Souls of Beyond, Returned to Protect (Kantai Collection)

UbeOne · Feb 6, 2018

Sara Tan, USS Saratoga
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

It feels silent around me as my strike force continues their return trip from their mission. I conduct a mental headcount, and there are indeed four planes lost, all of them Hellcats. My crew informs me that three were able to bail out, and are now recovering in the infirmary. As for the fourth one...

CCBubba said:
I decide to recite a poem I heard from somewhere before.

"For all the pilots we lost today, and it can even hold true for everyone else.

For a second you were flying
Like you always wanted to
Now you'll fly forever
In skies of azure blue
We'll see your smile in every ray
Of sunshine after rain
And hear the echo of your laughter
Over all the pain
The world's a little quieter now
The colours have lost their hue
The birds are singing softly
And our hearts are missing you
Each time we see a little cloud
Or a rainbow soaring high
We'll think of you and gently
Wipe a tear from our eye."

(Poem I found online by Victoria Bruce)

Princeton losses: 4 Avengers 2 Hellcats

I'm not well-versed with poetry, and I'm unfamiliar with that one, but it sounds like it fits what happened so well.

The right side of my face feels wet, and I gently wipe it with my hand. I won't deny it... there's a tear in my eye...

May the brave pilot find peace.

...

inukai44 said:
Andrew ordered the guns to start firing when some of the Abyssal Bombers came in close. The Advanced Gun System fired hitting and destroying three. "Fire four sea sparrows. Cold Launch." He said to a missile operator. Four VLS panels opened and launched four missles via a gas generator in the launch cells and when they were in the air they let out a roar the sound of their propulsion systems igniting and going out to seek their targets aided by radar and destroyed four being destoryed in brilliant explosions.

I suddenly look up. My CAP, it has found more enemy planes. From the looks of things, they have more bombers than fighters. Not my preferred ratio, but I still don't want them near me.

A roaring and whooshing sound grabs my attention. Looking towards the source, I witness four rockets, no, not rockets, but missiles, being fired upward from the cutting-edge destroyer. They lance towards those black, somehow-flying creatures...

Now, I have to do my part. My 5-inch guns, possessing the range to engage them, swivel towards the airborne swarm, guided by my pixie gunners. Once more with reticles in my mind's eye, circular in shape this time, I aim them at the Abyssals, my guns adjusting to compensate. My subconscious fire control handles calculations for me, or at least that's the feeling I get once more, leaving just the targeting circles for me to use, intended to catch the enemy in proximal explosions.

There! I have that feeling that I'm most likely to hit them if I aim there, and so I do. After a moment to verify my marks, I send a mental command. My guns fire, sending shells on their way. Airbursts mark their presence near the hostiles.

Meanwhile, I've yet to see a kanmusu who is a faunus before, but there she is, wolf ears on head, helping out. She's pale-skinned like the Abyssals, but her presence feels like that of a friend, rather than a foe.

TheMaskedReader said:
As the battle continues, around twenty-five planes join the aerial combat, flying in from the direction of Wheeler Airfield. The F-16s join in on the defense of the ships from Abyssal Bombers.

The Admiral is notified of the joining of battle by the planes, by the radio operators of Wheeler. "To All Ships, friendly F-16s have come onto the field."

As flashes light up the sky, as planes and ships fire, and hurried communications are exchanged, the Admiral sits and holds the radio equipment, waiting for an update on the situation.

He'll be damned if a single man, woman, or ship goes down in the line of duty without putting up a good fight first. The storm isn't over, not by a long shot, but he believes that we are all prepared to weather it, with the strength of those who he serves with serving as the bulwark that will protect the harbor. The strength of those who are fighting is more than enough to break the Abyssals! He believes in each and every single one of them!

To his surprise, he said all of this out loud, into the radio.

Fighting Falcons? The Admiral managed to bring in fighter jets? That's nice.

There they are, streaking past the enemy air force, missiles screaming and guns buzzing.

That speech... well, we can't fail these people now, can we? The carriers were away during the 1941 attack, but while that saved them from destruction, they could have been there to help... which is how I feel about myself, and now is the chance for me to do just that.

Was that a Sara thing? That can only be a Sara thing. She was there. Still, I agree with the sentiment. If I were in Sara's shoes, I'd think and feel the same way, and, well, I happen to be in her shoes right now.

My nearby patrolling Hellcats continue to participate in the melee, using their speed and altitude to strafe the hostiles from above. I need to clear the local airspace so that I can safely refuel and rearm my planes. They still have gas in the tank, but topping them off could help. Also, my Avengers will need a new set of torpedoes, while my Hellcats could use more bombs and rockets...

