-----------ADMIRAL’S OFFICE------------

The big carrier gave two quick taps on the door. There was two seconds of quiet, a few steps and the click of a door lock. 

Kongõ opened the door just a little and found her staring at Iowa

‘Oh, hi there Iowa’
‘Wassup Kongõ’
‘We're waiting for Enterprise’
‘Wait’s over, Big E is here. Let us in’
‘Us?’
‘Think I’ll let her in to be torn to shreds? Many here will see her as the Devil. I’m her advocate’
‘Uhh… sec’

Kongõ closed the door and cleared her throat
‘Honeeeeeey! Iowa is here too, she wants to sit along with us, is that fine?’

Iowa couldn’t hear a reply from the Admiral, but it was seemingly fine as Kongõ opened the door with a smile moments later

‘Come in!’

Iowa smiled, a little more honest smile than what she usually rocked. 

‘You’re the star here, E. I have your back if they’re trying to start shit. Kongõ is a sweetheart at core, but fiercely protective of the Admiral. It’s gonna be fine, as long as you’re honest, alright?’
‘Y-yeah’
‘Let’s do it’

Iowa opened the door with her usual flair and energy, a walked down the few meters of red carpet towards the Admiral’s desk like it was a catwalk. If she had nothing else, she had confidence enough to be radiating.

‘Admiral! Hi-yo!’
‘Pleased to see you, Iowa. I’m happy to see you’ve brought your friend’
‘Yeah, it’s her gig. I’ll sit down and let you guys do your thing. You’re cool with her and we’re cool, alright!’

Iowa’s thinly veiled and subtle threat was yet more disguised by the fact she sounded genuinely happy and was smiling.

‘I shall treat her just the same as-’

The Admiral halted and looked at Kongõ. The abyss again. Time to rephrase, cause god know what happened if it was implied she was on the same level as anyone else.

‘Worry not, Iowa. I’m going to make sure any wartime record of hers doesn’t change her treatment. Now…’

Kongõ and Iowa both sat down at the side of the room, with a little kettle of tea and looked at the empty chair by the Admiral’s desk.

‘Please sit do- actually do you mind standing up a minute?’
‘Not at all’

The Admiral got up from the chair and went over to the big carrier.

‘You look pale. Are you feeling alright? Kongõ can make you some tea if you like, it’s quite nice’

Enterprise’s eyes flew over to Iowa and Kongõ, happily sipping from their cups. Iowa nodded

‘Some tea would be good. I’m… probably a little nervous. And i didn’t think you were going to be a, err, you know-’
‘No need to be worried. No harm will come to you here’

Kongõ brough the warm cup over and made sure Enterprise had it with both hands.

‘CV(N)-6 Enterprise, second of the Yorktown-class carriers?’
‘Uhh… Maybe. Sort of. We’re not exactly sure yet. But I am Enterprise’
‘You’re not sure?’
‘Well… As I’m sure you know I’m supposed to be smaller and lighter than the Shokaku carriers’
‘And yet you’re standing taller than Yamato’
‘Yeah’

The admiral walked around Enterprise a few times

‘Estimating your displacement to just a bit over 90 000 tons. Which would put you two light cruisers over the biggest known warship on earth’

Enterprise Looked down at her waist and hips. The Admiral went back the the off side of the desk, and gestured for Enterprise to do the same

‘You know what I mean. The report here… says you recognised Akagi. This would make sense if you… ehem, met in the war. Which Enterprise did. Then why didn’t she recognize you?’
‘Probably the same reason I’m ninety thousand tons and not thirty’
‘Would you know what that is?’
‘We aren’t exactly sure. We have a bit of a theory, but can't be certain’
‘Alright. Could you tell us about it?’
‘I'm… Uhh, I have my own mind. That of the CV-6. But size wise, and looking at my rigging, I look more like another carrier called Enterprise, built later’
‘Mind of the old with hull a new. Interesting. Say, this old hull…does it have anything to do with Wo?’

Kongõ squealed with joy, leaned over to Iowa and whispered cheerfully:

‘That's my Admiral! Made that connection right away! My heart is so war-’
‘Yeah yeah, I know, burning love. Just be quiet for now’, Replied Iowa, also whispering 
‘My Admiral is the best~’

Kongõ bit her lower lip, and Enterprise continued. 

