William dressed himself with his black jacket he had over his green t-shirt and jeans. He walked outside the admin building while he reveled in the fact that despite it being five thirty in the morning, the sky is still dark. A gust of wind passed over him and William shuddered, damn it's quite cold, and he tried to rub his hands before he realized that his left hand was still injured. He decided to just shrug it off and started walking around the base, he couldn't fell asleep again after waking up and thus he decided to go outside to breathe in some fresh air…William walked all the way to the pier area where he could see the sun rise, the light already shown up on the horizon, so it won't be long before he could see the sun coming up. After carefully walking down the stairs to the edge of the pier, William could see a silhouette of someone sitting on the edge of the pier, it's a girl with twin tailed red hair. After walking closer William finally could make up the details to identify her, she's Zara.
"Zara?" William called out to her.
"Ah, salve Comandante. What brings you here?" Zara turned around while she smiled then asked.
"I could ask you the same question." William said to Zara while he smiled a bit.
"Answering a question with another question, hmm?" Zara said to William while she smirked.
"…Fine, since you ask first. I'm here simply for morning fresh air." William said to Zara.
"Aren't you still injured to move around this far?" Zara asked William with a concerned tone.
"It wasn't as bad as yesterday. I've been resting for so long I'm feeling sluggish, figure a walk might be a good light exercise." William said to Zara while he shrugged.
"Is that so…care to join me?" Zara asked William.
"Sure." William said to Zara while he nodded.
Zara scooted over to the side, and William carefully lowered himself so he could sit beside her. Zara noticed that William was even bigger up close because he took up a lot more space than she thought he would but the close contact between them was worth it because of his body heat, and it really helped her out in this chilly morning. Zara looked at William before she leaned her own body against him and stared to see his reaction, he didn't seem to mind so Zara took it a step further by putting her right cheek over his left arm. William glanced to the side and something clicked in his head, Zara must be cold. So, he did what every man would do since ancient times, William unzipped his jacket and put it over Zara. The sheer size of the jacket was enough to conceal Zara's entire upper body like a blanket, her cheeks flushed as she started to warm up…and touched that William noticed she was cold that quickly.
"A bit cold, isn't it?" William asked Zara while he smiled.
"Hmm, thanks comandante. But, would it be fine for me to have your jacket?" Zara asked William while she smiled.
"You can have it, don't worry." William said to Zara.
"Grazie…You do know how to make a girl happy." Zara said to William while she smiled softly.
"Hehehe, a little secret? I'm usually a bumbling daft when it comes to women." William said to Zara while he shrugged.
"Oh? But didn't you have a girlfriend before you joined this base? How did you manage to get in a relationship with her if you're a 'bumbling daft'?" Zara asked William with a narrowed gaze.
"Lena's a lot bolder than she lets on, you know? And well, I do have my moments." William said to Zara while he smiled confidently.
"Is that why you suddenly played the keyboard so expertly last night? Who did you aim to charm back then, hmm?" Zara curiously asked William.
"It's not like that Zara; I'm simply trying to prove that I could play something." William said to Zara.
"Was it Prinz who provoked you?" Zara asked William.
"No, it's Shoukaku." William said to Zara.
"Ah…" Zara said out loud while she nodded her head.
Safe to say, the party got a little wild last night when William decided to play some music with the keyboard while the Manjuus around him played the other instruments. Things got even more heated when Lexington and Saratoga came up on stage, in which they started to sing Idol songs. Then Illustrious also came up on stage who decided to sing some calming and relaxing songs, there's Akagi who got up on stage because she's drunk enough to sing an Enka song, Scharnhorst was also drunk enough to come up on stage to sing a metal song which resulted in Formidable being her most enthusiastic listener since she's a great fan of the band, William took a turn by singing 'Don't wanna to miss a thing' but relented from singing anymore after he was done since his throat became sore, Enterprise was dragged by Hornet up stage where they sang 'Country Roads' together, San Diego decided to drop in and well…everyone knows what happened next. All in all, it was a great night, and William found himself quite elated after spending time and energy with the ship girls, he should do this more often.
"…By the way, how was the pasta?" Zara asked William.
"As delicious as when I first tasted it, you're quite good." William said to Zara while he smiled.
"Of course, I've added a secret ingredient to the sauce." Zara said to William.
"Is it love?" William brazenly guessed while he smirked.
"Too bad~, you're wrong." Zara said to William while she smirked then winked.
"Aww." William sagged his shoulder playfully.
"…Because if I really did put it in, you'll come gunning straight for me." Zara leaned on William and whispered.
"Bold words, can you back it up?" William asked Zara while he grinned.
"Don't underestimate Sardegna women when they try to make a man fall in love with their cooking, comandante…Those girls better be on the lookout~" Zara said out loud while she smirked.
"Are you implying what I'm thinking right now?" William asked Zara while he grinned.
"Who knows~. You want answers? You'll know when the time comes…I'll be going ahead first, I have something to do." Zara said to William as she stood up.
"Yeah. If anyone asks, I'll be here for a while." William said to Zara as he stared back at the sea.
"Understood. Catch you later~" Zara said to William then left the pier.
Enterprise huffed as she ran in steady pace while dressed in a tracksuit, she resolved to run at least two laps circling the entire base, and that included the dorm area. Why? Well, she stepped up on weight measurement equipment for shit and giggles and found out that her weight has gone up two kilograms. Horror was painted on her face before she grabbed her tracksuit and started running, she's not getting fat! While making her way to the main compound, she decided to take the path near the pier where she saw Zara walking while wearing an oversized black jacket. Enterprise smiled and was about to greet her until she realized that Zara was wearing a very familiar jacket…
"Zara? Isn't that the commander's jacket?" Enterprise asked Zara with cocked eyebrows.
"Why yes, he gave it to me just now~. If you're looking for him, he's at the pier." Zara said to Enterprise while she smiled.
"I see." Enterprise said to Zara.
"I'll be going ahead." Zara walked past Enterprise while she waved.
"Yeah." Enterprise nodded her head.
Enterprise's lips curled downwards a bit before she walked to the pier and saw William, who's still seated on the edge of the pier while he stared at the sun rising. She walked over and got closer to him. William heard footsteps from behind, and he's sure that it wasn't Zara so he turned around to see Enterprise staring at him with an unreadable expression? William narrowed his right eye as he tried to decipher her expression, but before he could ask, Enterprise decided to speak first.
"…Didn't know you're giving free clothes to girls now, commander." Enterprise said to William.
"I can give you my shirt if you like?" William said to Enterprise.
"Hahaha, no please don't, you'll get cold...That being said though, I never expected you to wake up this early." Enterprise said to William while she smiled.
"I've had too much rest, Enterprise." William said to Enterprise while he shrugged
"I know the feeling, but you can't strain yourself just yet." Enterprise said to William.
"Heh, right…where are you going?" William asked Enterprise.
"Um, morning run?" Enterprise said to William.
"Ah, go ahead. I'll be going back to my room for a bit." William said to Enterprise as he stood up.
"Shall I take you there?" Enterprise asked William while she smiled.
"Hahaha, don't worry about me. Continue your run, burn those fats." William said to Enterprise while he smiled.
"Alright then." Enterprise nodded her head.
William walked toward the admin building, entered it, and contemplated going back to bed before he passed his room in favor of going to his office. He booted up his computer on his desk and browsed for some messages or any calls since his phone is…well, 'unrepairable' in a sense. Wow, there's several pieces of mail so let's see, single girls in your area advertisement? Really? There are hundreds of them in the place he's living in now! William proceeded to delete all of the spam messages, but he was dejected when he saw his inbox was empty, not even a message he sent to his sister got a reply from her. Maybe she's just busy…William browsed the website for a bit before he felt something, a sharp discomfort in his stomach, and he instantly knew what happened.
"You know what? I'm getting fast food." William said out loud as he proceeded to call the number for a fast-food restaurant with his computer.
"This is KFC, may I take your order?" The operator answered.
"Uh…any large sized breakfast menu?" William asked the operator.
"We could get you our special breakfast set menu sir." The operator said to William.
"Any recommendations?" William asked the operator.
"For a chilly morning like today, breakfast menu set two might do. It's two chicken breasts, large French fries, a large chicken burger, chicken nuggets, and a large sized coffee." The operator explained to William.