@Miho_Chan, @Zeroth Jupi

Zeroth Jupi · Feb 6, 2018

Cypher, USS Cypher
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

UbeOne said:
Meanwhile, I've yet to see a kanmusu who is a faunus before, but there she is, wolf ears on head, helping out. She's pale-skinned like the Abyssals, but her presence feels like that of a friend, rather than a foe.

Feeling eyes upon me I pull myself out of my pit of self pity briefly catching a glimpse of one of the carriers looking my way for a few seconds before turning her attention back to what seems to be another wave of planes. Filled with a need to not be useless I began to prepare my self to fire every bit of AA I have only find myself already firing AA at incoming planes guided only by the now comfortable sixth sense and the skills of my mad fairies downing scores of planes that dared to attempt to approach.

TheMaskedReader said:
As the battle continues, around twenty-five planes join the aerial combat, flying in from the direction of Wheeler Airfield. The F-16s join in on the defense of the ships from Abyssal Bombers.

The Admiral is notified of the joining of battle by the planes, by the radio operators of Wheeler. "To All Ships, friendly F-16s have come onto the field."

As flashes light up the sky, as planes and ships fire, and hurried communications are exchanged, the Admiral sits and holds the radio equipment, waiting for an update on the situation.

He'll be damned if a single man, woman, or ship goes down in the line of duty without putting up a good fight first. The storm isn't over, not by a long shot, but he believes that we are all prepared to weather it, with the strength of those who he serves with serving as the bulwark that will protect the harbor. The strength of those who are fighting is more than enough to break the Abyssals! He believes in each and every single one of them!

To his surprise, he said all of this out loud, into the radio.

"More help huh, we'll take all that ya can give, with that there speech there ain't a chance in Hell any of us shipgirls gonna let ya down now" I mutter raspily and redouble my attempts at creating a bullet Hell.

14

Miho Chan · Feb 6, 2018

@auzzie
You wake up, surrounded by the void. The void calls to you in the most mysterious of ways, beckoning you to come forward. You do, and what the void says shocks you. The soul of a ship, a world in need of a hero, a second chance at life, wait.... what's this about being a girl, I'm a GUY for Heaven's sake. Wait, don't you go away yet, I'm not done with you!!!!!!!!
"HMAS Radiance Reporting for Duty!"
(Location, Pearl Harbor)

At Pearl Harbor, Evening:
Abyssals are scattering, their flagships destroyed, their airpower more than crippled. You have the opportunity to dish out some real hurt to those bastards now! Let them have it!.

At Yokosuka, Early Morning:
Abyssal forces are starting to buckle, their blockade nearly broken through. The Four (Three Active) battleships are preparing to shell the enemy into submission, while JS Kurama and JS Shinano prepare their third wave of aircraft, hoping to utterly crush the enemy command structure. Meanwhile, Prince of Wales is about to receive a disturbing transmission.......

always_confused · Feb 6, 2018

The Abyssals scatter, it looks like we dealt more damage than they were expecting. I spend the time firing off rounds from my main-guns at long and medium range. I miss a lot of shots, but here and there a cruiser or destroyer is smashed. Even as part of me is glad at each Abyssal being sunk, I do feel a deep sense of disappointment. Ultimately I did very little to effect the result of the battle, and my presence changed nothing for the better or worse. I would say its a sobering experience, but being useless is something I'm well acquainted with. I fully expect to be 'scrapped' once we're debriefed.

Miho Chan · Feb 6, 2018

Lt Darkhound said:
"Allied carrier, this is HMS Prince of Wales, please respond and direct me to a secure channel, over".

"This is JS Kurama, Prince of Wales, can you stop shooting at my poor Saiuns when all they want to do is to keep an eye on the abyssals for me. Break." I say, my eye twitching as I remember the little incident with Wales shooting my plane down. "If you want a secure channel, there isn't one, sorry. Over." I finish, smoothly drawing my bow back to launch my third and final wave of bombers. In unison, Shinano and I shout;
"Dai san kougeki tai, hakan hajime!"

TheMaskedReader · Feb 6, 2018

Miho_Chan said:
At Pearl Harbor, Evening:
Abyssals are scattering, their flagships destroyed, their airpower more than crippled. You have the opportunity to dish out some real hurt to those bastards now! Let them have it!.

The F-16s start chasing down the few survivors of the Abyssal airforce.

Sketchy Lurker · Feb 6, 2018

USS Massachusetts
Yokosuka

Confusion over my new form can wait. I feel... something, some sense I never knew I had, tingle. It's hard to place at first, but a moment later a flash of understanding bolts through me-radar. I'm already some sort of... anthropomorphic ship of some description, it only makes sense I'd have radar.

