"I've launched my fighters… but it looks like they aren't attacking. They, however, are not trying to hail me. What should I do?" Elbe asked as she looked to her left before sipping from a small wine glass.

To her left sat a German woman who stood around 5'2" with blonde hair and blue eyes. She sat drinking a glass of water. She remained silent for a few seconds, and it was evident that her mind was occupied with other things. She seemed to snap back to reality when Elbe's planes did a low fly-by close to their location as they headed back towards the intake of the port.

"Elbe… why have you launched your fighters?" The woman asked as she traced the trajectory of Elbe's planes.

"Huh? Weren't you paying attention? Geez… I said that a small fleet has appeared on radar. I can't tell from here if they're friendly or not… but I've blown my cover here so I have to react to them. I launched my fighters, but it looks like they aren't attacking. However, they are not making any attempt to contact me, despite launching their own fighters in response." Elbe explained.

Elbe took another sip of her wine, prompting a waiter to come over to the table and refill her glass.

"Damn French can't procure a decent beer… this will have to do." Elbe spoke sourly as she sipped at the deep red wine she had been poured.

" Anyway, Lucia… what should I do?" Elbe asked as she looked at the German woman.

"I don't know. It seems odd that they have made no attempt to contact us despite the fact that you launched aircraft at them. Try hailing them again, but…"

"Wait… I see aircraft… Shit! Union warplanes!" Elbe cried, her sudden motion almost spilling the wine in her hand.

"What the hell are Union warplanes doing out here? Is that a Union carrier fleet?!" Elbe cried as she tried to use her planes to spot the fleet she had just encountered.

"A union carrier fleet?" Lucia asked before sighing.

"Elbe… Try not to get us killed please. I'd like to make it back to Germany without the help of a body bag." Lucia said as she stared pointedly at the German light carrier.

"R-right…" Elbe said as she set her wine glass on the table and stood from her seat. Activating her rigging, she attempted to hail the Union fighters.

"Admiral. Elbe is trying to contact us once more. She claims to have launched her fighters in self-defense due to us not answering her hails. It doesn't seem like she has taken notice of our alternative communication measures. Shall I break radio silence?" Yorktown asked calmly as the last few planes of her twelve-plane squadron left the flight deck.

Nimitz thought for a moment.

"Z2, have you received any transmissions from Elbe?" Nimitz asked on the fleet's closed channel.

"Not at all, Admiral. However, Elbe isn't exactly the brightest out of the Ironblood carriers. That would fall either to Weser, Strasser or Zeppelin. She may not have noticed that we are trying to communicate via alternative methods." Z2 suggested.

"I see…" Nimitz pondered aloud.

"Admiral. I am within range to begin engaging her aircraft. What are your orders?" Yorktown asked, the calmness of her tone refusing to budge.

"Break radio silence. Make the message quick, we don't know who's listening." Nimitz ordered.

"Right away." Yorktown spoke.

"KMS Elbe, this is USS Yorktown, CV-10 of the Union Navy, acting under orders of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. I have been instructed to inform you that we do not mean you any harm and are requesting a promise of safety to enter this port. However, should your fighters refuse to leave this airspace, they will be shot down and you will be targeted. Please acknowledge." Yorktown's voice played over Elbe's rigging.

"Oh shit… she's serious!" Elbe said as she looked at Lucia, who was continuing to stare down the German carrier.

"Uh… USS Yorktown. This is KMS Elbe. Light Carrier of the Kriegsmarine. This is really one big misunderstanding. You see… what had happened was…" Elbe's response was cut short by the detonation of one of her aircraft.

"GOD DAMN IT ELBE, STOP FUCKING AROUND ALREADY!" Gneisenau's voice was heard over the radio as the report from her 11-inch guns was heard throughout the port city.

"Gneisenau! What are you doing here!?" Elbe cried as her planes split off and made haste back towards her vessel.

"We came to pick you up, stop being annoying and let us enter before I turn your flight deck into a cup holder for my beer steins." Gneisenau growled.

"R-r-right… Welcome to Brest, Frau Gneisenau." Elbe spoke sheepishly as she cut off her radio.

"Frau Gneisenau? A friend of yours?" Lucia asked sarcastically.

"Y-yeah… you can say that." Elbe said as she tugged at the collar of her shirt.

"Elbe… What the hell did you do that warranted them firing a god damn cannon…" Lucia asked, her tone conveying pure unadulterated agitation.

"It wasn't my fault! I was trying to explain what happened and then Gneisenau shot at my planes!" Elbe tried.

"Uh-huh. From what little I know, Gneisenau has plenty of Anti-air, why would she use her big guns to fire at your aircraft?" Lucia asked pointedly.

"Well… you see…"

"Elbe. Cut to the point already." Lucia deadpanned.

"Gneisenau thinks I'm annoying and scatterbrained… she probably isn't too happy to be dragged here if she is with that Union carrier." Elbe surmised.

'I can definitely understand why.' Lucia thought to herself.

"Anyway, what did they say?" Lucia asked.

"They were requesting safe passage into port. Apparently, they came for me… don't know why." Elbe said as she scratched her cheek.

"Well? What are we waiting for? We should at least head over there if they are coming to your vessel. Don't want them shooting at you again, right?" Lucia asked as she finished her water and stood up, looking out from their spot at the restaurant to see a decent-sized fleet entering the port.