It was the sound of someone landing on the flightdeck that garnered her attention, the light footfalls of one so unfitting of them that prompted her to pause her thoughts as she in turn addressed her sudden but all to expected visitor. She waited a moment for her to draw closer, waited for her to approach her before she eventually turned, arms crossed across her chest as she stood in the midst of the setting sun. "Indian." She greeted, one word more than suiting her for the moment. The Queen in question eyed the woman a moment before taking a glance around them, the Queen's nose crinkling as she took a proper look at what had held so much of the Pacific Queen's attention as of late.

"Are these them? The so called project you've been wasting away your supplies on?" The Queen questioned as she glanced over the lot of them, the six newly risen ships sailing along with one another.

"Hardly a waste." Pacific offered.

"Hardly a boon." Indian returned.

"Do you know why they're beneficial?" Pacific questioned, glancing in the direction of the Queen.

"I know what they aren't." Indian replied airily, watching the flightdeck in front of her as she approached. "Their carriers we tore through at the start of this war were thrice this size and better armored. I assume you at the very least made some changes at that front? So that these relics are at the very least not a hindrance?" She questioned, the Brute Queen turning to address Pacific fully. "Because if your answer comes out to be negative, I hesitate to even try and think what you're considering here." She told her. When Pacific nodded her confirmation that she had indeed gone through with modifications from what they'd been originally, Indian felt more inclined to listen. "Then by all means. Regale me with stories of how they're beneficial. Perhaps something in that line of thought will keep me from continuing down my line of thought of how this entire endeavor was a mistake on your part."

"They represent an avenue of human history, one of the more darker variants, that some would rather forget what they witnessed and learned. And then there are those that would never see something like them return to the land of the living." Pacific informed her as she walked along the deck, towards the aft of the ship. Indian only arched a brow at that before nodding somewhat.

"I assume you mean when we were originally meant to wage this war. Not during a time when Humanity at large knew peace, but when the skies, the seas, and even their lands burned at their own hand." She reasoned. Pacific nodded.

"Their Second World War." She confirmed.

"An apt name." Indian agreed.

"It was. And these six." Pacific offered with a wide gesture. "Represent some of the worst days of that age. Their sinking was heralded as a victory that could've challenged the gods themselves with the way they were seen. And now, Humanity with their all orbital sight, can see all but the smallest insect. What do you think their reaction will be upon seeing these six back once more? Sailing the very oceans that they ruled oh so long ago?" She asked. Indian only chuckled at that, now getting the larger picture.

"These aren't meant as a means to an end. These are meant as a morale breaker. Meant to haunt them with echoes of the past, reignite feuds and gambits thought long forgotten." She surmised, crossing her arms. "I will admit. Their use is rapidly mounting from where I held it. You've won this one I will concede." She admitted. Pacific simply offered a smile, her internal level of smug more than sufficient. Not that proving Indian was wrong, but it was rare when the Queen so openly admitted it. Especially to her.

"Correct. But enough of that. This is your operation. Why ask me all the way down to your territory?" Pacific questioned. Indian nodded at that as she took a moment to look out over the other four on that side, watching as they sailed along.

"My first concern." Indian began. "Timor. I understand it is you that killed her." The Queen began as she now approached Pacific, her tone even. But with Indian, it was never her voice that you needed to watch, never her tone.

It was all in the body language.

And the body language that Pacific was seeing told anyone around her or in her vicinity that in that very moment?

They needed to be anywhere but there.

But for all of Indian's physical prowess, for all of her bouts of strength and pure physical demeanor, Pacific had never been one to worry all that much about the Queen. And for a few reasons, the Queen was justified in lax way of walking around the Queen when she got like this. After all, she was no empress or princess, there was no need to shy away.

When Indian made to strike at her, Pacific in response batted away her hand to the side as she brought her other fist slamming into the Queen's stomach. Indian doubled over a moment at that, the wind all but being expelled from her body before Pacific grabbed a hold of the woman by way of fistful of hair, holding it taught and willing her to bend to her own demands. When Indian's position became one all but inescapable to her and her alone, Pacific took that moment then and there to slam another armored fist into the Queen's face, sending her sprawling. Indian just ever so barely got turned over before Pacific's boot met her throat, the ball of her foot finding a nice and cozy place on Indian's windpipe.

Pacific pushed.

But the only reaction that was offered in response to the action was Indian's lips adopting a wide, never ending grin. Pacific watched her a moment longer, her eyes unwavering before they rolled hard to the side as the Queen of the Pacific lifted her boot from the Queen's throat. The sound of Indian taking her next breath was almost negligible as Pacific offered her a hand, Indian taking it with a force that would break any other living creature. Pacific hauled the woman to her feet as the two met eyes once more, the white haze of the Pacific Queen flaring.

"Timor got what she deserved. Openly disrespecting me and mine in front of me?" She demanded as she poked the Queen in the chest, hard. "You've killed for far less, and your own Empresses to boot. Don't come to me saying that you actually cared about her. Or any of your empresses for that matter." Pacific told her.

"I didn't." Indian confirmed. "And I don't. But it's the principal of the thing. They are Empresses of the Indian Throne. What happens to them, what becomes of them is mine and mine alone to decide. I need not explain this I know, but you know how I get about someone stepping into what is so clearly my territory." She told her. Pacific simply crossed her arms.

She knew Indian had a point.

"Fair. So what do you want then as compensation?" Pacific questioned.

"Nothing."

Pacific's bow rose in surprise, glancing at the Queen. "Nothing?"

"Will you give me one of your Empresses?" Indian questioned.

"No." There was not even a moment's consideration from the Queen. Indian chuffed in amusement at that before shaking her head.

"Then we move past it. She's gone and that's simply all there is to it." Indian reasoned before turning her gaze on the Queen. "Should however" Indian began, her eyes narrowing "There ever be a repeat incident, I cannot say that my mood will be nearly as forgiving."

"I'm sure." Pacific rattled before crossing her arms. "Anyways, you said before hand that Southern too holds a stake in all of this?" She questioned. Indian nodded at that as she watched as the bow of the carrier next to them crested a wave, watching as it sliced the water in two.

"She does. Among many things, I need to ask that the ordinance was received properly." She began. Pacific nodded at that.

"They met up with us mid trip. We safely received it all under the surface and as we speak, they're being properly loaded. I'm curious though. Far be it myself to claim to be an expert of the way that Humanity conducts itself on the water, peace and war time operations alike. But I'm fairly certain what I was given are not Anti-Ship munitions." Pacific told her.

The grin that began to inch upon Indian's lips was downright feral.

"That's because they're far from it. While they could be somewhat effective if employed in Anti-Ship roles, they could perhaps be somewhat effective. But that would take far more consideration than either of us would really care for in the moment. No, these munitions are made for far more in the way of unarmored." She told her. Pacific arched a brow at that, watching the Queen.

"And that being...?" She questioned.

"All in due time." Indian answered her. "Southern has a second objective here that she would like achieved, and upon your agreement, my Empresses will brief yours on the roles that they will need to fill." She told her. Pacific watched the Queen for a moment.

"This operation is a bit one sided in the information being provided here." Pacific observed. Indian chuckled.

"Last I asked, your concerns were consumed by testing these constructs rather than concerning yourself with a pivotal role." She recalled. "As far as I'm concerned, you're fire support." She told her. Pacific watched the Queen a moment at that, as if mulling over it in her head a time before nodding.

"Fair."

"That being said however, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"What's up with them?" Indian asked, gesturing towards the bow. Without even needing to look, Pacific knew almost immediately of what exactly Indian was referring to. Pointing her gaze in that direction, she found it to be of course pointed at the form of a woman standing at the bow. Having already cleared her herself, Pacific now paid her no mind at the moment. But it seemed Indian wasn't quite so content to do that so easily.

She hadn't made her way around to all six of them as of yet, but she assumed the same would come from the rest as it had the first. Truthfully, she hasn't been all that concerned with them even before she approached the first, but it was curiosity more than anything that drove her down that path in the first place.

Pacific shrugged.

It was Indian's turn to look at the Queen skeptically.

"You... don't know?" She asked.

