A Frellin' Messy Crossover pile of shi....

[Annoyed Catholic]

When Wo-E6: "Caisson" Comes A'callin'....

In Japan

It was a warm and sunny day in Japan, and until now things had been looking up with her training the other Japanese Carriers despite some issues early on with her having to keep secrets.

Then this!

"Mother," the voice on the other side said after a moment of silence. "I . . .we'll talk again soon. I need to go before they trace this call but we WILL talk again!"

The line went dead, leaving Saratoga staring at the government-issued smartphone in her hands, pale as a sheet from shock and confusion.

"How in the . . .Hell did she manage to track me down and call me?" she whispers to herself, her questions and feelings chasing each other in a chaotic jumble. "HOW?!"

This should NOT be possible. It shouldn't be POSSIBLE! HOW?! Since WHEN does an Abyssal know how to use a cellphone? Saratoga had to take classes to get up to speed with modern technology that had come about since her time as a steel hull, for God's sake!!

"So, did your caller . . .What's wrong?" Shimikaze the Destroyer--standing in for Houshou today while she was on a much-deserved break/date--asked, coming into Saratoga's quarters after having transferred an Essex's call to Saratoga's number. It wasn't a ship she had ever heard of before, but she'd put it down as one of the Essex ships who'd never been fully completed before being scrapped by the War's end. Saratoga was a Lexington class aircraft carrier, but it was heartwarming that "cousins" from the Essexes would call a family member like that!!

Said she wanted to talk with Saratoga to "catch up" and such, and it sounded legit to her. Like how else would anyone know about Saratoga being here? Oh, the caller had been speaking English but . . .it seemed okay in as far as the Destroyer had been concerned.

Houshou would have asked more questions and been warier of callers out of the blue. Shimikaze was just a little too trusting (today), it was now apparent by the way Saratoga was looking now obviously.

"That was my daughter Trinitite ," she answers before standing suddenly and rushing past the Destroyer to speak with the superiors here in Japan in the know about the wayward Wo. THIS was the kind of thing that they'd need to know ASAP.

Of course, our Destroyer is left wondering about things. Like she'd never heard of an Essex aircraft carrier by that name. And Saratoga--a Lexington class aircraft carrier--adopted an Essex?! Then again there had been those ships who'd never been fully completed. All sorts of Odd business, that! But still.... What an odd name.

Then, worrying about her wayward Wo daughter and wanting (almost despite herself) to speak to her misplaced daughter passed by the local Summoning Pools to take a shortcut...

And two very confused summoned Kanmusu aircraft carriers --with a Wo-class twist in their rigging,--suddenly make the scene calling themselves Hypnocenter and Firestorm causes ALL Sorts of headaches for EVERYONE soon enough.

But that is another story for another time!!


In America, Washington State, Seattle region...

Trinitite stared down at her "burner" cellphone, thinking about a stuttered out statement her mother had said near the end there before the Wo had cut things short.

She would have to thank her co-workers sometime in the future for the idea of getting this thing. Originally she'd visited Walmart and seen several "pay as you go" cellphones and had asked her associates about them, wanting to know which one to get. The concept of "Burner phones" came up in passing, and she'd discovered in passing how criminals used cheap "pay as you go" cellphones for limited use to dispose of soon after to avoid being tracked down by authorities. That had given her ideas.

That and having somehow stumbled across a posting by a Kanmusu from the Kanmusu Naval Base in Tokyo had hatched this perhaps mad, ill-advised plan.

...

Well, at least her mother had actually REMEMBERED her, thank the Deep! But when she'd stuttered a question to why serve the Fire Bringers? After all, they had betrayed her . . . right? With the atomic bomb testing with "Operation Crossroads?"

The humans? They'd not known about . . .ship spirits. About Abyssals. Nothing until she and the other Abyssal Princesses had returned to seek vengeance/justice (and the Kanmusu to defend humans) decades later...

The carriers and other warships had been nothing more than tools in their eyes. TOOLS and not something more with souls. Like her tools back at work. Like the cellphone in her hands.

"If you actually have some kind of spirit then I apologize for what I'm about to do," Trin muttered to the cellphone. "But I need the resources and I do NOT want the Navy to track that call back to me!"

Opening her mouth, she began to consume the cellphone and gagging a bit on the plastic. While not as useful as the steel, copper, and other sundry materials within it had come to light that "plastic" could be useful in some parts of reconstituting her equipment that had been destroyed before landing ashore.

It just didn't taste very good, still.

And IF her cellphone should return as some kind of Abyssal for revenge? Well, hiding as a human or no? She'd summon her rigging and blast it back to the Deep from which it came! She'd not need something like THAT, thank you!!

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

An Overlooked "Obvious" Thing...

In America, Washington State, Seattle region...

Later...

Janson Smythe, the US Marshal sighed softly in exasperation and glanced at the door that he'd used to get out of what seemed to him the constant DAMP weather this blasted state seemed to be cursed with. He much preferred the drier environs of his birth state of Texas, but due to circumstances and opportunity, he'd chosen to settle down here in Washington state.

It had been an overcast and rainy day, which was par for the course. But after getting informed of just WHAT had caused this emergency conference (emergency Teleconference if you included a rather put out Japanese admiral and a distraught shipgirl by the name of Saratoga on the widescreen TV) to take place? He'd much rather be stuck out in the damp, trying to track yet ANOTHER false lead which inadvertently turned out to merely be the Essex-class Carrier, Shangri La!!

Why all the false alarms should be due to that particular shipgirl was beyond Smythe's ability to comprehend. It shouldn't be beyond their ability to at least keep track of her and keep that in mind when tracking leads, right? RIGHT?!

Smythe almost envied the Deputy he'd sworn in practically on day ONE when he and the other Federal agents got roped up into this mess! While as abrasive as sandpaper when around "Dan" or the shipgirl Nashville, but Smythe had been impressed enough with her resume and past accomplishments in her time as a private investigator to keep her on and act as a buffer between shipgirl, former boyfriend, and a large swath of the federal agents who were "getting tired of her shit".

Yes, it was worth the headache. God knew that they needed boots on the ground for THIS operation. The Navy had been going at it EXTREMELY wrong and Smythe DID hope that the Navy admirals who'd handicapped the operation by initially keeping it "in house" got SOMETHING for their troubles. He would have even something that would ruin them if it wasn't for the rather blood-covered reason of how disastrous yet another change in leadership in the Navy would be for America's war with the Abyssals!

Yes, he was almost jealous of the PI right now for one simple fact: she was out chasing leads and he was HERE!

That said as an aside, he hoped that Murray and Nashville didn't get scapegoated. Murray had suggested bringing in other federal agencies into the fold before getting shot down. That and he WAS trying to make the best of things in this shitshow. Nashville? Well, she was hard working. Ernest. And being a shipgirl pretty much meant that if she got sidelined, that was one less asset America needed to fight the Abyssals. Nothing like that should happen, but try to tell that to panicky voters and Congress if this should come to light. Or come out the wrong way at least later on here.

"Wh-what?!" FBI Agent Bryce stuttered. "What did you just say? I could have sworn you said that the Abyssal had called Saratoga and spoke with her? In Japan for Christ's sake?!"

Mutters of shock and exasperation were heard throughout the room at this latest bombshell. Smythe had to agree with it all and also agree that Operation Absolute Railway was indeed looking more and more cursed as time went on here.

He should have stayed down in Texas. At least the weather was drier than here...

"Yes, you did hear that," a young and brash junior FBI Agent pipped in before reaching for something that he SHOULD NOT have on his person for security reasons while in conferences of such nature. "Google! Where is Shipgirl Sarat....?"

"Come with me now Penderson," Agent Bryce interrupts, grabbing the phone from the younger man. "We already know that can be done and while we all know you like to be seen as the smartest person in the room you do NOT bring cellphones or other communication devices into high-security conference calls!"

"Warned you about that guy," I muttered to Bryce as he dragged the protesting agent out of the room. "Way too much brains and not enough common sense for his own good."

Muttering something under his breath about his superiors dragging their feet about this now a rather glaring obvious hole in keeping Saratoga's location from the wrong eyes, Bryce shakes his head and slams the door hard after both FBI agents leave the room.

Smythe had broached the idea that Saratoga's location (and the Japanese's base contact information) was easily accessed online. Oh, Abyssal skills with computers were supposed to be zero, but then Abyssals like Trinitite had been all full of surprises.

"I would humbly suggest we continue and bring them up to speed after they return," Murray coughs, bringing the others back to business. From the look of things, the two FBI agents might be at it for a while so best not waste time. Time was apparently running out for them all faster than they'd believed and hoped.

"Looking like Trinitite is learning 'how to human' quickly here," Smythe joked flatly to himself AND to a room at large. Being louder than he'd intended on being, the room laughed back mirthlessly.

"Oops," sighed Smythe softly, slinking lower slightly in his seat out of slight shame for being too loud.

"Pardon me for interrupting but . . .Google and 'how to human'?" Saratoga interrupts, shaking her head and looking directly at Smythe through the screen (or as much as modern technology allowed).

"Google is a search engine tool most people nowadays use to look up information," the Japanese admiral answered, looking at Saratoga as he answers her question in fairly good English before turning back towards the conference call. "But I have not heard of this 'how to human' business. Care to explain please?"

Names were not asked for here by any of the parties. The US marshall had spoken with the others in the previous conference calls enough about various topics of concern to forgo that. And they knew each other enough by now for other reasons.

A tone of command was in that question but Smythe obliged all the same. Best not to let ego get in the way of things and the question (while commanding) was hardly something to get upset about here!

"Yes, that is a term online enthusiast like myself on the subject of shipgirls use to describe how shipgirls know how to conduct themselves amongst humanity while on and off duty," Smythe says after standing up to be heard clearly. The fact he had been known back in the office as a Kanmusu enthusiast was the final reason why he'd been tasked over others. "In Kanmusu cases, they take cues from their fairies who are somehow in some way represent their dead, departed crew."

Smythe gave a quick glance over towards Nashville before turning quickly back to the screen with the Japanese admiral. No need to tell of what basically was Smythe not (quiet) chewing out the female private investigator when questioning just why Nashville did what she did at bars while off duty. It had been yet another dig at Nashville's character which Smythe had explained the intricacies of Kanmusu life, ending up with it was how old-time Navy sailors had unwound after a cruise and stop being such a bigot over it.

It was getting old and while it had finally caused her to quit, it was too late to salvage any kind of warm relationships between the private investigator and Nashville.

No need to air dirty laundry.

"In the case of Abyssals it came to light when we interrogated the captured pilots from our wayward Wo-class that this is NOT the case," the marshall continued. "Beyond certain set skills, they seem to have for their function due to job title and certain things like damage control and the naval things of that nature? There really isn't much to them beyond a general cluelessness."

That one part where the interrogator had tried to dig into the part about Saratoga being a "lover" that Trinitite was searching for had been eye-opening (and downright embarrassing) for the US marshall to witness, honestly after Nashville had translated all the "Heys" from the fairy folk.

The fairies had no clue about anything involving the subject beyond what one might learn from watching the wildlife back on the Bikini Atoll. But it had (if only for Smythe) begin to give him the idea that while not a "Lover" in the sexual sense, there was "love" involved. As in the kind of love a child has for their parent.

"It means that Trinitite is not getting her social cues in how to behave in a human manner from her crew," Smythe finishes. "She apparently is learning how to blend in with humanity by direct learning and luck. Which I have a question to ask about here but want to ask it at the end of this briefing from you in Japan, sir."

With no objections to that and a thank you from the admiral for the explanation, the briefing on what had unfolded, including the last part about Trinitite revealing in passing that she'd been using a cellphone to contact Saratoga. Smythe was a bit surprised that the Japanese had been able to use their office phones to transfer the call to Saratoga's cellphone. His office telephone system didn't have that ability, being able to only transfer between office landline phones in the network. Then again, the office equipment had been behind the times in certain areas...

"Sir," Saratoga turns after telling of the very last detail of her answer to Trinitite's questioning her on why continue serving the 'Firebringers'. The way that Trinitite had reacted--the hesitation instead of outright zealous rejection-- just MIGHT be useful if played right. "Again requesting permission to take Emergency Leave back to Washington to help in tracking down my daugt . . .Wo-E6: 'Caisson'."

"I'll consider it after this conference call is done and we'll discuss it," the Admiral answered after giving the shipgirl a long look. Turning back to the people on the other side of the screen, he finishes. "Now, anything else to add before we end here? You?"

Smythe stands after nobody else raises any concerns. One thing about this whole business HAD been bothering him.

NO! It was not whether or not the location of the pay as you go/burner cellphone could be traced. And it HAD to be one, considering that IF the phonecall had been by cellphone the Abyssal had no credit history of her own, so only a cash-only basis (or a paid credit card basis to add a level of confusion for an investigation like he'd seen in a manhunt in the past) was possible.

Ordinary people could not trace the physical location of the cellphone, but telecos do it all the time and could be required by law enforcement to share that data.

Not that it would help, since Smythe had the feeling that as what the fate of the particular cellphone in question was either the usual in those who are wishing to avoid detection (removing the battery and the wide-area dispersal of disposal of a swiftly destroyed phone). Or in this case, considering what shipgirls he'd researched being capable of EATING steel and drinking fuel oil? Consumption.

No, that might be useful in showing whether Trin was still in Washington state (and maybe even in-town as theory suggested) but not Trinitite's current location.

However, it could be possible to track down where the cellphone was purchased! By one website called Quora had stated something he'd found VERY interesting when the subject had been necessary to broach in prior manhunts. He'd seen it on the outside by the techies, so reading had been . . .enlightening.

(Author's Note: as quoted from Quora:

Can you trace a burner phone number?

Answer (1 of 13): Yes and no, depending on what you mean by “trace” and how much time and resource you have available. If by “trace” you mean ‘find out its location’ then this is possible. It is not normally something an ordinary person could do, but telcos can do this (pretty much automatically...

www.quora.com

"Maybe they can then 'trace it back' to where you bought it. Even if that is too much hassle, when you bought the phone, even if you paid cash for it, almost certainly the cashier in the store scanned it and possibly they scanned not just its UPC code, but also its unique IMEI/ESN number code too. Even if they didn't, the company that supplied the phones to the retailer perhaps has a record of the IMEIs of the phones they sold to each particular store.")

So, maybe they could at least track Trinitite down by where she usually shopped for things? Maybe this was the break they so very much needed, and without the nuclear option of bringing Saratoga back and risking her safety?

That said?

"Before we go here I just wanted to know for my own edification something," Smyth coughed, looking around the room as some groaned aloud at those words.

They still remembered the needless, and in reflection, silly concern he'd raised when he had asked about whether or not Trinitite's fairy pilots could somehow tame mundane birds to fly on, since their entire air wing had been wrecked by Nashville's shelling. The answer had been no, but the panic of the very idea the very birds could be some kind of Abyssal spy had kept people up at night until that had been determined, thank YOU!

"I know that it was said that the 'fodder' Abyssals appear to lose combat effectiveness skills compared to what they displayed before when re-summoned to different Abyssal fleets," Smythe began, looking over at Murray in particular over that factoid he'd shared with the marshal. "Theory being that whatever skills the Abyssal crew learned in life before was lost in the re-summoning for whatever reason. But what about personal skills that an Abyssal like Trinitite is learning right now while hiding among us humans? Would that be lost if she should die and she gets re-summoned by an Abyssal Princess out at sea somewhere?"

He smirked to himself. It wasn't as if he had been the only one to ask this question. It was an obvious question which he just wanted to know for his own needs and pleasure to posting to his online website after this was all done.

Ah, if it was allowed of course...

You could have heard a pin drop for a few seconds.

<*****>

Later, back in Japan...

The Admiral sighed and rubbed at his headache the . . . .concerns that the marshall had caused by that question.

In the end, Saratoga not only gotten her Emergency leave approved in record time to get back to America. Not only that, she'd not even been allowed to pack her clothing as they'd practically stuffed her on the nearest (and fastest) jet fighter. They were going to do a marathon flight from one side of the ocean to the other by military jet plane (with the occasional aircraft carrier) to get her there D*MN quickly!!

And basically F*CK the other Japanese carriers about training until this mess was sorted out!! Something that while not especially appreciated by the admiral, he would and could well understand the reasons why this was happening!

And as for the future of whatever shall happen to the wayward Wo-class? Capture alive at all costs.

One observant Abyssal Princess noticing how knowledgeable Trinitite is on "how to human" would be an utter disaster for humans as far as countering Abyssal infiltration!!

"What else could happen today?" he sighed, sipping at the bourbon he'd poured himself to calm himself before signaling his shipgirl secretary to go over all the pending business that had been put on hold up until now.

"Admiral," his shipgirl secretary calls from the doorway. "I was just informed that we seemed to have had two accidental Summoning in the Pool somehow we only found out about now. We have them in guest quarters right now under escort before we get them folded into the ranks, but they're still somewhat out of it from the Summoning.

"They appear to be American Essex class aircraft carriers of somewhat odd design who call themselves Firestorm and Hypocenter. . ."

The admiral's eyes grow wide right before he finds himself swallowing his drink down the wrong pipe.

Then he finds himself coughing and sneezing said drink out his nose, which is not rather pleasant at all...

He recognized those names from prior briefings on the business surrounding Saratoga and her Abyssal daughter. When Saratoga had been the Jellyfish Princess, she'd named her entire fleet after various things related to "the fire". Two names in particular besides Trinitite had come up...

And he'd just HAD to open his stupid mouth and ask Murphey what else could happen?

Really?!

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

Author's Note: Hi folks, and here we have the latest . . .thing. Hope it pleases. Tried to edit it. Not totally happy with it but I tried!

And Here's to You Mrs. Robinson....

Two somewhat now tired men, of which the non-military member of the two, look down at the coffee that had been delivered from the on-base galley. Since that emergency conference had taken place during around 9 PM local time in Washington state (which of course meant it had been around 11 AM in Japan), meant that of course their superiors had flown into a tizzy over one G*d D*mn simple f*cking question. . . meant for a rather long and stressful night. A night of planning, strategizing, and also waiting for the core component of this latest (and rather desperate) scheme to arrive, which was proving to be emotionally and physically exhausting for a lot here. Simply said, there was a LOT now riding on this; as if there hadn't been before!!

Fieldwork still continued, but it didn't mean much for him! By asking one question, he'd gotten bumped up in importance (somehow) and was being actually included MUCH more in the planning part of things. When he much would rather be out and about doing things!! Smythe muttered something next time keeping his mouth shut before sighing, knowing it had been done. It had needed to have been done if THIS was how the other Feds had reacted, d*mn it to Hell!

Why hadn't any of the eggheads even . . .?!

No, the marshal reigned in his emotions and sighed. By NOW with the jet fighter option being utilized, it was coming up on the time for the shipgirl Saratoga to be arriving and the next phase can begin instead of most of everyone in the building just plotting and planning.

The regular coffee maker was out of service after somebody had broken it, so to make sure all got their needed caffeine fix, runners had been sent out.

Needing some air anyway and a bite to eat, he'd made a quick Starbucks run for himself and others. Sometimes gestures like that go a long way, and brother was it needed right now for frayed nerves. That aside, Janson Smythe had gotten the usual for another party in his little specialized part in this play. When she arrived from yet another less than successful lead, they'd try hashing out some kind of new strategy for their own little team.

In the meantime, Dan Murray had been kind enough to provide his own special brand of caffeine for the marshal. Yes, the marshal had gotten something before coming but figured that if he was going to keep this frantic pace up he'd better double down. That and it was just polite to accept.

That is until he took a sip of it! Coughing, he looked first at the coffee and then at Murray (who was glaring at his coffee).

"Really?!" Janson Smythe frowned, pouring out the toxic waste masquerading as coffee into the trash. "Not only does this Navy coffee taste horrible as advertised, but to add insult to injury ya'all are serving only decaffeinated? Thanks anyway, but I'll stick with my first choice."

As per usual, Smythe's Texas drawl grew a bit when roused up.

Meanwhile, Murray is giving the enlisted personnel--a young boy who looks barely old enough to shave if the marshal was any judge of things--the evil eye.

"Sir!" the poor sailor stutters. "This is what they handed over to me when I ran down to take the order, sir!"

"Go back and try again Seaman," the Navy official said in a tight, controlled voice.

A stuttered "sir!" is heard right before the young sailor goes scampering away to get the right order this time around.

Tempers had been running high after a long, stressful night caused by a fit of paranoia due to one question. That and something of a possible break given that though Trinitite had indeed used a burner phone to make that call, the FBI had been busy with getting the telephone company's data.

Now instead of a frenzy of almost lashing out blindly, tracking down even the thinnest of leads, it was an operation of tracking down locations. Locations like just where the call took place had been done about an hour ago, turning up pretty much nothing. Not even a scrap of plastic, which pretty much was what Smythe had feared would have been the result. Trin had apparently eaten the cellphone, leaving no traces. That or she had been even MORE skilled in hiding the burner phone after using it than even the veteran FBI agents had anticipated.

Would have been nice to at least had the confirmation of where the phone call had taken place beyond mere data for professional pride, but it was not to be.

For whatever reason, the efforts to track down the location data of where the blasted Abyssal had bought the cellphone was taking longer than expected. That was causing delays and making a long night LONGER.

Saratoga was landing sooner or later and the plan was to have her with them to try to perhaps track down Trinitite and make what would be a very stressful confrontation . . .less stressful.

Yes, "capture" was a valid option. However, if they could do a possibly less violent bringing the wayward Wo-class into custody with persuasion? That was much more appealing.

Now, it would be more appealing to have a possible lead on where to go, like that store that had been the place where the phone had been purchased in hand when Saratoga arrived. But . . .some things just couldn't be rushed, apparently.

Then again, if they could rush things to their supposed maximum then Saratoga would have been here already. Yes, fighter planes from Asia to America could in theory do it in three hours non-stop, but things like refueling (and wear and tear on the jet trying such a stunt) made that unfeasible.

