Bismarck's Office, Iron Blood Headquarters.
June 11, 1942
8:00 PM
"So. Tell me, what are the capabilities of their ASW?" Bismarck spoke, looking the three girls in the eye.
"Well... according to what we saw, they use an aircraft similar to the Fl 282 Kolibri," U-557 read from her report, trying to suppress her trembling in front of Bismarck.
This caught Bismarck's attention at the mention of the aircraft used in ASW. She leaned forward in her seat and gestured for her to continue.
"That weird aircraft drops a cylindrical tube above us. He gave us a warning, and we ignored it. After that, he dropped a Torpedo."
U-557 paused to regain her composure from the shock she felt when the torpedo chased them.
"The torpedo then starts to move and follow us, but U-556 was the closest one to the torpedo, and she was hit in the rigging, with only one hit."
U-557 began to tear up as she finished her report, and the other U-Boats comforted her.
"A cylindrical shape with a wire attached to its end, and a Homing Torpedo used for Anti-Submarine. And with the use of the Fl 282 to fly it over the submarine, just like what we used to hunt down the Siren Subs with," Bismarck mumbled.
She sighed and faced the three U-Boats and spoke. "You three." She pointed at the three girls. "Go get some rest... you three need it."
The three U-Boats cheered, surprised that they weren't being punished for their failed mission. "Gnadige Frau."
Bismarck had a small smile on her face as she saw the girls' happy faces. The three then left the office and headed to their respective dorms.
She knew what the girls felt, as she had felt that same kind of defeat before. And she knew sending a bunch of U-Boats to find out their enemy's ASW capability was suicidal.
Bismarck and Hipper were the only ones left in the office, as the atmosphere returned to normal.
"What should we do about the new Ships of Azur Lane? Roon, Graf Zeppelin, and Odin are already enroute with the Sakura Empire?" Hipper asked, worried about Eugen going toe-to-toe with the Modern Kansens.
"Let's just hope the Sakuran Carriers can match the two New Carriers of Azur Lane," Bismarck spoke, thinking of alternative plans if Sakura failed.
Bismarck leaned forward to her table, clasped her hands together, and spoke.
"If the Sakurans fail, we might send Peter Strasser and Friedrich der Große to assist them. Those two are enough to tip the scale of the battlefield."
"But, that would leave us with minimal Carriers on our border. If we relocate one Shipgirl, the border in the east will be unguarded," Hipper exclaimed.
Iron Blood and the Northern Parliament had "little" border skirmishes with their ground troops. If this was left unsupervised, these border skirmishes could lead to an all-out conflict with their neighbor to the east.
"I know. If it is the only thing to keep our ally in the east afloat. Then, yes," Bismarck remarked, touching her brow.
She then ordered Hipper. "Contact the Sardinians to send reinforcements to the eastern borders if the Sakurans fail."
"Jawohl," Hipper saluted and left the room.
Bismarck leaned back in her chair. She looked down, her head resting in her clasped hands, and muttered to herself.
"How can these New Kansens of Azur Lane have the same technology we use, like Helicopters and Jet-Powered Planes... and now Homing Torpedoes to hunt down submarines? And they used even more sophisticated missiles than our V-2 Rockets that are currently in development."
She looked down to her right and then pulled a report paper from the drawer. She looked at the photo taken by the journalist in Eagle Union. The photo showed the White House, and FDR shaking hands with the woman she knew.
"Enterprise?"
Bismarck muttered, looking at the picture. Enterprise-6 and she had a history, as they represented their own nations every time a meeting was held at Azur Lane Base Pearl Harbor. Back then, when Iron Blood was part of the Alliance.
They were often misidentified when sitting next to each other. Enterprise-6 was often called Eagle Union Bismarck, and Bismarck was also called Iron Blood Enterprise.
She knew how dangerous Enterprise-6 was in the air. The only one that scared her the most was Enterprise-6's counterpart shown in the photo.
She only knew about her capability from leaked information in Eagle Union, about her: decapitating an Elite-Siren with a single bomb.
Many in the Iron Blood Hierarchy would call this Azur Lane Propaganda because of the absurdity of the information.
