The warm breeze that was carried in from the waters of San Francisco Bay and further than that, the Pacific at large, was a blessing in disguise for her as the cup of tea met her lips. With one hand wrapped around the item in a relaxed fashion and her other placed under it, there wasn't much trouble for anyone involved. Which suited her perfectly fine. One of the five sole occupants of the room, her legs were tucked under her in the proper manner as they sat across from their flagship.

Zuikaku spared a glance out the opened door as she gazed out across San Francisco bay, the water seeming to soak in the sun's rays. Almost blinding in a sense, Zuikaku averted her eyes directly from the water's surface as she instead yet watched a squadron of destroyers steaming for the bridge and beyond that out into the Pacific. Likely heading back home if she recalled right, given their rotation members would be arriving in two days time. She watched them steam after one another before turning her attention back indoors, eyes glancing to the lone figure sitting across from the four of them as she sipped at her tea.

"You're doing it again." Shoukaku chided from her spot to the left of Zuikaku, her eyes remaining closed even as she called her out. Z only spared a glance at her elder sister a moment before looking back to their flagship.

"Apologies, Shoukaku-Sama." Shinano offered with a bow of the head.

Shoukaku's eyes crept open, her gaze hardening on Shinano as they sat across from her.

"You utter apologies, yet you do little to correct the mistakes at hand and those that you present to those before you." The carrier replied in turn, the edge in her voice sharp enough to cut those that would approach her with hesitation. "You are our flagship. Represent what that means properly, or ask for a rotation back to the homeland."

"I-"

"You are a sister of the Yamato Class. What more than that, you were chosen for this assignment. All of your sisters have their own duties to fulfill. Yamato is back home. Musashi has been assigned to overwatch our holdings on the Russian Coast. Mimasaka has her posting to Australia and Tajima to hers amongst the Pacific islands. You have yours here because they believed to able to handle it. Do remember that from now on." The eldest Crane snapped at her.

"Of course, Shoukaku-Sama." Shinano replied, this time without a bow of the head. Shoukaku watched her a moment before her eyes slipped close again as she returned to sipping at her tea, her previous statement all but wiped away as she seemed to relax. Zuikaku watched her sister carefully a few moments before snickering from her other side caught her attention, Shoukaku's as well as the two turned their heads. Shoukaku leaned forwards as Zuikaku leaned back to look at the last person of their quartet.

"Is there something that you would like to share with the rest of us, Yüguna-Chan?" Shoukaku questioned that of her youngest sister. The eldest eyes found those refusing to meet her stare, the white haired Carrier's stare unmoving as she trusted- expected her youngest sister to meet her gaze. The short, fiery red haired carrier turned her attention to her eldest sister a moment or two later, still stifling some of her snickering.

"Well, it's just that I don't see why you're not made flagship. Every time, it's always a battleship. It's always one of us who has rifles. But every time, you've been proven to be far more effective at leading. I just don't see the sensibility in not making a flagship out of the one who has shown to have the aptitude. Even when we smashed Pearl, you showed more leadership than Nagato, Souryuu, or Hiryuu put together."

Shoukaku's expression turned into a tight frown as their third and by far quietest member of the four of them made her stance known.

She shoved Yüguna in the side.

"Okiniiri!" Yüguna snapped. Her quiet older sister only glared at the youngest of the four of them, nostrils flaring as she looked down on her.

Shoukaku's well worn frown shifted as the corners of her mouth titled upwards in a small, self approving smirk.

What Yüguna said, however, had merit regardless of what key members said or thought.

In the opening hours of March 13th, 1942, the Kido Butai brought down hellfire on Pearl Harbor. Composed of Souryuu, Hiryuu, Shoukaku, Zuikaku,  Okiniiri, and Yüguna, Japan's elite carrier force sortied three waves of Attack planes upon the seemingly unknowing Naval instillation.

The first bomb dropped at 5:31 Am that morning.

In another time however, their members different, they would sail West in their retreat after their attack.

It was Shoukaku who made the order that they sail instead to the South after which they shifted to the South by SouthEast.

When their would be pursuer's took to the water to hunt them, the American Carriers Enterprise and Hornet, they were not aware that they had already sailed past them.

When the news broke that Pearl had fallen under attack by Japanese aircraft a second time on March the 15th at approximately 8:38 AM, Enterprise and Hornet promptly turned and made flank to return to Pearl.

Only to find themselves victim to a trap.

While Pearl Harbor had been indeed under attack by Japanese Aircraft, it was a minor attachment composed entirely of aircraft from Souryuu and Hiryuu. When the would be Grey Ghost and her little sister entered the area, they were set upon by an all too eager Crane sisterhood.

On March 16th at approximately 3:47 PM, USS Enterprise and USS Hornet sank to enemy action.

Unsurprisingly and all too expected, The United States issued a formal declaration of War against Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany on March 16th, at 5:30 PM.

Imperial Japan captured Midway Islands on March 17th, by both way of Naval and Air strikes.

The US had it's routes to their territory pulled out from under them.

Their War in the Pacific was destined to be a purely defensive war.

It was all going to plan.

Until the German Führer was assassinated in the Night of June 6th, 1942.

Yüguna resumed her original position, shooting a glare to Okiniiri. Her older sister returned the youngest Crane a glare of her own before they both immediately settled after a brief noise from Shoukaku. The eldest crane looked over the two of them before she too went back to her original position, her eyes once again slipping closed as she savored what remained of her tea.

Across from them, Shinano watched them with what amounted to indifference. Or, at least it looked like indifference to Z.

The middle of the Yamato's had always been something of an enigma to the second Crane. She had neither the ruthless demeanors of her elder sisters, Yamato or Musashi. Nor did she have the driven personalities of Mimasaka or Tajima. She was quiet in all of the wrong ways and efficient in all of the wrong things. Yet, she was made to be a flagship of arguably the most important posting any of them would come near.

Flagship of the Occupying forces.

Shinano ever so simply sipped at her own tea as she observed the four of them.

Zuikaku sipped at her own tea for the moment, her attention returning to the outside world and the atmosphere of San Francisco Bay in the late morning.

The world around Zuikaku seemed to take peace in the morning just as much as she did as the five of them basked in the quiet.

And then the door to the rather comfortable room opened on their right, the five turning their gazes onto whoever was responsible. In turn, their gaze settled upon the form of Nettaikaze, the last and youngest of the 40 strong Shimakaze sisterhood. The far from bold destroyer seemed to wilt under the five gazes now placed upon her from such important members of their fleet and instead simply bowed her head in reverence as she stood just beyond the opened door.

"Nagato-Sama requests your presence." The destroyer quietly explained.

"Who?" Shinano questioned.

"All five of you." The destroyer explained.

At that, Shinano and Shoukaku traded a glance that spoke a dozen questions between them in only a moment's notice before they shared a nod, taking a second to finish their tea, Z and the rest of their sisters following suit before they began to stand. At seeing they were ready to leave, the attendants at each side of the room began to prepare to clean the space as Nettaikaze stood straight once more, turning as she began to leave the room. A moment later, the five began to follow after the short green haired destroyer, Shoukaku and Okiniiri in front, Z and Yüguna coming up behind them, with Shinano and her ever imposing form bringing up the rear.

Anyone who happened to cross their paths stepped to the side without a word, only a steadfast salute and their expected respect went with them.

The five of them did not spare them a glance.

They reached the closed door branded with Nagato's name and station. Waiting only a moment, Nettaikaze opened the door quickly and quietly, giving sight to the rather orderly and pristine office. The lone desk across from the door was cluttered with paperwork and various other items. What sounded to be a pen scribbled furiously at a piece of paper work, it's owner clearly focused and head down as she went about her work. However crucial it was, they weren't sure. But Nagato didn't even seem to pay their entry into her domain any notice.

The five newcomers quietly entered the office space as Nettaikaze quietly made her way to the battleship's side, taking a moment before speaking to her in a quiet tone.

The battleship offered a heavy sigh as she finally looked up to the five.

One deep red eye watching them in a calculating fashion.

Her other long ago turned useless as it's glassed appearance spoke of a conflict long past.

"Naga-"

"Britain has been pushed from Continental Europe."

Her words silenced anything that Shoukaku had been prepared to open with.

In 1937, recognizing the encroaching and inevitable conflict that would likely open in the theater of Europe due to Germany and Britain's already aggressive division and conquering of the territories around and between them, the Icelandic peoples, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Poland, an alliance was signed into being between five powers of the world.

The Unified Islands of Britain, under one crown.

Nazi Germany.

Facist Spain.

Italy.

And Imperial Japan.

The latter due to their already heavy and intensive invasions and subsequent conquering of parts of mainland China and the surrounding Paciifc territories, taking them for resources to feed their already expansive war machine. Started in 1929, Japanese dominance in the Pan-Asian sphere seemed all but concrete.

Their only stipulation was that Britain release Australia from it's place in their sphere of influence.

Russia seemed all too ready to let this pass them by as they turned their attention inwards, focusing on their own issues and concerns.

And despite their proximity to rising tensions in both well raged Theaters of War, the United States went on to maintain a stance of neutrality with the powers that be and their would be victims. Focused they were, in furthering relations and trade with their similar stanced neighbor, The South American Empire to their south.

The powers that be left them alone while their eyes turned to their own dealings and powers.

"How!? Britain and Spain are still well within this conflict and France is all but extinct forgoing rebellions every so often. But they've been quick to be stamped out." Yüguna exclaimed.

"The Russians have found their wartime footing."

Yüguna cursed.

