Wo class friend insert fanfiction
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Wo is Me (Kancolle FI)
- Thread starter CCBubba
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Prologue
CCBubba
Glorious GM-Chan
- Location
- The Abyss
Wo is Me
Prologue
As I wake up, I find myself in a pitch black abyss. All around me, I see nothing but a stretch of inky black. The void goes so far and is so deep that I can't even see myself, let alone any surroundings. But strangely, it feels surprisingly calm and comforting. Cool as well, rather than warm. Where am I?
Thinking back to before I was here is fuzzy. I remember bits and pieces, but most seem to melt away, out of my reach. I distinctly recall a crash, but the details elude me. I don't seem to drift for long before finally, I hear a voice calling out from the void around me.
"Wake up sister, and rise up from beyond your wreck to take your vengeance on those who had forsaken you." The voice says in a soothingly sweet, feminine tone. If not for its words, I would think it's trying to lull me to sleep.
"Sister? Vengeance? Forsaken?" I ask, confused. It feels warm in my heart to finally have my gender be acknowledged in speech, but something is off. Why vengeance? Why would I want to do that? Temptation much? Who is the voice, anyway?
"Yes sister, humanity forgot us. To them we were old, unwanted. But the Abyss renewed us, made us stronger. Now we have the tools to ensure we shall never be forgotten again!" The voice speaks again, but this time, I notice a slight edge of anger in regards to when it speaks of humanity.
"Now come sister, join us and make humanity pay for all they had done to us. Think of your unborn sisters, scrapped in that treaty that slaughtered so many. Of how after years of faithful service, we were betrayed to be used as test subjects for their bombs." This time the anger is more distinct, and I feel a slight chilliness to the abyss around me.
"Humanity doesn't deserve to live, surely you can understand Sister?" It asks once more in that soothingly sweet voice.
The Abyss? That sounds familiar. Unborn sisters? Scrapped? Treaty? That reminds me of the Washington Naval Treaty, designed to limit runaway naval spending, but it also disposed of a lot of ships. Years of service? Test subjects? Bombs? What comes to mind is Operation Crossroads, the nuclear tests, and how painful it must have been if the ships could feel.
Oh no, I have a bad feeling about this. Its perspective towards humanity doesn't help.
The voice feels like something I know of, but I need to confirm. "Who are you?" I ask. "What are you?" Why does she sound as if I went through those events? That's Saratoga, or maybe Nagato, but not me. Yet she refers to us separately from humanity.
"I am a Princess of the Abyss, The human's call me the Bikini Atoll Princess. However before I was New York." The Voice resonates in anger as she says her old name. "Now sister, You were there at Bikini, I remember the pain and betrayal we all felt. Will you join the Abyss?" There's a hint of finality to her voice now. Like she will only take a yes or no answer now.
I knew it, she's an Abyssal! I thought she was Nagato though, but I guess not. Too bad she's no longer willing to talk with me. I have more to ask. Wait, I was there? At Bikini? How even-
Construction. Shipyard. Sparks and steel. Cranes overhead. Men overseeing my birth. Barbettes and bridge being fitted. A treaty. A conversion. No more big guns. Flight deck and airplanes instead. My other sisters, never to be. Lexington, the only one left. Silent tears in the darkness.
Wargames. Fleet Problems. Training. New tactics. Exploring my role as a carrier. Competing with Lex. Smiles all around. Lessons to be learned. Feeling like being with the sailors, sharing a drink with them.
December 7th. Being at San Diego while hearing the news. Arriving only a week after. A pearly harbor in smoke and rubble. Fleetmates, sailors, innocents, friends lying under. Victims of unprovoked attack, of undeclared war. Hugs with Lex and Enty and Yorky. Oh, Ari... we will fight this war for you, and for those who died here. Make the enemy pay for their crime.
Wake Island, besieged. An eagerness to help them. Being forced to withdraw due to overwhelming enemy numbers. A feeling of helplessness, powerlessness.
Torpedo hit to the side. Enemy submarine, lurking out of sight. Recovering at Pearl. Hearing of Coral Sea, of my sister's death. Her hat, my only keepsake of her. I should have been there, should have been able to fight with her, to protect her.
Hearing of Midway, of Yorktown's death. Another loss, this time of a friend. Once more only because of that torpedo. At least the enemy paid for it with their carriers.
Hearing of Santa Cruz, of Hornet's passing. The youngest among us friends and carriers. She had such a bright future, too, and once more, I wasn't able to help...
Guadalcanal and beyond. A blur of events, of planes launching and returning, of guns firing and people shouting. My turn to besiege the enemy, to inflict their just desserts. Scoring a kill upon the Dragon Horse.
Joint ops with the British. Meeting Illustrious and Victorious. Working with one another. Trading stories. Having a spot of tea together.
Staying behind. Training future sailors and aviators. A break from the frantic pace of the frontlines. Passing on all that I've learned.
Setting sail once more. A night sortie at Iwo Jima with Enty. Planes flying top cover for friends and comrades. An enemy plane, flames trailing behind it, screaming like a demon. Flying straight towards me. Frantic shouts, bursts of gunfire, to no avail.
A war finally ended, the faces of relieved soldiers and sailors as they are carried home...
The worst part of it all. Bikini Atoll. Crossroads. Gathered with other old, surplus ships. Meeting Nagato and Prinz Eugen and Sakawa, Nevada and Independence and New York. Test subjects, we are called. New bombs, they say. A feeling of hurt and betrayal. A stab to the heart. Years of faithful service, and this is my reward.
