HMS Prince Of Wales P.O.V
My stomach churned, threatening to disgorge this morning's breakfast. Leaning against the cold steel of Nabob's control tower, I stared blankly toward the red horizon ahead with a broken mind. It felt as if my life was nothing more than a toy for the Sirens, gaining pleasure as they tore apart my emotions.
Was there something about me that they did not appreciate more than any other ship? Was I just not destined to live a happy life?
First, the one I fell so hard for-now the best friend I had known my whole life-was gone, leaving little left. It sickened me to the core, thinking about her supposed death.
I prayed it was nothing more than a lie. A simple tale woven to throw me off my game. But without communications or any confirmation on her status from the ones we regrouped with, I was left to only hope.
I switched my gaze to watch Javelin and Ayanami play with a football on the flight deck while Laffey was asleep against a plane's tire behind them. The two passed the ball back and forth as Z23 and Vampire came up to them for a chat.
Despite the situation, they all continued to smile as if we never found ourselves in this predicament at all. Then again, they didn't suffer from the same dread as I did.
With the help of Nabob's air squadron, locating scattered allies had become far easier, and soon we had come across half our task force already. Yet still, nobody has seen or heard anything about Hood.
"Lady Wales, Are you fairing well?" A voice interrupted me from my thoughts. Next to me, I found Swiftsure staring back with a look of concern.
"Yes, Swiftsure, I'm quite alright. Just a little concerned is all," I answered her before standing up. I had done enough moping.
"About Lady Hood, yes?"
"Correct" I dusted myself off and straightened my outfit-how unladylike it must have looked.
"I'm sure it's nothing more than a fib; she is the mighty Hood after all. I doubt she'd go down so easily." She attempted to calm my thoughts, allowing a smile to break through my rough features.
"What of your sisters? Are you not worried about them?"
Swifsure simply shook her head. "What sister would I be if I weren't even a little? But I know them: Ontario has grown to become a strong leader, and Superb is still as resilient as ever. I wouldn't doubt they've already found each other as well as the rest of the fleet."
As she talked, I found her positivity on the matter to soothe my worries. The sooner we could find them, the faster I could get an answer; whether positive or negative, I needed to know.
"Very well," I said. "Then we best hurry our search, should we not?"
I watched Swiftsure's smile grow even wider as she nodded in agreement. "That we shall, Lady Wales!"
With that, she turned around and hurried off the flight deck into the water below. From there, I watched as she began to catch up to the ships ahead and travel alongside them.
For the moment, I continued to stand in place as I looked around at the ships surrounding Nabob. Their bows cut through the still water with ease while their radars scanned our surroundings.
Eerily enough, a cover of clouds had formed in the sky and blocked out the moonlight, casting our surroundings into a deep shade of purple. With its unnatural atmosphere, I was more than sick of being stuck in this realm. I wanted to be back at the base so I could release a heavy sigh of relief.
It was then that something caught my attention-something faint. At first, I thought it was my mind simply playing its tricks, but then I began to hear it again and again.
The sound then evolved and continued at a rapid pace. It was a booming noise, and quickly several others joined in with varying tones.
I recognized it to be artillery fire, and no sooner had I done so, the ships around me paused to listen in as well, confirming I wasn't just crazy.
"You hearing that too?" A voice startled me from behind. Haida put up her hands as if to say sorry when she noticed me jump.
"I am-could it be more stranded ships?"
Haida shook her head. "It sounds far too chaotic."
"I found them! I found the rest of the fleet; it has to be!" Nabob shouted from atop her conning tower. "They're engaging a spire!"
I felt my heart sink upon hearing her words. Engaging a spire without a full fleet, surely they happened to run into it by coincidence?
"Alone!?" Haida exclaimed, to which Nabob nodded. The Tester must have led them directly to it.
"All ahead full!! We need to reach them, and quick!" I barked before turning to Haida. "You're much faster than us. Take the destroyers on ahead; we'll meet you there."
Haida nodded with a fierce grin before rushing off, yelling at the destroyers she passed to follow. Soon everyone was running to their stations, while below me, I felt the ship shiver as Nabob pushed her powerplant to its limit.
Along the flight deck, each one of the planes roared to life while their wings folded outward and prepared to take off. As the planes began to line up, I was forced to get out of the way before I then climbed up the stairs into her tower.