"You got any tea?" William asked the operator.
"We do have iced tea." The operator said to William.
"The warm one?" William asked the operator.
"Yeah we also have 'em, but it's not included in the package." The operator said to William.
"Don't worry, throw that in." William said to the operator.
"Uh right sir. Will you pay with cash or credit?" The operator asked William.
"Credit please, Azur Lane International." William said to the operator.
"Got it…ID?" The operator asked William.
"William Blaze." William said to the operator.
"…Alright, payment set. Where should we deliver it?" The operator asked William.
"Uh, you guys know the military base?" William asked the operator.
"There are two of them sir, which one is it?" The operator asked William.
"The one on the southwest side, tell your driver I'll be waiting at the front gate." William said to the operator.
"Understood. Thank you for ordering, we'll deliver your order shortly." The operator said to William.
"Much appreciated." William said to the operator before he hung up the call.
William locked his computer, and he walked toward the only entrance to the base from the island which is the bridge that connected the base to the island which is barren most of the time. He walked toward the large gate and saw the Manjuus around it and one on the guard post. William looked at the Manjuu on the guard post and pointed at the gate in which the Manjuu responded by pressing the gate control button which opened the gate wide. William took a spare folding chair from the guard post, set it up beside the gate, and sat there as he leaned on the chair while waiting for his order to arrive…after waiting approximately fifteen minutes, while bathing with the morning sunlight, William heard the faint sound of an engine coming from his right, he turned to the right and saw someone with red clothes riding a red colored scooter approaching him. The person arrived and yeah, it's the delivery person. The young woman stared at William for a bit before she asked if he's the one who ordered.
"You're the one who ordered?" The woman asked William.
"Yeah." William said to the woman while he nodded.
"Here you go, Breakfast Set Two with hot tea." The woman said to William as she handed him his food.
"Thanks. Here, keep the change." William said to the woman while he gave her a bundle of cash.
"Eh? T-Thank you sir!" The woman looked taken aback and nodded her head in gratitude.
"Yeah, you're welcome." William said to the woman while he smiled.
The woman turned the scooter around and headed back to the city, William stared at the large box in his hand, and he smelled it…Oh man, his mouth is watering already from the smell alone. He put the box on his lap and opened the packaging before he grinned, man he's going to enjoy this. William took the chicken, and he's chewing on it. He also grabbed several of the french fries and stuffed his mouth with them. William briefly contemplated whether to drink the coffee or the tea first before he decided to gulp down the tea. He grabbed the chicken burger and started eating it when he noticed that there's two Manjuus in front of him looking at his food. William ignored their stares as he munched the chicken burger, however, many more showed up and stared at him that William couldn't just ignore their stares.
"What? Want some? Alright fine, you guys can have some." William said to the Manjuus.
William grabbed the box and offered it to the Manjuus, one of them approached him and took a french fry and popped it into its mouth. The Manjuu flapped its wings happily and nodded at the others before two of them snatched the box and proceed to run, William was stunned by the audacity of those chickens that it took him five seconds to process on what the actual fuck that is going on. When he did, however, he was so pissed that he stood up abruptly and chased at the fleeing horde of Manjuus. William, however, found out that he couldn't run just yet, and it was quite painful for him to move fast. He's so pissed that he threw his large cup of coffee at the fleeing Manjuus and had little effect to deter them, now he's even more pissed...
"MOTHERFUCKER!" William shouted at the Manjuus in raw rage.
"Master?" Someone said out loud but William didn't hear them.
"Grah…if only I could identify them personally, I'll cook those chickens to replace the chickens they ate…Wait a fucking second, did they just commit cannibalism?!" William said out loud with a horrified face.
"Master, I've been looking for you everywhere." Belfast said to William and tapped William's back.
"Oh, hey Belfast." William said to Belfast while he frowned.
"What are you doing at the front gate? Is that fast food packaging?" Belfast asked William while she pointed at the empty packaging being blown by the wind.
"…Yeah." William answered Belfast while he stared at the empty packaging as he frowned in sadness.
"You have that as…breakfast?" Belfast said to William while she blanched.
"…Why did you look disgusted?" William asked Belfast with half closed eye.
"Forgive me, I just find fast food to be…unappealing. I can make breakfast that should be even more delicious and has more nutrients than that." Belfast said to William.
"Forgive me too, but sometimes nothing could beat a good dose of MSG…Hah, well, anyway, I guess I need to prepare myself for the day if you're coming to get me." William said to Belfast.
"That's correct. Let's get you cleaned up and prepared for duty, Madam Hood is already waiting for you in the office." Belfast said to William while she smiled.
William only sighed as he followed Belfast back to the administration building, he's still hungry, and now it's time to work already? Well, not going to lie, he's in a shitty mood right now and hopes that the paperwork for today won't be horrendous. He better get ready, maybe he should ask Belfast to cook him something? Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. A full stomach would at least prevent his emotions from spiking and perhaps make him forget about this entire incident…If those chickens weren't so important for the base…
"…Belfast?" William called her name.
"Yes master?" Belfast asked William while she smiled.
"If it's not troubling, can you prepare me some breakfast?" William asked Belfast.
"I thought you already ate, master?" Belfast asked William confusedly.
"Those damn chickens ate my entire breakfast…" William said to Belfast while he scowled.
"Ufufufufufu…Then I shall prepare a meal for you." Belfast giggled before she said to William while she smiled.
.
…Several days later, things were still running pretty smoothly for ALASUC, no large commissions coming, no enemies around the perimeter of the island, and William alongside the ship girls could rest easy with some light work and occasional patrols. He also found that the paperwork for the past few days to be much lighter in load. Hood had taken most of the complicated ones, so William was very grateful to his beautiful secretary. They're currently working on the last few pieces of paperwork they have for the day before both William and Hood could take it easy for the remainder of the day, however, the ship girls gathered in the office proved to be quite noisy the longer they stayed there.
"Why did my office suddenly become a lounge for you ladies!?" William asked out loud to the ship girls on his sofa.
"Oh don't be such a party pooper! We want to spend time with you too!" Saratoga said to William.
"I do appreciate the sentiment, but I'm currently working, and could you even count looking at Juustagram together as spending time with me?" William asked Saratoga.
But Saratoga didn't listen as her alongside San Diego's attention was taken by a cute cat video. William was wondering on why didn't Hood reprimanded them, when the two of them clearly disturbed the overall calmness of the office, only to find Hood was quite busy herself with the remaining paperwork which she worked on with unwavering concentration…William sighed a bit and was about to resume his work when Hood suddenly stood up with two stacks of paper and told the two ship girls to deliver them to the Eagle Union dorms, Saratoga and San Diego immediately complied and walked out of the office. William's mouth dropped in confusion, why didn't they listen to him and why did they listen to Hood?!
"…They're not listening to me." William said to Hood.
"You're just being too lenient." Hood said to William while she smiled.
"…What did you do?" William asked Hood curiously.
"Oh? I just threatened them to stop bothering us." Hood said to William while she smiled.
"How?" William asked Hood with a widened eye.
"Now the method, I'm not willing to share that one." Hood said to William while she grinned.
"Welp, it's not like curiosity will kill me…What are they looking at anyway? A cat? Is it a Juustagram star?" William asked out loud.
"To be fair, cute things always manage to become Juustagram stars." Hood said to William.
"Then why are you not one, Hood?" William asked Hood while he smiled a bit.
"Oh my, I thought you considered me beautiful, not cute." Hood said to William while she smiled.
"Hmm? Beautiful and cute aren't the same?" William asked Hood with a confused tone.
"I think there's a slight difference between the two. Besides, do you really want me to become famous and possibly have so many suitors?" Hood asked William while she smirked a bit.
"Oh hell no, those bloody bastards have to go over my dead body." William said to Hood while he smirked.
"Ufufu, oh so you want to monopolize me that much…Eh? Will, there's an incoming video call." Hood said to William.
"Oh, right." William said out loud as he received the call.
"Blue sky motherfucker!" Someone on the other side immediately said out loud.
The screen showed up in front of William and suddenly the image of Lucas himself appeared, William jerked in surprise, while Hood stared at the screen while she furrowed her brows and frowned. Lucas, however, only smiled when he saw William, who's about to blow a fuse if it's not for his confusion regarding the message. Blue sky? Why did Lucas just suddenly contact him while saying that? Was there any meaning behind the words 'blue sky' that he should remember?