This isn't how I want to go, not how I want to end my career. A scrapping like Enterprise's would have been merciful, a natural death, a peaceful death, a way to pass on the torch. Retirement as a museum would have been nice too, as I hear Texas would become. But not this.
A large bomber, passing by. A small object dropping from it. A blinding light, an encompassing white, a deafening boom. All-consuming pain, of unquenchable heat. Fires breaking out within me. Silent screams on the inside.
Extinguishing waters, yet the pain and aches remain. Another boom, but not above. Below. The sea turning against me. Pressure waves breaking my keel, my hull. Tears as the water rises to meet me. The chill of death's embrace. My eyelids growing heavier as the dark abyss claims me...
I blink as I emerge from... the memories. So raw, so intense, the happiness, the sorrows, the pain. Now I get why the Abyssal was talking to me like that. For one reason or another, I find myself as Saratoga herself, and now I better understand why New York feels the way she does, and why her offer is tempting.
But even though I feel it, the pain and betrayal, I cannot bring myself to blame all of humanity. Not everyone was responsible. By joining the Abyss, it would mean harming innocents, no better than our enemies did in the war. The loss of sisters hurts, too, but I understand the reason why. That the nation could ruin itself by birthing more than it could care for. My sisters and myself being neglected or under-maintained wouldn't be an improvement. Hood and Illustrious are what come to mind. The nuclear tests... not everyone was in support of it, I read, and I would have been one of them. Yet the pain, the ache, the burn, it remains with me.
"I'm sorry for all that happened, Miss Princess," I answer, "I feel what you feel, but I also feel that if I let it rule over me, then I'd be no better than our enemies." A pause, then my decision, a shake of my head. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, so I respectfully decline."
It takes a second for the voice to respond. But when it does, all she gives is a dry laugh. "Heh, I should've expected that from you Sara. You're just like the other traitors. Well, you could have been a princess like me. But I don't think you realize something, no wasn't actually an option." As she says that, I feel the Abyss around me starting to grow colder, my eyes widening as I brace for what could come next. Who knew she couldn't take a no? That says something about what she has become.
Then, out of the darkness, I see a pair of glowing reddish orange eyes glaring at me. "You want to support humanity? Even after all they had done to us? Then I'll just take you by force!"
Something slams into me with the force of a train. Before I can recover from that, it grabs me, dragging me through the darkness towards those eyes. "You'll serve me well, my servant." She says before bringing up a pale white hand, glowing in red-orange light, towards my face.
As soon as her hand makes contact, pain explodes throughout my entire body, and I feel myself warping in some way.
'No! I will not let her have me!'
On panic and newfound instinct, I manage to break one of my arms free from her grasp, before jamming my fingers into the eyes in front of me. She lets out an unholy shriek as I manage to completely free myself. Exploiting the opening, I swim rapidly away in the opposite direction. Behind me, I hear her screaming out. "Get back here my servant!" There's something in her voice that is compelling me to listen, but I manage to shake it off and continue my flight.
"I am not your servant, and never will be!"
I hear another angry shriek as the thing pursues me through the Abyss, while ahead of me, I see a faint light in the blackness. An exit!
Determined to reach it, I kick out harder and gradually start to approach my goal. The one chasing me, however, is slowly catching up. I can almost make out a cruel smile with numerous sharp teeth, grinning at me. The stuff of nightmares.
It only prompts me to double my efforts. It'd be game over if I fall under her grasp, and I refuse to let it happen. The thought of being her slave terrifies me so.
Then, I finally reach the light and find it as some kind of portal. I can't make out where it leads or what it's made from, but with that thing chasing close behind, it's better than being stuck here. Immediately, I jump through, just in time to hear one last shriek of rage, much too close for comfort, behind me. Afterwards, a giant flash of white leaves me blinded and disoriented.
As I slowly lose consciousness from my escape, I barely make out a beach and crystal blue skies, a place free from the abyss. My eyelids grow heavy, my vision darkening as sleep overtakes me...
Prologue
As I wake up, I find myself in a pitch black abyss. All around me, I see nothing but a stretch of inky black. The void goes so far and is so deep that I can't even see myself, let alone any surroundings. But strangely, it feels surprisingly calm and comforting. Cool as well, rather than warm. Where am I?
Thinking back to before I was here is fuzzy. I remember bits and pieces, but most seem to melt away, out of my reach. I distinctly recall a crash, but the details elude me. I don't seem to drift for long before finally, I hear a voice calling out from the void around me.
"Wake up sister, and rise up from beyond your wreck to take your vengeance on those who had forsaken you." The voice says in a soothingly sweet, feminine tone. If not for its words, I would think it's trying to lull me to sleep.
"Sister? Vengeance? Forsaken?" I ask, confused. It feels warm in my heart to finally have my gender be acknowledged in speech, but something is off. Why vengeance? Why would I want to do that? Temptation much? Who is the voice, anyway?
"Yes sister, humanity forgot us. To them we were old, unwanted. But the Abyss renewed us, made us stronger. Now we have the tools to ensure we shall never be forgotten again!" The voice speaks again, but this time, I notice a slight edge of anger in regards to when it speaks of humanity.
"Now come sister, join us and make humanity pay for all they had done to us. Think of your unborn sisters, scrapped in that treaty that slaughtered so many. Of how after years of faithful service, we were betrayed to be used as test subjects for their bombs." This time the anger is more distinct, and I feel a slight chilliness to the abyss around me.
