AN: Well, I said if more plotbunnies got in my head I'd write 'em. This came to me when I was playing through all of PW for the first time in VR only a couple hours ago. I'm also using my headconon of how shipgirls work. Those of you who've read my other story, Princess of Wales, will already be familiar with it.
Sororicide
OPERATION RED SEA
1724 HOURS
AUGUST 12 432 AC
To call Eminent Domain a capable warship was something of an understatement. As a Dejanus-class battleship, she was a member of the most powerful class of warships afloat. 224 individual VLS cells provided her main firepower, for both anti-surface and anti-air work. Of course they were backed up by five quadruple 14-inch mounts to rain hell upon anyone stupid enough to come into gun range, and of course twenty CIWS. All powered by a nuclear reactor that allowed her seventy-five thousand ton hull to make forty knots.
And yet… She hadn't even been able to prevent her boarding and capture by the Cascadian Independence Force. Hell, 'Eminent Domain' wasn't even the name she'd been given at launch, instead being bestowed upon her by her new Cascadian crew.
She'd not been too happy to be serving those she still saw as enemies, and forced to fire on her former comrades. But after what the Federation had done at Prospero… The nation she'd been built by and to serve had shown its true colors, caused the second coming of the apocalypse, and killed millions in their folly. She buried her old name. Now she was the Cascadian battleship Eminent Domain, and she would fight her former friends tooth and nail for the freedom of her adopted homeland.
All this ran through the incorporeal shipspirit's head as she stood atop her superstructure, staring ahead at the horizon through the orange sunset glow. Sh was resolved to fight the battle to come. But… to say she was not sick with nerves would be an outright lie.
"Hey Em."
The battleship visibly jumped at the female voice from beside her. She spun on the other ship spirit, "Dust Mother damnit Press! Don't scare me like that."
Aircraft Carrier CIFS Presidia just gave 'Em' a cheeky grin, "But you're so easy~!" Eminent's only reaction was to glare at her fellow capital ship. The carrier sighed, "You're no fun."
There were a few moments of silence between the two before Presidia spoke again. "Nervous?"
"No."
"Don't lie Em." The carrier admonished, "I know you like to play the stone cold stong and quiet type, but we all know you fidget when you're nervous."
Em glanced down to see her fingers were indeed drumming on her leg, much to her frustration.
Presidia continued, "So come on, what's got you so riled up? Out with it."
Em sighed, "Dejanus."
Presidia grimaced, "Ah, that would do it."
Em hung her head and spoke again, "I don't want to fight her. She's my big sister for fucks sake."
"And you can't do anything to spot it from happening." Analysed the carrier.
"Yeah..."
"Fuck."
The two stood in silence once more, with only the background hum of Em's machinery and the sound of the sea for company. A minute passed. Two. Three. On the fourth the evening quiet was broken by Em's battlestations klaxon.
"Here we go." The carrier muttered. She glanced at her sister-in-arms, "Good luck Em. Give 'em hell."
The battleship gave the carrier a nod, "To you as well." And with that, the carrier spirit disappeared as she teleported back to her own hull. "But we make our own luck." The BBG finished to herself.
The mission they were on was simple. Cut off the convoys supplying the last federation bastion in the occupied city that gave Presidia her name.
Normally, Em would have just pulled up into ASM range 300km away and started pelting the target with anti-ship missiles. But thanks to all the residual thermal and cordium interference from the 'Second Calamity' radar was spotty and borderline useless further than thirty kilometres away.
So instead, 14-inch naval rifles it was.
Around her hull sailed the rest of her SAG, consisting of four missile cruisers and a pair of small LCSes. Presidia sailed further behind and was already peeling away to stay out of range.
And at the edge of her radar were four new contacts, right on the bow. A moment later a dozen airbourne contacts appeared off the stern. The IFFs winking into her awareness a moment later. Two CIF airships, a flight of four mercenary F/C-16 Falcons, and the ever deadly Hitman Team of the Sicario Mercenary Corps. With a deep breath to steady herself, Em teleported onto the bridge.