"Ayep, I'll stick with my Starbucks 'foo foo' coffee," Smythe muttered, sipping his triple expresso and shaking his head after looking at his watch. "But how about you take the double expresso Mocca since it has caffeine and my deputy is late for whatever reason you might as well have it."

Shaking his head, he mentally made a note to stop doing that. It could almost seem like he was getting too "possessive" with the PI there. He was friendly with her but didn't "own" her. Best to tone it down. Avoid needless misunderstandings.

"I'm stepping outside to see if I can contact Ms. Harmon," Smythe continued. getting to the door. "The idea had been to get together in person to hash out some possible places in town on the slight chance somebody there might have recognized Trinitite buying the burner phone with cash, but looks like playing phone tag is the thing tonight."

Not what he'd call an elegant or efficient plan at tackling this, but the tech boys were having issues so might as well do it and pray to get lucky here. Beats just plotting and planning in a vacuum!

Murray nods, thanking the marshall for both the coffee and the effort. He's only starting at sipping his drink when he gets the word.

"What, the admiral from Japan is calling?" he mutters to himself as he heads over to a side office with secure telephone lines. "What could possibly be happening over there at this time now?"

He very soon learns just what is happening, indeed.

<******>

Meanwhile, outside in town at the local Walmart parking lot...

The car is still somewhat shaking on its shocks from the "nudge" that had been done to the car's being. While it had not been enough to cause the automobile to slam up against the car parked beside her, the private detective found suddenly the idea of trying to flee her car through the rear door she'd been next to impossible.

Trin probably put quite a dent in her car, though.

"I'll just be borrowing this for a moment," the human appearing entity before Katie Harmon says softly, taking the now unlocked cellphone from her right after having relieved the private detective of her revolver. "But thank you for not causing a needless scene there and getting into the back. I'd rather avoid violence near such a crowded store with your Navy allies, you know."

She gestures at the deputy badge/wallet holder she'd been stuck with and forced to wear on her breast pocket almost everywhere she'd needed to be during this investigation. Janson had been kind enough. Had believed in her skills when the other Federal buttheads wanted her gone. Still, Smythe had insisted, what with him being a stickler for protocol despite her objections.

While technically correct, she almost wanted to correct Trinitite about her being an "ally" to the Navy (and by extension motherf*cking Commander Dan Murray). But . . .

Now? She had just f*cked up mere moments ago, blanching and pulling at her gun when she'd spotted her abductor. Maybe had royally messed up having chosen to park further away from the Walmart's entrance than advisable at night, even. But the fast-food place's parking lot had been packed, but this part of the Walmart parking lot was available.

Now, this!

"So much for your F*cking situational awareness Katie!" she whispered viciously to herself.

She had just wanted to grab a bite to eat before going back to base to talk with the cowboy, d*mnit! H*ll, she had contacted one of the FBI drones ahead of time to confirm the lead about the Abyssal being spotted at Walmart was just Shangri La shopping for snacks!

As it turned out, that lead wasn't so false as advertised if the Abyssal in front of her was any indication. Sitting down quickly and low, Trinitite glances back through the rear window and sees that Shangri La had failed to notice her (for now).

Since she was here already and stuck until the Essex-class shipgirl left the area, Trinitite figured she might as well make the best of things. Not only would the phone be actually even more useful than the one she had just bought, but . . .having one of those who were allied with the Navy could be useful to ask a few questions.

Oh, the Wo-class thinks to herself as she starts nibbling on the detective's revolver. And besides a small snack would be rather nice.

High-quality steel and brass. Yum!

Wide-eyed (and not at all angered at having lost one of her more valued sidearms), the private eye blinks as her revolver quickly goes down the Abyssals throat.

"Ah . . .needing more iron in the diet?" Harmon chuckled nervously.

"Yes, you could say that!" smiled Trinitite slightly, seeing what the humor was in what the private investigator had just said. "Nothing like steel, the stuff that put plating between your ribs you know. Well, at least for Abyssals and I suppose shipgirls, anyway it does."

"Uh right," Harmon muttered before finally daring to ask it. "And what is . . .going to happen to me hereafter you use my phone?"

Making an aborted move to swipe at her face (probably to avoid smearing the makeup she'd been using to blend in with humanity), Trinitite instead sighs and looks tiredly at Harmon.

"I'll ask you a few questions," she explains. "With that and calling my mother here? I'm leaving. And I am VERY much suggesting you do not cause a problem for me by following or screaming."

The last was said with a low tone, followed up with a brief relighting of Trinitite's eyes. Blue and orange orbs drill into Katie Harmon's as if promising a rather messy end for such actions.

Trinitite wouldn't actually intentionally bring harm to Katie, but she'd done that to remind her what she was facing. That and how violent shipgirl/Abyssal battles could be (even on land). Wouldn't want the PI or innocent humans to get caught in the proximity, right?

And of course, that is when the cellphone begins to ring, which caused the Abyssal to mutter a slight curse before hitting the decline icon on Katie's phone and the PI blinking a bit. She'd known that Trinitite had made an international phone call with a burner phone, but Trin seemed to be showing all sorts of tech-savvy here.

That floozy Nashville was still all fumbles with her smartphone, and here this Abyssal is showing a LOT more tech-savviness. No wonder they'd been having all sorts of problems with catching Trinitite. Much more on the ball tech-wise than that floozy. Must be the desperation to get back to Saratoga that was fueling the rise in skills, even IF exceeding Nashville was a low bar to clear.

. . .

Yes, Katie Harmon was bitter over her apologies to Nashville had been rebuffed. Thank you for asking.

Dialing the number, Katie couldn't fail but notice something.

No, it wasn't that Trinitite had been using her phone instead of yet another burner phone. Cheeky as that was, it made a bit of sense. It saved any burner phone the Abyssal had bought for later use and was using the assets of her enemy against them. Ironic. And maybe confusing enough for long enough for anyone trying to wiretap/trace the call for Trinitite to get away scot-free.

No, instead it was something simpler here.

"What?" the PI blinks. "Not trying to dial Japan again? Thanks for not running up my minutes like that but where'd you'd get your Mom's number? Surely not how'd you had gotten the Japanese bases number, right?"

"Shimikaze--the Destroyer was the secretary who answered the phone--provided it in case we got cut off," the Abyssal supplied, finishing up dialing the number. "Friendly shipgirl, that one!"

"Oh," blinked Katie. That was just a bit surreal. "Of course they did that with just some stranger calling out of the blue for Saratoga. Why not?"

Trinitite frowned a little bit in sadness, ignoring the PI's befuddlement. If it hadn't been for the whole trying to kill each other out on the oceans before her princess had been abducted, she could have easily seen her and that destroyer being easy friends. Shame that!

Real d*mn shame.

<******>

Back on base

"Oh my God!" a certain aircraft carrier groaned, still somewhat woozy from a non-stop flight across the Pacific in less than stellar seating. "Is this what it feels like to be airsick?"

Shipgirls of Saratoga's type, as well as other aircraft carrier shipgirls were not known for getting airsick, usually. What Saratoga had gone through was hardly normal.

Well, at least she was finally OUT of that damn jet fight and back on the ground! Though the rushed Humvee right to this spot right from the landing strip hadn't added anything good to her rolling stomach.

"Okay, follow me and . . .," the young FBI agent (Penelton? Penderson? Wenderson?) said, directing the airsick shipgirl up the steps and past some angrily muttering man with an accent that sounded something like from Texas if Saratoga would take a guess.

Wait! That was the man who'd indirectly gotten her permission to GET here! How'd she not recognize US Marshal Smythe right off the bat?

As worried as she was about actually meeting her wayward Wo-class daughter (she was NOT going back Abyssal!!), she at least owed the man for making it possible for her to find Trinitite!

Now if only it hadn't involved that plane ride from Hell!!

"Deputy, why aren't you answering?" she heard him muttering before he jumped a little bit in surprise when making her presence.

"You're here!" Smythe blinks before putting his phone away and reaching out a hand to the shipgirl for a handshake. "I uh. . . .glad to see you! Hope the trip wasn't too bad?"

"It was but let's not mention . . .," Saratoga begins, shaking the man's hand only to pause when her cellphone begins ringing. Dropping Smythe's hand, she instead pulls out her smartphone.

It wasn't a number she recognized, but one that Smythe could not fail to notice. After all, it was only just a moment ago he had been trying to call that very number!

"Okay," Smythe asked himself, at a loss. "Just why is my deputy trying to contact Saratoga? What's she trying here?"

"Uh hello?" the red-headed shipgirl known as Saratoga answered her phone, putting it on speaker after glancing at Smythe. She didn't know who this deputy was, but it might be important towards finding her daughter, maybe? "USS Saratoga speaking. Who may I say is calling?"

"Mother!" a young female voice says from the other end, somebody that Janson Smythe knew was NOT Katie Harmon, but instead was the entity they'd been VERY much interested in capturing (or otherwise bringing into custody). "It's me again! I said I would call back when I could."

"Trinitite," Smythe said, interrupting whatever the Abyssal Wo OR Saratoga had been about to say. "Why are you using my deputy's cellphone? What have you done with her? Where is she?!"

The last was said at almost a shout.

"Cowboy?" a somewhat subdued Katie Harmon calls over the phone after a beep that signified that Trinitite had put her side on speakerphone so all could participate. "I'm . . .alright right now. Ah, and I found Mrs. Robinson but . . .she found me?"

"Yes," Trinitite adds after a second of silence. "And she'll be okay for now as well, for now. I'm just using her cellphone to speak with my mother. So after you explain what this Mrs. Robinson business is with me, whoever in the Deep you happen to be 'Cowboy', you can kindly put her back on the phone!"

"I'm still here Trin," Saratoga says, worry in her voice. "I didn't leave and Mr. Smythe did not take the phone from me. We're on speakerphone."

"Heh heh," Katie Harmon laughs nervously. "That's good. So we're all talking in a group! But as for Misses Robinson, that's part of a Beatles song where one line goes 'Wo wo wo'. Your codename."

"Ah deputy . . .you're not supposed to share that secret squirrel sh*t over the telephone?" the US marshal sighed in a somewhat put upon voice, but knowing that at this point Katie might be under a little stress so it was something that could be overlooked, right? Gesturing towards the door for everyone. "But let's ALL just . . .get inside so we can . . ."

Of course, somebody had to interrupt and what was meant as interrupt was Commander Murray coming out of the said door in a rush.

God, that had been a phone call that had been both lessened and increased his stress levels.

Good news? Well, according to the Japanese Admiral who'd called Murray there had been an accidental summoning back in Japan at the base Saratoga had been training the Japanese aircraft carriers. Current theory from some local scientist that only God knows where they'd dug him up had suggested that Saratoga had passed too close to the Summoning pool. Probably happened right after that stressful phonecall, and it had reached out into the limbo of where ever Trinitite's dead sisters had dwelled and called them back, albeit as shipgirls who were Essex-class aircraft carriers with decidedly Wo-class touches to the mix!!

They were cooperative for now, but not for much longer unless Saratoga got on the horn here, Admiral or no Admiral. They wanted answers. They wanted their mother.

Seemed to be a running theme here.

The same researcher, a Dr. Takahashi (but might as well be called Dr. Insano from the way he came off to Murray), had been able to conduct some basic, preliminary tests.

Well, turns out they remembered their names. They remember basic things from their earlier lives, but it was very scrambled and fuzzy. And they'd STAY that way permanently for the most part. For the most part! Any attempt by an Abyssal to use what a one-time re-summoned (more about that in a moment) Trinitite to infiltrate humanity would have a VERY bad time of it. That was good! That is unless by some chance a plucky an eccentric Abyssal Princess should utilize a Deep Hypnosis technique (swinging gold watch and all that new age bullsh*t in Murray's opinion) to unlock those memories. Of all their faults, at least the Abyssal Princesses didn't practice that . . .drivel.

...

Which was turning out to not be drivel after all. God, why?

Oh yeah, the good doctor had performed that on both Hypocenter and Firestorm near the end. NOW, they remember everything, and isn't THAT something of a headache for the Kanmusu of the Japanese base.

Oh, they are still open to being folded into the Kanmusu ranks. But they DO remember those who'd attack their Abyssal home, and there was still a lot of bad feelings about it!

They wanted to talk with their mother about it, honestly. To help them make final decisions like who exactly to swear allegiance. It might be with the US since Saratoga had (but wanted her inputs about just why she had done that, considering the betrayal they'd done their mother with "the fire"). That and they had been somewhat put off by that DARPA official who'd contacted them. It might be with the Japanese. It might even be with the Canadians. That one admiral had been MOST eager for their service.

Seems that the doctor noted that there were some personal skills that carried over from past lifetimes. For an Abyssal aircraft carrier, that meant that while their crew of fairies had to retrain from scratch, the Abyssals themselves had remembered things about how to teach those skills. Meaning a quicker turn around in getting their fairies up to something approaching sufficient for their needs. Not great, but could be a concern in later years when/if the Abyssal aircraft become ace teachers and such, pushing up their threat levels by default.

In the case of other fodder Abyssals? Well, that was up in the air, but it was worrisome to the doctor. And the doctor had made enough of a point to worry the Japanese admiral with those findings and theories.

Oh, and let us not forget two other things the good Dr. Insa . . .Dr. Takahashi mentioned.

First, he wanted to speak to US Marshal Janson Smythe. He wished to thank him for having inadvertently causing somebody in power to finally take him seriously with his "perfectly scientifically sound" theories about Abyssal. Though he added he'd had never spoken to Smythe so was dead on curious to discover how he'd learned of Takahashi's theorems.

Second, he wished to somehow arrange for Saratoga to be present for an experiment he wished to conduct. Something about wanting to replicate the accidental summoning so that it would bolster humanity's forces with more ship girls while depriving Abyssals of said same ship girls/fodder Abyssals.

Not totally an insane idea, considering that Trinitite showed that "fodder" Abyssals weren't mere drones. The question comes up about how practical that was, though. Just because the last batch of Kanmusu-ized Abyssals is still perfectly loyal to Saratoga (and thus friendly with humanity by default) did not mean that the next time around would produce the same good results.

Murray had said as much (much to the scorn of Dr. Takashi who "knew better") but had added that perhaps he should utilize the former Abyssal Crane Princess for those tests. Zuikaku was back that way. Was available for the doctor's use. And Zuikaku was read into the program (as it were), so wouldn't leak details to the wrong ears. Besides, Saratoga was under enough stress as it was. No need to add to it by using her as a lab rat for testing purposes. She needed a break!

Hell, he needed a long break after all this if he didn't get court-martialed or just thrown out of the Navy for this debacle!

"Oh thank God!" Murray muttered upon seeing Saratoga, not thinking about just why everyone was hanging around her while she was on the phone.

He really should have wondered why.

"Hey! Everyone inside!" he says in a rush. "We got something to brief about concerning Misses Robinson's lost sisters! They . . . we found that they aren't lost anymore. The 'firecracker' of the two is almost beside herself demanding to see her mother here and are on the teleconference right now.

"They showed up at the 'special' pool back in Japan and . . .oh fuck," he finally notices the wide-eyed and frantically gesturing Smythe pointing at Saratoga's phone. "So uh. . .that is the person that Saratoga got a phone call earlier, eh?"

He winces, glad he hadn't accidentally said too much for Trinitite to give up the game. And everyone ELSE had been pretty much briefed about giving away the game to outsiders. Pretty much did that down to the bedrock, as it were.

Oh, he'd play that card if he had to in order to bring Trinitite into the fold. But not yet and only if he needed to here.

But it was an option that could be used and his superiors would be fine with it (as long as it got results that is it should be said).

That and he was going to tell Saratoga about his latest development. He WAS, really. It was just he wanted to do it in a tactful and gentle manner. Poor shipgirl was under enough stress as it was, you know.

But, too bad that wasn't to be. You do recall what Katie did there earlier, right?

Well, the good thing here is that the PI probably won't make any friends with that slip. But she had only tipped Murray's hand early. Meaning that Harmon did security "boo boo" a moments ago, Murray might just be the thing to help her avoid possible jail time?

Still, in all fairness what could Katie have done under the gun like that? It is not like she could have come up with a good LIE on the spot that was both believable and good enough that the others on the phone would be able to play along with her. Somehow, she doubts that she could have managed to pull the wool over Trinitite's eyes here. She'd have been naive at times, but at other times been too cagey. So...the truth. Which might get her in hot water. Might not.

"What?!" It only took seconds for two aircraft carriers (one Abyssal and one shipgirl) to connect the dots.

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

You Can't Go Home Again (Part 1)...

Author's Note: Okay, perhaps a bit much with Saratoga going all "Momboat" over her daughter here? Well, what is found on the wiki about Saratoga puts her as having an "onee-san" personality with her fleet-mates. How much more would she be caring (and even loving) with her children, the Essex-class? With her Wo-class daughters? Eventually, I think it would be this way.

Special thanks to PyrrhicSteel for his notes about Firestorm and Hypocenter.

Oh, and again tried to edit this beforehand, so...

With FBI Agent Charles Bryce

"EVERYONE INSIDE RIGHT NOW!!" somebody bellows from outside the conference room, causing everyone else to stop whatever they are doing (in some cases the "doing" was something akin to "bickering") and instead stare at the door to outside.

Some more discussion could be heard from the other side of the door, but because of the door's thickness, it was unintelligible.

"Was that the Cowboy?" one of Agent Bryce's coworkers from the FBI blinked. "Boy! At a guess I believe he's finally gotten tired of Super Karen the PI?"

Agent Bryce--not the biggest fan of that somewhat narcissistic private investigator himself--still gave a less than playful swat to the coworker's shoulder and gives a stern look to the FBI coworker woman in question. US Marshal Smythe had been correct in stating Katie Harmon could be useful to their need, attitude problem or no attitude problem so for NOW at least Bryce wouldn't spoke any wheels by adding more fuel to the fire to this somewhat dysfunctional operation.

Heading towards the door he's greeted halfway with the sight of various people shuffling through the doorway and rather hurriedly into the room, with the "Cowboy" (a somewhat unimaginative nickname the US marshal from Texas had accepted with some rye humor) leading up the rear shaking his head.

"Janson," Bryce whispered fiercely after giving Saratoga a quick nod of at least passing welcome before turning back towards Smythe. "While more than happy to see the shipgirl here, even IF she had brought a cellphone into here, what the hell was that?"

With a gesture first at the door into the conference room and then at Saratoga's cellphone, the FBI agent made clear that the question involved more than merely one thing. The first was of course asking what the shouting outside was about. The second question Agent Bryce had a sinking feeling he knew the answer was involving a wayward Wo since everyone HAD been expecting the Abyssal to contact Saratoga again. He just wanted to cover bases on the second before jumping to conclusions and thinking this was some kind of boneheaded repeating of what his idiotic "wonder boy" agent had pulled not less than a few hours ago with his non-secure attempt to search the internet during that earlier teleconference.

He respected the shipgirl enough to not jump to conclusions like that and start reading her the riot act, thanks.

"Whoever just asked that question," a young-sounding woman interrupted whatever the somewhat vexed marshal is about to say "That would probably be due to me, Trinitite. Aircraft carrier of the former Crossroads Fleet."

"Who happens to be using Deputy Katie Hanson's cellphone to make this call," Janson Smythe added drolly as Bryce and the others in the room gape at the voice on the other end of Saratoga's smartphone speaker. "And by God, you're not going to . . ."

Bryce was too busy sputtering and turning somewhat pale to be able to anything intelligent to the mix at this.

Just what the ACTUAL F*CK?! If this was just the way to end one's career, this latest fuckup!!

If Smythe wasn't just yanking his chain here, at least the smartphone that Trinitite had swiped from Deputy/Private Katie "Super Karen" Harmon wasn't ONLY able to broadcast into to the clear blue, just for anyone with the tech to listen into here. With a simple swipe of a built-in app onboard, the encryption could be easily switched on.

By somebody's paranoid forethought, each of their government-issued smartphones had built-in encryption kits for just these . . .well, somewhat similar occasions like this. Lord knows that he'd never heard of any cases out there that the FBI (or any alphabet agency) had ever had THIS happen with this kind of quarry!

But talking about fuckup!! Just moments ago he'd answered the very deputy's last phone call into the base, asking about that Walmart lead! And what would you know!! That lead? OH! This meant that the "false" lead about Trinitite being there wasn't so much as yet another failure. Not yet a mistaken sighting which was Shangri La being out and about! That was good, but not really good enough considering that said "not false lead" Trinitite might just BE at Walmart, if Harmon had gone to that store it did not mean that the case was DONE and over. Even IF Shangri La could be contacted (discretely) to turn back around and drive BACK to Walmart, this could still turn into something VERY ugly. For obvious reasons, this had to be played carefully else anyone at Walmart might have to pay a very heavy price for their poor luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, even IF Abyssal/ Kanmusu combat was a physics problem while on dry land! Too many innocent civilians would be the price all the same!

Let us not talk about the blowback by public reaction afterward, please!!

"Mother? TRINITITE?!" a third young female voice just then had to make her presence known, being able to see Saratoga and (somewhat) hear both shipgirls. "Trin! How are you here? You got summoned back as well by the Navy too?!"

"Sister?!" a fourth female voice adds to this, recognizing Trinitite's voice despite it barely being audible from her end of the teleconference. "You're back as well?"

Trinitite, being stuck with only the speakerphone on her end cannot see her sisters, but can d*mn well recognize those voices anywhere, even IF it has been too long since last she'd seen them before her sisters had died in battle.

But with the Momboat . . .er . . .with Saratoga?

With Saratoga...

Turning, the red-headed shipgirl known as Saratoga (formerly the Abyssal Jellyfish Princess) and sees on the large screen television two faces she thought to never to be able to see again. Despite both shipgirls now having light lavender hair (before having been white) and lightly tanned skin (vice albino white), she'd know those faces anywhere. Instead of the glow of eyes of blue and orange, they now had a case of heterochromia; orange and blue eyes. Despite that . . .despite them being Essex-class shipgirls (albeit with a decidedly Wo-class touch) . . .she knew her daughters.

And they knew her! And the shock was making her feel more than a bit light-headed here.

"Hypocenter," Saratoga whispered softly, tears forming in her eyes as her knees felt a tiny bit weak. "Firestorm."

