"Excellent news, Lady Vittorio." London spoke quickly as she entered the main chambers of Vittorio's impromptu parliament.
"London? What is it?" Vittorio asked.
"Fist, the raid on Wilhelmshaven was successful. According to Admiral Nimitz, the casualties aren't high. Of the 1,500 men we sent to fight, we only lost around one hundred, with two hundred more wounded." London spoke.
"Three hundred?!" Vittorio asked.
"They faced a force ten times their size, Lady Vittorio. To ask them for less than a 20% casualty rating is the height of hubris. And to think that only one hundred men perished when it should have been a total wash. That speaks well of the Union's training. Nimitz has requested that we bury them here in Gibraltar as opposed to waiting for Azur Lane to free the Americas." London concluded.
"It shall be done. We shall hold a ceremony upon their return to port. Did they give an estimate as to how long they will be until their return?" Vittorio asked.
"Yes. They have indicated that they have left the English Channel and are making good speed for Gibraltar. We should expect them in just over a day if they maintain a speed of thirty knots." London explained.
"I see. Then we shall prepare for their arrival. Is there anything else to report?" Vittorio asked.
"Yes. New Jersey, Jean Bart, Massachusetts, and Richelieu have made port in Sicily and are requesting to return to Gibraltar for repairs." London said.
"Jersey?!" Vittorio cried as soon as she heard the name.
"Yes. They were ambushed by Hermit's enforcers and retreated. According to the report, the Admiral himself appeared to lend them aid with New Jersey's sister, Iowa. He then ordered them to return to Gibraltar until such time as the trek to the North can be made by members of this fleet. He has taken Akashi, I-19 and Benson's cube on his return." London said.
"How long have they been waiting?!" Vittorio demanded.
"A little over a week, Lady Vittorio." London replied.
"Why?!" Vittorio cried.
"We have been having trouble with the radio connection to Gibraltar as of the last two weeks. Our spies that have managed to pick up snippets from within Italy say that Hermit herself is disrupting our radio frequencies in preparation for something big." London explained.
"She wants to go after Sicily?" Vittorio asked.
"That is the most likely target. With Jean Bart and Massachusetts out of action and having been replaced by, frankly outdated warships, we believe this is Hermit's revenge for the destruction of both of her Enforcers." London explained.
"I see. Grant them passage back to Gibraltar. And if you are able to get a message through, let Washington and Ranger know that as soon as reinforcements arrive in the form of these new Blueprint ships, we will mobilize to assist them in the defense of Sicily." Vittorio spoke.
"It will be done immediately." London spoke.
"Mi amore has returned." Vittorio whispered happily to herself as she envisioned herself jumping into the arms of her big strong union battleship.
Washington sat on the beach as she carefully watched over Max, who was playing with a few of the local children in the surf. Washington had quickly learned the local language and had taught Max who had picked up on it right away.
"Max, torna qui. Andiamo a prendere la cena." Washington spoke as Ranger looked over at her.
"Washington, lascialo giocare. Posso sempre riservarci uno spazio. Sembra divertirsi." Ranger spoke as the battleship looked at her.
I understand that, Ranger. But the restaurant in town opens soon and the wait times pile up early. I'd like for us to get there since I promised Max that I'd take him there for dinner." Washington spoke before turning back to see Max running towards her.
"Mi hai chiamato, mamma?" Max asked.
"Your Italian is getting better by the day, Max. I'm very proud." Washington said with a smile as she ruffled his hair.
"The kids are helping me too!" Max said excitedly.
"I can tell. You're doing good, Max. Come, let's get you dried off. That restaurant you like is going to open soon. We're going to get early seats that way we don't have to wait too long." Washington said as Max quickly went for his towel, excited at the prospect of eating his favorite food at his favorite restaurant.
Washington smiled.
"He's come a long way. But I'm sure I'll need to talk with him about his family." Washington thought to herself.
Ranger looked again at Washington.
"You're doing the right thing, Washington. He has nobody, and you gave him somebody. We took on this burden willingly. When this is all over, I'm sure we can officiate the adoption." Ranger said as Max came back dressed and ready to go.
"Mama! Let's go!" Max said excitedly.
Washington looked at Max.
"Alright. Let's get going." Washington said as she and Ranger stood from their chairs and began walking into the town.
"Washington, Ranger. Come in." London spoke. Washington and Ranger both answered.
"What is it?" Ranger asked.
"We've been trying to reach you. You need to get ready. We have reason to believe that Hermit is planning to assault Sicily. We have no idea of her timeframe, but we do know that she has been interfering with our radio. We were just able to get through to New Jersey and permit her crew to return to Gibraltar. But you need to remain wary. We don't know if she has already made a move." London explained.
"Understood." Washington spoke as her eyes darted around the areas around them. She noted the kids watching the three of them intently as they left the beach.
Washington sighed.
"Ranger, keep your eyes peeled. See if you can't get a patrol going." Washington spoke as Ranger nodded.
"I'll get on it." Ranger said as a singular plane left her flight deck back in port.
Cole sat up in bed several hours later. Brooklyn had long since finished sewing up his legs and was fast asleep next to him.
Cole smiled.
"Thank you…" Cole whispered as he kissed Brooklyn's cheek.
Across the hall, Cole could hear a small commotion. His Dutch wasn't the best but he assumed it was something to do with the fact that Natalie had managed to pull through her injuries. Looking over across the hall, Cole could see the one known as Van Kinsburgen presenting Natalie with a coat that looked like something a ship's captain would wear.
"Looks like she's receiving some form of honors. Good for her." Cole said as Yorktown came over to his room.
"How are you feeling, Sergeant?" Yorktown asked.
"I'm all patched up and ready to go again." Cole joked.
"Yeah. I don't think that would be best… but we may not have a choice." Yorktown said.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Cole said as he looked back across the hall.
"What's going on over there?" Cole asked.
"Van Kinsburgen has decided that Natalie is to be made a Captain in her country's Navy. Which doesn't mean much at the moment, but Nimitz has seen to it that she will be recognized once the world returns to a state of normalcy. This is just her way of thanking her for rescuing her. We should all really be thanking you. If you hadn't stood up in Vittorio's counsel, there would have been no support for this… side mission as you would call it. I'm sure you will be recognized as well at some point." Yorktown spoke.
"I don't need it. Just knowing I was able to help is enough for me." Cole said as Yorktown looked at him.
"They likely won't care. Just saying, be ready for a slew of medals." Yorktown spoke as she left his room, leaving Cole and Brooklyn in peace.