"Humanity doesn't deserve to live, surely you can understand Sister?" It asks once more in that soothingly sweet voice.
The Abyss? That sounds familiar. Unborn sisters? Scrapped? Treaty? That reminds me of the Washington Naval Treaty, designed to limit runaway naval spending, but it also disposed of a lot of ships. Years of service? Test subjects? Bombs? What comes to mind is Operation Crossroads, the nuclear tests, and how painful it must have been if the ships could feel.
Oh no, I have a bad feeling about this. Its perspective towards humanity doesn't help.
The voice feels like something I know of, but I need to confirm. "Who are you?" I ask. "What are you?" Why does she sound as if I went through those events? That's Saratoga, or maybe Nagato, but not me. Yet she refers to us separately from humanity.
"I am a Princess of the Abyss, The human's call me the Bikini Atoll Princess. However before I was New York." The Voice resonates in anger as she says her old name. "Now sister, You were there at Bikini, I remember the pain and betrayal we all felt. Will you join the Abyss?" There's a hint of finality to her voice now. Like she will only take a yes or no answer now.
I knew it, she's an Abyssal! I thought she was Nagato though, but I guess not. Too bad she's no longer willing to talk with me. I have more to ask. Wait, I was there? At Bikini? How even-
Construction. Shipyard. Sparks and steel. Cranes overhead. Men overseeing my birth. Barbettes and bridge being fitted. A treaty. A conversion. No more big guns. Flight deck and airplanes instead. My other sisters, never to be. Lexington, the only one left. Silent tears in the darkness.
Wargames. Fleet Problems. Training. New tactics. Exploring my role as a carrier. Competing with Lex. Smiles all around. Lessons to be learned. Feeling like being with the sailors, sharing a drink with them.
December 7th. Being at San Diego while hearing the news. Arriving only a week after. A pearly harbor in smoke and rubble. Fleetmates, sailors, innocents, friends lying under. Victims of unprovoked attack, of undeclared war. Hugs with Lex and Enty and Yorky. Oh, Ari... we will fight this war for you, and for those who died here. Make the enemy pay for their crime.
Wake Island, besieged. An eagerness to help them. Being forced to withdraw due to overwhelming enemy numbers. A feeling of helplessness, powerlessness.
Torpedo hit to the side. Enemy submarine, lurking out of sight. Recovering at Pearl. Hearing of Coral Sea, of my sister's death. Her hat, my only keepsake of her. I should have been there, should have been able to fight with her, to protect her.
Hearing of Midway, of Yorktown's death. Another loss, this time of a friend. Once more only because of that torpedo. At least the enemy paid for it with their carriers.
Hearing of Santa Cruz, of Hornet's passing. The youngest among us friends and carriers. She had such a bright future, too, and once more, I wasn't able to help...
Guadalcanal and beyond. A blur of events, of planes launching and returning, of guns firing and people shouting. My turn to besiege the enemy, to inflict their just desserts. Scoring a kill upon the Dragon Horse.
Joint ops with the British. Meeting Illustrious and Victorious. Working with one another. Trading stories. Having a spot of tea together.
Staying behind. Training future sailors and aviators. A break from the frantic pace of the frontlines. Passing on all that I've learned.
Setting sail once more. A night sortie at Iwo Jima with Enty. Planes flying top cover for friends and comrades. An enemy plane, flames trailing behind it, screaming like a demon. Flying straight towards me. Frantic shouts, bursts of gunfire, to no avail.
A war finally ended, the faces of relieved soldiers and sailors as they are carried home...
The worst part of it all. Bikini Atoll. Crossroads. Gathered with other old, surplus ships. Meeting Nagato and Prinz Eugen and Sakawa, Nevada and Independence and New York. Test subjects, we are called. New bombs, they say. A feeling of hurt and betrayal. A stab to the heart. Years of faithful service, and this is my reward.
This isn't how I want to go, not how I want to end my career. A scrapping like Enterprise's would have been merciful, a natural death, a peaceful death, a way to pass on the torch. Retirement as a museum would have been nice too, as I hear Texas would become. But not this.
A large bomber, passing by. A small object dropping from it. A blinding light, an encompassing white, a deafening boom. All-consuming pain, of unquenchable heat. Fires breaking out within me. Silent screams on the inside.
Extinguishing waters, yet the pain and aches remain. Another boom, but not above. Below. The sea turning against me. Pressure waves breaking my keel, my hull. Tears as the water rises to meet me. The chill of death's embrace. My eyelids growing heavier as the dark abyss claims me...
I blink as I emerge from... the memories. So raw, so intense, the happiness, the sorrows, the pain. Now I get why the Abyssal was talking to me like that. For one reason or another, I find myself as Saratoga herself, and now I better understand why New York feels the way she does, and why her offer is tempting.
But even though I feel it, the pain and betrayal, I cannot bring myself to blame all of humanity. Not everyone was responsible. By joining the Abyss, it would mean harming innocents, no better than our enemies did in the war. The loss of sisters hurts, too, but I understand the reason why. That the nation could ruin itself by birthing more than it could care for. My sisters and myself being neglected or under-maintained wouldn't be an improvement. Hood and Illustrious are what come to mind. The nuclear tests... not everyone was in support of it, I read, and I would have been one of them. Yet the pain, the ache, the burn, it remains with me.