I can "see" a group of... somethings on my radar. Yeah okay, that's still a weird thing to think. Focus, Massachusetts. Compartmentalize. Lock it in the box. You'l deal with it later.

Worse, I can feel the fear and indecision radiating from these girls. Suddenly, I am somewhere else, lost in a memory.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A partially constructed ship turns its one functioning turret on my fleet. My fleet. My first real combat, and already a flagship. The battleship's turret is too slow. At my captain's order, I fire a salvo. The other ship's turret falls, disabled. Useless.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"ALRIGHT ALL OF YOU!" Someone's voice. Mine. "Battleships, ON ME. Carriers, stay here and launch bombers! Destroyers, TO ME!" I look at the assembled girls. So few, and our enemies are so numerous. No time for anything fancy, only time to assemble a battle line. Three destroyers and two battleships, with a third already engaging.

"Girls, I woke up about ten minutes ago. I have no idea why I'm here, or what's going on. What I do know is that there's an enemy at our door. We have only one choice- to fight."
Grim looks on ashen faces. It seems everyone here is as confused as I am. I relay the plan.

I fire a salvo from my cannon. Everything stops. These... monsters know we will fight. I WILL TEACH THEM TO FEAR.

"No one's gonna die here today, girls. I'd sooner rip my heart out than let one of you fall. Now, let's make our enemies BLEED."

auzzie · Feb 6, 2018

HMAS Radiance
Pearl Harbor

Miho_Chan said:
You wake up, surrounded by the void. The void calls to you in the most mysterious of ways, beckoning you to come forward. You do, and what the void says shocks you. The soul of a ship, a world in need of a hero, a second chance at life, wait.... what's this about being a girl, I'm a GUY for Heaven's sake. Wait, don't you go away yet, I'm not done with you!!!!!!!!

"HMAS Radiance Reporting for Duty!"

Wait what?! I'm dead? And now I'm alive again?

Shaking the fog from my head I notice two things, one I have no idea where I am and two… I have boobs, nothing ridiculous but still…

The urge to squeeze my new chest is swept away as memories assault my mind, and what I see should be impossible. A Des Moines being built, only for it to be sold to Australia, from there she(I) barely saw real combat. At most she(I) fought some patrol and torpedo boats during the totality of the Malaysian Emergency, Korean and Vietnam war. After that it was a short few years later when she(I) was scrapped, the age of guns on boats had finished and it was now the age of missiles and planes instead.

Still, I wasn't sad, the memories of the soldiers and civilians' faces as the supply ships I'd be escorting pulled into port warmed my heart till the end.

As the memories faded, a smile graced my face. I was a ship that brought hope in the past, maybe I could do that again, and instinctively turning my radio I began to broadcast. "Umm, hello? Is anyone there? This is the HMAS Radiance, does anyone copy?"

TheMaskedReader · Feb 6, 2018

auzzie said:
HMAS Radiance
Pearl Harbor

Wait what?! I'm dead? And now I'm alive again?

Shaking the fog from my head I notice two things, one I have no idea where I am and two… I have boobs, nothing ridiculous but still…

The urge to squeeze my new chest is swept away as memories assault my mind, and what I see should be impossible. A Des Moines being built, only for it to be sold to Australia, from there she(I) barely saw real combat. At most she(I) fought some patrol and torpedo boats during the totality of the Malaysian Emergency, Korean and Vietnam war. After that it was a short few years later when she(I) was scrapped, the age of guns on boats had finished and it was now the age of missiles and planes instead.

Still, I wasn't sad, the memories of the soldiers and civilians' faces as the supply ships I'd be escorting pulled into port warmed my heart till the end.

As the memories faded, a smile graced my face. I was a ship that brought hope in the past, maybe I could do that again, and instinctively turning my radio I began to broadcast. "Umm, hello? Is anyone there? This is the HMAS Radiance, does anyone copy?"

"HMAS Radiance, this is Pearl Harbor command, receiving you loud and clear. What is your position?"

CCBubba · Feb 6, 2018

Miho_Chan said:
At Pearl Harbor, Evening:
Abyssals are scattering, their flagships destroyed, their airpower more than crippled. You have the opportunity to dish out some real hurt to those bastards now! Let them have it!.

I open up a radio broadcast to Everyone at pearl. "Good work everyone, let's mop up the last of these Abyssals and meet up so we can formally introduce ourselves. They should be easy pickings around now. This is USS Princeton, I'll catch you all later!" Now I begin the process of landing, rearming, and refueling all my avengers while my Hellcats provide some CAP. I'm kinda interested in seeing who else came back, maybe even ships I once knew?

auzzie · Feb 6, 2018

TheMaskedReader said:
"HMAS Radiance, this is Pearl Harbor command, receiving you loud and clear. What is your position?"

