Bab 7
Me: [Fire at will! Prioritize any and all carriers. All squadrons, launch!]
Even from on top of the cliff, I can hear the alarm blare from my carrier beckoning a shift to maximum readiness. I watch as the Su-57s launch three at a time. It's good that they are launching first because they'll be able to reach the enemy much faster than my J-16s and thus provide support for the two that are already on site.
As the last two depart alongside 1 Shaanxi Y-11 (AWAC & Electronic Warfare aircraft) I halt the launches and summon my ship. I know what I am about to do is a dumb idea but it's the only chance I have of slowing down the enemy in time so they don't shell the base. So, I jump off the cliff.
BOOM
At the same time, my ship explodes into a million cubes which all rush to me at breakneck speed. I hit the water. The minute I hit the water, I feel the effects of my transformation completing and summon all my strength to push away from the cliffs. By the time I surface, I am miles out to sea. Correcting my course, I blast off at top speed.
Me: [Launch all remaining aircraft.]
To my knowledge, the enemy is still out of range of the Azur Lane's base so there isn't a threat to the base just yet. Still, it is possible that this will also lead to Azur Lane not knowing that the enemy is approaching until it's far too late. Whatever the case, my girls are there as well and if me acting on my own will give them enough time to prepare then that's good enough for me.
Su-57: [Arriving on scene.]
Me: [Prioritize destroying any and all carriers.]
Y-11: [Warning. Multiple Kansen detected.]
I wonder if they are allies or enemies. I'm still far away but even if I use my planes to see the enemy, I don't know all the girls of Azur Lane. On any other day, I'd have bombed their base and thought nothing of it until Yat-Sen or one of the other girls mentioned that they were friends.
Me: [Are they being attacked by the siren?]
Y-11: [Negative.]
Me: [Do they look like prisoners?]
Y-11: [Negative. Possible command vessels.]
Me: [Then they are high priority targets. Disable but try not to sink them.]
They must be girls from Crimson Axis. I heard they had declared war on us shortly before I arrived but given I had virtually no contact with them before now I figured this was more of a Cold War type situation where neither nation really attacks one another and instead just plays a rather expensive game of cat and mouse.
Either way, it doesn't take long before the last J-16s leave my flight deck and I begin plans for my own defence. While I do have anti-ship and antiair weaponry I almost certainly cannot withstand an overwhelming direct strike. This is the world war 2 era after all and the pilots from this era are infamous for swarming like bees and maximising the use of the kamikaze strategy. With my planes all engaging the enemy at close range, they won't be able to directly assist. Still, that doesn't mean I can't take precautions. Launching my other Shaanxi Y-11 aircraft, I position them around me flying in a wide rotation so as to provide early warning of impending enemy attacks.
To combat possible submarines and stray surface vessels, I also outfit my Harbin Z-9s (Helicopters) with anti-sub and anti-ship armament and order them to begin a rotational shift. Since I have four in total, I have two escort me while two remain on standby to take their place as they return for refuelling.
Y-11: [Enemy reinforcements detected.]
Reinforcements? I've been trying to stay out of the combat myself but if these new ships push past the defensive line my planes have managed to set up we're toast. As I continue contemplating what to do the two J-16s I had launched whilst on the cliff finally return. They aren't damaged but they have no ammunition left, having completely expended their missiles and bullets. Still, I am proud of them. They held their own long enough to give my other planes time to prepare, takeoff and get there.
Y-11: [Unidentified Surface Vessel detected.]
Hmm? More ships? Friendlies or foes? Are the ships from Azur Lane even fast enough to get here that quickly? Surely they've figured out what's going on by now or at the very least, Dalian should be able to pick up what's going on.
Y-11: [Approaching from heading 2-4-0.]
240? But that's impossible. There's no way for allied ships coming from the base behind me to be approaching me from that direction and I'm pretty certain the enemy fleet is still being held in place directly ahead of me.
Sigh.
Turning to face the new threat, I launch my remaining helicopters, arming even those not meant for combat with missiles and bombs. The minute the two J-16s that had returned are ready I also launch them into a sweeping patrol pattern. I can't risk being attacked right now. There's no one out here to assist if things go south so I command them to shoot anything that comes within range of me. If they're allies I can deal with the diplomatic repercussions later but I will not risk being sunken again.
Y-11: [Hostiles breaching the inner perimeter.]
Looking up from arranging things on my deck, I spot two Kansen heading straight for me. Their clothing definitely screams Sakura Empire. I can't imagine anyone but girls from their empire and my own wearing clothing like that and I'm pretty certain they aren't with mine.
????: See sister. There's only one ship.
????: Be careful please. I'll support but she must be strong if she's held us back this long on her own.
????: Strong eh? Maybe this will finally prove to our superiors that we are ready!
Me: [All Su-57s, return to the ship immediately!]
Under normal circumstances, I'd have every last plane return but I can't allow their main fleet to breakthrough. We've softened their forces significantly already but given my planes have been fighting in close-ranged dogfights, their effectiveness has plummeted significantly. We haven't taken any losses yet but apart from countless planes, the enemy themselves have only lost a few ships in return.
????: Cover me, sister!
One of the girls charges as the other begins launching zero fighters.
BOOOM BOOOM
The two J-16 that have been circling at high altitudes dive and eliminate all the aircraft she's launched while at the same time also bombing the one that started charging towards me. Incredibly enough, however, she blocked the missiles with her sword. Whoever she is, she is definitely quick.
????: Where did that attack come from?
????: I'm not sure. I assume they're from her planes but all I saw was a blur.
????: Ugh! Keep them off me!
She charges again but this time gets knocked back by missiles launched from my carrier's automated HQ-10 turrets. She manages to block or dodge all save one which hits her in the chest sending her flying backwards a few hundred feet.
????: Zuikaku!
The one that stayed back rushes forward and checks her companion who's still lying in the water, seemingly unconscious. Preparing for another possible wave of attacks, I decide against launching my helicopters now, instead choosing to keep them as my trump card. Clearly, the enemy doesn't yet know what type of weapons I am armed with or what type of aircraft I possess. I must use this to my advantage as much as possible.
????: Got you!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A piercing pain rips through my back. Turning, I come face to face with yet another carrier Kansen. How did she sneak up behind me? Also, what's with that grin.
????: I-
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Missile after missile knocks her away from me. As I look for the source, I see my Su-57s finally returning. Together with the two Y-11s and the J-16s that had been helping me all this time, they coordinate and execute attack runs on all three carriers.
Even with their help, however, the damage has already been done. I don't know what she hit me with or where exactly I am damaged but it's not long before I am on my knees, vision slowly blacking in and out. Overhead, I hear the buzzing sound of more ww2 era planes approaching but through my hazy vision, I can't tell who's they are. A shadow passes over me and for the briefest of moments, I swear I hear an eagle before someone scoops my now limp form up into their arms.
Enterprise: I've got you.
I blackout.
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