to ensure she is not fired upon. I don't think she can handle her own shields yet. So she needs to be covered by the rest of the fleet." Shinano said.
Isaac turned to activate the radio when the report of a massive cannon hit his ears.
"Shields full! Incoming!" Isaac yelled on the general channel, just barely getting a chance to finish before a massive shell impacted the ocean next to the Amagi.
"Enemy contact!" Isaac yelled as he watched the water churn behind all the vessels in his task force as they began moving to engage.
"Sister! Don't engage!" Musashi yelled, only earning her static from the radio.
Musashi began to panic.
"Someone! Anyone answer me! Apollyon!" Musashi cried out on the general channel.
Several seconds passed before a voice came over the radio.
"Musashi?" Shinano asked.
"Baby sister. Where is Apollyon?" Musashi asked.
"He's right next to me, why?" Shinano asked as Musashi watched the Yamato fire another salvo
"You have more shells inbound! Yamato isn't responding to my hails." Musashi cried.
"We have to assume that she has been knocked unconscious or worse. She has opened fire on us." Shinano said.
Musashi's eyes were saddened by that assumption, but the static in her ear was all too real to deny.
"I agree. I only hope that she has not succumbed to the enemy…" Musashi said as she looked at her sister's ship.
"Are any of your members onboard?" Musashi asked.
"No. We have not made our boarding attempt. My husband wishes to wait until Iowa arrives to do so." Shinano said.
"So we just need to keep the enemy busy?" Musashi asked.
"Correct." Shinano responded.
"I understand… and may the Gods forgive me for what I must do." Musashi said as she clasped her hands in prayer as her main batteries moved behind her. The massive 18.1 inch guns were elevated in accordance with the radar data Musashi was receiving. With a gleam in her eye and a tear falling to the deck, Musashi's guns opened fire.