"When we first launched them, they weren't aboard, that I'm sure of. But a few moments after we broke the surface, I spied the one at the bow first and then registered the other five on their own." She told her, watching the lone figure at the end of the flight deck. "They've not made any attempts to try and impeded progress or sabotage this project in anyway however, so I can't find myself seeing a valid reason to look too far into it."

"Never known you to be one to throw caution to the wind." She answered. Pacific nodded at that.

"And normally I'm not." She told her as she turned towards the Aft of the carrier she was on, stepping towards the end of the deck. As she did so, both to Pacific's amusement and Indian's surprise, the elevator began to descend, likely to start bringing aircraft up to the deck. Pacific chuckled somewhat at that, watching as the formerly red and white modified fighter began to come into view. As she did so, the sounds of something raising out of the water behind her sounded through the air, water soon dripping onto the deck.

Her demon, a being so steeped in human mythos that it itself was in fact more well known and had been for centuries while they had gone blind to it's mistress. Pacific raised a hand, in turn a crypt black tentacle lightly slid around the limb, embracing it's mistress in its own twisted way. Pacific smiled at the contact as she looked to Indian.

"It is best that we get this operation underway then." She reasoned as another tentacle slapped onto the deck by her feet. Pacific in turn planted a solid foot onto the limb as the tentacle by her hand withdrew. The Queen was lifted into the air as Indian approached, Pacific offering only a bloodthirsty grin before she was pulled below the surface, the mass of black and white below the surface vanishing with it's mistress a moment later.

Indian shook her head before she jumped into the ocean below.

—/—\—/—\—/—\—

"Anything on Scope?" Came the question.

"None sir." Came the response. Captain Logan Roberts filed that away as he turned his attention back to the horizon. Their deployment had been thus far uneventful, even if it was more than far enough out of the man's comfort zone for his own liking. A finger tapped against the railing as he watched the waters of the Indian Ocean splayed out before him, gently bouncing the hull of the Brisbane along the water's surface as she cut through another gentle wave. The waters themselves were behaving themselves, hiding nothing. But that wasn't what had the Captain on edge.

He wasn't the only one though.

Since the brawl in the Med that had seen the loss of the New Jersey, the world had been balancing on a new edge of sorts. Eyes were on the other three Iowa's of course, and Alabama to be sure, but there was more public scrutiny on the Navies of the world than ever. Of course, there was some scrutiny now bearing down on Japan and it's fleet program, but that was only by the most extreme of sources. For the most part, they were evading most of the flak being spread around.

At least on the surface.

"Can't we just skip the night?" Came the questioned thought of his XO. Captain Roberts turned his attention on the woman with a faintly amused smile at that.

"It sure would be a whole lot easier if that were the case." He agreed, though his eyes never left the horizon. Being so far from home put his nerves on a kind of edge he wasn't a fan of. His XO, a woman by the name of Harper Mariann simply shrugged her shoulders.

The Brisbane and her task was that of assigned to the assistance of the Maldives and it's defense. Pretty close to the start of the war, she and her patrol had been ordered to try and assist the islandous nation in it's defense, given that a large majority of it's populace had refused to be removed by the threat of Abyssal attack and the Abyssals themselves had yet to seriously bother the islands in way of violence aside from culling most of their trade.

And yet the people who called this area home refused to relent to the sea's pressure.

Captain Roberts couldn't agree with it. He could respect it, sure. But agree, not a chance.

"Captain, might I suggest a break?" Came the voice of Harper. Captain Roberts offered only a frustrated scratch at his neck a moment. Something was wrong. He wasn't sure what, wasn't sure how, but there was something that just felt off to him. Turning his attention to the side, he watched the form of HMAS Perth bouncing through the waves, one of the Brisbane's two escorts a couple thousand yards abreast of the ship. The frigate didn't seem to have a care in the world either, looking to be almost ecstatic to be out here. Which, maybe it was, given that the Perth was far more suited to surface combat than his own boat was.

The Brisbane seemed to rattle underneath him at the mere thought intruding his mind, prompting a short and brief chuckle from the man.

"Easy there Brisbane." He offered. The ship seemed to calm somewhat, the rattling that so easily could be taken for a tantrum ceasing a moment later altogether. His XO watched him a moment before allowing a small chuckle of her own.

"Talking to one's own ship is never really a good sign, Captain."

"Never is, is it?" He questioned.

"No." Came the confirmation.

His gaze travelled back about to the ocean before them, watching as the immediate area began to settle into the dark once again as the sun began to finally slip below the ever distant horizon.

Still, something bothered him.

"Request Status." He ordered.

It took a few moments, a few moments longer than he would've liked, but they started coming back.

"Perth is reporting green, Sir. And so are the Stuart and Anzac." Came the reports. The Captain bided his time a few moments before continuing.

"Allied?" He questioned.

A few moments passed.

"The MCGS Huravee is reporting green. INS Abhay, Ajay, Kamorta, and the Kadmatt are reporting green." There was a pause. "We can't reach the Kavaratti."

"Try again." He ordered.

"Still nothing sir." Was the response.

"Make the others aware. What was the Kavaratti's last known location?" He asked.

"Eighty miles south by southwest as of.... As of fifteen minutes ago." Came the report.

Underneath them, Brisbane seemed to shutter at the idea. The Captain couldn't explain why, but something told him that he agreed with the ship.

"Sound General." He ordered. "Orient the Anzac and Stuart on us as foreward guard. I want the Perth on our ass, ready to scramble at any moment. Set course for the Kavaratti's last known location." He ordered. And just like that, the ship seemed to come to life as Brisbane shuttered beneath them again, as if she herself was just waking up from a long nap, like she was stretching for the first time in years as her crew scrambled to their positions. The Captain offered only a simple tap of the fingers as Mariann turned her gaze to the horizon as Brisbane began her turn to port, Anzac and Stuart mimicking her motions as Perth began to slow.

"Thinking it's them?" Mariann questioned.

"Anything else would be a fool's errand." The Captain replied as the four ships made their turns as one, the setting sun dotting the horizon as they turned into it.

He wasn't even sure what they were about to find either, not with the Abyssals love of fucking with anything that took more than wood and nails to build. Radar would be all but useless unless the fuckers decided they wanted it to work. And Captain Roberts had yet to hear of any sort of situation where that was the case, where their friends from the deep wanted anything to go properly.

"Captain, the Huravee is requesting to link up with us." Came another report.

"Granted. Could use all the eyes we've got out here." He replied.

The wait was torturous for the most part. Multiple parts played into that. The rapidly setting sun slowly slipping under the horizon, the lack of any outright hostile contact or even radar contact aside from friendly forces was maddening. But just as the sun was almost entirely swallowed by the horizon, the form of the INS Kavaratti came into view.

"We still can't reach them?" The Captain asked.

"No sir." Was his answer. "No response."

"Signal them. Any sort of response will do." He ordered. "I want to know the very second something changes." He added a moment later.

It took a moment or two longer than he would've liked, but eventually things got moving as the Anzac began to signal the Kavaratti by way of signal light. He could just barely make out the motion from his position, but he knew without a doubt that the Kavaratti, assuming everything was green over there, would at the very least see the message. With the last vestiges of light fading fast over the horizon, this was quickly becoming a situation that he wanted nothing to do with. They held no advantage on the water in this war, and in the night?

Those differences became that much further apart.

Time seemed to creep by in seconds as they waited with bated breaths to figure what was going on. To figure out what was happening.

It wasn't long though however until the ship on the horizon began to signal back. He watched their light flash back at them, more than expecting some sort of answer. And when the message finished and began to play again, he looked to those taking it for the report.

"Sir, they're... they were tracking a sub-surface contact." Came the report. "They're not sure exactly what it was... but they're certain of two things."

"And those are?"

"That it was Abyssal."

"And the other?"

"It's massive, whatever it was."

"Greaaaaaaat." The Captain offered in a tone that elicited a few quiet laughs from those around him. He watched the quickly darkening waters before him, mulling over his choices a moment before he turned to his XO, already planning to say something.

Only for the Brisbane to list. Hard.

