Notes

Have another one! Megastructures are kicking me like crazy combined with non-stop waiting for more Amazon stories.

"Hello?"-Someone speaking/"Hello"?-Norfolk's thoughts/'Hello?'-Radio comms?/Hello?-?

"I personally do not get people who are against abortion so much. you think they give into that 'bleeding heart' mentality that they make fun of everyone else for. It's like they want to save every fetus regardless of the side effects like someone as myself who is quite... unpredictable. And then you have them praising a new birth. and then slowly becoming more and more hostile or distant. setting them up for a nice life of monotony at a 9-5 or worse. 996 while being deaf to any complaints. It's like they love a baby-doll. but as soon as its a teen who's smoking weed or a grown-up with its own ideas, its 'hate them' time. Like... what do you want with more people? More indentured slaves for the big boys like Elon or Bezos? Breeding fetishes and being used as a emotional punchbag by a disturbed parent? More disturbed murderers on the street and loli rap-i mean. forceful molesters? Makes you wonder... And given the amount of news that has rich people going to abortion and the poor ending up with nothing but a altar of pain. It's almost like rehab centers for the rich and chattel sla-Ahem. I mean. the brig for the poor! George Carlin would have a wonderful time."-Norfolk

It felt like I was free to be back out on the high seas again.

Not something I expect to be saying myself, but it was true. With the gentle sea state breeze. calm waves. Clear skies shining down into my sensors. It was like I was created to be out there, and it was something I didn't know might be a part of shipgirl mindsets.

You'd think that my experience of being on the move alone. having to carefully pick off small fleets and be on the lookout for big ones the minute I'd woke up for the first time here would've made such a emotion impossible but a quick glance around gave me a reason to not be so paranoid. Screening vessels and capitals following me behind did a lot to help deal with the feeling of being watched. The lack of any hostile activity and heavy fighting in the distance also helped,

Thanks to my concerns with Command's plan and a bit of prodding Princeton myself. I was able to demand and gain extra shipgirls and assets to add to my force. Requisitioning generalist classes had been my first task. seeing Aurora and Charles added to my starting composition of the pasta destroyer. a scared fletcher and the Z-sisters. Icarus and Echo and then Phoenix, which in my opinion would have been too small to be capable of splitting off independently. Light fire support was another matter that would be filled in by Quincy. She was to support the others. coming with considerable firepower and secondary capabilities for, well. dealing with anything the small girls might go up against.

Two Fast Attack Crafts were mixed in the form of Arashio and Ariake and to that end. despite some initial hesitation on Japan's side. they mostly agreed to releasing the two for assignment to my squadron. Given the capabilities of the Long lances in question. they would act as attack destroyers-what they lacked in medium AA and power-operated turrets, they would make up for with torpedoes allowing rapid hit-and-run attacks on enemy units. All of these additions gave me more flexibility as they were capable of flanking and attacking from multiple angles. something like the Sakura destroyers operating with fighters to protect them while Phoenix and Charles were to support them.

Icarus and Echo were to act as escort units. while the Z-sisters were to be gunboats along with Libeccio and Spence herself engaging hostile screening vessels and once the offensive phase had began, to search for and destroy submarines by forcing them to surface or either inflicting such unmanageable flooding that they were effectively gone.

Of course, there was the possibility i might have to use my carrier ability for something else other than acting as the unofficial carrier of the whole group. and to that end, Joint Command HQ was able to mobilize Independence and Bataan, who were my semi-ideal carriers for this choice as they could be able to keep pace while maintaining a reasonable size and still giving me some measure of breathing room with their fighter/dive bomber capability who would be directed by my aircraft operating in the AEW role. Unfortunately, Yorktown wasn't available like I wanted to as she could be slotted beautifully into my fleet. replacing Independence herself while providing CAP and still having spare fighters left.

With that complete, I still needed something to stop air power attacks if the indication of heavy surface assets was any idea. The Atlanta-class sisters with Juneau, San Juan and Atlanta herself were all available. One of the IJN's greatest problems was that they were always being bombed by the USN's carrier-focused strategy. and they didn't even develop any solutions in a reasonable timeframe like compact directors and medium AAA and early PF fuses (as unreliable as they were), The Atlanta cruisers would be the answer to stop that. That being said, even that might not be enough.

