Azur Lane: Kaiserin (Book 2)

Ch7: The Siege of London (2)

Me: [All fleets, torpedoes in the water. Evade!]

Everyone follows my order without question as torpedoes whizz by mere inches underneath. Bombs fall all around us as our formation breaks, allowing some bombers to get through, but just as we're about to get overrun, our aircraft return and with their fighter cover we reestablish a more defensive form. 

With our position more secure, carriers begin receiving their aircraft, prioritising fighters which are quickly rearmed and sent back out to join the defence over bombers. 

Chkalov: I recommend we withdraw while we can.

The others all seem to believe retreating would be the best possible option as well but I can't help but wonder if it is absolutely necessary. In my own timeline, plans to invade the UK were scrapped after the Air Force failed to establish superiority. As such, if we withdraw now we may never have another opportunity to take these islands. They'll almost certainly strengthen their Air Defences after this.

Chkalov: Your Majesty?

Me: Change of plans. We're taking the Royal Navy's home islands.

For a moment, there's complete silence as if both ally and foe are processing my words. No guns are fired. No bombs are dropped.

Chkalov: The home islands?

Me: Every last one.

Chkalov: B-but

Me: No buts. 

She stares at me in horror, a similar expression plastered on the faces of every girl present.

Me: [Clarissa. You guys can deploy. The new objective is to secure the entirety of London and the surrounding areas to provide a beachhead for the rest of the army to follow.]

Clarissa: [Understood.]

While she busies herself with deploying our special forces who've been flying high above the battle all this time, I reassign all the fleets to different tasks while simultaneously informing Parseval to ready a quick reaction force to cross the channel and join us immediately. 

Bismarck and other girls currently in Iron Blood are also given orders to establish a corridor for convoys to travel to and from Hamburg to London and back. With all orders received, everyone immediately gets to work. Our fleet splits in two with half our forces pushing out to meet the approaching enemy while the remainder resumes our assault on the city. 

My own fleet joins the city assault and with our aid, Chkalov and her fleet manage to punch right through the final defences. By the time Clarissa and the reinforcements arrive via Paradrop, London has already fallen with the remaining Royal Navy Kansen all choosing to withdraw into the surrounding landscape while the first regiments of their army begin the process of besieging the city. To call what happens next a massacre would be a gross understatement.

With no KANSEN to defend them, the Royal Navy's Army surrounds the city with blood in their eyes but soon find themselves on the run as aircraft from Graf Zeppelin, Peter Strasser, Chkalov, Impero and Jade bomb them back into the Stone Age. Of the approximately 50,000 men that besieged the city, not a single one escaped and yet this does not deter the army from trying again as within hours another similar-sized force once again approached only to this time get blown away by our battleships. 

Jean: Are they stupid?

Me: Not necessarily. They don't have enough KANSEN remaining to mount a successful assault so they're trying to contain us while waiting on those currently away to return. 

Jean: At this rate, they won't have a home to return to.

Me: That is the objective.

Turning to the other girls, I'm about to tell some of them to join the others when Littorio radios that they have repelled the Iris Libre fleet and the Eagle Union fleet that had come to support it. When asked if they sank any ships, however, I'm surprised to find that while the fleet suffered heavy damage none were actually sunk. Furthermore, despite our own fleet suffering minimal damage the others elected not to pursue the enemy.

Littorio: [Should we return to the city?]

Me: [No. We have everything handled here. Head back towards Hamburg and join Bismarck in providing escort for the convoys that will transport the army here.]

Littorio: [Understood.]

Jean: Good news?

Me: They won without sinking any of the enemy

It's not lost on me how Jean breathes a sigh of relief upon hearing that none of the Iris Libre girls were sunk. 

Me: Jade, send out your planes to scout the surrounding area. We need to ensure they don't mount another large-scale assault. You're authorised to attack any enemy build-ups as you deem necessary with your aircraft.

Jade: What if it is a civilian protest?

Me: Then let Clarissa handle it. 

Jade nods before heading off while the rest of us head over to Buckingham Palace. 

Clarissa: Welcome, Your Majesty.

Me: Clarissa.

She and the other officers with her all salute before refocusing on their tasks.

Clarissa: We've already arranged a room for you, however, I suspect you may wish to head straight to the command centre.

Me: Lead the way.

She nods, before guiding us through the Palace. As we walk, we all take the time to admire the building's furnishings. The command room, although put together by a team flown over after Clarissa secured the palace, is equally impressive with screens and holograms displaying our current situation with pinpoint accuracy including Jade's planes as they scour the countryside.

Me: So, we've completely neutralised London?

Clarissa: The citizens that didn't evacuate have refrained from resisting our rule. I can only assume that the reputation of the camps we've used in the past is still strong in everyone's mind.

Me: Unlikely, since their own governments repressed their knowledge of such events.

She seems doubtful but doesn't reply as Roselyn walks in the room.

Roselyn: Your Majesty-

I press a finger to her lips which surprises her so much she drops her hands to her side before even completing her salute.

Me: I know I shouldn't have just changed the plans midway through the operation but I have faith in your abilities...in all your abilities.

I direct the last part of the statement towards the rest of the room before taking my leave before anyone can respond. I can tell she wanted to say something but I already know what I did was cruel to all of them but I still think it is necessary. Time will tell if it was a great strategic play or not but for now, all we can do is proceed with the plan. After all, if we are successful we'll have succeeded in driving Azur Lane out of Europe completely.