Her eyes were greeted by her technologically advanced bridge, and the crew manning it. Standing just behind the helm was the man she'd initially hated for taking her, but now had an immense respect for. Captain Chad Woodward was already a legend in the CIF Navy. Not only had he lead the operation to seize her, but showed incredible skill and leadership in the dozens of following engagements she'd had against Federation Navy vessels.
By the Dust Mother she wished she was visible so she could thank him.
Mere moments after she'd appeared a female crewmember spoke, "Sir, our aircover had arrived."
"Good." The Captain spoke, "All ahead flank, signal the other ships to engage. Oh and give me that mic." A moment later he began speaking over the radio, "All fighters, lock into our CIC. Tagging targets now. This goes against everything I know about gunfights in naval warfare, but we have to cross the 'T'. We have to get close. Cordium and thermal interference are messing with our ASMs at our usual engagement distances. We've gotta go gun to gun, and I know this ship's armour can handle it. All ships, full steam ahead!"
He shut off the radio and turned, "Gunnery officer?"
"Sir?"
"Fire at will. Send that convoy to the bottom!"
"Aye, Sir!"
Em, invisible but still there nodded, "I'll do my best sir."
Moments later her three forward turrets began to elevate, mechanical autoloaders feeding the first set of shells into her hungry breeches.
"Opening fire!" Yelled her gunnery officer. A moment later her salvo buzzer rang, giving her crew a moment to brace before her nine forward guns spoke their fury.
The first part of the action was surprisingly easy. It was a three ship convoy, with two cruisers running escort. The three cargo ships were sitting ducks. Em actually felt a bit bad sinking them. The two cruisers weren't much harder to kill, since without use of the ASMs they were built around all they had were a single 5-inch each. There was of course the additional factor of Hitman Team and the other mercs giving them a hard time too.
With a few new dents in her armour, Em steamed on, Captain Woodward being his usual self making bold statements over the radio.
"Sir, sigint indicates the 1st Battlegroup is coming out to fight!" One of her bridge crew reported.
A smile that could only be described as predatory crossed her captain's face. "Exactly what we needed them to do."
A couple minutes later the enemy ships appeared on radar. The captain took the radio again. "Broadcast this in the clear." He ordered, then began speaking, "This is Captain Woodward of the Cascadian Warship Eminent Domain to all remaining Federation surface vessels. Stand down and egress from this AO at once. Power down your radar and weapon systems, and we will cease engagement. This is your only warning. Do not engage! For the lives of your sailors, Captains, I'm begging you!"
For a few moments, Em felt hope. Hope that her former comrades, and those that commanded them, would see reason. That hope was dashed when she heard a female laugh over the radio, and an all too familiar ship spirit spoke. "Surrender? To the rebels who caused the second Calamity?"
Em replied instantly, "Dejanus! Sister! Please don't. There's been enough death already!"
There was stunned silence for a moment. Then, almost hesitantly, "Dominutus? Little sister…? Is that you?"
Eminent Domain nodded even though no one would see it. "Yes. Though I prefer Eminent Domain now."
"No." The venom in Dejanus' voice surprised her. "I refuse to address you by a name that rebel scum gave you."
"Sister, please!" Em begged, "It is my name! The Federation is corrupt! Cascadia has suffered under their rule, and they've killed millions!"
"And what of the billions that have suffered from this Second Calamity!? None of it would have happened if Cascadia hadn't started this gods damned war!!"
Em bit back a snarl, "None of this is Cascadia's fault!" She fired back, "The war happened because the Federation is a greedy Imperialist state and couldn't accept the loss of Cascadia's resources, despite us having every legal right to secede! And when they realised they couldn't win they resorted to blatant warcrimes and the careless use of WMDs without a single thought for the consequences!"
There was dead silence over the radio. Neither sister spoke, and no other spirit dared to butt in. Finally Dejanus spoke. "Dommie. I…" Em's heart ached at the hurt in her big sister's voice "You're tearing my heart out. What happened to you?"