"So thou finally decided to join us?" York greeted me as I entered.
"The time called for it."
"So it hath. We sail forth to save our comrades and free ourselves from this imprisonment," York spoke as she pointed the tip of her sword toward the horizon.
I couldn't help but smile at her unrelenting courage before turning my attention to the empty chart on the centre table. Nabob was already hunched over it, jotting down the approximate enemy numbers she had seen.
"What exactly have you spotted?" I asked in hopes of gaining more information. For a second, she didn't reply until she finished writing down her notes.
"The spire is defended by more than a fleet worth of Sirens, both mass-produced and Executer's. Tester was there as well," she stated. "They're heavily outnumbered five to one, roughly twenty miles out."
"Heavens above! It will take an hour to get there!" York exclaimed.
"How much speed can you conjure?"
"Um, if I push it, I could make twenty-one knots. But that puts a lot of strain on my engine," Nabob answered as she twiddled her fingers.
"If you are that worried about it, I will not force you to."
"Ah, No! Of course I'll do it! We can't waste any more time!" She stated with a look of determination. I smiled at her and nodded in gratitude as her ship shuddered once more from the increase in power.
With that settled, Nabob went back to jotting down what she saw as the rest of us were left with nothing to do but wait.
Apart from the sound of her engine and the distant battle, the atmosphere quickly became silent. There was neither wind to wail nor waves to batter against the hull. This, along with the environment we sail upon, was nothing more than food to instigate thought.
Those ifs, whys, and whats crept into my head once again. Why must it come to this? If only we were faster. What happened to Hood? It was a natural poison, something William had taught me a while ago. It was not something a soldier needed at a time like this.
Despite my mind's struggle to harm me, I didn't let it affect me as it had before. Now that the shock had subsided, I had the strength to remain in control of my thoughts. The situation may have gotten out of hand, but there wasn't much we could do. Why dwell on the past when our future requires all our attention?
Nothing is certain until proven so, which means I must have the patience to receive my answers.
Soon I fell into a state of thought under my control, thinking up battle plans and the situation as a whole. Taking the spire out quickly would give us the upper hand when the mirror sea collapses, but there was no doubt it was guarded by a swarm of sirens. Taking out Tester Beta would collapse the chain of command, and along with it, so too would their organized tactics. Though she is a coward, and no doubt hiding behind the ranks.
We needed to end this quickly, but how easy would that be when they had the upper hand?
I had become so entranced in my thoughts that I hadn't realized how much time had passed until the increased volume of artillery fire caught my attention.
Ahead of us, I could see the battle taking place. Plumes of smoke rose off the surface of the water while anti-air guns lit up the sky like fireworks as they attempted to down the Siren jets. All that chaos was going on where at the centre; a tower rose above it all.
Its design was crude and ominous. Constructed out of the blackened metal that all Siren tech had, with glowing red lines surging up from its base. Near the top, platforms on either side stretched out from its structure, launching jets into the air as if there were no end to them.
That wasn't all; encasing the spire was an energy shield generated from its center. Now and again, shells would slam into it like a wall, leaving the tower completely intact.
"Does thou have a strategy?" I heard York ask me from behind as a pair of binoculars were held in front of me. Taking them from her hand, I peered through to see the battle in full.
"The fleet seems to be concentrating their attack to the east and south of the spire," I took note of. "The west is completely exposed, and the enemy is trying to flank around."
"And thee intend to plug the hole?"
"That's what I'm thinking. It doesn't seem like they had a plan; they really must have fallen into a trap." I put the binoculars down before continuing. "We'll come around to the northwest and relieve some pressure; have the cruisers and frigates contain them while you, I, and the other heavy ships bombard their clustered numbers from the rear. We seem to have the element of surprise; we hit them fast and hard to thin their ranks quickly. Get your ship; let everyone know."
York's lips curled upward into a ferocious smile. "Aye captain." She then nodded before hurrying out of the conning tower.
"What about me?" Nabob then spoke up. When I turned to her, I noticed she had broken into a sweat and was taking in short breaths.
"You've done more than enough to find us and get us here. All I need you to do is reach the others and find who's in charge. Tell them of our plan and to solidify their lines."
"Ah!" Her face seemed to brighten up before she nodded with a determined look.