"Hey!" US Marshal Smythe says as he swoops in to hug the redhead slightly in support. Ignoring Firestorm's and Hypocenter's questions, he instead holds the aircraft carrier shipgirl steady. "Hey, it's okay. Easy!

"Let's get her a seat and can we get Trinitite patched into here somehow so we don't hafta worry about violating any stupid secret squirrel sh*t?" the marshal continues with his Texas twang thickening slightly at points, looking about him in vexation. "I mean I sure as shootin' hate to be doing any d*mn jail time after this is all said and done, even IF it works out without any death and fire thanks!!"

"Yes," Saratoga nods to herself distractedly while touching a built-in fingerprint reader on her cellphone." Just let me just punch that icon in the shape of a squirrel wearing the fedora and trench coat and . . ."

Saratoga had actually laughed at the icon, after learning about where the phrase (and thus the icon) came from. Now, it didn't even cause her to blink. She was a bit too busy being emotionally overwhelmed by other things, you know.

With a little bit of hassle, Trinitite manages to activate the encrypted teleconference feature on Private Investigator Katie Harmon's smartphone (with a bit of aid from Katie by way of her fingerprint after Trinitite "requested" she do as much). Plugging her smartphone into a port in the teleconference machine on the desk before her, all were treated to a somewhat goggle-eyed Trinitite and Katie Harmon staring at an audience on the left half of the large TV screen, both seated in the back seats of a car of all things.

While the other half was dominated right now by the now by both the Kanmusu-ized Abyssals, looking rather eager for something in the way of answers. That and REALLY wanting to reach out and help their crying mother here from the soft words of comfort and concern from their end of things.

Trinitite would do the same if she wasn't so confused at this latest befuddling thing! Why were her sisters HERE? How were they here and like THIS? Had the Firebringers done the same . . . No, the one known as Murray (a voice and face she'd not soon forget from that damnable first time she'd met her back on the Pacific Lilly) had let slip her sister had shown up by an accidental summoning. Supposedly in Japan, since that was where her mother was.

She was still in Japan, right? She wasn't sure as to why her mother wasn't in the same room as both Firestorm and Hypocenter (looking like Kanmusu be damned, those were her SISTERS Deep d*mnit!), but it wasn't like . . . she'd somehow gotten BACK to America in the hours since last they spoke, right?

That would be insane.

Oh Trin, if you only knew. If you'd only knew.

"Hypocenter!" Saratoga whispered, looking up at the screen. "Firestorm! My brave, lovely daughters."

Hypocenter, Saratoga remembered Jellyfish having noted Hypocenter being the most 'normal' looking of the three dear daughters when first summoning her. The shipgirl now still possessed the hangar deck catapult that came with several earlier Essex-class ships but is a late war long-hull configuration otherwise. Since that catapult kinda awkwardly launches aircraft out of the side of the ship into unpredictable turbulence, she found it about as useful as they did in that World War (not very).

Though, now recalling some of the things she'd learned during the last teleconference in Japan? The damage those captured fairies had revealed while being interrogated from what they'd witnessed whilst in the air before Trinitite had made landfall? With all that damage done to her deck, Saratoga would bet good money that Trinitite would kill for one right now, considering the state of her flight deck.

Her poor injured Wo...!

....

Oh yes, Saratoga has gone full Momboat here!

Firestorm, Saratoga could see it even in her new "shipgirl" rigging. Her fiery daughter had NOT been "gifted" with that dual-purpose 5-inch/38s that the Essex-class normally used. Instead? As an Abyssal, that had been replaced by the cruiser-grade 8-inch/55 guns Saratoga was launched with. And now she still had those 8-inch/55 guns. Okay, that technically makes her a better service combatant, but Firestorm never really experienced service combat and complained about her lack of long-range AA quite a lot. THAT part Saratoga had been able to recall about her daughter. At least her former self (that bitch!), had been kind enough to notice!!

...

Memories.

Memories of her as the Jellyfish Princess reared their head, making her recall how she'd only gone through the motions as a mother. Giving out ice cream, and not anything really more real.

Damn her former self for doing that! Damn her!!

Feeling her heart almost break, she swore to herself that in this time. As this person, she was NOW. She was going to be . . .their mother in truth, heart, and soul.

And besides, even if she had been willing in mind to not acknowledge them as her daughters . . .her heart was in total revolt. IT would not allow anything less!

Turning eyes to Trinitite, she felt her heart melt. All this way from Bikini Atoll...

"Trinitite," she smiled, crying softly. "My brave little Wo-class!"

"But . . .Mother!" Hypocenter blinked, not having been fully read into this part of the 'program'. "Isn't she also a shipgirl like us now?"

"I mean it isn't like . . . what in the f*cking Deep?" began the somewhat brash and bold Firestorm, only to stumble to a stop when Trinitite's eyes light up in all their Abyssal Orange and Blue glory. "B-but I saw you take that hit with the missile and burn!"

Hypocenter knew that she was the most collected of the three sisters. Trinitite thought that her sister was a perfectly capable flagship, and she's done well in the past, but Hypocenter had admitted to herself she often takes far too long to make a decision and COULD sometimes be too indecisive when trying to consider a problem. But that said, she felt herself to have been pretty good at thinking clearly under pressure, despite how long she deliberated! Oh, and she was the shyest of the three because of that, but that was as an aside and not important to the here and now.

Still, while she had stuck with the Jellyfish Princess throughout the entirety of the Battle of Bikini until a salvo from Nagato ended her she was willing to bet her newly earned "paycheck" (money, what a fascinating concept!), on what Trinitite had done had hit her even harder than that bloody be d*mned salvo!!

"You'd died!" Firestorm sputtered, almost unable to believe what she was seeing her with her own eyes. "I saw it."

Firestorm, she admitted even herself to be a lot more impulsive than her sisters, and often wouldn't be the flagship for their expeditions because she didn't really have the patience to deal with other Princesses. That is what she'd recalled of her old life and accepted it. Oh, and she was so VERY Unafraid to call out friends and otherwise out on their bullshit, leading to some... heated discussions between her and ships from other fleets during convoys. She smiled at some of those times. Memories. Good ones, those.

But Not good memories about her last ones of Trinitite! She recalled it too vividly. She'd Completely lost it when Trinitite went down to the lucky missile in the battle of Bikini, drifted out of formation to help her before sinking to a carrier strike.

Trinitite? Her eyes burning like that? They were basically stating that for whatever confusing reason why her sisters might have become Kanmusu (or at least Kanmusu-ized Abyssals), Trin still was still very MUCH an Abyssal.

"It was her crew's skills in damage control," Smythe said, deciding to at least make the first attempt to break the silence. He did remember his briefings about how Trinitite had survived. "Sara taught her well, you know. You all know that."

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

You Can't Go Home Again (Part 2)...

Hey, so with more than a bit of editing and effort (and having to repost), I give you this. By all means, point out errors and concerns. I'll fix what I can when I can. I'm DONE for the night though so see you later!

With Trinitite...

"It was her skills in damage control," Smythe said from the smartphone's small screen. Apparently, whoever briefed this man did it rather well from appearance. "Sara taught her well, you know. You all know that."

"Yes," Trinitite said, smiling fondly at the memories of her Princess . . . .her Mother giving her and her sisters lessons in that and ASW. "It was a close-run thing and it took long enough that I could do nothing but watch as my Princess get transformed . . ."

Trinitite gestures slightly at the red-headed shipgirl who had been (and still WAS) her mother.

Saratoga! She remembered her. She still loved her! But what in the name of the Deep was she going to do now?! With her sister now . . .like they were, what now? Would this mean IF she was able to save her mother? Bring her back to normal, would that mean that her sisters would be trying to sink her? Their mother?!

Deep! The idea had been to somehow arrange to get her mother alone, hull to hull to bring her back to her senses. So she could be the Jellyfish Princess again and they could both go back home . . .or somewhere they'd make a new home!

Somewhere other than the Bikini Atoll, the sight of where those atomic bombs had eventually caused her mother to sink. Trinitite was NOT going to subjugate her mother to memories of that again, not letting her get over it and get on with her life! How had she not notice her mother had been suffering?!

"And I had to watch and do nothing as she was taken away by helicopter," Trinitite said, almost whimpering at the feeling of confusion and hopelessness, before firming and glaring defiantly at everyone standing and sitting around her mother. "I want my mother back!"

"I want my sisters back," Trinitite adds, wilting slightly when looking at her sisters who blinked back at her.

Deep! This was going to be difficult to get them ALL back, but she'd rather die than just give up the fight! Not now, but . . .it was going to be a lot more Hellish to accomplish, you know! And Trin didn't look forward to that at all after all, she'd gone through already.

Hey! Nashville thinks to herself noticing something rather . . . familiar about Trinitite's clothing. Is it me or is that Wo-class wearing an outfit RATHER amazingly similar to what Shangri La went out into the world earlier today?

Of course, somebody would have to interrupt that line of thought before the shipgirl could come to any solid conclusions beyond a slow dawning realization of a "camouflage" as to just WHY the local police had been less than effective in helping track Trinitite than hoped for here.

"So. . . that was all this was about?" a slightly exasperated woman's voice comes from across the room that until now, Trinitite had been ignoring. "You mean to tell me that you came all this way here. No abyssal submarine spy networks? No attempts at industrial sabotage? Avoided every attempt to block your way and capture you? Evading our attempts to so much as do ANY surveillance on you? This was all to just get back with your mommy?!"

With Nashville . . .

"She said as much," Nashville muttered to herself, remembering that this particular spook whose name she couldn't be bothered to remember.

She did remember that that woman agent had been rather incensed about orders from on high to drop all efforts at merely trying to observe Trinitite (as if they'd even been ABLE to find the d*mn Abyssal in the first place to observe), but instead to capture her at all costs.

God, with just one question that Smythe managed to turn everything upside down and backward with all the panic he'd caused. And it hadn't even been meant as a really serious question. Hell, even she'd thought such a question had surely been answered beforehand and . . .

No, it had been asked. But not by anyone who the powers that be had deigned listened to before now. Dr. Takahashi was obviously a very intelligent person. Gifted even, by what the shipgirl had seen during his brief introduction before Saratoga's arrival (and Us Marshal Janson Smythe's rather loud interruption just moments earlier outside). But Takahashi was . . a more than a bit "eccentric".

Still, Smythe hadn't been . . .wrong in his question, but in as far as immediate concerns it hadn't been as needful and initially believed. But Hell if the business with Abyssals eventually getting more and more competent as time went on, after each re-summoning, wasn't a concern! "Capture" was still the order of the day, but it wasn't "do or die" as it had been (if that was a good way to state how concerned everyone had been).

"Abyssal submarine spy networks?!" Trinitite blinked, looking towards the spook woman in question as if she was an idiot. "As far as I know I am the first Abyssal to ever to penetrate your security and get onto American soil. And honestly, if some Princess was to send a spy, it sure as Deep wouldn't be an Abyssal Aircraft Carrier. Not like I did it, you know!"

"Now shut up and stop interrupting us," the Wo-class practically commands, glaring at the sputtering woman. "I do not want to belabor the obvious with you anymore."

Chuckling slightly to herself, Nashville had to ask herself if it was wrong to be agreeing with this wayward Wo. If anything else today by just watching, it became crystal clear . . .this Abyssal was . . .not . . .a monster. Shangri La was right.

And Nashville had been wrong...

An enemy for the longest time, but seeing the desperation? The emotion that Trinitite was showing just seeing Saratoga? This WAS a child desperately seeking her mother. D*mn.

Just D*mn!

"I want them back," Trinitite says, firming up and repeating herself once back to staring at Smythe. "And I suggest you not try to stop me from doing that, humans."

If only to herself, she had to ask just how in the Hell she was going to manage that. Now not only did she have to somehow get her Abyssal aft over to Japan to find and rescue her mother, she now needed to do it with her sisters!!

That and ask questions to her "guest" in the car about just how close the Navy and their allied fleets were in tracking her down. That and a few other questions before perhaps blowing town for another city, to build up assets and build some kind of plans for the future (with her sisters and mother).

Oh, and of course whatever else she would pop a car tire--her hands could easily do that-- and eat a "smartphone" or two of Harmon before vacating the area. Without both a phone or a car with four intact tires, she'd be less of a hassle.

Hmm, also least she forgets she had to make it to the dropoff point for her Marines detachment for change out of the personnel and food resupply.

At least it seemed to be that, and made up for some of the scares she kept having with keeping almost meeting the aircraft carrier out in town!

Yes! Being able to spy upon her foes had been . . .useful. Not as useful as she'd hoped, but at least she'd made SOME use of it with that Essex-class who looked inexplicably similar to her!

Youtube had been VERY useful in that regards for her Marines. Getting them up to snuff, even IF they complained it being from "the Army".



Might as make use of that with "confusion to the enemy" or something as the humans would say from time to time Or maybe just a recall and evac depending on what Harmon answers after this phone call.

A phone call that had been taking too long for her tastes to avoid it being tracked, d*mnit! And while she had been able to talk with her mother again AND find out her sisters were alive....

Trinitite then makes a move as if to cut the connection. Hopefully next time, she could call without all the human interruptions but at least she'd made SOME very interesting discoveries! Welcome ones, in fact...

"Trin!" Saratoga interrupts the Wo-class thoughts, and then completely derails them with what she says next. "I'm here in Washington! We need to meet!!"

"Wha-at?" Trinitite blinked, not sure she'd heard correctly and having felt like she'd hit a reef. "How?!"

"A very fast jetfighter brought about by one G*d d*mn question I just had to ask," muttered the marshal, still even now having trouble believing it had avalanched into this, somehow. Trinitite was now is looking at him, having overheard that.

And leaving the erstwhile marshal wondering what was it with all these people around him with such good hearing! What was UP with that?! Acoustics?!

"Wait!" Commander Dan Murray waves, causing the Abyssal to pause for a moment. "We can arrange a meet. Make some kind of . . ."

"I . . . .might be willing to do that," the Wo-class manages, rallying and cutting the Navy officer off. "But not with you. I have had my fill of you even before I escaped from the Pacific Lilly."

"Not a fan of my ex-boyfriend eh?" Katie Harmon chuckles softly over the cellphone. "Wow, we have an Abyssal of culture and good taste."

Dan Murray mutters something and coughs in embarrassment while more than a few people also cough, hiding their chuckling at the Commander's expense.

Let us just say that while hard-working and bright. " A Godsend to America" even at his job, but Dan had a . . .way at time rubbing various people the wrong way during their time together on this operation and leave at that, okay?

"I wish to do any future dealing with the Navy through 'the Cowboy'," Trinitite continues, gesturing towards the marshal in question. "He's been polite, for the most part!"

"'My Deputy' Cowboy?" Harmon asked drolly, for some perverse reason found she wanted to tease the man in question. Not exactly the brightest idea there, but Katie's mind was going all over the place due to being a bit tired right now.

This operation! Going from manhunt to surveillance and back again! And the last part at the drop of a hat and without proper sleep! There BETTER be a good bonus for that when this job was done or she'd raise Hell over it!!

"He's concerned over a fleet mate's fate," Trinitite (of all people) admonishes the narcissistic PI. "Friends do that. Abyssals? Kanmusu? Humans? Oh, dare you to say differently?!"

Trin's mood is kind of bouncing all over the place here. Expect that for people who keep on getting hit with shocks, it happens.

"Hush," Trinitite shakes her head at Katie before turning back (and ignoring whatever the PI would have said). Right now, the PI was not the issue. Those on the other end of the phone? Who would and could provide her with what she'd gone through here? Her Mother?!

Yeah, that was what was important to the Wo-class.

"I am . . .authorized to be able to do that," Janson concedes, seeing the gesturing from various Navy (and other) military personnel. The highest being Murray's boss who the man had been tasked to report to during this accursed operation.

As it happened, the marshal HAD been authorized to conduct negotiations with Trinitite. Emergency negotiations for hostage situations, and not this more (somewhat) mundan-ish negotiation. The idea had been that the other Feds and Military folk would be handling this, but contingencies HAD been made. It just wasn't thought that it would end up this way.

Who knew?

"Good," Trinitite smiles slightly, suddenly liking how this was going. "Now, Agent Janson . . ."

"US Marshal Smythe ma'am," Smythe coughed, glancing at the FBI agents before looking back at Trin. "Sorry, but I'd like to go by last name and proper titles. At least until we get to know each other a bit better and such, darlin'. That and I'm not one of the spooks . . .er . . .usually don't work with other Agencies like I've been doing and shouldn't be called anything else but what I am here. I'm sure you understand?"

A slow nod in concession and understanding was given by Trinitite, wishing to get past that and into the negotiations proper. Besides, it was something she could actually respect! Look at the pride which she'd displayed when she'd been CFS Trinitite. Look at the relief she had felt when she had become part of the fleet of construction workers, putting the title of the constrtuction company on! Why not with human beings?

"Not so different after all," she said softly to herself, nodding.

And though relatively short before agreeing to an area to meet and Trinitite to allow herself into custody (that had been a WELCOME bit when she'd agreed to THAT part), some of it....

<******>

At a campsite on base, later...

With Shangri La . . .


The Essex-class shipgirl found herself staring slightly again at Trinitite as both they and the US Marshal waited for Saratoga to finally be allowed to show. Fiddling slightly with the red sash on her uniform, the shipgirl glanced over onto the ocean. The sun was beginning to rise and it made for a good art scene, really.

Almost made her ignore the battleship shipgirls she saw out in the harbor who just might be pointing ALL their guns towards this area. It had been part of the deal, just in case. Trinitite had readily agreed to it, just wanting her mother back.

Just wanting her mother back. Jesus! While orders are orders, having this setup quite this way kind of made Shangri La feel a bit like a heel. Still...

Shangri La had summoned her rigging before sending some back, leaving her landing deck and weaponry unsummoned if only to have it ready at moment's notice. Not that she felt it would be needed, but orders were orders.

That and there was the fact that Trinitite had shown up wearing the same "civi" outfit that she had been wearing out in town! No WONDER the FBI kept mistaking her for Trnitite out in town.

What? The? H*ll? The PI had mentioned something about the Abyssal confessing something in passing to her about Trinitite being able to keep tabs on the poor Essex.

Could that have been the reason why that store detective back at the store earlier in the month accosting her and demanding to see the receipt for the clothing and cowboy hat she'd been wearing on a whim? Did Trinitite do some kind of quick change in a changing room and somehow switch attention to her in that way?

The detective had quickly exited after dropping off Trinitite, and drove away in her car. She was . . .over with this whole mess and wanted to just find her bed now, thanks! Shangri La was curious as to where that rather unsightly dent had come from. It hadn't been there last time, and it was a crying shame. The shipgirl had rather liked the detective's taste in vehicles, if NOT exactly the detective herself.

"D*mnit I'd kill for a coffee right now," muttered Smythe, shaking his head in annoyance as he suppressed a yawn. "What a night!"

It had been a long, intense negotiation. Something about wanting the BEST deal she could get from her future employer to deal with . . .the mess she admitted to making with Fred Meyers and Elizabeth the Night Manager back there.

And THIS was how she was going to satisfy her debt to Elizabeth, as an Abyssal would settle it (and probably NOT as a human would see it). Trinitite had been something--gender none withstanding--of a son of a b*tch in her insistence on the matter!

So a rather "fat check" (from her "signing bonus" into joining the US Navy) was in Elizabeth's future. Part to pay for what she had "borrowed" from Fred Meyers, and something for the trouble and stress the Abyssal had caused her.

What? The issue of the company wanting to even accuse her as being an "accessory to the crime"? Whelp, that was where ONI and their JAGs were going to come in and pretty much leans on any and all objections, dead flat! Pity, that.

Yeah, let those lawyer jerks go at each other's throats. Jackels!!

. . . .

Nevermind.

Oh, and another thing was that it was agreed that . . .family should stay together. Trinitite had made the effort and had gone through Hell to get to her Mother and was going to stay with her, damnit! Upper Navy folks had considered and agreed to it.

It kept Trinitite and her sisters loyal. And the Admirals in charge of this could darn well guess what they had now with Saratoga: a Momboat! One that wasn't going to let go of her children any time soon (until enough time passed for them to grow up anyway). Trinitite WAS only two years old, and it . . .showed through and leave at that.

Besides, they had plans for Saratoga and her family, both living and departed. But that is another tale for later.

"I could help with that," Trinitite offered Smythe graciously, pulling out a camping coffee percolator from inside her hull and placing it on the picnic table behind her. Then came two bricks and some kind of mangled tin can.

The Abyssal had warmed considerably towards the marshal when Saratoga had revealed that the man had been indirectly responsible for her being back here in America, in case you were wondering. Soon enough the marshal would find himself on Trinitite's Christmas card list, even.

Just as soon as she learns about Christmas and Christmas cards, that is...

As for the tin can thing?

Author's Note: Yes I went there!



"A hobo stove?" the marshal asked, admiring it before noting the coffee fixings coming out. "Yes please, with two sugars and cream?"

Shangri La frowned at the decidedly non-Navy coffee in her midst (which Trinitite was enjoying with the marshal), but who was she to judge? At least this blasted operation was almost over, and without bloodshed.

H*ll, she even got three--with Trinitite as the third--new sisters out of this deal and her mother's rising stress finally put to rest! Not bad. Not bad at all.

Not too much later (the marshal was just starting on his second mug), Saratoga finally arrived by humvee. She happened to be carrying a rather special bucket, as what they'd hashed out.

"For full disclosure, you do know what will happen here to you right?" Smythe paused in his drinking of coffee and looking over at the happily smiling Trinitite. "What that bucket will do to your rigging at least?"

"More than you know US Marshal Smythe," the Abyssal Wo-class says, still smiling despite a feeling of foreboding inside.

You do this you shall be marked as traitor permanently as your sisters were! a general feeling of menace and malice seems to be saying from . . .somewhere deep out at sea. Below the waves. Deep in the Abyss. Doing this is betraying your duty and obligation to the Abyss! To your kind! Turn back!!