"I appear to be a few Kilometers off the coast of a large landmass, Radar shows multiple contacts. Please advise over."

Zeroth Jupi · Feb 6, 2018

Cypher, USS Cypher
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

CCBubba said:
"Good work everyone, let's mop up the last of these Abyssals and meet up so we can formally introduce ourselves. They should be easy pickings around now. This is USS Princeton, I'll catch you all later!"

"Well done indeed but ah think ah'll stick right where ah am for now someone's got to continue escorting ya carriers, sides I got mah share in from them planes, as fer introducing ourselves that sounds like a mighty fine idea." I rasp while shooting down the last few stragglers left in the air slowly letting my guns fall silent as the last straggler in the immediate area went down in an inglorious ball of fire "well dat's da last of da planes in our immediate area time ta take a quick check at what ah got left" I mutter to myself while taking a quick inventory. "Little lower than I'd have liked but still plenty for more scraps in the immediate future" I comment to myself when I finish.

15

Lady Darkhound · Feb 6, 2018

Thalia Amara
Tokyo Bay, Yokosuka, Japan
Time: Unknown, Midday
~~~~~~~~~~

Miho_Chan said:
"This is JS Kurama, Prince of Wales, can you stop shooting at my poor Saiuns when all they want to do is to keep an eye on the abyssals for me. Break." I say, my eye twitching as I remember the little incident with Wales shooting my plane down. "If you want a secure channel, there isn't one, sorry. Over." I finish.

I was about to reply to the carrier's signal when I felt something force me out of control of my body. My mouth moved without my consent, and said things that I would never have said to a stranger.

The world blinked, and suddenly I was sitting on a metal surface, surrounded by indistinct blobs and a hazy grey background. I blinked a few times to clear my vision, and the blobs began to take the form of people. One, dressed in a Royal Navy uniform, stooped to help me up.

"Th-thank you."

"It's no problem, Miss Amara. You are the guest of honour after all."

I gave the man an odd look. What did he mean by "guest of honour?"

"I apologize, Miss Amara." He paused, then gave me a salute. "Captain John Leach, commanding officer of the HMS Prince of Wales. Wales herself has the Conn right now, so let me show you around."

"Er, Captain? Where are we?"

"We're on your hull."

"My, hull? But I'm not a boat."

"No, you aren't. You're a ship.

"Mister, er, Captain? I am not a ship. I'm Thalia Amara, a girl who got struck by lightning. I'm not some old rusted hunk of metal just waiting to deal death to whoever might get in my way!"

An offended look crossed the Captain's face, before he recovered. "I… see. Very well. Would you like a quick tour, or shall I just lead you to your quarters?"

I actually had to take a moment and think about it. On the one hand, I was certainly out of my depth, and getting 'out' would be done quickest by going to my quarters to wait things out. On the other hand, getting to see the… wherever this was… would at least give me a feel for the surroundings.

"I would very much like that tour, if you would."

"Very well. This here is the bridge. It's our center of operations, and as you can see, Wales herself is at the Conn." Indeed, a strikingly beautiful blonde sat in what I could only assume was the captain's chair. A headset was draped over her head, and she was talking rather furiously into it. Throughout the bridge, other crewmen were working at various instrument panels.

"Right this way, Ma'am." The Captain said, from a door out to the main deck. I approached him, and was about to step out into the open air when a buzzer rang. The Captain's hand lashed out, and caught me before I could.

A massive, basso rumble reverberated throughout the bridge, and then the overpressure wave hit. I watched in awe as four streaks of light zipped from the barrels of what could only be the fore turrets of this ship. The Prince of Wales.

From the bridge, Captain Leach's tour took me to visit one of the gun crews of the one of the 40mm Pompom mounts, where I asked the most embarrassing question I would ever ask. "So where are the pompoms?" The crew had a laugh at that one, and I couldn't help but imagine them wearing cheerleader's outfits while shooting down incoming planes. From the AA mount, the Captain and I visited one of the dual 5.25"/50 secondary DP mounts, and I was shown the inner workings of the gun before they had to return to anti-air work. Finally, the Captain showed me to my quarters, which were actually right behind the bridge.

That would probably be convenient for when Wales was done with whatever she was doing.

Prince of Wales
Tokyo Bay, Yokosuka, Japan
Time: Unknown, Midday
... - .- -.-- / -... .- -.-. -.-

Miho_Chan said:
"This is JS Kurama, Prince of Wales, can you stop shooting at my poor Saiuns when all they want to do is to keep an eye on the abyssals for me. Break." I say, my eye twitching as I remember the little incident with Wales shooting my plane down. "If you want a secure channel, there isn't one, sorry. Over." I finish.

As soon as I heard that voice over the radio, I knew that something needed to be done about it. I rather forcefully ejected poor Thalia from her command chair, and took the Conn.

