Legends

Chapter 42~ Report

First impressions, it was often said, meant nearly everything. So then it was fortunate that battleship New Jersey had an initially favorable view on Titanic. There were few ships who didn't wish to meet the legend and fewer still who lied about that desire. Oftentimes, legend overshadowed reality to the point that the real thing could often be disappointing. Still, New Jersey found the liner to be a pleasant sort and respected her for her role in protecting her home.

Olympia looked exactly the way New Jersey remembered her. A short girl with blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and a hat that wouldn't look out of place at the Derby over her eyes. "She warned us of incoming rounds but it cost her."

She being Constitution who was unconscious once more after briefly waking just before New Jersey's arrival. Now the frigate was motionless, wounds still bleeding despite her fairies working diligently to repair the damage. Let it not be said that a wooden ship's injuries were any less horrifying to look at than a metal ship's. If anything, because it was Constitution lying there, it made it even harder for New Jersey to keep her eyes from averting. Still, she had a job to do.

"Did you bring a repair ship with you?" Olympia asked.

New Jersey shook her head. "No, Vestal's needed in the Pacific but I heard Bainbridge is in Norfolk." She replied.

Olympia sighed in relief. "Can you get her there?" She asked.

"Not the first time I've tow-ah carried an injured friend to safety." New Jersey replied as she effortlessly picked up the frigate in her arms.

As she stood, Olympia whirled around, deploying her rigging at movement from a nearby bush. Out stepped a destroyer, hands up in supplication. New Jersey narrowed her eyes, taking in the distinctive two funnels, one tall mast forward and the oversized gun on the bow. A form intimately familiar to her given the closeness she had with her favorite murderballs. And there was only one Fletcher that it could be in this city. "Cassin?"

"Big J?" Cassin Young for her part looked confused but when she saw Constitution in the battleships arms, that quickly changed to concern. "What happened to Mamma Connie?" She whined.

Olympia was mouthing "Mamma Connie" as she stowed her rigging once more, stepping aside with a shake of her head. New Jersey just shrugged. Naturally Constitution would have taken the younger (from her perspective at least) kiddo in as a ward.

"She took a hit." The battleship replied. "But she should be okay as long as we can reach Norfolk in a timely fashion." She turned to the rest of the ships. Liberte was giving as many rations to the carrier as she could spare while Big U pulled double duty in fending off Yorktown as the carrier tried to hug her. Despite this, she tossed the last wrapped meal at Cassin who caught it deftly. "Right, are we all ready to depart?" New Jersey asked.

"Should be." Titanic nodded. "I sent Bluenose and Theabaud ahead to scout a route for us. They should be back any minute."

Right on que the pair of schooners returned. "Everything looks clear. Abby cleared the joint as soon as the Grey Ghost showed up to bounce them out!" Bluenose exclaimed, thumbing at Enterprise who for her part just shrugged.

New Jersey addressed her and her sister. "There's a combined American-Japanese fleet we're liable to meet up with once we head out to sea. So I need to know now if either of you are going to start shit."

Yorktown grimaced, having kept as much distance from Musashi as she could. Enterprise sighed. "I'm pretty sure I could but I'd rather not put Yorktown through that test just yet." She said.

"E, I can handle it-" The eldest protested.

Enterprise put one arm around her. "Hush." She chided gently. Yorktown huffed but said nothing as she leaned into her sister.

For one Admiral Briggs, waiting was never his particularly favorite game. In fact he would argue if you gave him an Abyssal prisoner he would put it in his position if such a move didn't violate the Geneva Convention. Waiting was pure torture!

The hole he was putting in his carpet was finally given a break when his phone rang. "Briggs." He said out of habit.

"John." It was Cunningham.

"James, what's the word over there?" Briggs braced himself. The way his fellow admiral said his name was a warning the news he bore was not going to be good.

"We succeeded in capturing all our bases back but at heavy cost. Plymouth in particular gave us one hell of a fight. Lost all our subs in that endeavor except Upholder." Cunningham sighed.

"How's she taking it?" Briggs asked, expecting the answer.

"Not well. Your submarine Washington is trying to help but you know how it is to be the lone survivor." Cunningham replied.

Briggs winced, briefly the memories of Blood Week coming back to him before he got them under control. Arleigh Burke hadn't stood a chance against three Abyssal cruisers and the former captain still mourned her loss, brave as her last stand was.

Then he paused. "Wait, isn't Washington still a ship?" He asked.

"Aye. And she's not summoned either but apparently she thought that molesting her captain because she was incorporeal was an okay thing to do, at least until he began to see her."

Briggs shook his head at the antics of apparently even the modern fleet. "What of the Lone Princess? Tell me you at least got her."

"Sorry John. No such luck. She's as slippery as your Tosa is." Both Admirals stewed in their fury at their fleets losing their targets.

"I have no doubt we'll get another chance at them soon..." Briggs broke off as his cell rang. The one he'd only given his shipgirls permission to call. "Ah hang on a minute, James. I'm getting an update here."

"Copy."

"Report." Briggs growled.

"Admiral, despite my sisters losing Tosa in the fog, I can confidently say this day was not a complete fucking waste of time." New Jersey's familiar husky alto greeted him.

"Oh, how so?" He asked.

"Well, we have some new ships. Abby made a big mistake in shelling Boston!" There was a shuffling sound as New Jersey handed off the phone to presumably the newgirls.

"Admiral!" An impossibly young voice greeted him first. "Cassin Young reporting for duty sir!"
"USS Yorktown CV-5 reporting."

"USS Enterprise CV-6, ready for duty Admiral."

Briggs blinked, then blinked again. "Girls, you are most welcome." He said after a minute. There was happy squealing from all three at his words.

But it wasn't all good news. "Admiral, we're going to need Bainbridge ready for emergency repair work. Constitution took some hits in the fight and she's in bad shape." New Jersey said.

Briggs sighed. "Understood Commander. Get here fast."

He returned his attentions to Cunningham on the other line. "My girls are on their way back. Constitution is badly injured but we also have three new girls. A destroyer and two carriers." He said.

"I'd be lying if I said we couldn't use a carrier over here now that Ark Royal's been sunk." Cunningham replied.

"For the moment, I'll let you keep Lafayette while I get my new girls up to speed." Briggs promised.

"Who are your new girls?" Cunningham wondered. Briggs smiled and told him.

In England, all the shipgirls heard Cunningham's gleeful cheering. After the disastrous Channel Raid, what could possibly have the man in such a good mood? Hood led the way to find out with a contingent of American and British shipgirls following her.

Arriving at Cunningham's office in time to see him hang up the phone, the Admiral turned to face his girls. "Right, that was Briggs. Lafayette, you're on loan with us for the time being." He said.

"Oui sir but I thought with the recent attacks?" She wondered.

"Aye and the original plan was to send you back as soon as this operation was complete. However, the summoning of two carriers for your side simplifies things." Cunningham replied.

"Who did the Yanks get?" Hood asked as Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth both pushed their way up next to Lafayette, the sisters holding hands.

Cunningham chuckled as he looked at the elder sibling. "You're going to have to get used to sharing your nickname again, Mary. The Yanks have Yorktown and Enterprise."

The chorus of cheers that greeted that statement essentially shook the entire building.