"…What?" William asked Lucas with a confused tone.
"Blue sky? Really? You forgot the code that signifies the end of the Trident Initiative?" Lucas said to William while he frowned.
"Oh…to be honest, the code is so generic I thought it's just another phrase with a simple meaning." William said to Lucas while he shrugged.
"Well of course that's what I will use, you want some fancy one like Biggus Dickus?" Lucas asked William while he grinned.
"Hey, not a bad idea." William said to Lucas while he sneered.
"Right? Hahaha…Okay, dicking around aside. We finally got the whole situation in headquarters under control, with some complications." Lucas said to William with a serious face.
"Lay it on me." William said to Lucas as he nodded.
"Lockwood managed to escape." Lucas said to William.
"…Lockwood? Antonio Lockwood? That Major General?" William asked Lucas with a surprised face.
"I haven't told you about him?" Lucas asked William with cocked eyebrows.
"Yeah. Isn't he the one who helped Iris Orthodoxy back during the Great War from the Sardegna Empire offensive?" William asked Lucas.
"He was, the man is in the permanent seat of Azur Lane High Command Council, which really irked and angered me when we found out that he's cooperating with Ronald directly. It's even possible that 'Crimson Cleanser' is actually a rogue unit created by Lockwood, someone had to train those disillusioned terrorists, right? There's also a chance that some members of Azur Lane military have gone rogue." Lucas said to William while he frowned.
…Antonio Lockwood? Amongst the forces in Europe or the Higher Ups, who doesn't know the man? In the early stages of the war, Major General Antonio Lockwood was in charge of the Azur Lane 14th Army which was responsible for halting the advance of the Sardegna Empire 40th Army toward Iris Orthodoxy's border. The fierce fight there was won by Azur Lane due to Lockwood's clever tactics, he realized that the Sardegna Empire army advanced through a narrow gap in his defensive formation, and thus, he decided to encircle the entire army then pushed them to the sea. Sardegna Empire 40th Army was unprepared for the encirclement, so they had to fight with their back to the sea.
It was a fierce fight because it's the beginning of the war and morale was still high, so the men fought till the end. The 40th Army was saved when the Sardegna Empire 7th Army managed to hit Lockwood's flank and forced them back all the way to the Iris Orthodoxy border, it's where they were locked in a stalemate for months before Lockwood and his army had to retreat when the Ironblood 9th Panzer Division moved in from the north. The action bought Iris Orthodoxy some time to organize an effective resistance movement and paved the way for the formation of Iris Libre. Many of Iris Libre's commanders and higher ups survived the initial invasion because of his action, Lockwood managed to strategically influence the war's outcome.
Lockwood had a strong opinion against Crimson Axis even before the war started, calling them savages and such names. Even back then before they broke off from Azur Lane and encountered the Sirens, the countries that were with Crimson Axis have always been known for their different problem-solving methods that often put them at odds with the other countries…William understood that back then Crimson Axis could present a problem for Azur Lane's continual operation but for that feeling to last, even after the war? It's understandable that not many among the Azur Lane have a positive opinion about their former enemies, but even those people are willing to work together because of the Sirens.
Given how Crimson Cleanser was created with the sole purpose of resuming the war, their members believed that the peace they have now is very temporary, and Crimson Axis could just have betrayed them during this war in order to win against Azur Lane. The proof was there when Crimson Axis worked together with the Sirens temporarily, they could do so again after luring the Azur Lane into a false sense of alliance. William found this fear to be in the level of paranoia…Is it possible that their entire movement was created by Lockwood in order to achieve his personal gain? Since the ones who joined this movement possessed the same thought as him?
They know why Crimson Cleanser was created, they know that Lockwood is involved with them, and so William still has one question left…did he do this purely out of his hatred for Crimson Axis or was it something else? Some missing details in the bigger picture? What did he aim for destabilizing the alliance between the two great coalitions? Surely, William knows that Lockwood's intention isn't as simple as restarting the war with Crimson Axis…If he wanted to be more 'hypothetical' William had a theory…Lockwood wants to destabilize the alliance between Azur Lane and Crimson Axis, that destabilization could result in political impact that puts Lucas' leadership into question since he couldn't stop Crimson Cleanser actions. William didn't doubt that someone out there within the Azur Lane High Command Council actually disliked or outright hated how Lucas ran things, which is natural in any organization when so many people are involved…Is all this nothing but a slow and methodical attempt for leadership change? To set a perfect scenario, so Lucas could be replaced without outright killing or undermining him?
"…Will?" Lucas asked William.
"Sorry, a bit lost in thought there. What about the unit he led?" William asked Lucas.
"An investigation is being conducted by our Military Police, we're waiting on the results, but there's a great chance some of them did go rogue…We're on the global manhunt for him." Lucas said to William while he frowned.
"A veteran like him, it's hard to believe at first but…with his strong opinion against Crimson Axis, it made sense. But, why is Ronald involved with this? What is he aiming for? Ronald wants to kill me, I get that, but why take him in to get involved with this entire political bollock?" William asked Lucas with a confused tone.
"Maybe you can ask him when we get him. My theory? You're a direct threat to Lockwood and he wants someone with a former experience alongside you for their schemes, he couldn't buy the three friends of yours and…well, you know what happened." Lucas said to William while he frowned.
Plausible. Putting it from outside perspective, William could be considered Lucas' 'go to' man when it comes to military matters, and Lucas put a great deal of trust to him, not to mention that William himself is former field leader of the infamous Elite Azur Lane Task Force Nimbus, which has been known for its operational success and prowess in the great war. To put it simply, anyone who seeks to undermine Lucas would have to get rid of William first. Why? In their eyes, William's loyalty lay with Lucas and not to mention Lucas is supported by Helena McAllen herself, who not many in headquarters like to mess with…Whoever that wants to destabilize Azur Lane? They're not going to like dealing with him who got a reputation for massacring his own unit, even if that person is Lockwood himself.
"Interesting theory…So, what now?" William asked Lucas.
"The Trident Initiative has been officially lifted, we can communicate like usual now, and you know what to do next…We're moving in on the four safe houses across the world. Lieutenant Commander Nora led the team in New York, Erich sent someone to handle the one in Osaka, and Lena will take on the safe houses in London." Lucas said to William.
"Lena will?" William asked Lucas with cocked eyebrows.
"Yes…She hasn't been stable lately, there must be a lot on her plate given this job and the situation back home." Lucas said to William while he frowned.
"Has she taken any breaks?" William asked Lucas while he frowned.
"No and that's what worries me, she busied herself, something must've happened." Lucas said to William.
…Now Lena also acted strangely, it must be the whole responsibilities she had, added with the constant pressure within her family. Lena came from a well-known family that originated from Eagle union, but stayed in the British Isles. Her family owned the McAllen Enterprise, which is a large trading company, and the CEO is quite an asshole so to speak. William never even once managed to get in his good grace, despite his best efforts. Not to mention since the great war and added with the ongoing Siren war, business hasn't been that great, so a political marriage with the son of a large shipping company CEO would do well to save them from bankruptcy…well, Lena refused this with all her might, but finally agreed to it when she had no other choice because she's hounded day and night with the order for political marriage. At first, Lena tried to at least appreciate her husband but things didn't go so well for them in the end…Lucas had thought up lots of ways in order for Lena to be freed from this position, technically speaking, she could do so in a heartbeat because of her position in the military. All she has to do is to renounce the surname 'McAllen'…But for some reason, she still hasn't done that. She's surely got a reason, but she didn't speak about it to them just yet, so Lucas and by extension, William couldn't help her.
"…Could it be the situation with her family?" William asked Lucas.
"Most likely…You should talk to her, I'll let you know when she's available…Oh my yes, I have an even better idea." Lucas said to William.
"Hmm?" William asked Lucas with a narrowed gaze.
"Construction can finally commence with your base; we have the time and resources for the renovation. You and the girls will take an extended leave for a week to Eden." Lucas said to William.
"A week?" William asked Lucas with cocked eyebrows.
"Based on estimated completion time, I think it's more than enough. Lena and I will also come visit, how about it?" Lucas asked William while he grinned.