His hands shot for the railing as he anchored himself there, catching Harper as she fell against him as the Brisbane continued to list hard. Some of the bridge crew did the same as he'd done, grabbing onto the nearest item that would hold them in place. Others hadn't been so lucky, tumbling to the floor before they slid across the floor, some stopping short, others hitting the opposite wall with heavy thuds. Captain Robert's gaze shot to the bow where he could just ever so slightly make out the sight of something extending from below the ship.

And then it lurched into the depths below, the Brisbane all but crashing back into her original position on the ocean's surface, nearly throwing both the Captain and his XO to the floor with it.

"Report!" The Captain ordered even before he had righted himself, hauling both he himself and Harper to their feet in one bruising move.

"Something hit us on the starboard side from underneath, Sir!"

"Damages?!" He demanded.

"Crew's reporting green up and down the board, Sir. Whatever it was, it didn't do any actual damage. It just... jostled is a bit."

"That was more than just a fucking jostling. My bloody neck." One of the members to his side commented.

"Stow it." Roberts barked. "Do we have track on this thing? Anything?" He demanded. There was a moment of terse silence before someone piped up.

"CIC has it on track." The statement came all to fast, the frantic tone and pace pointing to something being wrong. "They're reporting it's going-"

The Brisbane listed hard again, this time in the other direction, as whatever it was- whoever it was- slammed into them again, this time harder than it had before. This time, Roberts fell against Harper, but the two of them had already been ready. Most of them had. Those that had been assisting those that had been knocked to the ground or side braced properly, and managed to keep those somewhat out of it still. But even with that, it felt like the ship was outright closing on ninety degrees of pitch.

And then the Brisbane slammed back into the Indian Ocean with a heavy thud, the ship herself shuttering with the impact. The second she righted herself enough for a proper foothold, Robert's hands were free and he opened his mouth to bark, but one of the crew beat him to it.

"CIC's still got our guest on track." Came the quick and hastened reply. "It's making course towards the Kavaratti!"

The Captain's gaze shot to the horizon, where he could still just barely make out the outline of the smaller vessel, still sitting out there at a snail's pace. He didn't know how fast the ship could go, but it needed to get moving.

"Tell the Stuart and the Anzac they're to fucking hunt this thing. I want all external lights on! I want to see what the fuck we're dealing with." He ordered. And a moment later, his orders were carried out as The Brisbane's, Anzac's, and Stuart's external lights lit up the darkening sky. Immediately, their gazes turned to the surface of the ocean, where they crisscrossed their pathing, all searching for a glimpse... of something.

The Anzac and Stuart surged to life as their turbines kicked it to full, no longer nearly sitting around as the frigates got under way, search lights scanning the water's surface dutifully. Roberts watched a moment before his gaze turned back on the bridge. "Track?"

"Still on course for the Kavaratti." Was the response. His gaze found the ship, still out there on the water.

"Do we have contact with them?" He questioned.

"No." Was the response that he simply didn't need in that moment. "Something... is keeping us separate. All attempts to reach them are being intercepted or blocked."

"Are there any records of the Abyssals using Jamming technology?" He questioned.

"None so widespread." His XO answered him. "They prefer simply not showing up at all on most scopes. The fact that they're outwardly jamming us in such a way isn't exactly their calling card."

"And being so passive about it." One of the sailors around them called. "Not a single surface contact of their nature anywhere to be seen." He confirmed. Roberts seemed to take that information to heart as he watched the rapidly fading horizon a moment before his gaze once again found the Kavaratti.

"I want-"

His next words wouldn't have mattered for the fate of the Kavaratti.

Against the backdrop of the rapidly setting sun, he watched as the form of the Kavaratti was descended upon.

The first of what he could only describe as a crypt black tentacle slammed through the surface of the water, followed in short order by a second, third, and fourth. The bridge of the Brisbane watched in a more than sufficiently stunned silence at what was unfolding before them, merely the sight of-

"The Kraken?" One of the sailors asked incredulously. "The Abyssals have the fucking Kraken in their corner...?" She asked, almost somewhat amused.

That amusement died when one of the tentacles uprooted the Kavaratti's fore-mounted 76 millimeter gun, wrapping around it in a vice grip before it squeezed and plucked the weapon from the vessel's deck, haphazardly tossing the now useless hunk of metal into the far off see as another tentacle slammed down onto the Kavaratti's bow, rocking the ship as it bent with the hit.

That sunk it all in for Captain Roberts who focused on the unfolding situation at hand.

"Anzac and Stuart are to open fire. Wide angles, try to avoid the Kavaratti!" Captain Roberts ordered immediately.

"Captain, that will almost certainly-" Harper tried.

The cracking of the Kavaratti's hull in two was a noise that none of them would ever forget for as long as they lived, both Roberts and Harper looking back to the ship. Two of the tentacles had successfully went the ship enough in two directions that they could see a now sizable gouge in the side, accentuated by water rushing to fill the space. The sound of cracking and torn steel is not one so easily let go of.

The Stuart and Anzac needed no further prodding at that, the Stuart surging forwards as the Anzac began to turn to Starboard, her main five inch gun already making to aim at the tentacles at the very least, possibly even more if the monster wanted to pop it's head above the surface.

The first shell was courtesy of Stuart, opening up the engagement on the Allied side, followed shortly by the Anzac.

The monster didn't even seem to notice as it continued to toy with the Kavaratti, rolling it back and forth with it's limbs, nearly capsizing the ship multiple times. Even from where he was and despite the darkening sky, Captain Roberts could make out the sight of multiples of the crew jumping overboard, attempting to flee the monster that now had their former home in it's clutches.

"I want the Perth on station to retrieve survivors when it's safe." The Captain ordered, those being relayed as he watched. The Brisbane wasn't meant for this, wasn't meant for surface action. Her specialty was Anti-Air work, and the Kraken very much fell out of that realm of possibilities. Even if the Brisbane was fully equipped for surface combat and to defend against those kinds of combatants.

Even if they were to try and combat the areas of the being that they were being presented with, tentacles were hardly the opportune target for missiles or anything of similar nature. Quick to readjust and could simply dive at a moment's notice, the Brisbane was few and far between in options at the moment.

Only for an impact one of the tentacles as a shell exploded against it's surface courtesy of the Anzac.

The limb seemed to reel back in pain, the impact and resulting damage seemingly more than it had intended to take in that very moment. But the other three didn't release their holds on the Kavaratti, instead tightening their grasp on the ship If anything.

And then a shell from the Stuart followed what the Anzac had started.

However, the limb of the beast this time was far less forgiving, offering the surface of the Indian Ocean a heavy slap in the Stuart's direction. The Stuart in turn replied with another five inch shell, this one easily missing any of the four limbs above the surface, something the beast made sure of.

Only for another shell from the Anzac to strike true.

Captain Roberts watched as two of the limbs slapped the ocean in a fury befitting that a toddler's tantrum at the impact, the spots of their impacts quickly forgotten in the eyes of the Indian Ocean. And yet still, with three direct hits, the monster refused to release it's captive or it's hold on them. Which, probably served it's purpose in another way. The Kavaratti was all but likely finished in it's sea travels. In all likelihood, the only reason it was still topside was because of the very thing that had crippled it.

And then the Anzac upped the ante.

The frigate let one of her Harpoons free, the missile slinging free of it's confines as it soared into the air at a moment's notice. Far shorter range than the missile was typically associated with, the Harpoon got the message all the same as it made way for the tentacles anyways.

The bridge of the Brisbane went up in cheers as the harpoon made solid contact with one of them, the limb writhing in a sudden and onset pain, only furthered as more shells from the Stuart slammed home. The limb in questions simply vanished below the surface as another rose to replace it. Roberts smirked as his eyes snapped to the Anzac who was already readying another punch of the same caliber.

The forces that be however weren't willing to let it slide.

The second harpoon from the Anzac slipped free, it's ignition priming as it began to move.

Only for it to vanish totally and entirely as it was swept up in the jaws of a beast that emerged from the water in and at that moment, towering over the Anzac as it took the Harpoon with it.

The dragon-esque appearance of the thing's head turned logic on it's head as it quickly looked to the water, it's head diving below the surface, it's long and snake like body following behind it soon after. The Anzac was already in the midst of course correction however, the frigate swinging hard to port as whatever the fuck it was dove down on it's other side.

Only for the head of the beast to once again re-emerge from behind the ship, crossing over the aft deck in one fluid motion before it dove back under.

