Chapter 69: Armageddon (Part 3)
Shinano thought she had gotten used to the sting of shame, the overwhelming and humbling sensation of failure as what she had thought was power and competency was proven to be anything but.
It turned out there was an entirely different flavor of worthlessness she had yet to partake of, namely that of failing others' expectations rather than her own.
…She decided that the second was infinitely more unpalatable, made all the worse by the understanding and unflaggingly certain demeanor of her savior as he stood at her side.
"If you need a break then don't be afraid to ask for one, we still need at least eight hours in order to-"
"I am perfectly capable of continuing, Alexander-sama."
"Right, sorry."
Her nine tails bristled and shrunk with embarrassment at the uncharacteristic break in even and composed temperament, her ears picking up the sound of Alexander retreating as he softly engaged with Amagi, Nagato and Elizabeth about one topic or another.
"Ahh, how shameful…but frustrating does not begin to describe this state of affairs."
Resisting the urge to sigh Shinano directed her gaze upwards, eyes tracing the familiar and one time comforting sight of the Sacred Sakura, coming to the sad realization that she had never truly understood the miracles of what their cultural icon could accomplish. Hazy dreams into possible futures, vague premonitions of oncoming crisis…how did that compare to warping space itself in order to save their people, such feats of physics that she would have associated only with their most technologically advanced of foes?
Had she never been worthy of the Sacred Sakura's full cooperation? Or had she just never truly tried to divine what limits there were to the great lifeform's strange powers?
"...nd the exoskeletons?"
"I'll have five hundred ready if we leave at the earliest opportunity, most of the poor bastards are going to have to work in pairs or groups of heavier weapons and lug them around."
"Assuming they can use them effectively…employing new weapons of war in an hazardous environment tends not to end well."
"I hear you, Amagi, but at least the exos just enhance stuff people have been doing all their lives, we don't have much of a choice."
Her dear friend's concern for the lives of others was quickly set aside as Shinano forced herself to slip back into a meditative state, sitting seiza on a small cushion before the titanic tree as she tried once more to form a proper mental connection with their patron deity.
…At first there was nothing out of the ordinary, the familiar sensation of her mind brushing against a truly gargantuan force of will that thought and acted differently from them, proceeding at a far more glacial pace but felt as if it could bring to bear incredible focus should such a scenario become necessary.
But whereas she had once felt content and humbled before the Sacred Sakura now she felt yearning and even the slightest hints of impatience, trying with all her might to understand then gain the attention of the Sacred Sakura, unsure if she was even going about things in the right way. Her Wisdom Cube pulsed and shivered more powerfully than it typically did when she tried to reach out but she seemed no closer to unraveling the mystery of the Sacred Sakura than she had hours earlier when she began her mediations.
Yes, it was beyond arrogant that she wished to discern all there was to know about such a powerful soul in mere hours but they had not time. And countless others were relying on her and she had yet to deliver.
"Shinano, you're scowling."
The Carrier snapped out of her ruminations, blinking as she noticed that the sun had descended slightly since she had begun to commune with the Sakura, Alexander crouched by her side and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"...Ah. So it seems."
The silver-haired fox also had a rare headache coursing through her skull, eyes drifting closed at the concerned expression the Aloadae wore.
"Your worry is wasted upon me, Alexander-sama. I…have made no progress."
"I would be beyond shocked if you had, in retrospect having you do all of this on short notice-"
"Do not make excuses for me!"
The Shipgirl's eyes widened at the sudden outburst, shame once more weighing her down as her tails and ears drooped, tone weak as she apologized with, "Forgive me, Alexander-sama. It is…pathetic how I repay your concern with spite. Nor can I do as many require of me if they are to live…if we are to survive."
Resigning herself to more platitudes and sympathy from the man Shinano was left waiting as Alexander instead sat next to her, staring up at the tree before quietly murmuring, "Believe it or not, I get where you're coming from. As well as the pressure of having other's lives hanging in the balance."
The Aloadae broadly gestured to the harbor, dozens upon dozens of ships a hive of activity as crews resupplied or performed last minute checks on their vessels, her fellow Shipgirls either making themselves known and reassuring the normal soldiers or aiding in last minute supply and procurement checks, Essex and Akashi in particular frantically ensuring every last scrap of tech they possessed was in as workable condition as could be managed before they set off for the Old Siren base.
