Legends

Chapter 51~ I want ice in my drink, dammit!

New Jersey's force pulled into Bremerton completely silent. Williams had radioed the news to them as they'd entered the straits. Well he'd radioed New Jersey who had promptly gone on an hour long rant, using every word in the English dictionary twice before drawing on her extensive vocabulary unique to the navy. And after that, there were words that even Missouri and Wisconsin hadn't heard before which was saying something.

It was only when she had calmed down enough to fall silent that Missouri risked an approach. "What is it Jersey?" She asked.

New Jersey had lost her mirror shades. She'd pulled them off soon after talking to Williams, promptly broke them in half and threw each half into the sea. So now when Missouri looked at her, she was treated to the full force of her agonized blue gaze. Tear tracks stained both her cheeks and more still were pooling.

"The Taffies?" Missouri whispered.

"Fine." New Jersey muttered. "The Taffies are fine. They're en route to Bremerton."

She didn't volunteer anything more but then again she didn't have to. Missouri could read her sister well enough. "Wash?" She gasped and New Jersey could only nod. A one armed hug wasn't the best comfort Missouri could provide but with both ships still in their rigging and under power, it was the best she could do.

Admiral Williams met them at the dock. He looked exhausted but determined and focused. New Jersey started her report but was cut off by the sound of gunfire. Her head jerked around towards the gun range and so did her sister's.

"What was that?" She asked.

Williams sighed. "That Commander, is our other problem." He said. Remembering that he didn't tell New Jersey the other part of the fight in Los Angeles, he added "Iowa. She's been doing that for a full day now. I'm about ready to order her to the mess hall and eat. But I was hoping you might have better luck."

"Iowa's back?" Wisconsin spoke up now, almost eager.

"She came back in the same fight that cost us Washington. Tried to tow Wash back up the coast. With both Los Angeles and San Francisco on fire, the last thing we needed was shipgirls getting in the way of the panicking civilians. Lest they draw the Abyssals in." Recalling Titanic's report from her own little escaped, New Jersey was inclined to agree. "In addition, flying her back here in that condition was out of the question or so Vestal tells me. She offered to go down herself but just our misfortune that our standby aircraft had 'difficulties'." Williams' frustration was visible now.

"Which left Iowa with the tow option." New Jersey finished.

"She got as far as Cape Flattery. Vestal was en route with the Coast Guard when I got word. Iowa did what she could but well, try telling her that." Williams gestured to the range. "I do hope you can talk to her. Get her to come inside and eat at least so I don't have to make it a direct order."

New Jersey offered him a small smile. "I'll do my best sir." She promised.

..............

What remained of the Abyssal force had only one thing on its mind. Run! Had the shipgirl force stayed they might have considered turning around. But with the enemy in retreat and they themselves lacking the ability to make any meaningful impact on coastal cities, running was their only option.

They were a half a day west of the California coast. Running at 18 knots and completely doomed. They had no way of knowing that a hunter had them in their crosshairs.

No way of knowing... at least until the heavy cruiser went up in flames. Her back broken, she took only moments to sink. There was no warning. The destroyers instantly went into ASW mode, scanning the seas for the submarine they knew to be there. But there was no sign of her. No telltale wake of torpedo. Nothing on their sonar scans! It was like they were being attacked by a ghost.

It was not a ghost. 2000 yards distant and 100 feet underwater, her anachoic tiles preventing the sonar from detecting her unless she was very close, USS George Washington listened to the carnage. She fired another spread into the Abyssal fleet taking care of the destroyers. Mark 48s were a devastating weapon, one which should have ensured Abyssals never became a major threat. But now they were being wielded by a shipgirl, removing whatever barrier had existed preventing such dominance.

The last Abyssal slipped beneath the waves just 40 minutes after the first. Only now did Washington lower her depth to 60 feet and take a look through her periscope. "That one is for you, mom!" She growled.

With that, the daughter and namesake of the late battleship slipped away into the depths. There were more Abyssals out there and she had not even finished her spree of vengeance. To the contrary, she had only just begun!