‘We believe so. And some…thing, whatever they are, the Abyssals corrupted that hull. So when my mind was going here, maybe it went to the other Enterprise? Err, this one’
‘Okay. Hull number for this new one?’
‘CVN-65’

The Admiral was taking notes with a particularly elegant handwriting. Not quite on level with Warspite, but close. 

‘Wait, without the parentheses on the N, Cee Vee En dash Six Five. Yeah, like that’
‘Is the N still for “Night”?’
‘Err- No, it’s for a new type of propulsion system’
‘Hm. What kind? Similar to Shimakaze?’

Enterprise’s eye twitched. She recognised that name. Shimakaze was probably another notch on record, another little flag on her bridge. Worst thing was she didn’t actually know for certain.

She blinked, heavily two times to fade back to reality.

‘No, not at all. I understand it was basically a spicier boiler and turbine. This is different, unfortunately, it makes little sense over a table. Its effects are better demonstrated. I will be happy to do so’
‘That’s delightful to hear’

The admiral was quiet for a moment, looking through the papers.

‘The report here tells me you had a hand in the victory we achieved a few nights ago, would that be correct?’

Enterprise shrugged a little, and remembered something Roosevelt had said before big sticks

‘I helped a bit, yeah’

The admiral smiled

‘Humble. It’s a nice quality’
‘I try’
‘And i suppose this is something you could repeat?’
‘Do the radar thing again? Oh yeah, absolutely. Uhh.. I think’

The Admiral’s eyes narrowed immediately

‘Think?’
‘Yeah, I mean I want to. But the rigging is foreign in technology, handmade and is proving to be pretty unreliable’
‘...Unreliable?’
‘Well, the cooling system has a certain appetite for sand’
‘Cooling what exactly?’
‘The engines. The rea-uhh boilers, there are eight of them and they do not like getting too warm’
‘It must be a very special engine that need that kind of cooling’
‘Yeah. It’s sort of a prototype. I’d be the first to tell you it still has its fair amount of kinks and quirks that… hasn’t quite been ironed out’
‘Perhaps we can remedy some of those issues here?’
‘I should hope so’
‘Enough with the propulsion for now. What about the airplanes?’
‘Ah, yeah. Uhh, so this is a little embarrassing. Since these are not my airplanes, per se, and I’m only really familiar with one of them. With the remaining 14 I only know what Intrepid has told me’
‘And she knows this?’
‘Yeah’
‘Could you show me?’

Enterprise took the little notebook out of the pocket and handed it over to the Admiral.

‘Those are the planes, the descriptions are written by Intrepid’
‘Mhm…’

The Admiral read each and every page of the notebook, carefully, trying to remember every little detail.

‘I’m assume you’re familiar with the Douglas Skyraider?’
‘That’s right’
‘It has three thousand horsepower on takeoff, and that is somehow the most believable number in the book. I’d like to see a demonstration of, well… all of the others’
‘I’d be happy to’
‘Actually…’

The admiral stopped on the last page and thought for a moment. Thoughts turned to actions, writing a little note and asking Kongõ to step up. 

She flew up, and was only stopped from tackle hugging her beloved Admiral by a raised elbow. The cheery battleship took the note, read it, and ran out of the room.

‘Is she always that cheerful?’
‘Cheerful is a nice term to use. And yeah, she’s like that, if i watch my step’

Enterprise noticed a change in tone and decided not to press on further.

‘Might not be enough time today. We could do this tomorrow, and I’ll show you what I can do’
‘Yes, you’ve piqued my interest to say the least’
‘I tend to. I understand i’m quite the oddity here’
‘Yeah. Judging by just these drawings alone, you are’

The room went quiet. Enterprise didn’t really know where to take this conversation. And the Admiral had a bit too many questions to ask, and could never ask them without sounded like an over-caffeinated school child. Luckily, someone there was an expert is breaking the silence.

‘Ohmygosh I have the best idea!’
‘Iowa…’
‘Nononono, listen, hear me out, you’re gonna love it. If we do the cool test shit or whatever tomorrow. Buuut, there is the mega carrier stuff, the super scary planes, Abyssal whatever, and the glowing eyes, so-’
‘Calm, slow down, glowing eyes?’ The Admiral turned over to the loud blonde
‘Oh yeah, you should see, they glow blue when she fires her engines up’
‘What…’
‘Whatever, that’s not the point here, what I suggest is a movie!’
‘Iowa, please…’
‘Nonono, trust me here. See, Enterprise is a movie star’
‘I’m what?’