I had also been provided some Eagle union aircraft to take the burden off my own modern ones, who were now in reserve storage for the entire time being.

I may be overly waxxing on that, But it is quite a fine fleet composition...

And speaking of the Hellcat carrier herself, and Aurora. and Yorktown, And Atlanta. I shouldn't be saying this myself. but given I used to be friends with someone who really liked playing Bataan and with fond memories of Yorktown resurfacing in my mind. I don't even know who I am attracted to anymore! The rational part of me says i should just clear my mind and stick to my assigned objectives. but the innocent. lewd and childish part reminds me that If possible, i should go and bury my head into the light carrier's chest and let her stroke my head lightly!

Goddamn it circumstances, but curses for not letting me hang around with Bataan outside of combat conditions right now!

Still. I suspected that the defense and roaming fleets present would be formidable, No doubt a equal of my own would be there supported by a few battlecruisers and at least a handful of carrier support. but Hornet and the other fleets would be there to occupy their attention entirely.

While it had been relatively Siren-free for a while, apart from the submarine resupply spot we were going to interdict and render too dangerous. that didn't mean we were idle. being relatively siren-free simply meant you had less chances to run into an Type VII U-boat or a roaming Destroyer leader cruiser/destroyer combination than elsewhere in this combat zone. I'd sent up a few seaplanes to sweep for potential threats as well as look for surfaced submarines or on a clear day. shallow submerged ones when overhead. We were already getting pretty close to the regroup point and I wanted to report in with them as quickly as possible.

It was a sentiment echoed by some, Including Phoenix who somewhat became my second in command officer. Which is, to simplify it for you that she made suggestions from time to time and I followed them with some scrutinizing since what experience I may have on the tactical scale mostly comes from cross-referenced databanks and Norfolk's memories. Maybe it was a intentional decision on Blake's part. Give me someone who had been engaged several times and was a veteran in her own right to correct any errors i might make.

Or Phoenix was just that quick to assert herself as a unofficial NCO. in which case I was not bothered.

A transmission came in from one of my seaplanes. reporting an lone airborne contact and situation updates, It was a fighter. from Illustrious. The other fleet had exchanged information to my location on their current positions and headings as well as general condition before going silent, my Seaplane continuing its search pattern and Illustrious's... I am not sure. Probably just doing CAP.

"W-What's going on?" Spence asked after I was in thought going over the information I had received.

"O-One of my seaplanes just made contact with Illustrious's fighters." I replied. "In just a short matter of time we should be within range to contact if we hold our current course." Destroyers nodded in understanding. I relayed new orders to my seaplanes to continue updates as nominal if they could. The faster we got there and the offensive phase began, the faster we could get this mission done over with. As much as I liked being on the High Seas, Something in my mind was telling me that there was something else at play here. As if something had accounted for me already.

"Hornet to Norfolk. Come in!" A new radio transmission came in and it was not a pulse, On all of our radios if the sudden changes in the group and the way Spence nearly jumped was any hint.

"This is N-Norfolk. We all read you, Hornet." I answered for the group and thank god I had some idea of this from Norfolk's memories and basic accelerated training otherwise I might be getting a few of my words wrong by now. Or it could be Alsace's side talking even if she doesn't 'exist'. for lack of a better word.

"Reading you. Norfolk, Nice to hear you." Hornet answered back. "Are you in position yet?"

"It's a no, We're still trying to get there." I said with a soft but firm voice. "Seaplanes are up to provide t-time estimate though, but my light carriers are not alerted yet."

"Alright, I'll keep Illustrious's CAP on rotating patrol." Hornet stated. "Have you detected anything with Radar yet?"

I mentally brought up my map and checked the pulses. seeing that there was nothing detected so far with these single sweeps and on/off pulses other than just some simple clutter that was easily filtered out. "N-Nothing yet, I-I am undetected for now. No submarines on hydrophones either."