And came back around on it's other side once again.

The Anzac never had a chance as what could only be aptly described as a Leviathan began to ever so simply coil itself around the frigate amongst the dark oceans of the Indian before pulling it's body taught against itself, the Anzac only bearing the pressure momentarily before steel began to crumple and bend under the push and pull.

All before Leviathan flipped the two of them, turning the Anzac right side over, both her head and the superstructure of the ship vanishing below the waves, the last sign being that of the Anzac's keel snapping in two as it was dragged below.

"H-holy shit!" One of the bridge crew cried from their position to the side of the Captain.

"Stow that!" He called in return. The Kraken and a real life sea monster. That was all he fucking needed right now. "I want-"

"The Fir- The Kraken has released the Kavaratti!" Came another call almost immediately. Robert's gaze shot to the point where the Kavaratti had once been, just barely able to make out the sight of the Corvette now bobbing helplessly amongst the waves of the oh so mighty Indian. She was no doubt already taking on water due to extensive damage and it was the more likely that her crew were now more focused on abandoning ship rather than any sort of damage control.

"Captain, the Perth is requesting to move in for survivors from the Kavaratti." Came yet another piece of information. He held onto that thought, ran it through his mind a few times in the brief seconds he had.

It had been one thing when it was just the first of the two, just apparently the Kraken. If it had only been that as their main focus, he would've said yes. But now with this second one somewhere now lurking below them, the choices were that much harder.

He didn't think this could get much worse.

—/—\—/—\—

They got worse.

So much worse.

That's the thought line that was currently whisking through Harper Mariann's train of thought as she and another sailor pulled yet another survivor onboard.

Water splashed onto the deck, from both the sailor they'd just pulled onboard and the other sailor helping Harper, he himself having been in the water not even 10 minutes ago.

The Anzac and The Perth were gone.

The Stuart had gotten lucky by way of simply sinking, and not being dragged down below by force.

And their Allied vessels were no better off.

Evenly split between surface sunk or simply dragged down, there was only one for sure rule now.

The Brisbane was the last bastion.

Harper tried to keep that piece of information away from the forefront of her mind, away from her sole focus. She refused to acknowledge the fact that she had friends and people she cared for on the Anzac and the Stuart, people she would never seen again. She refused to let the grief and sorrow and rage that she knew was coming control her. There were those that needed help in the here and now. People that were still right in front of her.

The point was only accentuated as she and the other Sailor finally pulled the third fully on board.

Only for the two of them to get right back to it as they offered hands to the next sailor clambering up the ladder casted off the side of the Brisbane. Harper and the man she hadn't caught the name of yet again began to pull the man to their level.

Another minute or two and he was also safely aboard the ship as well.

Thankfully, between the Stuart, the Brisbane, the Kavaratti, and the Kamorta, they had a sizable medical staff on hand. But limited resources with which to treat those who really needed it and a rapidly growing ship crew.

Harper took a moment to look back at the groups of sailors that had been pulled up already, sporadically spaced around the aft deck of the Brisbane and somewhat haphazardly just within the vessel's hatches.

Harper's mind tried to ignore that they had yet to pull a single female sailor from the water's embrace.

That thought was cleared from her mind as the Brisbane's MH-60 began to once again approach. Rapidly clearing space for the machine, Harper could already make out the sight of multiples more sailors pulled from the waves and were now heading here. She wasn't exactly sure where they were going to put everyone for the moment, but she knew their first stop was going to be in India or Sri Lanka.

"We got another!" The sailor that had been helping her called out to grab her attention. Immediately, Harper turned her attention back to the man and the sailor that had begun to ascend the ladder casted off the side. Harper and the Man reached down for his hands to quickly pull him on board as the next few could that much faster get on board and out of the water. She didn't know how many of these men would end up with Hypothermia, but it was more than likely a number she could do nothing about.

As they were assisting, Harper casted her gaze over and along the horizon. It hadn't even been half an hour since the last time they'd spotted either of the two monsters that had all but sealed their fates. It hadn't even looked as if the two actually thought they were under attack, largely just playing with them. Toying them.

She helped the stranded sailor as her mind raced about the implications. Had the Abyssals always had these beasts? Or were they some sort of new super weapon meant to ever further push the tide of war into the Abyssal's court? Were these the only two? Were there more? Were they building? Breeding more?

The MH-60's rotors came to a complete and full stop behind them for the moment, their passengers disembarking the helicopter as the crew took a moment to recollect themselves. But Harper paid them no mind.

She figured that the Captain would have a plan at some point.

Under the blanket of the Brisbane's external lights, she watched as more and more sailors continued to flock to the Brisbane. She hoped that the other crews were still doing okay, but they had to retrieve who they could from each sight. The MH-60 helped sure, but that was only one bird. And it could only do so much.

But as she was watching the sailors for a moment longer, something seemed to move underneath.

And the water's surface seemed to reflect it as a wave was interrupted.

But Harper didn't see it, more focused on the next sailor that was coming up the latter.

All the way until the water in front of them exploded.

By the time Harper looked up, by the time she wasn't sure she was going to accidentally drop the sailor she'd the hand of, she finally looked up.

Only to find the monster already in the air.

The Leviathan was already mid jump, it's body dripping fresh seawater on the Brisbane's deck from it's travel through the air. Behind her, she heard what was presumably it's head hit the water.

But not before someone screamed.

The Ship rocked hard to one side as the tentacles of the first behemoth to appear re-emerged on all sides, one coming up scarily close to Harper. The sailor they'd been pulling up scrambled away from the side as the three of them backed away from the side, watching as the thing rose from the water's depths before them.

Only for groaning metal to sound from behind them, Harper whipping her head around to look what exactly what it was. And the noise came in the form of another of the tentacles wrapping itself around the tail of the MH-60 just recently landed on the deck, it's crew not even fully departed, it's rotors only stilling moments prior. The tail dented inwards under the pressure of the monster's grasp, the crew now forgetting what they'd been doing moments ago as they scrambled off of it.

Just as it was lifted into the air.

Metal screamed and whined louder.

"GET DOWN!" Someone bellowed. Harper didn't need to be told twice, dragging one of the two sailors next to her down to the deck with her as the other hit the ground as the MH-60 suddenly whipped to the side, more than easily would have taken the three's heads off had they still be standing. The formerly allied helicopter whipped off to one side wildly, metal fracturing and springing free of it's former hold before it was brought back over their heads again, Harper even going so far as to hold her hands to her head as the wind from the helicopter passing so fast overhead and the water that remained on the beast's limb made for an unpleasant experience in it's entirety.

But the Seahawk made for a poor weapon used in such a fashion so similar in nature to a toddler's tantrum like it found itself. And in turn, as the tentacle made to turn it back towards the Brisbane for a third pass, the tail fractured from the rest of it's form, the cabin simply flopping to the ocean's surface with more momentum that it truly needed.

As the cabin of the machine hit the surface, the kraken seemed to tire with it's new toy all too easily, the apparent havoc it could wreak apparently cut in half within it's mind. Haphazardly swinging what remained of the tail for a moment longer within it's clutches, it eventually released the scrap and let it land where it may. Which was a few hundred yards of the Brisbane, it turned out, as Harper watched it fly into the endless darkness of the Indian Ocean.

The tentacles seemed to shake with both fury and delight at the havoc, the limbs shuddering as they shook off the water that remained on them, blanketing ship and deck in seawater, showering those both on board and still near ship with droplets. That and a soft yet heavy humming told those watching what exactly the behemoth that was now clearly below them exactly what it thought of it's current situation as the ebony of it's skin sheened against the external lights of the Brisbane.

The sound of something surfacing behind Harper had the woman looking behind her once again, the woman getting up off of the now thoroughly soaked deck as she turned.

And found herself coming face to face with the Leviathan, just now raising above the side of the Brisbane, water slipping from it's form as it seemed to take a moment to adjust to the lights from the Brisbane and the fact that it had so many fresh targets simply seated so still in front of it. A throaty and rolling growl sounded from within it, one that seemed to shake Harper to her very core as it's jaw began to part every so slightly, showing rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth that dwarfed Harper and so many others close to her. She took a tentative step back as it's head ever so slowly lifted over the deck. The growl heightened as it's jaw parted further, it's maw spreading before them as breath rushed forwards from within, blowing the deck of the Brisbane in a cold steam that chilled them to the bone.