Absurdity or not, it was enough to put Bismarck on edge, as she knew her existence could be the end of the Crimson Axis Alliance in the near future.
"A sun will fall, and the Eagle will bare its talons on a Fox. I'm sure Eagle Union will grip their talons at the Sakurans, but... what about the sun thing?" Bismarck mumbled, remembering what Eugen told her about Shinano's premonition.
Azur Lane Base Pearl Harbor
June 12, 1942
6:00 AM
The Enterprise Carrier Strike Group and its escort Battleships reached Pearl, Azur Lane Main Base. They entered the harbor, guided by tugs. The Shipgirls were waiting for their arrival at the harbor, having woken up early to greet them warmly.
The decks of each Modern Warship were filled with Manjuus in formation as the ships entered the harbor.
The Cleveland Sisters were also waiting at the harbor. The last one to enter the harbor was the Next Generation Submarine.
Above the deck of the Nuclear Submarine, Denver-856 and her Crew/Manjuus were standing in formation as the sub entered the harbor.
The Cleveland Sisters waved their hands like they were waiting for family members who had been deployed for months at sea.
"So that one is my counterpart?" Essex-9 asked, pointing at the Amphibious Assault Ship.
"Yeah. That's her," Hornet said, looking at the ship with a smile.
Essex-9 wasn't at Pearl when the Modern Kansens introduced themselves. She was at Bremerton for extensive repairs from the damage she received at Midway and the Mirror Sea.
"Is that your ship's counterpart, Bunker Hill?" Intrepid pointed at the Nuclear Cruiser.
"Seems like it." Bunker Hill was looking at the Nuclear Cruiser. She was expecting her counterpart to not look like her.
"Let's greet them then," Enterprise-6 remarked.
Everyone was surprised to see her outside. She should have been resting in her room because she was badly injured in the skirmishes with the 2nd Carrier Division.
"You should be resting, sister," Hornet spoke, concerned about her sister's condition.
"Nah. It's just a scratch," Enterprise-6 replied, hiding the pain of her injuries. She acted like it was normal, but someone noticed her act.
Enterprise-80 went to their location unnoticed and spoke. "If you continue doing that, I'm going to put you in a wheelchair... Granny."
"EH!!!!!!!!!!"
"Ga-ga-ga-Granny!" Essex-9 yelled.
"Why you! Just because you were made in my counterpart's steel doesn't mean I'm your 'Grandma!'" Enterprise-6 retorted, veins popping in her forehead from annoyance.
"Well... in your condition, you might need a 'cane' to prove that I am right..." Enterprise-80 spoke sarcastically.
Everyone laughed at the joke, including Hornet, as they heard Enterprise-6 being called Granny.
"Look... I appreciate your concern, this is nothi—" Before Enterprise-6 could finish, she collapsed. Luckily, Enterprise-80 caught her in time.
Enterprise-80 muttered. "Told ya, old-hag."
Enterprise-6 was too weak to respond and resist in her current condition. She only frowned, unable to do anything to resist.
Hornet carried her sister to her room to get some needed rest. "Come on, Enterprise. You know how Sister Yorktown and Vestal get scary when they see you out of bed."
As soon as the Yorktown Sisters left, Enterprise-80 returned her attention to the gawking Essex Sisters, fixing her attire as she faced them.
"Let me guess. You are the Essex Class. Right?" She asked them, looking at the modern and sci-fi clothing they wore.
"Yes. I am USS Essex CV-9," Essex-9 introduced herself, trying not to be annoying.
"This is USS Intrepid CV-11." She gestured to the woman next to her.
Intrepid greeted her. "Hello..."
"This is USS Bunker Hill CV-17." She then gestured to the woman next to Intrepid.
Bunker Hill-17 greeted in typical Bunker Hill fashion. "Hello."
"So... that's my counterpart, huh?"
A woman wearing a Blue Coat and Light Blue Dress came to their position and greeted them. She was followed by a Purple-Haired Woman wearing MARPAT and Aviator Sunglasses.
"Y-Your?" Essex-9 stuttered, looking and pointing at her counterpart.
"Your counterpart? Yes," Essex-12 said, wanting to troll her counterpart.
