It was astronomical twilight, waning into total darkness, wisps of clouds covering a few stars above. Ahead of us, there was a storm, presumably where the enemy fleet was located. Having to brief the others beforehand, we enact the first part of the plan. First we change up our fleet formation, being slightly more clustered rather than a singular line, we then continue with our direction westward. With the storm now nearly being cleared in what will be the battlefield, we commence the attack. With the assistance of Helena's SG radar, she directed torpedo and cannon fire to the needed direction, which was north of us. Many of the shots missed, with the few ones that hit releasing short bursts of fire, ever so slightly illuminating the area and just barely able to see the silhouettes of enemy ships.
Search lights turned on, so I began my interception. One of the targets was a Kongō-Class battlecruiser, likely Hiei. Returning fire from the enemy narrowly passed me, hearing the whistles of the shells going by. A small volley of rockets is shot out, while damaging the ship slightly, the search light is missed completely. Turning around for a strafe, it was by then that AA fire was being directed towards me, though, due to the darkness of the time and the speed of my bird, they fell far short. Once lined up, the ADEN 30mm cannons roared to life, the High explosive and incendiary shells lit some fires on the deck of the battlecruiser, but more importantly scored a hit on the searchlight, making them almost blind. A few of the allied aircraft also assisted me in hindering the abilities of the enemy ships, the aircraft came from Ark Royal, the only aircraftcarrier present here.
For the moment all was going well, though the number of enemy ships were much larger than anticipated, mainly because of the mass produced Siren ships, who are not personified by anyone. But out of the blue, said Siren ships did a maneuver we weren't expecting; they were charging straight at us. "Incoming! We have Siren ships approaching us from the south, to our left!" Shells landed around our fleet, a couple hitting our ships. Not only was our fleet formation being broken up, but we have been flanked.
Siren ships gave us full broadsides, now being able to hit more accurately with close range, allied ships fell into disarray with the sudden confusion. The oncoming fire from the flanking fleet began to overwhelm us. Allied ships now face critical damage. I tried my best to give support, jumping from one side to another as fast as possible, but it was too much. How was this happening? This is nothing like what happened in my world's past. The comms filled with yelling for help, and screams of anguish.
I finally made the call, "Retreat! Fall back, we can't stay any longer!" Ark Royal and a few others, already having a clear path to escape, tried their best to give out support to those unable to leave, as did it. Swooping in, I popped off smoke, fired rockets aimlessly, dropping bombs at random. The night went by in almost a blur, before I knew it, we were back at port, my jet parked at Ark's carrier, sitting in it with cold sweat. Not getting a wink of sleep that night, let alone time for it as daylight broke.
I sat in the Harrier for who knows how long, thinking, regretting, sorrow, disbelief, other feelings as well. Regardless what has been done is done, but still, why did it play out so differently? where the extra fleet had come from. Reevaluating, all IJN ships were present, and of course the added Siren ships that were there beforehand... Was that it? With the addition of the variable of Sirens, perhaps that was what threw so many things off, I can't rely on my past events here, we're going to have to play it the old fashion way.
A knocking startled me, looking to the side it was Ark, having a worried look over her face. Lazily, I drew back the canopy of the cockpit. "¿Que Pasa?" I ask her. "You've missed breakfast." "So what?" "'So what!?' You haven't eaten as of yesterday in the afternoon! You have to get going, moping around won't win any wars or battles." I drew in a long sigh, I could not deny what she said. "You will get something to eat and then we'll meet up with Wales, she has something to show us." Finally I got up and followed Ark.
After having a meal, I actually felt much better. I was back at the building where I was first brought upon arriving at the base as a 'potential prisoner'. In the room, there was Ark, Enterprise, Belfast, Hornet, Wales, Cleveland, and Vestal, and one of the third "VIP" From one of the recent missions, it turned out to be the IJN Akashi who, she was a bit you looking, with weird mint green hair, but most absurd of all was was her cat ears on her head. According to her story, was about to lose all over her nine lives by the sirens before being saved by Sheffield. The context of it was that she stumbled upon a building site of a unique siren ship that only Kaga and Akagi knew fully well of, and may very well have even commissioned it.
At a table stood an unusual object, it was a deep magenta tesseract with a glossy look. Purple and black waves emanated off of it in a sort of aura. Within it was a small sphere that shined with a brilliant white, releasing sparks of color in every direction. "A black... mental cube." whispered Enterprise. "A Sakura Empire weapon based on Siren technology." Informed Wales. "Couldn't we use this? It might neutralize the mass produced Siren ships they are controlling." Inquired Cleveland. "The Orochi itself controls the Siren ships, the cube is just extra support." Akashi Corrects. "The 'Orochi'? What's that?" I Ask. "Our intel said they were building something," Answered Hornet, "I guess this massive Warship 'Orochi' is it." "What's the relation of the Orochi and this cube?" Vestal asks Akashi. "Uhh..." Akashi responded, unsure of the answer to the question. "What we do know is that a Siren gave them this cube," Says Wales, "And that Akagi has worked closely with that Siren." "Well if that's the case," Began Belfast, "Then the Sakura Empire has engaged in a vast deception." "Akagi.. This will be a catastrophe." Says Akashi worryingly. *sigh* She did not just say that.