Water turned to frost under the assault as the Brisbane groaned ever so slightly as the beast put only a fraction of it's weight down on the ship, the Brisbane listing ever so slightly to accommodate it's unwanted and unwelcome guest, the railing bending pathetically to further fit it.

It seemed to still there a moment, looking as if it meant to snap up a number of those on the deck before it until it's jaw eased closed, offering them another exhale of freezing steam as it pulled away.

But it did not submerge.

Nor did the tentacles as they began to dip down.

Harper prepared for the worst as the tentacles dipped below the side of the Brisbane, but she dared not approach to find out, lest it be a trap in waiting or something far worse.

The truth however was all too confusing.

Under the watchful and threatening gaze of the Leviathan before them, who now seemed to stand stone still, the Kraken's tentacles appeared once more in short order, this time carrying cargo with them.

Sailors were deposited on the deck before Harper herself.

Hushed whisperings broke out amongst the sailors already gathered on deck as bundles of sailors that had been previously within the water's embrace were put on deck in groups of two or three a piece. Coming from all sides, the tentacles were thorough, having more than enough space as the pockets of sailors put aboard shuffled away, unwilling to take their eyes off the limbs so intent on saving them when they'd been bent on destruction twenty minutes prior.

When the last group of sailors had been dropped on the deck unceremoniously, some nearly losing their footing due to the frost and ice that had grown, the tentacles once again retreated, stilling themselves a moment later.

With another heavy breath, the Leviathan that for the last few moments who had been watching blew steam from it's nose, turning the air above them into a brief flurry of snow before it melted away in the next moment. It seemed to shake itself from some sort of stupor it found itself in before moving ever so agonizingly slow once again towards the ship, prompting those still near the railing to rapidly put distance between them and it.

Harper ran through a mental list of options. The Brisbane, even with out-fittings during the war, was still not meant for heavy surface combat. Not like she needed to be if this was to be their opponent.

Though the list of ships Harper could draw in her mind that would be capable of taking something like the being she was watching now in combat effectively was scarily short.

The Leviathan once again hovered it's head scarily close to putting it's weight down on the deck, it's eyes seemingly locked to those before it. Even with the sailors that the other had just worked so very easily to save, it looked like nothing would please it more than having them all to itself.

Another breath of steam escaped it's lips as it's maw began to open ever so slightly, frozen breath coming from between it's teeth as it seemed to reconsider it's decision for a moment.

Until a sharp whistle took away it's choice for it.

It didn't even hesitate this time around, it's maw closing easily as it leaned back somewhat. It's head remained hovering just over the deck, ever so slightly grazing the railing on the Brisbane's side. But it didn't physically manipulate the ship, didn't add pressure to it. Just hovered there, just ever so closely overhead.

And then something began to move atop it's head.

It's head was big enough that it somewhat obscured the motion that was now going on on top of it, as if it was meant to keep prying eyes away from seeing what they wanted and only to see what they were meant to. Harper watched what she could from her spot, one that put her at the forefront at most of the other sailors on deck at the moment, both Australian and not. But that didn't matter for many reasons.

The figure now getting up from the top of the Leviathan's head being the first and foremost in her mind.

The only noise to greet them were the sounds of the waves lapping up against the hull of the Brisbane as Harper watched the presumable figure finally finish what they'd been doing before moving to one side.

The sound of something hitting the deck with a heavy thud reverberated through Harper's body.

The figure that came around the beast's head sent a chill down her spine to accompany it.

They were tall, seven foot straight at he very least. She took it step by step, walking along the beast's head further and further, a hand traveling along it's skin. The beast seemed to relax at that somewhat, offering a short satisfied breath of frozen steam yet again, it's head shaking slightly. The figure seemed to take that it in stride, watching it under her gaze, wisps and embers of the white haze of her eyes that stood out even amongst the well lit deck of the ship. Her gauntleted hand sliding along the beast's skin seemed to stop a moment at the end of it's nose, patting it somewhat in a twisted, lovingly way.

The beast seemed to offer one last growl from the back of it's throat, it's eyes darting to the assembled group as if to say it would be back, before it's head lifted once again for the final time as it turned and it's head turned towards the ocean's surface, leading the way for the rest of it's body as they watched it return to the depths.

Just as white hazed eyes befell Harper.

Her heart nearly stopped then and there.

Her gauntleted arm fell to her side, the same ebony armor that enveloped her right hand lead the way up her arm all the way to her neck, covering half of the body section in the same darkened metal. Though now fully in the light, Harper could made out the linings of what looked to be a white fur along the arm and around the neck. But that was just her right arm.

The armor around her neck lead down into what looked to be a heavily wrapped cloth of some sorts, black as night just as the armor she adorned, wrapped right around the chest area. Though as she stood there, before them in the night, it didn't seem to constrict anything or restrict any sort of breathing.

If she even needed to breathe.

Below the cloth of the chest was bare, scarred and scratched pale skin, deep incisions and scars that would've killed the normal person. Every slight and methodical movement of the muscles sent the separated flesh in two different directions, but no blood, never anything. And it's owner seemed to pay it no mind as their eyes danced from one sailor to the next, as if quietly deciding some unspoken rule regarding them. Yet even with the imperfections carved into it's surface, the surface of her stomach remained taut, as if they simply weren't apart of her.

Her left arm however sat bare, no signs of the armor that sat around her shoulders or enveloped her neck. More scars and signs of a danger long ago faced ran criss crossed up and down the flesh of the limb. But even amongst that, the muscle that made up the limb wasn't slipped by unknown either. There was little doubt that her form was one capable of death incarnate at a moment's notice.

Higher on her stomach than the the waist, it was wrapped in multiples of black and dark sashes, folded and twisted in on one another, thin strands of the same metal her armor was comprised of mixed it, easy to tell whenever they'd catch the light.

The thing.. the monster seemed to address them a moment, armored legs taking a few in place steps as she shifted, the cloak or some other item springing free from the sashes around her waist encircling her legs around the back. After a moment, her eyes befell Harper once again. And took a step towards her.

Harper backed away.

The monster's face broke into a cracked and feral grin.

"Don't toy with them." A voice cut through the tension set forth by the... thing.

Harper wouldn't dare refer to this thing as a person.

The grin the one before her sported faltered somewhat as she straightened up, ever so slightly as a form began to rise over the side, the eighth limb of the Kraken. And with it, it brought a second monster.

That same temperate white haze present as the one before, she put a foot down on the railing, crushing it to the hull before she stepped through all the way as she landed on the deck with a heavy thud. She seemed to adjust for a fraction of a second before she approached the first, her eyes seeming to travel up and down Harper as she did so. After a moment though, she approached the one that had arrived beforehand.

And then something else seemed to occur to Harper all at once.

They could speak.

They knew how to speak.

Harper's mind struggled with that realization, combatting the fact that these things were capable of some form of higher thought and not just mindless slaughter.

And the fact that they had chosen just that anyways.

Something welled up within her at the realization, at the fact that communication had always been on the table and had been an option. Even in the few cases where those under their assault, as few and rare as they were, offered surrender and were simply ignored. Simply put to the sword by those attacking them and swept to the side.

Why? Humanity had done nothing to a single one of them before the war had started. Hell, they'd not even known about them in any real or concrete form.

"You can speak?" She wasn't quite sure what compelled her to voice the question, though it came out more like a blunt statement. The two figures turned their gazes that had been wandering again back to her, two pairs of white hazed eyes finding her as the point of interest in that moment and that moment alone. A second later, the first of the two to show up looked to her compatriot, a quizzical expression flashing across her all too human like features.

"Were you aware we could speak?" She questioned. The second of the two to arrive turned her gaze in her direction, seeming to consider her question a moment before shrugging.

"I believe I was, yes."

The first of the two to arrive openly cackled at the response, turning away from the group for a moment as she seemed to take far more amusement in than strictly required. Harper tried very hard to ignore, while committing to memory about the pair of styled forged sickles that sat at her mid back, as she turned her attention towards the one that still stood before them. In turn, with a hastily suppressed eye roll, the figure did the same, once again meeting gazes with the XO before her.

