Several days after the destruction of the Weapons Factory, the Four Commanders, Major Freya, a dozen soldiers, Bluegill and Alicorn arrive back at Azur Lane's main base.

  The sun is high in the sky as everyone gathers at the docks, watching Bluegill and Alicorn dock. Alicorn hops off her ship as the Commanders, Soldiers, Major Freya and Bluegill join her.

  A few other submarine girls show up, and take Bluegill away to see Dace. A few ship girls push their way through the crowd. Bismark and Z23 are the first through the crowd as they walk over to Ardnt.

  "Bizmark! Z23!" Ardnt smirks. "How are things back in Deutschnd?"

  Bismark shakes her head. "We've suffered heavy losses over the past couple weeks, and we're spread thine. Currently most of the Kasen are stationed at Wilhemshaven, our st safe haven."

  Z23 then speaks up. "The Sirens presence isn't heavy near Wilhemshaven at all, which is worrying us."

  "What about the Führer?" Ardnt adjusts her hat and eyepatch.

  "Delivering daily speeches." Bismark states. "He refuses to be put in the underground bunker."

  Ardnt shakes her head. "Sturer Bastard."

  A voice yells within the crowd. "Commander~!"

  Osami sweat drops. "ā, yā..."

  Musashi leaps out of the crowd and brings Osami into a hug, her tails wagging. "Oh, how I've missed you!"

  "I've only been gone for a couple of weeks." Osami's muffled voice is heard from Musashi's bussom.

  "Two weeks to long."

  "Imōto." Yamato takes a puff from her Kiseru. "The Commander just got back, give her some space."

  Musashi's cheeks puff out as she pouts. "Fine." She takes a few steps away from Osami.

  Osami pushes up her gsses and bows to Yamato. "Arigatō, Yamato."

  "Commander!" Battleship Queen Elizabeth runs through the crowd, her sister Warspite following.

  "Girls." Stait kneels down to them as they stop in front of her. "How are things over in Engnd?"

  "We're holding them off the best we can." Elizabeth states. "Since the Separatist took France a few weeks back, we've lost the majority of our ports. And we are being pushed back."

  Warspite speaks up. "We took heavy casualties a few days ago, a few of our Ship Sisters died. They attacked Eastbourne with everything they had, and we were forced to fall back to Cowborough. We are making preparations to retreat to London and secure surrounding cities."

  Alicorn's heart drops. "Are Sheffield and Edinburgh, fine?"

  Warspite nods. "Only minor injuries, and don't worry Alicorn. They wanted me to tell you, they missed you and love you."

  Alicorn lets out a sigh of relief, a slight headache starting to form.

  Then Yorktown, being pushed in a wheelchair by Enterprise, move through the crowd and over to Sicilia and Alicorn.

  "Commander." Yorktown smiles, and she smiles at Alicorn. "Good work, Alicorn."

  Alicorn gives a small bow. "Thank you, Mother."

  "What's the S-Situation?" Sicilia asks as she takes off her hat.

  "We're spread thin in our ports, the Sirens are non-stop attacking. Even our ship forces are spread thing."

  Sicilia sighs and rubs her eyes. "Any loses?"

  "Other than hundreds of soldiers and civilians in a few port cities, not much." Yorktown states, and suddenly her phone vibrates and she takes it out of her pocket. She reads a message then looks to the Commanders. "David North is requesting a conference call."

  Sicilia nods and looks to the other Commanders. "Let's head to my office." The other girls nod.

  Everyone brings to leave as Alicorn watches everyone go, leaving her behind. Her frown only deepens as she looks around, finding no one nearby. Her vision goes static for a few seconds as she grabs her head in pain.

  A robotic chirp is heard and Alicorn looks to the side, seeing Avis floating beside her. She smiles and holds her arm out and the robot Eagle nds on it.

  "Hey, Avis." Alicorn pets the bird. "I feel as if you're my only friend here." She begins to walk off. "...I really miss Clevend."

  .

  .

  In a dark office Equus gres at a computer screen.

  "How did you lose the factory!" The Siren shouts at the computer.

  On the Computer screen is Raul Menendez. "Given how you're putting my forces in Europe, I had to decrease security at the factory."

  "So you lost the missiles I GOT FOR YOU!" Equus sms her desk in anger.

  "No, I had five of them transported out a few days before the attack."

  Equus sits down on a chair and sighs. "Where are they currently."

  "In a transport over the ocean right now, we took over a Missile facility in Northern Parliament recently, and we're setting it up for unch."