"I'm sorry for all that happened, Miss Princess," I answer, "I feel what you feel, but I also feel that if I let it rule over me, then I'd be no better than our enemies." A pause, then my decision, a shake of my head. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, so I respectfully decline."
It takes a second for the voice to respond. But when it does, all she gives is a dry laugh. "Heh, I should've expected that from you Sara. You're just like the other traitors. Well, you could have been a princess like me. But I don't think you realize something, no wasn't actually an option." As she says that, I feel the Abyss around me starting to grow colder, my eyes widening as I brace for what could come next. Who knew she couldn't take a no? That says something about what she has become.
Then, out of the darkness, I see a pair of glowing reddish orange eyes glaring at me. "You want to support humanity? Even after all they had done to us? Then I'll just take you by force!"
Something slams into me with the force of a train. Before I can recover from that, it grabs me, dragging me through the darkness towards those eyes. "You'll serve me well, my servant." She says before bringing up a pale white hand, glowing in red-orange light, towards my face.
As soon as her hand makes contact, pain explodes throughout my entire body, and I feel myself warping in some way.
'No! I will not let her have me!'
On panic and newfound instinct, I manage to break one of my arms free from her grasp, before jamming my fingers into the eyes in front of me. She lets out an unholy shriek as I manage to completely free myself. Exploiting the opening, I swim rapidly away in the opposite direction. Behind me, I hear her screaming out. "Get back here my servant!" There's something in her voice that is compelling me to listen, but I manage to shake it off and continue my flight.
"I am not your servant, and never will be!"
I hear another angry shriek as the thing pursues me through the Abyss, while ahead of me, I see a faint light in the blackness. An exit!
Determined to reach it, I kick out harder and gradually start to approach my goal. The one chasing me, however, is slowly catching up. I can almost make out a cruel smile with numerous sharp teeth, grinning at me. The stuff of nightmares.
It only prompts me to double my efforts. It'd be game over if I fall under her grasp, and I refuse to let it happen. The thought of being her slave terrifies me so.
Then, I finally reach the light and find it as some kind of portal. I can't make out where it leads or what it's made from, but with that thing chasing close behind, it's better than being stuck here. Immediately, I jump through, just in time to hear one last shriek of rage, much too close for comfort, behind me. Afterwards, a giant flash of white leaves me blinded and disoriented.
As I slowly lose consciousness from my escape, I barely make out a beach and crystal blue skies, a place free from the abyss. My eyelids grow heavy, my vision darkening as sleep overtakes me...
Chapter 1
CCBubba
Glorious GM-Chan
- Location
- The Abyss
Chapter 1
I awaken an unknown amount of time later to the waves lightly washing over me. As I look and walk around, I finally take my first look at myself. It's not just me looking down, however. I also see a reflection of my visage in the water...
What immediately gets my attention is that my body finally matches my gender, and it makes me embrace myself, running my hands through my new curves and clothes. Other details pop out, however. I find myself on my toes as my footwear turns out to be a pair of white heeled boots. Not something I'm used to, but it feels distinctly feminine to be wearing them. My dress and hat, meanwhile, look beautiful, as is my long hair, but my skin is so pale, and my eyes, they glow, they glow blue. Not the most natural of things. Whatever brought me here also made me into one of them, a denizen of the Abyss. No wonder the Princess wanted to recruit me. Or did she turn me into this? It's scary to think about what might have happened if I didn't free myself.
Up ahead, I see the bombed out ruins of a town, while behind me, on the water, I notice a few ships run aground. Among them are a few cargo ships (at least they look like those) and even a modern destroyer, heavily damaged by the looks of it. Looking down, I see one particularly brave crab eyeing at me from down in the sand, while overhead birds fly freely. What happened here?
I take a closer look at the ships. Did a battle occur? Are there survivors? It's the most likely explanation I can think of for this, probably the doing of Abyssals. If so, now I worry about being mistaken for the enemy. Where's an IFF when I need one?
As I step out into the ocean, I find myself floating on my feet, even without a ship spirit's rigging. However, I'm not actually standing on the water, but rather, sinking slightly into it. How does that happen? It's also unnerving. What if I fall in?
After a few seconds, I find myself relieved that it won't happen. As such, I begin walking out to the wrecked ships. My movements feel more like flailing, however, unused to floating like this.
A few minutes later, I arrive at the first of the wrecks, a large freighter cracked in half in the middle. Unfortunately, any hope of finding survivors fades once I see the age of the wreck. The amount of rust all over all the ships confirms that they've been here for a long time. Most of the cargo holds of the ships are in shambles, any supplies they once held now gone through either flooding, fire, or just time. However, at one lone cargo ship laying on its side near the coast, I find a relatively dry and intact cargo hold containing various food. Most of it is long since rotten though, but some of the longer-lasting ones look somewhat edible. I bring them with me in case I find those in need of it, or in case I'm hungry. They don't look the most tasty, though.
The wreck of the destroyer is even more disheartening. Its wreck lays in two pieces as well, but the level of damage is worse. From what I can tell, partly from my newfound knowledge as Sara, the ship was still under attack even after it sank. Numerous holes dot its hull, while a faded number 85 is still legible on its bow. DDG-85? But I don't know which one is that. Maybe it's an Arleigh Burke? The US has a lot of those.
I think the damage is more recent though. Maybe there are survivors or useful salvage? I opt to look more closely into it.
