(HMS Ceylon – Indian Ocean – 16.00)
"Captain, they're here." Jerad said as he scanned the surroundings with his binoculars.
Kalum scanned the direction he had indicated. With his position on the deck in the rear of the Ceylon, he could see the outline of seven ships now appearing in the horizon.
"Yes, I think we can raise the anchor now." They had reached the rendezvous point an hour ago, after which Kalum had decided to wait for the Warspite. "Let's get back to the bridge."
The two boys hurried to the bridge. As soon as he entered, the radio room announced an incoming radio message.
{Captain, radio message from the Warspite. Captain Amelia requests a meeting with all captains on board the flag ship. Immediately.}
"Understood, I'll be on my way." He turned to Jerad. "You have the bridge till I come back."
Without much time to wake he quickly made his way to his quarters, where he hastily put on his dress uniform. He didn't want to get on the bad side of the commander of the Eastern Fleet by being late, though he might've already done that by being early.
A few minutes later he was on a skipper, cutting through the waves and moving towards the Warspite, which was anchored close by. As he got close to the battleship, he could not stop feeling an awe towards her, who was one of the most powerful ships the British student fleet possessed, apart from the HMS Vanguard and the legendary HMS Hood. A rope ladder lowered from the deck allowed him to get on the Warspite. Once the tiring action was completed, he was met by one of the officers on board the battleship.
"Captain Amelia is expecting you in the conference room."
"Can you show me the way?"
"Yes sir, follow me."
Kalum followed the officer into the ship's superstructure, and below the deck. After walking for a while, they came to a door, which the officer opened after a knock.
Kalum entered, hoping he was not late. All other captains had already arrived, six boys and girls, all of the ages of sixteen and seventeen that made up the crews of the Eastern fleet. They occupied the seats around a long table in the middle of the room.
Kalum's attention was not directed at any of them as he entered the room. The first person he noticed was the girl seated at the head of the table. A brown haired British girl with a tanned skin that showed some time spent at sea. The commander of the British Eastern Fleet, Amelia Fraser.
She nodded as he entered the room, and gestured to him to be seated. Which he did after reporting.
"You're late." She said looking at a clock that hung from the wall.
"I apologize for being late ma'am. I came as soon as I received the message."
"I thought you like being early for things. It seems it isn't for everything."
Before Kalum could reply to that she waved her hand dismissively, indicating that it was not needed.
"Since we don't have much time, we should quickly discuss our matters." She began. "We're several hours behind schedule and if we go on at this pace it'll take us an extra two days to reach Singapore."
"But is there a reason to hurry?" One of the captains interjected. "From what I've heard the exercises will only begin in two more weeks."
"Let's just say the captain of the Ceylon here isn't the only one who likes to do things quickly."
Kalum looked down at the table to avoid others' looks which were now directed straight at him.
"Anyway," Captain Amelia spoke, breaking the few seconds of silence that had formed after her. "I have a plan to overcome at least part of this problem. This force will be divided into two based mainly on the speed of the ships. The faster group, Or Force A, made up of the Warspite, Dorsetshire, Fortune and Griffin will get to Singapore first and meet with the PoW and the Repulse. Force B made up of the two Revenge class battleships, the Ceylon, Cornwall, Royalist, Vampire and Decoy will follow us and reach Singapore after us. Once my force gets to Singapore, I'll let Force B know if we will continue this till Japan."
"Ma'am shouldn't the Ceylon be part of the faster force." One of the captains spoke. Kalum was feeling the same thing, though he understood why he was in the slower group. This was a punishment for his disobedience.
"The selection isn't just based on speed. If it was only on speed then all the destroyers would be in Force A." The girl replied. "This is currently the only way we can reach Japan on time, so I reckon we will go on with my plan. Does everyone agree?"
Everyone nodded. So, she continued. "I'll lead Force A with the Warspite. I give the command of Force B to the Ceylon."
This was met with a few looks of surprise, including one from Kalum, who quickly objected. "Ma'am, the Ceylon is only a light cruiser. Shouldn't the Royal Sovereign or the Resolution get the position of command."
"This is my decision." The girl declared. "And it won't be changed unless necessary."
She waited for anyone to object, which they didn't. Once that was settled, she spoke.