"Your name?" She questioned. Harper blinked a moment at that, taking a second or two to adjust to the fact that she was openly addressing her before shaking off- whatever feeling that went down her spine.

"Lieutenant." Was her carefully considered response.

The being before her seemed to watch with a look of consideration for a few moments before her eyes slowly slipped close, one short breath of supercooled air into the space between them, steam rising as it entered the air. At the same time, the limbs of the Kraken seemed to rattle ominously as if it sensed some unseen or unknown danger fast approaching them.

And then Harper found her neck a prisoner of the monster's hand as she snatched her with the grace of a well trained killer as she hoisted her off of her feet and up to her height, Harper's hands closing around hers. The temperature of her skin was shocking if not painful as the XO came eye level with the set of unamused, unassuming white hazed eyes.

"I will have your name or I will have your corpse."

Her breath was cold and stinging against the skin amongst the cries of objection from behind her. Harper's feet kicked through the air uselessly at being dangled above the ground so easily. Rapid footsteps behind her told Harper in a short that something was happening, and based on the way the other monster's head snapped in their direction, her eyes widening in a delighted motion as one of her hands went for the weapons that sat at her mid back, it told her that it was something bad.

Very bad.

Her heart quickened in it's rate. "Harper." She tried through constricted breathing and clenched teeth. Despite the commotion now sounding behind her that was easily within her line of sight, the first's eyes hadn't left Harper, now taking the time to study her face as she struggled.

"Again."

"Harper!" The XO insisted again, this time the word coming more clearly despite the constricting conditions in which she spoke it. The monster seemed to adjust to this information a moment, studying Harper's features a moment longer before the pressure released on her neck.

Harper hit the deck with a thud. 

She hadn't been exactly thrown to the deck.

But she also hadn't simply been released.

Harper supported her weight with a hand against the freezing deck as she reached for her neck with her other hand, even as her sight was drawn to where the first monster had gotten to. And she found her amongst scattered groups of sailors, some simply left laying on the deck as if they'd been shoved to the side. But as for the monster herself, she was well bent at the waist over one of them, left hand planted firmly on their chest as her other hand held one of her sickles behind his neck, the curve of the blade meeting the skin of his neck almost perfectly. He however was very much resistant to the happenings he found himself in, gripping at her arms as he attempted to pull himself away from the blade.

"Stop." Harper tried, her gaze turning back to the one she found herself at the feet of. "Pull her back or something! Please! We didn't do anything to you!" She insisted, her eyes traveling up to meet those of the white hazed. She seemed to watch Harper with a lazed, uninterested expression as the sound of the struggling behind her provided a dangerous ambience for the deck around them.

White hazed eyes darted to where her compatriot was holding the man to the deck with a hand all too easily, the sailor making to kick at her. One of them caught her in the stomach, and she simply belted a laugh in his face as she pushed at his chest again, the man hissing in pain as the sickle met flesh, delighted laughter sounding from above him coming in bursts of supercooled air from above him.

"Please!" Harper begged again, drawing the gaze back down to her a moment.

White hazed eyes slipped close.

"Indian." She spoke.

Indian's body seemed to go slack at the word, her laughter silencing a moment as she seemed to consider her options. Harper's chest filled with relief a moment at the ceased actions-

"Kill him."

Relief turned to dread as her mind began to panic as she turned her head. At the same moment, Indian's body went rigid with delight as the man below him struggled further against her hold. But she cackled in his face as she removed her hand from his chest and planted her palm against his forehead. And in one smooth motion, pushed it back as her other hand brought the sickle forwards.

The blade made the cut In no time at all.

She palmed the severed head with ease as she stood, her laugher having subsided in the moment of the murder. Turning, she tossed the head towards one of the groups of assembled sailors that had ceased their earlier hostilities when they'd fully realized exactly what they were up against, as evidenced by the forms of sailors still lying unmoving on the deck. She Turned the sickle over in her hands a few tense moments before grinning to herself and returning the weapon to her back as Harper was left staring at what only moments before had been someone she'd known. Had served with.

They'd been a friend.

Now another lost to this war.

Her attention was jerked away suddenly and abruptly as slender, armored fingers planted themselves in her hair, messing it entirely as her head was jerked back. In her missed attention, the one that ordered the kill had kneeled down to her level where she now had her in yet another grip. Harper instinctively reached back for her wrist, attempting to get her to let go or loosen, though in her mind she knew to be a futile effort. Though her efforts were rewarded in a cruel way as a finger ran from the base of her chin to her collar, leaving not a harmful but a rough line across her skin as the monster looked her over.

"Begging is unbecoming of one's self." Came the statement, as if it was nothing more than advice from a mother to her young. Harper found herself released a moment later, but not without taking note of the fact that the being's teeth were pointed and razor sharp. "So."

"So?" Harper questioned.

"Are you not going to ask my name? I believed it to be proper etiquette. Or has that changed since the last time I found myself amongst your kind?"

Harper's mind raced. Proper etiquette? Manners? Not five seconds after having someone murdered?

But something within her told Harper that if she didn't answer as expected, the next body on the deck would be hers.

"Apologies." Harper answered, her breathing struggling to remain even. "And what is your name?"

"Pacific." The word came off of her tongue far too much like a purr for Harper's liking. But her head played with a new realization in her mind in that moment.

Indian And Pacific.

Abyssals bearing the names of not ships, cities, or people.

But bearing the names of entire oceans.

A chilling thought began to creep its way into her very mind, body, and soul.

She was suddenly all to aware of the proximity she held to the both of them as Indian looked out over the side of the ship, into the darkness, as if she could see without issue. Pacific paid her only some mind, glancing at the woman a moment before looking back to Harper. And then after a moment's consideration, she reached for the woman's collar.

Despite Harper's reservation or sudden reluctance to be anywhere near the monster, she let it happen. And in turn was hauled upright as Pacific brought her to her feet. "We would speak to your Captain, Harper." She said after a moment of silence, her eyes once again finding Harper's.

"So speak." The voice came. Harper only somewhat glanced in his direction as both Pacific and Indian fully turned towards the direction that the voice had come from. And there they found Captain Roberts standing before them, alongside him four sailors armed with rifles. Pacific turned her attention fully to the man as Indian instead focused on the four armed humans alongside him, Harper taking note of the way her fingers began to twitch ever so slightly.

"And will you listen?" Pacific questioned.

The Captain's eyes trailed the deck momentarily, to the group of lifeless bodies that had simply broken under Indian's movements and the one she'd beheaded, already being tended with what they had on hand and whoever could bring themselves to take care of it. His gaze snapped back to the two embodiments of hell standing before him not a mark against them worth a damn for it.

"I can't say I'm very well inclined to listen to those who board my ship and murder my crew." Was his response. Indian's eyes seemed to glow with a renewed intent at his words, but Pacific made neither move towards the Captain in return or towards Harper in way of retribution for them.

"Murder in war is nonsensical." Came Pacific's response.

"So we are at war then. Your side of this conflict has been infuriatingly tight lipped about the whole thing."

"From what I understand, your kind makes it a formal declaration of your intents and your goals." Pacific replied. "You give those that you would do harm fair warning and a chance to prepare. A declaration of war is akin to showing your vulnerabilities to an armed opponent." Came her response. "What good does your declaration do when your peoples blood still dye your waters?"

"Nor do you waste your breath with something so similar in nature to a pest." Indian offered as she stepped to the other side of Harper, the woman in turn leaning away from her in return and knowingly closer to Pacific. Captain Roberts watched her a moment before looking back to Pacific.

Who in turn snapped her gaze to Indian. Her fellow Queen met her gaze, and they held it for only a brief second. But Indian looked away with a quiet release of breath as Pacific slowly came back to meet eyes with Captain Roberts.

"Disagreements in your corner then? Of how to treat these pests?" He asked. His tone told Pacific though that he'd picked up on the admittedly less than shrouded meaning behind the Brute Of the Indian's words.

"Methods in communication have always been a lacking area of expertise from those that fall within the Indian Kingdom's domain." Pacific offered in return, her tone falling flat in her response to the man.

