Ch58: A Daughter's Song (2)

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Notice: Unidentifiable entity detected within U-T-E-R-O. Attempting to purge...

Enterprise: GAAAAAAH!

BOOOOOM

Dodging the explosion, I turn and backhand her across the cheek, using my momentum from the turn to add weight to my hit. She swings back with a punch that lands true in my stomach. Pain rips through me but I still manage to grab ahold of her. With us this close, there's no way I'll miss.

Me: It's over!

I open a full broadside into her stomach and at the same time she launches another airwing. Despite it being impossible for me to miss at this range, she somehow evades all my shells and I'm forced to disengage and take evasive action. I dodge some of her attacks but one strikes true and deals a surprising amount of damage, much more than her prior attacks. It doesn't disable me but it sure hurts like hell.

Requirements met: Activation of Hex-Principle of Insight, Hex-Principle of Shattering and Hex-Principle of Dominance simultaneously. 

Me: RAAAAAH!

My main guns open fire once more as more aircraft are launched. A squadron of fighters lead the charge, clearing the air between us of any of her remaining planes before parting to let my own attack wave through. Enterprise flinches before trying to evade the incoming attack but within a few seconds, she's immobile thus leaving her open to attack.

Me: Now!

Every single weapon available to me opens up. Even the fighters strafe her with bullets as round after round, torpedo after torpedo and bomb after bomb pummel her into submission. By the time the smoke clears, she's already falling out of the sky, a smoking meteor heading for the ocean floor. 

She impacts the water with a loud boom. When she doesn't immediately return fire in my direction, I breathe a sigh of relief. It's finally over.

Notice: U-T-E-R-O compromised. Request for additional deployments to the region to assist in containment granted. Temporary shutdown imminent.

Huh? What's that about a shutdown? No matter. I can worry about that later. Right now we need to end things with Eagle Union once and for all. If we can force them out of the war then we can end it before it truly kicks off thus allowing us to turn our full attention towards the rest of the Northern Parliament and dealing with the treacherous Sardegna Empire.

FDG: [I have never been prouder.]

Me: [????]

FDG: [My daughter...completing her first symphony...] 

Me: [What are you doing here?]

FDG: [Sobs*]

Roon: [We're all here!]

Surprised to hear Roon's voice, I turn to find the entire fleet behind me battling Eagle Union's now retreating force. I'm so shocked to see them there that for a second I don't even notice the arrow flying towards me until it's mere feet away. It only requires a small shift to the side for the arrow to whiz by harmlessly but it is still jarring to see how close I came to getting hit.

Searching for who fired it, I soon find myself under attack not from below but from above. After dodging the initial assault, I'm shocked to find B-25 bombers overhead. 

Me: [Scatter! Scatter! Scatter!]

Immediately, our entire fleet separates as everyone follows my instructions to scatter. As they do, I inform them of the bombers overhead so that they can keep an eye out for incoming bombs or mines that might have been deployed before directing my own aircraft to intercept them. 

Notice: Commencing operation.

At once, my vision blurs and I begin falling. My aircraft, my guns, everything but my clothes and I fall silent before vanishing. What's happening now? Is this the end? Did Enterprise get me after all? Fuck!

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