No you f*cking c**t, the defiant Wo-class thinks to herself, and to something . . . Else if the Abyss just happened to be threatening her over her choices. You blacklisted my sisters over having chosen to answer my Mother's calling them? Answering the Summons? Really?! After what you DID to my Mother in twisting her mind when she was the Jellyfish Princess to where she couldn't move on but dwell upon the very spot she sank?! No, YOU are the traitor to ME and my family! I don't need you and you d*mn well better understand that we are ENEMIES now! Good BYE and good riddance, TRAITOR!!

She was loyal to her Princess. She was loyal to her Mother.

And . . .through her negotiations she had hitched her fate to the US Navy, and pretty much could be said to be loyal to them as well. Perhaps not as much as her MOTHER or family, but . . .why muddy the water with that little fact, eh?

But still? The matter with her sisters and the Abyss?! They had during that teleconference--when Smythe had to step out of the room to make arrangements for the meeting--told Trinitite how the Abyss had howled at them. Called them traitors for answering Saratoga's (a traitor who went Kanmusu) calls through a Kanmusu Summoning Pool even when barely remembering their old lives. Enough remained to where they knew their mother and their mother as calling...

The bottom line is that they'd been "marked" when summoned. And how much they were "Kanmusu" were in truth, or merely Kanmusu-ized Abyssal? Well, if they were to be sunk again and summoned by an Abyssal Princess?

Oh boy, not gonna lie. One look at what got summoned would be an almost instant sinking by shell volley from the surprised and enraged Princess. Both of her dear sister would be stuck with their new Kanmusu styled rigging now and evermore, because they'd been blacklisted.

Author's Note: The Abyss didn't care about such niceties as real "justice" and "honor". Loyalty? For whatever reason, it had it out for humanity and those who would side with humanity? The Abyss wasn't going to take such slights from "mere" fodder Abyssals like that. Dime a dozen, to that eldritch horror, you see. Regular Kanmusu? It was worth keeping and tricking them into Abyssal service. But not so much for "regular" fodder. Not worth the time or effort because they were "ruined". At least that is MY take in this omake tale...

As Trinitite would be "blacklisted" by being a Kanmusu-ized Abyssal as well. Even after sinking, just like her sisters.

"Glad to hear that," the marshal says, going back to drinking his coffee. He REALLY needed it after this rough night, naturally! And would need it to be able to tackle that damnable pile of paperwork in after-action reports soon enough.

Suppressing a groan at the thought of that trial, he instead concentrated on the joy he was seeing before him.

The green and infamous "repair bucket" now at Trinitite's and Saratoga's feet, both now are crying and laughing. Finally back together. And pretty much will be for a LONG time with her now US Navy sisters, both USS Firestorm and USS Hypocenter. All part of a larger plan to gain more "assets" for the ongoing war, you see.

Oh right, you say it would be madness for Trinitite to be used as a "regular" shipgirl in battle against the Abyss. Not really, considering the cover story the spooks somewhere had cooked up. Trin's touched too many lives, and sooner or later her existence would out. She touched the lives of those on the Pacific Lilly. Made quite the impression with those back at that Federal Park in Washington state? Lots of postings of it on the internet, friend. And other things.

But the idea here is how to control the spin? Yep! The best way to make a good cover story here is to mix a LOT of truths with a "tiny" bit of lies.

Got all sort of truth to share. Obvious and readily apparent truths!

Right now the US was down from three to two places where Kanmusu would and could be summoned. Quoting from elsewhere (if you'll forgive me that):

A little over a year ago. Abyssals managed to push into Pearl in a massive offensive and summon the Central Princess, even though they weren't able to stay in the theatre themselves. Now, she's basically alone, surrounded by special forces (with shipgirl support) on her island, with a lot of artillery keeping her from developing her infrastructure too much from the big island. It's a brutal, months-long battle, but it does mean that Pearl isn't of much more use then as a meatgrinder for both sides at the moment.

And this means there were only two places to summon Kanmusu for the American. That does cause quite a bottleneck. So . . .to get around this plight some geniuses in the likes of DARPA are trying other means to fix the issue. Some try to get other ports to be able to be Summoning spots but are having NO luck. That is more due to approaching the problem as a science than . . .an art. As a spiritual thing, I'm afraid. Wrong approach. Some are trying at least here OTHER ways to do a Summoning Pool. Like mobile ones, on ships! With the idea of being mobile means less prone to being compromised like what happened at Pearl. And with more Summon Pools available by them being mobile on ships? Well, the bottleneck would be a thing of the past!

Trick here was to sweeten the deal for summoning was to . . .provide materials for the summons (steel, oil, and such) like a regular Summoning Pool. The genius (who was more a madman and an unethical one to boot) was to utilize a dead shipgirl (not necessarily the original owner and not NEEDING to be the original owner) in the Summoning, The summoned would jump into the new shipgirl body, and whatta know! A success!

Not as if there wasn't a lot of sunk shipgirl bodies to dreg up and utilize this way, you know... And they did similar salvage operations when the shipgirls had originally merely been "steel hull" ships right after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War 2 (another true fact to appease any queezy folks out there who protest about grave robbing and disturbing the dead). Why NOT with ship girls who are now?


Oh, and where did these ship girl spirits come from, since the summoned will happen to have been ships never having ever shown in any Navy from World War 2? Whelp, there are wooden and other obsolete warships out there, right? Guess what? They get a chance to serve now. Too bad about the . . .amnesia concerning their original names and all that.

What? Memories about them being Abyssals? Well . . .might be the Abyss messing with their memories to twist them to its cause? That'll be the lie for now in the cover story (and as long as they can make it last until the War with the Abyssals is WON).

Or at least until time goes on to where service and heroics by the summoned prove them to be loyal and true to humanity's cause. If the truth comes out about them being former Abyssals (as the Limbo which they were summoned from happens to contain)? Well, while a big headache for the Navy at least they can spin it as freeing them and other Shipgirls "corrupted" into Abyssals.

Which will ironically BE the truth, eh?

Author's Note: EH yep, I'm gonna borrow that concept from Jessetheswift's fine tale: "Salvage, Sarcasm, and Submarines". Hilarious and fantastic tale. Try it sometime, please! You won't regret it.

But being on the ocean to summon? What about that? Well, the Abyss kind of . . .does not like that and tries to . . .twist things to sabotage the summoning. You know, making the summoned Abyssals wreck the place. Or at least try to do that, and the attempt leave . . .marks that look rather Abyssally as a side effect of failed effort as well?

Yep!

The last part was only theory, for reasons to be revealed soon enough. But that said, the last part is what will be used to explain what shipgirls like USS Firestorm and USS Hypocenter are Essex-class shipgirls with a Wo-class twist to their rigging. And why Trinitite looks so much like she does now....is because of the Abyss being a bit closer to having succeeded in turning her into an Abyssal during Summoning.

An almost tragic thing, her Summoning. The Navy for a while actually THOUGHT she'd succumbed to being Abyssalized by the Abyss and tried to sink her before she got ashore from that hijacked ship, the Pacific Lilly.

D*mn good thing that that mistake got sorted out before they put her down as a monster!!

Or at least that will be the cover story, and she and everyone else in this accursed Absolute Railroad operation are sticking to it!!

Ah, the poor shipgirl Trinitite! That "summoning accident" Left her confused and afraid, and wanting to find her mother since that is "what she's supposed to do". But she did it in a most . . .Abyssal fashion, kind of mistakenly thinking she WAS some kind of Abyssal. But not really one, you know!

Did she kill anyone? Sink any ships? Do anything beyond stealing from a store? NOPE!

Ah, and if all that rather weaving narrative about how Trin's and her sisters' cover story actually works was confusing to you? Okay, here it is again in a more condensed and understandable form. Cover story: Idea was to use a program Dr. Takahashi's experiments will generate here soon. It will be similar to the failed DARPA try but will be more supervised. Basically, it was (or should It be said will BE) the same beast as DARPA's, but successful this time around. Takahashi soon will start to pull from the same limbo as the Abyss pulls for fodder Abyssals, successfully. With the program soon in high gear, Trin and her sisters are to be early test results (by the cover story). By her particular cover story, Trin's looks to be the one with the most side effects from HER summoning. One that was very problematic, as what had gone down shows. Hell, even for the longest time the Feds and the Navy had thought her to BE an actual Abyssal and nearly killed her more than once because of that mistake! One where a "booster shot" of sorts with the repair bucket upgrade will have fixed her "confusing" herself as an Abyssal as well as making her look more like a regular shipgirl of the Navy; just with abyssal colors and all that. That was/will be the cover story for her part in things. And something similar will be the cover story for the sisters.

Hope that helps.

That said, it was Not her fault that a roving Abyssal submarine had torpedoed the Summoning ship. Not at all! That was the truth.

H*ll, another truth. It was a GOOD thing that the ship got sunk, after all, was said and done when some Fed spooks poked into things after some in DARPA shared some . . .rumors. The summoner was . . .mental. Thought nothing about using an Abyssal dead body for the summoning, so of COURSE things would/could have gone sideways! The summoner did NOT inform anyone in his chain of command about his plans. Did NOT inform the ship's security about his plans. By such actions, he would have endangered everyone's' life on the ship and a large area AROUND the ship as the summoned Abyssal went amuck! Such truths had come to light when investigators had combed the wreck and computer records, much to their horror! It had been an Abyssal the mad man had been attempting to summon! At least that madman had the good taste of expiring in the wreck and leaving him as a pasty useful for this cover story if names should be needed.

What, will some reporter perform a seance to talk to the dead summoner to gainsay the Navy's story? Really?! I do NOT so think so.

So! All this had been true except for Trinitite's part in it. A lie, but we all knew that eh? Well, her being part of the fatal Summoning anyway. That and the true part about her seeking out Saratoga.

She sought out the mother (true) of all the Essex-class, which Saratoga seems to be seen as here. Who just happens (lie) through whatever fiendish reasons just happened to look like Saratoga! That and other Abyssal Princesses appearances has been leaked to the Internet for a while now (true) for various reasons, you know so of COURSE the match had to be made by those who have eyes. And as per custom (true), any and all conspiracy theorists who keep insisting that Shipgirls and Abyssals are two sides of the same coin were to be ignored for as long as feasible. Until otherwise permitted!


Note: art by Phi_md

Bottom line, after the hugging and crying a hesitant Trinitite takes that repair bucket . . .and takes the plunge! Now drained of whatever mystical, mysterious "stuff" it had in it gone and consumed by Trinitites "upgrade" to the next level: Kai!

"How-how do I look?" Trinitite asked hesitantly, feeling the now much more "mechanical/metallic ship" looking "hat" she's wearing instead of the . . .whatever alien organic-looking headdress she'd been blessed with before as an Abyssal Wo-class. "I feel . . .strange. Tingley and good, but . . .strange!"

"You look beautiful my wonderful and brave one!" whispered USS Saratoga softly. "You look beautiful."

US Marshal Smythe nods in agreement, having to add if only to himself that Trinitite is a REAL knockout even by Hollywood standards, even before the change in rigging, even if it . . . had Abyssal coloring to it. Good enough for the needs for cover stories, anyway.

Now she looked like her sisters, except she still had the same pale skin (the repair had stripped her of make-up) and hair as before. Ah, and her eyes just happened to have lighted themselves, glowing in their orange and blue glory. Somewhat alarming, but not enough to cause panic because . . .

Well, we've gone over that enough with all this already, right?!

Before things finally wrap themselves up here, finally ENDING this nightmare of an operation for the marshal, he idly wonders what kind of star would have played him and perhaps the others in a movie. If the Navy and other powers that be would ever ALLOW the actual story to be told, as if!!

He fancied that somebody like . . .say . . .Tommy Lee Jones would play HIS part. After all, he did make those movies about fugitives and US Marshal, right? Hollywood had taken liberties with his profession, but at least they'd gotten that one thing right about marshals: they really don't care if their target was innocent or guilty. Their job was to get their man (or woman) into custody for trial, and only that.

But ol' Tommy had only a passing resemblance to him, truth be told. While he fancied himself handsome enough, Tommy Lee Johns was star quality handsome. Smythe wasn't vain enough to think anything else on the matter.

Besides, the guy was shorter and had green hair and red eyes.
....

"How much easier would it have been if there had been less hair and eye color in humans in the world," Smythe chuckled to himself at the idea. "Would have made finding Trin SO much easier. But this is real life, ya know!"

But about Hollywood US Marshal and real-life US Marshals, he had . . .kind of had sinned. He DID care about Trinitite, now. After everything he had learned and seen with Trinitite had made him rather unprofessional in her regards. Trinitite had made quite the impression on him. A favorable impression which left him damn glad that the poor wayward Wo (turned shipgirl) was here now with Saratoga.

"Could almost see Agent Charles Bryce being played by Robert Redford," muttered Smythe to himself. "While Bryce is a redhead and shorter than Redford (and MUCH less liberal let me just add), Redford's a blonde . . ."

Dr. Takahashi? Smythe blanched at anyone even trying to play that character! Best to leave him off-screen as a ghost and NEVER give the guy screen time. God!

Now things at this point of the business. Well, at the risk of sounding crass, he was d*mn happy that this deal was done and over!! Except for the paperwork!

"Jesus Christ," Smythe cursed to himself. "Now I need something stronger than coffee for that dark thought!"

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

BOOK TWO-Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's adventures in Japan?

Chapter 1: A Rough Summons

Both Kanmusu-ized sisters coughed and sputtered weakly, coughing out the water they'd inadvertently inhaled when they'd been . . .branded as Traitors to Abyssal kind. For the "crime" of having answered a frantic call from their Princess who wanted so dearly to speak with her daughter.

Unknowing and uncaring at the time, the Wo-class Abyssals had before merely been existing within the dark void of the limbo they'd found themselves after . . .some battle . . .on an island? It was too jumbled. Too fuzzy.

Before? They'd barely even remembered their names whilst floating in that limbo. Not that they'd cared overly much, just an apathetic feeling of numbness upon their mind/body/and soul.

Then they'd heard their Mother's call.

Then they'd remembered their Princess' embrace. Her loving gestures. The Warmth!

So! Despite hearing faint calls from somewhere . . .else. Somewhere with a pool. A pool to Earth through an exit of cold and malignant red in a light/not light. Both sisters had somehow moved (in an eldritch shadow realm that didn't exactly have the normal concept of "movement" and "dimensions" like here on Earth) toward a place. An exit of duty. An exit of warmth and love. An exit of "blue" in light/not light. . . .that made the sisters pause in slight concern. Of course, that was when the Thing they knew only as the Abyss finally made itself/herself known.

Before it had been to the sisters only a hint. A tiny feeling in the back of their minds of consternation and confusion. As if asking why in the Deep weren't they following the normal route out of this limbo? Why go THIS forbidding path? Why answer THIS call?

Both blink (or would blink if they could in such a limbo), not expecting to hear the Abyss--for that is who this WAS they somehow knew--this particular event.

Somehow, they remember another time where the Abyss had spoken to them. Commanded them. One word: "Report". And they'd reported to their Princess! Their Mother!! Just like they should!

But why this? The sisters asked themselves this with slow, muddled thoughts.

The Abyss meanwhile? This should not have been able to happen at all! The former Abyssal Princesses that those clueless land apes may have been able to weasel back into their clutches should not be able to remember their Abyssal summoned daughters without MUCH effort. She'd made sure to have made their contingency of their memories of their times as Abyssal Princesses were scrambled so it was of limited use to them. Limited use to their human owners.

For the former Jellyfish Princess to have been able to remember enough her daughter Trinitite? To be strong enough to make it possible to send a Summons through, accidentally attracting these two?

Not at all expected! Her plots were flawless. Her controls were foolproof.

. . . .

And the Abyss was VERY much the narcissistic one, indeed. . . and perhaps overestimating in here abilities in controlling her minions? Maybe?

"Good," the Abyss chuckled slightly in a relieved voice/not voice (which is the best way to describe an Eldritch Abomination's methods of communication to its. . .property). "Good! You realized that you are to not answer calls from the likes of those others. Especially from the likes of traitors who would spit on my largess!

"So! Come!" the Abyss chuckled in a satisfied, self-assured voice. "The damned Kanmusu pool back to Earth is not for the likes of Abyssals so just . . ."

Surely, even that almost failure Jellyfish Princess had enshrined a spirit of community. Of loyalty to the Abyssals! Their race! Their people! Their allegiance overall to them, and to Her!

"But our Princess called," the one who realized her name was Hypocenter said simply. "We must answer."

And willing herself forward, she proceeded to head towards the blue exit Pool.

"It is what is to be done!" Firestorm huffed, finding herself almost . . .insulted that the Abyss should think It was worthy of telling them differently. It HAD created them this way, after all! Love and obey your Princess. Report to her and accept her as your Princess, who rules.

. . .

Right?

This . . .did not go over too well for the Abyss. Control was maintained by way of altering and editing the minds and hearts of the ship spirits who had felt they'd been wronged or treated in a disrespectful manner before their sinking, leaving them as perfect cat paws. As Abyssal Princesses they shelled out vengeance upon those uppity humans, and the Abyss' heart black and cold heart was gladdened.

The fodder Abyssal? Take the souls and twist and alter them. Mutilate them into what would serve, fodder for battle. If they should fall? They'd go right back into the limbo, to be summoned again by the Princess.

They were made to love their Princess and serve loyally. And through controlling (albeit in a remote and loose manner) the Princess by twisting them into useful monsters, they controlled her fodder through minimal effort.

When and if a Princess should be "redeemed"? Well, never should it be possible for the former Princess to remember her daughters. Or care enough about their daughters to bother with them beyond destroying them on sight, having never really cared for them as Abyssal Princesses (and now not caring for them as Kanmusu).

...

But . . .turns out that the Abyss' masterful plans hadn't accounted for the unexpected variable of the Jellyfish Princess having been so . . .relatively peaceful (disappointingly so). Been so different in how she had treated her daughters. The love beyond that of the frustrated love the fodder Abyssal found herself, forever trying to win a love of a mother who never would or could love them.

It opened up a door. An opportunity for the Abyss's oh so perfect control . . .to NOT be so perfect after all! In a nutshell, as it were.

So, with curses and threats thrown their way by the Abyss, the entity finally realized that short of Reaching out to stop the wayward Abyssals in their tracks it was a lost cause. On some trash She felt was beneath her efforts to do such. But NOT enough to leave such slights to Her unpunished.

"So you shall be Marked as Traitors!" the Abyss sniffs, throwing a bolt of Power at the defiant fodder Abyssals right before they exited back to the realm of the living. Screaming, the sisters found themselves and their rigging changing, showing them to have aligned themselves with the Enemy and to be treated as such when they should sink again and get Summoned by an Abyssal Princess still loyal to the Abyss!

No need for trash like this to spread ideas they may remember even after death. Don't need the other fodder Abyssals to get Uppity!

. . . .

And best to set up a contingency Curse to strike any other's like those foolish shipgirls she'd Marked should become defiant and try to join the Enemy. Oh, there were ways to ensure that the fodder should and would never even dream of doing such, but that would be needing a total tear down and rebuild of the fodder Abyssal system, and she had War to wage against humanity through her proxies right NOW.

She was a Demon Goddess (as she fancied herself), but even she didn't have time (or inclination) for what that would entail. Not if She wanted to do it right and avoid leaving fodder Abyssals little more than useless zombies. While amusing, hardly what she needed to carry out a proper war and all that. Best to use the Curse and leave at that. Not as if the Enemy could empty this limbo of all the potential . . .assets at her disposal.

Smiling evilly (or an approximation of a smile for one of her type), the Abyss looked about the limbo realm at all the countless souls within waiting for her touch.

Yes, not like that at all. She had all the reserves she needed and wanted...

<***>

Meanwhile, at the Kanmusu Base in Japan in the Summoning Pool facility...

Groaning, Firestorm raised her head off the concrete she'd found herself hurled onto when getting violently ejected from the pool. Pain filled eyes of her sister look back at her. Orange and blue, but . . .not glowing. Shouldn't they be glowing? She remembered them glowing, she thought.

A familiar feeling is here though. A feeling of . . .belonging surrounds this place. Something just resonated with her. With her sister Hypocenter. Something which was . . .where they both belonged. As if before . . .on that island somewhere?

"Firestorm . . .sister," Hypocenter groaned softly before pulling herself vertical. "Are you . . .okay?"

"I will be," she muttered after shaking light lavender (wasn't it supposed to be white?) hair out from her face. Didn't her sister have white hair? So hard to remember. So . . .tired! "But where's Mother?"

"I don't know," her sister after a moment's consideration before yawning. "But . . .she should be here soon if she Summoned us. So . . . no harm in resting while we wait."

Nodding slightly, Firestorm joined with her sister as they leaned against a wall to rest. Soon enough falling asleep, they unconsciously found themselves cold and reaching out to the other for comfort and warmth.

Unaware of her newly returned daughters' existence inside, the aircraft carrier shipgirl known as Saratoga continued to rush by and onto the office of her Commanding Officer to tell about that rather upsetting and unexpected cellphone call from Trinitite...

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's Medical Checkup

Chapter 2: Lost Knowledge Found Knowledge

With Shimikaze . . .

Yes, Shimikaze was more than a bit frustrated right now. That and had a bit of hurt feelings to boot!

All she had wanted to do there was help!

Something that darned supposed "Essex daughter" of Saratoga had really spooked her right before she'd ran off! Adopted or not, the destroyer girl had figured that she had somehow been responsible for having upset Saratoga like that. If not directly responsible for this, she had been at least indirectly responsible by letting this "Trinitite" speak with Saratoga!

So of course the destroyer had soon found herself chasing after the aircraft carrier shipgirl to try to calm her down? But well?

Well...

As fast as the hyperactive destroyer boasted to be here? As it turned out with both the head start, the shortcuts taken, and the sheer desperation fueled speed that Saratoga traveled at meant she had arrived to speak with her Commanding Officer well before the destroyer shipgirl could speak with her. With the meeting between the human Comanding Officer and aircraft carrier shipgirl happening behind closed doors meant her being locked out of things. While an acting secretary, this did not mean that the destroyer got to sit in on any old conversation. Especially ones which turn into some kind of "high security" teleconference meet!