"And now since we're running out of time, I'll call this meeting to an end."
All of them started to leave the room, all except for Kalum, who still had a doubt in his mind. Captain Amelia, who was the last out of the room, saw this and came to him.
"You have an issue with my arrangements? I hope it's not about you being in the slower group."
"No ma'am. I understand that decision."
"Then what is it?"
"Why did you choose me to lead the second force?"
"Why? you don't like to lead?"
"Of Course, i like to lead. It's just_"
Amelia looked at him. "You doubt yourself. You don't think you're good enough. Why? You did well commanding the Sri Lankan fleet."
"For a few hours. And that didn't go well."
She smiled. "You know, this is my second year in the student fleet. Last year I was the captain of the HMS Fiji in the Mediterranean, the lead ship of the Crown Colony class. And now here I am, third in command of the entire Royal Navy."
Kalum had heard about her while in the academy. A prodigy who had joined the fleet a year before everyone else, when she was just fifteen.
"My point is...in the Atlantic and in the Med our instructors used to test us, pushing us around to see how good we can be. Now I'm going to do the same."
"You're testing me?"
"You're just the first. The Eastern fleet is one of the worst in terms of equipment. So, it needs good sailors."
"Understood ma'am. I won't disappoint you."
She nodded. "Then we're good."
"And captain," she spoke to him just as he was going to leave, "I'm being tested too. This is my first time commanding a fleet."
(HMS Ceylon – South China Sea – 02.50)
"We're a light cruiser with a speed of more than thirty knots. And we have to keep up with the slower ships." Amina complained once again as the Ceylon continued to lead the slower Force B even after they had passed Singapore.
Kalum was growing tired of the helmsman's complaints. He was having a hard time adjusting to the split personalities his crew possessed. Especially Amina, who had seemed to be a calm and quiet person when he first saw her. Apparently, her calm and quiet nature was not applicable to the Ceylon.
He decided to change the subject. "Jerad why are our instructors not joining us?"
"Instructor Somerville left for Japan a few days ahead of the fleet. They have to prepare several things before the exercises. Most instructors don't always stick with the fleet."
Kalum nodded. I guess we'll meet him in Japan soon. We're only a few days away from Iwo Jima.
{Bridge, this is radio. We received an urgent message from the Prince of Wales saying they're under attack.}
"The fuck, who's attacking them? Pirates?"
{No captain, the Prince of Wales has been fired upon by HMS Warspite and the accompanying fleet, except for the HMS Fortune.}
"What, why would Captain Amelia attack our own fleet."
"Might be a mutiny." Jerad suggested.
"No, I don't think so. The commander isn't the sort of person to jeopardize her position. But then?"
{Captain, the Prince of Wales thinks it might be a possible RATt infection.}
"RATt infection?" While in the final month of the academy all students had been taught to fear one thing in the sea. The totalitarian disease. An infection spread by genetically modified rats, the victims would all fall into the control of one mind, causing them to attack their own comrades.
"Didn't the Japs solve that problem?" Jerad's confusion was understandable.
"That's what they said."
"Captain, what should we do?"
"We have to help the Prince of Wales. Radio, tell the fleet to follow us, we'll follow our designated route and get to the Prince of Wales."
{Aye Captain}
"Jerad, sound general quarters. We should be prepared."
"Aye, captain." He picked up the whistle hanging from his neck and, cuing the PA system, blew the two tone note. "General quarters! General quarters! All hands man your battle stations. This is not a drill."
Moments later the rest of the bridge crew poured in, half asleep and dressed in their uniforms.
"What's going on?" Ravindu asked, the technical officer being the first to react.
Kalum did his best to fill them in despite the shock of the situation. "The Warspite opened fire upon the PoW. They're probably infected by the RATt disease."
"Wasn't that the thing that the Japanese had a really hard time fighting?"
"Yes,"
{Bridge, this is radio. The Royal Sovereign, Cornwall, Vampire and Decoy answered our radio message. But there's no reply from the Resolution and the Royalist.}
"Has something happened to their radio?" Kalum walked to the port side window from where he could see the HMS Resolution moving alongside them. "Flash light signals. Ask them if anything's wrong." He walked back to the front of the bridge.