"…Sounds great, really. But you do know that I'm currently injured?" William asked Lucas with half closed eye.
"Well, I doubt Ms. Vestal would have any problem with your treatment even during vacation. The facility does have a medical facility in case of injuries, and your ride there also has a medical facility." Lucas said to William.
"My ride there?" William asked Lucas.
"I'm sending a ship to your port for the journey." Lucas said to William while he smiled.
"…Wait, what ship?" William asked Lucas.
"My privately owned transport ship?" Lucas said to William nonchalantly.
"…How rich are you?!" William asked Lucas while he shouted.
"Ohoho, more than I'd like to admit. I told you already that money won't be an issue for me…That being said, the ship arrives tomorrow, so you better get everyone ready today." Lucas said to William.
"I'd appreciate it if you could give us more time to prepare in the future." William said to Lucas with half closed eye.
"Yeah yeah, sorry about that…So, you'll go?" Lucas asked William.
"I'd love to. What's the main attraction there?" William asked Lucas in return.
"Oh it won't be fun if I spoil it for you. Come see for yourself." Lucas said to William while he grinned.
But really, a week-long vacation away from civilization might be just what he needs to unwind and have fun with the ship girls. Lucas has been quite nice to him, maybe William shouldn't hold his grudge regarding his imprisonment this long when Lucas has been trying to put effort to get in his good grace to fix the fuck up that he did back then. Perhaps William should treat him better, he should stay in the old man's good grace because well…who knows what will happen in the future.
"Fine…Hey, thanks Lucas." William said to Lucas.
"You're actually thanking me? Who are you, and what have you done with William?!" Lucas asked William with a surprised face.
"Look, I'm not your biggest fan, but I know what gratitude is, you twat!" William said to Lucas while he frowned.
"Bahahaha…Hah, I miss messing with you." Lucas said to William after he laughed.
"Act your age already, old man." William said to Lucas while he leaned on his seat.
"What? Boring and bitter? Doesn't suit me at all don't you think?" Lucas asked William while he grinned.
"…I'd admit you're right to some extent…would that be all?" William asked Lucas while he smiled a bit.
"I think so. If there's anything I forget, I'll contact you later." Lucas said to William.
"Got it." William said to Lucas while he nodded.
"Oh wait! There's something I indeed forgot! Your mom will come to visit!" Lucas said to William with widened eyes.
"What? When?" William asked Lucas as he stopped leaning on his seat.
"Today." Lucas said to William.
"Well thanks for the suddenness! Again! Shite, is she midflight?" William asked Lucas while he frowned.
"Ah…she's already landed." Lucas said to William while he checked his phone.
William felt his vein popped, and there's a tick mark on his forehead as he hung up the video call. Goddammit! Lucas is always like this! Every time William tried to open up or even accepted Lucas as a friend, something like this always happened! Now, Diana is planning to visit the base? Why didn't she tell him sooner? At least notify him when she's about to visit, so William could prepare for her arrival and not let her come when there's an incident with the ship girls on this base! Oh well, what's done is done, so he better prepare for her arrival.
"…That man always has ways to get on my nerves!" William said out loud while he frowned.
"Shall we arrange a pick up for your mother?" Hood asked William while she smiled.
"I'll handle that. Get a message out to everyone regarding tomorrow's paid vacation and tell everyone to finish their commission tasks tonight." William said to Hood.
"As you wish, Will." Hood said to William while she nodded.
"Mum?" William immediately called Diana with his computer.
"Will! How are you?" Diana asked William with a cheery tone.
"I'm fine! Mum, why didn't you tell me that you'll visit today?! I would've prepared a ride for you!" William said to Diana with a confused tone.
"I was planning to surprise you dear, of course I wouldn't. But don't worry, I've arrived safe and sound!" Diana said to William.
"I see. I'll send a car to pick you up at the airport." William said to Diana.
"That won't be necessary." Diana immediately said to William.
"Oh come on, you won't have to catch a taxi if I did." William said to Diana with half closed eye.
"No that's not it, I'm at the front gate of your base already." Diana said to William.
"Oh…I'm coming down." William said to Diana.
The call disconnected, and William sighed hard. So, his mother already arrived at the front gate, if there's any incident with the ship girls the moment that she enters the base then that's it, he wouldn't be able to do any damage control. William walked to the front gate while being accompanied by Hood, and they saw a middle aged woman standing near the gate with a red duffel bag on her shoulder, that woman is Diana Blaze herself. William smiled as he approached her and told the Manjuu on the guard post to open the gate. When the gate opened, William could see Diana herself smiled as she approached him. However, her smile fell when she saw William's left hand being fully bandaged and not to mention his little slouching posture due to his healing ribs. Diana was certain that her son just got injured from a recent deployment.
"Oh my god, Will…" Diana said to William before she enveloped him in a hug slowly, so she won't cause him any pain.
"Hey mum." William hugged his mother back while he smiled.
"Dear god son, who did this to you?" Diana asked William after she released the hug.
"How about an alien who showed up in black armor and is impervious to bullets? Yeah, shite happens." William said to Diana while he smiled.
"Well…I'm glad you're alive at least." Diana said to William as she smiled back.
"Yeah…Did Lucas tell you about tomorrow's event?" William asked Diana.
"Yes, that's why this is just a short visit. I at least want to see how my son is doing." Diana said to William as she tapped his left cheeks twice.
"I'm touched." William said to Diana while he grinned.
Diana did plan to go over for the weekend, but she didn't expect that William would receive sudden orders from Lucas to spend some time outside the base with the ship girls for a week. That's why Diana had to change her schedule from leaving in two days to tomorrow for departure. But she took this chance more than any other day, the times where she's not that busy was quite precious, and she preferred to spend it by visiting her children. Hood approached from behind William with a wide smile, she bowed a bit as she greeted Diana.
"Hello Madam Diana." Hood said to Diana.
"Ah Hood! Give me a hug!" Diana said to Hood as she approached and hugged her.
"Ufufufu. It's good to see you madam." Hood giggled a bit then said to Diana.
"Likewise, how's my future daughter in law doing?" Diana asked Hood while she grinned.
"Mum…" William looked to the side while he scratched his right cheek.
"A-Ah, I'm doing fine. How about you?" Hood asked Diana back with a faint blush on her cheeks…that honestly caught her off guard!
"Perfectly healthy for a fifty years old lady, don't you think?" Diana asked Hood while she grinned.
"You're fifty? But you look so young!" Hood asked Diana in a surprised tone.
"Ahahaha, you know how to flatter me Hood!" Diana laughed then said to Hood while she smiled.
"Alright mum, anymore of that, and she'll turn into a red crab. Come, let's put the bag down and explore the base." William said to Diana while he smiled.
"Brilliant, I do want to see the ship girls. Anyone other than Hood that you think I could get along with?" Diana asked William while she smiled.
"Hmmm, well, depends on how you see them, but with your attitude…I think you'll find most of the girls relatable." William said to Diana while he grinned.
And William was right in that regard, Diana got along greatly with many ship girls in the base. She was most delighted to see the Albion Armor that Akashi managed to construct which, after they talked a lot, Diana managed to gain sufficient knowledge regarding the armor's construction and lots of other knowledge she will certainly apply to her workshop in headquarters. She stayed in Akashi's shop for quite a while because of that. Then they walked around the base while meeting many girls along the way. Diana saw the destroyers playing in the park, she spoke with Bismarck and Enterprise where she had trouble in differentiating the two for a bit, she met with Belfast and the other royal maids, she met with Prinz and they talked a bit regarding few things which William couldn't hear properly, since she sent him and Hood away for a bit. Diana participated in lunch that was prepared by Hiei in the Sakura dorms, and she also spent the rest of the afternoon meeting and talking with so many people…William was honestly impressed. She didn't look like it, but Diana is quite an outgoing person, and she managed to leave an everlasting good impression on the ship girls that they liked her presence despite meeting her for the first time. After the exhausting day, William took Diana to the canteen where they could have dinner together, but coincidentally several ship girls were also there, and Diana didn't hesitate to ask them to join.
"Ahahaha! Oh dear, you're quite funny Prinz!" Diana said to Prinz after she laughed at one of her stories.
"Why thank you." Prinz said to Diana while she smiled smugly.