"Russia claimed to be a neutral party in this conflict until we began to invade their Pacific coasts. Even then, that does not explain their sudden surge to be able to route and push the British from the land. Even with German and Polish support. Unless I am mistaken, Britain still controls most of the eastern Atlantic and the coasts near their territories. The German navy is nothing but a distant memory." Shoukaku reasoned, rather surely.

"And that had been the belief up until British Intelligence delivered us this piece of information." The battleship explained as she presented them with a photo, handing it to Shoukaku. The carrier glanced at the battleship a moment before taking the item in her hands for herself, now looking over it as did her sisters.

It was grainy, and unclear, the ideal conditions for such a photo clearly not having played nice that day. It was obviously from a sub rather than the air based on the angle and height, but Shoukaku looked past that as she studied what had been put before her properly.

It showed what looked to be a port of some sort in the distance, the fog amongst the picture making it hard to see all the way through. But even then, sitting there amongst the fog, somewhere well in the background of the photo sat a superstructure. Shoukaku offered pause at that, her sisters doing much the same for a moment as they looked it over, even Shinano taking her own glance at it.

"What is this?"

"That is Scharnhorst." Was Nagato's easy reply.

After the assassination of the Fürher on June the 6th, there was an approximate week long period where the German military seemed unsure of who it was or what it was fighting for. The British Military paid it no mind, continued on with their operations and assignments.

And then as if overnight, the former Nazi Germany expunged its previous coat of weapons to become the People's Republic Of Germany. Immediately, and without hesitation or question, The British and their Italian and Spanish Allies found themselves under fire by German guns. Polish holdings were returned to their proper peoples and the two of them turned on the former Axis axis allies without mercy.

It was a point in the war Nagato remembered well.

She and Mutsu had been there when they and a handful of British battleships had found Bismarck.

Nagato had lost an eye for it.

Mutsu had lost so much more.

Nagato had ripped Prinz Eugen from the world of the living in return.

An eye for an eye as the old saying goes.

They'd left Bismarck a burning and flooding wreck after hours of shelling in the summer of 1944 amongst the English Channel.

"When?" Shoukaku breathed. Scharnhorst had vanished into the north in 1947 after being pursued to the ends of the Earth by both British and Spanish forces, well intent on sinking her.

"A month ago." Nagato answered her. "This is off the coast of the American State of New Hampshire, in a rather newly constructed Naval instillation."

"And they told us nothing of this then... why?" Yüguna demanded.

"Because they only found out themselves. The submarine that took this picture was in short sunk only a few hours later. This was recovered via recovery operations conducted only in the last week. Recent recon have shown that Scharnhorst is now missing from this Naval instillation."

"What sank the sub?" Zuikaku questioned.

"They don't know." Was her answer.

"So the Germans and Russians have pushed our British Allies up and out of continental Europe at large while missing elements of the German Navy thought lost or sunk have now shown up in US ports. What are our forces in the Atlantic saying about it?" Shoukaku questioned of the battleship.

"Their general consensus is that the Germans are preparing a new front. Perhaps to break through the Maginot Fallout Zone or simply go around it. But Italy is still holding in the south, and Britain is still holding beyond the MFZ with Spanish forces. The likely hood that they successfully break through France and down into Spain is low. Even with Russian support. And the US has not shown any further activity over average. Ships in and out of their ports along their east coast, but nothing out of the ordinary."

"And our ground war in their territory?" Yüguna questioned further.

"We encroach upon Denver as we speak." Nagato answered her. "Resistance is of course heavy and costly. But progress is gradual."

Everything seemed to be going their way.

So why was something unsettled in the back of Zuikaku's mind?

"What about the Canal?" Zuikaku suddenly questioned. Nagato paused at that as if she was taking a moment to fully realize what Zuikaku had just said before she looked to the second Crane.

"It's within the territory of the SAE and per their own promise of neutrality, it won't be made available to either side in this conflict."

"And we've made sure of that? We're watching the area? Proper defenses and methods in place to prevent something from coming through that we do not need nor want?" She questioned. Nagato frowned.

"You know just as well as the rest of us do, Zuikaku." The battleship said as Shoukaku turned a light glare onto her sister. But Zuikaku ignored it as she focused on what Nagato was telling her. "No side of this conflict is allowed haven or passage through their waters given the agreements."

"And if we decided to take the Canal by force?" Zuikaku questioned.

"We're stretched thin as it is. And that would be something akin to an act of war with the last major world power. Their neutrality is a reason that we've been allowed as much freedom as we have. They signed agreements with us back before the US became involved. They've no reason to go back on those."

"Except after nearly 12 years of war afflicting everyone else, they're without a doubt the largest economic power in the world." Zuikaku countered. "Their Navy remains as one and their trade remains unimpeded between the US due to land borders and their sea traffic between them and the developing states in Africa. Now ask yourself this. Regardless of how this conflict ends, there are multiple countries that are going to be looking to rebuild after something like this. To rebuild their cities and infrastructure. Who has the means to do that?"

"The SAE." Shoukaku answered for her, her own look of realization dawning.

Nagato seemed to realize almost immediately what they were getting at but paused somewhat.

"We can't make it look like we're suspicious if we do decide to investigate." Nagato warned them. "We need not give them reason to actively consider war with us, not right now." She paused a moment before nodding. "Souryuu and Hiryuu are in Midway right now. Shoukaku and Okiniiri will head out to replace their positions as they will soon be heading for Pearl. Zuikaku and Yüguna will head to Pearl as well with the required insurances. Being done under the guise of open sea training exercises, it will allow us a quick glance but nothing more. Make no mistake. I am all for assuring that our security is in tact, but I will not risk that for something that has no proof." She told them. "Shinano, you know your fleet and its members better than I do. I'll need your assistance."

"Of course Nagato-Sama." The battleship answered. Nagato in turn looked back to the four carriers.

"We'll develop the plans and orders here over the next few minutes." She told them before pausing somewhat, her one good eye flashing to something on her desk. "It isn't exactly related to everything else, but." She paused as she picked up a sealed envelope that had been laying on top of a stack of paperwork. "This is for the four of you. Arrived only minutes before you did." She explained as she handed it to Shoukaku. The white haired carrier paused a moment at that, looking to Nagato before glancing down down at the letter.

She flipped it over.

All four carriers suddenly went rigid in the back as they took in the sight of the seal that closed the letter.

"She wants to see you." Nagato told them. "To be explicitly followed by the condition that if you do not come to see her." Nagato paused. "Then she will come and find you."

They still remembered quite well what happened when she went to find Ryuujou.

"We're deploying though!" Yüguna insisted. "Those are the words that literally just left your mouth!" The carrier insisted. Shoukaku narrowed her eyes at her sister as Nagato sighed.

"I am aware. But the fact is that she has requested you go and see her. And we are all more than aware the lengths she will go." She told them. "Under no circumstances can we be allowed to have the four of you taken out of service for any reason. And it is because of that fact that I'm making her visit an order." The battleship told her.

Nagato being put in a position where her orders superseded Shinano's normally wasn't an issue.

But in situations like this, it served to be a pain in the ass.

"Nagato!" Yüguna tried.

"We are all aware that placating her serves everyone's interest far better than trying to skirt around her." The battleship told them. "If I had any other way to subvert this or delay it, I assure you that I would. But as it happens, I have no say in this. I would advise not keeping her waiting. The faster you get this over with, the faster you're back out on the water."

There would be no saving them. Not from this.

"Very well." Shoukaku finally offered in finality.

"Shoukaku-nee, you can't be serious!" Yüguna insisted. "That woman is a psycho! I can't even fathom why they let her leave the homeland, let alone to come somewhere so crucial to our war! We can't go!"

Shoukaku's hand was through with her long before the stinging in the side of her face could build.

Yüguna recoiled as the sound of the impact filled the room.

"We have been given an order!" Shoukaku in no uncertain terms told her, her voice regaining its edge as she looked Yüguna dead in the eyes. "Your normal attitude is problem enough that I am willing to overlook it! But we have been given an order! That is something that we cannot refuse. We cannot turn away. We cannot and will not disobey." She told her clearly and with little room for disagreement. Yüguna offered pause a moment at the outburst, meeting her eldest sister's gaze head on a moment longer before it slipped from hers, Yüguna giving only a small and unassuming nod in turn.

Shoukaku turned her attention back on an unfazed Nagato.

The battleship simply offered a parting nod.

Shoukaku turned away, her three sisters taking a second before they nodded after her, already starting to follow her.

But even Z could see the weight in Shoukaku's shoulders building at the idea of handling the task they'd suddenly been presented with.

Not even she truly wanted to try her hand at the issue they now found themselves faced with.

Even Okiniiri, who Zuikaku had always known for her pleasant disposition on just about anything, looked easily and rather thoroughly unnerved. 

It was a quiet and a tense 25 minute walk.

Eventually, even amongst the early morning sun, they stood before the structure that held their doom. Originally, the one they were preparing to see had been firmly and securely within the homeland and it had been intended that she would stay there indefinitely. But once the foothold in San Francisco had been secured and from there the invasion of the US mainland begun in full, high command had rescinded their previous agreement.

Immediately, they had gone on high alert.

But aside from a few minimal conflicts, the Ryuujou incident non-withstanding, there had not been any real issue.

As they climbed the brief and short stairway up to the front door, they hoped that would continue.

The two guards standing to either side of the door bowed respectfully and quietly, no doubt having their lessons taught to them by the one they served. The four didn't pay them any mind however as the two pushed the large doors open for them, the light of the morning casting long shadows within the building before them. With no other option before them, Shoukaku lead she and her sisters inside, into the shadows.