  Equus frown turns into a smile. "How soon can you unch them."

  "We'll be ready in a couple months, and don't worry. The Arsenal Bird is watching the border of Northern Parliament, no forces will be able to get in."

  Equus' smiles turns sadistic. "Good, the Empress wants this war to end soon. she's getting tired of all this."

  "Don't worry, with most of Europe and Asia under my control, it'll only a matter of time before those Union Dogs will fall." Menendez says the st part in anger.

  "Little angry, are we?" Equus chuckles.

  "I will find Commander Sicilia and Major Leslie, and they will Suffer just like I have."

  Equus leans back in her chair. "Once those missiles are unched, you're free to do whatever you want with Eagle Union, and they're soldiers. Just leave Alicorn to me."

  Menendez nods and ends the call. Equus smiles to her self as she spins her chair around, looking out a window to a massive underwater city.

  She starts to chuckle. "You're time is running out to surrender, Alicorn~"

  .

  .

  .

  "We know where they are taking the five other missiles." David informs.

  The Commanders are in Sicilia's office, standing around her desk as she sits in her chair.

  "Where?" Ardnt asks. "Where are they taking my bombs?"

  "The Altay Mountains in Northern Parliment."

  "That's far into Separatist territory, isn't it?" Stait asks.

  "Only recently actually." David corrects. "Parliament forces were held up in there for the past few months, and they lost it a couple weeks ago."

  "What's so special about the Altay mountains?" Osami asks as she sips her tea.

  "There's a unch facility there."

  Osami chokes on her tea and starts coughing. Stait pats her back a few times.

  "So, let's just bomb the pce." Ardnt huffs.

  "it's not that simple." David states.

  "Why not, David?" Sicilia asks.

  "We can't get any forces through the Northern Parliament boarder, the Arsenal Bird is watching it. And those missiles will be set in underground unch silos."

  "We've done it before, why not again?" Stait asks.

  David sighs. "We just don't have the resources. But we have an idea."

  "We?" Ardnt questions.

  "Over the past few days the leaders of, Royal Navy, Eagle Union, Iron blood and Sakura Empire have been talking. And we have a pn to take out."

  "How?" Sicilia asks.

  Suddenly the TV on the wall beside them lights up, and an image pops up.

  "What am I looking at?" Osami asks as she pulls down her gsses and narrows her eyes at the screen.

  Ardnt's jaw drops. "Schwerer Gustav..."

  "What is it, D-David?" Sicilia asks.

  "A 914mm Rail Gun, shoots projectiles the size of cars." David informs. "Iron Blood Leader, Hitler, is giving us this weapon and he's even gotten us a location to use it. Iron Blood special forces have been scouting out Ukraine and they've found an area with no Separatist forces present. It's a very suitable location, just a couple miles south of Kyiv."

  "What are we using this for?" Stait asks.

  "We're gonna shoot down the Arsenal Bird." David says in a proud tone.

  Everyone is silent for a few moments.

  "What?" Osami questions.

  "Look, we're sure the Gustav Cannon is powerful enough to shoot through the Arsenal Bird's shielding. But the only problem is, we'll only have one shot at this. It'll take to long to reload it before the Arsenal Bird would shoot it."

  Sicilia sighs and rubs her head. "So if we shoot down the Arsenal Bird, how would we even get to the base?"

  "We are still pnning all that out, but right now it's gonna be a multi front operation. The Cannon front, were ground and air forces will be protecting the cannon from any forces that catch wind of this. Sea force, a rge Azured force preventing any Siren reinforcements from stopping us. Then once the Arsenal Bird is down, you guys will immediately be sent in."

  "So... once the Bird is down..." Sicilia mutters.

  Freya, who's been in the corner of the office, smoking a cigar silently. "The end of the war will be in sight."

  "Yes." David confirms. "But the only problem is, we need at least a couple months to get everything ready."

  "That's a long time, David." Freya calls out.

  "I know, but this is a very delicate pn, one wrong thing and everything could be lost." David sighs. "But on a happier note, the four main Nations have decided to officially make you all a unit."

  "Really?" Stait questions. "Neat."

  "Yes, and I'm gonna be the first to welcome you all to Task Force 141. Now girls, it's time to get some rest, cause in a couple months, it'll be time to stop a war."

  "Finally." Ardnt sms a fist into her palm. "I'm all fired up!"

  "Just be ready, because once the operation starts, all Hell will be let loose." David states.

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  02-19-2025

  1530 words