Chapter 72: Armageddon (Part 6)

[Subject 10753, initiating-]

Amagi forced her mind away from the sickeningly familiar tone of an Old Siren speaking to her, fleeing into the warm and stabilizing embrace of her sisters as she felt Shinano perform a similar action, the Sakura's teeth clenching in a rare showing of displeasure as her tails bristled with agitation.

She had spent time enough under the machine's thrall and would sooner rip out her newly repaired Cube than return to that sterile hell, the smooth and toneless voice similar in sensation to frigid water trickling down her body before slipping inside of her, an insidious chill freezing from the inside out as her tails instinctively wrapped around her body to provide a semblance of physical warmth.

"How Alexander-sama speaks to these things so readily is beyond me."

Shaking her head free of that errant thought the Sakura returned her attention to the battle occurring around them, although there currently wasn't much to do. Yet another Old Siren assault had come and gone, the fleet taking the lull in battle to lick its wounds and prepare for the inevitable assault that was assuredly coming…and there were no shortage of wounds to be found. All told they had a mere three dozen vessels still afloat, all of the Shipgirls, a few of the Neo Siren craft and a few hardy - or lucky - Human Battleships, stubbornly clinging to their positions despite the fact that a full three quarters of their number had been sunk or retreated due to crippling damage, a clutch of the transports having already departed the area of operation with the rescued and wounded crews aboard, leaving only combat capable assets left.

And through the smoking holes or massive gouges in solid metal Akashi plied her craft, patching up the most critical of damages as the feline raced about the battlefield in a familiar frenzy of activity.

…Thirty-two hours and counting into the operation, Amagi feeling the pinch even through a Shipgirl's naturally hardened and enhanced body, aches assailing her form from a variety of Old Siren strikes ranging from superficial to crippling, one of her railcannons a mangled wreck that felt as if one of her tails had been ripped out by the root.

"Seems like they're shortening the time between assaults, there's another group…approaching…"

Amagi frowned as Essex's words trailed off, joining the Carrier in looking through one of the eyes of their remaining surveillance drones-

-and felt a chill similar but nonetheless removed from her earlier ones at the sight that greeted them. A pair of colossal Old Siren ships that were only slightly smaller than the Bakunawa, lacking in aircraft launch facilities and appearing sparsely armed but absolutely covered with heavy armor and shield arrays, the ships obviously meant to perform as siege breakers or a similar role as they sprinted ahead at an uncomfortable pace.

"What's everyone's status?"

Enterprise's grim words didn't need a verbal response, the bevy of resigned emotions and grand total of maybe seventy flightworthy aircraft shared between the four carriers speaking louder than any words could hope to. Empress didn't exactly instill much hope in the group with her own addition of, "We lack the weaponry required to break through such a vessel's shield and hull. Unless one of you happens to be carrying a spare 'Shinsei' in one of your back pockets I believe we may be outmatched at last."

"Giving up already, Siren?"

Jean Bart's harsh words were no doubt on the cusp of sparking an argument until Enterprise stepped in with, "I…have a way of destroying one of them."

"If this is the prelude to you performing some grand sacrifice play, Grey Ghost, then I-"

"It's not that, Eugen. It's the same way I defeated the Orochi. And I'll be completely out of the fight afterwards."

The unspoken admission that they would no longer be able to hold off any further Old Siren assaults went unspoken, the mood grim but nonetheless accepting as they prepared to withdraw once they dealt with the latest reinforcements, Elizabeth and Nagato informing the Admirals of their plan while Akashi readied the Shinsei, retreating from the battle lines to dock with the Bakunawa and begin setting up the warhead.

They'd given it their best shot but the simple reality was they didn't have any way of holding their ground long enough for each and every Wisdom Cube within the base to be retrieved, nor did they get the impression things were going much better on the inside. What had been a blistering pace for the first day had quickly tapered off into a much more contested slog as drones that couldn't be replaced were destroyed, Human soldiers either had to pull back to rest or were KIA while Alexander the rest of their sisters had to fight off constantly mounting exhaustion and stiffening resistance.

It was time to take their winnings and leave.