"More red wine, Mrs. Diana?" Illustrious asked Diana while she held a bottle of wine.
"Sure, dear." Diana said to Illustrious while she smiled and Illustrious refilled Diana's glass.
"Wait wait wait!" William said out loud.
"What is it, Will?" Diana asked William with cocked eyebrows.
"How come I'm the one who has to cook for everyone?!" William asked Diana with an annoyed gaze from the kitchen.
Yup, frankly speaking William does want to cook for his mother, but there's so many ship girls there now that he had to sweat for a bit imagining how much he had to cook. While there are some leftovers, William wants to serve his mother a warm meal, besides, the Manjuus are actively eating the leftovers now in the canteen. There are enough ingredients to cook for them, but William isn't that experienced to cook for many people, guess this will be his trial by fire…some help would be nice right about now.
"I haven't tasted your cooking for years Will, don't be such a bummer!" Diana said to William while she grinned.
"And we are interested to taste your cooking, apparently, Ms. Amagi managed to sample some." Hood said out loud.
"Wait, she did?" Prinz asked Hood with a curious gaze.
"She told me herself yesterday." Hood said to Prinz.
"…You do know my cooking isn't at a five stars restaurant level?" William asked out loud with half closed eye.
"But I'm sure it was laced with the most powerful ingredient of all time, love." Diana said to William while she grinned.
"Pfft, yeah sure." William snorted as he answered.
"He might sound objected, but I see he's still cooking." Hood said to Diana while she smiled.
"I can hear you!" William said out loud from the kitchen.
The ladies giggled in response, but it didn't take long for them to nod at each other before all the ship girls that sat with Diana stood up and marched to the kitchen. Belfast, Illustrious, Hood, and Prinz entered the kitchen and could clearly see William working as best as he could. He stopped a bit when he noticed that the ship girls were with him in the kitchen now, he cocked his eyebrows a bit before Belfast stepped up and looked at the ingredients laid on the counter.
"…What can we do to help, master?" Belfast asked William while she smiled.
"To be honest, lots of things Bel." William said to Belfast while he shrugged.
"Don't worry, we'll help. I'll handle the vegetables." Hood said to William after she took off her gloves.
"I'll handle the meat." Prinz said to William after she took off her gloves.
"Leave the seasoning to me." Belfast said out loud as she took off her gloves.
"I will prepare the table." Illustrious said out loud as she grabbed several plates.
"Thanks everyone." William smiled as he turned on the stove.
Illustrious hummed as she went over to the table where Diana was seated and set the table with the plates and utensils, before she returned to the kitchen to help the others, however, she decided to sit beside Diana who then proceeded to stare back at Illustrious with a questioning gaze.
"So, did we pass the test?" Illustrious suddenly asked Diana while she smiled.
"…With flying colors, I might add." Diana said to Illustrious while she smirked.
"Ufufufu, I suspect it might be one." Illustrious said to Diana while she smiled.
"How did you know, Illustrious?" Diana asked Illustrious curiously.
"You've been constantly keeping your eyes on us the entire time we talked regarding him cooking for you." Illustrious said to Diana while she smiled widely.
"Oh dear, looks like my intentions got found out quite easily." Diana said to Illustrious while she put a hand over her mouth.
Indeed, Diana did do that while she gauged the reaction of the KANSENs around her. Did the ship girls really care about him? Looks like they do, since not long after that, the ship girls moved to the kitchen when they realized that cooking for so many would be quite taxing for William, especially when he's not even fully healed yet. William was glad the girls helped him since the work just became much easier. Hood skillfully cut the vegetables into pieces after washing them, Prinz tenderized the meat easily while she hummed 'Ride of the Valkyries' as she occasionally cut the meat into shape with knives, Belfast received the byproducts that were processed by Hood and Prinz, and she put the right seasoning on it making sure the taste would be quite bold but not overly powerful. William was busy cooking a large batch of scrambled eggs, the vegetables, and the meat by using three pans at the same time…one intense cooking session later, the food was served on the table, and everyone smiled at the dishes that while simple in look yet has quite a hunger enticing smells. It's a little bit of an oddity, a pile of scrambled eggs, hamburger steak, salad, and mashed potatoes accompanied by ice tea…
"We are done and done, dig in everyone." William said out loud.
"Hmm! Delicious!" Diana commented while she grinned and savored the taste.
"I'm surprised we didn't ruin any of the taste with how many people were working on the dishes." Prinz said out loud.
"Does that mean we are quite natural in working together?" Hood asked Prinz while she smiled.
"I thought so." Illustrious said out loud.
…The dinner was splendid, and Belfast alongside Hood volunteered to wash the dirty plates. Illustrious and Prinz left since they had something to do back in their dorms. William and Diana sat while they talked with each other. William was about to pull out a cigar before he looked at Diana with caution…did his mother know that he occasionally smokes? William didn't think that she did, so carefully, William put the cigar package back in his pocket and opted for the wine instead. Hood and Belfast might be currently washing the dirty plates, but they put their enhanced hearing to good use to eavesdrop the mother and son speaking.
"I mean, that's my fault, but it was successful!" William said to Diana.
"Really? Blowing up the fences between our neighbors with your experimental bomb is really worth it? Your father was so furious about that one." Diana asked William while she folded her arms.
"There's a reason I did that outdoors. He's glad that I didn't blow up the house, though he was pissed because his backyard shack was blown in half." William said to Diana while he shrugged.
"Yeah, what kind of third year student decided to create a bomb for his school science project?" Diana asked William while she smiled softly.
"I mean, the teacher didn't mind when I brought a sample to school. She gave me an A+ for that." William said to Diana while he grinned.
"Hahahaha…ah, I'm just glad it's considered an experimental explosive test for a local mine or MI5 would've already got your arse behind bars." Diana said to William after she laughed.
"Ah, fun times." William said to Diana then sipped on his wine.
"…Will, any plans to visit London?" Diana suddenly asked William.
"…I was thinking of going after the commission to Furushima but, well, things haven't been exactly well. I want to meet Serina directly." William said to Diana while he frowned.
"Good, did you contact her?" Diana asked William.
"I tried, but somehow I never received a reply." William said to Diana while she frowned.
"Really? That's strange…I'll ask her later. I know she's been busy, but she shouldn't neglect your messages." Diana said to William.
…That really bothered him, why didn't his sister respond to his messages? Looks like Diana could still communicate with her normally…After William took Diana to her room, he went outside to take a short walk as he stared outside toward the stars in the sky…Funny, the Sirens were considered aliens, but their higher ups look exactly like a human. What are the chances some species out there could develop exactly like a human in the vastness of the universe? Bah, he didn't really believe the chance. But the Sirens are a direct threat to the survival of humanity, and that's a fact William couldn't ignore, how long would this war last he wondered?
There's a big chance that it won't ever end, the possibility that this will turn into an endless war until all of humanity would be wiped out is quite frightening. Oh well, William chose to be a soldier, it's his duty to stand between anything that threaten the civilians, and if that's a highly advanced alien force then so be it…The next day, after a hearty breakfast served by Belfast, Diana packed her bags and said goodbye to many of the ship girls and told them to give her regards for the others. Since majority of the ship girls are currently packing their own luggage for the trip, many didn't get the chance to meet her personally.
"The car will take you to the airport mum, if there's anything you need you could always call. Though you may have to rely on Hood for a bit since my phone is unrepairable, still, call if you need something." William said to Diana while he smiled.
"Don't worry, I understand. I never rode a car with the Manjuus though." Diana said to William as she eyed the car.
"They're great drivers, on occasion." William said to Diana while he shrugged.
"On occasion?!" Diana asked William in disbelief.
"I mean, they did pretty well even during combat situations, so they'll do well normally…Trust me, they're reliable." William said to Diana while he smiled.
"If you say so. But if I end up in the hospital, I will get something with a large enough surface, so I could spank you in the arse! Got it?" Diana said to William while she frowned.
"Hahaha not looking forward to it all but sure, I give you my word that it'll be fine. Take care of yourself in HQ, mum." William said to Diana then he hugged her.
"That's my word you stole there, I'll be fine within HQ. You, however, have to be in constant danger out here." Diana said to William then she released the hug.
"That's what I'm trained for and what I'm built for, experience and genetics played a part." William said to Diana while he shrugged.