Into the den.

Only for the shadows to be gradually replaced by the way of candlelight, multiple groups of dozens of candles strewn about along their way, illuminating the walls not in still shadows, but those that danced and flickered along the walls. It made their own shadows unsure, finicky, looking like they were ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

A common theme amongst those who were summoned before her.

The building they were in had at one point been a well known theater within the city. But after their occupation had begun, while they hadn't clamped down on everything so to speak, certain things had been shutdown and curtailed.

Which fit them perfectly fine. The monster in the dark didn't need to be close to civilians. Domestic or foreign.

They eventually reached the second set of doors, the clusters of candles only grew. Stepping into the theater proper, the rows upon rows of seats long having been removed in the earlier stages of occupation. What had happened to them, no less than who had done it, had been questions that had been inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Further than that, power had long since stopped being supplied to the building given its vacant status. Or, former vacant status had been the apt term.

She'd not even been in the city for an hour when she'd discovered the place.

No one had stepped a foot in her way when she'd so unceremoniously claimed it as her domain. 

Further in the theater sat the stage and the stairs leading up to it. Doused in candle light, they increased in number and output of light the closer they grew to the stage and further than that as they decorated the stage, bathing it in the strong yet soft light of the open flames.

The rattling of chains however pulled their attention away from the fires and towards the sole occupant of the stage. Facing the back of the stage, they were faced away from the four just entering the space. Bare from the waist up, her hands and arms were held in place by chains hung from the ceiling, no doubt meant to hold someone of their stature.

Her bare back was covered in hundreds of carvings and markings, varying in size and healed status, some long ago sealed while others still dropped fresh rivulets of her blood. This, in part with her clearly malnourished state provided a poor appearance for anyone made to gaze upon the woman for an extended period of time. The cloth and robes bundled at her waist were bloodied from extended exposure of the liquid, made to endure the same experience as their supposed owner as she was forced to remain on her knees.

The once had been CV-1 USS Langley had seen better days.

Before her, before the stairs to the stage, was a kneeling figure. Hooded in atypical fashion, the cloak they adorned did not cover their shoulders. Cut away even, whether it be by design or knife, none of them knew. But they knew the figure in all of her glory was not one to be trifled with.

Shoukaku lead her sisters to the halfway point between the stage and the door they'd come through, she stepped off to the left, her sisters filling in the spots to her right, Zuikaku, Okiniiri, and then Yüguna. As one, they descended to their knees before the figure, only the sound of their clothing shifting with their movements filling the silence. Langley's chains rattled as her arms jerked out of turn a moment before the carrier woman once again settled. But none of them dared look up, dared attempt to meet her in the eyes.

Finally, once the four of them were settled, their heads bowed and turned downwards, Shoukaku sealed their fate.

"Houshou-Sama."

An exhale of breath before them seemed to disturb the candle flames as one force, the movement and rustling of fabric as the one before them assumingely took a moment to stand. Another whisper of cloth told them they she had turned towards them, followed by the small clinks of metal, signifying what pieces of armor the woman before them adorned. Quietly placed footsteps, their noise level almost missable if one wasn't listening for them and them alone, made their way up the pathway towards them until they entered the upper area of Zuikaku's vision. The carrier spared a glance at them a moment before her gaze returned to the ground before her, as if fearing that the carrier before them would be able to somehow sense it's weight upon her.

Houshou stood before them a moment, her motions up top unknown to them a moment before she seemingly turned, and began to take small, calculative steps around the group of them. Zuikaku ever so carefully watched as they stepped out of the corner of her vision. Ever so softly, she could hear her footsteps ever so slowly make the full trip around them.

Stealthy.

After all, this was the woman that had battled it out with Yorktown.

The last American carrier of the Pacific.

15 planes against 90.

The Allies knew Houshou only as the Vulture Of The East.

To speak her name openly was to speak of defeat.

They listened to her continue to circle them ever so aggravatingly slowly. But they knew what it was. She wanted them to react, wanted them to move out of turn. She wanted to see their decorum break before her so that she could, and would, respond in turn. But only after Souryuu and Hiryuu, the four Crane sisters were well versed in her actions and methods.

She had turned them into the monsters that their country had needed to face the threats that had oh so willingly come their way.

They had turned wives into widows for it.

Houshou's predatory circling of the four drew to a close a moment later, once again coming to a stop before the four of them. Clearly facing the group of them from where she was standing, it was only a moment longer.

"Raise your heads." She ordered.

They did as they were told.

Their eyes met those of their teacher and the closest thing they knew to a mother.

She'd cut her hair again since the last time any of them had grazed her path, easy enough to see. The long pony tail that she'd once worn so willingly had long been traded for cut short, messy hair, kept that way since the war had begun in earnest for Japan. When the six had set sail with their fleet for their mission on Pearl, she'd refused to let it grow out, to allow it to prosper. But even then, deceptively calm eyes watched the four of them, her gaze making it from one to another to another.

And then her gaze met that of Yüguna for a few seconds longer than any being with any sense of self preservation would allow.

But luckily for Yüguna, Houshou slid the knife she'd held within hand the entirety of the time they'd been here thus far back within her robes, stashing it away a moment from prying eyes.

"Tell me. When was the last time any of you were engaged with our enemies? The last time you struck down our homeland's foes simply because they crossed your path? Tell me of a time when you weren't growing fat and sloth-like due to inaction?" The carrier questioned, her hood still up. She looked between the four of them with steady eyes, her demeanor largely concealed beneath her armor and robes.

"There are no enemies for us to fell, Houshou-Sama." Shoukaku answered her, keeping careful to keep her voice even and level. Houshou watched her a moment, leaning into her a moment, even as Shoukaku looked straight ahead.

"That's right." Houshou answered after a almost excruciatingly long silence. "Our waters are clear, our ports are safe, our people are protected." She said as she ever so slowly pulled away from Shoukaku. "Our war in the Pacific is won. And yet, there is still war to be waged. Tell me, why have none of you asked for transfers to our British and Spanish Allies? There are still enemies to bleed, opposition to be put to the sword, there are still battles to be fought."

"There are no opposing carriers left for us." Shoukaku answered. Houshou watched her with a half lidded stare a moment, the white haired carrier remaining on her knees. Taking a moment, she kneeled down before Shoukaku, ever so simply taking the carrier's face in her hand, holding her by pointer finger thumb. There was merely a flick of her wrist from her other hand, and suddenly she had a new knife, hidden and stashed in her sleeve. Her eyes didn't flicker or hesitate as she brought the blade to Shou's cheek, ever so softly dragging its point along her jaw. Not enough to cut or slice, but enough to allow the carrier to know where she stood in this conversation.

"Langley....." Houshou sighed, the name fluttering from her lips. "Is my esteemed guest. Lexington was pursued into the high north by Taihou and her sisters only to find her resting place amongst the ice. Saratoga was laid out to rest on one of their beaches, forced there by Hakuryuu and her hounds. Yorktown met her end by my own hands after I clipped her wings. You and your sisters sent Enterprise and Hornet to the bottom with a grace that I only wish I had been able to witness myself. And Wasp had the unfortunate luck of finding herself in range of Tajima."

The dull side of the blade tapped against Shou's cheek once.

"One. Two Three. Five. Six. Seven. Eight." Houshou counted ever so slowly, though the rapid groupings of movements with the knife against her skin told much of her true feelings on the matter. "One. Two. Three. Five. Six. Seven. Eight." Again the taps against her skin continued. "One." Houshou began again, the knife in her hand reorienting. "Two." The blade pressed against her cheek, tapping twice once again. "Three. Five. Six. Seven. Eight." She counted again as she leaned in towards Shoukaku once again, their faces only inches apart, lidded eyes watching the younger carrier's casually. "Tell me, Shoukaku. What about 4?"

A pause.

"Ranger." Shoukaku answered her, her tone still calm and level, though her eyes now watching Houshou in the way that most came to watch the woman with.

Fear.

"Ranger." Houshou offered in a repeat, her head still teasing the knife against Shoukaku's cheek. "Tell me Shoukaku, how long have we been in this war? How long has Japan been entangled with the conflicts of others? Involved with the disagreements of the world?" She questioned.

"A Decade, Houshou-Sama."

"A decade." Houshou echoed. "A decade since we formally joined the war against what was once called the Allies. A decade since we burned those at Pearl, since we dragged the nuisance known as the United States into a conflict where there is no footing for them to find. A decade since we formally signed their deaths." Houshou told her.

Shoukaku nodded an affirmative.

"So tell me." Houshou reiterated. "Why that in a decade, have we not found all eight of their carriers and dealt with them?" She asked, her tone only rising ever so slightly. But as the blade bit at Shoukaku's skin, a single drop of blood rolling down her cheek. Houshou titled Shoukaku's head a moment at that, titling her own as she looked her in the eye. "Tell me why Ranger has been allowed so much time to live, to thrive, to hide? Tell me Shoukaku, should you remember as you explained to me, why you let her go? A year into this war?"

"There were more opportune targets at the time. Two of their battleships had been badly crippled, but were going to escape if we did not intervene. We did not have a solid location on Ranger, but the battleships were known and pursued. I made a tactical decision, one that I deemed to be the best option at that time. And I stand by that decision." She told her. Houshou watched her a moment at that, teasing the knife further against her flesh before she pulled it away from the woman's cheek a moment, still holding her face in her one hand. She ever so slowly turned Shou's head one way before following it up by doing the same in the other direction. The knife in Houshou's hand twitched a moment before suddenly it was gone, returned to her sleeve as she brought her thumb up to Shoukaku's cheek, swiping away with the one droplet of blood there with her thumb.