"So, yes, I know that what I'm asking seems impossible…but I also know you're the best one to make the impossible happen. Only you can do this, Shinano."
The fox had to avert her gaze, softly replying, "You never seemed the type…to hold such unconditional hope and faith."
"We all have our moments. And if you want to be more pragmatic about it the Old Sirens and the entirety of the Sakura Empire held faith in your connection to this thing."
A small, wry smile that caused an entirely foreign warmth to settle in Shinano's chest had her averting her gaze, ears twitching in embarrassment.
"So, yes. Despite the ridiculousness of this whole scheme I believe you'll make it work."
Feeling oddly buoyed by the Aloadae's words the Carrier slowly and tentatively reached for his hand, wrapping the larger appendage in her own as her tails gently brushed against his body, that heat spreading outwards as her heart began to beat at a maddening pace.
Thump, thump, thump THUMP-
The Shipgirl instantly perked, unusual energy invigorating her usually sleepy movements as a tentative hope blossomed within her soul, the vast consciousness of the Sakura here and now.
"Shinano? Are you-"
The Shipgirl quickly placed a finger across the man's lips, listening intently as a soft breeze rustled their clothing, petals dancing across their bodies before coming to a stop atop their clasped hands, realization and epiphany striking like a cannon shell as Shinano couldn't help but feel like novice priestess, taking her first steps on the path to enlightenment.
How arrogant she had been, to assume that they knew better, that she knew better…no one person could lay claim to the Sacred Sakura, herald themselves as the sole recipient of its majesty. Was their empire not built upon the foundation of many shoulders, consisting of many hands crafting a sprawling society?
A rare chuckle of self-admonishment left Shinano, the fox allowing her head to rest against the still confused Aloadae's shoulder as she felt the Sacred Sakura slowly and gently focus on their shared connection, two souls intertwined in purpose and affection infinitely more apparent to its mind than a lone flame that believed itself worthy of a god's attention.
"Thank you, Alexander-sama."
"Er, you're welcome? Not to ruin the moment or anything but why does it suddenly feel like there are a pair of very big and scary eyes on me?"
"It means you were correct, the Sacred Sakura…has heard our plea. We may proceed…with this campaign of ours."
While a few confused blinks were the understandable response Alexander nonetheless settled for a grin, replying, "See? I knew you would make it happen."
"It was not…entirely by my design."
Before the Aloadae could reply to that comment Shinano allowed herself to act on a moment of euphoric triumph, cupping her master's jaw in her hands before pressing herself forward, lips meeting in a fiery kiss as her tails curled forward, wrapping the man in a furred embrace as she lewdly scraped her chest against his firm and muscular one, reveling in the all too brief moment of unrestrained passion before regretfully pulling away, experiencing a childish moment of womanly pride as she witnessed him dumbly stare.
"Well that was…shit, if winning get's me that kind of reward I need to start looking for more victories further down the road."
A pleased flush briefly colored Shinano's skin before she inclined her head, stating, "Continue your rounds and ensure the fleet is prepared, Alexander-sama…I have a few final preparations to attend to."
"Got it. A shame that I have to scram just as things were getting good, but duty calls and all that."
A brief flick of one of her tails against his forehead, Curtis smirking at the rare moment of chastisement before striding off, Shinano taking a calming breath before turning her gaze to the Sacred Sakura once more, this time opening herself up to the odd connection that existed between Alexander and her sisters as she reached out for the Sacred Sakura once more, preparing herself for a more meaningful commune with it.
"This is our target, ladies and gentlemen."
Admiral Harrison keyed in a few commands into his provided tablet, the Bakunawa's command room flaring to light as both 2D and 3D representations of the Old Siren ring showed up with a variety of data displayed, mostly regarding its armament, size and estimated layout.
The fact that nearly every sufficiently ranking officer and Shipgirl had been crammed into the cavernous room didn't make the damn thing any less intimidating, overwhelming just by pure numbers alone.