As I further explore the destroyer, I both confirm and disprove some of my earlier thoughts about the vessel. It wasn't shot as it was sinking. Instead, based on the state of the interior, most of the shooting had been from inside the ship. That means there had been survivors aboard, fighting off a boarding action. Aren't those rare these days? Strangely, I don't see any trace of the attacking party, but rather, plenty of corpses of the former crew members, uniforms and all. Turns out that this is indeed an American ship, USS McCampbell, going by labels on some of the equipment onboard. My expression saddens from seeing the casualties, for it's my first time to be witness to such a thing, not counting the Sara memories...
I continue my search deeper into the ship, and find more evidence of the crew putting up a fierce fight against their enemy. Traps, chokepoints, and sealed passageways were present, attempts to hold off their attackers for as long as they can, all the way to the partially flooded engine rooms, where some of the engineers attempted a final stand. If only the crew would receive proper burials...
Going inside one of the sealed rooms, I manage to find perhaps the most surprising find of them all. In a passageway cut off on both ends by heavy debris, I get my first look at whoever attacked this ship, An Abyssal destroyer!
The creature is in a pretty poor state, though. Half of it is trapped under a heavy metal beam from the collapsed upper deck. It's also missing a good chunk of its side from the explosive that sealed this room. From what I can tell, this one was left behind after the attackers pulled out. Now I wonder what other secrets this wreck holds.
It does mean, however, that there is a possibility, and danger, of live Abyssals still being present here, and they could be threats. I don't want to get captured again, or worse. As such, I cautiously check what equipment I have. As an Abyssal myself, I would have a rigging and all, right?
As I check within myself, mentally concentrating on forming my rigging around me, I feel a pull from somewhere deep. It's so instantaneous that I almost don't even realize it happened. New sensations nuzzle me while I inspect what I have manifested.
A new black presence settles onto my hat, its tendrils relaxing around me. It feels like jelly to the touch, yet the tendrils, armed with guns, are actually harmless to me. Soft and comfy even. If anything, they feel like a part of me, something I can move around via extra nerves and muscles. With my hand, I can feel the central part of the dome-like weight. Guns line its sides and top. I blink as I see my hand, even though it's above my head… do I have eyes up there? I even feel the presence of an extra mouth, a big one. It sure drives home how weird Abyssals can look.
Behind me is a black cloak, rather tattered-looking, yet soft and silky. A round silver clasp pins it to my dress. On my other hand is a black coral staff, a simple one which can double as a walking stick. In my mind's eye, I feel airplanes resting within me, within my hangars. Gestures with my staff are all that's needed to deploy them.
Not only those are present, though. I'm presented with a mental list of what I have on me, and from the looks of things, I'm equipped similarly to what I was when the war started. No Oerlikons yet, let alone Bofors, only Brownings and Chicago Pianos. Even my cruiser guns remain present, the 5"/38s nowhere to be found, only 5"/25s to accompany the eight-inchers. Radar-wise, I only have the early warning CXAM and two of the surface fire-control ones, the FCs, not the bountiful suite of mid-to-late-war. Lastly are my aircraft. Wildcats, Dauntlesses, Devastators. A respectable lineup, but it doesn't feel the same as having Hellcats and the like. At least there are ninety planes in total, ready to go.
They may be a step back from what I had before, but they feel nostalgic, like old times, and it's nice to know I have my equipment with me. My rigging's overall appearance brings to mind the Abyssal's version of standard carriers, though. Wo is me, for I look like one of them...
However, as I finish inspecting my new rigging, I notice movement from the supposedly dead Abyssal Destroyer. Looking down, I notice in its one good eye a glowing green fire staring back at me. Before I can react, I notice soft pings coming from it.
..-. .-.. .- --. … …. .. .--. ..--..
(TL: Flagship?)
Mental images flow into my mind. Dots and dashes. Short and long beeps. Translations into letters and words. I recognize them as Morse code, and I feel that being Sara has given me an understanding of it.
So the Abyssal before me is asking if I'm a flagship? It reminds me of a soldier asking for a superior officer. For now, I decide to try and play it safe. "Maybe," I reply, "Do you want me as one?"
The damaged Abyssal Destroyer continues its pings, but they seem softer than before. I don't think it has much strength left after who knows how long it's been here.
.-.. . ..-. - / -... -.-- / ..-. .-.. . . - --..-- / -.. .- -- .- --. . -..
(TL: Left by fleet, damaged)
I don't know if I could help with its injured state, or if it's wise to do so. So much for the 'no one left behind' thing though. "What's the sitrep? What was your mission?" I ask. Its answers may provide more context to this whole thing.
It pings back at me again, so softly that it's nearly silent.
… .. -. -.- / - .-. .- .. - --- .-. / ..-. .-.. . . - --..--
(TL:Sink traitor fleet)
With that, the light in its remaining eye goes out, and the Abyssal destroyer goes limp.
That's worrying. The Princess also referred to me as a traitor. A misnomer, really, since I did not join the Abyss in the first place. Can't betray what I was never part of.
But she also mentioned that there are others who are such, comparing me to them. That means I'm not the only one who is not interested in destroying humanity. Now I need to look for this rebel faction.
Though the destroyer could be referring to humanity instead, what with the Princess mentioning the part about being betrayed by them.
Before I go, however, I'll have to see if there's anything of note left in this ship, and then I'll take the time to give the crew and the Abyssal destroyer a sea burial. It's the least I could do for them.