"Battleships Fifty and Fifty One. Indiana and Montana." Houshou answered before she brought the thumb to her lips, where her tongue took her prize from her skin. Her eyes met that of Shoukaku's a moment before she released the carrier's face from her grasp. "Those were their names, no? The names of those that you sent to the deep?" She questioned.

Thought neither were in doubt that Houshou knew the answer already.

"They were." Shoukaku confirmed.

Houshou stared down at the carrier a moment longer.

Before turning away from her. "And as is the reasoning you provided to me when the even happened nine years ago. And it still sticks to this day. You stand by what you say, stand by what you tell people." The carrier said. "An admirable trait if there ever was one." She answered more to herself than anyone else. She paused a brief second before she turned her head back on them. "Stand."

Only Shoukaku stood, the other three remaining kneeling before Houshou. She and she alone had been asked, and none of the four would dare disobey or step out of line before her. But when she did, Houshou turned away a moment.

"Despite success, despite honor, despite victory and status, time corrodes and wipes the slate clean. Even the greatest battles become nothing but a story for the next generation, a history lesson for the one that follows them. Time wipes everything clean. Time keeps things clean. No one is immune to its effect, no one can escape it. The five of us included." She turned back towards them, now wielding a rather lengthy, yet handy blade. Clean, and no doubt razor sharp, it measured about a foot in length. She approached Shoukaku, looking the carrier in the eyes. A moment later, she readjusted the blade in her hands as she reached for one of Shoukaku's hands, bringing up as she ever so slowly placed the handle of the weapon in it, before clasping the woman's fingers around it.

When Shoukaku's fingers took it in full, Houshou allowed herself a rare smile.

"Beautiful." The carrier breathed. "Like it was made to be wielded by you." She exclaimed in a quiet showing of surprise. "Marvelous."

Shoukaku frowned as she turned the blade over in her hands.

"Houshou-Sama?" She called, unsure of what this was meant for. Houshou simply offered her a parting smile as she turned, taking slow, wandering steps to make her way around Shoukaku's still kneeling sisters.

"As I said, Time waits and favors no one." She said, her smile still present. "Not even sisters those we care about most." She told her. "Ranger's blood has yet to be spilled, she's yet to be dealt with. She is a threat who as far as we know remains at large. And you are the one that allowed that to come to fruition." She told her. "So you will choose whose blood flows in exchange. And wouldn't it happen, that we three ever so excellent candidates here before us."

Shoukaku only stared at her, the blade still clasped in her hands.

"Houshou-S-"

"Failures have consequences. Shortcomings have consequences. Reluctance or hesitation to achieve the objective before you, that have been set before you, have consequences. This is your Consequence Shoukaku." Houshou told her, her smile still on her face, but her tone was flat and unfeeling. "Blood will run. And if not Ranger's, then you will decide who."

"I can't-"

"You can." Houshou countered. "And you will. You pick one of them. Pick none and all three's blood will run. Turn the blade on yourself, and all four of you will pay the price meant of one." She told her. "There will be no hesitation, there will be no consideration. You will make your choice. And you will live with it." She told her.

The three younger Cranes looked at their sister in concern.

Shoukaku's eyes met them for a moment, her knuckles white as she gripped the blade.

"Housh-"

"Make your choice Shoukaku. Before I make it for you. And I can assure you, if I have to make the choice, it will be one that will haunt you for the rest of your days. Make. Your. Choice."

Shoukaku's eyes returned to hold the gazes of her sisters, looking between them in a frantic manner, still holding the blade before her.

Zuikaku knew how this would go. Shoukaku was one for the rules, one for orders. But her sisters were her everything, her sisters were her life. She wouldn't choose one willingly, wouldn't choose one on her own. And then they would all suffer. Zuikaku hesitated only momentarily.

And then she stood.

"Oh?" Houshou's voice heightened somewhat at the sight of the second Crane standing to her feet. "Now this is surely a surprise."

"Zuikaku." Shoukaku uttered, her tone disbelieving and unwanting. Zuikaku instead just looked at her head on.

"Shoukaku-nee." The carrier tried.

"No!" Shoukaku pushed back, the blade still held before her as she turned towards Zuikaku. "I won't make this choice, Zuikaku! She can't do this! She doesn't have the right!"

"I know-" Zuikaku tried before a hand suddenly placed in her mid back shoved her forwards. And suddenly, Shoukaku was pressed against her, her eldest sister looking upon her with a newly birthed expression of horror.

Along with a stinging sensation just below her chest.

Zuikaku blinked momentarily before stepping away from her sister ever so slowly. Looking down, she found the blade still held before Shoukaku, its blade now dressed in a new coating of red. A new coating of liquid.

A coating of blood.

Her blood.

Zuikaku pressed a hand to herself, her skin touching something wet. Pulling it back, Zuikaku laid her eyes on her hand, now coated in red. The blade clattered to the ground before her, between she and Shoukaku, prompting the second eldest crane to look up at her sister in surprise.

"Shoukaku-nee?" She asked.

The name-ship of their class raced her sister to the ground as Zuikaku's legs gave out below her.

Shoukaku kept Z's head from slamming into the ground as she dove for her, catching her younger sister in her arms as Houshou laughed behind them. Okiniiri and Yüguna only looked on in shock for a moment as Shoukaku pulled Zuikaku into her arms, looking down at her. Okiniiri moved to support her as she placed what looked to be a hastily ripped piece of cloth from her own outfit on the wound, pushing as she did so. All the while, Zuikaku stared up at her older sister.

The picture of her sister blurred somewhat off and on as the carrier looked down at her sister, even as Okiniiri worked to stem the bleeding. But she was untrained, unprepared for the events unfolding before her.

Zuikaku vaguely recognized the shape of Yüguna nearing her head as well, now looking down at her across from Shoukaku, her youngest and eldest sisters staring down at her with tears in their eyes.

In the distance, doors slammed open, shouting reverberating through the air, heavy footsteps pounding against the floor as they grew closer and closer. Houshou's laughter echoed in a distant way that didn't quite reach Zuikaku, even as figures moved behind Yüguna. She vaguely recognized the sight of Houshou being detained by who looked to be Shinano and Hakuryuu.

Her gaze never left Shoukaku's face.

Even as her vision faded to black.

—//—//\\—\\—

Her body was already sitting up ram-rod straight by the time her eyes opened, presenting her with the sight of a largely dark bedroom, her body drenched in a cold sweat that threatened to overwhelm her senses. She stared into the darkness as her body rode out the high of whatever adrenaline had apparently been coursing through her system a moment ago before she reached down for herself, a hand grazing the spot where she'd been stabbed.

The only thing that greeted her was sweat.

A breath of deep relief passed through her form amongst the room bathed in the soft orange of the external lights from beyond the window.

It had been a dream. It was just a dream.

Had it?

Okiniiri? Yüguna?

Had it all really just been a dream?

She knew in the back of her mind the Kido Butai had been comprised of Akagi, Kaga, Souryuu, Hiryuu, and she and her sister. But Zuikaku could all too easily recall all of her memories learning under Souryuu and Hiryuu. Souryuu, the all too strict one. And Hiryuu, more than willing for a joke at Souryuu's expense. Akagi with her sisters and Kaga, she and her sister the proper models of the fleet.

It had been a dream right?

Her body shuddered as the cold air of the room picked at the sweat along her skin.

They hadn't turned the tables on Enterprise after Pearl Harbor. And yet she could recall the satisfaction of her bombs penetrating the carrier's deck.

She'd killed Enterprise.

Her breath hitched in her throat a moment at the idea before her hand pressed back to where the wound had been. There was no pain, there was no pressure. But even then, even if there wasn't, her hand continued to press against her chest in an attempt to assure herself of what she knew.

Another gentle breath of cold air within the room prompted her to shiver, the darkened room looking to be all too unfamiliar to her. But she-

Zuikaku paused.

This was not her room.

She blinked.

Why wasn't she in her room?

The room was fairly spacious given its size. On the wall opposite Z and the bed she found herself in was a singular door, and on the wall to the right of that sat another. She frowned somewhat at the sight, nothing looking familiar, nothing showing any sense of normalcy. The carrier made to move from the bed only for an unnatural feeling in the pit of her stomach to make itself known, one that seemed to turn her stomach in on itself and further built in the back of her throat. To say it was unpleasant did it no justice and owed her no favors as her movement slowed until it stopped completely. But still yet, the feeling remained within her.

What was going on? Why wasn't she in her own room? Where was Shoukaku?

Only when she went to speak did she finally realize just how dry her throat was, almost to a painful degree. What she had meant to be words instead came out in a ragged cough that consumed she and her body in pain, one that was felt in every inch of her being.

Her coughing fit hid the noise of footsteps elsewhere in the building now headed in her direction.

Nearly getting her throat clear only renewed the coughing fit, the feeling in her stomach and the back of her throat heightening somewhat. Her entire body shook as her agitated throat offered her no favors and presented no mercy, keeping her from getting a breath of any kind that wasn't suffocating or awkward at best. Her body groaned with pain as she continued to cough more and more. So much to the point that Zuikaku didn't notice the door on the far wall open, she didn't get the chance to take in the light that now filled the room from the joining room.

All she knew was someone had caught her wrist as they went to press something up against her lips.

"Drink, Crane." The voice said, the tone demanding yet the demeanor was soft and caring.

When another cough racked her body, she did as she was asked and drank what was offered.

Water.