"Sixteen kilometers in diameter, possessing a wide array of defensive missile silos, railcannons and shield emitters as well as an assumed garrison of aircraft and local surface vessels. And at the center of it all is - again - an assumed spacial rift that will inevitably begin disgorging Old Siren reinforcements, vessels that could conceivably match even that of the Shipgirls in terms of tonnage and firepower."
A few uneasy shifts among the gathered personnel, Harrison ignoring the understandable discomfort as he continued with, "But as dire as our situation is it also comes with opportunity. To power a monster of that size requires considerable power, power provided by a multitude of Wisdom Cubes."
The Old Siren base gained a series of 400 lights around its length, spaced equally and unfortunately placed within the depths of the thing.
"Considering the lack of Wisdom Cubes left available to our forces - as well as Alexander's ability to upgrade and enhance their abilities - retrieving these will serve a two fold purpose, bolstering our own forces while depriving the enemy of their own."
More alterations to the diagrams, Harrison motioning to the center of the ring as he simultaneously brought up video footage of the Siren nukes being shunted elsewhere by the Sacred Sakura, familiar expressions of disbelief adorning most of the Human attendees and even some of the Shipgirls, despite their extensive experience of dealing with bizarre bullshit.
"Bear with me on this part. Despite seeming like this hole falls into the ocean gravimetric readings as well as information gathered from Neo Siren sources suggest that any vessel traveling in and out of it is never under the impression that they're falling or off balance, the 'hole' will in reality be a completely flat plane to any vessel traversing across it."
More grumbles as Harrison moved past that always confusing point and instead stated, "To that end the entire fleet will be teleported directly into the 'tunnel' and commence combat, ensuring that both the Old Siren construct and any potential reinforcements are kept at bay. During this period our ground forces will invade the base itself and hold key points while Alexander, a select few platoons outfitted with the new exoskeletons and a number of Shipgirls in conjunction with the Bakunawa's drone forces will raid these Wisdom Cube caches and retrieve them. Time, attrition and fortune willing we'll be able to pilfer the thing completely before blowing a hole in one of the construct's gates and make our escape that way. If all else fails we still possess one Shinsei and will deploy it to prematurely shut the base down and take what we can."
Switching the monitors to showcase an aerial view of the already departing Neo Siren forces as they streamed towards the former Basilica Harrison added, "And before anyone asks these forces are under our control and will be assaulting the exterior of the base in order to draw as much attention away from us as possible. They're not your concern."
"Under your control, hmm? An intriguing way to put it."
"Well what else are they supposed to say? We don't have time for any fancy deceptions or whatever and need everybody focused."
Alexander assumed that there was a general sense of amusement among Empress and the rest of the Neo Sirens watching through the Bakunawa's sensors at the briefing but it was hard to tell through the fuzzy line of communication he shared with them, the Aloadae deciding to ignore them for the moment as Harrison stated, "We have four hours before we set sail, if you have questions make them fast."
A selection of hands immediately shot into the air, one randomly chosen one exclaiming, "Admiral, I'm not saying it's impossible or that it didn't happen, but…no offense to the Sakura but how is that tree going to make an entire fleet suddenly arrive at a location that would normally take hours of travel? In formation and combat ready, at that?"
Harrison merely motioned to Shinano, the Carrier stepping forward and calmly announcing, "I understand your concerns, but I promise all of you…this miracle will occur without fail."
It was a rare man that could openly doubt such earnest words said by such a beautiful woman, this case proving no different as the officer in question merely pursed his lips and nodded, Harrison moving down the line as a bevy of rapid fire questions were asked.
Timetables, chain of command, force disposition…there were a lot of facets of this op that simply hadn't been looked over since there was no time.
"...reason to launch this assault? We have to rebuild and the sheer amount of-"
"Rebuild? With what?"
Kirill's blunt response brought a swift and silent end to the debate, the Parliament Admiral grimly chuckling as he generally motioned to the world outside the Bakunawa, the younger officer who'd posed the question flushing with embarrassment.