With a few quick words the big battleship had made them both confused.

‘jesus christ imagine being stuck in the 40s…’ Iowa mumbled and covered her mouth ‘Right, as i said, Movie star. She was preeeeeetty much the biggest stick we had, so when we made a movie on waving the flag around, that’s who was in’
‘Uhh…’
‘Yeah. We should see it. Like, all of us. Not only will they see Big E here is a good girl, but they will also see the best thing that has come out of the 130 year history of hollywood’
‘Or we could sorta wait to see everything works’
‘Come on, E!’ Iowa pointed her whole arm at the Carrier ‘You’re the stage! The hub it all revolves around! And you…’

Iowa now turned to the somewhat confused Admiral

‘You’re a goddamn Admiral, in a fleet of hundreds and you haven’t seen Top Gun’
‘What’s Top Gun?’

Iowa took the deepest breath in her whole life, ready to spew it all out, and thoroughly informing the Admiral on just why Top Gun was the greatest things since the Ice age, and starting with the volleyball scene. Luckily, for the sake of the Admirals hearing, Iowa was interrupted by the slamming open of a door and an even happier battleship.

‘Admiraaaaaaaal! They’re heeeere! Just like you asked!’

Kongõ stood in the doorway with one woman of roughly equal height, and one much smaller. Enterprise turned around and recognised the taller of the two. She had met her down by the water earlier. Enterprise had recognized Akagi. How could she not? June fifth, 1942. Five minutes to half past ten. A Dauntless dive bomber hits home, and a single 1000 pound bomb hit the neat rows of B5N torpedo bombers along with oxygen torpedoes and fuel lines. And that was it for the mightiest carrier that the land of the rising sun put to sea. Enterprise felt cold, and yet pearls of sweat on her forehead. The Akagi slowly walking through the room looked happy. Determined. And judging by her eyes quickly darting around through the room and her stride next to the younger woman, she would be ready to raise hell.

‘Akagi, Fubuki, thanks for coming here so quickly’
‘Of course’

Akagi, cutsied, just a tiny bit to show her respect for the Admiral. He smiled a little. Enterprise wondered how in god's name she could even notice these details. Even Kongõ didn’t. And she was the kind who would go ballistic if another woman made her beloved smile. 

‘Could you two…’ The Admiral opened the little notebook on the last page with anything written on it, and presented it to the Fubuki ‘Please identify these two?’

‘This one’ 

Fubuki pointed at the drawing with “SH-60 Seahawk” written over it.

‘This one. I caught this one. It had our carriers’ pilots in it’

‘Right… let’s see. “SH-60 Seahawk. Naval multipurpose helicopter. Roles include SAR, liaison and light cargo duties, but it can also be equipped for light surface with rockets, torpedoes and machine guns. Cruise speed 130 knots, 3 tons payload, 18 meters long and a “rotor diameter” of 17 meters, whatever that is’
‘The rotor is the big propeller on top. And you said the first thing was SAR. Search and rescue. The helicopter simply flew off to get the pilots. It’s way faster than any destroyer’

Iowa had interrupted that conversation, a bit rudely. And she had somewhat lost her cheerful tone


‘Wouldn’t she know about it?’
‘Not necessarily. I believe she controls the CIC, combat information center. The heli was unarmed and it flew autonomously. Or the pilot just gunned it’

The Admiral’s eyes narrowed, but Akagi opened her mouth before anything else could be said.

‘Intentional or not, I would like to extend the gratitude of not only myself, but Kaga of the first carrier division, and the carriers of the fifth carrier division. We’re all happy the pilots came back. All of them’

Enterprise wanted to say “you’re welcome”, or anything that meant that. But she could not make herself to look Akagi in the eyes. Why wasn’t she angry? Upset? Sad? Scared? Any goddamn emotion other than gratitude for just some little thing that the destroyers would have done anyway. Why was she happy? Why was there nothing else in there?

