A clock bell ticked on by, it's chime signaling the current time. It was 4 PM in this Sakura port town, it established a ways outside of the main homeland.
A figure wearing a simple shirt and jeans was walking to the dock, his yellow eyes observant of all his surroundings.
He showed his papers to the guard there, who looked up and said "Hikari Haru. Position and ship?"
He smiled before doing a quick salute, "Radio officer, stationed on the cargo ship Hikaryu Maru."
The guard checked his paperwork before stamping the paper and saying, "Go ahead."
"Hikari Haru" was just a cover name he established. Midway had infiltrated and wrote up cover stories for him based on Shinano's input. He had an ironclad back story. It was unfortunate, however, that this would be the last voyage of the Hikaryu Maru.
He quickly was greeted by the captain, an older man, experienced in the field of commanding a cargo ship. Midway was quickly shown his position and looked over the equipment.
It was practically an antique compared to the radio station on his ship, but for the purpose, it was sufficient for his cover. He needed to further infiltrate into the Sakura Empire, and that required extreme measures.
He tapped the final message to the port before the departure. "Hikaryu Maru, Departing."
Reaching his quarters, he was lucky to have his own given his position and supposed experience. Taking out a pencil and some ink, he started writing on the wall everything so far.
He grabbed a flashlight and shined it at the words, which started to disappear. Satisfied, he grabbed a black light from his back pack and shined it.
The words were revealed again, and with that, he could continue his plans.
It has been 4 weeks into the journey to the Eagle Union for supplies and then heading to the port of Osaka. The ship had already stopped and refueled at Pearl Harbor where it gathered the supplies. Midway watched the port as he could fell the tense atmosphere.
He looked over at the Morse code and radio telegraph machine and looking over the codes. Someone then behind asked, "And who are you?"
Midway turned behind spotting the tomboy cruiser, Cleveland.
"All your crew mates are on land and relaxing, why don't you join them?"
"My job is to run and maintain this equipment. I can relax when I'm finished." Midway simply stated.
The cruiser looked a bit suspicious before walking out. Midway turned back and quietly tapped the pencil against the desk.
He ventured back into his room and looked over the route. Shinano had told them that the loss of this cargo ship was something he could use to get further in.
He laid down on his bed and looked up to the ceiling. Taking his black light, he shined it up there. Greeting him was a map of the entire Pacific Ocean written in invisible ink. An X marked the spot, near the Philippines where the ship was gonna be sunk.
He finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"You.... you did good... kid."
With shaky breath, the crane carrier Zuikaku woke from her nightmare. She looked around panicking before getting up. She washed her face a bit with water and looked at the mirror.
She couldn't see the face of the person in her dreams, or even what their voice was, but she looked down at her hands. Then a mental flash seeing blood on them.
"What's happening to me?" She asks.
It was an early morning for the Sakura Empire as Zuikaku walked up the steps of the shrine. She couldn't shake the feeling of the dream, something about it felt so real and unreal at the same time.
Reaching the top, she walked in and bowed before Nagato. The battleship looked at Zuikaku and said, "Is something amiss? You seem tired and stressed."
"Hai. I've been having a weird dream, it's been keeping me up hours on end." Zuikaku replied.
Nagato pondered a bit before saying, "You should inquire with Shinano, she knows dreams more than anyone here in the Sakura Empire."
"Thank y-"
The destroyer Hanazuki ran into the room and shouted, "Shrine maiden. We've received a distress call near the Philippines."
Nagato perked up and looked at Zuikaku. "Your inquiry will have to wait, you will go with the relief fleet to the distress call. Go."
Zuikaku bowed and immediately rushed out of the room with Hanakazi. Looking over at the destroyer, she then asked, "What ship is it from?"
"It's identifying itself as the Hikaryu Maru."
2 hours earlier...
Midway yawned as he woke up from his sleep and grabbed a cup of coffee from the shitty coffee maker in the break room. He ventured into the radio transmitter office and relaxed on the chair.
He grabbed his pocket watch and looked at the time. Not much longer to go.
