It's been 4 years since the emergence of the Abyssals, a highly intelligent and highly hostile race of marine life. They hit hard and fast, not sparing a soul if they can help it. But, the world was not so easily turned on it's side as the world's naval superpowers attempted to fight back at this new, sudden threat.

At first, it appeared to be working, various countries such as Japan and Britain winning key victories, securing key regions across the globe.

That's when the Abyssals began to adapt, using new forces and tactics not before seen. Former victories were replaced with crushing defeats. Formerly secured regions became the stuff of legends as the Naval powers of the world were pushed back to their homes and off of the water.

But it did not stop there as the Abyssal's began the shellings and attacks of port cities and naval installations. New York was reduced to rubble within a day. Sydney was set ablaze within an hour. San Francisco was crushed and obliterated in the blink of an eye.

Civilization as we knew it was on the verge of utter and total collapse, the victors deemed the mysterious species that had emerged from the ocean's deepest and darkest depths.

But, just as all seemed lost and forgotten, Japan emerged with a new way to combat these threats.

2 years into the Abyssal Conflict, off the coast of California is when they first emerged as a response to a distress signal sent from the scattered U.S. Naval forces in the bay of San Francisco.

The ship girls. Human sized gun platforms, easily maneuverable and quick witted, but had the firepower of a fully stocked warship. Classes ranging from Battleship to Submarine rained down hell on the Abyssal Fleet trying to crush what remained of the U.S. Naval Forces in the area.

But it didn't stop there as the Japanese based fleet secured breathing room for the U.S. along it's western coast and across the world for other countries. However, it was not such a simple going after such.

Countries of the world demanded that Japan share the tech that had constructed the girls, intending to bring back their own ships that had been lost to the Abyssals. Japan then revealed that such a thing would not be possible, for the Ship Girls only dated as late as World War II. Some countries were discouraged at this, not having credible naval forces to speak of. But countless such as America, Britain, and Germany were not discouraged.

In according with this and a show of good faith, Japan invited the three other superior naval forces of the Second World War to come and start their own Ship Girl forces, in an attempt to make a full forced stand against this new threat.
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Admiral Anya Johnson sat in her quarters, looking over some last minute things as the Aegis destroyer, the USS Norfolk, as it heads for the Japanese naval base that serves as the base of operations for its ship girls. This is the naval starion that would also host other countries fleets for the time being.

Anya looked over a list of ship girls that had been created by the Japanese, finding some names more common known than others. The first two names, for instance, were the Yamato sisters, Yamato and Musashi. Other names such as Kongou and Atago also decorated the list. Anya marveled at the various names on the list, running a hand through her shoulder length blonde hair. Her green eyes studied the names inventively, for as she understood it, she would be meeting most if not all of these girls.

She laughed to herself quietly, thinking about this. These girls were supposedly the souls of some of the most feared warships of Japan during World War 2. And here she was, preparing to bring the souls of American ships to serve right alongside with them. She wasn't exactly sure how it was gonna go.

She continued to read over the names, getting familiar with each one when her phone rang. She put her tablet on her desk as she answered, leaning back in her chair as she did so.

"Hello?" She answered, looking at the roof.

"Hello Admiral. You looking forward to your first day with the ship girls?" The old, gruff voice asked in a cheerful manner from the other end of the line. Anya relaxed at the voice, it belonging to her own commanding officer, Fleet Admiral James Hayfield.

"Hello Sir. I wasn't expecting you to call so soon. I figured you'd wait at least a few days before checking up on me." She stated with a slight smile as she spoke to her CO. She got a chuckle in response from the other end.

"What, I can't check up on the Admiral that I trained myself? Anya, you're one of the most promising Admirals the U.S. Has ever seen. Of course I'm going to check up on you. Although, I won't lie to you. I'm looking forward to my first inspection over there. Certainly better than the political firestorm going on over here. Damn politicians." He muttered. Anya laughed at the expense of her CO.

"It can't be that bad. Not like anything I'm going to face anyways. I'm going to be face to face with the Yamato sisters. Yamato." she stated in an exaggerated manor "As in the pride of the combined fleet. Holy hell, won't take much for me to lose my head." Anya stated. James just laughed, shaking his head in amusement.

"Just keep clear of those 18" guns and I think you'll be fine." James offered. Anya shook her head. After a moment, James calmed down enough to where he was no longer laughing.

"So, did you get the time to look over the files that the JMSDF provided us with?" He asked, his voice taking more of a serious tone. Anya nodded, pulling out the indicated file.

"I read it over 5 times since I've been on the Norfolk. Every time I've read it, it still seems hard to believe but in less than 3 hours, I'll be meeting the very girls these reports are over." She stated. James made a noise of agreement.

