The Shackles Of Affection | Male Warship | Azur Lane

Chapter 7 | Three Minutes

---Many Hours After Touch Down---

---Cleveland Point Of View---

"-Because everyone's tense right now, it's not just you." Quincy admits to Destroyer, Benson. Whom was a bit shaken up, and worried about the up coming engagement. It was a given that we'd be engaged with a sizable Sakura Empire force. But not one we couldn't overcome and fend off with our relatively equal force. Even so, knowing they had a potential 4 carriers of any size was a bit worry some. Speaking up Bogue walked between the two. "But don't you worry Benson! The best pitcher of the Eagle Union is here to protect the fleet! and with me around there's no way the enemy can win!!!" Hearing her enthusiasm helped ease Benson a bit. Seeing everyone work together to calm those who are a bit on edge. It warmed my heart, and even calmed myself a bit to see everyone so concerned with their peers. Looking behind me at the further back escort vessels, finding this act of comforting was a constant across the whole field. This soft gentle smile crosses over my face, as I turned away, and look to Cowpens off to the right-side flank of Yorktown near the center of the formation. Finding him sailing alone from conversation. Running a hand down the patches and repaired sections of his rigging, parts once blown apart.

The look in his eyes told the story that's plaguing his mind. Visually my soft smile turned back, and in its place the look of understanding. "His first engagements got to be lugging around his mind." Columbia comments sailing up beside me. Both of us paying him mind. I nod, aware, and in agreeance. Thinking about the moments before we departed for the mission, I recall Hornet walking back towards our plane after giving Cowpens a sendoff hug. The look of unspoken worry for him. Then the words that were spoken. "Be warry of his heart, it may get him in trouble" I'm unsure if my sisters heard it but I did. On the surface it's rather unusual to say about him but having seen the after-action report of his engagement. I'm more then aware of what that warning meant. I open my mouth to speak, cut off immediately by what could only be described as a domino of chaos. In the following order of sequences total calm, and a plan going to plan, turned to chaos, and the total collapse of all planning structure. Texas, escorting from complete dead front shouts out with New Jersey shouting from the dead back of the formation. "Torpedoes to starboard!!!/Torpedoes to port!!" the two sets of conflicting information being barked in unison from two different sections of the formation was confusing, and caused a moment of confusion, before anyone had much time to process and determine which direction to move or to look for torpedoes! As result 2 ships get striked in the leg by torpedoes, both being center section escort vessels, Destroyers at that. Fletcher & Sims!

The events of which causes a moment of panic throughout the once moments ago, calm and organized formation into chaos and disorder! Even my sisters are startled into a moment of short panic, in a bid to avoid torpedoes they'd yet to see with their own eyes, everyone excluding a few select vessels brake formation, turning, zig zagging, and nearly colliding with each other. With in seconds of the torpedo strikes, those who had Air radar began picking up pings, and those with surface radars began getting pings, and EVERYONE Of us excluding carriers began receiving Sonar pings. All suggesting that we've been somehow almost surrounded by an enemy who'd surrounded us in a C formation and was attacking from 200 degree's worth of directions. "AIRCRAFT 10 O'CLOCK!!!" Shouted out Lexington, not a beat later Yorktown shouting. "MORE 1:30!!!" Cowpens, to my utter surprise being the calmest of those still in formation! Rather it be out of lack of awareness or other factors shouts over everyone levelheaded yet clearly with hints of fear behind him.

"Bogue!!!! Launch your planes!!!" Not a moment later, Cowpens, Bow bursting into existence from cube fragments, is first to load, and fire off three sets of three arrows at the air, introducing intercept fighters before enemy planes could arrive. Bogue, a bit shook up having been out of her intended spot of the formation, up near us at the front, begins falling back into formation, nervous like everyone else, nods, and begins launching soft balls that burst into FM-2's (F4F best Variant) Wildcats into the air. By now it's only been 45 seconds, everyone but a select few, still in panic, breaking formation, and not paying proper attention to their surroundings. Causing another failure in our part, aircraft from the Radar pickups have arrived, diving out of clouds above, D4Y1 and B7A2 Dive bomber, and torpedo bomber aircraft carrying both Torpedoes and 500KG naval bombs along with light enemy vessels, such as Destroyers, Light cruisers, and Lighter weight heavy cruisers come racing in directly at our scattered, and panicking fleet. With a loud roar Texas booms at everyone.