The world took a moment to coalesce before everything snapped into focus. I was on the waves near the entrance to Tokyo Bay, and those horribly corrupted ships (Abyssals, the Jap carrier had called them) were beginning to disperse.

But none of that was important. I keyed the comms. "You're no ally of mine, JS Kurama. Not after what happened to Repulse, myself, and the entirety of the American fleet at Pearl Harbor," was what I snarled into the comm piece I wore. If everything went well, I could be out of the bay as soon as that blockade broke, and I could make for Singapore, or maybe Australia if Singapore had fallen.

But that required escaping Japanese air power.

@Miho_Chan

Miho Chan · Feb 6, 2018

"For fucks sake Prince of Wales, I'm not even a Imperial Japanese Ship... I'm a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force Ship... If you want to escape, you'll do well not to fire on the planes that are bailing you out of the situation you got yourself into." I say, my eye twitching heavily. I direct my fighters to strafe the abyssal destroyers, with my wyverns coming in to deal a finishing blow on them. My other Wyverns deal with one of the enemy battleships near Prince of Wales. Hopefully that stubborn battleship will realize we're all on the same dammed side soon....

UbeOne · Feb 6, 2018

Sara Tan, USS Saratoga
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

Miho_Chan said:
At Pearl Harbor, Evening:
Abyssals are scattering, their flagships destroyed, their airpower more than crippled. You have the opportunity to dish out some real hurt to those hostiles now! Let them have it!

What I mostly find myself doing is firing 5-inch shells at incoming hostile aircraft, watching my fighting pilots do what they do best, and waiting for my strike force to return home. I could see those F-16s zooming by, their speed and appearance a sight to behold. They even fly in pairs, applying their version of the Thach Weave, which I read is still viable to this day.

Eventually, we manage to gain what amounts to air supremacy over the area. I could barely see and feel the presence of airborne foes... I conduct a mental headcount, and I find that four Hellcats are missing. A fairy informs me that they have four more pilots in the infirmary within me. At least they survived...

My strike force comes back to me, and I welcome them with open arms. The Avengers go first, getting torpedoes and having their gas tanks filled before launching once more. My Hellcats go next, getting their fuel topped off and being fitted with bullets, bombs and rockets before taking to the skies once again. I could feel the presence of my flight crew, working hard to supply my planes as quickly as possible. They're faster than I thought...

My CAP-ing force... maintains their patrol, granting my allies and I a layer of safety and security, though one by one, they get themselves refuelled and rearmed as well. They use up avgas and bullets, too.

I stay alert, ready to suspend refueling procedures and get the planes out of my flight deck if an attack is imminent, but fortunately, none arrives. There are a smattering of Abyssal craft, but my allies and my patrollers are able to take care of them.

Now that we've cored out the carrier arm of the Abyssal fleet, next up is to take down their battleships, the other major part of their forces. No one likes losing those capital ships, and the Abyssals would surely be no exception. Even if they are escorted, the same thing could be said for those carriers...

My sister evidently has the same idea, for she is the one to mention it, which Princeton and I agree to. Sounds like a plan, indeed.

Our air wings proceed to sortie, with half my Hellcats on CAP, and the other half to escort my Avengers. If any of our planes get shot down, I hope the pilots will be able to bail... It's a good thing that ejection seats are a thing in the 1940s.

...

It's those feminine Abyssals with shield-like riggings again. There are four of those battleships, and with them are three gauntleted heavy cruisers and three fishlike destroyers. Once more, they have no planes with them, making them as vulnerable as Yamato. However, something is different. They're under attack! I can see them taking damage already!

Looking down at the field, I see two girls fighting them. One has the rigging of a heavy cruiser, and I can't believe how rapidly she fires her three three-gun-turreted 8-inch cannons. They're practically machine guns! Does she have autoloaders or something?

The other one has the distinctive presence of four three-gun-turreted 16-inch rifles. Only a Montana has that kind of firepower, and the massive muzzle blasts are a sight to behold. They're kinda loud from here, though.

Our strike force, with Hellcats in front of the Avengers once more, make their approach...

Gunfire. Rockets. Bombs. Torpedoes. Explosions. Splashes. Fire. Smoke. It gets a bit confusing after a while, with all the mayhem going on. If that's how I feel, imagine the ones down there, especially those on the receiving end.

...

None of them are spared. The last I see of the scene is all ten Abyssals, descending beneath the ocean... May they never endanger us anymore...