"Copy. You be a bit late compared to us, but you shouldn't keep us from waiting for too long. Norfolk! It's Sub territory after all!" Hornet said cheerily. but with a check of my sixth sense I got the feeling she was being serious about the submarine part. A few more messages and the whole two-way transmission quickly ended with the radios going silent.

"I-Its going to be hard, isn't it..." Spence quietly asked and already I felt she was getting worried. Poor girl can't even relax with the risks posed to the other fleet members.

"Relax, Spence. I... Aurora will be there to back you up if you ever run into a strongpoint." I said. "And you have me by your side after all..."

"Well, hopefully we'll get there soon!" Z20 said happily. "Then we can blow up their submarines and sink their support ships!"

"Then we should keep our eyes open, Everyone!" Phoenix replied simply. Most of the destroyers cheered and a few cruisers steeled their faces. while I grunted. I wondered what the sirens would want with me, and no doubt Hornet's other fleet was preparing to enter combat already.

Whatever it would be. It wasn't good. I imagined.

It's been some time ever since the fighting began. A hour of so. and now here I am with my group, trying to stop screwing around and get back to doing our objectives for real.

When surface battle units and patrolling pickets were spotted on the horizon by Hornet's other fleet. It was only a matter of time before the battle kicked off to a start given the enemy fleets seemed oblivious to Hornet's other fleet. giving her an major surprise advantage that led to her going on the offensive in a attempt to exploit before the advantage was lost, be it by a submarine surfacing to discover them or maritime aircraft closing in. They had came in guns blazing and with a first-strike composition of air power that pulverized a few Leanders and inflicted considerable damage to their carrier units before they could even get their aircraft into the air.

In response the other fleet commenced combat action. coming in a relatively tight formation resembling a triangle. Unidentified cruisers and gunboats like the Clevelands speared the attack with their firepower. Following them behind were dozens of Renowns and Kageros. who made violent contact with their Union. RN. Ironblood and Sardegna counterparts. So far they were doing a nice job of bogging down the enemy fleet's attention. but it also meant that everyone was now aware of what was going on in the immediate area.

No doubt by now that if it hadn't reached the pickets and any maritime aircraft within range, it wouldn't be long before Attack and Fleet submarines became aware of the word. which meant they would likely be fleeing or either attempting to engage by now. As it stood, A portion of Hornet's main fleet was moving in to support the other.

Independence was pulling her own weight in fire support. but admittedly Hornet's main fleet was doing most of the supporting work, My Light carriers just wouldn't compete with a full-sized carrier in these parameters. Mostly I had ordered Independence to pull away the fighters that were protecting the bombers, while the Illustrious sisters concentrated on disrupting the bombers and trying to find holes in the Siren fleet (which I designated Alpha-1 for namekeeping) to punch through without suffering unacceptable attrition.

"Victorious to Norfolk!" The voice of the carrier piped up over the radio. I wound up startled out of my constant optical scanning from the unexpected surprise. and my 100mms winded up pointing guns at the skies for anything suspicious out of jumpy nerves. Phoenix shot me a glance. And I returned it with an apologetic smile, 'Not my damn fault that I tend to be hyper-sensitive to anything sounding like enemy activity when alerted. Phoenix!'

"N-Norfolk here. W-What's going on?" I replied over the radio. Even with how bad WW2 systems can be. I could still hear explosions and gunfire over the link.

"We made contact with the Sirens, There were heavy patrolling fleets like you said." The main problem here was if there were several more waiting. "Fortune and Bulldog are barely afloat and Gioberti. Trento and Honolulu have took pretty nasty hits. They'll withdraw for now, it's too risky for them to continue in their state."

"What's the composition o-of the enemy fleet in general?" I asked. if there was a Maximum battleship or another large battleship that posed a SSD-level threat. then things would get complicated for them.