"Word of advice, I have no idea how this may feel to any of you, if you want to back out of the link before I go ahead with this…now's the time."

Amagi noted with no shortage of satisfaction that not a single one of their sisters did any such thing, staying with Enterprise as the Union Carrier shyly muttered, "Well, if you're all so certain about this…"

"Aww, is the great and scary Gray Ghost blushing~? A pity Zuikaku is not present, she would have never let you live the moment-"

"I'm starting!"

Warmly chuckling at the brief moment of comedy between the flotilla Amagi turned her gaze to the top of Enterprise's deck, an ethereal glow beginning to manifest atop of it where the Union Shipgirl stood, the Sakura momentarily frowning as the Old Siren's whispers returned, hoping that her sisters wouldn't be distracted by the incessant attempts to deceive her…and felt her tails bristle as she realized the echoes were emanating from Enterprise.

And not just soulless machine echoes, either. Grasping, feminine voices that the Sakura had a sickening feeling were intimately familiar with the Carrier that had brought them forth.

"You need to take better care of your health, that maid isn't always going to be around to pick up the slack, you know!"

"I don't mind playing second fiddle to you, ya know? It's just that every now and again I'd like to be the hero, so take it easy sometimes, okay~?"

"We've always had to do most of the heavy lifting, so it's okay for you to rely on us a bit more, okay?"

"...Why are you here again?"

"Unless you want TO - STay with us, Subject 00004. Your input before dissolution of association was most productive-]

An agonized cry from the Carrier's mind tore across their link, Amagi almost flinching away on instinct from the cacophony of voices and emotions that ranged from warm and inviting to cold and malicious, Elizabeth worriedly shouting, "W-was her reaction this visceral when the Orochi was felled?!"

"Scheisse, visceral does not even begin to describe this! Was that another Enterprise speaking?"

Amagi found herself at a loss of what to say or do, caught off guard by her panicking sisters. She had obviously heard of Enterprise's destruction of the Orochi but from the reaction of everyone present it had been a much cleaner affair back then, compared to the panic and deluge of voices that now threatened to overwhelm them.

Yet in the midst of all the confusion, one voice broke through them all like a sword smashing through glass.

"Get ahold of yourself, Enterprise! You're always playing the part of poster girl and oh so heroic flagship and a little bit of screaming has you beat?! Or have I always been frantically comparing myself to a second rate all along?!"

Amagi blinked at the uncharacteristic vitriol from Essex, the Shipgirls included in the link briefly stunned into silence as the howling din continued unabated…and atop her vessel, surrounded by a transformed aura of black and purple streamers Enterprise staggered to her feet, bow acting as an improvised cane as the Wisdom Cube within her chest pulsed with an eerie light, perfectly visible as if the Shipgirl had become translucent.

…And yet where a person's heart would have been lurked a small, flickering ball of soothing white, the Carrier growling, "I…I am NOT her. I'm Enterprise…and that's all we share. Just a few letters and syllables."

The glow within her chest flickered like the beginnings of a bonfire.

"She's pitiful and alone, with only strength to watch her back. Me?"

Like a clutch of fireflies entering a darkened grove motes of light gathered around the wavering flame, adding their own illumination to it as it steadily grew.

"I have strength AND people that won't just watch my back but pick me up when I've fallen."

Ugly and corrosive ropes of energy were burned away, turning golden white as Enterprise drew herself up proudly, raising her bow as a sunbright beacon formed within.

"So GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD!"

A deafening CRACK echoed across the battlefield as a mirrorbright lance of power was hurled towards the pair of Old Siren vessels, traveling at a blisteringly fast pace as it pierced the leftmost ship as if its shields didn't even exist-

-and Amagi couldn't hold back the startled gasp that left her lips as the vessel lit up in an explosion that had been the domain of Alexander-sama's HELGA weapon, the second Old Siren craft caught in the blast as its shields failed in rapid succession, hull melting and flying off in sprays of superheated metal as the noise hit them a second later, a deafening BOOM that rattled them all before the swirling terrain gradually settled, all of the Shipgirls cautiously silent until Elizabeth murmured, "Bloody Hell. The Head Maid has a strange taste in partners."