We carriers each took one of the battleships with help from the Montana, and as for the last one... I saw what it looked like to have twelve 16-inch shells, right in the face, all at once. I don't know who precisely took out which escorts, but I saw them being practically chewed up upon by 203mm autocannons and 406mm doom cannons.

Two of my camera feeds faded into darkness during the battle, each corresponding to one of my Hellcats. I feared the worst... until I saw two parachuted chibi girls disappearing into light, as if being rescued by a transporter from Star Trek. Chatter in my head indicated that they were now resting within me as well, which was a relief.

I decide to show my gratitude to the two ships. Calling them up via radio, I say, "This is Sara to the Montana and the rapid-firing cruiser. Thanks for the help. Great shooting, over!"

...You know, I can't believe we've been out for so long. I can see the sun descending towards the horizon. It's not over yet, there are Abyssal ships remaining, but still, I wonder what's for dinner...

Through all this, I can't help but softly smile at the sight of Lex and Princeton beside me. Overall, we did well today.

"We make a great team," I comment to the two of them.

@CCBubba, @Michael Lewis, @always_confused, @Miho_Chan

Results:

1. Air Battles
- Abyssals: Many aircraft downed.
- My Losses: 4 Hellcats

2. Battleship Raid
- Abyssals: 4 battleships sunk, 3 heavy cruisers sunk, 3 destroyers sunk.
- My Losses: 2 Hellcats

Slick · Feb 6, 2018

Cassy, USS Cascadia
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

Zeroth Jupi said:
Cypher, USS Cypher
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

"Well done indeed but ah think ah'll stick right where ah am for now someone's got to continue escorting ya carriers sides I got mah share in from them planes, as fer introducing ourselves that sounds like a mighty fine idea." I rasp while shooting down the last few stragglers left in the air slowly letting my guns fall silents as the last straggler in the immediate area went down in an inglorious ball of fire "well dat's da last of da planes in our immediate area time ta take a quick check at what ah got left" I mutter to myself while taking a quick inventory. "Little lower than I'd have liked but still plenty for more scraps in the immediate future" I comment to myself when I finish.

I pull along side you, beaming at our Victory...Eh give or take some stragglers. "Hey Cypher, we did great out there didn't we?" I noticed your once over of your inventory. "Oh! Cypher do ya need anything replenished?" I gesture to my rigging. "I should have some supplies lying around, though my Class was more focused on Repair work we still carry some provisions."

TheMaskedReader · Feb 6, 2018

auzzie said:
"I appear to be a few Kilometers off the coast of a large landmass, Radar shows multiple contacts. Please advise over."

"Do...you not know where you are? This is Pearl Harbor. Do you not know what's happening?" We can't afford to have an unknown quantity on the sea right now. There's too much risk. "Look, in order to be safe, please retreat to the harbor. If you come across any ships that look like they are from WW1 or otherwise old ships, avoid them at all costs."

"To all ships, HMAS Radiance is experiencing difficulties. She does not appear to know the situation or location. Are there any available ships to escort her to safety?"

To HMAS Radiance. "HMAS Radiance, we are sending ships to attempt to escort you to safety. We will inform you of further developments as they occur."

Zeroth Jupi · Feb 6, 2018

Cypher, USS Cypher
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

Slick said:
Cassy, USS Cascadia
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

I pull along side you, beaming at our Victory...Eh give or take some stragglers. "Hey Cypher, we did great out there didn't we?" I noticed your once over of your inventory. "Oh! Cypher do ya need anything replenished?" I gesture to my rigging. "I should have some supplies lying around, though my Class was more focused on Repair work we still carry some provisions."

With a brief moment of hesitation as I consider the benefits of accepting supplies my fairies chime in that while I have enough for a few more scraps I could accept with little problem if I wished, my decision made I rasp out to cascadia "Ah guess I could do with a bit of a topping off make sure yer friends stay alert though, we ain't outta the woods yet and probably won't be fer a while longer when we confirm we got them all sides those little ones over there still need some of us to nominally be their escorts"

16

auzzie · Feb 6, 2018

TheMaskedReader said:
"Do...you not know where you are? This is Pearl Harbor. Do you not know what's happening?" We can't afford to have an unknown quantity on the sea right now. There's too much risk. "Look, in order to be safe, please retreat to the harbor. If you come across any ships that look like they are from WW1 or otherwise old ships, avoid them at all costs."

"To all ships, HMAS Radiance is experiencing difficulties. She does not appear to know the situation or location. Are there any available ships to escort her to safety?"