The Captain offered an exhale that exuded amusement.

"Though their penchant for brutality has been wonderous for keeping unneeded and more importantly, unwanted maritime traffic to a minimum."

The amusement evaporated.

Indian's returned in full.

Pacific's face remained stoic.

The Captain kept himself in check though.

"Admittedly, your confirmation of some sort of organization confirms a few things for us." He reasoned.

"I would hope so." Pacific replied. "The idea that we find ourselves against an enemy who think us mindless, I can't say whether I find the idea more amusing or infuriating."

"So this Indian Kingdom." The Captain opened.

Pacific openly laughed in his face.

"Abandon this topic of conversation now." She told him. "You will learn nothing of it through her. Nor me."

"Except possibly a quicker death than what's already coming." Indian offered.

Pacific nodded her agreement.

The Captain nodded. "Expected if I am to be honest. Before we continue however, might I ask that my XO be allowed to stand amongst us for the time being?" He questioned. "If we're to die here and now, I believe it should be as one crew." He reasoned.

Pacific and Indian studied the man a few moments at that, not the slightest hint of hesitation in his words. To discuss one's inevitable death spoke of a courage so few had.

That or a madness that had gone unrecognized.

Pacific could respect either.

Indian cared for neither.

The two Queens turned their attention on Harper, the woman not daring to meet either's gaze as she stood between them. And then after a moment, Pacific urged her along by way of foot to the back of her leg.

"Go then." She offered.

Harper needed no further urging, careful on the icy deck, but made her way to the Captain waiting for her. She and the man traded a few, quiet words that had his full and undivided attention focused on her and her alone for a time before he turned his gaze back to the two of them. "My XO tells me I am in the presence of one Indian and Pacific. Given that your names share those of two oceans, my guess is that your particular ranks within you and yours are fairly substantial, no?"

"Queens." Pacific confirmed. "Of our respective territories and peoples. But that is far more than your people have learned in the duration of this war. I must admit, I do find myself a little disheartened at the lack of human ingenuity in ways of combatting us. You have weapons of war meant to atomize your enemies, and yet the best you field against us are munitions that only prove to be effective half of the time. I find myself wondering if human ingenuity is on the decline or if cowardice is on the rise."  

"And I find myself wondering what this is all for." The Captain said in response. "You boarded this ship for a reason, tormented my XO for a reason, killed my crew for a reason. I would like to think their deaths were for something more than a casual game, but given your kind's history with violence, I don't count myself fortunate that we've run into one another. So, what is it that you want." He asked. One could say he demanded, and in fact he had, but there was doubt that the ones before him would react well to that.

"Here to question if we might find ourselves lucky enough to partake in some hospitality." Pacific questioned the man.

Captain Roberts could only stare at the woman in disbelief.

"Hospitality." He repeated to make sure he'd heard right, though in his mind he knew exactly what he'd heard come from the monster's mouth.

Pacific nodded.

"You're going to have to lay that out for me. Because I'm not sure if you're aware of this typically works, but most of the time, the one asking for hospitality hasn't just committed murder." He told her.

"Ah, there we are again with the murder claim." Pacific reasoned. "Aside from that, the way we see it, this is our ship anyways." She told him.

The Kraken's tentacles rattled their approval.

"We just haven't evicted you yet." Indian added.

"This is our-"

"Ship that we have chosen to allow to remain sea-worthy. Let us be honest with one another in this regard. This ship, this-" Pacific began.

"The Brisbane." Indian supplied. "After one of their cities on their East Coast."

Something in the Captain's demeanor shifted in a negative way.

Pacific's eyes were the one filled with amusement at that as she took in that particular information.

"This Brisbane." Pacific continued, though her voice no longer fell flat. It was taunting and knowing. "The Brisbane is only seaworthy because we allowed it, not because we couldn't take it, not because we suddenly felt merciful. It remains on the surface because that is exactly where we want it. Telling yourselves anything less or different would be akin to lying to one's self. A horrible trait to have really."

"And what exactly would this hospitality include? This ship will not be used for your weapons of-"

"Please." Pacific interrupted again, this time appearing to seem almost offended. "There is not one weapon of war you possess that we can not mimic or replicate. Your missiles, your bombs, your guns, your shells. All easily replicated and situated for our uses. No, we would ask for simply a moonlit voyage, one perhaps under the stars. Calming to everyone's benefit, no?" She asked as she clasped her armored hands before her.

She held all the demeanor of a goddamned Nun.

And yet there was blood on her hands and mixed with her words.

"Except for those who didn't get the chance to make that choice or benefit from that." The Captain said, the commotion of those tending to the bodies easy to make out. "Not only that, but agreeing to any sort of deal with either of you would amount to nothing less than treason. The two of you are murderers to every language under the sun." He said as he looked to Pacific. "You, I don't recognize yet. But your friend, I'm fairly sure was in the Med when New Jersey went down."

Indian didn't even try to hide the grin that overcame her lips.

"She was a good hunt."

The Captain's form seemed to bristle at that comment.

"Ah yes." Pacific drawled. "The Dragon. An experience i unfortunately missed out on, I'm sure. But with that being said, it does beg the question. This... New Jersey went down to Indian. And New Jersey was a heavily armed fortress of steel. How do you, a collection of humans, Intend to get us off of your ship if that is the way you want to go about this? If your wish is hostilities, please explain to us how you intend to effectively combat even one of us within close quarters." Pacific asked.

Indian offered a sharp whistle.

Leviathan broke through the surface once again, it's head coming to a rest just above the two of them as it came to a standstill beneath the exterior lights of the Brisbane.

Ah. So that's what these things were.

The Kraken and the Leviathan.

Pets.

The Captain watched the Leviathan a moment, it's eyes focused on him and him alone in that very second. In the next, the Captain offered only a sigh in turn.

"Fair. As unfair can be." He reasoned. "A moonlit voyage to where exactly?"

"I understand that we aren't far from one of your states." Pacific explained. The Captain immediately narrowed his eyes at the Queen, to which Pacific only offered a shrug of her shoulders. "We have no plans to leave this ship and none of our forces will surface anytime soon. Sure, Indian's Demon and my own are forced to be reckoned with in their own right, but neither are suited for the traversal of land. Mine is not so easy to see, but Indian's is. She has no legs or arms to utilize on land in any sort of meaningful way. I ask what danger there really is, allowing us to see the shore from the relative sanctity of your vessel." Came the reasoning. As shallow as it was.

"If you honestly think that's how this would go, then we've been having different conversations. We're not taking you anywhere near land." The Captain told her assuredly, venom biting at his tone.

Pacific watched the man a moment, glancing to Indian after a few quiet seconds. When their gaze parted once more, Pacific's hands clasped before her in a way that conveyed both violence and regret.

"I see." Pacific said. "Admittedly, I had hoped that we could spare bloodshed between our peoples for one night at the very least." She said, her tone cool and calm. "But if I'm being honest, I expected nothing less. If you will not take us there on your own fruition, force will be needed then it would seem. Regretful." She finished before she brought up her own hand to her lips, a sharp and stinging whistle sounding as she signaled for something.

What the Captain expected to be the Kraken to respond, it did not. Instead, the signal resulted in the sounds of... something jumping from the water.

Behind Pacific and Indian are where they began to land.

First came one, then a second, a third.

Twelve previous unseen Abyssals now stood behind the two Queens, each armed with her own choice of weapon or weapons. Some of them met eyes with him while others eyed the gathered groups of sailors.

The Captain found himself faced off against not only the Abyssal Queens of the Indian and Pacific, but also their compliments of Empresses.

"So I will ask you one more time, Captain." Pacific opened, though the way she stressed his rank told the man that she didn't care either way. Some halfhearted attempt at seeming genuine. "You will move the ship to where we have asked, and perhaps things shall not become entirely unpleasant. Or, the Brisbane's deck will be dyed red. You and your XO of course will remain unharmed for the time being to make things easier on everyone, but as for the others..." she trailed off as her gaze wandered over the sailors still on deck, those that had been pulled from the water not even 40 minutes before. "It is to my understanding that one such as yourself takes an oath to your country. But you also took an oath to your crew. So please. Resist. Watch as your oath spills across the deck." Pacific told him.