"Very much so. I look forward to your first report in the coming days Johnson. I'll let you go now, for I imagine you're soon to be quite busy." He stated. Anya gave a goodbye as her CO hung up the phone on his end, bringing their conversation to a close. She hung up the phone as she sighed, rubbing her eyes trying to get the exhaustion to leave her.

She stood from her desk, stretching her legs as she packed away the file and her tablet. She then turned towards the door, opening it in one quick motion. She stepped out into the hall, her next destination the bridge of the Norfolk.

As she walked down the hall, passing sailors stepped aside as they saluted her. She saluted back as she kept on to her destination, but was stopped when her stomach gave a growl of resentment. With a solemn sigh, she readjusted her course to the mess hall, intent on ending the ensuing battle of hunger.

When she did eventually reach the mess hall, she looked around for something to curb her hunger. Landing her eyes on a bowl of apples, she decided to go for one, scooping it up and taking a bite out of it. With her hunger now on the retreat as she enjoyed her snack, she began to head to the bridge once again, seeing just how far away they were from their destination.

She took another bite of her Apple as she neared the bridge, mulling over various things in her head.

To say she was surprised when her CO offered her the command of the U.S.'s ship girls, she thought he had gone slightly insane. But side enough, he eventually got her to agree to it, shipping her out the very next day. She had been told very little at first, but upon going through the provided files more carefully, she learned that she would be working along side the head Japanese admiral of the program as well as admirals from the Royal Navy and Kriegsmarine.

She wasn't sure when the Germans or the British were arriving, but she was due to arrive in just a few hours, an aspect that both excited her and terrified her. Just running her mind over what she had read earlier, there was a endless amount of possibilities. Her mind continued to wander as she neared the bridge.

As she opened the door, the captain turned her sight to her direction. When she realized who it was, she gave a firm command.

"Admiral on bridge." She stated. All other sailors turned to her with a crisp salute. Anya returned the salute.

"At ease, sailors." She responded back. That returned the bridge to normal operations, the sailors going back to their normal positions. The captain looked over at Anya, nodding her over.

"There anything to report?" Anya asked. The captain shook her head as she looked out over the open ocean, it currently being illuminated by the afternoon sun high in the sky.

"Nope. It's been pretty much smooth sailing so far, and sonar isn't picking up any Abyssal signatures. So, ma'am, if I may ask, what's your opinion on the Ship girls? Think they're the real deal or just another dead end?" Captain Algerona asked. Her brown hair was tied up in a pony tail as she kept looking on ahead. Anya shrugged.

"I'm not sure what to think, Captain. On one hand, it seems absolutely insane that something like this could actually exist. But then again, you and I have both seen first hand what they're capable of. Japan saved our asses at San Francisco so the least we can do is see if we can get fleet of our own so they don't have to play hero every time an abyssal scout is spotted half way around the world." Anya responded. Algerona nodded, taking a sip of her coffee as she thought about it.

"Point taken. But isn't it a bit risky having the Combined Fleet and the Pacific Fleet so close together?" The captain asked. Anya nodded after she took a bit of her Apple.

"Possibly, but these girls have had 2 years to adjust to their new forms and get settled in. Plus, the way I hear it, their admiral made sure to prepare adequately before inviting us here. But, if WW3 sparks up because a bunch of warships with grudges start blowing eachother out of the water, you know where to look. I just have to help the American ships settle in as well. And I imagine that there will be ship girls there looking to make new friends and bury old feuds. Maybe." Anya finished on a solid note. Algerona nodded. She watched the ocean for a while longer before speaking to Anya again.

"So, there any ships you're look forward to meeting for sure?" The captain asked. Anya nodded.

"Been thinking about that a lot actually. Wouldn't mind standing face to face with the Enterprise. And I really would like to see what Arizona does with a second chance." Anya stated. Algerona nodded as she put her cup down, considering something for a moment.

"As far as I know, the ship girls in Japan highly care for their ship sisters, right?" Algerona asked. Anya nodded, looking Algerona in the eyes. "So what are you gonna do when you get Kentucky and Illinois and they wait for their sisters to show up, but they never do? Same thing for the S. Dakota's with Alabama. Their sisters were recommissioned into active duty after the Abyssal's attacked. What are you gonna do then?" Algerona asked. Anya thought about her words for a moment. She let out a sigh as she answered.

"Well, we'll have to cross the bridge when we come to it, now won't we? And who even knows if we'll get Kentucky and Illinois. Neither of them were actually commissioned by the U.S. Navy. Hell, Illinois wasn't even launched." Anya muttered to herself. Algerona kept with the questions however.

"That brings another good point forward. Think they'll still have grudges left over?" The captain asked. Anya shrugged, taking another bite out of her Apple.