Bunker Hill-17 was staring at her counterpart. Bunker Hill-76 stared back.
Enterprise-80 introduced them. "This is USS Bunker Hill CGN-76 of the Lexington Class Cruisers."
The woman wearing a Blue Coat and Light Blue Dress spoke. "I am currently Miss Enterprise's Secretary."
This surprised Bunker Hill-17, who tried not to scream. "Se-Secretary?" She didn't know her counterpart had a more crucial role than hers.
"Enterprise S-S-Secretary. H-How?" Essex-9 mumbled to herself, jealous of the position of being Enterprise's Secretary.
"How can I become a Secretary?!" Essex-9 yelled, surprising her sisters with her desire to be a Secretary.
They all knew she was too scatterbrained to be a flagship, but to be a Secretary? That was a long shot for Essex.
"Just glue your ass to a swivel chair, and you're now the new 'Secretary'," Essex-12 teased her counterpart.
Bunker Hill-76 gave her a smack on the head for the inappropriate manners. "I apologize for her lack of manners."
Intrepid and Essex-9 were taken aback, realizing why she was in the Secretary position. She was strict.
"And this is USS Essex LHA-12 of the America Class Amphibious Ship," she gestured to the Purple-Haired Woman wearing MARPAT and Aviation Sunglasses.
Essex-12 removed her Aviator Sunglasses and spoke. "For any first question. No. I'm not a Carrier." She then smiled.
"W-What are you carrying, then?" Essex-9 asked.
"I carry a bunch of Derange Mentally-Ill Young Americans from insane asylums to the battlefield."
"What???" The Essex Sisters were dumbfounded by what they just heard from their counterpart.
"You fucking carried, what now?!" Essex-9 yelled.
Their conversation was rudely interrupted by an angry shouting voice coming closer to their location.
"Enterprise! How many times do I have to tell you! You need some rest!"
A Pink-Haired Woman wearing a Nun/Nurse outfit was shouting in anger as she approached them. Her facial expression resembled a disappointed doctor with popping veins in the forehead.
"Should we tell her?" Intrepid whispered to Essex-9.
"Let her be. I want to see what will happen next?" Essex-9 whispered back. The Essex Sisters nodded in agreement.
Enterprise-80 turned around to face the one shouting and saw the Nun/Nurse Woman with popping veins in her forehead, clearly not in the mood for any shenanigans.
"Look. I'm not the 'Enterprise' that you were looking for. She's alre—" Enterprise-80's remarks were cut off by the woman's sudden outburst.
"I don't care about your excuses! I've had enough of your stupid habits!" She then raised her hand for a bonk. But before she could do that, she fell down and lost consciousness.
Enterprise-80's sophisticated onboard Defense System kicked in to protect her from any 'danger'. Her eyes glowed bright blue like a nuclear reactor startup.
She then readied a knife-hand strike, but before she could react, her reflexes kicked in, and she head-chopped the Nun/Nurse. The head chop was so strong that smoke could be seen rising from the Nun/Nurse's forehead.
Vestal got a Saitama treatment, just like what happened to Ban.
"VESTAL!!!!!!!!!"
The Essex sisters ran towards the unconscious Vestal lying on the ground. Essex-9 tapped her cheek multiple times to try and bring her back to consciousness.
Vestal's little tenacity didn't matter to this Enterprise, who thought she just bonked her on the head with disobedience. But this "Enterprise" was packed with a defense system that even a literal fly couldn't land on.
And she tried to bonk it. Vestal just bonked around and got a chop in the head instead.
Essex-12 put her right hand on Enterprise-80's left shoulder and spoke. "You just killed their Doctor, Ma'am."
Enterprise-80 was still shocked by what she had just done and mumbled. "D-Did I just head-chop her?"
Bunker Hill-76 spoke, wanting to ease Enterprise-80's concern about the Nun/Nurse. "Don't worry, Ma'am. She's just knocked out... a bit."
Lucas chimed in and whistled. "That's... a... lotta... damage."
Essex-12 called for a medic sarcastically. "Medic! We need a Medic, here!"
William ran towards the call, stopped, and asked. "What happened?"