Enterprise had been staring at the tesseract for some time. Enterprise then reaches out her hand and touches it with a single tip of her finger, she then seems to go in a trance, and was started when Belfast shook her. "Enterprise?" Belfast asked. "*Gasp* Huh?" "Are you alright, you seem distracted, like we lost you for a moment." "Yes... I'm fine, it's nothing." "Aguila, do you have any ideas?" I Stood in silence, not because I was brainstorming, but out of fear, Yamato? but what if a similar thing would happen like last sortie? "Aguila?" Says Ark. "Um... *sigh* Look, after... Last night... I think we can no longer rely on my world's history, I-I'm sorry, but with the added variable of the Sirens..." "It is fine," Began Wales, "I don't blame you entirely, frankly, we were going to lose the port sooner or later, at least we returned with the same numbers as we had left." "... Right. The thing is that we are essentially dealing with a super weapon that, as far as we know, is currently under construction, So the obvious next step is to...?" "Is to seek and destroy it before it becomes operational." Answers Cleveland immediately. "Akashi, you saw it yourself, where is it?" Ark asks "Uh, it was in a large littoral cave in a mountain in the Sakura Empire island. "Alright then, one day we're going to have to pay a visit to that island." I state.
The meeting was drawn to a close. Exiting the building, Ark walked by me. "So how do you suppose we find a way to infiltrate the island? I doubt spies will work again." She asked. "*sigh* We'll just have to take the chance whenever it appears." I grunted. "You alright?" "Yeah, yeah, still a little pissed though." "Is there any wa-" Ark stopped herself as a pair of destroyers walked past us. Her posture became stiff, head looking straight ahead, not twitching once as the destroyers were in our view, her shoulders finally dropped once they were out of sight. "I-I'm sorry about that." Ark apologized. "No, no, don't worry about it, you're actually doing better. So what were you about to say?" "Oh right, I was about to say if there was any way I could help your troubles." "Oh, uh, how about a mock battle with your Spities?" "A mock battle? To help you relieve stress?" "Why not?" "O... kay..." said Ark as she obliged.
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As Aguila and I arrived at my carrier, he still held a straight face. Without another word he got into his aircraft. I spoke to him over the comms, "When you're rea-" Not letting me finish, he took off, and a gush of hot wind blew into me. The moment the aircraft left the flight deck and it's gears were inside, Aguila shot straight up, still one of the few things I wont get used to, the properties of his aircraft that is.
Remembering what we were to do, I launched my own planes. They so fruitlessly and desperately tried to climb to the same altitude as Aguila was. He came back down, allowing my aircraft to get on his tail. They all spinned, twisted, looped in the sky. The longer I observed the more I thought that Aguila was practically dancing in the heavens. Staring in amazement on what technology could achieve. I was catching on that in order to avoid engagements or to evade, Aguila makes use of his advanced speed and climb rate, this would then allow him to take a swoop or a dive on the 'enemy'. Some time later, he was trying to figure out how to do direct close quarters dogfighting. It was then that I snapped back and I realized I was feeling some chills yet feeling flushed at the same time.
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Looking back at the mirror, the Seafire still held on to my tail. Pulling back on the flight stick, the Harrier's nose pointed straight up. Looking back once more, the Spity stalled out as it tried to follow. Went back with an Immelmann turn and had a good chance to shoot it down, but it was not what I was aiming to do. The second one came at me from my Three (right), broke right and had another chase going. I was able to get the 2nd Spity behind me to barely be on my tail, but it wasn't letting go, I weaved left and right, but it appears it's what they wanted. A shadow briefly casted over me as it was the 1st Spity, having to overshoot by going left. I turned left, still trying to evade the 2nd Spity, but the 1st, who was now at my Nine (left), was turning right, they had me in a Thach Weave. I brake hard on the left turn diagonally down, going into high Gs. By the time I nearly do a 180°, I execute a horizontal Split S to maneuver back. While the 2nd Spity was far ahead of me, the 1st circled back and got on my Six (Back/behind). After some evasive maneuvers in hopes of gaining speed, I desperately attempt to pull a Kulbit maneuver, but only make as far as an awkward Cobra, almost stalling, this mainly boiled down due to the positioning of the four front and back nozzles, as all four would be pointing at the same angle.
After bringing the nose back down, I wanted to try it again. "Hey Ark?" I contacted her over the Comms. "*cough* Yes Aguila?" "Can you get one of your Spities to go and get behind me, maintaining its position and speed, there is something I want to see." "Of course." One of the Spities got on my tail, a good enough distance kept between us, as I tried to match its speed. "Alriiight, just keep her there." I say. I attempted Kulbit, same result as last time but slightly more control. The Spit got back behind me and I tried again, no good. I then sped up a little and the Spit tried to keep up, with that I did tried the Cobra, only to this time delaying the thrust vectoring a little after I pulled up, after bringing the nose down a little, the Spit was right in front of me, it tried to follow me up, only to overshoot. I had a perfect shot, but I dared not to even touch the trigger for this absolute beauty of a mechanism that laid before me. Stabilizing, I noticed that after the maneuver it left me with barely any speed, the Cobra will do for now, unless I can change this bird up a little. "Alright that'll do for now." I call over to Ark. "Coming back down."
Landing and jumping out, I met back up with Ark. "Did that do it for you? *cough*" she asks. "Oh yeah, feel completely refreshed." "After all of those maneuvers, how do you feel?" She questions. "I mean, yes, it does put some strain, yet at the same time it almost as if it drains the stress too." "You're quite the weird one,*cough* bird boy." "'Bird boy'?" "Mhm, just came up with it." "Okay? By the way, are you feeling well, you don't exactly look great." She looked rather ill, eyes a little, and shivering somewhat. "Oh this, I'm not quite sure where that all came from, it came so quick." Ark said. "Why don't we get that checked out." I said concerningly. "Yes, I believe that is for the better."