‘Y-yeah, I’m happy to help’
‘While you’re here…’ The Admiral started ‘Enterprise will do a little demonstration tomorrow for us, if you have no other duties, you can come and look

Her stomach turned. Why did they have to be there?

‘Akagi, Fubuki, that’s all for now’

A few courtsies and polite words were exchanged, and the little destroyer followed Akagi out of the room.

‘W-wait’

The two stopped and looked at Enterprise who finally got something to say

‘Hm? What is it?’
‘Akagi’
‘Yes?
‘If… if you see the helicopter again, if it comes back. Let it land. They have pretty short range, and I think they consider you a place to land as well, maybe it can’t go anywhere else’

Akagi looked surprised for a moment. And then happy.

‘Of course! I will be glad to assist in the search and rescue and make sure to pass the message along to the other carriers. I will see you tomorrow, Enterprise’

She couldn’t reply. She tried to smile and nodded a little, as opposed to Akagi, who politely excused herself, and left with Fubuki. The two walked quietly for a little while, one with a little more ease of mind than the other. 

‘What's on your heart, dear?’
‘You know… with, uhh…’

Akagi stopped, turned to the little destroyer and smiled. An encouragement. Fubuki took two deep breaths, straightened out her back, cleared her throat and spoke clearly:

‘Akagi, are you not worried about her?’
‘Worried? No. She did beat me in battle, it's true, but I will not blame her for acting under orders. That was all different, gone. I must even say I'm a little excited to learn from someone like her. Equal parts admiration and morbid curiosity’
‘She wasn't like I imagined’
‘What did you imagine. A monster? A ghost?’
‘I don't know really. You know Tenryuu tells us ghost stories about her?’

Akagi sighed a little. Of course Tenryuu was scaring the destroyers with her stories. 

‘Perhaps you can see for yourself, speak to her on your own? I heard Ayanami and her sisters have spoken to her already. And they seem to be fine’

Fubuki nodded a little, mostly to herself. She would definitely try to speak with Enterprise if she got the chance. She would be careful at first, but if Akagi said it was going to be fine, it would. She trusted Akagi. 

A while later, halfway to the western district, Iowa had hatched a plan. Mass viewing of Top Gun wasn't going to happen, but Enterprise just had to see it. However, halfway through the movie, a thought struck her. Since the head was from the old carrier, she had never seen it. But the new carrier was the setting for the whole movie. Maybe she knew, deep down? 

Iowa had given that a lot of thought, and knew just how to find out. 

‘Hey E, wait here, lemme get something from the storage, you're gonna love it’

Enterprise, who her her mind a hundred miles away, didn't hear what Iowa said, but still waited outside the storage room. The battleship emerged a moment later, with a ball in her hands. Roughly the size of a football, but lighter, seeing how far it flew with just a light tap. Enterprise didn't actually know what to do, but she started moving, almost on her own. Feet shoulder wide, bend knees, couple hands together and bend fold her hands backwards a little bit. 

With a thud, the volleyball hit her wrists and bounced back towards Iowa who returned the gesture, sending it back to Enterprise in a high arc and a simple line: 

‘Smash!’

The rest came from reflexes alone. Back down with bent knees, right arm back, left arm up, towards the ball, and never take the eyes off it. In a single smooth motion, Enterprise hits from her toes, through her legs, hips, abdomen and arms to send the ball hurling towards Iowa. 

The hit was almost perfect, and she could barely catch it before it would smash into her belly. 

‘Yeeeees, I knew it!’
‘I had no idea I could do that, h-how did you-’
‘Shhhh. Everything will be clear soon. You, go and tell Sara and the nerd to come join us in the cinema’
‘Uhhh?’

Iowa sighed. She had hopes for a bit more hype than what Enterprise displayed. 

‘Eugh. Just tell them to come to the storage room, you know, my room other? Oh, and little Gamby too if she was awake’

Gambier Bay wasn’t awake. Instead, Saratoga and Intrepid came up to the little storage room. Iowa had made it all nice, with a few big fluffy blankets in the couch and beer on the table. 

Across to it was something many in the naval district would call magic or witchcraft. It was in fact a rather cheap flat TV Iowa had “found” in one of her visits to L.A. 

‘Great!~ Shame about Gamby, but let's get the fun started!’

The battleship took the first bottle of beer, opened it with her teeth, and spat the lid into the trashcan in the corner of the room. 

