Chapter 68: Armageddon (Part 2)

[-news of continued relief efforts stymied by inadequate defenses and aid stations-]

[-eported destruction of Azur Lane, although several different high-ranking Admirals have assured us that they are already mustering forces for a counterattack-]

[-mass bombardment culminated in the deaths of President Forbin, Prime Minister Sakamoto, Prime Minister-]

[-uncertain of the scale of this disaster, initial casualty estimates are as high as one million with more expected to be confirmed as search and rescue crews continue to dig through the aftermath.]

"Thou is not doing thyself any favors by being subjected to such tragic broadcasts."

"Not much else to do."

"A darling lady sits upon thy lap and no such inspiration strikes?"

Lips briefly quirking at Vampire's words Alexander bluntly replied, "The lady in question - beautiful she may be - has bloodshot eyes and is kind of a mess. I'd rather pamper her than ravage her."

"Tch, and here I had dared to hope for my body to be taken here and now…"

The suggestive statement was undercut by the way the Destroyer leant into the Aloadae's chest, hugging his arm close like a security blanket as the male reclined in the comforting familiarity of the Bakunawa's command chair. It hadn't been until he'd sat his ass down in the thing that he'd realized how much he'd missed his ship's comforting 'embrace', the sensation of having the vessel close by a balm to his nerves.

And right now he had a whole metric fuckton of nerves.

They'd taken stock of the aftermath of the Old Siren strike and to say it was grim was undercutting things. Practically every major mining and fabrication site they'd been constructing for the past few weeks had been hit, thankfully not by nukes so the leftovers were an inaccessible mess of radiation but a giant goddamn 'conventional' bomb could do the job just as fine if it had enough power to it. The Neo Sirens had been trounced even harder, their manufacturing bases and outposts actually earning the privilege of a few nukes and essentially leaving them with what forces they had available, no chance of reinforcement for months to come if their plan didn't work.

…The hundreds of thousands that had died as a result of both the immediate strikes and subsequent fallout was still being tallied, people that had moved to the new locations in hope of making a difference or striking back at the enemy by learning how to operate the new and fantastic creations he'd gifted having their ambitions cut short in just over an hour.

He felt far more guilty over those deaths than he did the couple dozen that had been the result of his assassination of the four leaders, the male unable to help but wonder if he'd made the right call in so lightly defending those sights. Sure, resources had been finite but maybe if he'd tried harder to reason with Empress they could have devoted less time and effort to-

"Alexander? Please cease thy self-recrimination. Thou has done so much more than any would have expected or asked."

"It certainly doesn't feel like enough. The certain blood on my hands feels a lot less heavy than the probable."

Soft lips planted themselves on his neck, the Destroyer murmuring, "Then as always we merely hope that thy spirit will rest knowing that we hold no animosity or doubt that thou's decisions were the best that could be made with what was known."

She left it at that, curling deeper into him as Alexander let the matter rest, having gone through this song and dance enough times to know that denying the Sipgirl's words wouldn't do anyone any good, least of all to himself.

Instead he gently folded both arms around her petite form, letting his mind delve into the Bakunawa's sensors as he 'gazed' at the combined fleet around them, an impressive sight that he dearly wished could have come about in less dire circumstances. Shipgirl and normal vessel alike sailing in formation, of every class and tonnage as the troop transports and other ship assigned to the Republic had been quick to regroup and set course for the Sakura Empire, their group joined by an additional dozen vessels courtesy of the Northern Parliament, lead by Kirill as Ironblood and Royal Navy reinforcements had already docked at the Sakura ports, waiting for them to arrive.

…All while they anxiously kept their guns pointing at the almost two hundred and counting Neo Siren warships keeping at a respectable distance from the Sakura mainland, the core of the fleet comprised of their largest vessels including a number of enhanced hulks equal to their own as well the familiar silhouette of two super carriers.

And - to Alexander's relief - the Old Siren construct had still remained silent, the enormous vortex in the center of the ring structure active as ever but still refraining from sending any seaworthy ships through.

He could only hope it stayed that way until they were done.

Of the most mild silver linings was that the radiation fallout over Azur Lane and a few other spots over the globe where nukes had hit was proving to be mostly mild, favorable winds and other natural phenomena carrying the cancerous clouds and ashes far out to international waters where they had slowed dramatically, leading to the possibility of the island and other locations being cleaned of the crap once they had the chance to do so.