The carrier sucked what she could get down greedily, the liquid all but eliminating the dry feeling in her throat, giving her a moment to recollect herself. But before she could get much more of the stuff, the contact was removed from her lips. Z's brow furrowed in confusion somewhat as she turned to look, now that she could actually focus, on the bottle that was being taken away from her. There, she found the figure with it in one hand, the figure watching her before their other hand went for the lamp next to the bed.

It lit up.

Zuikaku blinked in some confusion.

The carrier could come up with a lot of reasons as to why, how, or for what reasons. But in that moment, the carrier was drawing blanks as she came to head with the fact that she was now face to face with the Captain.

The American Captain.

Sofia finished capping off the bottle a moment before putting it on the bedside table next to the lamp there. After which, she took a seat on the edge of the bed, crossing a leg over the other as she turned her attention on Zuikaku in full. The carrier in turn did the same, meeting eyes with her for a few quiet seconds before her curiosity got the better of her.

"Captain?"

Even in the low light of the lamp, sky blue eyes found Z's own, watching her with a sense of something that the carrier could not place. Even still however, the Captain seemed to relax somewhat at being addressed in the way she had been.

"You're awake."

The answer had not been one that Zuikaku had been expecting or could have expected. She was awake? Of course she was, she-

"How're you feeling?" Was the second thing to leave Sofia's mouth. Z's previous intentioned statement died away as she gave the Captain's question a once over. How was she feeling?

Not great, she decided almost immediately. Her body felt... wrong. The feeling in the back of her throat and her stomach had only grown as she'd slowly been coming fully alert. Her throat was still on fire, she felt both hot and cold at the same time, she couldn't quite think everything clearly, she-

"Not great." She answered her. If that's the answer that Sofia had wanted to hear or if she was expecting to hear, there was no sign in either which way. The woman simply nodded somewhat.

"Not great. Alright, that's more-"

"Where am I?"

It was a question that the Captain didn't shy away from, but she didn't exactly race to answer it either. After a moment however, The Captain seemed to finally relent on whatever internal discussion she'd been holding with herself as once again met eyes with Zuikaku.

"The American HQ building." Was the answer Zuikaku got.

The carrier seemed to pause at that before frowning, glancing down at the bed and sheets she was and had until very recently, apparently been sleeping in. She tussled the sheets a moment until she recalled the night that she and the Captain had come across Admiral Johnson and her oh so called movie night. When they'd taken Admiral Johnson and Maryland upstairs into the woman's room, Zuikaku had seen the general layout of the Admiral's private quarters. A mirror of this room.

The carrier paused.

"Your room." Zuikaku answered, her tone one that suggested agitation.

"Yeah." Sofia confirmed. "Before you jump to conclusions however, let me ask you a few things and I'll explain why you're here in my bed and room instead of your own." She told her. Z's brow narrowed in a suspecting way, but she did not add her voice to the motion. Instead, she quietly nodded, giving Sofia the room to move to her next question. "What do you remember?"

What did she remember?

"We... we were watching the Clone Wars." Zuikaku answered. "We'd just finished it I think. And then Admiral Johnson... and then not much after that." She answered. Sofia nodded.

"More than we expected." She answered as she pulled her phone from her side, apparently shooting a text to someone a moment before returning her attention to Zuikaku. "About 15 or so minutes after we finished watching that, Admiral Johnson came and found us. The rest of the Kido Butai, that is to say the other five carriers apart of that group, fell ill. By the time Admiral Johnson and Admiral Ishigara found us, they were already sporting fevers of over 105 degrees. And shortly after they found us, you collapsed, soon succumbing to similar symptoms." Sofia explained.

"How long?" Zuikaku asked.

"You've been out for just over two days. It's about 3:05 in the morning." Was her answer. Zuikaku grew silent at that somewhat, rubbing her face a moment.

She'd never once, in her admittedly short life, been sick to any degree. And now, she had been laid out for 2 entire days? What?

"Two?" Zuikaku questioned slowly, almost unbelieving of what she was being told.

"And you're the first of the six to regain consciousness. The other five are still fighting rather high fevers. Though you look like you're still fighting one yourself if I'm being honest." She told her as she raised a hand. "May I?"

Zuikaku hesitated a moment before nodding.

Sofia lightly rested the back of her hand against the carrier's forehead, only taking a moment a to feel it there before withdrawing a hand. "Very much still a fever." She told her.

"Doesn't that mean you can get sick too?" Zuikaku asked. Sofia nodded.

"In theory." She told her. "We're not all that sure on a lot the typical issues that arise with a sickness. Still though, we've limited contact with the six of you and rest of the fleet." She told her. "If they're not one of the Commanders, Houshou, or a Myoukou, they don't get to see you." She told her. "In theory, yeah, one of us should've been showing symptoms thus far, and if that's the case, we normal humans would no longer be an issue. Well, most of us anyways. Admiral Johnson's a different story these days."

"Why wouldn't you be a concern?" Zuikaku questioned.

"Humans are the Apex species of this planet. But for every strength we have, there's a negative to go along with it. Body temperature is a big thing for us. Too cold, we die. Too hot, we die. The highest fever we've recorded amongst the six of you so far is Kaga, with a 121 degree fever. The normal person can get to about a 106 fever before the body calls it quits." She told her. "So on the off chance that we've already been affected and are just waiting for it to start, we're already done."

Zuikaku adjusted to that a second.

"Then why? Why do you stay? Why put yourself at risk?" She questioned. Sofia readjusted on the bed a moment before nodding.

"Do you know how sicknesses and viruses spread?" She questioned. Zuikaku didn't even hesitate before shaking her head. She didn't, and in her current state, she wasn't likely to try and remember if she knew. "There's a fair bit that goes into it, but the most important aspect in this particular case is this. The virus that makes you sick is typically already in your body and has been well before they actually present themselves." She told her. "And with that kept in mind, Akagi is sick. But Enterprise is not." She told her.

"She should've gotten sick then." Zuikaku put together. "They're together. They kiss."

"The virus should've transferred to her, but Enterprise remains as healthy as she was." Sofia confirmed for her. "So much to the point that she's all but barricaded herself within Akagi's room, refusing to be removed from the premises. Houshou and the Myokou sisters have long since stopped trying to remove her." She told her. "Which makes it easier. Liz makes sure she and the others are cared for while they keep an eye on the girls." She told her.

Zuikaku paused. And then she frowned.

"Akagi's room? She's in her room and yet I'm here?" She questioned. Sofia nodded.

"Another part of all of this that doesn't fit the typical trend of the normal sickness. In the first few hours of the six of you being under, your fevers were skyrocketing once we had you back in your rooms." She told her. "The Repair ships wanted to look at one of you in the docks, to see if they could do anything. Well, we found real quick that the repair ships in particular couldn't very much do anything to lessen the effect. But, when Shoukaku was moved from the dorms to the docks, her fever lessened a few degrees." She told her. "When we moved Souryuu following that, her fever also lessened. So we decided to separate the six of you, more for your own sake than anything else." She told her.

"So? Where are they then?" Zuikaku questioned.

"Akagi is being kept within the Japanese HQ within a guest room. Kaga remains within the Japanese dorms. Souryuu is being kept in the fourth American dorms building. Hiryuu is being kept within the German dorms. Shoukaku is resting within the recently completed Royal dorms and you're here." She explained. "It kicked all of your fevers back to under 112, but it didn't break them." She explained. Z seemed to want to nod at that temporarily before pausing.

"This is your bed." She answered.

"I have not been using this as my room if that is what you're worried about. I check in every so often on you, but I do not sleep here." She told her. Zuikaku paused.

"Where then?" She questioned.

"The couch in the lounge." Sofia answered her.

Somewhere in the back of Zuikaku's mind, in the recess of her mind, a part of her took up a problem with that admission. She hadn't  asked to displace the woman, she'd never asked to be given something so crucial. The idea that it was her that was the reason that the Captain could not return to her own quarters as she pleased was a  doubt that ingrained itself into her mind.

"This-"

"Was Ishigara's recommendation. Well, he recommended that you were the one kept within the American HQ. I said fuck it and changed the sheets and all that before we put you here. That way, even if something happened in the middle of the night and I didn't catch it." She said, gesturing to the door on the side wall. "Admiral Johnson is right through there. So the chances of one of us hearing something was high." She told her. "Well, normally. Of course she picked now to make a run to the Royal dorms to check on Shoukaku and all that, otherwise she'd be all over you. Between you and me though, she can be a bit smothering."

"Why?"

"Because that's just how Admiral Johnson is most of the time. She-"

"No. I mean why give me your room? Why give me your bed? It's-"

"Just a bed." Sofia answered her.

Zuikaku fell silent at that.

"Figured I'd give you somewhere that's actually comfortable and there's no way in hell I'd let Anya give up her bed. She'd be insufferable." The woman told her.

"It's not just a bed!" Zuikaku told her. Sofia arched a brow at that somewhat. "How can you so easily sleep on a couch? When you have a bed? I know there's Guest quarters in this building, I could've just been stuck in one of those. There was no need to give up your room for me!" The carrier told her, a glimpse of the normal Zuikaku coming through. Sofia watched her a moment before chuckling somewhat.

"I assure you, it's not an issue. After all, I've spent more nights on couches than you've been returned." She told her. "All things considered, the couch downstairs is probably one of the best I've slept on." She told her.

Zuikaku didn't know what to say to that.

The chance to question the statement however never came as a quiet knock on the bedroom door sounded out, prompting Sofia to turn her head and Zuikaku to partially jump at the sound.

