110 stood on top of her sail and watched in an awkward mixture of glee and sadness as she watched the Nürnberg class cruiser sail around the edge of the rock formation that she had hidden behind. The damage was immense. Chief, who had joined 110 on the sail, chose this moment to voice her statement.
"You Ironblood types sure have a knack for the impossible. And considering her upgrades at the hand of the Northern Parliament… it's a miracle that this girl is alive… much less able to navigate the Bering Sea." Chief said as the distinct splash of an anchor was heard.
Before them was Admiral Makarov. Once the Light Cruiser Nürnberg, the vessel itself had undergone modifications towards the end of the war when it was transferred to the Northern Parliament. New guns and AA equipment were the majority of the upgrades, but radar and other systems had been touched up as well. However, in its current state, nobody could tell.
Holes littered the hull at and above the waterline as pumps worked furiously to vacate the hull of the slowly accumulating poison of the surrounding ocean. Oil bubbles trickled out of holes towards the stern as sparks flew wildly from a massive hole in the starboard belt. Every piece of offensive equipment had been destroyed, leaving the cruiser defenseless. Not even the water cannons on deck were spared as melted bits of steel and charred wood littered the superstructure, all that remained of decking and her main cannons.
110 looked ready to cry.
"Please… help her." 110 squeaked out softly.
Chief's eyes began to glow softly.
"Girls. Get your butts up here on the double. We have work to do." Chief spoke firmly to the open air.
One by one, the full repair team of bulins managed to cram themselves onto the sail of U-110 as they awaited their orders.
"Our goal is to stabilize that cruiser on the double. She's flooding as we speak so we're racing against time. Anything you can strip from above the waterline to seal any holes will be used to stop flooding and repair damaged systems. Jerry rig anything you need to. At a glance, the radar array still works so leave it be. There are no cannons, so anything used for fire control is useless. Strip electrical components from those places and utilize it for electrical fortification. Boilers are likely struggling, so utilize any means to shore up the engine room and boiler sections against the sea. I will deal with sealing the fuel tank so we don't all explode. Do I make myself clear?" Chief spoke.
"Transparent!" The bulins cried in unison as they raised various tools for repair work.
"Then light a fire under your butts and get moving!" Chief barked as she turned to 110.
"Go to her. She's likely in a lot of pain. Convince her to keep fighting while we make repairs, if she gives up even a little, she will not have a vessel to sail on." Chief spoke.
110 nodded before bounding off the sail and heading directly towards the cruiser.
"Nürnberg?" 110 asked as she stepped onboard the Admiral Makarov.
When she got no reply, the submarine began searching the wrecked superstructure. Bulins passed her on her left as she looked carefully through every room leading up to the bridge. She eventually came to the door of the bridge. She tried to push open the door, only to hear the clinking of glass bottles.
"Mein Freundin?" 110 asked softly.
"Ja…" A voice came in from the corner behind the door.
110 pushed open the door the rest of the way and stepped over bloodstained vodka bottles to get to her friend.
Before the sub, sat a woman with her left arm missing and several layers of bandages on her right thigh. A bloodstained white winter coat and a white cap emblazoned with a red star with a hammer and sickle in the center. The cruiser's red eyes were glassy and her lips horrendously dry and chapped from the cold wind rustling through the broken windows on the bridge.
110 sat down next to her friend and checked the bandages on the stump that remained on her left arm as well as the bandages on her right thigh.
"You smell like a brewery, my friend." 110 said with a sad smile.
"It's all I can do to keep the pain at bay. I wouldn't have made it this far without it." Nürnberg spoke softly. Her words were slurred heavily.
"You're drunk!" 110 spoke softly as she found a roll of clean bandages on the floor and soaked them in vodka before peeling off the soiled on on her left arm and replacing it.
Nürnberg hissed as she restrained herself from slapping 110's hands away.
"It got me here, didn't it?" Nürnberg hissed.
"So what if it did?! Alcohol dilates your blood vessels! You've been bleeding for far too long! You've lost too much blood. You should have known that! Basic training, Nürnberg!" 110 scolded as she applied dry bandages on top of the soaked ones she had applied.
"Makarov. They call me Makarov now." The cruiser said.
"I don't care what those Soviets call you. You're Nürnberg to me. Now shut up and get up. We're going to get you somewhere warm so you can start feeling like yourself again." 110 said as she moved to Nürnberg's right side and pushed up on her shoulder to get her off the floor.
"You've become… so bold." Nürnberg said as she pushed herself to her feet with help from 110.