…And while both TB and Empress hadn't given any indications as to it being the case he suspected the Neo Sirens had a few leftover weather control devices that had managed to help out without being obvious about it.

"Master Alexander?"

Snapping out of his outside observation the Aloadae found Belfast standing before him, tray of snacks and other refreshments effortlessly balanced in one hand as he shook his head free of the leftover sensation that came with making full use of the Bakunawa's sensor suite.

"Shouldn't you be taking it easy, Belfast?"

"By watching you starve yourself, Master Alexander? A maid must always be considerate of others, even during times of crisis."

Not buying that answer in the slightest now that he'd gotten to know the Cruiser better he doubtfully replied, "You've got bags under your eyes and your headband is askew, trust me when I say you're not at your best."

One hand shot up to check said headband…only to find it perfectly and primly straight as it always was, the maid sending the smirking man an unimpressed look.

"It's quite tasteless to play with a maiden's heart like that, Master Alexander."

"And yet you fell for it when in any other situation you would have told me I was being ridiculous."

He dropped his relaxed demeanor, more genuinely asking, "Belfast, are you alright? If doing all of this is wearing you out…"

The Navy Shipgirl stared him down for a few seconds, both refusing to break eye contact…and a slight bow was given by the pale-haired woman, tone containing the first real signs of exhaustion as she responded, "These last few days have definitively proven you would have made an excellent member of the maid corps. Caring for Her Majesty and Lady Warspite when I failed to do so, ensuring that the war was not lost while we were dazed and unable to fight as we should have…"

Touched at the comment he nonetheless didn't like seeing the typically unbeatable and unshakeable maid so downtrodden, gesturing to his body as he said, "While I'm flattered and my chest has indeed gotten bigger I don't think I'll fit in with the maid corps quite yet. As a single young man in the settlements I heard more than a few rumors of Sirius and Dido's bust size, to say nothing of the others."

Belfast blinked at his remark, taking a moment to process what he'd just uttered with a straight face…and Alexander smiled in triumph as an ever so brief giggle escaped the cruiser, covered up by a dainty cough a moment later as her lips twitched in clear mirth.

"I retract my previous statement, you are still a bit too crude to properly become a member of my esteemed organization, even if you are quite accomplished when it comes to caring for others."

She nodded to where Vampire was still curled in his grasp, sound asleep as the Aloadae murmured, "Must have been exhausted, she hasn't twitched a single bit during our conversation."

Belfast set the tray to the side, gently taking the Destroyer from his grasp as she stated, "While by no means childish most Destroyers tend to be more free and open with their emotions, the Azur Lane dorms that had housed them containing no shortage of personality and trinkets they had accumulated over many years."

Holding the smaller girl close the maid abruptly seemed much older, softly musing, "Miss Vampire, Le Malin, Tashkent and I imagine Miss Kawakaze when they reunite have been busy making a list of all that was lost in the destruction of our home, perhaps as a way to recreate and remember their sisters."

Feeling a small surge of guilt that Vampire had still made time to check in on him he forced himself to rise from his command chair, remarking, "Guess I can't stay idle forever, how long until we arrive at the Sakura Empire?"

"Six hours."

"Just enough time to check in on everyone, then. How's Enterprise? If you're leaving her on her lonesome…"

"Nothing of the sort, but I have come to the professional conclusion that leaving you to your own devices will inevitably ensnare yet another maiden's heart. And I am a jealous woman after all, I would not have you steal my beloved Enterprise's heart merely because she remained in your proximity for long."

Chuckling at the comment he nodded towards the still sound asleep Vampire, requesting, "Look after her, would you?"

"But of course, Master Alexander."

He was about to leave when he noticed the maid still had an ill-intentioned smile on her face, elegant eyebrow raised in clear warning.

"...And I'll take the refreshments with me when I go."

"An excellent choice, Master Alexander."

The Bakunawa's machine shop that doubled as interior hangar was a nostalgic and familiar sight for Alexander, his mind immediately flashing back to the several conversations and interactions he'd had with the Shipgirls within its steel hull, lips twisting in a fond reminiscence as he spotted the alcove he'd learned Shoukaku and Zuikaku's desire to see the Settlements in.

