Two days after regaining consciousness, I still felt as though I'd been hit by a bus. I had allowed both Kevin and Luke to rotate the command as they saw fit given, I was still feeling the after effects from both the sinking and encounter with Peace Breaker.

With the sun slowly rising the shadowy outline of Midway Atoll came into view.

"Never thought I'd be glad to see this place," Kevin comments.

"After the past week any land is a welcome relief," I reply from my seat near the controls, "And it seems as though some of the professor's supplies have turned up judging by that new annex off the main lab."

As Luke pilots the Intrepid's life boat around the island towards the entrance for the docks the form of a ship anchored just off the coast begins to appear.

"Looks like that US carrier we were looking for ended up here," one of the crew calls out from the bow.

As we close the distance it becomes clear that the ship anchored is indeed an aircraft carrier, "Looks a bit small to be the Gerald R. Ford," I comment.

"The island superstructure is too far forward," Kevin confirms.

Putting the mystery of the strange ship to one side, I focus on spotting for Luke to assist the navigation through the reef and up to the dock.

After tying off the life boat and securing a boarding ramp, I wait for everyone to disembark with instructions to check in with the medical team. Turning to Kevin, "Let's go find the Professor to report in, and then I think we need to make arrangements to get to Pearl Harbour so we can inform the Admiral."

A brief check of the Professors office proved it to be empty, Kevin speaks up, "Hang on, isn't it Sunday today?"

"Yeah, I think so," I reply, "Why?"

"Well if he's not here, then it must mean that his team is playing today," Kevin answers.


After a brief stop at my office where I log in to the off-site database. Finding the required data packets, I had dumped from the computers onboard the Intrepid. Keying in my authorization I began the task of downloading and de-encrypting the files.

Seeing as it would take almost twenty-four hours complete the task, I rejoined Kevin and walked out of the main lab and up the slight rise towards the center of the atoll, where the sounds of multiple people talking animatedly could be heard.

On reaching the crest, I find the professor watching a number of the staff that work across the various projects being run out of the labs warming up in preparation for the weekly baseball games that the research teams and ship crews play in order to help relieve the stresses from the work week.

"Morning Professor," I call out as Kevin and I close the distance.

"Good morning Nathan," the Professor answers, "I trust your operation went well."

"Well we've got mixed news on that," I admit, "The good news is that everyone is safely back."

"That's good to hear," the Professor says, "However if that's the good news, then what aren't you telling me."

"We believe that the US Carrier Group we were searching for has been sunk," I answer bluntly, "The only proof however I have of that are these photos taken from the onboard cameras of what I believe attacked them." I finish handing over a folder containing a number of screen-captures from the Intrepid's cameras that had fortunately been part of a data packet to be sent out prior to my commands to dump the ships data logs.

As the Professor scanned through the images, I continued my debrief, "These photos also prove that we are no longer alone in the universe anymore."

"What do you mean?" the Professor askes in surprise.

"Well this photo," I begin looking at a picture of the drone ship that had rammed the Intrepid, "Shows the ship responsible for why the Intrepid is now currently lying at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean."

"I take it that's the bad news then?" the Professor asks.

"It's part of the bad news," Kevin states.

I take another of the photos from further down the pile, "This shows a sentient being," I explain, "It called itself Peace Breaker, and take it from me it certainly broke the peace last week."

"I thought the other ship was responsible for the sinking?" the Professor asks in confusion looking first at Kevin then back to me.

"That other ship is the reason for the sinking," I answer, "After ramming us and then sending five torpedoes into the side of the Intrepid there was no other course of action but to abandon ship. However, whilst Kevin, Luke and Jim were ensuring that everyone got off the ship, I overheard raised voices from the front of the ship. And on further investigation found whoever this is having a rather heated discussion with both Akagi and Kaga."

The Professor looks at me seemingly enthralled by what I'm saying.

"When I put myself into the conversation," I continue, "Is when this one showed her true colours by shooting me point blank with what I can best describe as some form of railgun weapon."