"No. I'm angry. I am mad at you for taking such poor care of yourself. You know that alcohol would make you bleed out more. And now you can hardly stand. Everyone on base treated me like a child, but I'm an adult too. Even I can understand situations like this." 110 spoke as she shouldered the weight of her friend and carried her to the main deck.
"How far are we from your friends?" Makarov spoke quietly.
"They are in Yokosuka and Kure. We're assaulting Japan to take control of the Naval yards. We're also trying to save the Emperor so that he will give us troops to begin landing in Russia." 110 said as she summoned her rigging in the water below. She then picked up Makarov.
"This is going to hurt… but please hold on tight." 110 spoke as Makarov gripped her friend with everything she had before the submarine jumped from the deck and into the waves, quickly bringing her rigging over to support them as they headed for the U-110.
"You have many good friends if you're assaulting Japan. The Lone wolf is your commander, yes?" Makarov asked.
"His name is Kommandant Isaac Garner. He commands vessels from every camp, and has even subjugated two Sirens as well as a Command vessel made purely of Siren Technology." 110 spoke.
"He must be very powerful. Perhaps there is hope for my new home." Makarov said as she allowed 110 to take her aboard the submarine.
"He is strong. He treats us well. He sent me to find you the moment he got your transmission. He cares about us, despite what he has lost for doing so." 110 said.
"Lost?" Makarov asked.
"His family. His autonomy. He nearly lost his life as well… several times." 110 said as she opened the access hatch and sent Makarov down first.
"I see. A hardened warrior with no fear of death." Makarov said with a nod.
"More like a man with something worth fighting for." 110 said as she joined Makarov inside the sub.
"What will we do about my vessel?" Makarov asked.
"The Bulins are stabilizing it now. I'm going to tow you to Yokosuka. The sea should be clear for our return." 110 said.
Makarov sighed.
"You shouldn't waste material on me. My hull is ruined beyond reasonable repair." Makarov said as she sat in the commander's chair on the bridge of the submarine.
"Nonsense. We've rebuilt ships from worse." 110 said as she activated her radio.
"Kommandant?" 110 asked.
The sounds of heavy gunfire echoed heavily through the radio.
"110? How goes it? Did you find Nürnberg?" Isaac asked.
"Yes sir. She's really banged up. She needs Vengeance and Vestal." 110 said.
"Give me your coordinates and I'll have Lizzy send a Helicopter to pick her up. I can't spare much else, we've encountered resistance coming from holdouts in the port. They also managed reinforcements and heavy artillery from a nearby munitions depot, so we're trying to deal with that." Isaac said.
"Can Patty come out too? I'll need help towing the Makarov. It looks like it went through Berlin during the bombing raids." 110 said.
"I'll do what I can, little shark. Until then, be strong." Isaac said as the line cut out. 110 quickly sent her coordinates to Isaac.
"What's a helicopter?" Makarov asked.
"Kommandant said it was something like our Kolibri but way more advanced." 110 said as she set about finding her tow cables.
"Will you be okay out here? The Bering sea isn't the forgiving type." Makarov said.
"I braved it to find you. I can manage it." 110 said boldly.
Makarov chuckled.
"You really have grown up… I'm proud of you, little shark." Makarov said as 110 ran to her.
110 gave her a hug and Makarov reciprocated.
It was around 10 hours later, after Makarov has succumbed to sleep that the sound of helicopter blades whirring overhead drew 110's attention.
"110, you guys alright?" Lizzy asked.
"Yes. I'll fetch Makarov." 110 said before Lizzy interrupted.
"Just open the hatch. I'll grab her myself." Lizzy said as 110 scrambled to the sail where Lizzy was waiting.
"Why are you here?! Kommandant said he was taking heavy fire." 110 asked.
"He insisted. Said that Makarov needed immediate medical attention, so I came to begin her treatment en route to the fleet." Lizzy said as she produced Vestal's Medical bag.
110 nodded.
"She's on the bridge. Her arm is missing and her leg looks like it took a plasma round… burned clean through the muscle and charred the skin." 110 explained.
"Understood. Controlling bleeding and pain management will be paramount." Lizzy said.
110 nodded.
"She is also very drunk… I don't know how that affects things, but be careful with her." 110 said softly. Lizzy ruffled the submarine's hair.
"She's in good hands." Lizzy said as she grabbed the sleeping Nürnberg and left the vessel, getting her aboard the helicopter and on their way back towards the fleet.