Today he didn't have the luxury of wandering where he pleased, however. Instead he approached where a trio of Shipgirls were apparently locked in deep and unending conversation, gesturing towards a partially disassembled interceptor and table full of 24x36 drawings.

"...all possible it would make things much easier. I don't mean to badger you into accepting this but-"

"But you want to badger us into accepting it. Fret not, little carrier, we hold no animosity towards you for seeking innovation and a more effective means of destroying our foes."

"Anything going on that I can help with?"

"Oh, welcome to the party, Alexander~! You have not perchance brought a pint or two along?"

He showed Aegir the empty thermos and tray from Belfast's provided lunch, replying, "Sorry, the psycho nanny demanded that I eat like a normal person and I certainly wasn't about to tell her no."

"Ah, a pity."

Turning to face August and Essex he nodded towards the fighter craft, asking, "What's the deal with this thing, any issues I should know about?"

"None so far, and it's more like an experiment than it is anything final."

Essex tiredly rubbed her eyes, huffing out a sigh before stating, "We were looking at various methods of using Aegir and August's time altering torpedoes and whatnot on our own craft without having to rely on their specialized variants of delivery. See, the problem is their size compared to most of our own munitions."

While he really wanted to ask when the last time the Carrier had gotten any sleep had been he instead let her point to the weapon's bay of the jet, informing, "These mounts aren't intended to carry anything as large as what Aegir and August use to deliver their Engulfer munitions, never mind the reduced speed that would come with attaching them to our planes. Case in point…"

Aegir elegantly motioned to a storage bay next to them where Alexander belatedly realized he'd never really stopped to consider the size difference in the different weapons, just accepting as a matter of course that they were differences and the Shipgirls knew better. The Engulfers were almost three times as large as a normal surface to ground missile and he could understand why Aegir and August needed dedicated or specialized tools to make use of them.

"We could try welding some clasps onto the ships but then there's the problem of weight, our engines would struggle to keep the thing maneuverable as well as dodge anti-aircraft fire and-"

A tremendous yawn left Essex's lips, Alexander sighing as he said, "Okay, that's enough for now. We only have a few days left before we march off to the Old Siren base and you're not going to be doing us any favors if you're asleep at the wheel."

"Huh? B-but we need to-"

"Aegir, August and I can draw up some rough blueprints or similar things, there'll be shit for you to do once you've rested up."

He crossed his arms like an authoritative parent, sternly stating, "Or do I need to pull the Enterprise card and state that she's taking the moment to rest and that you should follow her example?"

Normally he would have avoided the obviously touchy subject of the relationship between the two Shipgirls but for now he was content with watching Essex sulk as she merely nodded in begrudging acceptance, mollified somewhat as he squeezed her shoulder, mental connection signifying her lack of real annoyance as she marched away to grab some shuteye…and merely stumbled into a storage bay a few dozen paces away, collapsing into a sleeping bag stowed there as the Aloadae blinked in disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"Count yourself lucky that you achieved that much, Alexander. I know those engineering types, they're as stubborn a bunch as they come."

Shaking his head in resignation the male instead looked over the pair of Ironblood Shipgirls, asking, "What about you two, holding up alright?"

"Better than the others. We had seldom chance to grow attached to the Azur Lane of this time, Familiar."

Nodding at August's blunt words as she and Aegir both seemed in good enough shape he instead turned to the project of the moment, asking, "Why were you trying to jury rig Engulfers onto other ships, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The tinkerer had a rather inspired idea of launching a series of the weapons all around the interior of the Old Siren base once we are transported inside. It's rather dangerous to assume they have no means of fighting back against such an intrusion so being able to slow their response would be critical."

Aegir took up the narrative as she tapped one of the Engulfer's, metallic clinking noise sounding out loud and clear as she added, "The caveat is that we cannot saturate every possible angle with the delivery systems we have now, thus the desire to increase the available ones."

"...There a reason we can't just jury rig tons of available aircraft and send them on suicide missions to drop the bombs? This is an all or nothing operation, we can't exactly hold anything back."

"No, but we elected to humor the poor girl as she needed the distraction."