The Captain looked between the now fourteen Abyssals for a few tense moments before his decision, now made against his better judgement, silenced his thoughts for him. Turning to Harper, he nodded her on. The woman traded an uneasy glance with the man, as if she wasn't sure what he wanted exactly for her to do, but with another nod of the head in the direction of the hatch, she finally seemed to get the message. Without another look, she went, vanishing within the ship as he turned back to the 14 assembled on his deck.

"Seeing as we're all dead anyways, sure. Fuck it. You'll stay on board for whatever may come. But there are conditions."

"Typically, the prisoner has no say in their own incarceration." Pacific said.

"And typically, your kind burns and rips their way through our surface ships, leaving nothing but oil stains on the water. And yet, here we are. The Brisbane doesn't have a meaningful mark on her and yet you burned your way through every other ship we had out here." The Captain spat. "Aside from a few dents here and there, she is no worse for wear than she was when we left port. And now you're onboard. Do not try to tell me that's a happy coincidence." He told her.

Pacific suppressed a smirk.

The man had nerve.

If he wasn't human, and wasn't so very liable to break under her, she might be talked into allowing him to warm her bed.

"So we've been discovered. Very well." Pacific conceded. "What are your demands, Captain."

"They." The Captain told her with every ounce of authority his body would allow as he gestured to the twelve that had arrived only a short moment ago. "Are to remain on this deck and go no where else. They are to take not steps towards anyone, their weapons are to remain by their sides."

"With exception." Pacific countered. "One."

"One." The Captain determined.

"Celebes." Pacific named. The Empress, the first to land on the deck, approached her queen's side, her Naginta ever so faithfully at her side.

"Her weapon remains with them then." Captain Roberts told her. Celebes shot the man a look that promised retribution and hellfire incarnate, but a wordless expression from Pacific told Celebes that the decision was out of her hands already. Celebes  only nodded to Pacific before turning towards her fellow Empresses, taking a few steps to offer her Naginta which came in the form of Koro wrapping her hands around it's shaft. Celebes kept her emotions in check as she returned to her unarmed Queen's side, bristling ever so slightly at the idea of being disarmed by a human's words of all things.

Even Execution by the traitor herself would be a preferable situation.

The Captain switched targets as he openly pointed a finger to Indian, the Queen meeting his gaze with a lazed expression.

"She stays on the deck with them." He told them. Indian rolled her eyes at that as Pacific accepted it with a quaint nod of the head. "But her weapons are handed over to us."

Indian's entire form straightened at that, muscle and veins flexing as she processed what he'd said over and over in her mind, meeting eyes with the man dead on. He watched her body instinctively begin to reach for them, and more than likely not the reason he had asked.

"Indian." Pacific's voice halted her actions entirely as her head almost popped right off her neck as she turned it so fast to look at the Queen.

"You cannot-"

"The man is waiting Indian." Came Pacific's absolutely amused tone.

Indian wheeled on the woman in full, the Captain watching them all but forgotten as she stood before Pacific.

"And what exactly are you playing at here?" Indian demanded. "Who are you to ask me to hand what is mine over to a human? To make a show of myself in front of those we are at war with?! Why!?" Indian bellowed at her. Pacific stood calm amongst the storm though, only looking her in the eyes of her fellow Queen.

"I-"

"Belathia."

A word that predated the modern world left Indian's lips with purpose.

The next ten seconds seemed to slow dramatically for those that knew the meaning behind that one word.

Pacific's body seemed to react in a negative way to the word.

Celebes's eyes only had just begun to widen.

The assembled Empresses behind the two suddenly jerked as their bodies began to ever slightly stiffen.

Celebes had only begun to take a step away.

And then time seemed to crash back into them all full speed as Pacific's demeanor of even and collected shattered at every corner, side, angle, and edge as the Queen of the Pacific drove her first into the stomach of Indian as the final vestige of the Pacific Queen broke.

Now it was fury.

Pacific had hit Indian with more strength than she had before, perhaps more than Indian had been expecting. In her momentary stupor, Pacific dragged her head forwards and down to the deck as her knee rose up to meet her, the Queen's knee colliding with her face in a collision of metals and rage.

Indian hadn't even recovered when Pacific forced her face into the ship's deck, the Brisbane quietly shuddering underneath the impact of the two as Pacific reached down and snatched the paired sickles from her back. Within Pacific's hands, they became dull and lifeless, the blood that still decorated one of the blades fading it's color in turn. But Pacific paid them no mind as she went for Indian's head, grabbing the back of her neck and whatever hair happened to get caught between her hand and the skin. Lifting her head up, she held her there for only a moment before slamming her head back into the hull.

Leviathan offered objection to this action, her maw opening ever so slightly before two of the tentacles of the Kraken moved in on her, tying the beast's jaw shut with relative simplicity. Leviathan thrashed about in response, but the Kraken held firm.

"You will stay down until I am out of line of sight, or there will be further consequences." The Queen told her before she stood, turning away from the Queen, leaving both the Empresses around them and what sailors had scene the event go down in a stunned silence. Pacific either didn't care or paid them no mind as she looked to Celebes. Whatever thoughts Celebes had on the show she'd just watched vanished in an instant as she returned to her Queen's side, where the two of them as one approached the Captain who watched Pacific now with more of a curiosity in his eyes rather than fear. Pacific reached for the sickles, grabbing the pair as one as she brought them forward. Shifting them, she made to present the twin handles to the Captain.

Captain Roberts watched her a moment before turning his attention to the weapons he was being offered. Reaching up, he wrapped his hand around one of the handles, hefting it out of Pacific's grip a moment. The weight was extreme for someone like him, but not entirely unbearable. Still, he tried to imagine using these effectively in some form of anything. But he couldn't.

Nor did he try to imagine just how many lives these things had been responsible for ending.

"A piece of advice." Pacific opened finally. The Captain's gaze turned back to her a moment. "She will come for these at some point. I advise not being the one in possession of them when she does."

He nodded in response to that as he reached up with his other hand to take the other one from her grasp. Holding them both a moment, it sent a shudder down his spine. He turned to make to hand them to someone else before he nodded towards the Hatch, Pacific and Celebes making to follow him.

Only for a moment before Pacific turned back and found one particular Empress standing amongst the others. "Koro. Don't kill anyone."

"Aw come on!"

"Charming." Captain Roberts muttered as he left the four sailors armed with rifles behind him, the four of them focused on the still assembled Abyssals at the end of the aft deck.

Pacific knocked against the hatch three times as she stepped through, ducking her head a fair amount.

Koro took note of that, and turned, looking out over the dark ocean. As she did so, she ever so slightly tapped the side of her neck three times.

The signal was on.

—/—\__/—\—

She'd been ordered to wait. They'd been ordered to wait.

To sail into the wind while they waited for the signal, out on the open ocean where no eyes would befall them.

Her Queen had commanded. And so she would do.

Zuikaku's knees bent ever so slightly as her hull bashed through a wave so that the movement wouldn't knock her down. The orange haze of her eyes seemed to light their way through the darkness, her bow stretching into the lead long past the other five who sailed on next to Zuikaku, each one a little behind the other. She turned her head, watching as each of their flight decks caught the moonlight amongst the darkness, telling Zuikaku that she wasn't alone.

As if to prove that point, five pairs of eyes dressed in various colored hazes glanced her way from their places in the dark, amongst their spots on their decks. Zuikaku watched them a moment, her features an expressionless contentment.

And then a whistling came sounding over the waves, drifting over the six as it found it's way to them. Zuikaku listened to the sound so very much akin to a Siren's song before the notes began to merge together at once.

The orange haze of her eyes flickered.

The Signal.

It was only a single thought that passed through her mind.

And suddenly engines started behind her as the six seemed to come to full form. Zuikaku only spared one glance to the other end of her flight deck where the first of her planes sat. Props already spinning up, it began to maneuver itself to the center line of the flight deck.

Only for a moment.

Until the plane's throttle was hit and it began to barrel down the deck.

The same situation on the other five decks next to her, she watched as the first of many of her planes gradually ascended into the sky above them, it's gear soon retracting as another began to copy it's motions.

Zuikaku only watched as the six carriers filled the sky with their planes.

The smallest of smirks played at her lips.