"Hold on a second," the Professor says, "You were shot?"

"He sure was," Kevin confirms, "First we learned about it was when both Akagi and Kaga reappeared about an hour after the Intrepid sank, they were both supporting him between them. To be honest we thought he was dead, until we found a very weak pulse."

"Alright, I know that we've all experienced some rather strange phenomena over the past month or so," the Professor says, "But how does one survive being shot point blank with no apparent side effects."

"I honestly don't know," I admit, "The last thing I remember is seeing a bright blue light racing at me, and just before it reached me an equally bright darker blue light seemed to surround me. Next thing I know, I'm lying under a pile of blankets on the Intrepid's life boat."

"And there's no ill side effects?" the Professor enquires.

"Not sure it's a side effect or not," I begin, "But I seem to know a lot more about both nuclear fusion and sharks than I did prior to being shot."

The Professor looks at me in confusion to this statement.

"I can't explain it either," I say with a shrug, "Only logical explanation I have is that the two cubes I had in my coat pocket at the time must have activated some form of self-defense against the attack."

"Well that sounds plausible given what we now believe these cubes to be," the Professor answers, "The current theory is that the cubes contain data and that when introduced to large quantities of electrical power they activate."

"And just how did you learn that?" I ask.

"One of the labs technicians was moving a couple of the cubes back to the main lab from the storage annex we built just before a big storm hit. A strong gust of wind knocked the tech against a wall causing one of the cubes to fall to the ground," the Professor explains, "As he turned back to retrieve it a bolt of lightning hit the cube, when the tech regained his vision, the cube was gone and she was standing there."

"Who was standing there?" Kevin asks.

"She calls herself Bogue," the Professor replies, "She's down there on the field."

Looking down from the hill where the two teams were finishing their warm-ups before the start of the game. As I scan across the field, I spy the latest addition to what is becoming apparent to some, a fleet in the making standing on the mound at the centre of the infield.

"Let me guess," I begin, "Is a fan of baseball."

"The Minnesota Twins to be precise," the Professor explains, "So far she's watched every game from the past fifteen seasons."

"And of course, you just had to sign her up to your team for todays game?" Kevin adds, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I could hardly stop her," the Professor replies, completely overlooking Kevin's implied tone, "Besides she also managed to persuade Graf Spee out of her room."

Looking across the field again, I finally notice that Graf Spee is indeed also on the field. A rare sight indeed as given her time so far since arriving at Midway she seldom left the dorm room we had arranged for her. The only other times any of us had seen her where during meal times or if she was with Bismarck.

"Well, I guess that's a positive," I muse.

"Indeed," the Professor agrees, "Since Bogue arrived, she's certainly helped to bring Graf Spee out of her shell. She's still quite reserved, but her progress has been amazing this past week."

"Speaking of progress, "Kevin interjects, "How have the repairs of the Global Explorer gone?"

"Slowly," the Professor admits, "A replacement engine is being shipped out from San Diego, it will arrive in three days."

"Looks like we'll be chartering another plane then," I say with a sigh.

"What's the rush?" the Professor asks.

"I think it's time to visit the Admiral Jensen and fill him in on what's going on," I explain, "And we both know that Jensen believes what his eyes show him rather than words alone."

As I finish saying this, I glimpse from the corner of my eye, one of the crew sprinting up the slope in our direction.

"Captain, there's a ship approaching the atoll!"

"Okay," I answer, "So why the urgency in telling me. It's not attacking us is it?"

"It might," comes the reply, "Whoever it is has the ships guns trained on the lab."


Making our way down to the docks to investigate the arrival of what had been described to us as a large gunboat, turned out to be a huge under statement to describe the ship that was slowly approaching the atoll.

"Any thoughts on what we are dealing with?" I ask looking firstly to Kevin and then the Professor who had both joined me.

"Well it's certainly not the Coast Guard," Kevin quips.

"Really," I reply with a smirk, "What gave that away?"