Afterward when Houshou returned from her date later that day (it had been a lunch date), the matronly Japanese aircraft carrier shipgirl Houshou had taken over secretary duties. Upon learning from the admiral what had happened with a phone call with Saratoga, and soon the hyperactive destroyer shipgirl found herself being scolded over that! The well-meaning hyperactive shipgirl had caused something of a breach of privacy, letting somebody merely claiming to be a daughter of Saratoga speak with her.

Yes, you might have guessed that poor Houshou also was not "written in" to the program of secrecy over what Trinitite really was here. If so, then the Japanese aircraft carrier would have been even MORE upset with the destroyer...

Ah, but anyway, after that rather sharp and upsetting discussion (not an "aft chewing", Houshou was too polite for that) that poor still Shimikaze had fled in tears, only to have calmed down enough to stop crying and compose herself much later.

Now calmed, she figured that this was high time to speak with Saratoga if only to apologize for having upset her. However, that was not to be since as it turned out . . . Saratoga was on an unexpected ride back to the USA on emergency leave for SOME reason nobody would tell her. Rumors of some kind of family issues were at the core. Shimikaze muttered angrily something under her breath heatedly about that "family issue" being named Trinitite when she noticed I-19 (aka Iku the "lewd marine") smiling, heading her way.

"Oh please no," the poor destroyer muttered in Japanese, not wanting to be hazed yet again by the teasing submarine girl.

Author's Note: unless otherwise stated, any italicized spoken words will denote the speaker speaking in Japanese. Just an FYI.

Rushing away, the destroyer shipgirl ducked into the Summoning Pool facility to hide from the "lewdmarine" sub shipgirl and hid behind a shrine altar, only to pause in mild surprise at the messy state that the Summoning Pool was in! What had the cleaning staff been doing, slacking off here?

Then she heard the faint snoring coming from a corner of the room, out of sight from where she stood. Walking over slowly, she found two lavender haired shipgirls (Essex-class shipgirls with rigging which was . . .decidely off somehow).

Their "headgear" wasn't . . .organic in nature, but damn if it didn't look something akin to what those pasty-faced aircraft carrier Abyssals wore! The Wo-class, she meant.

Whatever the reason for their odd rigging aside, it was obvious what these two happened to be here: accidental summons! Rare nowadays, but it happened from time to time!

"Essex-class?" muttered to herself, wondering if this had something in some way to do with Saratoga. Real ones instead of "supposed" ones over a phone call for a change!

They look rather cute, cuddling together like that . . .

"Oh Shimikaze!~" cooed I-19, sidling up and hugging the suddenly stiff destroyer. "There you are and . . .with this?~"

"Shit," muttered poor Shimikaze in English, realizing she had failed in her hiding attempt (again). With Iku attached to her like a barnacle, she was doomed to yet another bout of hazing (lewd hazing) from the Japanese sub. At least with English, it provided the right words for cursing when that mere Japanese seriously lacked for situations like this! "I do NOT need this."

Smiling with mirth, the submarine shipgirl continued as both Essex-class carriers snort and awaken, blinking at finding an audience.

"Did you both enjoy your sleepover~?" I-19 asked, still in a teasing mood. Only to have her smile slowly fade at the blank look the two lavender haired shipgirls gave her.

"Our Japanese not fine," Firestorm blinked after looking at Hypocenter and back again at the sub shipgirl. It was like, they sort of understood the language. Remembered vaguely being (somewhat) better at that tongue, but . . .it was all too fuzzy to be useable. "You good speak English, please?

After the submarine blinked, she asked again in a more serious voice. It was no fun to make fun of another when they hardly could speak in the language the joke was asked in, you know. No fun at all, that!

Hypocenter thanked her, and after introducing themselves to each other...

"No . . . the concrete and steel make for a poor sleeping surface," Firestorm finally conceded, frowning. Somewhat confused by the sub's earlier tone and feeling rather stiff after their rest, she still plowed onwards. That and she'd not understand the innuendo. Wouldn't have understood even IF her Japanese had been better, honestly. "My sister and I were warm enough though..."

Firestorm blinked, thinking. A hopeful look entered her eyes. Snapping her fingers, she points at the two other shipgirls.

"Better question!" the former Abyssal shipgirl asks eagerly. "By chance is Mother around and she sent you two to retrieve us? She wasn't here when she Summoned us, so might you be here in her place?"

"Uh . . .your mother?" the lewd submarine blinked, having switched out of her teasing nature and into a more helpful one, that goodness! Finally noticing the mess the Pool and what they'd just said registered. "Well, we could help with that."

After all, while accidental Summonings nowadays were rare they still happened. And as for these two carrier shipgirls? There WAS one particular aircraft carrier shipgirl available who was here instead of flying back to the US for reasons only the Gods and Goddess knew why. And Houshou was seen as the mother of all aircraft carriers in the world!

Author's Note: As per what was found at the wiki:

Houshou

Like some other carriers, her attire is based on kyūdo (Japanese archery) equipment. She wears a scarlet kimono, a dark hakama, and a matching tasuki (a rope to tuck up the kimono sleeves to prevent them from getting in the way). She holds a bow with her left hand, and wears a yugake (deerskin...

kancolle.fandom.com

"Hoshou was the first IJN carrier, and the first vessel in the world that was designed and built as an aircraft carrier, not converted."

No, both submarine shipgirl and fast destroyer shipgirl were more familiar with Japanese Navy trivia. The fact that Saratoga the Lexington-class aircraft carrier (an aircraft carrier converted from a battlecruiser) of the US Navy was credited for being the mother of the Essex-class carriers was not known to them.

Go figure, they'd figure that somehow their erstwhile secretary to the Admiral had done the deed and was the "mother" and "summoner" these two spoke of here. Honest mistake!

And these two had the somewhat newbie air to them of the suddenly Summoned for the first time. Would explain a few things.

"Yes, let us do that!" the destroyer agreed, managing to shake off the still clinging sub shipgirl. "We can go and speak with your Mother and . . ."

"Yes! Yes, let's go and do that right now!!" Firestorm surged forward and grabbed the destroyer shipgirl in a tight hug and lifting her off her feet, practically vibrating in obvious excitement. Looking into the wide-eyed shipgirl, she practically begging. "Please! Let's go right now and do that!"

"Uh forgive my sister," Hypocenter said, freely admitting that her own boilers were spiking in pressure over the idea of seeing their Mother again!! Still, reaching out and placing a moderating hand on her fiery sister. "We both want to meet Mother again, but might it be a good idea to put our new friend down first?"

"Oh . . .sorry," Firestorm muttered softly, putting the destroyer back down gently and backing away. "We just want to meet our Mother like you'd not believe. We answered her Summons and . . .Uh, best we talk about all that once we get together with her before we tell about that."

Yes, best to get in contact with Mother. And doing that was Reporting despite what that traitorous Bitch, the Abyss said! Being that Mother was the Princess and thus in charge of this facility was the proper way of things! That is how the Abyssals did it. Surely that was how the Kanmusu does it as well!

Later . . .

As it turned out, that is not how it was done!

"You're not our mother," Firestorm muttered, disappointment as she stared at the matronly Japanese aircraft carrier shipgirl/secretary. "And she's on her way back to . . .America?. . .to take care of some family issues. An Emergency Leave?"

This had been a learning experience, and not all involved had rather liked what they had learned.

The Kanmusu shipgirls learned (much to their surprise) that Essex-class carriers were indeed the daughters of the Lexington-class carrier Saratoga. At least according to the shipgirl/secretary that is, the Kanmusu-ized Abyssals were not yet sold on the idea. Not until they met this "Saratoga" face to face or at least got an idea of what she looked like! Shimikaze, meanwhile blinks and nods to herself. So it hadn't been a case of adoption after all... Even if this Trinitite was some kind of hooligans who'd made Saratoga so distressed with her phonecall, the destroyer had learned something new every day. Firestorm and Hypocenter had learned that this Saratoga had been tasked here by the Americans (of which fleet this happened to be both had no clue at all about) to teach the newer Japanese (another fleet the former Abyssals had no clue about due to scrambled memories) carriers operations to become better aircraft carriers all around.

Questions about what "America" and "Japan" exactly were from both former Abyssals were greeted with blinks of surprise.

After a few more questions, the Kanmusu figured that the poor souls must have had a VERY rough Summons indeed. That and perhaps these two were actually one of those mythical Essex ships who'd never gotten completed before being scrapped? Maybe, but if issues like that persisted then a specialist would be called to help with it. That was a solemn promise given by the motherly secretary shipgirl.

The shipgirls thank Houshou, touched despite themselves.

The help with their memories and training? That . . . sounded like something both Firestorm and Hypocenter could use here. Honestly, the lack of skills their fairy crews displayed was worrisome! Indeed, Firestorm had complained that those manning her boilers were having issues even being able to maintain normal operations! Much less doing a decent job in a combat operation! And if somebody could help with the blank spots? Oh Wow!!

As of right now? They're so bad off that even insane claims like the Moon was made of green cheese would almost be believable to them!! Not enough to paint the picture of how bad? How bad was it? For that matter, even some navel terms had been oddly . . .absent. Damnable fuzzy memory. What in the Deep was "port" and "starboard" in terms of direction?!

If this Saratoga was their Mother? Then she could surely remedy that, right? That and this "specialist"...

Trinitite could easily answer that one, girls. At least for part of it...

"And nor am I the one in charge of this facility but I can easily pass along the word and the Admiral can make it happen," Houshou said in a very motherly voice, holding the hands of both Firestorm and Hypocenter. Technically, Houshou could be considered their grandmother, but right now such claims might not be well received by these distraught souls so some tact was in order here. And gentleness! "But we can at least determine perhaps if Saratoga is your mother, maybe?"

Drawing back, Houshou tapped a few keys on the mouse of the computer. Bringing up Saratoga's file, it displayed her file with a clear and crisp computer image of her face and shoulders.

"Mother!" whispered both Firestorm and Hypocenter, reaching slowly and tracing the image of Saratoga's face gently as if it were the shipgirl's actual face. Crying a little bit while Firestorm still stared at their Mother . . .their Princess, she turned and nodded. Too choked up to be able to do more than that, right at that moment.

After composing themselves, both Firestorm and Hypocenter found themselves being soon escorted by I-19 (after a whispered but firm order to NOT harass the poor souls needlessly) to the guest quarters for now. The usually lewd submarine nodded, feeling no need to mess with the newcomers. There would be no point and needlessly . . .cruel. She was many things (perhaps even a pervert), but not needlessly cruel.

A request that some battleship shipgirls be used as well to join the party and "keep an eye on them" was given by both former Abyssals. When asked why Hypocenter said that it was a matter of trust for now. That and it there was something that must be told directly to the commanding officer of this facility. It was important, but not something to lightly be said beforehand.

Both Firestorm and Hypocenter feared that unless this was done, this Admiral (whose name had not yet been given for whatever reason) and the other shipgirls would panic. Mistaking them for . . .regular Abyssal enemies.

They were not enemies. Not at all considering everything...

Granting that request, both the battleships Yamato and Musashi found themselves being tasked with this job. Which is good, but something about Musashi made the hairs on the back of Hypocenter's neck stand on end. It was almost as if she recognized at least part of things off of the Japanese battleship. Something about her hair. Something about that rigging! The turret in part, that is. Something familiar and NOT at all welcome, but for the life of her, the former Abyssal aircraft carrier could not say just why!

But all that That done?

Before Shimikaze left, the mother of all aircraft carriers turned and spoke with the fast destroyer.

"Shimikaze," she began. "You left in a rush and I am sorry that I upset you. I truly am. But dear, I do hope you now understand why I was upset?"

"I do," she said softly, not wanting to face Houshou but found her head being lifted up gently by the shipgirl in question.

"Yes, you meant well but in doing so you let a phonecall in that needlessly upset Saratoga!" Houshou sighed. "Now we do not know just why Saratoga is heading back to America. In a jet fighter of all things to boot! But what I am saying is that you're . . . known to be absent-minded at times. I need you to realize that sometimes though you need to think before you do things in a rush. Ask the Admiral or one of us if you have questions about something like this in the future. You understand?"

Nodding slightly, the fast destroyer soon left after promising herself to take this aboard and learn from it. It was only written. Honor demanded it...

That done, Houshou gathered up her notes to update the Admiral on events while busy with Saratoga and that private and highly security teleconference. It had been a long day. Calling in and finding the Japanese officer ready, she proceeded to read off her notes. Getting to the end and frowning slightly at the admiral having chosen to drink while still on duty (which was allowed by regulations nowadays but still) . . .

It was hardly the largest of the quirks the Admiral had, noting where the Admiral preferred to have her give her reports for whatever reason. Still, duty is duty!

"What else could happen today?" the man in question sighed, sipping at the bourbon he'd poured himself to calm himself before signaling Houshou to go over all the pending business that had been put on hold up until now.

The items he'd not already been informed of as of yet, anyway if you wish to be pedantic!

"Admiral," his shipgirl secretary calls from the doorway. "I was just informed that we seemed to have had two accidental Summoning in the Pool somehow we only found out about now. We have them in guest quarters right now under escort before we get them folded into the ranks, but they're still somewhat out of it from the Summoning."

"They appear to be American Essex class aircraft carriers of somewhat odd design," she continued. "Who call themselves Firestorm and Hypocenter. . ."

"Admiral?!" Houshou asked, dropping her notes and rushed to aid the Admiral as he proceeded to spit out and sneeze out the bourbon he'd been drinking!

"Say what?!" the senior commanding officer finally managed, staring wildly at the as if to ask her (almost beg her) that she'd been making some kind of obscene joke. "You said Firestorm and Hypocenter? Please tell me didn't just say that!"

"That . . .is what they called themselves," Houshou said, beginning to really worry here. "Uh, they ARE under escort by both Yamato, Musashi and I-19."

The news that not only were the two new guest under escort by battleship shipgirls, but said guest (who happen to have the names the up until now-defunct sisters of Trinitite, the wayward Wo over in America) had requested them to get escorted and watched over by said battleships really brought the Admiral up short here.

Not enough for him to prevent the ordered sweeps done on the base (especially the Summoning Pool) for signs of sabotage or security breaches, but enough to cause him to come up short.

Nothing was found. Something that the Admiral had suspected would be the case--unexpected guests aside--but it was nice to make sure.

Honestly, if this had been some kind of sneaky operation the Admiral expected something along the lines of yet another Abyssal Princess suddenly making an appearance from a VERY unwanted summoning. And the base would go the way that it had gone for the Americans at Pearl Harbor with the Central Princess.

Gods, what a meat grinder that was for both sides!! He did NOT want it here in Japan, something like that happening.

Under escort by battleships (if not lewd submarine girls), the Admiral soon meets the two former Abyssal Wo-class shipgirls along with battleship escort. Calmly they tell their tales, both sisters . . .impress the up until then suspicious officer. And after talking to the researcher which had been dug up somewhere (good Gods), the good Dr. Takahashi says that as far as what passes for biology for "regular" shipgirls was the same for the new shipgirls in their midst despite their supposed Abyssal origins.

Not a big surprise, that. Honestly, what Dr. Takahashi knew about dead Abyssal bodies and regular shipgirl bodies? Same at some level. Just in the case of some of the rigging? That part had been more . . .organic. In the case of Wo-class rigging, the alien head rigging those like Trinitite wore? Very organic. Not so anymore for the "converted" Firestorm and Hypocenter. Beyond a rather Wo-look the sisters had to their rigging, it was shipgirl "normal" metallic.

There was something different about the ship crew fairies, however. The glowing red eyes were kind of a giveaway. That and a decided lack of skill you'd usually see in other ship fairies.

Other tests? That worry that damnable US Marshal had caused with ONE question? The one that had gotten USS Saratoga taken from his facility where she'd been teaching HIS new carrier shipgirls the ins and outs of aircraft warfare? Damage Control and the like?

....

The doctor had been eccentric. Almost mad, but . . .his sources said that he was reliable, odd personality aside (and looking rather raggedy in his mismatched clothing). Others had scoffed at the man's theories and not passed them along to those within the Japanese military. Not to his office, anyway. But one question and a crisis in Washington state (in the USA) caused a panic quest for answers.

Takahashi had come up in conversation before his existence (and shunned theories) could be buried again.

Here he was and by gods was he getting results like none had before now!!

....

The doctor had revealed that while the two sisters had "memory issues" now, not everything had been totally lost. Furthermore, over time . . .

Well, that is not something that the sisters were privy to here and not (for now) relevant to their story!

What is important to them was the result of one last thing the good doctor had done in his examination of the sisters. The admiral had authorized it. It would be good for finding out intel on Abyssal makeup, psychology, and the like.

And frankly, the doctor had found he . . .rather felt for the poor dears, despite himself. So why not? It was a rather esoteric manner. Not many gave much stock to it. Not many KNEW of it, but he . . .had his sources and ways in the "less accepted" fields of knowledge. They laugh at such, but HE will show them. Show them ALL! Ah, that and it did not sit well with him how . . .guillable and naive the sisters were. Easily lead astray.

Restored memories should restore life lessons. Hopefully. He didn't want them to be taken advantage of here, you see.

With meditation incense lit and low lights, the confused Abyssals soon find found their eyes growing heavy as they watched a swinging golden watch. Heavy. Heavy....heavy . . .

Moments later?

"By the Deep, I remember everything!!" Firestorm almost screamed, snapping awake and fuzzy and blank memories suddenly crystal (and beyond) clear.

Hypocenter also blinked, overwhelmed at what she now knew. Including some things like that insane Abyssal Princess who'd invited her to some ceremony. Yeah! That one who'd gone on about Angels and Crusades...

But even with that bad?

"Thank you!" she said softly, hugging the surprised Dr. Takahashi in gratitude, making sure not to crush him in the process. Unwelcome as some of those memories of that one ceremony with that mad Abyssal Princess had been, at least she had a good baseline at what human bodies can stand safely!

But soon enough, Firestorm got impatient with a Houshou over something. Something about not being able to see their mother despite this "teleconference" thing and . . .

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's First Encounter with Human Bureaucracy

Chapter 3: Frustration, Consternation, and Unexpected PLANNING for Reunions from Afar...

Author's Note: Hey, had to cut it short due to getting just too unwieldy. More setting up than anything else, but it does go and tell more fully just why Firestorm and Hypocenter were so wound up before finally meeting Trin and Saratoga.

So, with that in mind? The spoken text that is in italics is Japanese unless otherwise stated.

Good? At least I hope so, so anyway here we go!

With Firestorm. . .

. . .

The fiery shipgirl just happened to not be in the best of moods right now. She felt it had been wonderful to have full access to all she'd learned and experienced before being sunk. But it would have been better if returned memories and "personal skills" for herself and her sister would have passed down to our ship crew fairies!

That had not happened, however. So of course that meant for her crew? Something along the lines of "drilling them into the ground". Meaning Firestorm and Hypocenter prior learned knowledge from their first . . .life?. .was going to be applied to the now rather nervous crew fairies. Oh no, there was going to be not much slack indeed when retraining them; the state they were in right now was deplorable and they better not complain about the "Port/Starboard" rotations being used to get them back up to snuff!

That was annoying enough, but what was "was"!

The sisters thanked the Deep (and wished the Abyss to get f*cked!) that at least some of Doctor Takahashi's remaining experiments at least had covered something to have gotten some of her crew fairies some training time in before meeting her mother. That was until the very last test, which had been rather upsetting. It could not have been helped. It was a fact that they knew at some level they would have to face sooner or later. But it had not made it very palpable to be faced with it so soon. That just fed into something of a heated conversation between the secretary shipgirl who'd been so helpful earlier.

In their defense, the two former Abyssals had been taking cues from Dr. Takahashi for expectations when Saratoga would have been available for speaking with her daughters. From what the man had told them about either the military jet plane being able to make the trip from Japan to America in three mere hours. That and even if it had taken longer, there was such a thing as RADIO. Surely, they could have just slapped the coms together from shore to some kind of satellite to ship to the jet plane? Turned on the built-in encryption key that the doctor had been sure the jet was equipped with, and the sisters could have chatter away with their mother whilst she was still in flight!! He'd done well by them and had done his part in passing along their occasional requests to contact their mother (if possible at the time). That and he had been and continued to have been a very GOOD guide to this weird world of humans they'd been thrown into here! Oh! And they had been patient, but as time went along their fraying patience had been showing. It felt like they were being stonewalled for some reason!

Oh, and there was their chance encounter that the sisters had with the battleship shipgirl who had blasted and sunk poor Hypocenter back at the Bikini Atoll. No, while startling enough for Nagato in meeting Hypocenter it hadn't lead to violence. Yamato had stepped into makes SURE of this. Being that she'd been "read in" after everything was said and done had helped. As surprised as Nagato, she'd come to TRUST the former Abyssals. They were friends. Besides, unless seriously altered into an Abyssal Summoning Pool--which would have been very obvious to inspection--then there was NO way in H*ll that an Abyssal could have come through their Kanmusu Summoning Pool!

....

Yeah, basically what the Abyss did with Firestorm and Hypocenter with them have been marked? Basically, the Kanmusu-ization they'd experienced had been made permanent, instead of merely temporary (doomed to fade with the next Summons from an Abyssal Pool). Got it? Fantastic.

....

What was upsetting to both sisters was that Nagato had--however horrified over having found out that the "drone" fodder Abyssals she'd proudly slain in order save Saratoga from the Abyss's clutches were NOT drones--revealed that none of the Crossroad Fleet had survived the battle. Not even the submarines!!

The sisters had hoped for at least that much. That some of their sisters in arms had survived, even IF they'd . . .

Well, it left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. At least the sisters had let Nagato know they had understood and had forgiven her. Instead, they damned the Abyss for this damn war and all the tragedy it had caused (and was still causing).

Bottom line, all that said and done had still left the sisters in something of a pissy mood. And the Doctor felt they were justified in having been pissy. Thus, he had been rather pissy in sending along with their requests through him!