"Captain," a panicked voice caught his attention. "Why is the Resolution changing course."
"What," he took the binoculars from Aanya who had called him while watching the Resolution. The battleship had turned to the right, with their broadside facing the fleet. Only too late did he realize the Resolution's intentions as he caught a glimpse of their four 15" twin turrets turning in the moonlight.
"Oh shit!"
The muzzles of all 8 of the Resolutions guns were illuminated by a bright light. Eight shells exited their barrels and soared towards the fleet. Had they been aiming at the Ceylon, there would've been no way to escape the barrage. But the shells flew above them, making contact with the HMS Royal Sovereign that was at the rear of the fleet.
"Captain, they're using live ammunition." Anudha noted as several explosions occurred as the shells impacted on the Royal Sovereign's bow.
"They must be infected too. And if they didn't answer our radio call cause of that_"
A second round of shells made contact with the battleship; this time fired from the eight 5.25-inch guns of the HMS Royalist.
"Radio, try to get in contact with the Blue Mermaids." Kalum said, trying to keep up with the instructions he had received in the academy. "Tell them the crews of the battleships HMS Warspite and HMS Resolution, the cruisers Royalist, Dorsetshire and battlecruiser Repulse and the destroyer Griffin have contracted the RATt virus and have opened fire on the remaining ships of the British Eastern Fleet. Ask them for help and send the coordinates of our two positions."
The Royal Sovereign suffered several more hits while trying to avoid the fire from the two attackers, it's gunners struggling to return fire. The rest of the fleet still in shock, trying to understand the events that had unfolded in front of them in a span of a few minutes.
"Radio, tell the uninfected fleet to return fire. We'll hit them with training ammo."
He turned to Anudha. "We can't let the Resolution continue pounding the Royal Sovereign. Get our guns loaded with training shells."
"Yes captain," he replied with enthusiasm and went to the voice tubes to give commands to the turrets.
"Aanya, prepare our torpedoes. Our guns can't do much against a battleship."
{Captain, the fleet requests permission to commence firing.}
Really, chain of command at a time like this. "Tell them to fire."
"Captain all twelve six-inch guns are loaded and ready to fire."
"Fire at will!"
All twelve main guns of the Ceylon opened up with a resounding boom, followed by the main guns of the remaining cruiser and three destroyers, with the shells from the two cruisers impacting on the Resolution and the shells from the destroyers hitting the Royalist. Nevertheless, the two ships continued to fire at the Royal Sovereign.
"They have priorities, getting rid of the bigger opponent first." Jerad said. "They'll ignore us until the Royal Sovereign is in the bottom of the sea."
"We can't let that happen. Amina, turn us till we can fire our torps. We'll hit them with everything until they can't keep on ignoring us."
{Captain, radio message from the Royal Sovereign. Their lower levels are flooding from torpedo damage.}
"We have to help them. Order the fleet to double down on their fire."
"Captain, torpedoes are ready."
"Fire all of them."
Unlike the firing from the main guns, the launch of the torpedoes was not audible. But Aanya soon confirmed that all torpedoes were successfully launched. Several explosions at the sea level of the Resolution showed that most of them had hit their mark.
The Resolution ceased firing, but only for a moment. While its main guns were still concentrated on the Royal Sovereign, its secondary guns started to turn.
"Hard left, get us out of the secondary's range." Kalum shouted a moment before the 6-inch guns of the battleship opened fire. Seven shells soared towards the Ceylon, none hitting their mark but impacting close by.
{Captain, this is aft lookout. Several torpedoes coming towards us. We'll get hit if we don't turn.}
"Amina, keep turning. I forgot the Resolution has torpedoes. Now we've got their attention."
{Captain, radio message from the Cornwall. They're asking what our plan is.}
Our plan? Till now Kalum had not been acting according to any plan. He had only the thought of saving the Royal Sovereign from destruction, which wasn't going well. But now he could see something they could do.
"We're going to draw the fire from the infected ships and get out of here while they follow us. Once we draw them far enough from the Sovereign, we can use our speed to outrun the Resolution."
{Yes captain.}
Jerad turned to him. "That's a good plan. But according to protocol, we have to stay with the infected sips so the Blue Mermaids know their location."