"Well aside from the fact the US Coast Guard boats are about half the size and generally painted white and red," Kevin replies, "I highly doubt that anyone in the US Coast Guard would fly a Reichskriegsflagge from the mast."

I look at Kevin in astonishment to his answer, "How on earth can you see that from this distance without binoculars?"

"Unlike you," Kevin answers, "I rarely need binoculars to see long distance. Besides which ever since we started to investigate the latest events, I've been studying what ships took part in the Second World War."

"Okay," the Professor says, finally speaking up, "So what ship are we looking at then?"

"The only German surface ship to ever reach the Pacific Theatre was the Prinz Eugen," Kevin answers calmly.

"Didn't you say that the Admiral mentioned that they had misplaced the ship wreck of the Prinz Eugen?" the Professor asks turning to me.

"Misplaced implies that they've parked it somewhere and forgotten where," I answer, "The truth is the ship wreck simply isn't there anymore."

As I say this the audible rattle of anchor chains can be heard from across the inlet.

"It appears we will soon find out if you're right Kevin," I say as we continue to watch on from the dock, where we spy a tall blonde jump down from the now anchored warship and begin to skate across the inlet up to the docks.

"I have to admit," Kevin begins breaking the silence once more, "Seeing a ship arrive here with no sign of any crew is slightly disturbing."

I silently nod in agreement at Kevin's assessment before adding my own thoughts, "Let's be honest though. Nearly everything about this is disturbing."

It takes no time at all for the young woman to skate across the inlet, completely ignoring the channel markers and making a straight line for the dock. Wordlessly she climbs the ladder and steps on the pier, before walking straight up to us.

Despite this not being the first time seeing a woman wearing enough firepower to be considered a one-person army, the sight before us still left me with a sense that I should be running for my life.

It wasn't the large calibre guns, as although they were slightly smaller than those Bismarck had pointed at me that night on the Atlantic, it wasn't even the sinister looking shark motifs etched into parts of her rigging.

It was the fact that they seemed to have a life of their own and appeared to be looking around and occasionally snapping at seemingly nothing.

Before any of us can speak, whilst looking directly at me, in a heavily German accented voice says, "Hmm... so you're the Commander?"

"I can't say anyone has ever called me a Commander," I reply calmly, "My name is Nathan Harrison and until last week I was the Captain of the Research Vessel Intrepid."

"I guess that explains the lifeboat," she says almost as if she wasn't interested.

"Pardon," I ask, highly confused at her reply.

"I tracked you here on radar," she replies, "I did wonder why a lifeboat was being escorted by two aircraft carriers."

Wide eyed, I look at both Kevin and then the Professor in turn to see if they had heard the same as me. Turning back to face the young woman again I ask, "I don't want to sound rude. But who are you?"

"I am Prinz Eugen, the miracle of the Third Reich," she replies with a mischievous smile.


"Where's your sense of mystery," the Professor speaks up, "You two act as though it's the end of the world."

Sharing a look with Kevin who simply rolls his eyes, I reply to the Professor, "I'm a man of facts Professor. And my sense of mystery went out the door on this project last week when I was shot at point blank."

"And to add to my opinion of this situation," I continue, "Just how do you believe the US Navy is going to react when they learn that we have found not one, but now six people who claim to be warships either lost during the Second World War or scrapped after said war."

"Never mind what the US Navy is going to do," Kevin adds, "What do you think the German Government will do if we tell them we found both the Bismarck and the Admiral Graf Spee roaming in the Atlantic and that the Prinz Eugen just turned up on our doorstep."

"That's too serious a question to be asking me before I've had my morning coffee Kevin," I reply before the Professor can interject, "Hell, I'm still trying to fathom how the Japanese are going to react when they find out that their famed First Carrier Division are now for want of a better description fox girls."

It had now been just over an hour since Prinz Eugen arrived at Midway. We had led her into the lab facilities where the medical team conducted their usual series of tests, in the hope that more data would give us deeper understanding of what was going on.