"Come in." Sofia called quietly. With the lack of other noise going on through the building at the moment, her call was received. The bedroom door opened not a moment later to reveal that of Houshou, Zuikaku figured to be the most reasonable guess, the motherly carrier entering the room before she met eyes with Zuikaku. Sofia got up from her spot, now standing next to the bed as Houshou took her spot, easing herself onto the bed. Immediately, her attention was on Zuikaku, studying her for a time. Zuikaku unintentionally did the same, watching the closest thing she had to a mother closely.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Houshou looked exhausted. A rarity for her, Z knew, for the reason that she herself couldn't think of another time that the woman had looked so exhausted like she did now.

And then the dream came back to her mind, clashing with the Houshou that she knew to be fact.

And the Houshou that she'd been given.

Despite herself, despite the way her eyes seemed to dull, Houshou offered Zuikaku a soft smile, reaching a hand up to the carrier's face. Despite where she was or who was in attendance, Zuikaku couldn't help but allow herself a small touch of comfort at the contact, her eyes closing a moment as everything seemed to melt away in exchange for a sense of temporary peace.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Houshou finally spoke. Zuikaku only nodded somewhat, her eyes meeting Houshou's before her gaze flickered to Sofia momentarily.

The Captain was far more interested in the outside world beyond the window in that very second.

"The Captain says I'm still fighting a fever." Zuikaku answered her as she looked back to the carrier.

"But you're awake." Houshou told her. "And that alone is something I'm grateful for."

Zuikaku nodded.

She tried to ignore the fear that crept into Houshou's voice when she'd answered that.

They were warships, unlike the Captain. Their lives and deaths were ruled by the sea, by others like them. If they were to go out to sea, and to never come back, to be overtaken by the sea or sent to the bottom, that was their realm of life. The truth of their existence. To die on the water was what they knew, what they trusted to be fact.

But the idea of being put down by something that they could not see, something that they could not fight, bomb, flood, or burn was a foreign one. It was a thought that did not sit well within either of them when they'd learned of it, when they had realized that as low as the chance was for any of them, it was still there. A threat that they could not see.

A threat that could kill them.

How humanity had managed this far was a secret that was well beyond them.

Their existence did not speak of an intention of peace.

"Does this mean I can-"

"No." Both Houshou and the Captain answered as one.

There was a pause before Houshou smiled again. "Apologies Zuikaku, but given my limited knowledge with this topic, I've deferred judgement to the Commanders. And their opinion is that unless your fever is broken, you are to stay in bed. That is the most sensible option after all. Your body needs proper rest." She told her.

"But I've been sleeping for two days!" Zuikaku insisted.

"You've been unconscious for two days. Sleep and unconscious are very much not the same thing I assure you." Sofia told her. "That being said however, Liz is keeping the kitchen open in case one of you woke up. Tell me, do you feel off in your stomach? Anything around that area?" She questioned.

Zuikaku nodded.

"Back of the throat too." She told her. Sofia nodded.

"Nausea then." She told her. "But that's a problem for potentially later. See if you can get up and stand." She asked. Zuikaku and Houshou traded a glance before the carrier nodded, peeling back the blankets and sheets. She shivered briefly as the cold air of the bedroom surged over her before going to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

And then the feeling in the pit of her stomach surged at the movement, the carrier going still a moment.

Sofia had the bucket by the bed, trash bag already within ready to go, before her by the time Zuikaku heaved. The non-existent contents of the carrier's stomach made an appearance as the carrier gave up what little she had to give.

Houshou, despite herself, cringed ever so slightly as Zuikaku's body heaved a second time. The carrier sounded oh so much like she was in pain mixed with something akin to misery even without words to properly express it.

Sofia remained stone faced the entire time.

It wasn't even a minute later when Zuikaku's new and unfortunate experience ended.

The smell of old and burned fuel oil permeated the air, even Houshou seeming to grow a little queasy at the smell. But Sofia paid that no mind for the moment, instead taking a moment to set the quarter full bucket down on the ground well away from Z, against the wall. From there, she produced a second bucket, handing it to Houshou, already looking to the carrier.

"Hold this for her on the off chance it happens again. I'm going to go dispose of the first one, put a fresh bag in it, and I'll be back." She said. When Houshou nodded her understanding at what was being asked, Sofia immediately turned for the bucket and went to leave the room with it, opening the door for a moment. Only prefacing stepping out with a call of 'Anya?' which went unanswered, Sofia stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Houshou watched her go a moment before turning back to Zuikaku, her gaze watching the woman.

Zuikaku looked fully and totally rattled, her gaze unfocused and distant, her body still shuddering with the after effects of such a motion. Houshou knew that the Chance to live a second life like this came with so many new positives, but she'd been aware of the negatives as well. However seeing them, one like this unfold before her, bothered her on a new entirely. She wanted to hug the carrier, to tell her it would be alright, but she wasn't sure if that would spur another wave of it within Zuikaku, and the last thing she wanted to do was prompt more suffering for her.

Even as Zuikaku's distant gaze simply stared at the wall before her.

Houshou was saved from any further personal torture however as the door to the bedroom opened once again, the Captain returning quickly and quietly. A now empty bucket in hand, she placed it down on the floor where it had been originally before turning and going to take the second bucket from Houshou, the carrier giving it all too willingly.

"I can see why now you and the other commanders were against a meal after they woke up." Houshou commented quietly.

"Don't get me wrong, it'd be great if they were able to eat something small. Something for their stomach to settle with. But that'll be a later thing." Sofia told her, rubbing her head a moment before looking to Houshou. "If I showed you how to work the shower?" She questioned, roughly gesturing to the bathroom behind her. "Do you think you could help her through a shower if needed? That'll help her in the long run and ill be able to put fresh sheets on the bed." She told her. Houshou paused a moment before nodding, offering Zuikaku one more glance before following Sofia into the dark bathroom, the woman flipping the light on. They were only out of the room for a minute or two before they returned. "Myoukou dropped a spare change of clothes earlier just in case." Sofia said, placing the bundle in the bathroom. Houshou in turn looked to Zuikaku, already intent on getting her moving. Slowly this time.

When Sofia heard the door to the bathroom shut, she stretched a moment before quickly and efficiently stripping the bed of its sheets. By the time she heard the shower turn on, water now running through the building, she was already starting the process of putting fresh sheets in their place.

However when she'd gotten the last of the new sheets tucked in, she heard not the shower shut off, but instead the front door downstairs open. Giving one last glance to the bathroom door a moment, she made to move for the bedroom door, opening it leaving it cracked behind her as she stepped out. There she found Anya just coming back in, closing the door behind her. When she found Sofia watching her from the second level, she offered a nod as Sofia came down the stairs with a bundle of sheets in her arms.

"How's the rest?" Sofia opened. Anya shrugged.

"Shoukaku's doing okay as far as okay can be in this situation. I haven't checked in with Souryuu or Hiryuu, but Akagi and Kaga's fevers are spiking. I'm half in mind to remove Enterprise from Akagi's room just to spare her, let alone help Akagi." Anya told her.

"Can we move them further apart?" Sofia questioned.

"Without moving them off base, no. Move Kaga any more away and she starts to come close to the other four, Shoukaku especially." She told her, rubbing her face a moment. "Shoukaku's fever however is on the decline, but she shows no signs of waking."

"Well she'll likely still have her fever when she wakes up if the evidence is anything to go by." Sofia countered.

Anya was fast on the take.

"Zuikaku woke up?" She asked, immediately pivoting for the stairs to the side of Sofia. The woman however dropped the sheets as she planted a hand on Anya's chest.

"Control your incessant care for other people for thirty seconds woman so I can explain to you the situation." She told her. Anya arched a brow a moment before nodding, allowing Sofia her requested words. "Zuikaku woke up maybe thirty minutes ago, I found her in the middle of a coughing fit. Gave her water, messaged Houshou, and we conversed a little. I explained to her what was going on-"

Anya's eyes widened.

"I thought it was agreed that we wouldn't-"

"Explained to her about the base and the base alone. Didn't say a word about the Maldives situation." She told her, shooting Anya a dirty look at the idea that apparently it would be Sofia to throw caution to the wind. "As I was saying, we conversed a moment. Houshou arrived, further conversation. It progressed to the point where it suggested to see if she could stand. This where we found out as a group that she's currently nauseous."

"Oh." Anya's eagerness to head up the stairs died where she stood. "Did she...?"

"She did." Sofia confirmed. "Fuel oil in fact." She told her. Watching the way Anya held herself back from gagging at the idea, Sofia continued. "About a quarter of a bucket's worth.

Anya did in fact gag that time.

But Sofia knew well enough to dodge the inevitable strike that came her way from the woman, Anya intending to sock her in the arm. Sofia simply stepped away as she did so, her eyes now glittering with amusement as Anya huffed.

"Low blow."

"Figured I'd give you the full rundown. She's showering right now under Houshou's watch so I took the chance to change the bedding." She told her. "After which as far as I'm concerned, she's going back to bed." The woman stated. Anya arched a brow somewhat before nodding in agreement.

"Fair."

Sofia nodded at that as she bent over and collected the sheets once again. "I'm gonna go run these through the laundry and then I'll check up on them." She said. Anya nodded at that before Sofia paused. "There's no hiding the Maldives from the fleet given that most already know." She told her. They'd barely learned about it themselves before the world's news agencies had latched onto the story and published it worldwide in every language they could.

The infernos could be seen from India during the night.

"Yeah?" Anya said, nodding her to continue.

"Are we gonna tell them? About how it was done?" She asked.

"It'd be a disservice not to." Anya replied.

"We could avoid so many problems." Sofia countered.