"For now, the only thing we can do is draw them away and keep the Royal Sovereign safe. If we try to stay near the Resolution, we'll _"
What he was trying to say was cut short when the secondary guns of the battleship fired another round. Out of seven shells fired at the Ceylon, three hit their mark.
Alarm bells started to ring. We've been hit. Kalum took time to overcome his shock. What did he have to do now? Getting over the shock he quickly ran to the intercom.
"Everyone, I want a damage report. Fast!"
Several voices answered his call. {One four-inch turrets damaged.}
{Small fire on deck in the stern, putting it out.}
{Nothing to report from engine room}
"Is everyone safe?"
{Yes captain. No injuries to report.}
"Good," he turned to Amina, "Get us out of their secondary gun range, we can't afford to get hit too much in a light cruiser."
"Yes captain,"
{Captain, the Royal Sovereign looks like it'll sink.}
This fast! "Understood, tell them we'll draw away the Resolution."
"We won't be able to grab their attention if we go on like this." Jerad noted. "Our training ammo can't scratch them."
"We can't fire live without permission." Kalum replied. "Why is the Resolution still attacking the Sovereign? It can't fight back."
Right on cue the Resolution's main guns started turning. With its main objective successfully achieved, they started turning its main guns to face the rest of the fleet, while its secondaries continued to pound their helpless victim.
"Right, their attention is on us. Radio, tell the fleet to start moving. We'll draw the Resolution away from the Royal Sovereign. Amina, accelerate slightly. If we outrun them, they'll get back to the Sovereign. Anudha, keep firing."
The fleet obeyed his orders, turning away from their two enemies and moving out of their position, while their guns continued to fire on the battleship and the cruiser, keeping their attention.
{Captain, radio message from the Bloomers. They asked us to not lose sight of the infected ships till they arrive.}
"Tell them we're going to keep them on our tail till they arrive. We're moving towards the location of the Prince of Wales."
{Yes captain. I'll tell them your plan.}
{Captain, the Resolution fired its main guns.} one of the lookouts spoke over the intercom.
"All hands, brace for impact!"
Eight shells launched from the 15" guns of the Resolution flew towards the remaining four ships of Force B. By a miracle they missed their mark, exploding close to the ships.
"Radio, tell the fleet to accelerate slightly. None of us can afford to get hit by those guns."
{Yes captain.} The radio was quiet for a while before the girl spoke again.
{Captain, the captain of the Royal Sovereign is asking for instructions. They're abandoning ship.}
"Tell them to hang on till the Bloomers arrive. And radio the Bloomers for their status."
The next moments of silence were broken by the sound of the Resolution's guns. By now they were chasing the fleet, which was effectively keeping them on their tail.
{Captain, the bloomers have divided into two groups to approach our two positions. They've received distress calls from the PoW too.}
"Tell them about the status of the Royal Sovereign. We won't be able to help the evacuees so they'll have to pick them up."
{Okay captain.}
The fleet maintained their course North, followed by the Resolution and the Royalist, both that had ceased firing for the time being. Using their superior speed, the four ships that remained of Force B could keep out of the firing range of the 15" guns of the Resolution. Still Kalum decided not to outrun them as their job was to keep the infected ships in sight.
During the battle he hadn't been able to think about the situation of the Prince of Wales, which was probably much worse than theirs' considering the odds the PoW was up against. Now that the situation was calmer, Kalum's thoughts trailed towards the ship.
"Radio, can we get in contact with the Prince of Wales."
{Wait a moment captain. I'll give it a try.}
Kalum waited impatiently for a few moments before the reply came. {I can't get in contact with the PoW. Their radio might've been damaged in the fighting.}
"What about the HMS Fortune? They weren't infected."
{Negative. We tried contacting both ships. Both probably received heavy damage.}
"Understood, ask the bloomers' about their position."
The Prince of Wales had been attacked by a force of four ships, including the HMS Warspite. Its chance of staying afloat after the damage it must have received was quite low, and Kalum didn't want to think about it.
{Captain, the blue mermaids are close by. Those close to the PoW have already engaged the infected ships.}
"Good, did you ask them about the status of the PoW?"