"Every worthwhile facility we had built is now rubble, ruin or inconsequential. The Commander is dead and Azur Lane is no more, lost to our enemy's designs. All we have that will be useful for war is now in this harbor, it will be months - if not more - before we possess even a fraction of the industry we once held. Make no mistake, we are all that's left. If we do not stop the enemy here and now, halt their schemes before they spiral out of control…then the war is lost. As simple as that."
The dire words merely drove home what everyone had more or less been thinking, that this slapdash and horrifically last minute op was the best and only shot they would have at avoiding a slow and grinding campaign as they were worn down over time.
One way or another Kirill's words seemed to have done away with the last bits of pessimism or uncertainty present, everyone present resigned and committed as Harrison gave a brief nod to Alexander, the Aloadae departing without a backwards glance towards the Bakunawa's machine shops, his presence only in case someone had questions about the Neo Siren fleet that had required a personal note of reassurance that they weren't about to go crazy and blow them away along with the Old Sirens.
As if that was the least of their worries right now.
"And whatever you do don't try to high-five each other yet, nya! No refunds if you break your bones!"
Lips quirking as he heard Akashi's boisterous tones he came across the truly unique sight of a tiny cat standing on a box so that she could reach the controls on the side of one of the exoskeleton rigs, rapidly and efficiently attaching them to their wearers who were almost unanimously burly or hard-faced men, the best ground troops the fleet had to offer and without a doubt people who had seen real and constant combat against Siren ground forces, or held the line against naval bombardment and near untouchable air raids.
…hence the hilarity of them seemingly stretching their faces into unusual grins of amusement or endearment as the Repair Ship offered them unceasing streams of advice or warning to not do stupid shit, two other stations manned by Essex and I-13 also sporting long lines of soldiers waiting to be outfitted as the last two rigs - manned only by lifeless and emotionless drones - were understandably lower on the totem pole of desirability.
As in absolutely no one wanted to go to them unless they were shamed or politely requested to by one of the Shipgirls.
"It's perfectly safe, those drones aren't going to go crazy and no, they aren't going to rip you limb from limb or put you on light duty."
"Engineer and overtaxed babysitter, you really can do it all, Essex."
The Carrier sent him a sheepish smile, face smudged with various oil or synthetic stains as she replied, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. And right now things are desperate, to say the least. Look at those poor men."
Following the Union Shipgirl's gaze he found none other than Lieutenant Mathers instructing as many of the soldiers as he could in the basics of moving with the exos, the powerful gauss cannons they'd been equipped with haphazardly placed against a bunch of walls and truly speaking to the hasty and last-minute nature of the plan, half opened and raided ammo and energy boxes messily stacked atop of each other.
"Properly outfitting and equipping them seems like the least I can do."
"And we appreciate it, Ma'am."
The cheerful comment from the soldier she'd been attaching the rig to caught the Carrier off guard, a brief flush traveling up her neck as she hastily replied, "Eavesdropping is a bad habit. And don't you have to get yourself outfitted anyway?!"
Chuckling at the brief moment of levity he left Essex to her work, mentally commanding the Bakunawa to prep his armor, one of the storage racks nearby hissing and engaging its heavy machinery as it lowered the hulking suit to ground level, Alexander taking a deep breath as he approached the thing, privately hoping that he'd never again have to don the damn rig but not particularly liking his chances.
"You all set, TB?"
[As always, Master. The rest of the Neo Sirens have reported no undue changes in the Old Siren combat patterns, the base is yet to perform any meaningful response to our approach.]
"Hey, maybe we got lucky and they're really stuck with no other option but to roll with the punches."
[Such optimism seems misplaced, Master. That aside both myself and many of the Observer, Compiler, Tester, Strategist and Arbiter platforms will be attempting to interfere with the interior defenses after our previous experience. Just be warned that we will be otherwise occupied for the majority of the operation, I will not be able to aid in local time reversals or other tasks.]
"Got it. Thanks, TB."
The AI signed off as he stepped into the armor, metal and circuitry sealing closed around him as the familiar heads up display of the helmet kicked on, the Aloadae feeling his lips quirk as Akashi shouted, "You better not break it again!"
"No promises, in fact I all but guarantee this thing will be totaled by the time we're all finished up and done."