This started a bit of a challenge, and Iowa repeated the process three more times, all with the same impressive accuracy, much against the expectations of a certain carrier. 

A few laughs were had, and a bit of an argument broke out over seating arrangements. They wouldn't fit all four in the couch, these were not destroyers after all. Naturally, Iowa offered to lay herself on top of the rest, acting herself as a big blanket. Her persuasion methods proved too much for even three US Navy aircraft carriers. 

She said a few heavy words, hit play, and then the magic started. 

~ ~ ~

About two hours later, Nelson sat in the kitchen of the little British building. She sat in her nightgown by the table, unable to sleep due to the horrible racket. It was like song, but awful, which was strange as it sounded happy. Who would make this awful racket this late. Did they not know some needed their sleep? Did they not sleep themselves?

Nelson heard a little creaking under the racket, something that turned out to be the door to Warspite’s chambers.

‘Good evening, madam’

Warspite simply acknowledged Nelson with a little nod

‘Blasted colonials’
‘The colonials are making the racket?’
‘They are indeed’

They sat silent for a little moment.

‘What is this “Danger Zone” they are singing about, at any rate?’
‘Nelson dear, I don’t know and shan’t even pretend to care. It’s the middle of the night, and they are keeping the whole district up’

She mumbled another few curses and got downed two small pills next to the fridge before turning back to her bedroom. If she had cared to look around, she would see that it was more than her window around the district with the light from it. People were awake to the sound of F-14s, 80s rock music and cheerful singing. They would, with quite a lot of alcohol, keep the need for speed running until the late hours in the night.

But revenge would come soon. A few hours later, Ark Royal stood outside the room which previously had been alive with music, but had now fallen into silence. Warspite wanted to make sure the Americans actually got to the demonstration with the Admiral, which was soon. Warspite also had no interest in being called “Mom” by Iowa, which she usually did when someone told her what to do. Ark Royal’s exquisitely elegant silver watch read just a few minutes before half past nine in the morning. 

She decided not to wait the last minute out and gave the door a few quick taps. She would wait, but her time in the repair docks had been limited, and her leg was still not fully healed 

‘The sun is high already and it's good time for you to get up’

Pained and hungover groaning was heard from inside.

‘I believe the meeting with the admiral is due to start soon, and you should all be prepared for it’
‘Fuck off, mom…’
‘Saddening to see how careless you are. And poor little Gambier Bay had to suffer for it. Very well then, I will have to make up for your shortcomings. The poor girl needs food, and i would assume you don’t know where her top went?’

Iowa lay inside in complete darkness with a pounding headache and heavy eyelids. So that’s where that little blue top came from. Shit. 

‘No, then. Come with me, Dear’

Gambier Bay followed Ark Royal wearing a hoodie so big it looked like a cross between a poncho and a dress. And the sleeves were way too long. 

Iowa lay still in the dark room, feeling her little Gamby, her damn ward, get taken away by a crumpet eating, tea drinking, goddamn limey. 

She groaned and weighed that against her pounding headache. Yeah, Arkie was limey, but at least she wasn't a rice krispie. Or a frog. Or a Kraut. Or, God forbid, Italian. 

‘Gamby… Fuck’

Iowa kept groaning

Her tired and heavy legs carried her to the door, which she slammed open, letting in the evil rays of the sun unto the poor, unsuspecting  carriers inside. In the doorway, and perhaps not wearing as much as she should, she let out a call for the little Escort carrier:

‘Gambyyyyyy, I needed you’

The response was immediate. The gigantic ball of bright yellow hair stuffed into a hoodie turned around and trotted back to the storage room

‘Oh Gamby honey, are you a sight for sore eyes. I need you to do a thing for me, alright? We need Auntie Sara’s drinks, you know the ones?’
‘Y-yeah’
‘You're such a good girl. Can you get the whole box for me? There should be a full one left in my room. Can you do that for me?’

Gambier Bay nodded. With excitement. With bounce in her step and a glimmer in her eyes, she set course for the American dorm. One stair down, for the big fridge. She knew exactly what she was going for. Not the single cans, no. The big silver and blue cardboard box, containing twenty four times twelve fluid ounces of Uncle Sam’s finest liquid motivation. 