"Hahaha, what are you saying young man…Alright then, once we settle things with Serina, you should probably invite her here." Diana said to William.
"I don't know if I could bring in civilians to this place without Lena's or Lucas' approval, but those two would probably allow it if it's her." William said to Diana.
"Pretty sure that would be the case. Okay, I'm leaving." Diana said to William as she entered the car.
"Yeah. Hey mates, be extra careful." William said to the Manjuu who's in the driver seat.
The Manjuu chirped at William before throwing him a salute, William took that as a sign that it understood, so he closed the car door and the car immediately headed for the airport. It might be a short visit, but William was glad that Diana could visit him. It reminded him that he still has his family, and that only fueled his resolve to keep fighting those aliens. After watching the car go, William turned around and headed back to his room. When he opened the door, he was shocked to find Belfast already taking out many of the clothes he had in the wardrobe. Belfast turned her head around when she heard the door being opened and she smiled at William.
"Master, I took the liberty to sort out your clothes, but I can't open your luggage. Could you tell me the code for it?" Belfast asked William while she smiled.
"No, you don't need to use that. There's a duffel bag at the bottom of the drawer, just use that instead." William said to Belfast while he pointed at the duffel bag.
"If you say so, master." Belfast nodded as she returned to pack William's clothes.
William looked to the side before he sighed a bit in relief, it was fortunate that Belfast didn't try to open the luggage which he used when he first arrived here because of one thing…remember Marry? William put the grenade sized gas canister there, and he did it without the ship girls knowing. They will be very upset if they knew William actually had the last sample of Marry with him, so he can use it to kill Ronald. Hah…he couldn't think of any other place than his luggage, Belfast has free reign to clean his room and putting it somewhere else poses even greater risk.
William changed his clothes to a more casual one, he changed into a blue t-shirt, green cargo pants, and sneakers before he checked himself in the mirror…he's set to go for a vacation somewhere on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He carried the duffel bag around his shoulder, and Belfast carried her suitcase as both of them walked out of the administration building then headed to the pier, all of the ship girls on the base had gathered around the pier as they waited for the ship to dock. William immediately searched for Hood, and he found her chatting with King George V for a bit before she left. Hood noticed William was approaching her and she waved for a bit.
"…Hood? Have you briefed the ladies?" William asked Hood.
"I already did, all of us would only need to wait for the ship." Hood said to William.
"Nice…the ship should arrive any moment now…" William said to Hood.
From the corner of his eye, William noticed a large ship slowly turning toward their port after emerging from behind the small forest of the base. The ship is painted white, and it's at the size of a modern-day battleship, minus the guns, which led William to the conclusion that this must be a converted ship. The ship docked on the pier and extended a small bridge from its starboard side, and several of the shipmates disembarked to greet the ALASUC personnel. William, alongside Belfast and Hood, walked ahead of everyone as he wanted to greet the ship's captain personally.
"Whoa! It's quite big!" Abercrombie said out loud.
"Did the commander empty his pockets for this entire trip?!" Enterprise asked out loud.
"…Lucas, just how rich are you…Alright! Listen up! Board the ship in an orderly manner! I don't want any accidents!" William said out loud.
"You must be Commander William Blaze." A man suddenly approached and said to William.
"Yes, that's me, are you the captain?" William asked the man.
"That I am. It will take twelve hours to get to the island from here, you may want to get comfortable." The captain said to William as he shook his hand.
"That far huh? Alright, we're counting on you captain." William said to the captain while he smiled.
"For sure, sir." The captain said to William while he smiled.
William, Belfast, and Hood went onboard the ship, and the three of them stayed near the bridge as they watched the ship girls board the ship one by one while carrying their luggage. Queen Elizabeth brought an entire trolley full of luggage which is being pushed by Sheffield and Edinburgh, Bismarck brought two suitcases, one for her clothes and one for her tools; Carabiniere brought her musket alongside her luggage, Hornet only brought one large bag on her back, Avrora smiled widely as she got on board the ship with large briefcase beside her luggage, which William was sure it's filled with Vodka. A few Eagle Union girls had to drag Long Island who still wore her NEET clothing, while she occasionally barked to let her bring her console with her; Laffey was still asleep and had to be carried by Javelin, alongside Z23, as they made their way on board the ship…William had mixed feelings regarding the ship girls when they passed him, so many of them didn't look prepared for this trip! But that's to be expected, the notice only came yesterday after all and so they had to pack hurriedly. After making sure no one else would board the ship, William nodded his head before he turned to ask Belfast who held a clipboard for roll call.
"Anyone left behind?" William asked Belfast.
"I've checked the list; everyone should be on board." Belfast said to William.
"Alright, anyone who didn't will have to catch up because I don't want to delay this long trip. We are ready to depart, captain." William said to Belfast then to the captain.
"Aye aye sir! All aboard! Reverse slow!" The captain saluted before he used his radio.
The ship started to move, reversing out of the port slowly before making its way directly to the island of Eden. Belfast went inside the ship first, so she can put her luggage and do her next task. That leaves only William and Hood who remained on the ship's starboard side still looking at their base which gets smaller and smaller the further their ship goes.
"…It feels like we are moving faraway." William said out loud.
"It's just for a week, though I get the feeling…Leaving the place that you thought of as home is always a sentimental thing to do." Hood said to William while she smiled.
"All of the ladies are stocked to the brim, right?" William asked Hood.
"Yes. Ammo and fuel at full capacity, if we had to be involved in combat then the Sirens will have to face the full might of ALASUC." Hood said to William.
"Good…Why don't you put your luggage in your room?" William asked Hood.
"I still want to accompany you here." Hood said to William while she smiled.
"Appreciate it, but I need some time alone now." William said to Hood while he smiled.
"As you wish, Will…See you at lunch?" Hood asked William while she smiled understandingly.
"See you then." William said to Hood while he nodded.
.
"I already told him regarding the visit to Eden." Lucas said out loud on the phone.
"Oh, you did?" Lena asked Lucas on the phone.
"Yup, so get this sweep done and pack your bags. You're going with me on a few days' vacation." Lucas said to Lena on the phone.
"Got it…Hey, thanks for arranging it." Lena said to Lucas on the phone.
"Don't mention it, we all need some breaks once in a while. Good luck on your mission." Lucas said to Lena on the phone.
"Yeah, thanks." Lena said to Lucas before she hung up the call.
Lena sighed as she put her phone back in her pocket, she then put on a full-face gas mask and a combat helmet then fastened the straps. Lena looked around and saw several other people dressed just like her inside a Blackhawk helicopter. She watched as each of them prepared themselves for the mission by checking their equipment and weapons. The man that sat beside Lena offered her a SPAS-15 shotgun which Lena took and sheathed on her back, she then inspected the black colored Vector in her hands which is equipped with a holographic sight, suppressor, vertical foregrip, laser pointer and fixed stock. Lena turned on the gas mask's integrated night vision, and her view immediately brightened in green, she then tapped the man next to her.
"Major, what's the status of the SAS unit that went to the second safe house?" Lena asked Major Ackerson.
"They're five minutes out ma'am, we'll be the first to arrive." Ackerson said to Lena.
"Got it…Alright everyone, let's get this done. I want a clean and thorough sweep; any intel is to be bagged and tagged." Lena said out loud to everyone on the radio.
""""""""""Yes ma'am!""""""""" Everyone responded on the radio.
"Thirty seconds!" The pilot said out loud on the radio.
Three Blackhawks flew in close formation under the cover of moonless night, the helicopters flew above the dense forest on the southeastern side of London. Two helicopters stopped in one spot while the third one continued to fly a little farther than them before hovering on the spot, each helicopter having arrived at their designated landing zone. The pilot and copilot searched around with their infrared vision mode integrated on their helmets to see if there's any ambush or obstacles around their landing zone, when they didn't detect anything, the pilot gave a thumbs up to Lena and the others on the passenger seats, which prompted Lena and Ackerson to opened the helicopter's door then dropped the ropes.
"Go! Go! Go!" Ackerson said out loud on the radio.
Two dozen Azur Lane Special Forces Commandos attached to Task Force Pluvia descended from the Blackhawks in an orderly manner, men and women dressed in all black and armed to the teeth immediately dispersed around the landing zone to secure it. Ackerson dropped down and followed by Lena, after both of them were down on the ground Lena waved her right hand in a circular motion which prompted the helicopter to fly away and waited at a safe spot for further orders. Lena looked around her surrounding environment before she checked her watch, it's currently 10:43 PM, which means they are earlier than scheduled…Great, the sooner they get this done, the better.