Lucas pointed at the unconscious Vestal. "She needs help."
William looked where Lucas was pointing and saw an unconscious Nurse/Nun being treated by the Essex Sisters. "Oh, shit!" he muttered.
He quickly assessed the damage to Vestal's forehead for a moment and spoke. "Yup. Doctor is dead. They are fucked." He then puffed on a smoke.
"Dear God. How can you joke like that? Vestal is out cold, you know," Essex-9 exclaimed, holding the unconscious Vestal.
"Pufftt... Nah. A splash of cold water would do the job," William said, glancing at the knocked-out Vestal.
(typical medic)
"A splash of cold water! You're a doctor, right?" Intrepid asked, seeing him wearing a lab coat.
"That works for me. Besides, I'm not a Doctor of some sorts. I'm a Physicist. Not a Doctor," he said to them, as they looked at him in disbelief.
The girls thought of him as a Doctor because of his lab coat, but he was just a jerk wearing a coat and acting like a professional.
Without wasting any time, the Essex Sisters carried the unconscious Vestal to the infirmary. Shipgirls moved out of the way as they saw it was an emergency.
Lucas nudged William on the left arm. "I saw you glancing at the Nurse. You like her... don't you?"
William looked at him without saying a thing, but he wore the face of someone who had had enough.
"I got to admit, she's kinda cute," Lucas teased him.
Enterprise-80 spoke, regaining her composure from what she had just done. "William, go save the Doctor."
William puffed a smoke, threw his cigarette on the ground, and stomped on it to extinguish the fire. "Roger, that."
William used this opportunity and excuse to avoid Lucas's stupid puns and quickly dashed to the Infirmary where the Essex sisters had rushed the unconscious Vestal.
Queen Elizabeth and her Corgi heard a commotion at the location of the Modern Kansens.
"What's with the commotion?" Queen Elizabeth asked, looking at the three, who were sweating bullets.
"Nothing important, Your Majesty," Lucas said, trying to hide the fact that the Repair Ship of the Base was knocked down.
Warspite noticed this, sighed, and spoke. "Lucas. Tell us the truth?"
She spoke like a mother who caught her son lying. Lucas was sweating profusely from Warspite's intense stare.
Denver-856 spoke to break the tension. "What do you think Arizona is doing right now?"
This caught everyone's attention, especially Queen Elizabeth and Warspite.
"I bet that bastard is holding himself back from pulling the trigger of his Sniper Rifle to blow one of the Sakuran Military Heads," Essex-12 muttered.
"Arizona? Did I miss some crucial information?" Queen Elizabeth asked, her curiosity piqued.
Sakura Empire
~Last Night~
Meanwhile, in the bushes, a man wearing Navy SEAL gear and a Ghillie Suit blended into the foliage, their rifles also covered with leaves and branches.
AZ-1, along with Arizona, crawled their way to the nearest building, their Long Range Listening Devices raised and pointed. After confirming the importance of the base, Arizona and AZ-1 Team infiltrated under the cover of night, their shadows blending with the walls.
The Imperial Army, stationed as Guards for the Base, were oblivious to the phantom lurking around the base with its modern night optics and electronics.
"AZ-1a to Arizona, the Guards at the gates were minimal," the Lead Manjuu radioed.
"Copy that AZ-1a, continue with the infiltration," Arizona contacted the team, readying his Pistol loaded with tranquilizing darts.
He aimed it at the nearest guard from where he stood in the shadows, waiting for the Guard to move into a location beyond the other Guards' sights.
*Pew *
He shot him in the neck. The Guard felt his neck as if being bitten by a mosquito, then fell asleep behind the stacked crates.
"Guard is down, move," Arizona radioed.
"Copy, that," AZ-1a responded as he and his Team infiltrated the infrastructure where they could find information about the Imperial military. Inside the infrastructure, it was a maze of hallways adorned with Imperial Japanese Military design.
Their chicken feet were careful with their footsteps to avoid making any noises as they traversed the hallway with precaution, weapons drawn for close-quarter combat.
Finally, they reached a room filled with papers and information and Desk Officers doing their daily jobs. One man yawned as he was about to retire for the night, but unfortunately for him, that retirement came with a quick chop on the neck, making him retire for the whole night.