"Only for them to arise later." Anya answered her. "There's no easy way to tell the fleet, I know. But they deserve to know. Both our girls and Ishigara's. The Abyssals..." She trailed off.

They were monsters?

They were uncaring?

They were merciless?

They'd wiped out a country. 175,000 lives gone in a matter of hours.

There were no claims that the Maldives didn't matter. There was no dismissal of the fact that they chose to live on the oceans. There was no push back on what had happened was a tragedy.

The Abyssals had dealt a blow that they would never recover from.

With weapons of their own making. Of humanity's designs.

Satellite imaging confirmed it.

The Kido Butai was once again active in the Pacific.

"The Abyssals are the Abyssals." Sofia answered for her, leaving it at that. "Don't dwell on it." She said before turning with the sheets, intent shown to go down the hall to the in house laundry room.

"Yeah? Then what would you do?" Anya asked. Sofia paused, turning to answer her in return only to hesitate.

Anya wasn't even looking towards her.

"Anya?" She called.

"Hm?" Anya replied with, looking to Sofia in curiosity. Sofia studied the woman a moment, searching for any signs of a joke. But when all she found were Emerald eyes watching her in return, she thought better of it, shaking her head.

"Nevermind." She said as she turned back to her original task, walking down the hall to the laundry room.

Taking no time at all to get the stuff thrown in and started, she turned her attention back towards her room. Making her way back towards the lobby of the HQ, she turned for the stairs back up to the second floor.

Only to catch sight of a figure out of the corner of her eye.

Figuring it to be Anya, she turned to address the woman again, only to pause when she found no one there. Frowning somewhat, she simply pushed it out of her mind as she ascended the stairs. As she opened her bedroom door, the sound of the shower was no longer present. Figuring they were just about done within, Sofia finished putting the bed together just as the bathroom door opened. She turned her head, finding Zuikaku just emerging, freshly clean and all that. Houshou followed her out, not in the slightest damp from any water. She flipped the bathroom light off behind her and quietly shut the door as Zuikaku made her way for the bed. Sofia peeled the comforter and sheets back for the carrier, the carrier getting into it without question. Sofia had little doubt that the woman wanted to do little more than try to forget what had happened.

The carrier pulled the comforter back up, now laying on her side, facing away from the two of them. Houshou watched her worriedly a moment before Sofia caught her attention, gesturing to the door. Houshou seemed reluctant a moment at that, pausing before nodding in release as she trailed towards the door. Sofia in turn flipped the lamp off before she followed after her, closing the door on the way out, leaving it cracked. When they heard the sheets shift within the room a moment, they paused before they heard her settle a few seconds later. In turn, Sofia gave Houshou a surprised look before retreating down the stairs, the carrier following after her.

"I suppose I should count myself lucky that you seem to have all of this so well managed. I cannot say I would have things so under control when it comes to the more human sides of these things. She..." Houshou briefly shuddered. "I don't know how you do it."

"Lots of practice." Was the answer she got in return.

Houshou seemed to watch the Captain in a brief silence before nodding. "If I may, when you were leaving the room the first time, you called out for Admiral Johnson. Is there a reason why? I firmly believed you had everything under control. Did you not feel the same?" She asked.

"Ah, no." Sofia answered her. "Admiral Johnson has what we call a Sympathy Reflex. She, her sisters, and her mother are all prone to become sick themselves if they witness or hear someone else becoming sick. One of the first real things I learned about them, courtesy of the youngest Johnson siblings." She told her.

"Oh." Houshou answered blandly. "That sounds..."

"You don't have to sugarcoat it."

"That sounds awful." The carrier stated. Sofia nodded. "And you said you learned of that from her youngest siblings? Hank and Danny, were they not?" She asked.

Sofia nodded. "They were here for Thanksgiving, yeah." She told her as they walked towards the door. "I'll message you again should anything else arise, but provided nothing happens, we'll let her sleep as long as she can. But if she's not awake by dinner, we'll probably wake her up and go from there. I can only imagine how her crew will be faring by then." She said. Houshou nodded at that somewhat, accepting it for what it was.

Sofia watched the carrier step out into the night, offering Sofia only a wave in parting. Sofia returned it before closing the door behind her. Yawning somewhat, the sweatpants and T-shirt clad woman padded her way down to the lounge once again, where the room has become an impromptu bedroom to her. Heading for the couch that made up her bed at the moment. Settling back onto it, she took a moment to look up at the screen, blank as it was. With the TV off for the moment, she did have the option of going back to bed.

But sleep hadn't been coming easy for her in the past days.

Rubbing her face, she reached for the remote.

What was a few more hours?

—/—/—/\—\—\—
—\—\—\/—/—/—

I wish that I had been the one responsible for this.

No answer.

You're not a whole lot of fun right now. Come on. Give me something. Show me I'm on the right track.

Further silence.

You're just not any fun like this. Where's the bite? Where's the resistance? Yeah, so the Jap's down. But where does that leave you?

Not a word.

Better off than before.

Enterprise ignored her as she sat on the floor of the bedroom that Akagi had been moved to within the Japanese HQ, sitting next to the bed. Across from her was the bedroom door, and to her right was the bed that Akagi was currently fighting a fever of 117 degrees in.

And Enterprise couldn't do a damn thing to help.

The entire base seemed to be on edge. Between the six going down, the Japanese fleet was cautious of seemingly everything. And with details coming out of the Indian by the hour, even a day and a half after it went down, quiet tensions were rising for seemingly no reason. None of them had asked for this, and yet the Abyssals had delivered anyways.

It didn't help that there was no physical way to get down there in time in the first place.

Enterprise turned her gaze up to the bed, where Akagi laid helpless.

Though she was still breathing.

At least get yourself a chair, if anything else. If you're not gonna leave, at least make yourself comfortable.

The silence of the bedroom continued as Enterprise neglected to respond in turn.

You can't simply ignore me forever. We both know you don't have the patience for that.

And yet still, there was no verbal response from the carrier.

Not at least until the bedroom door opened, prompting Enterprise to look up in some surprise. When the door opened wide enough to the point where she could see whoever it was, she found herself somewhat surprised at the sight of Admiral Ishigara standing there. But to say that he was standing there wasn't exactly correct either as he worked on hauling something else into sight of the room. Enterprise began to stand as the man lifted a chair through the doorway, as quietly as he could so as not to disturb Akagi.

Enterprise made to help the man, but he simply waved her down as he put the chair down next to the bed. Meeting eyes with the carrier, he offered her a gentle smile as he nodded to the chair. "Please."

So not what I meant.

"Sir, I'm-"

"Take a seat, Enterprise." The man told her, his normal and kind approach unfading. But for the first time since meeting the man all those months ago, there was something about him in the here and now that made Enterprise hesitant to refuse his hospitality. Nodding her thanks, the carrier eased herself into the chair he'd brought with him as he turned for the door, closing it quietly. Enterprise idly watched the man a moment before adjusting the chair somewhat, moving it further and closer to the head of the bed. Resettling herself there, she met eyes with the Admiral amongst the low light of the room, provided only by a lamp on its lowest setting. His attention then deviated from her for a moment to Akagi, watching the sleeping carrier before looking back to Enterprise.

"Sir?"

And now we're crossing lines that weren't meant to be crossed.

"Houshou came to me a few minutes ago, rather excitedly I might add." He told her. "She was able to trade some words with Zuikaku." He informed the carrier. Enterprise looked at him in surprise.

"She woke up?!" She asked before recoiling at the volume of her own voice. A quick glance back to Akagi showed that the volume or not hadn't seemed to disturb her unfortunately, much to enterprise's chagrin.

"She did, however brief it was. Captain Algerona was pretty fast to put her back to bed after the fact, so she's once again sleeping. But it seems we're fast approaching the other side of these woods we seem to have found ourselves in the middle of." He reasoned. Enterprise went to respond to that before she frowned.

"Akagi hasn't shown any signs of waking yet." She said.

"And from the sounds of it, neither had Zuikaku." He answered her in return. "The Captain only took notice because she could hear Zuikaku coughing from downstairs. Given their job and their duties, Admiral Johnson and Captain Algerona can hardly expect to spend all of their time looking after her, even more so when you factor sleep into the question."

"Admiral Johnson already has problems with getting proper sleep." Enterprise observed.

"Between her normal and expected duties, care for her girls, and her tenacity for exercise, it could easily be reasoned that she shorts herself on sleep, yes." Ishigara confirmed. "Yet it never seems to affect her for more than a few minutes at a time."

Enterprise nodded at that.

"Sir, can I ask what you're doing here? Akagi's not shown any signs of waking so far. I know that's a reach for me, given that we're in the Japanese HQ, but don't..." The carrier trailed off. Ishigara simply smiled in return, his eyes watching her with some unknown source of amusement for the man.

"Figured that someone should get around to bring you somewhere to sit, given your shown reluctance to remove yourself from the room. Despite your Admiral and Captain's asking." He said. Enterprise looked to deflate a little at that.

"I-"

"Thank you."

Enterprise's silence spoke volumes to the man.

It took a few moments for the carrier to find her words, to find a space of mind to form a response that was not hounded by Ghost.

In the end, her response was a simple one.

"Sir?" She asked. His eyes fell upon Akagi again for a time.

"Admiral Johnson, since coming to base, has been quite vocal about her family's service and where they were posted. As I recall if I was told correctly, one of the first things she told Maryland was about her family member that served aboard her. That they shared a bond with one another in a way that few people in the world have. From the way I see it, every time Battleship Maryland looks at Admiral Johnson, she seems to radiate a happiness that so few in this world ever truly find for themselves."