"I honestly don't have a clue. They might and they might not. I'm betting that some of the more heavily classed girls, such as the Battleships and Carriers might, but not so much for the destroyers and cruisers. And who knows with the subs. Guess we'll find out when Bismarck and Hood come through." Anya finished. Algerona however, had already come up with another question.

"Speaking of that. You have any idea if other countries will be joining this project? It's not like Japan, the U.S., Germany, and Britain were the only ones with naval forces during WW2. They just happened to be the most dominant." Algerona explained. Anya nodded in agreement.

"True, and that's why they started off with us. If everything goes well enough, I've heard rumors that we could be expecting the French and Italians to join as well. But at this point so early in, it's all mere speculation and political whispers." Anya replied. Algerona nodded and was about to say something else when one of the men began to report something.

"Ma'am, I'm reading three contacts off our port, twelve miles out." He reported. Captain Algerona walked over to his station, looking down at the screen. Sure enough, 3 blinking dots were present on radar, slowly heading towards the Norfolk.

"Abyssals?" Algerona asked. The sailor manning the radar shook his head, holding one ear piece of his headphones closer to his ear.

"I don't think so. There's too few for it to be Abyssals, as they tend to stick to massive fleets. Another thing. Abyssals always observe radio silence. These contacts.... Seem to be arguing...." The man stated with uncertainty. Anya raised a brow at this as Algerona gave an order.

"Play it over the speakers. Let's see what they're arguing about why don't we...." Algerona ordered. The man nodded and hit a few switches, stopping for a moment. After a few seconds, a new voice spoke up over the speakers of the bridge.

"Shigure, why'd you do that, Poi?!" The first voice asked. A second voice responded a second later, in a rather annoyed tone.

"Why do you think I did it, Yuudachi? She was getting to far ahead of us. That's a great way to be blasted out of the water, specially when we're trying to escort the Americans to Yokosuka. And we can't do that if Shimakaze is speeding away like a mad woman! And even with our guns, those missiles would tear us up with ease!" The one identified as Shigure fumed.

"But you didn't need to hit her on the head, Poi!" The one known as Yuudachi squealed. A third voice, seeming to be a little disgruntled, spoke up.

"It's alright Yuudachi. She's just jealous that she can't race like me." The third voice, being identified as Shimakaze stated. "Isn't that right, Rensouhou-chan." Shimakaze asked, her tone changing to one of a motherly tone. The crew on the bridge of the Norfolk heard a high pitch squeal of glee in response. Algerona and Anya traded a glance.

"Can we contact them?" Algerona asked. The man nodded as he flipped a few more switches, handing a headset to the Captain. He then outstretched his arm, a second headset in his grasp, towards Anya. The two women took the headsets as they slipped then over their ears, adjusting their mics accordingly. The sailor flipped a few more switches before giving them a thumbs up. Algerona did not hesitate to speak.

"Unknown contacts, this is Captain Sofia Algerona of the USS Norfolk. Identify yourselves now or prepared to be fired upon." She ordered. Anya merely listened as they waited for a response.

"USS Norfolk, I am Shigure, Japanese destroyer. Ship girl based out of Yokosuka. We are to escort your vessel to Yokosuka so that no harm shall come to the Admiral Anya Johnson." She finished. Algerona turned to Anya, putting a hand over her mic as she spoke.

"That sound right?" Algerona asked. Anya hesitated a moment before speaking into her own mic.

"This is Admiral Anya Johnson of the U.S. Navy. Your info is correct, but this fog is heavy. I need visual proof to know you are who you say you are. Confirm last." Anya reported. Their was a brief silence before she got a response.

"Confirmation on last. Sending up Shimakaze since you apparently know what we look like." Shigure replied. She knew it was working when the sailor manning the radar station spoke again.

"Contact three is picking up speed. Be advised, visual contact in 90 seconds." The man stated. Algerona and Anya nodded as they kept their eyes on alert.

"60 seconds until visual."

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"30 seconds until visual."

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"15 seconds until visual."

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"Visual in 5... 4.... 3.... 2.... 1...."

As if on cue, a small blonde figure emerged from the fog. Or more like, skated out of the fog. Following closely behind her were two small metallic objects, crisscrossing behind the girl as if they were following behind their own mother. The only key difference between the two little beings is that one sported a red and white striped inner tube.

The girl skated across the water like mad, speed seeming to be her one and only goal. Anya watched with interest as she continued to do so. After a moment, she spoke back into her mic.

"Visuals confirmed. I recognize Shimakaze from the files your Admiral sent us. Lead the way, ladies." Anya stated. She was greeted with a rather annoyed response from Shimakaze.