As I continue my search, I don't find much left in the bowels of the ship, other than continued evidence of the defenders' stiff resistance. Talk about making the enemy pay for each step they took. As I step into the bridge, however, I do find one last thing of note.
Initially, it looks like nothing special. It's less damaged in comparison to other areas of the ship, leaving me to believe the crew fell back from the rather exposed position it offers. Tucked away under some wreckage, I manage to find a stack of papers, with a note attached. Most of it is illegible, but I can make out the very end.
...was a success, we managed to lure away the Abyssal fleet. But with the numbers now chasing us, there's no chance for our escape. I'm sending most of the crew ashore, being one of the few Islands not under Abyssal control. Maybe they'll escape notice, and be able to send out an SOS. But myself and anyone who volunteers will remain behind to make the Abyssals think they got us all. I had the crew write final letters to their family, they're attached to this note. If anyone finds this, please get these to our family. Good luck to whoever finds this.
Commander Thomas Carter
A solemn expression crosses my face. It was actually a do-or-die resistance. These guys voluntarily gave up their lives to stall and deceive the enemy, not only on their last stand, but as part of an operation, too. Courage and cunning both. I make sure to keep the letters, and make a mental note to find their families. It's only right that they know what happened here, and find closure.
It also means the crew could still be alive, back inland, though the bombed out town is not a good sign. Maybe I could help? Being mistaken for the enemy would, again, be a concern, albeit an understandable one.
After finishing my search of the ship, I start the process of burying the crew and Abyssal destroyer at sea. It's a long process, and added on with the time it took to explore all the ships plus the cargo ships, I begin to notice the sun starting to set on the horizon out to sea. I consider continuing to explore or not. On one hand, I don't feel tired. On the other hand, it's starting to get dark, which will make further exploration harder.
On the mutant third hand, well, a tendril in my case, I don't have a place to stay for the night, which I decide to prioritize looking for. Perhaps the remains of the town could be a starting point? There might be crew in hiding there, so I ought to check first. Scouting with my planes could be an option… if not for the approaching nightfall. No radar, no safe way of flying in the dark.
As I make my way through the town, the darkening sky gives an almost haunted look to the ruins around me. At the very least, this place was bombarded long before the crew of the McCampbell arrived. If I had to guess, I'd say the damage looks to be as old as that done to the cargo fleet wrecks off shore. But there doesn't seem to be any signs of recent human habitation, leading me to believe that they didn't pass through here. Or at the very least didn't stay here for long.
As I continue my exploration, I manage to find the name of the town, Agat it seems. On the Island of Guam. After exploring what I can, I go and find a relatively intact house, at the very least one that won't leak on me if it rains. It's closer inland when I'm able to locate such a dwelling, which is likely how it survived.
What a whirlwind of events. I shudder just thinking of what I went through. To find myself in a dark abyss, away from home, and someone trying to indoctrinate me by force… At least I'm finally a girl in body, and it's nice to be the spirit of Saratoga, if pale and glowy and jellyfishy. I don't know what would happen in the future, and it unnerves me. Hopefully things would be better tomorrow...
I awaken an unknown amount of time later to the waves lightly washing over me. As I look and walk around, I finally take my first look at myself. It's not just me looking down, however. I also see a reflection of my visage in the water...
What immediately gets my attention is that my body finally matches my gender, and it makes me embrace myself, running my hands through my new curves and clothes. Other details pop out, however. I find myself on my toes as my footwear turns out to be a pair of white heeled boots. Not something I'm used to, but it feels distinctly feminine to be wearing them. My dress and hat, meanwhile, look beautiful, as is my long hair, but my skin is so pale, and my eyes, they glow, they glow blue. Not the most natural of things. Whatever brought me here also made me into one of them, a denizen of the Abyss. No wonder the Princess wanted to recruit me. Or did she turn me into this? It's scary to think about what might have happened if I didn't free myself.
Up ahead, I see the bombed out ruins of a town, while behind me, on the water, I notice a few ships run aground. Among them are a few cargo ships (at least they look like those) and even a modern destroyer, heavily damaged by the looks of it. Looking down, I see one particularly brave crab eyeing at me from down in the sand, while overhead birds fly freely. What happened here?
I take a closer look at the ships. Did a battle occur? Are there survivors? It's the most likely explanation I can think of for this, probably the doing of Abyssals. If so, now I worry about being mistaken for the enemy. Where's an IFF when I need one?
As I step out into the ocean, I find myself floating on my feet, even without a ship spirit's rigging. However, I'm not actually standing on the water, but rather, sinking slightly into it. How does that happen? It's also unnerving. What if I fall in?
After a few seconds, I find myself relieved that it won't happen. As such, I begin walking out to the wrecked ships. My movements feel more like flailing, however, unused to floating like this.
A few minutes later, I arrive at the first of the wrecks, a large freighter cracked in half in the middle. Unfortunately, any hope of finding survivors fades once I see the age of the wreck. The amount of rust all over all the ships confirms that they've been here for a long time. Most of the cargo holds of the ships are in shambles, any supplies they once held now gone through either flooding, fire, or just time. However, at one lone cargo ship laying on its side near the coast, I find a relatively dry and intact cargo hold containing various food. Most of it is long since rotten though, but some of the longer-lasting ones look somewhat edible. I bring them with me in case I find those in need of it, or in case I'm hungry. They don't look the most tasty, though.