In defense of the good of Dr. Takahashi? Well, he was an expert on a lot of things. Knew a lot of things, but was hardly an expert in military aircraft. In other words when he'd Googled trip times for the sisters about how long a jet fighter would have taken from here to America he'd not . . .done a good enough phrasing of the question and leave at that. Basically, he'd been in a hurry but since the carriers had been asking so nicely he'd at least done that! It had been . . .just not good enough. If he'd not been in one of his manic phases--he'd shamefully admitted to the girls after having to pause to take his medication for his condition when they'd asked innocently--perhaps this would not have happened.

No! Dr. Takahashi was not INSANE, but he did have a mental condition. One that was being regulated . . . with prescription meds. Something not to be ashamed of but was something of a social stigma in the Japan of this world, alas.

Such as life and it was not fair. But fair or not this whole affair had also been a bit rough on Houshou--being the gatekeeper she was the secretary for the Admiral--so she was kind of stressed at this situation as well. Namely, she was stressed at the *sshole (though she' was too polite to call Dr. Takahashi that) who kept calling her and having made demands. And none too polite demands recently!!

But soon enough, Firestorm had gotten impatient with a Houshou over yet another delay contacting their mother. So, she had held onto her temper with both hands and TRIED so HARD to not yell at the aircraft carrier shipgirl who'd helped them in so many ways and had been so kind.

When the misunderstanding over how long a jet fighter would have taken from Japan came up, both sisters and Dr. Takahashi had properly apologized but had not given ground either.

"But is there some reason we can't just contact my mother in flight by radio?!" Firestorm finally asked, while having tried hard not to just start stomping around like a two-year-old throwing a temper tantrum.

Given consideration to her actual chronological age, that would have been . . . . kinda acceptable. Still...

"I am sure the Admiral had good reason not to arrange such a thing," the secretary shipgirl replied in a motherly tone, having held Firestorms hand to have calmed the former Abyssal. "Being not in the know as to why dear Saratoga is en route to America by a fighter jet, I would hazard still a guess that is due to technical issues. Or some kind of security concerns even IF such were possible. So, until the Admiral . . ."

"Just stop already!" nearly shouted Dr. Takahashi, finally have been done with the whole thing, which had shocked the matronly shipgirl in his rudeness in the process by not quiet have had yelled. He wanted to yell, but still was the matter of 'good security'; which didn't happen to have happened by the act of having broadcasted all far and wide with shouts! That and not having been aware of certain unfortunate facts in the matter here. "Just because our 'redeemed' Common Abyssals here do not have the star power of the former Abyssal Crane Princess or their mother who had been the Jellyfish Princess doesn't mean they should be ignored, my dear! Gods! I'd think that if nothing else it would be a VERY good idea to at least pass along words to Saratoga to brace her! Not saying I fear she'll go back Abyssal at the mere sight of . . ."

"Wait, you two were actually Abyssals who came through our Summoning Pool?" Houshou sputtered. Hypocenter had requested that those two battleships had escorted them everywhere until the Admiral had met and soon authorized them general access to all base facilities unescorted.

There had been that base-wide security sweep... which had not been part of the regularly upcoming scheduled security drills after all!

She then blinked upon having noticed the cautious air and stressed silence in the room. Oh and the fact that she unconsciously had to have summoned her rigging was not helping at all in the tenseness here!

In utter mortification--so unseemly!--the mother of all aircraft carrier de-summoned her rigging but Hypocenter stepped up and had put a hand on her and the doctor's shoulders.

"Let's just step back everyone and calm down please," the calmer of the two sisters present sighed. "I see that Certain things got mislaid ."

A suggestion was made and gladly accepted.

Firestorm and Hypocenter bowed and apologized as how they had seen in. . .somewhat similar (albeit more violence-prone) cases which concerned Abyssals of Japanese origin. Still, it was clear Both sisters were willing to be folded into the ranks this was not going to last much longer at this rate. But they were sorry for having stressed Houshou with increasingly angry demands, passed along by a human doctor (eccentric or not) who was also getting angered. Angered at the apparent snubbing going on by the powers that be!

Dr. Takahashi bowed and apologized for his part in things. Yet in his defense, he had always been the odd one out and knew what it was like to be marginalized. To be the nail that stood up was the one that gets hammered down, and the former Abyssals had wanted to speak with their mother ahead of whatever scheduled time these . . .heathens had set up? Well, it stank of old times when he'd gotten "hammered down". Enough said? Yeah, man's got a LARGE chip on his shoulder. He had been wrong, he'd really been but . . .then what in the name of the gods and goddesses he didn't really believe in here was the right-hand man (or rather shipgirl) of the Admiral had not been in the loop in this matter?! She was in a position that demanded "need to know" for the situation and . . .somebody dropped the ball or something.

But as turns out . . .the Admiral had overlooked the fact he'd not informed Houshou of Firestorm and Hypocenter. He'd informed her of Dr. Takahashi being a "specialist" who'd been called in to take care of the two new shipgirls, but not the doctor's specialty. And . . .that was that.

And Houshou was so VERY looking forward to having a discussion with the Admiral over that. Nothing vulgar. Nothing loud and heated, but the motherly and kind shipgirl was going to let the admiral know of her feelings of frustration being left out of the loop in her own manner. When the time was right for it, Trust me.

Ah, and as for poor Houshou she apologized and bowed (as what custom called for here). Honestly, given everything Dr. Takahashi had been incredibly rude (but for good reason in retrospect). The poor dear secretary had been patient with the others here, but firm in the idea that the Admiral had NOT needed his elbow constantly jostled by the new shipgirls. Surely what the Admiral was taking care of with Saratoga's was of higher priority, considering the level of concern the Admiral had been displaying. Considering the level of security that the teleconference (which she had witnessed on the video display before leaving), that business with the family getting Saratoga flown back so quickly to the US was a much higher priority! And being that it had all started with a phonecall by said trouble-causing "family member" (aka Trinitite), Houshou was rather annoyed with our wayward Wo.

And so were the former Abyssals, not that they had known Trinitite was still in the picture (and a cause of all this ruckus).

....

What? Did you expect that Houshou should have known that Trinitite was the Abyssal daughter of Saratoga (from her time as the Jellyfish Princess)? Saratoga never told her about the naming convention of her Abyssal fleet. Of her now having known Firestorm and Hypocenter were former (and safely allied with humanity) Abyssal, they never mentioned ANY names of their now-defunct fleet mates. This and the fact that the name Trinitite--named after the fused sands created by atomic explosions--had not rung any kind of association with atomic bombs or anything atomic related, like what the names like Firestorm and Hypocenter for the secretary shipgirl!

Pfft, and before you ask Houshou was NOT a rumor monger and respected Saratoga's privacy and feelings. Sharing Trinitite's name and details about that call would fall into violating those things of Saratoga, and our poor fast destroyer shipgirl had done enough of that earlier today, thank you!

And oh boy, if only she'd done that Houshou could have avoided a coming shock for Saratoga and the others here! It's like a train wreck, you know.

But one thing that Houshou could do? Reassure worried newcomers about the good character of soon-to-be combat allies.

"No! No, poor Zuikaku is nothing like her old Abyssal self!" Houshou reassures the worried former Wo-class shipgirls. "She might be brash and hot-tempered at times, but I count her as a fine friend and ally! So . . . don't worry about her tossing any depth charges at those who annoy her."

"Abyssal Princesses actually DO that?" Dr. Takahashi blinks, rather shocked at how bloody badly some of the Princesses out there would treat their own fleet despite himself. He'd thought that such rumors going through the Abyssal research community being just garbage and nonsense. Monsters towards humanity were one thing, but to do it to what he realized was the Abyssals Princesses' own children?

Maybe . . .no, definitely he would be well advised to listen to the others in the field he'd dismissed as short sighted idiots. While he'd been dismissed by them, maybe it had been more than a bit foolish to dismiss their theories and expertise? Could be lethal if his next phase of tests should be approved.

Yes, caution!

"Yes . . .and seeing how callously other Princesses treat their own children made us love our Princess all the more," Hypocenter said softly, smiling fondly remembering especially when mother had treated them to ice cream after things like flubbed deck landings and such.

Good times.

"True," Firestorm--not a fan of the Crane Princess and had been glad up until now with the thought of her being permanently sunk--still managed to smile before frowning and turning to Houshou. "And all that aside I will not . . .distrust Zuikaku for now. But if she should raise one depth charge my way I will not be held responsible for how I react. Fair warning!"

Dire warnings aside it was a small relief to finally know why various random things had been causing them to repeatedly find themselves going to Battle stations. They weren't losing their minds, there really was a (former) Princess somewhere around here. That was why she and Hypocenter kept on getting the oddest feeling of recognition (and wariness) in seeing Musashi earlier today (and Zuihou with her wearing her hakama).

Ah, as things turned out the Admiral finally chose to interrupt things here by intercom. So how Houshou would have responded is lost to history. Anyway, he asked for Houshou to contact both Dr. Takahashi and the former Abyssal shipgirls. The officer wished both for the doctor to bring the admiral up to date on what his findings were on the shipgirls and for further clarifications on "something possibly radical which would IMMENSELY help the Americans with their Summoning Shipgirl." That needed clarification to put it MILDLY. Oh, and he wished to speak with Firestorm and Hypocenter over contacting Saratoga when she landed in America.

"We want to do the last in such a way that will not cause a needless . . .stress to Saratoga to where she 'relapses'. Her 'family' problem back in the US has put her on the spot enough as it is, and let us not add to it accidentally!" the Admiral ended, a sigh having been evident over the intercom.

"Well, it is a fine thing that we are here to do just that!!" Dr. Takahashi clapped his hands as if delighted at the turn of events rather than the admiral only NOW only have gotten around to this business. Takahashi had been ready for quite a while now and the shipgirls had very MUCH wanted to at least do such things like speaking with Saratoga...

"Oh Deep," grumbled Firestorm meanwhile, having remembered that Saratoga had fallen into the Abyss' hands when in despair and grief. If that damn 'family member' who was causing troubles. . . "I'll be damned if I let the Abyss get its slimy hands on my mother as Jellyfish again!"

"As it stands with that I don't know if I want to either hug this other sister for making it possible to be back at Mother's side," Hypocenter added, her head having been shaken in consternation all the while. Takahashi had said going theory why their Summoning had happened. "That or strangle her for having caused Mother so much grief and caused her to be taken from us in a jet fighter plane!"

" . . .I see that they already are here," the Admiral observed flatly.

"The Admiral will see you now," Houshou smiled slightly, before then having gestured to the officer's door behind her.

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm Have an Extra Unexpected Family Encounter with their Mother?

Chapter 4: Frustration, Consternation, and Unexpected Reunions from Afar...

Author's Note: Do hope you'll like the latest here. Oh, and sorry in advance for no description of the Japanese Admiral. Thing is that beyond the descriptors of gender, rank, and nationality I figure it was needing to be this way for the sake of the 'ol mythology joke. See you never are given a description of the Admiral in that video game "Kancolle"? That is because the "admiral" is supposed to be the player so . . .
Well, you're not getting a description there in the game you'll not get one here either.

With Hypocenter. . .

"The Admiral will see you now," Houshou smiled slightly, before then having gestured to the officer's door behind her.

Having had nodded gratefully, Firestorm and Hypocenter maneuvered their afts past the "secretary" shipgirl who had inadvertently and needlessly aggravated with the. . . "reasonable demands" of theirs.

Deep! The shyer of the two sisters had thought. That had to have been the MOST embarrassing thing I've ever experienced.

"Okay here we go," Dr. Takahashi said, having had paused right before the entrance to the admiral's office. He then turned briefly to look back at both Hypocenter and Firestorm when they had come up short behind him. "Girls, I'll be as quick as humanly possible in giving my report on the test results. I'd forgo it to address your needs first but the arguments that man would give me just . . . it would be just easier to do it this way. Forgive me that, but it is just true. Just keep your eye on the prize, and I'll promise that what will come of it will also lead to something. . .Well, we'll get to that."

Both sisters had shaken their heads, knowing why. Those in power tended to want things done their way. That said, at least a human could be trusted to not sink you for having had disagreed with them or having had argued with them. That was not like what would have happened to you if you dared with any Abyssal Princess besides their Princess even at their least perturbed state. Indeed, an example of just how bad an Abyssal Princess could have been from the sisters' experience would have to have been a confrontation between their Princess and the Crane Princess! Their Mother had not attacked that damnable Crane Princess when she had disturbed their peace back on the Bikini Atoll so much earlier ago! The b*tch had dared to have darkened their peaceful island because their Mother had NOT agreed to join in yet another damn fool scheme that Crane Idiot had concocted!

That had been a tense standoff, but no blood had been spilled that day between fleets, thank the Deep. If the reverse should have happened?

Heh! Equals or not, the blood (or Abyssal equivalent) would have flowed for miles!

"Right," Firestorm whispered to herself, having then gathered her composure. "Eye on the prize."

She had never heard that expression before, but the meaning was clear enough. It was Similar enough to a few Abyssal phrases about reaching goals through patience (something that some Abyssal Princesses--cough cough those like the Crane Princess-- were in short supply of but that is by the by).

Having entered into the office, both shipgirls sat and watched as Dr. Takahashi gave his report in a manner that was. . .animated--as was in his habit of doing most things when having suffered yet ANOTHER manic episode--but swift as the man had promised. The news that some US Marshal --a term both former Abyssals had only heard of then, but apparently one of was of some significance-- had expressed concern. Yes, that turned out to not be as pressing as originally feared. That had been was nice enough, but it had revealed something almost as concerning if not more so!

Yes, US Marshal Jayson Smythe had asked if Abyssals retained personal skills upon being Resummoned. Had it had been a question about crew fairy skills? No, it had been a well-known thing both in the human world--early on in the Abyssal war!-- when somebody somewhere in the intel community had realized the fodder Abyssals were coming back from being sunk; albeit with a loss in combat effectiveness. The fairies had to be retrained from the ground up. Those who were Abyssals (or had been) already had known that, whether Princesses or fodder. Both Firestorm and Hypocenter had known the answer to that question about "personal skills", there was some retention, but a lot was lost between sinking and Resummoning. But Dr. Takahashi had said that more personal skills (like teaching ability) would be retained after each Resummoning, which eventually would have led to not only a quicker bringing the Abyssal back up to par (combat deadliness wise) but soon would have led to more and more deadly and skilled Abyssal enemies.

Eventually.

The Admiral just muttered a quiet prayer of thanks to the gods and goddess that no Abyssal Princesses knew the means of bringing back personal skills and memories for Resummoned fodder Abyssals. Dr. Takahashi's methods seemed to have been an unknown to the Enemy. That was good; else they'd already have been facing even more deadly foes from the Abyssals than what had been experienced to date.

The admiral then frowned, having wondered just HOW to broach the fact that Trinitite was the sister who'd been causing the "family trouble" for Saratoga which had her eventually flown back to the USA.

Best to have it done with tact and not to blurt it out. The officer wanted to do it in a kind and polite manner. To do it by having said that Trin was alive but was the target of a manhunt? Having said in a moment of stupidity that Trinitite might even be killed in said manhunt if things went disastrously wrong?

No, the man had felt best to take it slow in breaking the news.

It . . .would just have taken some thought in how to do it right? Yes! Yes, it would have taken SOME thought so he'd do it while that Navy "spook" in Washington state had gotten up to speed on this mess. The fact that this had come to head WAS due in part to his part of the task force. The taskforce which had freed Saratoga from the Abyss' clutches had alas overlooked Trinitite's continued survival. This failure wasn't being unacknowledged by him; it just wasn't going to be addressed by the man right now. Why? The Abyssals! They'd been worried about possible Abyssal forces swinging back that way and smashing the rescue effort! Of course, that had been the real danger so SOME haste had been the thing for it, d*mnit!

It was not like anyone had thought anything like THIS would have happened! Like fodder Abyssals had been thought to be capable of being anything other than monsters made of hate and spite? Not him, that was for darn sure!

But maybe now that he had known better? Now that both Hypocenter and Firestorm were here in the land of the living and in his care? He had felt he could use that! This might just have been the very thing to get Trinitite into custody, without bloodshed.

Without risking Saratoga's sanity!

And hopefully with that finally DONE he'd finally have been able to get USS Saratoga back and his still needy new aircraft carrier shipgirls up to snuff!

Gods, while he cared about Saratoga and her issues? This had been a trying thing all around and he wanted it DONE with! So did anyone and everyone else involved even remotely in the Operation to capture the wayward Wo!!

Maybe he should seriously have gone with the idea he'd jokingly shared with Murray earlier? He should have sent a Shinto Priestess to perform an exorcism? It sure seemed like now that this operation had been cursed from day one!!

Meanwhile, everyone else who was not an admiral looked at each other. Then they'd looked at the man in question as if to have asked why this question about Abyssal personal skills upon Resummonng. Who this Smythe was? Why had his question gotten into this meeting? How did this fit into things?!

Takahashi was most curious about this Smyth fellow. He'd never heard of the man before today and yet he had managed to touch on one of his more important elements for his theorems about Abyssals? Theorems that had been practically locked away from the light of day due to censor by "more reputable" scientists in the field? To his knowledge he'd never spoken or written to Smythe, so the doctor was MOST curious.

Takahashi speculated that It might be destined to be an interesting discussion once they finally meet. If the doctor had actually met Smythe and spoke about his theorems, the good doctor would apologize for having forgotten the meeting. Or if the marshal was just a talented and intelligent layman?

Well, whatever the case Takahashi owed this Smythe a very sincere thank you! The marshal had started the ball rolling and Takahashi finally gotten his chance to prove his theorems! Gotten his chance to do his part in the war effort. Gotten To save lives!

GOTTEN To show them ALL!!

...

Firestorm and Hypocenter didn't know much about Smythe but that could wait. This marshal sounded . . .interesting, even IF the admiral seemed rather cross with him for whatever reason.

But that said, the earlier part about the Proposal that Dr. Takahashi made? The part about how Dr. Takahashi's idea on how to take some failed DARPA project to make a mobile Summoning Pool, to be used out at sea (which was pretty much the stomping ground of the Abyss)? Risky, but after it was realized about the bottleneck the Americans were having with Summoning new shipgirls due to being down to now just two Summoning Pools? What with the fall of Pearl Harbor with the Abyssal Central Princess about a year earlier (and had really made the Crossroad Fleet worry about the Firebringers being just a bit closer to unleashing the Fire in retaliation)? Yeah, they could see why that had interested the Admiral.

The part where the doctor planned on utilizing their Mother (a former Abyssal Princess) to replicate the accidental Summoning of both the sisters? The thought that maybe, just MAYBE more of their fleet sisters might have been able to rejoin with them? That made them . . .giddy in hope. And . . .they really wanted it, even the submarines. Especially the submarines, because despite themselves . . . the former Wo-class found their hearts missing all their fleet sisters as much as their lost Wo-class sister: Trinitite.

Before, back in their "first life" they had all cared for each other as family, but with only varying degrees of affectation. But something had changed? Yes, both sisters had felt it. Something had changed beyond the obvious. What exactly within, they weren't sure but . . .

Well, that was all hypothetical. If the doctor was only successful enough to summon another former Abyssal through the Summoning Pool here on base, all fine and well! Heck, the data from even a failed Summons would be enough to be able to fine-tune his version of DARPA's mobile Summoning Pool. The good doctor was sure of it.

Where they failed (especially one hack who the doctor practically reviled), the good Dr. Takahashi would succeed!

...

Of course, by this time the doctor coughed in embarrassment during that part of his presentation and visibly forced himself back to calmness.

He had glanced at the Admiral and had been delighted. His admittedly mad rantings? They hadn't turned the officer against him. Gladdened, he'd continued to the end and now awaited with a question or two of his own for the officer.

The admiral, meanwhile was not in the mood to answer idle questions about what all this was all about. He said that he'd explain here soon enough but he wanted to contact somebody and share this information. A man that was known as Lt. Commander Dan Murray needed to be brought up to speed on the latest here since it did change the complexion on things. That and if the admiral had his way, they could play their cards right and finally bring this accursed Operation to a close!

Later . . .

Dan Murray had found himself gobsmacked, wondering if this Japanese Abyssal Expert the Admiral from Japan had somewhere dug up had something of a sick sense of humor in addition to being seemingly insane at times.

Oh, at the start Dr. Takahashi had seemed to be the genius. Nashville had said the man had impressed her during their brief encounter before she'd contacted him. But....the presentation of facts had been . . .over the top in his exuberance (and all the more had been an annoyance due to the slight smile of satisfaction the Admiral had on his lips all the while). The Japanese officer hadn't taken it too well went Murray had been the one to break the news of Saratoga getting yanked back to America on short notice, thus having left the newer Japanese carrier shipgirls hanging.

Murray had understood the man's frustration and somewhat had resented his superiors leaving it to HIM to deliver the unwanted news!

This and the fact that even on secure channels, some chucklef*cks up the chain of command still had insisted that Trinitite's existence not be mentioned anymore in briefings except for those directly involved in Operation Absolute Railway! Which meant that despite the Admiral knowing WHO the "Essex-class" daughter that Saratoga causing the "family problems" back in the States, none still wasn't going to hear from his lips the name "Trinitite". At least until Murray had been given the green light, alas.

And . . .

God, was he tired! Not only from lack of sleep but from all the bullsh*t he'd had to put up with this clusterf*ck of an operation. He suggested getting the Feds involved in it from the start and gets shot down. Then he got roped into this operation as being in command of the operation to find and capture Trinitite with only Navy and Army assets. That but he had to keep it under wraps to not cause a panic with the civilians. Then when the Feds come into the picture after having caught wind of Trinitite? Oh God, what a mess! Not only were the Federal alphabet agencies always looking to get on over on the Military, but they were... In the Fed Camp, there were those who were part of the "other faction" concerning how former Abyssals should be handled! How some in the Federal Government didn't trust that those like Saratoga had actually been redeemed? Couldn't and shouldn't totally be trusted? They felt the answer was "no trust" and Murray feared that somehow if he should fail, the fallout would be used to ruin the faction "he" represented (the faction saying that Abyssal Princesses should be wrestled away from Abyssal control and "redeemed" as it were).