{Yes captain, the Prince of Wales had received heavy damage, but it's still afloat. No information on the status of the crew.}
"What about the bloomer ships coming to assist us?"
{They'll be here in approximately thirty minutes.}
"Radio the fleet, as soon as the blue mermaids arrive, we'll leave the Resolution to them and head to the PoW." He turned to Amina. "Full speed ahead."
(HMS Prince of Wales – South China Sea – 05:00)
The damage the Prince of Wales was just as bad as Kalum had imagined, but it miraculously had not sunk.
Both its quadruple turrets were destroyed, along with several of its secondary armament. Apart from that the oil spill covering the sea indicated damage to its tanks. The ship was leaning to one side due to floods in the lower decks.
All in all, considering the number of holes on its hull, the fact that the ship remained afloat was a miracle.
By the time Kalum arrived with the fleet the fighting had ended. Four blue mermaid destroyers of the Japanese and Chinese navies, all with light damage suffered, indicated that the infected ships had returned fire on the blue mermaids. After the first few salvos, the infected fleet had fled, pursued by several Blue Mermaid crafts, without waiting to fight. The destroyer HMS Fortune that was anchored near the Prince of Wales had also suffered damage, though not as half as much that the battleship had suffered, probably due to the infected ships' priorities. While the situation of both these ships could've been worse, and Kalum was happy it wasn't, he still needed confirmation about the status of the crews.
Since the enemy fleet was not on sight Kalum received instructions to get on a skipper and report to the Prince of Wales. By the time he got to the ship, several tugs from the Blue Mermaids were preparing to tug it to a dry dock in China, where it'll have to go through extensive repairs in order to survive.
He boarded the battleship and quickly made his way through the damaged deck to the bridge, where he knew his friend would be, unless he was injured. The superstructure of the ship near the bridge was relatively undamaged due to certain modernizations the school ships went through to ensure the safety of the crews.
Kalum went to the bridge, knocked on the door, and entered once he received the permission. The bridge was relatively empty, consisting of only four people which included the captain, Gehan, an Asian girl who's rank insignia showed her as the executive officer and two Blue Mermaids. He saluted to the group and stated his name and rank.
"Kalum Perera, captain of the HMS Ceylon commanding Force B of the Eastern Fleet. I received instructions to report to the Prince of Wales."
Out of the four people in the room, Gehan was the first to reply to him. "Kalum, glad you could join us. I was explaining to inspector Munetani about the events we just went through. Since I only know half of it, I believe you can explain the rest." His voice sounded tired, and though he had no physical injuries to be seen, the mental strain of the battle could clearly be seen through him.
Kalum addressed the Blue Mermaid described as 'Inspector Munetani,' a girl in her early twenties who had eyes with an unusual red shade. "We were positioned South of the Force A when we received the distress call from the Prince of Wales. After we received it, I quickly ordered all ships in my task force to sound general quarters and prepare to move out to assist the Prince of Wales. Unfortunately, the HMS Resolution and HMS Royalist of our task force opened fire on us after being infected with the RATt virus and severely damaged the HMS Royal Sovereign. We sent a distress call to the Blue Mermaids and tried our best to save the battleship by drawing away the two infected ships, but as we only could fire training ammunition, we couldn't draw their attention till the Royal Sovereign had received enough damage to sink. After receiving instructions from the Blue Mermaids to not lose sight of the infectious ships, we moved north while keeping them on our tail till the Blue Mermaids arrived to follow them. After that we moved at full speed to get here."
"You've done well by following protocol." The Blue Mermaid addressed him with a smile in fluent English. "Did any of your ships receive major damage?"
"No ma'am, apart from the Royal Sovereign, all four ships that remained only suffered minor damages. The infected ships seemed to prioritize on destroying the battleship first."
"And your crews?"
"Most are completely fine. The crew of the Royal Sovereign had suffered injuries but none of them were critical."
"That's good, so the only ship and crew in a really bad condition is this one." She turned to Gehan. "Captain, you've done an excellent job at keeping the Prince of Wales afloat. We'll send it to the nearest port for repairs, so you won't be able to command this ship for a long time."
"So, I should return home?"
"We received instructions from the British combined fleet, and your instructor, to send you to Japan, with what remains of the Eastern fleet."