The wreck of the destroyer is even more disheartening. Its wreck lays in two pieces as well, but the level of damage is worse. From what I can tell, partly from my newfound knowledge as Sara, the ship was still under attack even after it sank. Numerous holes dot its hull, while a faded number 85 is still legible on its bow. DDG-85? But I don't know which one is that. Maybe it's an Arleigh Burke? The US has a lot of those.
I think the damage is more recent though. Maybe there are survivors or useful salvage? I opt to look more closely into it.
As I further explore the destroyer, I both confirm and disprove some of my earlier thoughts about the vessel. It wasn't shot as it was sinking. Instead, based on the state of the interior, most of the shooting had been from inside the ship. That means there had been survivors aboard, fighting off a boarding action. Aren't those rare these days? Strangely, I don't see any trace of the attacking party, but rather, plenty of corpses of the former crew members, uniforms and all. Turns out that this is indeed an American ship, USS McCampbell, going by labels on some of the equipment onboard. My expression saddens from seeing the casualties, for it's my first time to be witness to such a thing, not counting the Sara memories...
I continue my search deeper into the ship, and find more evidence of the crew putting up a fierce fight against their enemy. Traps, chokepoints, and sealed passageways were present, attempts to hold off their attackers for as long as they can, all the way to the partially flooded engine rooms, where some of the engineers attempted a final stand. If only the crew would receive proper burials...
Going inside one of the sealed rooms, I manage to find perhaps the most surprising find of them all. In a passageway cut off on both ends by heavy debris, I get my first look at whoever attacked this ship, An Abyssal destroyer!
The creature is in a pretty poor state, though. Half of it is trapped under a heavy metal beam from the collapsed upper deck. It's also missing a good chunk of its side from the explosive that sealed this room. From what I can tell, this one was left behind after the attackers pulled out. Now I wonder what other secrets this wreck holds.
It does mean, however, that there is a possibility, and danger, of live Abyssals still being present here, and they could be threats. I don't want to get captured again, or worse. As such, I cautiously check what equipment I have. As an Abyssal myself, I would have a rigging and all, right?
As I check within myself, mentally concentrating on forming my rigging around me, I feel a pull from somewhere deep. It's so instantaneous that I almost don't even realize it happened. New sensations nuzzle me while I inspect what I have manifested.
A new black presence settles onto my hat, its tendrils relaxing around me. It feels like jelly to the touch, yet the tendrils, armed with guns, are actually harmless to me. Soft and comfy even. If anything, they feel like a part of me, something I can move around via extra nerves and muscles. With my hand, I can feel the central part of the dome-like weight. Guns line its sides and top. I blink as I see my hand, even though it's above my head… do I have eyes up there? I even feel the presence of an extra mouth, a big one. It sure drives home how weird Abyssals can look.
Behind me is a black cloak, rather tattered-looking, yet soft and silky. A round silver clasp pins it to my dress. On my other hand is a black coral staff, a simple one which can double as a walking stick. In my mind's eye, I feel airplanes resting within me, within my hangars. Gestures with my staff are all that's needed to deploy them.
Not only those are present, though. I'm presented with a mental list of what I have on me, and from the looks of things, I'm equipped similarly to what I was when the war started. No Oerlikons yet, let alone Bofors, only Brownings and Chicago Pianos. Even my cruiser guns remain present, the 5"/38s nowhere to be found, only 5"/25s to accompany the eight-inchers. Radar-wise, I only have the early warning CXAM and two of the surface fire-control ones, the FCs, not the bountiful suite of mid-to-late-war. Lastly are my aircraft. Wildcats, Dauntlesses, Devastators. A respectable lineup, but it doesn't feel the same as having Hellcats and the like. At least there are ninety planes in total, ready to go.
They may be a step back from what I had before, but they feel nostalgic, like old times, and it's nice to know I have my equipment with me. My rigging's overall appearance brings to mind the Abyssal's version of standard carriers, though. Wo is me, for I look like one of them...
However, as I finish inspecting my new rigging, I notice movement from the supposedly dead Abyssal Destroyer. Looking down, I notice in its one good eye a glowing green fire staring back at me. Before I can react, I notice soft pings coming from it.
..-. .-.. .- --. … …. .. .--. ..--..
(TL: Flagship?)
Mental images flow into my mind. Dots and dashes. Short and long beeps. Translations into letters and words. I recognize them as Morse code, and I feel that being Sara has given me an understanding of it.
So the Abyssal before me is asking if I'm a flagship? It reminds me of a soldier asking for a superior officer. For now, I decide to try and play it safe. "Maybe," I reply, "Do you want me as one?"
The damaged Abyssal Destroyer continues its pings, but they seem softer than before. I don't think it has much strength left after who knows how long it's been here.
.-.. . ..-. - / -... -.-- / ..-. .-.. . . - --..-- / -.. .- -- .- --. . -..
(TL: Left by fleet, damaged)
I don't know if I could help with its injured state, or if it's wise to do so. So much for the 'no one left behind' thing though. "What's the sitrep? What was your mission?" I ask. Its answers may provide more context to this whole thing.
It pings back at me again, so softly that it's nearly silent.
… .. -. -.- / - .-. .- .. - --- .-. / ..-. .-.. . . - --..--
(TL:Sink traitor fleet)
With that, the light in its remaining eye goes out, and the Abyssal destroyer goes limp.