"Destroyers. Cruisers. Fleet carriers. Battleships. It's a full fleet along with a few pickets!" Victorious reported. and I made a note to myself to prepare the Corsairs armed to the maximum. Full bunker-buster AP, nothing SAP or HE. "Apparently there was a pair of early warning Mutsukis stationed far away and they nearly spotted us first before Hornet began the attack. Admiral Hipper and Exeter broke off to try and lure some of their screening ships into giving chase, but they were hammered away by a pair of battlecruisers. That was about several minutes ago."

"We're n-nearly in position. I... Should we begin the anti-submarine phase?" I gave my reply. "N-Now would be a good time before they disperse and breakup." Victorious replied with confirmation and a few sighting reports of surfaced submarines. Basically, The path we were taking would wake up the hell out of these underwater fishes. but it didn't matter anymore as contact was inevitable and so long as they were isolated from each other. they could be picked off rapidly by my destroyers with up to three handled if I included and armed the Atlantas.

"Okay, Miss... Victorious. Keep harassing them and draw them away from my position, I want you to report in once this is over or I assume you will need to be rescued." The british carrier of victory gave an affirmative before radio channels all died.

I turned to Bataan and Independence. and gave the order for full mobilization of all air wings. "Send up the fighters i-into the air! Arm the bombers with depth charges and any rockets you may have. Hydrophones will be there to provide detection while... my Prowlers will provide sonobuoys i-if we must hit them from beyond any reasonable range! Z19. Z20. Aurora. Charles. You four will form our submarine hunting pairs. Atlantas, stay to warding off airstrikes!" My fleet gave an collective acknowledge as we began to accelerate to combat speed. The destroyers and the light cruiser were splitting off already from us as I ordered my stored aircraft to begin warming up. selecting several EA-6s with SSQ-53Fs passive and SSQ-62E Sonobuoys from necessarily modified Zuni pods and a pair of Digital Mark 44 torpedoes to force surfacing under risk of flooding if need be.

The hard part would be knowing where to deploy the sonobuoys so I don't waste them while at the same time not hitting maximum range limits for even noisy targets and filtering out interference. And staying safe myself so i don't get swarmed by Gatos and U-boats despite my formidable self-defense abilities.

We'd found two U-boats.

Type VIICs to be exact if Bataan's report was right. Deep-diving. relatively quiet compared to the large fleet subs. and compared to a Gato it was quite small, The German submarine was short-ranged and not capable of long range operations. had less magazine depth than its larger cousin. and like all submarines of the era operated on the surface rather than staying submerged. But it was fast. currently armed. and quite quiet and maneuverable if we weren't paying attention.

And that's why we were now at maximum speed possible as my two pairs of ASW units all sped toward the two Siren submarines. That was much easier said than done, given how I ordered an attack in echelon to force them to submerge out of fear rather than getting any funny ideas to fight them on the surface and risk destroying a few of my bomber units. Airborne depth charges being dropped and exploding. throwing up columns of water despite their rather shallow fuse setting ensured they kept suppressed. and now I had a few ways on how to go about this...

As a modern battleship I had the ability to defend myself. Against the actual threats of the later subs this would be meant more for self-defense once a SSK was sniffed out. For example, Ikara was the only thing that had the reaction time necessary to launch in the short time span demanded. With a helicopter taking too long and shipborne torpedoes leaving one within firing range.

Now though? I am basically a Type 23 ASW nightmare vessel made manifest in the form of homers. PF-fused depth charges and a exceedingly accurate and long-ranged ASDIC system. and it rather helped, because in the meanwhile I had spotted noises and picked up active reflections of what must have seemed like other subs in the area. probably submerged or either trying to wait it out. I had to slow down from flank speed. yes... but I updated the map in my mind for later once I was done with this pair.

Now came the hard part, going all-out might be too costly for my current ammunition reserves. even if I included and armed the lightweight torpedo tubes and ASW mortars. Also. A Storm system was beginning to form some distance from us and Hornet's group. and was predicted to move into our positions within the hour.

On the other hand, Trying to take them out by accumulated damage might take too much time given they didn't just sit there and die. and even if I was giving my two pairs constant instructions there was room for error and in general depth charges being too slow and unguided, And more time meant exposing myself more to the possibility of a counter-attack from even something like a roving patrolling destroyer-cruiser combination and getting all of my generalists involved left me and my capitals vulnerable. Perhaps too much time...