"All clear."
The Manjuus rolled in and started taking photos of what they could gather as crucial information. The room was like a gold mine of information, as bases all over the Imperial Territory were marked, along with an Airfield and a Hidden Mountain Complex of Bunkers Dug Beneath The Mountain.
"Jackpot," AZ-1a remarked after stumbling upon that information.
This was the information they wanted to get: the destruction of the underground bases dug under a mountain via air strike.
Some files that weren't related to military stuff were also looked at, including military deals, corruptions, and fund allocations to officers' pockets.
With all the information seized, AZ-1 Team retreated through the night. Outside the building, Arizona placed the Guards in positions giving the image of them taking a nap in the middle of their guard duty. The plan was seamless, and they all retreated through the night.
Morning came, and the base was in a frenzy as some documents were misplaced, but no one was concerned as nothing was reported missing. The only person they could blame was the sleeping officer on duty, surmising that he had placed them in the wrong arrangement during the night.
That man was totally clueless as he had been asleep, and he still felt his neck stiffened for some reason.
~Present Day~
Arizona crawled through the nearby forest near the building where the supposed meeting was about to be held with the higher-ups of the Sakuran Empire.
AZ-1, with the electronics, recorded what transpired in the meeting and what could be crucial information for future operations in the Empire.
AZ-1a reported. "All devices are ready."
"Good, it seems the meeting is about to start." Arizona then beckoned them to start the process.
With a few key presses, the device filtered out some noises from the surrounding area and focused only on the meeting chamber where the meeting was currently being held.
Meeting Chamber 10:00 AM
Musashi, Shinano, Akagi, Prinz Eugen, and other Sakuran High-Rank Military personnel were gathering in the meeting chamber. The meeting chamber was surrounded by maps and decorated pillars.
Musashi's eyes were closed as she meditated for a while. She then opened her eyes and spoke.
"Everyone. According to Iron Blood intelligence, the New Kansens that joined Azur Lane are now joining to fight us..." Musashi paused to look at everyone's reactions.
The reactions were mixed. Those who knew of their existence were nervous, and those who didn't were confused.
The Military High-Rank personnel who ordered and gave the go-ahead for the failed operation were glancing at each other, trying to avoid the blame they were about to receive.
Musashi then gestured. "Eugen. Please can you tell us about the New Kansens?" Everyone looked at Eugen.
Eugen was seated at one of the seats, her feet resting on the table. She stood up and read her report. "According to our intelligence, the Carrier you planned to sabotage belongs to a Shipgirl similar to 'Enterprise'."
This caught everyone's attention, especially the few Shipgirls inside the meeting chamber, and was followed by murmurs from the Sakuran High-Rank Military personnel.
"What do you mean? There are two Enterprises?" Akagi asked, despising that name and confused about what Eugen was talking about.
Eugen spoke, wanting to clarify for everyone. "Nein. This is not the Enterprise we knew. This is far more dangerous than her. She's more advanced and powerful. She carries an Aircraft similar to our Me 262, but a lot bigger and has more power and can carry more Bombs."
The Sakuran High-Rank Military personnel sweated nervously as they heard Eugen's report.
"So, that uses the same technology as Iron Blood? Does that mean your secrets are leaking out to Azur Lane?" Akagi exclaimed.
"Nein." Eugen looked at Akagi, dead serious.
Akagi then shut her mouth, knowing Eugen was cunning. If she spoke further, her failure to eliminate Enterprise-6 could be revealed to the higher-ups in the Sakura Empire.
Eugen continued her report. "This Carrier can carry a Fighter-sized Bomber. And according to our analysis, the plane she carries can carry more Bombs similar to a Medium Bomber."
"What do you mean by that?" Musashi asked, this statement catching her attention. She didn't know a fighter the size of a Medium Bomber existed.
"Her planes can carry more Bombs than any plane capable of Carrier Landing."
Eugen implied that this Carrier could carry this Fighter-sized Bomber alone.
"So, you're telling us she's more superior than Shinano and Graf Zeppelin?" Musashi asked.