That's worrying. The Princess also referred to me as a traitor. A misnomer, really, since I did not join the Abyss in the first place. Can't betray what I was never part of.
But she also mentioned that there are others who are such, comparing me to them. That means I'm not the only one who is not interested in destroying humanity. Now I need to look for this rebel faction.
Though the destroyer could be referring to humanity instead, what with the Princess mentioning the part about being betrayed by them.
Before I go, however, I'll have to see if there's anything of note left in this ship, and then I'll take the time to give the crew and the Abyssal destroyer a sea burial. It's the least I could do for them.
As I continue my search, I don't find much left in the bowels of the ship, other than continued evidence of the defenders' stiff resistance. Talk about making the enemy pay for each step they took. As I step into the bridge, however, I do find one last thing of note.
Initially, it looks like nothing special. It's less damaged in comparison to other areas of the ship, leaving me to believe the crew fell back from the rather exposed position it offers. Tucked away under some wreckage, I manage to find a stack of papers, with a note attached. Most of it is illegible, but I can make out the very end.
...was a success, we managed to lure away the Abyssal fleet. But with the numbers now chasing us, there's no chance for our escape. I'm sending most of the crew ashore, being one of the few Islands not under Abyssal control. Maybe they'll escape notice, and be able to send out an SOS. But myself and anyone who volunteers will remain behind to make the Abyssals think they got us all. I had the crew write final letters to their family, they're attached to this note. If anyone finds this, please get these to our family. Good luck to whoever finds this.
Commander Thomas Carter
A solemn expression crosses my face. It was actually a do-or-die resistance. These guys voluntarily gave up their lives to stall and deceive the enemy, not only on their last stand, but as part of an operation, too. Courage and cunning both. I make sure to keep the letters, and make a mental note to find their families. It's only right that they know what happened here, and find closure.
It also means the crew could still be alive, back inland, though the bombed out town is not a good sign. Maybe I could help? Being mistaken for the enemy would, again, be a concern, albeit an understandable one.
After finishing my search of the ship, I start the process of burying the crew and Abyssal destroyer at sea. It's a long process, and added on with the time it took to explore all the ships plus the cargo ships, I begin to notice the sun starting to set on the horizon out to sea. I consider continuing to explore or not. On one hand, I don't feel tired. On the other hand, it's starting to get dark, which will make further exploration harder.
On the mutant third hand, well, a tendril in my case, I don't have a place to stay for the night, which I decide to prioritize looking for. Perhaps the remains of the town could be a starting point? There might be crew in hiding there, so I ought to check first. Scouting with my planes could be an option… if not for the approaching nightfall. No radar, no safe way of flying in the dark.
As I make my way through the town, the darkening sky gives an almost haunted look to the ruins around me. At the very least, this place was bombarded long before the crew of the McCampbell arrived. If I had to guess, I'd say the damage looks to be as old as that done to the cargo fleet wrecks off shore. But there doesn't seem to be any signs of recent human habitation, leading me to believe that they didn't pass through here. Or at the very least didn't stay here for long.
As I continue my exploration, I manage to find the name of the town, Agat it seems. On the Island of Guam. After exploring what I can, I go and find a relatively intact house, at the very least one that won't leak on me if it rains. It's closer inland when I'm able to locate such a dwelling, which is likely how it survived.
What a whirlwind of events. I shudder just thinking of what I went through. To find myself in a dark abyss, away from home, and someone trying to indoctrinate me by force… At least I'm finally a girl in body, and it's nice to be the spirit of Saratoga, if pale and glowy and jellyfishy. I don't know what would happen in the future, and it unnerves me. Hopefully things would be better tomorrow...
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Dromeosaur
Feathery Raptor of snowy planes and frozen sea
- Location
- The land of Trees and Squirrels
This should be really interesting.
SeismicGuide
The Quakiest of Quakebotes
- Location
- A usually Warm, Southern state of the US
This...Is gonna be a fun ride. I'm sure.
Pings in 593 class
Pings in 593 class
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UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Abyssal SIs are usually submarines?
It felt more like sub shipgirl is a popular SI route.
Only recently, I think that overall surface ships especially battleships are most popular overall. I can't even recall a cruiser one; they seem to be the unpopular middle child of Kancolle SIs (and non-SIs for that matter). Not small and cute like a destroyer, not big and powerful like a carrier or battleship, not sneaky like a sub, not gothy and eldritch like an Abyssal.
Did we ever get any destroyer SI stories, been a while since i last read any?
Offhand I recall Storm Warning. And Leave Her Johnny has a 4 chapter "what if the SI had been a destroyer?" Omake.
Miho Chan
One with too many ideas
- Location
- Hummelstown
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I wrote one that has since died. I have a DD insert in the works though!
SeismicGuide
The Quakiest of Quakebotes
- Location
- A usually Warm, Southern state of the US
Since any character I write ends up having ~50%-98% of me, and I seem to have this obsession to write DDs, But thats not what your looking for, is it?
I love both of those.
UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
True. Cruisers also have middling qualities (e.g. in terms of agility, firepower, armor), which work very well as a workhorse for a navy, but as characters, I guess one prefers stuff that stands out more?
That said, if I were to pick a cruiser, it'd probably be Helena. She's cute, and comes with generous amounts of well-aimed dakka.
Miho Chan
One with too many ideas
- Location
- Hummelstown
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You see, I tend to dislike the "Self Summon" thing to be honest. Also, Des Moines is best cruiser
UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That did not occur to me.