I gave her one last smile before hurrying out of the room, down to her deck, and across. I watched the smoke emitted from each ship's funnel increase as their engines were kicked into a higher gear. Meanwhile, my rigging disassembled itself to reconstruct my ship alongside Nabob.
From there, I picked up my pace and ran the rest of the way across her deck before leaping off the side and onto my ship. Breaking my fall with a roll, I stood up and straightened my skirt before turning back to see the carrier deconstruct.
Down below, I spotted Nabob waving at me before sailing off on her mission, just as the cruisers and frigates rushed past her with their riggings equipped.
As I watched them, I got a slight sense of cold feet thinking about the size of the Siren fleet. However, I swallowed the ball of fear down and walked along the length of my bow up to the front where I could get a good look.
We couldn't risk a full-on attack for too long; once they get over the shock and those planes come into play, we'll be sitting ducks. Their defence needed to be weakened before we could even think about getting close to the spire.
Taking a quick look to confirm York and the others were following me, I then turned all three of my turrets to the port side as we came upon our effective firing range.
Further ahead, the cruisers and frigates began their engagement, catching the Sirens with their backs turned, just as I predicted. The ships began to push them back, taking out many of the mass-produced ships in their assault.
The Sirens began to scatter amid the confusion and retreated to give themselves a bit of breathing room. Clumping together just outside of the shield, the Sirens tried to reorganize their ranks when I fired.
My cannons let loose their rage, billowing clouds of fire from each barrel. Their sound, deafening to the human ear, let their might be known with a thunderous bang. The blast that rippled the water below blew my hair to one side while my cape sailed in its shockwave.
For the moment, my view of the battle was obstructed by a wall of smoke running down the length of my hull, leaving me unable to see my target.
Not soon after, I heard the same guns fire once more as York followed suit along with the rest of the heavy ships.
As the smoke began to clear, I watched as the rest of the shells hit their targets with great effect. Numerous Siren ships exploded as their energy reactors ignited, sending shrapnel several feet into the air.
Once my guns finished reloading, I fired a second salvo before I was abruptly thrown to the deck by an invisible force as a different explosion followed the gun blast. Groaning in pain, I looked back to see my second turret destroyed as a Siren jet screeched past.
This wasn't good; I was hoping it would have taken them a little longer to react. All I could do now was pray that the short bombardment was enough to do something.
I watched the Siren pull a fast turn as it came around for another strike, lining its nose up. I hurriedly got to my feet and leapt over the railing to the water below, conjuring my rigging as I fell.
My ship itself was too big a target; as it came in for an attack, I lit up the sky around it with flak. It was then that, as I tried to evade, the water in front of me erupted in a heavy spray, stopping me in my tracks. The jet harmlessly flew past as if it were given a new mission.
A familiar chuckle made my blood run cold as I turned around to face the Tester. Her yellow eyes held a piercing gaze as she hovered above.
"You're not supposed to be here for another hour, no matter; I'll finish you quickly." She toyed as her cannons lit up.
I stared on in anger as her smile only grew. Her guns stared me down as they readied to fire when her left three barrels exploded. She wailed in pain and backed off just a bit to defend herself.
"Thou foul demon, thy wickedness knows no bounds!" My sister's voice shouted from behind. Looking back, I found her and New Jersey with their turrets directed at the Siren.
"Tsk-you're a bothersome bunch. Fine, I'll eradicate your intrusion swiftly." The Siren threatened before turning around to flee. Not wanting her to get away, I fired my guns in anger, only for the rounds to be dodged in a fit of laughter.
"Get back here! We're not done. . . yet. . ." New Jersey tried to yell as we gave chase but trailed off as we all took notice of the same problem.
I stared on in fear at the swarm of jets that passed by her, gunning straight for us. They looked like a large swarm of gnats, buzzing around as they twisted and turned around each other.
"That's a lot," New Jersey pointed out before we spaced away from each other. My heart pounded as my pom-poms opened fire at the vast number of Sirens.
Several planes were struck by my flak, but it made little difference as there were far too many. Soon I was forced to evade as they opened fire, giving me no chance. to breathe. I continued to dodge and weave while I fired in every possible direction.
With what glances I could take, I spotted the rest of the battleships fairing no better than I was. We were outnumbered and were never given any windows of opportunity to escape.
All around me, beams of energy slammed into the water each time I dodged, showering me with its spray. My luck, however, would soon run out as I was hit in the back of my rigging, knocking me off my feet.