"They know about this already?"
"Yes, we notified them as soon as we received news about the infection. Since you're a skilled captain, the British do not want to send you away in a time of crisis."
"Ma'am," Kalum put out a question he had bottled up in his mind for several hours. "Wasn't the RATt infection successfully culled by the Blue Mermaids about three months ago."
"We did. We still aren't sure how this happened today." Mashimo Munetani spoke in a voice a shade grimmer than before. "Yesterday we patrolled this are because we received information about a suspicious vessel spotted near Vietnam. We were worried because our search revealed nothing, though now I think it might've been related to this."
"Ma'am, so do we have to continue towards Japan now?"
"Yes, until we have a clear picture of what is happening it's good to keep you in safe waters. With all the battleships of the Eastern fleet gone, the Ceylon will receive temporary command of the fleet. You should bring the fleet to Yokosuka, Japan."
She smiled as she saw the expression of shock on Kalum's face. "Don't worry, the route from here to Yokosuka will be well guarded by Japanese and Chinese Blue Mermaids. Once you're in Japan you should await further instructions from the British Fleet Command."
"Yes ma'am, I fully understand my orders."
At the moment Mashimo Munetani's phone started to ring. She picked it up and went to a corner of the bridge to answer. Kalum couldn't hear the conversation, but he could perfectly observe the change of countenance the blue mermaid showed while answering the call. She finished it and came to them, her expression grim.
"I have to go back to Japan immediately." She addressed her fellow blue mermaid that was on the bridge, in English so that everyone present could understand her. "Call was from Vladivostok. Something's gone wrong in the Russian Pacific Fleet."
"Pardon me ma'am," Gehan interrupted. "But the thing wrong with the Pacific fleet, is it similar to what happened to us?"
"I fear so." Mashimo Munetani replied. "But if something happened to the Russians we'll be in a bad situation. Relations between Japan and Russia were never good after 1905. Anyway, I have to go. The remaining Blue Mermaids here will help you with your fleet."
After Mashimo Munetani had left with her assistant, Kalum could talk to Gehan freely. He addressed his friend, who now sat on a chair in the bridge.
"You okay?"
"Could've been better." Gehan replied with a smile. "Fighting Amelia is not easy."
"Still you fought off four ships, including the Warspite. That's not something everyone can do."
"Yeah, though if the Bloomers were a few more minutes late my situation would've been much worse."
"Well, now I don't think you cheated in the exam."
Jerad laughed. "Thanks, I needed that. So, you command the fleet now huh?"
"Believe me, I never wanted that. Definitely not in a time like this."
"Yeah, but you'll be fine." Gehan said reassuringly. "Anyway, how do we get to Japan, since the PoW is in no condition to go anywhere but to the closest drydock."
The Asian girl who stood next to Gehan, and had been quiet till now, spoke. "The Blue Mermaids are going to provide it."
"What about the ships from the fleet? don't they have enough space?"
"Most of the free space in student ships is used for their extra mechanical components, and as extra storage rooms. while there's enough space for short time evacuations, there isn't enough space or facilities for a long journey. Captain, I think you should learn about your ship a bit more."
Kalum turned to her. "I knew some of that. You are the X.O. of the Prince of Wales?"
"Yes," she said with a nod. "I'm June. I am, or I was, the executive officer of the Prince of Wales."
"Well then, it looks like we can rest till we reach Japan." Gehan said after a yawn. "I don't think any of us here are ready for more action."
"Hopefully, there won't be any. It's not like I can rest now."
"Yeah, that's some bad luck. Though, you got your chance to outrank me."
"Only temporarily. And I'd be happier with somebody else in charge."
"Relax, it's only three or four days to Japan."
A lot can happen in three or four days. "Yeah, I suppose so. You know, I should better get going. The sooner I get to Japan, the better."
after receiving permission from Jerad he left the bridge. By now, the first rays of the sun were touching the waves. A new day had begun, his first in a new position of command.
"Kalum, good luck!" Gehan said from the bridge, his voice clearly audible to Kalum as the door of the bridge was still open.
"Same to you." He wished back. "See you in Japan."
Thank you LofiFozzy and Pixel and Stephanie Forever for the reviews.