[I wasn't informed that we had a weapon like that readily available.]

Admiral Harrison's dry and tellingly neutral tone snapped them out of their reverie, Amagi staring towards the remaining Human vessels as their crews gathered and stared in open awe at the gradually dissipating fire, Nagato responding, [Neither were we, that was a far more destructive usage of the power that ended the Orochi. And it came at a cost.]

Enterprise's vessel sluggishly turned and headed towards the Bakunawa, its automatic processes engaged as while the Carrier herself was very much alive Amagi didn't need to be a doctor to tell that she was out cold, whatever strange ability she had manifested obviously taking its toll.

…Not that it ultimately mattered, it was high time they departed this area with their spoils.

"How curious, that she was able to reject yet simultaneously employ the strength of an Ash…"

While Amagi would have very much liked to question Empress on what she was talking about Ying Swei suddenly warned, "Sisters, the second vessel-"

Whatever the Empery Cruiser was about to say never made it past her lips as several dull thumps sounded out across the battlefield, all of them whirling around to find that the crippled ship had launched a dozen arching projectiles that flew towards the Bakunawa at an alarming speed, anti-air batteries spinning to life as solid streamers of fire flew up to strike down the munitions…and they were left sorely disappointed as the unknown weapons shrugged off the CIWS fire and continued on their way uninterrupted, bursting into metal fragments just a short distance away from the docked vessel that seemed to to do very little in the way of damage.

The reason why became chillingly apparent as rather than any kind of warhead what emerged from the capsules were twelve enormous and fearsome looking machines, their bodies bristling with armor and weaponry as they slithered forward on powerful coils, heading directly towards where the Human soldiers had holed themselves up in order to protect the Wisdom Cubes.

"What manner of foul monstrosities are those?!"

To their dismay it was August who tersely replied, "Hunter-Killers, specialized units that were deployed to annihilate equally elite units. We need to retreat before-"

"If you aren't already clearing out then you all better do so! TB just jumped back into the thick of things and the Old Sirens are planning on collapsing this thing with all of us still inside it! Also do I really want to know why everyone seems so panicked?"

[Fortress 1 to Fleet, new enemy types encountered! We need IMMEDIATE reinforcements, our weapons aren't doing shit to them-]

The radio call abruptly went silence as a POP suggested something wet and crunchy had been destroyed very suddenly, Amagi feeling her lips purse as Alexander growled, "Well when it rains it fucking pours, now doesn't it?"

"This plan is insane."

"And it's what we have to work with, quit arguing with me and keep those damned Cubes safe!"

Trying his best to broadcast stress and reassurance in equal measure through the link Alexander gave Émile a worried look, the dancer offering him a weak smile as he finished sealing up the stump that was all that remained of her left leg, the injury perfectly healable but not in current circumstances. Neither was Aegir's mangled right arm nor the frantically stitched hole in Belfast's side, liable to pop open with nothing more intense than a mean glare.

The only ones amongst their group mostly intact were Le Malin, Warspite, Kawakaze and himself.

"Fine. You had better not do anything stupid."

"Who, me? Just focus on helping those guys out and I'll be done before you know it."

Shutting the mental communication down before the debate could continue the Aloadae turned to his little group, facing Le Malin as he stated, "You need to make sure these three get back to the Bakunawa intact, Mathers should be meeting up with you about halfway there."

"I resent the implication that we are unable to look after ourselves, Alexander."

"Your arm is basically meatloaf, Aegir."

"Tis but a flesh wound."

Rolling his eyes at the Ironblood's irreverent response Le Malin - despite dangerously swaying on her feet from simple exhaustion - nonetheless nodded at his words, Belfast helping Émile to her foot as she stated, "At the risk of stating the obvious do try to be somewhat careful, Master Alexander. I fear Ladies Warspite and Kawakaze will only be able to reign in so many of your suicidal tendencies."

"Yeah yeah, be careful and all that-wait, what? What are you two-"

The Battleship and Destroyer offered him uncompromising stares, Warspite primly stating, "We are coming along to ensure your safety, My Liege. And that is final."

"You're going to need it."