He reached for his coffee cup as a large blast then hit the cargo shop, sending the cup airborne.
It landed and splashed on his shirt.
Vivid cursing was reported from the radio office.
Midway powered on the transmitter only for it to red light. He then rushed into the bridge which was strafed by gun fire. Him unable to do anything for them.
He kicked the door down and ran outside, the top radio mast had been clipped by a round and the dish was nearly destroyed. He rushed back into the ship and retreated into his room.
He heard people jump aboard and footsteps. Not of the crew, but something more mechanical in nature.
He sat in his cabin before the door was busted down. His back turned against it, one of the humanoid Sirens shouted, "Hands on your head. Surrender or die."
Midway's yellow eyes distinctly glowed before the scene cut to black.
The relief fleet was moving rapidly towards the distress signal. The sign of a burning hulk was the signal for them. The cargo ship with the white works of Hikaryu Maru on its hull was scorched by the rampant fires and plasma hits.
The ships jumped aboard the ship and started looking around. They had to find survivors, if there were any.
Agano busted the door open on the bridge and nearly threw up from the sight. Zuikaku walked behind her and looked around. The crew were strafed by a Siren jet, no one was alive.
She entered the radio room and noticed a fairly large water stain on the ground and a broken coffee cup. "Must have been drinking something and rushed out. But if he's not here, how is the signal repeating."
"Piece of junk it is."
All the girls turned around to what appeared to be the sole survivor. He looked up with yellow eyes towards everyone. Agano raised her guns and shouted, "Who are you?!"
The figure put their hands up and says, "Hey hey, easy. My day has been shit ever since the coffee spilled on me."
Zuikaku looked back and then asked, "You're the radio operator?"
"Yeah. Hikari Haru. Radio officer of the Hikaryu Maru. Huh, it rhymes."
"We don't care about how it rhymes. Tell us what happened." Agano asked.
"Fine fine. I was just doing my usual start up duties when we were suddenly attacked by Sirens. I tried flicking the transmitter on and it red light."
Zuikaku leaned in further, her getting the feeling of deja vu. An unshakable feeling.
"Found the bridge crew dead from a strafe. I then ran below deck to get repair equipment for the radio antenna. Boarders then jumped on and made off with all of our cargo. I got up top after they left and fixed the transmitter."
Agano started looking around for the ship's log book and black box.
"After that, I sent a repeating SOS. And then started taking inventory."
Agano looked over and asked, "So what was stolen?"
Midway looked up and said, "All the food is there, of course. But the Sirens made off with all the oil and materials we were carrying."
Zuikaku then said, "We can bring you back to Yokosuka, but I'm not sure this ship can."
"That's fine. Just my request of give the crew burials at sea. They... they've earned it."
Zuikaku nodded and walked out of the room. Midway walked out and to the crew quarters. He walked into his room and grabbed a gas canister. There were multiple fires on board. What was one more?
He flicked a lighter on and smoked his last cigarette, before flicking it into the room and the entire thing caught flames.
The invisible ink would be destroyed in the fire and his plans will be safe. He walked away with his stuff and opened the door to the deck.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Siren optical processor. Or for more simplified terms, an eye from a Siren.
"Surrender or die? I guess I should've been the one telling you that." As he threw it into the ocean and it sank.
He transferred over to one of the relief ships and the entire fleet was sailing to Yokosuka. Ships stationed at the Philippines had arrived and started offloading the ship. Supplies and bodies were taken off as the entire ship was scuttled afterwards. Too damaged to be repaired.
Midway sat at the edge of the deck watching the waves part as the ship sliced through the water. It was going to be a long day.
The fleet eventually arrived at the naval port and everyone gave their debriefings. Midway still pretending to be Hikaru Haru kept the story the same. Attacked by Sirens, repaired the transmitter, etc.
He was eventually released from custody and was granted permission to roam freely in the Sakura Empire.
Hours later he walked up the steps of the Shrine and opened the doors, saying, "Hello ag..."
Zuikaku and Shinano looked at him as he entered.
"Oh..."
"Shit."