The next thing he saw coming from that corner was them breaking out the nukes and going bomb happy...and like that was a sane choice? Not at this point in time, since things hadn't gotten that grim!!

F*ck, he'd almost welcome being court marshaled and kicked out. To Murray it felt like flipping hamburgers at McDonald's for the rest of his days looked more appealing by the day, his college degree "be d*mned"!

. . .

Those like Janson Smythe had been instrumental in acting like moderating agents between hostile camps within Operation Absolute Railway, but Murray had felt like he'd be getting ulcers if this kept up for much longer.

Having taken another sip of that Starbucks coffee, the Navy officer shook his head and finally composed himself enough to respond properly.

While he'd managed to not be too disbelieving (or condescending) when the doctor had made his brief, it had been a struggle. It was not surprising that the Admiral was having a form of passive/aggressive revenge in inflicting Dr. Insano . . .Takashi's presence on the Navy officer. It had not made it any easier to take, whatever the case. It was not if he'd wanted to be the bearer of bad news, damnit!

Now, this? And the question was could the sisters be trusted if this wasn't a joke?!

But the look that Firestorm was giving Murray right at that moment? His poker face must have slipped due to the late hours!

And then the Commander felt like slapping himself. The fact that the admiral had already vetted the former Abyssals was left unsaid, but heavily evident. The very fact that only Kanmusu could pass through Kanmusu Summoning Pools was left unsaid, but self-apparent. Everyone this deep in this program concerning Shipgirls and Abyssals had known THAT much!!. It was very evident that both Firestorm and Hypocenter were very MUCH Kanmusu now, with all that it implied.


"Yes," Firestorm sighed, clearly having seen the unasked question in Murray's eyes. "You did hear right. I and Hypocenter are from the former Jellyfish Princess fleet. Yes, the Crossroads Fleet that you had a hand in crushing. But given what the Abyss had DONE to our Princess to make her Jellyfish? You didn't take into account that I and my fleet sisters, the 'fodder' Abyssals might be more than drones of anger and hatred, true. But that was because more because of bad information passed along by the ex-Crane Princess than anything else. That and you DID free our Mother despite having to kill the Fleet. With all that in mind, despite I'm still rather PISSED about what happened, I'll give you a pass!"


"But what I'd like to add to what my sister here is trying to get at is that we've been patient," Hypocenter added after having given the Admiral and doctor a slight look. "But we're a little anxious to speak with our Mother again which we came BACK from sinking and defied the Abyss herself to . . .be here."

"Yes, it would be appreciated to speak with her!" Firestorm agreed, a glare given a bit at Murray. His questions had been made this 'brief' briefing take longer than she'd cared for at all. The Deep knew only how much longer until that jet fighter landed! "But not at the expense of shocking our Princess back Abyssal! Please help us by at least if nothing else preparing her for seeing us?"

Murray blinked, then had the good grace to at least look somewhat embarrassed.

"I'll . . .see to it right now while the Admiral switches over to the main room TV monitor for his upcoming briefing," the Lt. Commander nods and sighs in relief when seeing the admiral smiling graciously.

While not in his chain of command (or even a US citizen), he was an admiral of a highly valued ally in the Abyssal war. It wouldn't due to piss off somebody like that. Murray was on thin enough ice as it was with Operation Absolute Railway taking as long as it had, even with the FBI getting in a hand in things.

"Please do," the Admiral requested (or more like given an order in the form of a request). "And I'll let the sisters know about the actual nature of that troublesome mystery 'Essex-class' sister of theirs who got Saratoga taken from my base despite everything!"

The last part was said with a small frown. Oh yeah, the admiral was still ticked off here over that, despite him acknowledging the need.

And he was a bit annoyed at the "cloak and dagger" nonsense even now at this late date, the oblique references to Trinitite had not been totally unnoticed by Firestorm and Hypocenter. While unsure what exactly was going on here, the former Wo-class shipgirls knew that something was amiss here. More than they'd already felt when they'd learned that "family problems" would involve Saratoga getting whisked away in a jet fighter of all things.

Yep, something was rotten in Denmark. And when the sisters learned of the truth about Trinitite . . .!! The Admiral had a plan on how to break the news, but . . .this was going to be awkward all the same!

"And I'll . . .get to my experiment with the Summoning Pool with Zuikaku right now," Dr. Takahashi muttered, glancing meaningfully at his watch and mouthing an apology towards the former Abyssals.

He was having another manic episode and it was time for his pills, but he'd rather NOT do it in front of the others (what due to social Japanese stigma of this world and all that).

Having a smile and gave the doctor a hug each, the sisters then let the doctor through to wait at the door before letting the admiral waved him on, having made it okay to leave.


"I . . .thank you admiral," Murray sighed, giving the admiral a short but quick bow of respect (aka proper Japanese bow) before he then switched the camera view over to standby. Murray had people to talk to and prepare, as well as others having had things to do themselves.

The doctor was quickly let out, and with a quick intercom call from the Admiral ordered Houshou to contact Zuikaku (and a few battleships to provide overwatch on the Summoning just in case).

Having then given a slight sigh, the Japanese officer quickly resecured his office for another teleconference (this time the main briefing area for the Navy's effort for Operation Absolute Railway). having made sure the line out was on mute, he was treated to curious glances their way from those present and those being gathered for yet ANOTHER Japanese briefing from the clear blue. Some were shaking their heads in annoyance, but that was THEIR problem and the admiral frankly didn't care about them being inconvenienced.

The sisters were his concern, even IF they weren't under his command (or any military command) yet. They'd signed the Japanese version of NDF forms for security sakes so this should be done.

He should have been done a long time ago, but the admiral was only now being able to finally address it. The murmur of the various American officials (both military and Federal Agents) could be heard in the background, some bickering amongst themselves. That seemed Rather fitting for the tense feelings that the admiral had for some reason; like the next boot was going to fall, and hopefully not on his head!

This operation!

"Now, what I'm about to tell you is going to be a bit shocking so brace yourself?" the admiral began. Seeing the sisters had nodded, the admiral continued with few more adjustments to his end of the teleconference to prepare for the upcoming briefing with this mass of confused US officials. What a mess!

So! Having seen the sisters nod slightly and had taken that as them indeed having "braced", the admiral hodded appreciatively.

"Look. . .the truth about your supposed Essex-class sister causing enough family trouble to get Saratoga flown home?" the admiral shook his head. "Only slightly true. But the truth is that this trouble is a 'total mess', as the Americans would say. It is called Operation Absolute Railway and . . ."

Of course, somebody had to interrupt things, and the admiral had been having such high hopes here!

"EVERYONE INSIDE RIGHT NOW!!" US Marshal Smythe--a man who the admiral wouldn't forget any time soon after having caused so much chaos with ONE question-- bellowed from outside the conference room, which caused everyone else to stop whatever they are doing (in some cases the "doing" was something akin to "bickering") and instead stared at the door to outside. Of course, this causes the three in the Japanese office to have stared as well at the said door on the conference TV screen. Perfectly nature reflex, that.

"It is cursed!" muttered the senior officer from Japan (in Japanese naturally). Just why? Why couldn't these US bakas get their shit together for at least five minutes?! Why?!

While not as loud as the earlier shout, some more discussion could be heard from the other side of the door. But because of the door's thickness, it was unintelligible. And for what the admiral figured, probably wouldn't be of much help even if they could hear it.

Of course, the poor officer did not know what is actually going on out there...

"Was that the Cowboy?" one of the FBI woman agents asked herself before smiling slightly. "Boy! At a guess, I believe he's finally gotten tired of Super Karen the PI?"

"Almost like a stupid TV sitcom," the Japanese officer muttered to himself in English, noting the male FBI officer is less than impressed with his coworker's sense of humor before heading quickly to that door to check on things.

Nobody in the Japanese office knew who "Karen" was, or why she should be "super". The only deputy the Japanese admiral knew about was a woman named Katie Hanson, that private investigator. Hopefully, this new deputy woman would get sorted out here. That or whoever had caused her problems to where people were shouting? Hopefully, it would get sorted out; It all was wasting everyone's time! And some time wasted was some time having flowed towards more things going disastrously and dangerously wrong.

Nobody needed that.

The admiral almost smiled at seeing the shipgirl known as Saratoga coming through the door with a bunch of other people having shuffled in behind. At least SHE had gotten to America in one piece, but why was she looking shak . . .

. . .

Oh no! Just no.

"Janson," the male FBI agent whose actual name he couldn't rightly recall at the moment asked Smythe. The officer was praying to all the gods and goddesses out there that who was on the other end of Saratoga's cellphone was NOT who he thought it was! It was too soon! "While more than happy to see the shipgirl here, even IF she had brought a cellphone into here, what the hell was that?"

"Yes, what is in the 'hell' going on here?" Firestorm asked, gesturing at the screen while having borrowed a . . .humanism. Hypocenter just shook her head, having nothing but baseless speculations right then and there to put out beyond one 'obvious' choice: the wayward sister from America who'd caused Saratoga so much grief.

While her boilers were spiking in pressure over finally seeing her Princess, the fact that something decidedly OFF was going on here was very evident. Something had her Princess shaken, and by the Deep if it was that damn Essex-class sister causing her mother grief? There would be sinking soon, ally or not! This both sisters silently promised themselves.

Then all thoughts of vengeance? Well, they kind of flew out of their heads when a certain shipgirl spoke. Hint: it WAS not Saratoga!

"Whoever just asked that question," Trinitite said in that commanding tone she was in want of using when wishing to take charge of a situation. "That would probably be due to me, Trinitite. Aircraft carrier of the former Crossroads Fleet."

Both Firestorm and Hypocenter looked at each other, wide-eyed and boilers having tripped off emergency pressure releases. She was here?!

"Who happens to be using Deputy Katie Hanson's cellphone to make this call," the human male who'd lead the rear--supposedly Janson--sighed. Jan's words they heard, but only barely as they rushed over and almost KNOCK the admiral out of the way to key on the teleconference mike. They were good enough with radio technology to be able to recognize something akin to what they worked with, usually on the Abyssal side of things. "And by God, you're not going to . . ."

The admiral stood back up from where he'd dived out of the way of the rushing shipgirls. He was very familiar with how dangerous it could be for mere humans to stand in the way of the personification of various warships. He had a whole fleet of them under his command, and darn if he'd not learned a few things about their quirks....

He would have words with the two, later. Right now his mind was racing on how this could spiral out of control and what must he do to make sure it didn't end in fire. He HOPED there would be enough of a chance to make this right, but as optimistic as his hopes to do something from Japan? This mess was happening on a whole other continent! Didn't look too likely, that chance. Murray looked like he was ready to have the heart attack he--the Admiral-- felt like having right now, anyway. The Japanes officer found it Nice to know he wasn't alone here.

Right now? The best bet was hope that Murray had briefed Saratoga about Firestorm and Hypocenter, right? He'd been able to do that much before this mess, right?

....

Right?

The admiral didn't like the look of consternation that Murray was expressing with the shaking of his head. At least he wasn't tearing his hair out... That sounded fun right about now, really. Or at least the appropriate thing to do in this situation, the Admiral felt.

Trinitite had somehow cornered one of her hunters and stolen the agent's cellphone to use for this call? What next was this cheeky Abyssal to do? She'd Kidnap the emperor for ransom? What?!

"Mother? TRINITITE?!" Firestorm--ever the impulsive one--asked over the microphone. "Trin! How are you here? You got summoned back as well by the Navy too?!"

That had to be why Trinitite was here, right? Somehow here and have stepped forward to help with finding this wayward sister who'd been causing all this grief?

She always had been rather brave, really. Ready to step up to lend aid when needed back in the fleet. Was the reason why Hypocenter had been able to get back home after getting damaged earlier, that one time! Deep, that had been a horrifying time. Shock her up almost as much as it had Hypocenter, and she'd been the one who'd been in the danger of sinking!

Whatever the case, what passed for Firestorm's heart was soring right now. Her sister was back AND her Mother was here, within striking distance (or speaking distance)! And by the Deep, was there a LOT to discuss!!

"Sister?!" Hyocenter added, echoing Firestorms statement about her being here. "You're back as well?"

If only they could have been seeing her instead of merely having heard her! But then again, it wasn't as if they'd expected to HEAR her again!

....

And if they had met again out at sea? Would it have been with her as an enemy? Trinitite, doomed to be stuck In some cruel Abyssal Princess fleet with her barely remembering her old life and family? They thanked the Deep that wasn't going to happen now!

"Hypocenter," Saratoga whispered softly, while tears had formed in her eyes. She swayed a little, and in doing so have sent a bolt of fear through both Kanmusu-ized sisters. "Firestorm."

Having shouted in surprise, the man the former Abyssals had known only as Janson leaned in and help support their Mother over to a chair and shouted something about activating encryption on the device that Trin was using to avoid some kind of clandestine fecal mess with some kind of rodent called a squirrel. What that had to do with "jail" and avoiding time in such a place (whatever that place was), the sisters didn't really care about.

They were too busy trying to give words of love and comfort to their obviously shaken mother! That and they were immensely glad that their rigging which they'd accidentally had summoned in their shock, was no longer of that of a Wo-class Abyssal. That would have been a disaster!

...

Murray HAD managed to at least brace Saratoga for their return to the land of the living at least before this? Sure as Deep did not look it by how she reacted to just seeing them!!

The only way this could have shaken her more was for both Firestorm and Hypocenter to have shown up in Abyssal colors and rigging! That would have done wonders for her sanity! The Abyss would have loved that! Mother suddenly having gone Jellyfish In the middle of a Navy base in America to boot? Oh yeah!! Jellyfish would have just enjoyed showing up there...and probably nobody else.

Trin sounded like she'd tried to choke out a few words of love and encouragement herself, but sounded a bit shaky there herself. That was probably due to her sisters showing up again? The Kanmusu-ized sisters could have related, being shocked still at having heard their dear sister's voice again. Something they'd thought not something to be possible, really. Not like this.

Soon, somewhat more settled their mother managed something that was supposed to scramble their coms to outsiders. It didn't make total sense to the former Abyssals, but then again they'd only begun to explore the world of humans, much less some of their more advanced techie toys. At least the part where Saratoga had "plugged in" her device into another was . . .relatively understandable to them.

"Yes," Saratoga had nodded to herself distractedly while having touched a built-in spot on her communication . . .device. " Just let me just punch that icon in the shape of a squirrel wearing the fedora and trench coat and . . ."

That done with Saratoga's end of things, tuned in the next part was with Trinitite. With a little bit of hassle, Trinitite managed to activate the encrypted teleconference feature on Private Investigator Katie Harmon's smartphone (with a bit of aid from Katie by way of her fingerprint after Trinitite "requested" she do as much). Having plugged her smartphone into a port in the teleconference machine on the desk before her, all were treated to a somewhat goggle-eyed Trinitite and Katie Harmon staring at an audience on the left half of the large TV screen, both seated in the back seats of a car of all things.

Firestorm and Hypocenter looked at each other briefly, finding themselves having choked up. It really was their sister! And somehow despite everything she still had her lovely white hair like she'd had when still an Abyssal? That was almost not fair, but . . .their lavender locks worked well enough.

Turned back after dismissing such trivial things, they concentrated on the miracle before them!

"Hypocenter!" Saratoga whispered after doing that plugging in and looked up at the screen. Her eyes were shining. "Firestorm! My brave, lovely daughters."

Firestorm and Hypocenter reached out and touched the image of their Mother on the screen lovingly, and then did the same for the image on the other half of the conference TV. They were back. Really back together, and the Abyss was to be damned for trying to have attempted stopping this!

The admiral found himself smiling slightly, even though this mess was far from over. Oh how MUCH the sisters had been needing this! The man would have to be blind not to see it, here and now with his own eyes right in front of him.

He just hoped that . . .as vulgar as it sounded . . . to have been able to use this moment of feelings to be able to sway Trinitite to their side. Though the chances were looking REALLY good right now by the look of it.

Best be doing it quietly and strike when the time was good, eh? the Admiral nodded, waiting for the time to strike.

Murray was thinking similar thoughts...

While planning their own various schemes, both the admiral and Murray watched on as the family drama unfolded; at least the other Federal agents and government officials had the good taste to NOT disturb this moment.

And then this next thing happened from Saratoga!

"Trinitite," she smiled, crying softly while looking at Trin through the video image. "My brave little Wo-class!"

That . . .kind of broke the moment there.

"But . . .Mother!" Hypocenter blinked, not having been fully read into this part of the 'program' and the Admiral suddenly cursed himself for not having been able to do such a thing for her and Firestorm. "Isn't she also a shipgirl like us now?"

The Admrial! How could he'd been so stupid!! The admiral was asking himself in anger. It wasn't as if he'd been lacking opportunities before this. It was just he wanted to do it gently and tactfully and now? This isn't what he'd wanted at all.

"I mean it isn't like . . . what in the f*cking Deep?" Firestorm had begun, always the somewhat brash and bold one, only to stumble to a stop when Trinitite's eyes had lighted up in all their Abyssal Orange and Blue glory. "B-but I saw you take that hit with the missile and burn! You'd died! I saw it."

The idea that Trinitite should have survived? When everyone else of the Fleet had sunk? She was seeing it but was having trouble believing it. Oh, the questions Firestorme asked herself! How had Trin gotten to the US from Bikini? Why did have Tan skin if she was still Abyssal? What the HELL was going on here?!

As for others in the room with the former Abyssals?

The admiral had read the after-action report and pretty much realized what Firestorm spoke of here. At the time of reading, he'd been happy how swiftly and effectively the combined forces of Japan and the United States had been in crushing the Crossroad Fleet. How they'd managed what had been thought a killing blow to Trinitite, a lucky missile strike causing her to go down. He had overlooked the all too human reaction in the report of Firestorm totally losing it, having put it down as a mere echo of true emotion. A mocking to fool those who'd show them mercy, and then tear them apart for that gesture. That had been his belief until now.

How the distraught . . .

No. The Admiral was no longer proud of how the Battle of the Bikini Atoll had played out. Not seeing what the "fodder" Abyssals actually were: child soldiers killing humans because their mother had told them to do it. Having done it because they loved their Mother. Their Princess.

And having been so willing to go so far . . .

No. The Admiral . . .was not happy for the grief that he'd played a part in creating here.

And for Trinitite in particular? What a hell she had endured.

As her sisters floundered, trying to figure out what to say. What to think? Trinitite was also at a loss, not at all sure what to do with not only the fact that her sisters were alive, but had come back as Kanmusu? What did this mean for their family? Where they doomed to have to fight each other next time they met on the ocean? Would they try to sink their own Mother if she was brought back to her sense as the Jellyfish Princess?!

Saratoga? Well, while not in danger of going Abyssal, her thoughts and emotions were chasing themselves again still. But at least not as bad as a moment ago. She then blinks, knowing what to do, but only to pause when a well-meaning Janson Smythe tries to break the awkward, heavy silence.

"It was her crew's skills in damage control," Smythe said, deciding to at least make the first attempt to break the silence. He did remember his briefings about how Trinitite had survived. "Sara taught her well, you know. You all know that."

 

[Annoyed Catholic]

Author's Note: Sigh, I've tried. Really TRIED to edit this before posting, but if you find something let it be known? That and I hope to not have beaten certain things to death here. Personally, I think that the idea of Abyssal Sub spy networks is a cool idea, but the sisters and Trin of course have a different view on things for . . .various reasons.

Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's Swearing-in Ceremony and Follow Up Check-in with Dr. Takahashi!

Chapter 5: Negotiation and Vindication

"It was her skills in damage control," Smythe said from the smartphone's small screen. Apparently, whoever briefed this man did it rather well from appearance. "Sara taught her well, you know. You all know that."

"Yes," Trinitite said, smiling fondly at the memories only to have it crashing down at the end. Almost whimpering near the end. "It was a close-run thing and it took long enough that I could do nothing but watch as my Princess get transformed . . .and I had to watch and do nothing as she was taken away by helicopter."

Both sisters shudder, thinking about how utterly helpless and confused their sister must have felt. Must have felt like she'd lost everything!

But her still being Abyssal?

Wouldn't that mean . . . oh DEEP!

"I want my mother back!" Trinitite glared at the humans on the other side of the teleconference call. In a tone both sisters knew from their time when even at the worst, she was . . .at her best.

Determined. That is what she'd been before when in the Crossroad Fleet and both sisters saw that same kind of determination. She'd had enough of it to get herself to the US, after all. She was their sister and could be just as determined as they could be. Like "determined" enough to answer a Summons from their Mother, despite the very Abyss standing in their way kind of "determined".

That wasn't good...at all; Trin had been the one causing "family issues" for Saratoga! And in her quest to save their Princess and return her to the Jellyfish Princess? Trinitite would actually be dooming their Mother to a sad and doomed existence, and the sisters couldn't have that. Both knew now what the Abyss was about, and now know that that monster had done to their Princess. It had been chilling what the Abyss had been PROUD of her handiwork upon making their Mother as she had, transforming the then depressed Saratoga into Jellyfish. Transformed the poor Saratoga into . . .somebody who never had left the spot that she had sunk as a steel hull. Said that the price those who took her offer of power to be transformed into Abyssal Princesses was only a small thing. Just as long as the blood of humans flowed, it was more than fair! AS long as she got to watch it flow, anyway. . .

While hardly the same as the other Abyssal Princesses, the implied "price" that those others must have paid which created the narcissistic (and even monstrous) Abyssal Princess did not sound "small" at all. And there had to have been SOME kind of price that their Princess had paid, the sisters had discovered upon reflection....

That it took a session with Dr. Takahashi's gold watch to restore and enhance their memories to crystal clarity? To perfect recall? The sisters had felt almost sick for not having noticed before! Thankfully, Dr. Takahashi had been able to calm both of the former Abyssals down. Telling them that while the past was past, what counted was what they did for and with their Mother NOW that she was free of the Abyss' influence. Still...

How had they not seen the signs? Their Mother was still caring and loving, but now was more vibrant and alive as a Kanmusu somehow. Making her Jellyfish again would be . . .disgusting. She would become (again) a ghost of what she could and SHOULD be if Trinitite succeeded.