"That's what the photos admiral took of us were for? I just thought the Admiral wanted a picture of me....." She spoke solemnly. Algerona and Anya traded a glance in confusion. Soon enough, Shigure and Yuudachi emerged from the fog as well. They formed a triangle formation in front of the Norfolk, Shimakaze taking the lead. Some of the men were watching them with interest, never having seen anything like it. The four ships sailed in silence for a while, the ocean being the only notable noise. After a little while, Anya decided she had had enough silence. Turning her mic back on, she spoke once again.

"So Shimakaze, Yuudachi, and Shigure. Is that correct?" She asked. She got three various noises of confirmation. After a moment, she spoke again. "Well since we'll be within walking distance of eachother for the foreseeable future, I've got a couple of questions for you three. That alright?" Anya asked. After a moment, she got a response.

"Sure, Poi!" Yuudachi replied with enthusiasm. Most likely at the aspect of no longer sailing in silence. Anya nodded as she fired off her first question.

"So first thing. I've read the files on you girls and seen the photos. But I imagine your admiral kept out some info for security purposes. So here's my first question. How many of you girls are actually in the Japanese fleet?" Anya asked. They had stopped playing the conversation over the speakers so now only Anya and Algerona could hear the girls.

"Hmmmmm.... I haven't really talked to the admiral or Mutsu about this, but I think the last time I checked... We were at about 55 at least... Don't quote me on that..." Shigure replied. Anya's eyes widened at the aspect. "Is that what the files read?" Shigure questioned.

"Ummm... No. The files only gave me reports on 20 of you, Shimakaze included. And you said Mutsu. As in the Nagato class battleship Mutsu?" Anya asked. She heard a noise of response from the other end of the line. Anya heard Algerona swear to herself off to the side as Anya asked a second question.

"So tell me.... What's your opinion on working so close with me and the ship girls you once called enemy....? Be honest with me." Anya stated. The conversation went silent for a time until Yuudachi began to speak at the question.

"I think I speak for all of us Admiral, when I say we all have our own reservations about working along side the Americans, poi. Some more than others...." Yuudachi responded. Anya was about to say something when Shigure continued the response.

"You can't blame us for that however. When we were brought through at first, and being explained who had called us back, our first expectation is that we were being sent back against you for a second round. But when we learned that we were called back to face a threat that threatened both of us equally, it was kind of hard to believe. Even harder still was hearing that the U.S. is one of Japan's greatest allies. So you can imagine some of us hesitated at first when we were deployed to San Francisco as a response force." Shigure finished. Anya nodded in understanding.

"Are there any certain ship girls of yours that are more vocal in their dislike of the idea of working with us?" Anya asked. Yuudachi was the one to respond to this.

"The two that come to mind would have to be Musashi and Zuikaku, poi." She explained.

"Second ships of the Yamato and Shokaku classes, correct?" Anya asked. Shigure responded with a surprised tone.

"Yes... That's correct. I'm surprised you knew that...." She stated, somewhat impressed by the fact that the American admiral knew it. Anya chuckled.

" WW2 Naval History is one of my favorite subjects ever. Plus, you have to be pretty uninformed in this kind of thing to not know who those two are. Alright. Last question. Despite being former enemies of ours, are there any ships that you would look forward to meeting?" Anya asked through the headset. This drew silence again for a while until Shimakaze responded.

"Truthfully.... As far as I know, there's only the Carrier girls that wish to meet someone of your fleet. And that is without a doubt the Yorktown sisters. Yorktown, Enterprise, and Hornet." Came the response. Both Anya and Algerona nodded to each other.

"Fair point. Well, I'll let you girls lead the way while I go get my stuff prepared." Anya stated. She switched off her mic and put it aside as she removed the headset. She turned to go but heard a grumble of resentment from Algerona. "Is there something wrong captain?" Anya asked her fellow sailor.

"What I wouldn't give to see the pacific fleet rise once again...." Algerona muttered. "But I'm do back at Pearl in 3 days so there isn't much hope for that...." She stated. Anya grinned as she pulled a piece of paper from he pocket.

"Is that so? Then I'll just ignore the orders instating you as my XO at Yokosuka. I mean, it's the least I could do since you basically carried me through the Naval Academy." Anya replied with a cheeky grin. Algerona snatched the paper out of Anya's hand as she read over it, a wide smile slowly making its way to her face.

"You bastard...." Algerona replied. "But what about the Norfolk?" She questioned. Anya snorted in response.

"Your crew has been briefed on the order. They are aware that you will not be returning to the states with them at the moment." She explained. Algerona muttered something under her breath.

"Knew they were hiding something....." She said quietly. Anya laughed as she turned to go get ready, leaving the Captain to her own thoughts at the moment.