To HMAS Radiance. "HMAS Radiance, we are sending ships to attempt to escort you to safety. We will inform you of further developments as they occur."

"Umm, I do know about the abyssals and all. It was more that I was summoned in the middle of the ocean with no one around, kinda odd right?" I say scratching my cheek, "Either way give me a heading and I'll meet with whatever escort your sending."

Zeroth Jupi · Feb 6, 2018

Cypher, USS Cypher
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

TheMaskedReader said:
To all ships, HMAS Radiance is experiencing difficulties. She does not appear to know the situation or location. Are there any available ships to escort her to safety?

"Cypher to admiral I have a floatplane or two I can spare ta use as escorts fer our new arrival"
I raspily respond before my resupply could commence.

I prepare to launch one of my seagulls when an idea comes to mind acting on it I open a line to the carrier Sara "Cypher to Sara I am about to send one of my floatplanes to escort our wayward arrival would ya happen to be able and willing ta spare even a single plane ta escort it?"

As I await a response I give the manicly grinning pilot fairy a once over to make sure they were ready before ordering them to head to the seagull transmitting a set of coordinates to the new arrival and raspily opening a line to them "HMAS Radiance this is USS Cypher, please follow da coordinates ah have sent ya, a float plane should arrive before too long to act as an escort and spotter for ya"

@UbeOne @auzzie

17

Michael Lewis · Feb 7, 2018

USS Newport News
Pearl Harbor, shortly before Saratoga's post.

"Well, that's the last of the carriers, I guess."

Looking on as the last of the abyssal carriers sank beneath the waves, USS Newport News felt an odd sense of accomplishment. As the constant "do or die" pressure of fighting enemies that were in her face faded away, other thoughts that were suppressed to focus on the task at hand began returning. Front and center among these issues was that of her identity: who was she?

Was she Nathan Dreyer, the male, twenty-seven year old electrical engineer from Boston who repaired everything from appliances to automobiles to cell phones and tablets after getting laid off from IBM?

Was she the personification of USS Newport News, the heavy cruiser that arrived too late to be used in the war she was designed for, serving in a navy that didn't need her anymore in an era that had no place for an all-gun warship?

Or was she a Frankenstein-esque creation, somewhere between the two but not quite either, summoned by an unknown force to be conscripted into a war against an enemy that nobody understands?

Newport News was jolted out of her reverie by the faraway sound of battleships firing their guns, reminding her that she still had work to do. Looking into the distance, she could make out what appeared to be a clump of Abyssal battleships still attacking whatever was close enough.

"Saratoga, I'm seeing a collection of Battleships somewhere to the northwest of us. Can you please send some planes to support us?"

auzzie · Feb 7, 2018

Zeroth Jupi said:
"HMAS Radiance this is USS Cypher, please follow da coordinates ah have sent ya, a float plane should arrive before too long to act as an escort and spotter for ya"

"Rodger that Cypher, setting course now." I reply before turning to my crew, "Alright boys we have friendly planes coming in, that doesn't mean that we can be lax. I want all guns prepped and ready in case we have enemy contact."

UbeOne · Feb 7, 2018

Sara Tan, USS Saratoga
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Evening

((Before the Battleship Raid))

Michael Lewis said:
"Saratoga, I'm seeing a collection of Battleships somewhere to the northwest of us. Can you please send some planes to support us?"

"Saratoga here, we have a strike force coming in to assist you, over," I replied.

Princeton, Lex and I were already going to attack those battleships anyway.

@Michael Lewis

((Present Time))

Twenty-three of my fighters could be found flying patrols around the harbor. Twenty of my fighters could be found with my seventeen torpedo bombers, picking off one Abyssal destroyer after another, and dropping by my flight deck every now and then for reloading. While some of the Hellcats may have taken a few hits, they can still fly quite well. Compared to meeting those carrier and battleship groups, the enemy pickets are pretty much small fry.

TheMaskedReader said:
"To all ships, HMAS Radiance is experiencing difficulties. She does not appear to know the situation or location. Are there any available ships to escort her to safety?"

HMAS? What prefix is that? I've heard of HMS for 'His/Her Majesty's Ship' but not HMAS.

So she doesn't have a clue on where she is or what's going on? That sounds like how I was when I first came to. If not for Lex, I wouldn't know either.

I close my eyes, visualise the surroundings in my mind as a minimap, and... there she is, the Radiance, off in the distance.

I answer the admiral, "This is Saratoga, I won't be able to escort her myself, but I can send planes to do so, over."

My aircraft are extensions of myself, parts of me, and can therefore act in my stead. In this case, I would be lending a hand to someone who is lost, much like what Lex did for me.

