sakura empires unfinished monster

Return to Rabaul

Aboard Furutaka, those who were wounded were being patched up with what was avaliable, thankfully the night was still present as they continued to steam towards Rabaul but all knew they will only at best have gotten past the slot by sunrise. Meanwhile, Chokai, Kako, and Tenryu's wounds varied greatly. However, at least Yubari was tending to them; kinugasa, on the other hand, stared at Hiei. Even in the night, she could guess the damage, and if it didn't look good at night, imagine what it is going to look like during the day. Biting her nail gently, she would get up and contact the battleship. Kinugasa: "Hiei, your speed has been slowly hemerging with respect. I must demand you come aboard Furutaka's ship to be treated. Otherwise, we might accidently leave you behind." With sincerely and a hint of pleading, the heavy cruiser hoped that the battleship kansen would see reason and come aboard. Checking her speed, Hiei was making sure what the cruiser said was true it's not that she didn't trust her friend it was more just down to confirming what they said was true. Reading her speed, it came up at 16 knots.

Spending a good 5 minutes testing if her boilers could be brought up, it inevitably failed, making her relent and demanefest her ship before hoping aboard Furutaka's ship. With a big sigh of relief, Kinugasa made her way back to the bridge and took charge. Not because she was the flotilla leader that was Chokai, but she was the one in front and guiding the others to what she believed was the safety of Rabaul and Hakuryuus task force protection. Behind her, Furutaka trailed with Aoba at the rear. Everyone else was aboard making the formation rather small at a 3 line echelon travelling at 32 knots thanks to some battle damage cutting her top speed down by 2 knots. While time passed Yubari would stablise all her comrades and tending to their problems where she could though not at all being qualified all she really could do was bandage any bleeding wound and give Hiei a bit of morphine to help ease her pain. Something she had been doing her best to hide. When 06:00 had come around, Kinugasa was checking the map to see where they were using her map equipment being rather maticulous in her measurements. The data she got wasn't good as they'd still be in range of enemy carriers.

Contacting Hakuryuu, all the heavy cruiser could do was hope the carrier would answer her if not she feared for the prospects of them getting home. When she didn't get a response, she would try again. Kinugasa: "This is Kinugasa of Cruiser Division 6 Hakuryuu do you hear me? Please respond we are at strong risk of being attacked by enemy carrier aviation and need support over." Crackling to life, her radio would garble out words. Trying to tune the radio, Kinugasa would mess around with the tuning nob. Kinugasa: "I say again Hakuryuu, do you read me? we are just exiting the slot moving towards Rabaul and require arieal support." Unable to get any solid answer and no luck either with getting the radio to work due to technical issues brought a bleak picture to the heavy cruisers mind of coming under insesent air attack until they were sunk or by some miracle beaten off. Slumping down into the captain's chair, she couldn't help but place her hands to face to rub her eyes. Unsure what to do now, she just prayed that the fighters would be on their way to search for them. 

With a dark cloud hanging ominously over her head, they made their way outside to watch the sky for any signs of aircraft wether friendly or hostile it didn't matter for now until they were flying overhead or diving on them to make an attack run. While 6th Cruiser division were concerned if they'll get attacked without air cover. hakuryuu, on the other hand, was pacing her flight deck. She already had the fighters on deck ready for launch but had no idea where her allies were. Knowing time was of the essence, a tough decision clashed in her mind. Did she retreat and let them fend for themselves or try to find them while also searching for the eagle union carriers. On the one hand, it felt option 2 was the obvious answer, but her mission was already over making option 1 more suitable as no doubt they were being hunted. Gripping her fist tight, she knew in her heart what her friends would think. "Ryujo, we will send our aircraft to search past the slot near the shortland islands first. If they aren't there, we will send them towards Gaudalcanal. Prepare 8 zeros, and I'll launch 16 Reppus." Holding her katana hilt tightly, she barked the order with a firm authoritative voice.