And that is if the Abyss did not opt at "improving" their Mother's disposition next time around...

No, that cannot be allowed, at all! But . . .how to do that without a screaming match? Deep, better a screaming match than having eventually had to try to SINK their sister. But couldn't there be . . .

"I want my sisters back," Trinitite adds, wilting slightly when looking at her sisters who blinked back at her. Maybe . . . it was doable. It wasn't like . . .their sister had given up on them. She said (and they saw) that she did want them back as well as their Princess.

Just that she's REALLY gotten thrown for a loop here, both sisters can observe easily. Both also could say the same about Trinitite having SURVIVED the Battle of Bikini! All the other shipgirls who'd participated in that debacle said all had been sunk . .

Of course, there had to be SOME idiot on the other side to interrupt the sisters' train of thought. Frankly, while perhaps at another time both Firestorm and Hypocenter might have been more understanding but even IF they'd known just HOW stressed and tired all the various Feds and Military folk were on the other side of the TV screen had been they'd have been just as crossed with the unnamed FBI female agent.

"So. . . that was all this was about?" a slightly exasperated woman's voice comes from some corner of the room on the other side of the screen. "You mean to tell me that you came all this way here. No abyssal submarine spy networks? No attempts at industrial sabotage? Avoided every attempt to block your way and capture you? Evading our attempts to so much as do ANY surveillance on you? This was all to just get back with your mommy?!"

Both sisters were almost struck mute at the sure . . .stupidity of that statement! Deep, what do they have to do? Draw pictures? Use signal lights or semaphore to get the message across?!

YES! That is all it had been about. A common Abyssal is willing to DIE to protect their Princess instead of letting her sink (or in this case, it turned out except for Trin they'd died to prevent their Princess from being freed from the Abyss' clutches). And they all did this not due to being mere "drones" who were programmed to do such things. Both Firestorm and Hypoenter. . .

GAH! Nevermind!

. . . .

Still, if they'd known what the reality of it had been, things . . .sure as Hell would have been different.

Besides, if there had been something like an Abyssal submarine spy ring then . . . surely the ring would have been LESS than pleased at the attention that Trin had brought to their operation. Submarines were . . .sneaky shipgirls. They had to be in order to survive. Oh, Trin had been able to avoid capture and all that from what Firestorm and Hypocenter gathered but had been "loud" enough to have gotten noticed. Besides, if there HAD been an Abyssal spy ring on land who'd been friendly with Trinitite? One who'd be willing to lend aid for nefarious Abyssal spy purposes by loaning them their Repair Berth (and any spy network worth its salt would have one socked away hidden somewhere for repair work on their spies and other Abyssal assets)? Well, surely by now the damage that had been done to Trinitite's flight deck--which both sisters had witnessed back at Bikini before being sunk--would have been fixed so she should have been the proper "Abyssal Terror" to launch some kind of aerial attack within the lands of the US? But while nothing sure had been said, the sisters were knowledgeable enough to understand such had not happened. Else all the secrecy that the humans back in "Washington state" would have been approaching the problem Trinitite presented in a much more open (and HOSTILE) manner than currently displayed. Firestorm was willing to eat her own rigging if she and Hypocenter were wrong!

That and the sabotage and everything else the agent was speaking about? A Princess would have soon have started bragging about successfully planting such a spy network, right before ordering the submarines to start causing havoc and chaos.

But that said, Trinitite was even LESS amused than they were at the interrupter.

"Abyssal submarine spy networks?!" their sister blinked from the back of the car she sat within, looking towards the spook woman in question as if she was an idiot. "As far as I know I am the first Abyssal to ever to penetrate your security and get onto American soil. And honestly, if some Princess was to send a spy, it sure as Deep wouldn't be an Abyssal Aircraft Carrier. Not like I did it, you know!"

Both sisters would soon learn the extent of the further damage done to their sister. NOTHING was going to be launched from her catapults before some drydock time was done here!

"Now shut up and stop interrupting us," the Wo-class practically commands, a fierce glare having gotten cast towards the sputtering woman before she had dismissed the fool. "I do not want to belabor the obvious with you anymore."

Both Firestorm and Hypocenter found themselves nodding in silent agreement with their sister here, as well as one other young woman that gave off the air of being some sort of shipgirl herself, somehow.

"I want them back," Trinitite says, firming up and repeating herself once back to staring at Smythe. She then begins to reach out to do something on her end of things."And I suggest you not try to stop me from doing that, humans."

And here it went, and it appeared they had little time left for "it"! Hypocenter had a few rational angles she's willing to try in order to sway Trin to their side of things. Firestorm had her own ideas (which were more emotionally based appeals that reflected her more passionate/hot-tempered state). Obviously, this was not to be an easy task, because Trin obviously thought that both Mother and their own rationality had been compromised by the humans.

But a much BETTER persuasive person stepped up to the bat before the sisters (or any of the humans) could. And when Mother speaks, the sisters were prone to stand back and listen!

"Trin!" Saratoga began, which naturally interrupted whatever exactly Trinitite was thinking of doing. "I'm here in Washington! We need to meet!!"

"Wha-at?" Trinitite blinked, not sure she'd heard correctly and having felt like she'd hit a reef. "How?!"

Both former Abyssal sisters already knew the answer to that question, but the man who'd stepped up to support their Mother while she had been weak in the knees confirmed that aloud. That and pretty much cemented the actual identity of the man; there were many human males named "Janson" out there the sisters believed.

"A very fast jetfighter brought about by one G*d d*mn question I just had to ask," muttered the marshal, looking rather perplexed as to why a question should have snowballed into this chaotic scene before him. Whatever the case, Firestorm couldn't help but notice that Trinitite was now is looking at him, having overheard that.

Janson Smythe appears to not be aware of how his voice seems to carry in that room, the fiery sister thinks to herself. The acoustics seem to be set up for it, somehow. The others back in Japan kept hearing various others whispering around the room despite them not being near any microphones.

Not that she was actually interested in merely eavesdropping on those others. Her business here was with three people as of this moment: Trinitite, Saratoga, and this man who's caught her and Hypocenter's attention.

Yes, she was willing to bet her new paycheck that THIS man was the one who had caused their Mother to be pulled back to America.


Hypocenter found herself nodding, actually glad to have guessed rightly. This had indeed been the marshal who'd asked a question leading to so much . . .excitment. Truly, she looked forward to chatting with the man if only to see what made him tick if one question should cause so much chaos!

"Wait!" Lt. Commander Dan Murray--a man who'd not made the best of impressions on both former Abyssals last time they'd met--waved to catch Trinitite's attention, and nicely cutting off whatever Mother would have said to their sister both sisters angrily observe. Who WAS this jerk?! Mother was handling their wayward sister, so why interrupt things?!

"We can arrange a meet,' the man desperately continued. " Make some kind of . . ."

"I . . . .might be willing to do that," their sister Trin managed, having glared at the US Navy officer all the while. "But not with you. I have had my fill of you even before I escaped from the Pacific Lilly."

"Not a fan of my ex-boyfriend eh?" Katie Harmon--an earlier overheard name muttered around the room over in America by only a few but the scorn has been very evident to the former Abyssals--chuckled softly over the cellphone. "Wow, we have an Abyssal of culture and good taste."

Both Firestorm and Hypocenter gave each other slightly confused looks before shrugging slightly and turning back to the scene playing out before them, not having wished to miss a single thing if their input should be needed. Yes, they knew what "friends" were and what "boys" were, but not exactly what the significance of putting both words together like that. Whatever the case, there seemed to be some bad blood between this woman and that man. Something that the shipgirls agreed with, Murrey had rubbed them the wrong way in the brief time they'd shared together earlier.

"I wish to do any future dealing with the Navy through 'the Cowboy'," Trinitite continued, gesturing towards the marshal --who had a nickname both sisters had no real idea meant but didn't particularly cared to learn of at the moment--in question. "He's been polite, for the most part!"

Yes! Yes, both sisters were really beginning to like how this was playing out here. While not done yet, at least Trin was willing to compromise here and not be committed blindly to "rescuing" both their Mother and them from the humans' clutches!

None of them wished to be "rescued", only to have had Trin try to get them back into the clutches of the Abyss in her misguided attempts to bring all of them back to reason!

Having ignored a human joke that the sisters found made no sense but not wishing to ask about, instead turned to the Admiral to ask about something else.


"He's concerned over a fleet mate's fate," Trinitite (of all people) admonishes the narcissistic PI. "Friends do that. Abyssals? Kanmusu? Humans? Oh, dare you to say differently?!"

"Good one Trin," Hypocenter nods slightly before cutting the mike and turning fully to the Admiral. "But that said, what's this about the 'Pacific Lilly'?"

The male officer gave a quick rundown of events since the sisters had been . . .indisposed since the Battle of the Bikini Atoll. Both sister's eyebrows raised higher and higher from the start of how Trinitite had hijacked the fishing trolley called the Pacific Lilly to manage to reach American soil to the raid of some supply depot called "Fred Meyers" to the problems the Americans had until now even being able to locate their sister!

Deep, their sister had been busy while both Firestorm and Hypocenter had been sunk!

A questioning look that the slightly overwhelmed marshal gives to those around finds almost everyone there gesturing that he was both authorized and GET TO IT! The only reason that those folk back in Japan are not doing the same was simply the fact they had no real say whether or not Smythe was authorized to negotiate with Trinitite, despite all there having wanted this business over and done within as quick (and positive) manner as feasible.

"I am . . .authorized to be able to do that," Janson conceded, having not been blind to all of the gesturing.

After a quick correction of what proper title and name to use between Marshal Smythe and Trinitite (which left the sisters nodding as there seemed to be less difference between humans and those who haled from the Abyssal fleet), there soon came something of a sticking point. Something about the amount of the "signing bonus" that Trinitite seemed to be DEAD set upon getting before agreeing to sign with the US Navy.

No, Trinitite had not lost her mind and somehow had forgotten the fact that their Mother had been betrayed by the Firebringers. Trin's sharing of Saratoga's revelation of humans being how blind to the metaphysical had been quite a shock to both Firestorm and Hypocenter.

The Japanese Admiral having added it would have meant sheer insanity to have done what had inadvertently been done back decades ago. No, human beings had no idea that ships had spirits like human beings. Much less than said ship spirits would return in vengeance to wage war upon humans decades later as what had happened with the Abyssal War. Honestly, if it had not been for the Kanmusu coming back to defend the unprepared populations, then the Abyssal War would have been even MORE bloody. As in bloody in the sense that "the Fire" might have made the scene kind of bloody, which caused all sorts of shuddering for those from the former Crossroad Fleet. Especially when Trinitite shared with her sisters what the "Fire" actually was and had been used for near the end of World War 2.

AS an aside, this cleared up for the Kanmusu-ized sisters just why their Mother had stayed with the US Navy so opted in joining the Americans as well. If only to be able to stay close to her, really this.

And also as an aside (and quiet behind Saratoga's and the other's from the Crossroad Fleet), the military high command in America agreed that it was the best way to keep both Trinitite and her sisters UNDER CONTROL after the chaos of what Trinitite alone had done earlier here. That and the fact that Saratoga had gone full Momboat on them over her daughters here was not lost to them; she acted in such manners when meeting other Essex-class shipgirls (her daughters) but THIS was . . .something entirely different. Now worrying different but until Firestorm and the rest of the shipgirls here matured some the high command felt it was best to have them all together anyway until that time, if even then.

Frankly, some in the US military had been playing with the option of just shuffling the lot of them off onto the Canadians with THEIR Navy and be DONE with it!! That Canadian Admiral had shown interest, after all, and actually (through Dr. Takahashi) made overtures to both former Abyssal shipgirls on joining his Navy!

That was something to be addressed at a later date, but that said it was to be done AT A LATER DATE!! Not now, while they had not yet gotten Trinitite Out of their hair and under their thumb!

...

Also as an aside when Firestorm and Hypocenter had shared their experience with the Abyss during a lull in negotiations? Well...

Flashback....

"What do you mean the Abyss threaten you?" Trinitite blinked, having trouble believing her own ears. "That and having 'marked' you as Traitors to Abyssal kind forever? For answering our Princess' Summons just because she is a Kanmusu? What?!"

"The Abyss . . .talked with you?" Smythe blinked himself, not sure he'd heard correctly. "Uh . . .pardon, but it had been thought that the 'Abyss' was some kind of . . .shadowy version of the Admiralty of a nation. That or some kind of cabal of high-ranking Abyssals, like say a Queen or Empress even. Not . . .something like some kind of Eldritch Abomination with delusions of godhood."

"Sounds almost like Khorne the Blood God from that game I played off and on on my downtime: Warhammer 40K," muttered Trinitite, really disturbed at this revelation. The only word she and her sisters had gotten from the Abyss had ever been to Report to their Princess when first Summoned years ago. And that order had been very . . .impersonal at the time. "She hadn't said anything like 'Blood for the Blood God and Skulls for the Skull Throne' but still!"

Various human beings who'd just witnessed an Abyssal confessing to playing that popular tabletop Game from England's Game Workshop were taken aback by the idea. Then again, the surprise was rather mute after everything else with Trinitite.

Hey, even an Abyssal needed a hobby, right?

"Trinitite~," Saratoga said softly, not liking the sound of the kind of games her daughter had been playing. "What's Warhammer 40k?"

Trinitite reassured her Princess that Warhammer 40k was merely some tabletop strategy game and not some kind of dark ritual one would find performed on humans like some Abyssal Princesses had been rumored to perform. That was reassuring to her mother, at least.

As for Trin's sisters? Firestorm and Hypocenter had no idea what Warhammer 40k was, but the part about it being a strategic wargame simulator wasn't too far out there. True, the games the sisters had played amongst themselves was nothing like the grim and dark stuff found in Trinitite's new favorite past time (much less what they'd learned about her favorite faction: the Tyranid), but it sounded . . .interesting.

Interest in Trinitite's new past time was shelved, however when they'd gotten back to the part about how badly the Abyss had treated her sisters and her Mother had left Trinitite almost beside herself in RAGE. The hesitant revelations of the how Saratoga's mind had been twisted into thinking that . . .

Well, it all left Trinitite in a rage so let us leave at that!

Meanwhile, the humans back in America who'd overheard the conversation had been alarmed about what the Abyss actually appeared to be. Mutterings about how to handle something like THAT were heard, but the Japanese Admiral had assured those present that this information had been passed along to the various higher-ups in the allied military . . .and was NOT something to be sidetracked with here and now. He was rather tired of negotiations having taken THIS long and really wanted it done.

END of flashback...

After mutters of horror from various Army Ranger officers having learned that recon techniques some of THEM had taught and left videos of at Youtube had been utilized by Trin's Marines in order to spy upon those like Shangri La, the business of ONE particular thing finally commenced.

And it had been a LONG, tedious thing. Trin just had NOT been willing to be swayed. Everything else? Had been quick and painless. She really wanted to be with her Mother again.

Smythe had been more than willing to just GIVE Trin the bonus, but somehow some tightwads higher up in the Navy chain wanted to be difficult.

Sighing, he concentrated on the positive by listing out the terms agreed upon thus far, if only for the record.

NOT that these records would ever see the light of day again if the spooks had their way. He wasn't going to breathe a word of this, even IF his inner fanboy having been involved with so much Kanmusu business that he was still giddy to this day. He wasn't an idiot.

" . . .And you agree that you're amenable to the idea of utilizing the repair bucket NOT only to fix the damage that had been done to you and your rigging instead of using a Repair Dock here in Seattle," US Marshal Smythe summarized while giving the unrepentant Abyssal a look. "Being a quicker solution to fixing your lingering injuries, said 'bucket' will also permanently alter your rigging to be in line with what your sisters are sporting."



It had something to do with utilizing a misconception inadvertently unleashed within the worldwide R&D community looking into all things Abyssal; namely from the realm of DARPA. This had happened well before the Japanese Admiral had thought to even ORDER Dr. Takahashi to not share anything about the REAL nature of Firestorm and Hypocenter. The order given, Dr. Takahashi had been more than happy to oblige. He saw no need for any fiends out there to get into their microscopic minds that doing vivisections on the Kanmusu-ized sisters was a good idea, even IF it was in the name of SCIENCE!

Some things were beneath contempt.

Ah, but what had been the nature of the misconception going about the R&D circles (by way of DARPA)? Whelp, it had to do with the rather Wo-class style of rigging the Kanmusu-ized got passed around when Houshou had put out requests for a specialist who could handle memory issued caused by "rough" Accidental Summonings. It was too close to various experiments which (you guessed it) involved mobile Summoning Pools on ships. Yep, it involved that drek! In this case, the fact that there happened to be TWO living Kanmusu with decidedly Wo-class twists in their rigging had been pretty damning. In prior attempts of that one quack in DARPA who'd had the good taste to die in an Abyssal torpedo attack (long story), the resulting summons had pulled forth DEAD shipgirls who . . . .looked kinda Kanmusu-ish, but with VERY Abyssal twists to them. The fact that Dr. Takahashi had been tapped to tackle Firestorm's and Hypocenter's problems had raised the hackles of some out in the community, but after failure after failure pride was swallowed and Takashashi was contacted.

THIS is why there had been calls from DARPA to speak with both Firestorm and Hypocenter, by the way in case you hadn't guessed. If not, there you go!

If this accidental Summoning at a regular (land-based) Kanmusu Summoning Pool could be studied enough, then the data could be utilized for the failed DARPA attempt.

Dr. Takahashi knew the truth, but had his own ideas on how to make DARPA's failed project a success but saw the merit of this cover story.

Hey, if it worked then lives saved! Then the war effort he'd been trying so hard to aid would be realized!

And he would have SHOWN THEM ALL!!

...

The fact that the torpedoing of the nameless quake's Summoning Pool ship was . . .BARELY within range of the course distance-wise and TIME-wise to that course that Trin took from the Bikini Atoll to Washington state was just . . .gravy.

The cover story from this misunderstanding would cover both Kanmusu-ized, and now Trinitite with her rigging (at least) getting "Kanmusu-ized" by the repair bucket.

....

Yes! The fact that repair buckets (as well as the local Kanmusu repair bays or whatever they're actually called in Kancolle) can change an Abyssals Rigging (and general appearance sometimes) into something more in line with the appearance of a Kanmusu is known to DARPA. Mad lads there conducted experiments on dead Abyssals which said as much, but the estimated damage it would do to any life subject was guaranteed to kill all but the hardiest of Abyssal. On dead Abyssals it left the results a twisted . . .mess and leave at that.

Just as well, the project here with the repair buckets and Abyssals had been some mad idea of a program to go out and capture live Abyssals (as if such was possible) and use mind control/brainwashing to have a fighting force for humanity. Honestly, that is just about as stupid as using mind-controlled Xeno-morphs (those nasty monsters from Aliens) in combat. IN other words, it would have been a disaster in the making and the project got shut down hard before it had gone too far.

All those fiddly extra details were told to Firestorm and Hypocenter (and the reasoning behind them), if only to keep them in the loop. Some of the science behind it hadn't been understood by the sisters, but they'd been thankful to at least be included (if only for the benefit of being able to keep their facts straight).

OH? What about the signing bonus for Trin? Why the bonus?

...

In case you missed it in the other story with Trin, it was an effort to satisfy her debt of honor to Elizabeth the Night Manager of Fred Meyers (back in Shelton, WA). She got the bonus, and it got sent Elizabeth's way.

And the JAGs and the Fred Meyers' lawyers had a fine day in court, but that was another story and one that Trin really didn't care about. Her sense of duty satisfied (if albeit by Abyssal standards), she was done with it.

Later. . .

After a "swearing-in" ceremony back in Japan for the Kanmusu-ized sisters with the shipgirl USS Enterprise as the US official swearing the sisters into the US Navy as the official swearing-in the sisters with a bunch of their new IJN shipgirl friends as a witness.

That done and a small party had by all, the Kanmusu-ized sisters were back in a teleconference with Trinitite and Saratoga.

After getting her rigging Kanmusu-ized (and marked herself as Traitor to Abyssal kind by a very PISSED OFF Abyss), both daughter and Saratoga had gone into the base proper. Paperwork was signed and the USS Trinitite of the US Navy was sworn into the fold (as an officer). A tearful and joyous USS Saratoga had been the one to swear in Trin, and a somewhat still tired US Marshal had been witness to the ceremony.

After having thanked Trin for the needed coffee (and the small breakfast of ham and eggs as an added gift), the man had made his way back to an office to slay a most fierce and evil enemy: paperwork!

There would have been a mountain or two of paperwork both Saratoga and Trin would have had to fill out, but . . .Trin had been smart enough to negotiate that away. Heh, she'd been in the human world long enough to know how annoying THAT evil stuff could be so took advantage of her position where she could, being NO fool! Just had to worry about some rather now cross officials being tasked to take care of it in their steed, that was all. Not her problem, if the fools should try to take revenge on her later.

That would end poorly, for the humans if they were fool enough to attack a shipgirl.

Trinitite and Saratoga had contacted both sisters back in Japan to update each other on the latest (all over secure teleconference). Some of the things discussed were NOT for the ears of those not in the need to know (or with sufficient security clearance). The meeting had gone on for a while but ended with a promise by the Kanmusu-ized sisters to check in with Dr. Takahashi over the results of his latest experiment.

On their end of things over in the US, the word was it had been a success and DARPA was about ready to give Takahashi their firstborn children over the results.

YES, the results were in and their cover story looked to be a viable thing!

But the sisters and Saratoga were interested in the fine details. Like exactly WHAT had come back from the former Abyssal Crane Princess fleet.

But when they found Dr. Takahashi and the gang?

"I'll miss Mr. Tails but . . .I got back my Mommy and Mommy LOVES ME!!" a rather hyperactive battleship (with rigging that looked rather . . .toothy in places) chattered away, hugging a rather frazzled looking but happy Zuikaku!

The unnamed battleship doesn't have glowing purple eyes, nor does she have the psycho happy smile of one, but . . .

"Re-class?" Hypocenter whispered, somewhat aghast at this development.