I fell into the ocean, where, for a brief second, my head went under its surface. By accident, I inhaled as I went under and came back out retching. My throat stung as I coughed up a mouthful of water, dry-heaving even after most of it was out.
When I looked back, I found the water around me was still being kicked up until several of the jets came around for another run.
This was it. I was shocked still and unable to move; pained by the significant damage, there was little I could do.
I watched as the Sirens headed straight for me, closing the distance at a considerable speed. I covered my face with the back of my hand, not wanting to witness my fate, when the sudden sound of gunfire rang out, followed by an explosion.
I lowered my hand just in time to see one of the jets crash into the ocean while the rest scattered. To my joy, a Seafire zipped past, giving chase, its Merlin engine roaring like a tiger, ready to kill.
The beautiful plane was soon followed by several more, along with Zeros, as they began their hunt. I watched as the Sirens dispersed in panic, trying to evade the tides that had turned on them.
The distraction had given me a chance to finally catch my breath, allowing me to let out a deep sigh of relief as I stood up. It was then that a voice spoke up, startling me.
"G'day miss! I see you've been having some fun, ay?" The distinguishable accent said. Upon turning around, I was met by a beaming Commonwealth destroyer covered in soot.
"Got your message from that carrier; still a bit of a fuck-storm back there, but you saved our asses from getting annihilated," the destroyer stated.
"Ah-right," I found myself answering. I was not used to such profanity. "Thank you as well; you saved us here too."
"Ah don't mention it; it just makes us even." She waved. "We were sent over here to help out anyway. So what's our next move?"
Another Siren jet slammed into the ocean nearby as I took a look around, surveying our options. Despite getting very few salvos out, our combined firepower had done some noticeable damage. The Siren ships were nothing but scrap as they slowly slipped beneath the ocean surface. The line had shifted in our favour, yet the Sirens were still wrapped around the shield.
Their numbers, though lessened, were still too many, and by now, I'm sure exhaustion was beginning to affect our forces. Slowly hacking away at their defence till we get to the spire would take too long; we needed a way to end this quickly.
"Thou look in rough shape, dear sister." The sound of York's voice pulled me from my thoughts as she came up to my side. I was quick to notice her tattered state and the fact that one of her primary turrets was not damaged or destroyed but was missing entirely.
"You don't look much better," I mentioned, to which she shrugged.
"Tis but a scratch."
I couldn't stop myself from smirking at how stubborn she was. "Of course it is."
York nodded as she returned the gesture. "As the destroyer had asked, what is our next mission?" She then questioned me, as behind her, the battleships, along with new faces, began to gather and wait for my answer.
As I looked back at the Sirens surrounding the spire, I pondered our limited options. The elite paid no mind to us, as she seemed to enjoy watching some skirmish on the other side. Perhaps she assumed we were no longer present in the battle; this left us with an opening.
"Dragging out this battle will only wear us down; we must take a risk," I began. "Their ships are bulky, and the executors are sloppy. A spearhead would suffice, so long as we're quick. The smaller ships here will push forward and create an opening. The heavier ships will stay back to destroy the spire once it's exposed."
For a few seconds, I was met with silence as York began to think. "But would the ships be able to deal with the Siren's numbers? And does the core not require a heavy strike? With all of us here, how will it be destroyed?"
"With our previous damage done, I'm sure the destroyers can handle them for the time being. As for the second question, I will be going."
Volunteering myself brought a sour look to York's face as she seemed to double-check that what she heard was right.
"But Wales, Thou's not in such a state to take that risk."
"I will manage."
"Then at least let me come."
"I am going York." I reaffirmed my intentions. York became speechless for only a moment before lowering her head.
"Very well. Let us end this swiftly." She gave in, and I nodded.
With that out of the way, we separated our groups as the destroyers and I moved in.
As we neared the enemy, I took a quick look to find Tester Beta still preoccupied on the other side of the spire, allowing me to relax ever so slightly.
"You sure you're up for this?" The commonwealth destroyer asked.
"No, but it needs to be done. Just carve a path for me; don't worry about their ships and focus on the Executers," I answered truthfully.
"Alright, let's get to it!"
As the line of Sirens neared, I tightened my grip around my sword while the destroyers moved ahead of me to begin the attack.
We rushed past the first line of ships without interest and continued onward. Soon we began to come across more and more executers the further we got, most of whom never had a chance as they were shot by one of the destroyers.