"Bataan. Keep them down and blind!" The blonde replied with a beautiful smile. adjusting her orders to her current active bombers as I switched SQS-53 to active mode. and began to ping the two U-boats in question.

"Yes. Ma'am." And just like that she whispered. "Go forth. Little ones, It's time for the carriers to show that they are capable of sinking the silent hunters of the seas." Bataan and Independence were at the rear of our formation. not intended to enter combat, but still protected by my generalist units due to the presence of subs in the area. "I really hope she is surgical. as she promised..."

Data flowed into my mind. numbers and red bulbs appeared on the map. moving every so often with every ping of my sonar. Judging by how quick they were submerging and descending. They must have taken some damage from the initial airborne depth charges, but not so severely as to send them out of control as they began levelling out. They may be submerged and out of reach from my two carriers for now. But on the other hand they've just lost all mobility and means to fire back.

*Type VII#1 Depth:Shallow/Current Bearing: 357*

Keyword being Just. U-boats fired on the surface or decks awash. not in a underwater brawl.

Considering whether to pull the trigger handles on my Ikara launchers of not. I settled on simply feeding my ASW shark-hunters the juicy data they needed, and one that was critical to them like depth. range and predicted speed with eerie efficiency as they began adjusting fuses and changing their approach angles in turn.

In the depths of the sea, Redshirt grunt-543 'Riku' threw herself into a full right turn and almost shouted as she heard enemy shipgirls passing overhead. Some mounts were shaken and there was shock from the initial bombs dropped on them by Union aircraft. but they had submerged quickly enough to avoid any actual floodnig.

The plan was simple, They were to cruise to these coordinates. meet up with a patrolling destroyer in the area. be directed toward potential sightings, and sent on their way. After getting their shares of kills or either disrupting enemy commerce activity. they were to return, resupply and rearm however long it took. and then return again to hit ships trying to avoid submarine sightings and interdict enemy fleets. throwing Azur lane into confusion and disarray from being unable to predict and track them down.

But then ASW bombers had happened, and what sounded like reports of heavy fighting in the distance. a battle too chaotic for her to join lest she risk a blue-on-blue incident. and then her hydrophones heard ASDIC pinging in the distance. But it sounded different. lots of reverb and high-pitched with step changes. traits which were not part of standard RN. Eagle union, let alone any sonar they knew of. Even Japanese Type 91 sonar didn't have these step changes.

DIIINGG! CHEEEPP! DIINNGGG!

Riku was just about to say something to herself about the probable chance that their enemies were launching a attack on their resupply points when something exploded in the water.

Hull joints shook and modules were thrown about as she tried to keep herself steady and evade. She heard flooding and the sounds of eerily-accurate depth charges. She could just barely send herself into a dive to try and escape into deeper depth bands.

Slowly everything stopped screaming about and though everything hurt, everything was at least stable... at least until the enemy destroyers turned around to make their attack again.

'Light flooding and some damage to my stern... nothing bad i can't repair in a hurry.' She thought to herself. trying to dive even deeper. Through all of the underwater explosions and the confusion and disturbances that were being picked up by her hydrophones. she heard something extremely faint like something being dropped into the water gently.

'That was too accurate... W.. What's that noise on the hydros?'

Turning her head around and deciding to ascend. Her hunting partner was nowhere to be found, instead. in her place were a pair of torpedoes swimming impossibly underwater at surprising speed for such a small thing toward her. and she heard active high-frequency sonar pings coming from the two that were increasing in ping rate. Like they were acoustic homers as they changed their course to follow her ascent.

"What the-!?"

It swam toward her to touch her outer hull.

Submerged and oblivious to what was going on the surface with her companion missing and unable to outrun or out-maneuver these small torpedos. Riku couldn't do anything but let go of her controls and scream.

So what do you want me to do in the next chapter? Continue sub hunting? Or prepare to switch to a more surface combat-focused mindset with the threat of Super star destroyer-level threats in the field and active patrolling units?