Friedrich pushed out towards the Battleship line with her squad of 4 bulins riding on her rigging. The smiles on their faces were not ones of any discernible emotion. While the mood was amicable, the blank smile and thousand yard stare lent itself to the more psychotic tendencies of the white haired repair team members. Friedrich looked back and saw that all four bulins had managed to sneak rifles from the armory and had already painted decals of ducks along the wooden furniture.
"Now when did you girls learn how to shoot rifles?" Friedrich asked.
"Chief taught us. She told us to get real close so we can't miss." One of the bulins spoke proudly, breaking the mold on her blank expression.
"Is that so? Perhaps if you can use them, we should have one of the Sergeants under MacArthur train you, that way you can use the rifles at range." Friedrich suggested.
All four bulins shook their heads.
"We like being close. That way if we run out of ammunition, we can switch to our wrenches and beat the sirens!" The bulins replied in unison.
Friedrich felt a foreign feeling making it's way up her spine.
"Are… you girls okay?" Friedrich asked.
The bulins stopped smiling and looked at Friedrich, the expressions tainted with confusion.
"What do you mean, Mama?" One of the bulins asked.
Friedrich shook her head.
"Just wondering if you girls are holding up okay. You've been my Dear Husband's fleet since before he met us in Fiji. You haven't had a break, and since you've been allowed to fight, I was wondering if you were holding up alright." Friedrich explained, lying to cover up what she discovered was nervousness.
The bulins all nodded.
"We're okay, Mama… but… we know why you asked… we're angry. Just like the Admiral. The Sirens took Rosie from us… she was the first one created… the best. So now… we fight. And we will not stop. Because if violence is the only language that these Sirens speak… then we will become fluent." The bulin explained, earning nods from the other three who had been looking over their rifles.
Friedrich sighed and turned to face them, allowing herself to drift backwards on the water towards the stern of the Texas.
"If you girls want to talk, you know I will listen." Friedrich spoke sternly.
The bulins looked at her and then amongst themselves.
"Okay, Mama. Thank you." The bulins spoke softly as a genuine smile appeared on all four of their faces.
"Good. Now, let's go beat up some Sirens. After all, Mama's got some pent up frustration as well." Friedrich spoke as the bulins cheered happily.
"We're approaching Brest, but I'm not seeing an Aircraft Carrier. Z2, where is this Carrier you told me about?" Cole asked as he stood on the bridge of the Yorktown with Nimitz. Brooklyn was standing right next to him, helping Cole understand their position on the map.
"She said she was here. She should be in port just up ahead." Z2 spoke, sounding confused.
Cole turned to Nimitz.
"Perhaps we break radio silence and see if we can find her?" Cole suggested.
Nimitz shook his head.
"If my time with Garner taught me anything, it's that these sirens will be listening for us. With the main fleet banging pots and pans in the Pacific, everyone else is going to be watching for any breakaway groups. We cannot risk it. We will have to wait until we get closer to see if we are just not able to spot her from this distance." Nimitz said, rubbing one of the numerous bruises and scars he had received when the Missouri was torn apart.
Cole scratched his head but left the issue alone.
"Admiral." Brooklyn spoke up.
"Brooklyn. What can I do for you?" Nimitz asked.
"Supposing we don't find her, what do we do? If Purifier is as bad as Vittorio made her out to be, we could be looking at getting our asses handed to us without a second carrier." Brooklyn admitted.
"I know. And as much as I hate to say it… if we don't find Elbe here, Yorktown will be the sole air power on our side. I'm sure she'd handle it, but for how long, I don't know." Nimitz pondered.
"I'm picking up something." Yorktown spoke as she opened the door to her bridge.
"What do you got?" Nimitz asked.
"Elbe is in fact here. I'm picking her up via my scout Aircraft. She's right over there." Yorktown revealed as she pointed to a section of the port that had massive white sheets suspended around a considerably large warship.
"She's behind the sheets?" Nimitz asked.
Yorktown nodded.
"I'm getting a radio transmission. She is threatening to launch aircraft should we not respond." Yorktown spoke.
"Z2, signal her." Nimitz spoke on the fleet's closed channel as he watched the Blinkgerät on the Z2 flash a message to the port town. Nimitz turned to Yorktown.
"Fly Mike and Quebec on the main mast. Let her know we've stopped and are seeking safe passage into the harbor." Nimitz ordered.
"Of course, sir." Yorktown spoke as she left the room.
"MQ, Admiral?" Cole asked.
"The names given to those specific flags. Mike means we have stopped and are making zero progress through the water. Quebec means this fleet is healthy, which would normally mean free of disease, but I am sure we can explain our lack of Sirens as healthy. Those two flags are a visual reminder that we bear no ill will to Elbe, since she has issued a warning to us." Nimitz explained.
"I see. So much to learn, so little time."
In the distance, the fleet witnessed the sheet drop, revealing an Aircraft carrier whose deck was littered with Stuka's ready to launch.
"Did she get the message?" Cole asked.
The launch of a squadron of fighters answered their question.
"Fuck… all hands, man your battle stations and hold for orders. We don't know what she's up to." Nimitz ordered. The battle sirens across the small fleet sounded off, echoing softly off the buildings of the port.
"Should I shoot her down?" Yorktown asked as Cole and Nimitz watched two lanes of Sky-Pirates appear on the flight deck of the Yorktown.
"Intercept her and attempt to smooth this over. We present no hostile intentions." Nimitz ordered as Yorktown's planes took to the sky.
"How does Sonar look, Benson?" Isaac asked.
"Nothing on sonar, Admiral." Benson said happily as the Benson and Iowa steamed south to avoid India.
"Admiral. I have an odd feeling. Something is watching me." Iowa spoke.
"Can you discern what it is?" Isaac asked.
Iowa shook her head.
"I don't know… but it can't be good. It feels like it's not even me that's being watched… but my cubes. Like someone is peering into my soul." Iowa admitted.
Isaac nodded.
"I don't understand, but raise your alert to red. Issue the order to Benson as well."
"Zero's cubes… they are moving." Temperance whispered to herself.
"That can't be right. Apollyon killed her. Empress said so…" Temperance pondered before opening a line to Empress.
"What do you want, Temperance? I'm busy attacking his fleet." Empress snapped.
"I'm going to investigate something. I figured you'd like to know." Temperance said as she cut the line.
"Bitch…" Temperance said spitefully.
Temperance focused her energy and opened a Mirror sea, stepping through it alone before closing it behind her.
"Admiral!" Iowa yelled as she pointed to the purple light that had appeared off her starboard bow.
Isaac's eyes went wide as he realized it was a Mirror sea that he had not ordered.
"Battle stations!" Isaac ordered over the general channel as both the Benson and Iowa sounded their alarms for General quarters.