His thudding footsteps drew no shortage of stares and awed gazes - most of the soldiers having never seen him wear the titanic thing - as Mathers shouted, "If he can wear that damn brute then you idiots can handle the training wheels version! C'mon, move with a bit of grace that wouldn't make a newborn pup embarrassed!"
"We're just gonna leave out the part where I've worn this thing more than once, huh?"
"Nervous, Curtis?"
"In front of them? Can't afford to be."
Nodding towards where Warspite, Kawakaze, Émile, Le Malin, Aegir and Belfast were performing a bit of last minute chatting with the rest of the assault squads Alexander wryly added, "Although maybe that's a lost cause, they've been doing this for what probably feels like forever and I only started fighting at most a year ago. They can probably smell my fear."
Mathers chuckled, performing a few last minute checks on his weapon as if he'd been using it for years rather than weeks, commenting, "Well it's hard to compare to the closest thing to warrior goddesses of old made manifest, now isn't it?"
Finishing his inspection the man rose to his feet, giving the Aloadae a comradely thump on the shoulder before stating, "Give em' hell, Curtis. My boys and I are starting to like the idea of a big bastard like yourself providing fire support, don't go and get yourself killed, alright?"
"I make no promises. Although depriving Akashi of the chance to lecture my ear off would be kind of a dick move."
The Marine chuckled before rejoining his men, the Bakunawa's intercom announcing that they were thirty minutes from getting things started as the soldiers finished up what last minute preparations they'd been scrambling to complete, Alexander forcing himself to take a calming breath as his group of Shipgirls marched over.
"Are you well, My Liege?"
"As well as can be. Less nervous than I thought I would be, in all honesty."
He snorted, dryly adding, "Maybe having to deal with multiple crisis of apocalyptic scale in a row has gotten boring."
Warspite's mouth quirked in a brief smile, Belfast asking, "Does anyone require last minute additions or tools? I pride myself on my care skills and am perfectly capable of preparing a cup of tea should anyone desire one."
"...I wish I thought you were full of it."
The maid offered a winning smirk at Alexander's dry tone, Le Malin abruptly stating, "If…if Algérie and Richieulu are still alive in there what are we supposed to do?"
Wincing at the Destroyer's obvious fright and bitter experience with the Old Siren's form of control Alexander tried to be gentle as he replied, "We help them if possible…but everyone else comes first. All else fails I can try bringing them back with the Wisdom Cubes we steal."
While a miserable nod was the Destroyer's only response Alexander carefully reached out, quickly switching from a headpat to a gentle shoulder squeeze, since the gauntlet was meant for ripping apart armored machines, not providing emotional support.
"Don't worry, we'll give it our best shot."
"Indeed, if nothing else have faith in Alexander's ability to do rather foolish yet impossible things, little Sister~!"
Aegir scooped up the Vichya Shipgirl into an overly affectionate hug, said Shipgirl vainly trying to pull herself away from the embrace as Kawakaze bluntly remarked, "Warspite? We shall have our work cut out keeping him alive."
"If only you were saying that in jest."
Rolling his eyes at the pair's sass he went through the final diagnostics of his armor, nonetheless relieved that he'd have their backup for this madness. While there had been some debate over whether it was a good idea to remove some of the Shipgirls from their vessels and reduce combat performance on the waters they'd nonetheless agreed that ensuring their number most adept at close range fighting - carriers excluded - would be better served in helping him get the Wisdom Cubes out of the base as quickly as possible.
"Do not fret over much, Monsieur~! We shall have your back every step of the way and allow you to focus merely on what is in front of you."
Émile brightly smiled as she passed him his helmet, the Aloadae letting loose what remaining tension he had as he nodded in gratitude.
"Thanks. All of you."
He slipped the helm on, final warning alarms blaring throughout the ship as a brief snippet of contact from Empress let him know they were about to make contact with the Old Siren base, activity ramping up in intensity as pounding boots and whirring servos filled the vessel as the soldiers and drones performed last minute checks and examinations, his armor chiming happily as it reported green across the board.
"All right, then…"
He hefted his shield and massive rotary cannon into a more comfortable position, the Shipgirls forming up behind him.
"Let's fucking do this."
Nice.