"Commence Operation Full House." Lena said to everyone on the radio.
"Roger, commencing Full House. Alpha, we're on point. Bravo, make sure our flank is secure." Ackerson said to the squad leaders on the radio.
"Copy that." "Yes sir." Alpha and Bravo squad leaders said to Ackerson on the radio.
"Athena, this is Overwatch. Sitrep. The facility we've monitored for the past twelve hours is still bustling with activity. I see numerous armed personnel armed with SMGs and rifles alongside some unarmed technical in the perimeter. Not sure how many of them are inside." Overwatch said to Lena on the radio.
"Understood, keep us posted Overwatch." Lena said to Overwatch on the radio.
"Yes ma'am." Overwatch said to Lena on the radio.
The two squads saw a compound surrounded with brick walls in the distance, it's the one that Overwatch has been keeping eyes on. The commandos slowed down their advances as they watched the compound's outer perimeter to see if there's any guards around them. When they saw no one was guarding the wall, the commandos advanced and hugged the wall. Ackerson peeked at the gate section and noted that there were two guards on the guard post. He looked at the commandos and nodded his head.
"…Bravo, go around the back and take the secondary entrance to the north." Ackerson said to the Bravo Team Leader.
"Sir." Bravo Leader said to Ackerson before he and his team moved.
"We'll go in first. Crow, Panther, you're up." Ackerson said to the remaining commandoes.
Two commandos nodded their heads, Crow leaned on the wall and boosted Panther, so she could climb over the walls. Panther stopped and watched the surrounding area first before she dropped down to the other side of the wall, one by one everyone went up the wall with Crow's help. Lena was the last to go up before she lowered her hand to help Crow scale the walls, now Alpha Team are all inside the compound…The compound is crowded, there are lots of people around the compound, and many of them are armed. Alpha Team remained hidden behind a stack of boxes and containers as they watched the main courtyard where there's several trucks lined up, while being loaded with a khaki green cargo box with the forklift, the team could hear some shouting that told the employees to hurry up with the loading process. Lena's training immediately kicked in, she took in as much information as she could, how many armed hostiles present, their equipment, vantage points, light sources, possible cover, and any points of interest that might serve their mission.
"Wow, it's a convention out there. Seems they are preparing for something." Panther commented on the situation.
"Overwatch, any details you can see clearer?" Ackerson asked Overwatch on the radio.
"…It's like a convoy delivery or something, given this place masquerading as storage for an online store, it makes sense to have delivery in and out." Overwatch said to Ackerson on the radio.
"They're moving out now. Orders, ma'am?" Ackerson asked Lena.
"Echo, this is Athena. Incoming convoys, I want them stopped and neutralized." Lena said to Squad Echo on the radio.
"We're on it, ma'am." Echo Leader said to Lena on the radio.
"Bravo here, we've infiltrated the perimeter, and we're in position." Bravo Team Leader said on the radio.
"Roger that Bravo, Alpha is moving into position now." Ackerson said to Bravo Leader on the radio.
Lena's plan for this operation is quite simple, she already prepared four squadrons of Azur Lane Task Force Pluvia Commandos totaling forty personnel on board four Blackhawk helicopters designated Alpha, Bravo, Delta, and Echo. Their target is a delivery service company, and their base of operation is located in the southeastern part of London near the dense forest area, which MI5 has identified as one of the Crimson Cleanser safe houses in London. Alpha and Bravo will go in, while Echo will act as a blockade for any possible incoming or outgoing vehicles near the compound, and Delta will serve as a backup team in case things get more heated than it should. Alpha Team, alongside Lena and Ackerson, began to move toward the compound's generator. Panther used her suppressed Vector to take down two guards carrying M4A1s, and their dead bodies were dragged away from their position. The rest of the team provided cover as one of the commandos got close to the generator's console, he connected a wire to his wrist terminal and proceeded to work on hacking the generator's system.
"Remember, swift and clean…Viper, kill it." Lena said out loud on the radio then to Viper.
"Killing power now…Power's out, go!" Viper said to Lena.
"Alpha moving." Ackerson said on the radio.
"Bravo moving." Bravo Leader said on the radio.
The commando, codenamed Viper, killed the power to the entire compound, and immediately the entire place went dark, which gave the signal that the attack is a go. Bravo Team went inside the warehouse while Alpha Team went toward the motor pool. Lena immediately showed that she's just as lethal as William when it comes to gunplay, she didn't hesitate firing her Vector toward anyone who carried a gun. The commandos that were with her also proved that they could keep up as they cleared the other part of the motor pool, and in less than a minute, they managed to clean the entire building from hostiles and in complete silence. Beta Team also didn't seem to have any problem in clearing the warehouse part of the compound, and that place has even more guards than the motor pool. It's a testament to just how deadly Azur Lane Commandos are, and the reason why William killing off his entire task force should warrant him a death sentence for causing such manpower loss for Azur Lane despite the reasoning behind his action.
"Motor pool clear." Ackerson said on the radio.
"Warehouse clear." Bravo Leader said on the radio.
"Advance to the living quarters and the admin building, move it." Lena said on the radio.
The next step after powering down the whole compound is to secure the living quarters and the administration building, which are the last two buildings that they have to secure. Alpha and Bravo teams moved outside and started gunning down the guards in the open, using the cover of darkness, as they each moved in toward the administration building and the living quarters. Bravo reached the living quarters first and they breached the door, they met with some organized barricade but managed to clear them nonetheless, due to their night vision. Alpha followed closely and breached the administration building, Lena and her commandos moved carefully to clean each room. The team cleared the first floor with no problem as there's only a few stragglers on the first floor. The team then proceeded to the second floor where they reached the main corridor with the main office at the end of it. The commando that led the team's advance as point man suddenly raised his left fist and the whole team stopped moving. Ackerson was about to ask what's stopping him when the entire building's light turned back on which blinded the commandos, who wore their night vision.
"Dammit! We're compromised!" Ackerson said out loud.
BRATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!
Bullets started flying, and Alpha team scrambled for any viable cover while turning their night vision off. Lena gritted her teeth as she flipped off a metal table which served as temporary light cover and readied her Vector. When the intensity of enemy fire lessened because of them reloading their weapon, Lena emerged from cover and immediately emptied her magazine toward the hostiles, there's at least five guards that she could briefly see, and her spray managed to kill three of them. Lena ducked down to reload her weapon when she heard some shouting and footsteps, looks like the guards are calling for some backup. Lena watched as several of the commandos led by Ackerson started to fire back at the guards, which served them well to keep the guards behind cover.
"Viper?! What the hell is going on?!" Lena asked Viper on the radio.
"Power's back on! Must've been their backup generator separated from the main one!" Viper said to Lena on the radio.
"Dammit! Nero!?" Lena asked Ackerson out loud.
"Flash out!" Ackerson said out loud.
BANG!
A flashbang that Ackerson threw exploded, and the entirety of Alpha team opened fire as they advanced toward the guards, who couldn't return fire without getting shot from the relentless fire. The guards were about to make their retreat when two frag grenades were tossed at them. The grenades exploded and killed the rest of the guards, Lena and the others fired at the dead bodies once or twice to confirm whether they're dead or not. After making sure all of the hostiles are dead, Lena nodded her head and decided to check the current situation.
"Clear. Status?" Lena asked out loud.
"Ajax and Hunter are down; they need immediate medical assistance." Ackerson said to Lena.
"Shit…Goliath Four, this is Athena. Drop Delta Squad in and run perimeter guard, I don't want any of these terrorists to escape. Joker, Crow, bring them to that room and stabilize them. Panther, Skull, Fox, you three clear the rest of the building." Lena said to a helicopter pilot then to the commandos.
"Yes ma'am!" Joker said to Lena as he and Crow dragged their downed teammates.
"Got it! Alright folks, on me, let's move!" Skull said to Panther and Fox.
There's only Lena and Ackerson, alongside two commandos who were with them now, and Lena pointed toward the door that's the entrance to the main office. Ackerson led the two commandos as they stacked up on the door and got ready to breach, one of them ducked and used the snake camera to check out the view behind the door…after she made her observation the commando stood back up and stared at Lena who moved toward her back.