Whilst all this was going on, we had adjourned to the Professors office to discuss the best course of action. Both Kevin and I were in agreement that full disclosure of the events so far was the best way to prevent any sort of shoot first ask questions later response from the American Navy.

Professor Strickland however was demonstrating his rebellious side. Something that more often than not resulted in funding cuts to the projects he oversaw. "Judging by some of their TV shows they'll probably embrace that as a good thing," he replies.

"Sure, the general population might," I agree, "The government, I doubt they'll publicly share that view. We also have the issue of being charged with tampering with war graves."

"You can't be serious?" Kevin exclaims.

"I'm dead serious," I reply, "We potentially face three charges of tampering with a war grave as the wrecks of the Bismarck, Akagi and Kaga are official listed as war graves."

"The key phase there is tampering with a war grave," the Professor states, "No one has actually done that."

"Try proving that then," I snap back flicking a folder containing the report from the crew I had contacted to survey the wreck sites of the Bismarck and Admiral Graf Spee, "The wreck of the Prinz Eugen and Arizona aren't the only ones missing. Just the only ones the world knows about."

Flicking through the numerous photos and sonar scans contained with Professor Strickland looks up at me, "What am I looking at here?"

"Those photos were taken less than a month ago," I explain, "They document the wreck site of both the Bismarck and the Admiral Graf Spee."

"But there's nothing in here showing that," the Professor answers.

"Exactly," I state, "Should we be charged with those crimes, we can't prove we didn't do it. As the ship wrecks are no longer there. And I'm guessing the same can be said for the wrecks of both the Akagi and Kaga, given as we know the girls are here and the US Navy keep getting reports of Japanese aircraft carriers in the region, despite the fact that all of Japans current fleet of carriers are all docked in Kure right now."

As I finish saying this, I realize that we are no longer alone in the office as both Kevin and the Professor are looking past me. Turning to the door, I find that the girls are all standing just outside. With a slight nod of my head, they slowly enter the office.

"And how do you intend to explain this to Jensen anyway," Kevin asks.

"Same way I did here," I reply, "I'll show Jensen exactly what we are dealing with."

"So how do you explain it to him that you already allowed a battleship to return to Germany?" the Professor asks with a cunning smile.

"Come to think on that," Kevin adds, "Just how did you manage to create a plausible story for her inclusion on that trip."

"Simple," I say, "Albert knows the team running that project, and as the flagship of the fleet Bismarck will know who is out there. As for the cover story, she's a German Naval Historian, sent to advise on any findings."

"Not that any of this is important anyway," the Professor continues, turning what is starting to become a more heated discussion than originally intended back onto its original path, "At least not until you can make your full report to Admiral Jensen. And as the Global Explorer is still at least a week away from returning to operation, unless you can convince the Captain of the supply ship to take a detour after they deliver the new engine your stuck here."

"You forget Professor," I reply with a knowing smile, "There are two perfectly functioning ships anchored just off the Atoll."

"Now I know you're not serious," Kevin interjects, "If you're lucky they'll only shoot you if you do that."

Ignoring Kevin's outcry, "I've got no choice Kevin, I'm pulling rank." I turn to face the girls who are looking on with curious expressions on their faces. "Anyone here up for a trip to Pearl Harbour?"

At this statement both Akagi and Kaga look directly at me, their eyes boring into me as if trying to judge if I'm being serious. When I fail to retract my question, they both nod in agreement.

"I'll go to," Bogue speaks up, "I've never seen Hawaii."

"Could be amusing to see what happens," Prinz Eugen adds with a smile, "I'm in."

Turning back to face both Kevin and the Professor, "Then that's settled."

Before I can continue, I feel a gentle tugging on my jacket. Turning back, I find Graf Spee shyly lowering her hand before mumbling, "I'd like to go with Bogue if that's okay."

Nodding my approval, I turn once more to face the Professor, "As I said, it's settled. Prinz Eugen will sail to Pearl Harbour at first light tomorrow. And if the US Navy decide they want to shoot me. Then I've got more than enough firepower to back me up."