Back to the hangover group in the storage room, little Gamby proudly displayed the loot, holding it out to Iowa. 

‘Thank you so much sweetie. If you want to be with Arkie hour before we go, I can pick you up when we go, alright?’
‘Go where? A-and she doesn’t like it when you say Arkie…’
‘To the Eastern district, Enterprise will put on a bit of a show. And she only says that she doesn’t like it’

Gambier Bay looked a little confused, nodded and then ran off. Iowa smiled, closed the door and swore.

‘Fuck. Alright, we have to get this going’

The battleship went over for the curtains. 

‘No, Iowa, please…’

Something in the pile on the floor groaned. Begged her not to let the sunlight in. But it had to be done. Her job was protecting the carriers, yes. But sometimes, unreasonable things had to be done. She took a deep breath and pulled them aside, filling the room with sunlight.

‘Nooo…’

Groaning turned into whimpers, into begging and then groaning when no one listened to the cries.

‘Come on, we have to like, get up. Enterprise, you have your thing with the admiral!’
‘A date? Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhha!’
‘No, you hopeless nerd, flight demonstration. And you have to come alone’
‘No...’
‘Yes you do, cause her stuff will break eventually’

Enterprise heard that, among the static radio noise and buzzing in her head. Her comm equipment did not like booze

‘Oh for the love of god’

Iowa ripped open the cardboard box Gambier bay had delivered and tore a can out. Saratoga immediately recognised it and flailed her arms towards Iowa, begging for it. She got it thrown to her, opened it with a well practiced move an downed the whole thing in a matter of seconds

‘What’s that…?’

Iowa smiled at Enterprise. No, grinned.

‘This is one of the proof we have that god still cares about us. This, my friend, is Red Bull’
‘Uhh…? What’s the other?’
‘I have some theories. Whatever. It’s sugary and has lots of caffeine. Drink. Driiiiiink’

Iowa kept administering energy drinks for another half hour before all three carriers were on their feet. They looked miserable.The poor things haven’t done real drinking before. She made a mental note to remember that for next time. The sun was way up already, and any beach volleyball that may happen had to be postponed to the afternoon. What a shame.

‘Yo, E’
‘What…’
‘Your eyes are all red. And with the whole blue glowing thing, don’t you think it’s better that we borrow a pair of shades? Richelieu has dozens of them’

Iowa only got replied with grunting. Enterprise may have meant many thing with this particular string of grunting, but Iowa made the decision for her. Besides, literally every outfit known to mankind and fleetgirls alike looked better with shades. Especially Enterprise and her grey-on-grey uniform. 

Iowa even managed to calm down a little, for the grand total of seven minutes before she actually arrived in the Eastern district and saw just how many were there to watch. All of the carriers were there. All of them. Next to them, the whole pier was filled with curious destroyers, who had only heard the rumors about the ghostly mystery ship. There was even a goddamn booth someone had put up, with the admiral and a few battleships sitting in the shade.

‘Looks like Ms. Movie star has a bit of an audience’
‘Hell yeah’

Iowa high-fived herself internally. Watching Top Gun had killed whatever stage fright Enterprise might have had. She looked cool. Calm. Collected. Like she was thinking of soft drinks and calm beaches.

They kept walking four abreast through though the spectating fleetgirls. Iowa felt cool and calm just walking next to Enterprise. She was a nervous wreck doing this yesterday, and had now become as cool as the arctic ocean. She didn’t even look at any of the others, until the admiral with a clear gesture wanted Iowa to sit in one of the chairs under the tent. Or booth, or whatever it was. She agreed to it, naturally, and let the other three continue to the pier.

‘Alright, E, everyone is watching. You got this’
‘Yeah. Thanks Sara. I can do this’

Enterprise didn’t actually believe this. She was tired, had a headache, and had shaking hands from over 500 mg of caffeine in under an hour. And the sort of magic internal screen she usually had when she closed her eyes was… just snow. Well, it had to work anyway.

She stood up on her propulsion unit, and with a hundred sets of eyes, and the hope of an entire nation on her, she hit the red starter button.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. With a long series of clicky-noises she pressed it another 20 times, all with the same result. She even tried pushing, and holding it pressed down a few times. Nothing. 

‘Uhm… S-sarah, I think the batteries are flat’