Protests died in his throat, Alexander merely sighing as he stared at the pair, Warspite sporting a nasty gash along her leg that was shallow but bloody while one of Kawakaze's eyes had swollen shut after an explosion threw a metal chunk at her, the tip of right fox ear sheared away.

"Fine. Come on, let's go. We'll see you back at the Bakunawa!"

Grabbing his last reload from one of the courier drones Curtis forced himself to take a deep breath, rushing off into the depths of the base once more as his allies followed close behind, Warspite asking, "My Liege, you mentioned that this base was intending to destroy itself, but is that not what we planned to do?"

TB - thankfully back in action and affording him the chance to mess with time given the opportunity - answered for him, responding, [It is the manner of destruction that is worrisome. While we intended to merely destroy the ring the Old Sirens currently wish to…expand it's range of influence very suddenly and very abruptly. The Wisdom Cubes are used as limiters and restraining agents for a portal of this size, if they were to be used in the opposite manner and instead overcharge this rift in space and time…]

TB paused, eventually stating, [It is actually difficult to say for certain what would happen as a scenario such as this has never before occurred, but the most likely result is a 'compression' of local space before it collapses and then explodes outwards, my calculations suggesting that the Iris, Royal Navy and a number of other territories bordering the Celtic Sea would be completely swallowed by a fast expanding wave of water.]

Alexander could both sense and hear Warspite's clenched jaw, the Shipgirl resolutely replying, "Then all the more reason for us to conventionally bring low this behemoth."

"Were you and the other Neo Sirens not guarding against this very sort of trick?"

[The local Old Siren programs performed the equivalent of a suicide attack to trigger the process, we were unable to stop them. Although that has opened up the possibility for us to hijack certain local systems, even if it's an ongoing process.]

"About time we can maybe make use of their own shit."

Taking the left TB flashed across his helmet Alexander smashed through what looked like a maintenance shaft, sliding down the heavy steel ropes in a spray of sparks as Kawakaze and Warspite rode on his shoulders, yet another set of doors ripped open as he asked, "Why are we heading off the beaten path, TB? I mean the Shinsei could have ripped a pretty big damn hole in this thing even if we plopped it on the outer hull."

[I am directing you to the nearest control center, physical access to that system should provide a much clearer and more complete understanding of the local teleportation assets, allowing us to move the Shinsei or other munitions directly to the Old Siren points of significant interest. While detonating the Shinsei might be adequate to disrupt and end the overload if we are able to more precisely place it would be a far more certain plan.]

"Dammit, I hate it when sensible decisions mean bad shit."

Carefully poking his head around yet another narrow corridor the Aloadae reflected that they were in some seriously scary terrain at the moment, the wide avenues of the main interior replaced with winding and stooped maintenance corridors that he was barely able to squeeze through.

"Is making a short joke acceptable at a time like this?"

The brief glares he got from Warspite and Kawakaze - the both of them able to navigate far easier than he could even with their Rigging - had him cracking a brief smile before a sudden burst of alarm transferred over their mental link, the Aloadae closing his eyes in resigned exasperation as Sovetskaya warned, "Alexander, two of those Hunter-Killer drones broke off from the main group, they seem to be headed your direction!"

"Judging by the tone of your voice that's pretty damn bad."

"The remaining ten have already worked through half of the garrison that was guarding the Bakunawa."

He almost tripped at the Parliament Shipgirl's grim words, caught completely off guard by the tally.

It meant in just a few minutes those things had killed or incapacitated more than a thousand entrenched and dug in soldiers, aided by the Bakunawa's own defenses.

"Oh SHIT. Come on, we gotta move!"

Warspite and Kawakaze had been in on the conversation and didn't offer up so much as a single smidgen of protest, sprinting after him as they gave up on stealth, TB quickly remarking, [I will attempt to follow or delay their movements but tracking these Hunter-Killer units is difficult. I hypothesize they are employing some form of jamming or stealth capability.]

"Great. This just keeps getting better and better."

Focusing on running Alexander kept an eye out for any Old Siren ambushes, not entirely sure if he was imagining the sound of pounding metal hounding their steps or not.