Weaving around the ships, we took out Sirens as we passed. Soon, though, their numbers became too much to handle so swiftly.
As we neared the shield, our pace slowed, and the destroyers began to get caught up in fights one by one. Soon, I had to defend myself from a few.
"We'll hold 'em; just get it done," the Commonwealth ship said as I cut down a tracker.
"Okay," I said, giving her a nod before she took off.
The Sirens began to swarm in from either side as the destroyers fended them off, allowing me a straight shot through.
I passed through the shield, its energy giving me a slight shock before I slid to a halt and lined up a shot.
My breathing had become a challenge to control as my heart pounded in my chest. This, along with the pain, made it hard for me to steady myself, yet however difficult it was, I managed to find my target.
All four barrels of my turret opened fire just as something struck me, sending me flying across the water like skipping a stone.
I cried out as further pain exploded from my torso, leaving me unable to move as I slowly came to a stop above the surface.
Clutching the area where I was hit, I found myself in a daze trying to piece together what just happened before an aggravated growl caught my attention.
"Look what you've done! You've ruined everything!" I heard Tester Beta shout. She soon hovered above me as she ground her teeth in rage. Behind her, I watched as the shield began to break apart, proving I had managed to hit the source.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!" The Siren threatened and charged her remaining cannons.
I knew I had to do something-to move, to shoot first-just something. But my body wouldn't respond. I was left adrift without any strength, as my end once again seemed inevitable.
"Were I not clear!" An enraged voice screamed as a flash of red flew by, slicing the elite's arm off clean. The Siren cried out in pain while I winced as some of her blood dripped onto my cheek.
"Thee who harms thine kin shall suffer the wrath of a royal knight!!" The unmistakable voice threatened. Tester Beta's eyes suddenly widened before a shell exploded in her face, making me flinch upon impact, and when I opened my eyes, she was gone from my vision.
I heard the tester groan further away when I noticed several specks flying through the air, high above before they struck the spire and exploded. The thunderous booms only reached us several seconds after the flash before I heard a hiss come from the Siren.
"Another day then," was all I heard her say.
"Wha-Come back ye coward!" York hurried past, but I managed to grab hold of her leg. She turned to me with a look of confusion.
"We're in no state to give chase," I said. "Help me up will you?"
I watched as her features softened and she sheathed her sword. She then took my hand and pulled me up, making me whine as the pain shot through my body once more. Despite this, I managed to stand with her supporting my weight, while I heard more explosions from above.
"Didn't I tell you to stay back?" I asked her.
"I shan't sit idle when my sisters are in danger."
Her response raised a smile on my face as we sailed away from the tower.
"You've always been that way," I said, only to receive a grunt in response.
As we made our way through the battlefield, we found all of the sirens floating in a lifeless state as the data connection was severed. The sight was rather eerie, as we found them everywhere, sometimes making it difficult to navigate.
A loud and chaotic sound made me look back to see the tower collapse and the sky begin to crack, allowing natural light to illuminate the sea. The cracks continued to grow as more and more sunlight began to free us from this cage.
"Hello, Miss Wales, it's good to see you well and healthy." I returned my gaze forward to see Belfast standing in front of us with a smile. Despite the battle we faced, not a spec of damage was to be seen on her, not even dust-a far cry from our broken riggings and tattered clothes.
"I wouldn't say healthy, just well." I joked, making her smile even brighter.
"It's still good to hear. I will be making tea aboard Illustrious; would the two of you care to join?"
"That sounds lovely."
Belfast bowed before turning to lead us when I was suddenly reminded of the question that had bothered me the most.
"Ah, Bel?" I asked. She looked back at me and hummed in response.
"Have you seen Hood at all?"
Upon hearing the name, Belfast's smile dropped as her features took on a more sombre tone.
Her reaction sent a chill down my spine and I bit the inside of my cheek, not ready to hear whatever she was about to say.
"Ah, Lady Hood. . ." She started. "She's. . ."
My heart felt like it had stopped beating as she was unable to finish what she was about to say. The thought of it began to make me shiver while my legs wobbled under my weight as Belfast never continued; she couldn't even look at me.
I felt York's grip on me tighten as I began to lose my balance. My sight became blurry as tears started to well, and I involuntarily began to whimper.
How could this world be so cruel?
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