"This is the admin's office. They're waiting for us; I count ten armed hostiles." The commando said to Lena.
"Figures, we did make a lot of noise before…C2 breach then gas them." Lena said to the commandos.
"C2 and gas, copy." Ackerson immediately set the C2 breaching explosive while the other commando prepared a gas grenade.
"On your word, Admiral." Ackerson said to Lena.
"Wait a bit. Delta, what's your status?" Lena asked Delta Team on the radio.
"We're on the ground and plugged all exits from the admin building, some of us also helped Bravo with the living quarters." Delta Leader said to Lena on the radio.
"Understood…Alright Major, hit it." Lena said to Ackerson.
"Detonating C2." Ackerson said out loud.
BOOM!
"Gas out!" One of the commandos said out loud.
The door that was breached by C2 created a shocking effect, and that was followed in by two tear gas grenades, there's a reason why they had gas masks on. The gas caused the hostiles inside the room to cough heavily and tear up at the same time while the commandos moved in then shouted at them to get down on the floor. Those who didn't comply immediately got shot in the head. Out of the ten hostiles, six of them complied, and Lena alongside the commandos immediately put cuffs on them. Joker and Crow joined in after securing the downed teammates, the other two commandos moved the captured guards away from the room, while Joker and Crow immediately searched the room for any valuable intel.
"Athena, this is Delta. We caught three civilians trying to run, they surrendered, and we got them in custody." Delta Leader said to Lena on the radio.
"Roger. Bring them to the admin's office." Lena said to Delta Leader.
"Yes ma'am." Delta Leader said to Lena on the radio.
"Alright, I want all the info we can get from this place." Lena said out loud.
"You heard the lady, get on with it. Turn on those computers and search those files! Bag and tag everything!" Ackerson said out loud.
"Already on it, sir." Joker said to Ackerson.
Two Delta Team members brought the three civilians to the main office, a man and two women. Lena looked at the civilians who the team captured, and she told the commandos to put them on a seat. After the civilians were seated, Lena ordered them to be searched for anything that could indicate them as a member of Crimson Cleanser. After the commandos managed to get their cellphones and their wallets filled with IDs, they started to go through them while Lena decided to talk with the civilians herself, her interrogation skills always need some polishing.
"What's your name?" Lena asked the male civilian.
"Maurice, ma'am. We're just employees here, I don't even know that these lots are terrorists! Our boss said they are mercenaries hired to protect this compound! I swear! I'm not involved in this!" Maurice said to Lena with a pleading tone.
"Alright Maurice, I believe you for now so convince me. I need you to cooperate here." Lena said to Maurice while she nodded.
"W-What can I do? The three of us could help!" Maurice said to Lena.
"Have you seen this man?" Lena showed him a picture of Lockwood.
"No ma'am, I haven't seen him." Maurice said to Lena while he frowned.
"What about you two?" Lena asked the two women next to Maurice.
"No, I haven't." "No ma'am." The two women said to Lena while they shook their heads.
"…How about him?" Lena switched the picture with Ronald's face.
"…Hey, isn't he that inspector!?" Maurice asked the two women.
"Yeah, he is!" One of the women said to Maurice.
"Inspector?" Lena asked them with cocked eyebrows.
"He came to this place two days ago! Wanted us to deliver a specific cargo today, the convoy left just a moment ago." Maurice said to Lena.
"Tch! Echo, tell me that the convoy is stopped!" Lena contacted Echo Leader on the radio.
"Yes ma'am, we stopped them. We interrogated the drivers, and they said that they're heading for the nearby harbor to deliver this cargo to the ship RMS Darwin, a civilian cargo ship." Echo Leader said to Lena on the radio.
"Investigate the contents of those trucks, lieutenant." Lena said to Echo Leader.
"We're on it, ma'am." Echo Leader said to Lena.
"Major, take Bravo with you and investigate RMS Darwin." Lena said to Ackerson.
"Yes ma'am. Goliath Two, new orders…" Ackerson said to Lena as he moved out of the building.
…Lena sighed hard, they missed their shot with Ronald, but at least they managed to secure this safe house and based on the looks of it, the cargo that was loaded here would be a great help in their effort to take down that terrorist organization. Also, Ronald himself was here a few days ago, and that means he's got something important to do in London. Lena managed to identify his habits from the past encounter and learning his pattern, it would seem Ronald took a very careful approach to this entire madness and only showed up when he wanted to get something done. Like when he murdered Jenny, he personally showed up to make sure the assassination is a success, and the terror attacks work as intended…If he himself shown up in London, something is about to go down here, and Lena's got a feeling it's not going to be just some simple incident.
"…Echo, what's the content?" Lena asked Echo Leader on the radio.
"It's white phosphorus ma'am!" Echo Leader said to Lena on the radio.
"White phosphorus?!" Lena asked out loud in disbelief on the radio.
"Yes, still in raw form and not weaponized yet, but the amount…ma'am, it could set enough fires for the entirety of London to burn for days." Echo Leader said to Lena on the radio.
"…Secure them for transport, Echo. Major, status?" Lena said to Echo Leader then asked Ackerson on the radio.
"We're already on our way. We heard it, we're going to look for RMS Darwin's destination and manifest." Ackerson said to Lena on the radio.
"Copy that." Lena said to Ackerson on the radio.
"White phosphorus?" One of the women asked Lena.
"A chemical that is used in incendiary weapons, highly flammable and destructive. It'll burn through your skin and can't be extinguished easily." Lena explained to the woman.
"…Oh my god…what have we done?!" Maurice asked out loud with a horrified tone.
"There's no helping it, you three didn't know." Lena said to Maurice to reassure him.
"Ma'am, we got something." Joker said to Lena.
"What is it?" Lena asked Joker as she approached him.
"We found the manifest regarding the source of the cargo. It came from the Northern Parliament." Joker said to Lena.
"What?!" Lena asked out loud in a surprised tone.
"Yes, it came from a company located in Voronezh. Perhaps a cover up company like this one." Joker said to Lena while he showed the computer screen he's inspecting.
"Compile the data involved with the cargo, all of them." Lena said to Joker.
"On it." Joker said to Lena as he got back to work.
…White phosphorus, London, and a cargo ship, all of this didn't sound great in the slightest. If the trucks they saw back then all carried white phosphorus, then Echo Leader was right, it could set fire on the entirety of London. Lena immediately considered warning British officials to increase the security of London and possibly lock the city down, they just opened a can of fresh worms. They would also need to warn the Northern Parliament regarding that company in Voronezh, they need to move fast if they want to catch any clues on what the hell is this all about. Lena immediately brought out her phone and stepped outside the main office, she immediately called Lucas.
"…High Commander, sir?" Lena asked Lucas on the phone when her call was answered.
"What is it, Lena? You're being overly formal?" Lucas asked Lena with a confused tone.
"You may want to contact the Russians, we have a situation in Voronezh, and we need their Spetsnaz to move ASAP." Lena said to Lucas on the phone while she frowned.
"…Shit…the other teams also reported the same thing. Voronezh and White Phosphorus…Crimson Cleanser is playing a very dangerous game. I already notified Northern Parliament officials; they're making their move as we speak." Lucas said to Lena on the phone.
"I don't understand. Why Voronezh? It's still a big city, isn't it? These guys could set up an entire compound on the edge of the Siberian Tundra, and it could take a long time to search with the vastness of Northern Parliament? They could've hidden themselves better." Lena said to Lucas with a confused tone.
"I don't know yet Lena, but I know one thing…we're not going to like what we will find there." Lucas said to Lena with a grim tone…Looks like their vacation wouldn't be that simple.
Updated: 14-02-2022 (Beta readed by Culture-Hunt3r)
…Can't one thing go smoothly for once regarding this entire thing with those terrorists, whenever the Sirens get dealt with, they always show up with something. This one is a bit…I don't know, just a short interlude before the next one, where everyone has some fun away from the war on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. So, thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews everyone, we're going to see if the vacation for the week is a major success and serve them well to revitalize everyone before jumping back into the fray. I don't have an estimate for the next chapter though so stay tuned everyone.
See you next time!
- Dasmara