Eugen slowly nodded, making the atmosphere in the room tense.
One of the High-Rank personnel asked. "Where did you get this information? Even our spies in Pearl couldn't give the right description of these ships."
"We ordered our spies to gather information about these Kansens at Norfolk. As soon as our spies started sending their reports about the New Kansens, they were taken down by an unknown weapon coming from the air. According to their reports, the person hit by it was sliced into many pieces," Eugen remarked, looking at the High-Rank Military personnel.
A murmur rose from the High-Rank Military members, as they had never heard of this kind of slicing weapon from above.
"How did they track your spies on mainland Eagle Union?" Cmdr. Shin asked.
Cmdr. Shin was one of the Frontline Commanders who led the Shipgirls in battle against the Sirens. Every faction had its own Frontline Commander to lead its Shipgirls.
"Simple. They can detect our transmissions, just like one of your spies was captured within minutes after that failed operation. Meaning they were tracking the signal you've been transmitting before the failed operation," Eugen remarked.
"So, this new Kansen can track the signals we use?" Cmdr. Shin asked again.
"Ja. All Shipgirls can intercept radio signals, but this one can track even highly encrypted transmissions. And you poked them," Eugen straight-up insulted their ally, acting as an ambassador.
"So... you're telling us that we poked them in the face?" Tojo responded, he was the one who ordered the attack.
"Ja. You guys poked them in the face with your failed mission. And now they are coming after the Crimson Axis Alliance," Eugen spoke with criticism, looking at Tojo with hate.
The tension between the two was heavy, as it could be cut with a hot knife. Everyone in the chamber room could sense the heavy atmosphere between the two.
Musashi spoke to break the tension between the two. "That's enough between the two of you. We're here to discuss this upcoming threat that could end the Crimson Axis Alliance."
The two then calmed down, and the tension in the room lifted. Everyone in the room calmed down as the tension settled.
Eugen continued her report. "As I was saying, the Carrier's Escort is composed of Cruisers and Destroyers according to our description. Their single cannons can fire at a higher rate than our existing cannons. They also use missiles to take on any threat. They also used a rotary aircraft similar to our Fl 282 for Anti-Submarine."
"Missiles? You mean guided rockets?" One of the High-Rank personnel asked.
"Ja."
Then, the door of the meeting chamber burst open, and a Bunny Girl came inside with urgency. Everyone looked at the main door as their chatter died down.
Souryuu entered the room with report papers in her hands. Everyone in the room was silent. She then bowed and apologized.
"Gomen'nesai, for the sudden intrusion."
"What is it, Souryuu-san? Is it that urgent for you to burst the door like that?" Musashi asked, not having a good day with more problems arising.
"Hai. We just received a sudden transmission from Azur Lane," Souryuu said.
"I thought we cut our diplomatic transmission with Azur Lane," Tojo exclaimed, not expecting Azur Lane to send a diplomatic transmission.
"No." Souryuu shook her head. "It was sent via Sakura Naval Code."
Everyone in the meeting room gasped in surprise at how Azur Lane used their Naval Code to contact them. Eugen wasn't surprised, knowing this would happen eventually.
Iron Blood's Enigma was also in danger because of the captured equipment from their spies on Eagle Union mainland.
"Impossible! How can they decipher our Naval Codes?" Cmdr. Shin exclaimed, getting up from his seat.
Eugen spoke. "Have you forgotten the spy in Azur Lane main base? He must have been captured, and let's not forget Ayanami."
Musashi held her brows and thought. 'I almost forgot she was captured. Damn it!' She gritted her teeth.
This silenced him, and he pondered his failed mission and how Azur Lane now had their Naval Code.
'How could this happen? The plan was perfect. We just had to steal one plane and reverse engineer it. But now...' Cmdr. Shin thought.
"Can you please read the report, Souryuu-san?" Tojo spoke in a calm voice, trying to hide his panic.
"According to the transmission, it says: 'We have unfinished business at Pearl that night, and I want an explanation. I will send my diplomat and Azur Lane diplomat to talk for your surrender and return to the Alliance. If you refuse, 'The sun will set at the Empire'. CVN-80 USS ENTERPRISE."