Pax Propter Vim

Chapter 11

Joint Base Hickam-Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.

December 12, 1941.

Zumwalt looked at the Fleet about to set sail for the Dutch East Indies with an impressed gaze. Just a few days ago this place was a sea of fire, now they were already planning a counterattack on those bastards. In total there were about 65 mass-produced Warships that would sail with the Shipgirls under the command of Admiral Williams Halsey.

In addition to the mass-produced Warships that would be sailing, there were several Shipgirls accompanying them. Enterprise, Hornet, San Francisco, San Diego, Javelin, Laffey, Prince Of Wales, Cleveland, Zumwalt and George are the Shipgirls that will be sent for now.

Beside Zumwalt was Prince Of Wales who was drinking tea from her thermos. Zumwalt then said. "Everything happened so fast, eh? I was thinking that this is some bad joke by God."

"Creating Humans and Sirens in the first place is a bad joke, why make destructive creatures when you can make obedient ones without too much asking? No one knows and I honestly don't want to know." Wales said with a short sigh.

"You look tired, Miss Wales." Zumwalt said with an awkward smile.

"Yes, I'm tired of thinking about all this, but I can't let it all go, just because my hull carries this name... Prince of Wales, how sickening." Wales said with another sigh.

"Well uhh, I haven't known you long and I'm sure you don't trust me completely yet, but.... You can talk to me if you want." Zumwalt offered.

Wales thought about it for a moment. Then she spoke up again. "Then, whatever I say here is just between the two of us, okay? No one else can know, not even the Americans."

"Enterprise and Nevada can't know either?" Zumwalt asked to which Wales replied with a shake of her head.

"Even the two of them, don't get me wrong Zumwalt, I will gladly fight by their side till my last breath, but what I'm about to tell you goes beyond my trust in them, I just don't know why I want to tell you this so badly." Wales said softly, her grip on her tea flask strengthening.

"Perhaps, it comes from deep within you, you desperately need a place to pour out your grievances without fear of judgment, either because of the name your hull carries or because you are.... What is it again? Ah yes, Royal Knight." Zumwalt said softly, she held Wales' hand that was gripping the flask.

Wales seemed to sob a little, but still holding it in, she tried not to look at Zumwalt. "Yes, maybe... Maybe I need that place, can I do that with you, Zumwalt?"

"People say that confiding in someone you're not too close to is more relieving and enjoyable than confiding in someone you're close to." Zumwalt smiled a little.

".... This happened four days after Hood died... I can't forget it. Hood's corpse.... was placed in one of the facilities used to create us, the Shipgirls. There her body was autopsied, then I along with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth decided to come and give Hood a proper funeral, the Admiralty had agreed to our request as they also thought it immoral to perform vivisection on a Shipgirl who was the Jewel of the Fleet." Wales begins her story.

"Wait... Hood, died? But I heard from the other girls that she was just dying and is currently in intensive care?" Zumwalt asked confused.

"...That was a false story we all told to trick the enemy, the fact is the Hood right after her fight with Bismarck, died a horrible death... I still remember the fearful look in those blue eyes of her... Her beautiful golden blond hair was covered in blood." Wales' body trembled and her sobs began to intensify.

"That sounds pretty fucked up man." Zumwalt scowled at that.

"Yeah, that's how Ironblood is under the leadership of the two-faced Bismarck." Wales said with anger.