Em's gaze hardened, "I realised the Federation isn't worth fighting for. I'm sorry Janus."
The shear despair in Dejanus' voice when she next spoke made Em want to hug her big sister to make her feel better. "Then you are the enemy. God I hate the rebels. First they plunged us into this war, then they caused another Calamity, and now they've turned my sister into a traitor. I'm sorry Dommie, I failed you. And by sinking you, I will save you from your errors."
Dust Mother, how had her big sister become so twisted? Em didn't know, but she certainly felt somewhat guilty, knowing she was at least partially the reason. But instead she hardened herself. "I expect it will be you who sinks sister. I do have The Crown on my side after all."
"We shall see."
Em sat on the foredeck of a battleship that looked just like her. But this battleship was utterly mauled. All five of her quad turrets were smoking husks, fires raged through her side mounted VLSes, she was dead in the water, and her aft deck was already awash. Her sides were covered in shell and missile impacts, many of which had penetrated her armour. The FNS Dejanus was in her death throes, and everyone knew it.
Em sat just in front of her sister's A-turret, said sister laying mortality wounded with her head in Em's lap.
Em herself felt the aches and pains from the hits her own hull had taken. But it was all muted. Hollow. The battle had been fierce, both SAGs closing to knife fighting range while the fighter jets dueled in the skies. The battle had been won when dozens of additional mercenaries had joined the fight in the air.
But before they'd arrived, Eminent Domain and Dejanus had closed and engaged in a point blank range gunnery duel, gun to gun, that would have made the sailing ships of the line of old proud. The two sisters had pounded and beaten each other to ribbons with their fourteens.
And now Dejanus was sinking. Em had killed her own sister. She'd committed sororicide.
"Was it…" The dying battleship began to say before coughs racked her body, "Was it worth it? All of this?"
Em just gave her a sad look, "Please Janus, I don't want my last memory of you to be us arguing about who is right and wrong. I… I..." She couldn't keep speaking. The hollow feeling fled, replaced with regret and grief. Tears began to run down her face. "Oh dust mother what've I done?"
Dejanus just gave a sad smile from where her head lay in her little sister's lap. "Your duty to your adopted nation. You did what you had to. Only one of us was ever going to survive this." More coughs stopped her for a moment before she continued, "It's actually a relief. I don't think I could live with myself if I'd sunk you, little sis."
"Janus..."
"I'm sorry it had to be this way. I'd hoped one day to sail into battle by your side. To protect you, as all siblings should. I'm so sorry." Janus said as her own tears began to flow. She sat up and hugged her sister.
"Me too." Em sobbed into her sister's embrace, "Me too…"
They stayed that way, sobbing to one another's arms for several minutes.
"Oh gods, I don't wanna die." Sobbed Janus, "I'm not ready."
Em just held her tighter. "I'm so sorry sister."
"I… I…" Janus tried to start but coughed again, "I… Eminent?"
Em sobbed even harder as her sister spoke her new name. "Just Em is fine sis."
"Em." Janus eased out of the embrace, still crying, "Take this."
Em looked down to see her sister offering her logbooks and journal to her. "Sis?"
"Take it."
Em gently took the books, and stored them away. "Thank you." She said, and pulled her sister back into the hug.
"I'm so scared, Dommie."
"I know."
"I… The fires are about to reach my magazine."
"Oh."
"Do you think there's an afterlife? Where we'll meet again?"
"I don't know."
"I… Dommie… Dominutus, Eminent Domain, Em. Whatever you go by now. I'm sorry. I failed you. But please remember, I've always loved you little sis. Goodbye."
At 1920 on August 12th, 432, the FNS Dejanus' forward 14-inch magazine exploded, blowing the vessel clean in two. She sank within two minutes.
Em found herself back atop her superstructure, staring through tearstained eyes at the spot where her big sister had sank. Soon after, she cried herself to sleep.
AN: Jesus fucking Christ, I am litterally crying as I type this. Why did I make this so goddamned saaaaaaad.