Fixing the pair of Ironblood with a wry smile he remarked, "For such fearsome ladies you pack quite the soft interior."

"Hush, Familiar. No doubt our beleaguered engineer will begin thoroughly kicking herself for such an oversight as soon as she awakes in a more composed state of mind."

"No arguments here. Alright, let's start doing triage of what we can alter in a few days time that will also still be able to complete the mission, any ideas?"

August immediately tapped a tablet, bringing up an expansive list of their available forces as Aegir smirked, hopping atop of her Rigging with a satisfied grin.

"...I expect you want to hear some gratitude? Or is that groveling?"

"The latter, please~!"

"I-is this base really gone?"

Meeting I-25's teary gaze and floppy ears with no small amount of inward grimacing Alexander forced himself to nod, gently stating, "It is. I'm sorry, if I had-"

He promptly found himself engulfed in a tight hug courtesy of the pink-haired sub, a heartbreaking sniffle leaving her as she miserably replied, "It's…it's not your fault, sorry for being such a crybaby…"

Unable to think of much to do other than gently pat the Shipgirl between her ears I-26 joined the embrace, comforting her sister even though she too looked despondent, trying to remain upbeat as she said, "It's okay, we'll be able to make a bunch of other cool places to hang out in, we just need to win the war and we'll be right as rain!"

"Y-yeah, nya! A bit of investment there, bit of procurement here and we'll have a brand new Azur Lane in no time!"

I-13 gave an affirmative nod to Akashi's words despite her own glistening eyes, adding a fifth body to the rapidly growing pileup as the Aloadae settled for patting them on their heads, gazing down the ramp of the Bakunawa as the rest of the fleet pulled into the waters surrounding the Sacred Sakura, assuming a rough formation as they began their wait.

The Subs and repair vessel hadn't wasted a moment in rushing to greet him, Nagato and Elizabeth already meeting with the Admirals and discussing strategy while Kawakaze stood a respectful distance away, returning to guard duty in the blink of an eye as the Aloadae decided to throw the girls a lifeline, since he really should be present for the meeting going on.

"Essex finally woke up from a stupor and is hours deep into a project of hers again, coming up with a new weapon delivery method for our aircraft. Can you make sure she isn't doing anything stupid or ridiculous while I'm gone?"

He gave the green-haired cat a pointed look.

"And keep an eye on minty kitty while you're at it."

"I resent the implications of that, nya!"

"Less implied and more boldly stated, eh heh heh~!"

I-26 was quick to seize on the brief moment of levity, grabbing her sisters and pushing them further up the ramp as she shouted, "I-25 and I will make sure nothing blows up, we'll see you later, Alexander!"

Eternally grateful for the tan-skinned Sakura's enthusiasm and energy he instead offered them a wave, turning to walk up to Kawakaze as the white fox fell in step behind him without pause-

-only to stiffen as he picked her up and brought her into a tight hug, the Destroyer weakly protesting, "Out in the open? That is hardly-"

"Sorry, but I missed you."

Even as she squirmed in second-hand embarrassment he felt the Sakura's tail gently swish back and forth in happiness, arms eventually and hesitantly moving to return the embrace as she nuzzled into his neck.

"You should save this affection for Empress Nagato. She has been working nonstop as of late."

"I thought the whole point of this insane arrangement was that I had enough of me to care for everybody. And your quiet presence and occasional sharp remark was sorely missed, I had to settle for the Ironblood in that regard."

A brief brush of air escaped from the Destroyer's nose as Alexander set her down, carefully examining her as he softly inquired, "What about you, Kawakaze?"

"...I will be fine content once we destroy the Old Sirens."

"Knew you'd say that."

Fondly petting her between the ears he was rewarded with another series of tail wags, the male stating, "Alright, then go ahead and lead the way. I doubtlessly have a group of skeptics to convince."

Doing as asked Kawakaze couldn't help but inquire, "You truly believe Shinano-sama can make use of the Sacred Sakura to bring us close to the enemy?"

Deciding to be the voice of sunshine and rainbows for a change the Aloadae nodded, replying, "I know she can. And I really hope I get a chance to see their mechanical faces when it works."

The chapters are going to be coming once a week since we're in the home stretch now, keep an eye out for em'