@TheMaskedReader

Zeroth Jupi said:
Cypher, USS Cypher
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Daytime

I prepare to launch one of my seagulls while opening a line to the carrier Sara "Cypher to Sara I am about to send one of my floatplanes to escort our wayward arrival would ya happen to be able and willing ta spare even a single plane ta escort it?"

I make my response. "Sara to Cypher, I'll reroute half a squadron, over."

Nine fighters from my CAP force, the ones flying around the harbor, break off from the group to accompany the floatplane on its mission. Uh, catching up with it shouldn't be a problem...

Which reminds me, maybe I should inform the new guy in advance so as to prevent being shot at in panic. I get on the radio once more. "Radiance, this is Sara. I'm sending escort fighters your way, over."

@Zeroth Jupi, @auzzie

Carrier Air Wing:
- Starting: 53 Hellcats, 17 Avengers
- Losses: 10 Hellcats
- Current: 43 Hellcats, 17 Avengers

Air Wing Divisions:
- CAP: 14 Hellcats
- Abyssal Hunters: 20 Hellcats, 17 Avengers
- Radiance Escort: 9 Hellcats

auzzie · Feb 7, 2018

UbeOne said:
Which reminds me, maybe I should inform the new guy in advance so as to prevent being shot at in panic. I get on the radio once more. "Radiance, this is Sara. I'm sending escort fighters your way, over."

"Rodger that Sara, my boys know to expect you. See you soon."

TheFictionAddict · Feb 7, 2018

Sketchy Lurker said:
USS Massachusetts
Yokosuka

Confusion over my new form can wait. I feel... something, some sense I never knew I had, tingle. It's hard to place at first, but a moment later a flash of understanding bolts through me-radar. I'm already some sort of... anthropomorphic ship of some description, it only makes sense I'd have radar.

I can "see" a group of... somethings on my radar. Yeah okay, that's still a weird thing to think. Focus, Massachusetts. Compartmentalize. Lock it in the box. You'l deal with it later.

Worse, I can feel the fear and indecision radiating from these girls. Suddenly, I am somewhere else, lost in a memory.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A partially constructed ship turns its one functioning turret on my fleet. My fleet. My first real combat, and already a flagship. The battleship's turret is too slow. At my captain's order, I fire a salvo. The other ship's turret falls, disabled. Useless.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"ALRIGHT ALL OF YOU!" Someone's voice. Mine. "Battleships, ON ME. Carriers, stay here and launch bombers! Destroyers, TO ME!" I look at the assembled girls. So few, and our enemies are so numerous. No time for anything fancy, only time to assemble a battle line. Three destroyers and two battleships, with a third already engaging.

"Girls, I woke up about ten minutes ago. I have no idea why I'm here, or what's going on. What I do know is that there's an enemy at our door. We have only one choice- to fight."
Grim looks on ashen faces. It seems everyone here is as confused as I am. I relay the plan.

I fire a salvo from my cannon. Everything stops. These... monsters know we will fight. I WILL TEACH THEM TO FEAR.

"No one's gonna die here today, girls. I'd sooner rip my heart out than let one of you fall. Now, let's make our enemies BLEED."

HMS LION

I hear the call of that one girl. I didn't know this other ship turned girl....
But as I moved over nearer I had a grin on my face. I liked her moxxie. "Hear you loud and clear ma' am! Have my support here."

Then I glared over at the enemy in the distance with a growl, my radar (hah, that would get some taking used to), showing what a mass of them there was. "Damn....blocking the one way over there huh?"

"What's the plan ma'am?" I didn't know much in the way of naval battles...past past me never got the chance, past me was just a normal guy.... I'd defer to her expertise.

I growled as I blasted at the enemy forces, making sure to cover for the ones who couldn't really reach that far.

Sadly, my turrets... "Tsk. Bloody a turret busted...." , there very much was a growl in my voice. Sure, that wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, and the disgusting lot we were fighting were now just left to a a paltry few...

But having even one of my important guns get blasted up is not a fun thing. Especially not with this... "Hey! Hey hey hey hey hey! Hey hey!" A tiny chibi on my shoulder shouting at me to steady myself and not go all ham on it was not something I expected. "I get it, I get it! Be more careful, stop getting hit in the guns! Sheeesh....."

I growled at the monsters that were left. Damn it if I had more surface guns......but......I stare at the others and their own efforts. "They can definitely do it without me for a while." It's why I was scrapped right? No use...hah......[/QUOTE]

Souls of Beyond, Returned to Protect (Kantai Collection)

Daydreaming CPU

Sporadic Writer and Haver of Ideas

One with too many ideas

Perpetually unwanted

One with too many ideas

Your guardian angle.

Glorious GM-Chan

Sporadic Writer and Haver of Ideas

Haha, tanks!

One with too many ideas

Daydreaming CPU

Sporadic Writer and Haver of Ideas

Sporadic Writer and Haver of Ideas

Daydreaming CPU

Ain't no Grief gonna stop me!