Enterprise couldn't help but let a small smile slip through at that, the visage of the battleship coming to mind. Always, she made a beeline for the Admiral. And in return, the Admiral always seemed so ready to chat with her. To talk and converse with her.

Because of a bond they shared.

Only for the smile to falter.

There was another side to this discussion.

Ishigara smiled softly as he watched the carrier meet eyes with him.

"However." He continued. "Not all bonds are ones of lives lived full or a renewed source of happiness."

Enterprise's stomach dropped.

"Who?" She asked. "Who did they serve with?"

Ishigara's smile remained as his eyes never left Akagi.

Ishigara's family shared the same bond with Akagi that Admiral Johnson's did with Maryland.

"Was he-"

"He watched her planes take off that December morning."

A strike of anger.

Kill him.

A few moments of silence danced between the two of them, one an Admiral of a new age and the other, a hero of a past war.

Beat him.

"Does she kn-"

"No." Ishigara confirmed for her. "There are times when I believe that she suspects or seems to know something, but I've never confirmed anything to any of them." He told her. "There are somethings in this life that are better left unsaid in my opinion. Better kept quiet."

Mutilate him.

"Did he.." Enterprise paused. "Did he survive Midway?"  She had no reason to know, no reason to ask. There was no feasible answer to why she wanted or needed to know.

But she needed to.

"He did." Ishigara confirmed. Enterprise breathed a sigh of relief. "With minor injuries, he was taken back home to heal, given time to reflect with his family."

A pause as Ishigara shifted his stance.

"Only for the war to call him back. Japan was losing footing, and as an Aircraft mechanic, his skills were needed. Desperately."

A pause.

"Zuikaku." She answered.

"Zuikaku." He confirmed.

"Did he-"

"No." Ishigara said. "He went down with Zuikaku alongside her."

Good fucking riddance.

Enterprise's eyes slipped close a moment as she adjusted to that information.

"They don't know? Neither of them know?" She asked as she rubbed her face with both hands. When Ishigara shook his head, Enterprise looked to the man. "Then tell them. They would want to know." She told him. Ishigara nodded.

"And at some point, I will reveal to them both what I have refrained from telling them. But in the here and now, their focus is best used elsewhere." He replied. "Not only that, but the two differ so very greatly. How Akagi would take it would not be how Zuikaku takes it. The youngest of the six in a way, is a little out of touch of how she feels about certain things and topics compared her sister and seniors. An unexpected complication due to being the last."

"Why tell me this?" She asked. "None of your girls know this. Why tell me?"

"Because." He stated. "I am grateful to you Enterprise. For caring for Akagi in ways that I cannot, for being there for her in times that I can't. I was there for your summoning alongside your Admiral and Captain, and the fact that it was you meant the peace of the base was going to shift somehow. But this is not something I had considered to be an option that morning. Plus, with how out of her way Admiral Johnson seems to go to care for girls that are not under her own flag, I feel that it is time that I start returning the favor."

"Pennsylvania and Saratoga might punch you." Enterprise answered. At that, Ishigara chuckled somewhat, finding the answer both truthful and a little humorous.

"Returning the favor within reason then, I should say. With that being said however, I'm going to bed." He told her. "Should you need something or if something happens, you know where to find me. Good morning Enterprise." He offered before turning towards the door, opening it. Enterprise briefly chuckled at the expression, a momentary break in the mood as she returned the answer.

"Good morning Admiral." She parted. He nodded her thanks before closing the door behind him, his footsteps easy to be heard as he moved away from the room.

Whatever the Ghost said next, Enterprise didn't pay it any mind.

She reached for Akagi's hand that was laid atop the sheets, and intertwined her fingers with hers, squeezing for a moment.

She closed her eyes with when she felt the hand squeeze back, however light it was.

—/—\—/—\—/—\—
—\—/—\—/—\—/—

"In terms of bad ideas and as far as those go, yeah this one's pretty far up there." Was her reaction, her expression unchanging.

Anya looked up to Momi, her own expression defiant.

"They deserve to know." She told her in response.

"People deserve a lot of things. But that doesn't always mean they need to get or receive those things. Sometimes what someone deserves isn't what they need. Sometimes what they deserve will only cause more pain." Momi told, standing in her way. "Not every truth is one that heals."

"I'm not trying to heal. I'm telling them the truth." Anya told her in response.

"And what? You spike old grudges? You light old fires, you incite new anger? What is that going to get you? What are you going to accomplish? Tell me right now, if you go out there and you tell Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Maryland. You tell them that the one's responsible, not the spirits, but the hulls. You tell them that the hulls responsible for one of, if not the worst day of their lives are back on the water, once set against them, how do you think they're going to react? Are you expecting them to look at the Japanese fleet and say 'Howdy neighbor?'"

"No."

"THEN WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CONSIDERING THIS?!"

There wasn't even a second.

"BECAUSE I AM NOT DOING MY SERVICE TO THEM BY KEEPING IT FROM THEM!"

Emerald met gray in a battle of differing ideals.

Momi stood quiet for a moment.

"If they were to learn of this from any other source aside from myself, if they were to come across this knowledge from any person that wasn't me, it would be akin to me lying to them. I won't do that. I am their Admiral." She said, calming herself a moment.

Despite her words however, Momi could see it in her eyes. She knew that Anya recognized the storm that was brewing with just this. Let alone the fires of hell she was fitting to open.

Well, Momi had to give her credit for that at the very least.

Walking into the storm with a foot already in the door merited that much.

Lucky for them that the building was empty, aside from the Fleet carrier that inhabited the Captain's room above them. Anya rubbed her face a moment before looking out the window into the courtyard between the American dorms. Amongst there, gathering there, was the American fleet in full. In various groups, talking amongst themselves, the only one missing was Enterprise who had yet refused again to leave Akagi's side.

114 American Ship Girls.

Out there because she had asked if of them. Before they sortied, before they settled. Before they did anything. So that she could talk to them.

The clock said it was three minutes to nine AM.

"This isn't a mistake." Anya stated.

"That depends on your point of view." Momi countered.

"I'm their Admiral."

"You're an Admiral that cares too much." Momi told her. "Aside a few, every single one of them has seen service under multiple people. Whether that be Captains, Admirals, or something more or less. Some had missions, some had fights, some had goals. But you are the first one to see them like this. To see not the steel and the guns, but the soul. That's a hard distinction to make, a distinction that'll make it harder for other decisions to come about."

"I-"

"Would you order them to their deaths?" Momi questioned. "If it comes down to it, if it's required to win this war. To win the peace. Would you be able to order them onto the water, to send them to their fates?"

Anya turned. "They're your children-"

"My children that know their duties. My children that know their service demands sacrifice. They knew it back then and they know it now. If it comes to a day where the words leave your mouth that it must be done for the greater good, for the survival of their people, their nation, their home. They would sail forth. Not without regret. Not without fear. Not without hesitation. Not without sadness, hate, or anger. But they would do it. If it meant the rest would live." She paused. "Could you do it?

But Momi already knew her answer.

She kept that in mind as Anya turned towards her, emerald meeting gray as her lips pulled into the same thin line she'd had when she'd told Missouri and her sisters that their sister had been lost.

"Yes."

Anya turned away from her, something flashing in those Emerald eyes that only Momi would ever see.

But she would never tell.

It was easy in a war the put everything about a ship behind her name. Her crew, her supplies, her weight, steel, armament and group it within her name. When she went down, when she fell to her enemies, it was a simple line through her and her alone.

The Admiral didn't have that ease.

Not when their names were everything about them.

Momi wordlessly followed after her as the woman made way for the doors to the office, and further than that, the doors to the outside world. Anya had the grace to hold the door for the woman even though it wouldn't have made a difference in either which way. Letting it close, Anya and Momi began their trip around the building, around to the courtyard.

When she'd reached the halfway point, the fleet's gaze began to land upon her shoulders.

She and Momi walked together.

The fleet watched her approach alone.

Sofia waited for her in front of the back of the HQ building, standing off to the side as she crossed her arms. She looked just as tired as Anya felt, but the two stood before the fleet as one. The blonde took a moment to look over the 114 figures assembled before her, they having the common sense to arrange by height. Capitals in the back. The destroyers and their smaller carriers in the front. She braced herself one last time.

And then she spoke.

"You've all be called before me so that I may deliver a message. Or better yet, to inform you an update on the events unfolding." She began. "As many of you know or at least have heard, the Abyssals hit the Maldives almost two days ago. So far, both Civilian and Military maritime resources have been unable to recover any real sort of survivor presence. Part in fact to the heightened Abyssal presence in the area and to the fact that whatever weapon they utilized for this purpose has yet to burn itself out. There is no signs of this coming to an end anytime soon based on what's been observed. As of right now, the Maldives are considered to be a total loss."

Not one of them attempted to interrupt her.

"Further than that however, Satellite imagery has shown us something that at the time, in the hours following us, we hadn't quite caught onto the fact of. For those of you that were not present when the operation to move Missouri from Pearl to Yokosuka occurred, the fleet quickly came face to face with an important fact. The Abyssals are quite capable of floating and repurposing the hulls of those lost to our past. Demonstrated in the presence of six former warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, they were seen as a one off thing. We know that is no longer the case."

She could hear breaths hitch between various members of the fleet.

"Oh god." She heard Missouri mutter.

"Based on satellite imagery, we have confirmed the reality that the Abyssals have floated, refitted, and currently employ the hulls of the six carriers that bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941."

She met eyes with them. Some of them.

Too many reactions to name.

But no one said a thing.

And that was it.

The silence.

The silence is what damned it into fact.