Indian Ocean
August 25, 1942
3:00 PM
Lafayette's Division
Terror fell upon Lafayette's Division as they found themselves surrounded by a vastly numerous Siren fleet. To make matters worse, the enemy ranks included Elite-Siren units and the massive Orochi warship on their side.
Lafayette and Friends desperately dodged the incoming attacks, with Lafayette orchestrating their evasive maneuvers through a sophisticated data link onboard his Aegis Combat System.
Saint Louis, a Paladin, remained at Lafayette's side, protecting the division's flagship. She deflected incoming attacks with the blade of her polearm and returned fire with her main guns, unwavering in her duty.
Langley, now a fully-fledged aircraft carrier, launched waves of fighter planes to intercept the relentless Siren bombers and torpedo planes.
Lafayette's Division had never faced such intense combat. However, their rigorous training and well-executed fleet maneuvers prevented them from descending into chaos, though the sheer scale of the battle was unlike anything they had experienced in exercises.
Javelin, Hamman, Sims, Eldridge, Ayanami, Yuudachi, and Shigure all raised their 5-inch guns, attempting to shoot down the diving Siren planes that had been targeting them for the past hour.
The Beavers, on the other hand, unleashed a hail of fire from their MP5Ks, followed by their 5-inch main guns. Torpedoes raced towards their targets, detonating against the hulls of Siren ships.
"Ge-Grenade!" Aulick shouted stutteringly, as she hurled a grenade at a nearby Siren.
One of the Siren minion curiously picked up the grenade. It was one of the infamous "Quackbang" grenades that had been issued to them.
The situation was dire enough that even "Quackbang Grenades" were being distributed. The justification for their use, despite the Geneva Checklist, was that they were "tactical Quackbang grenades," not war crimes.
The curious Siren received a harsh lesson as the Quackbang grenade exploded in her hand, spraying her face with shrapnel.
Charles Ausburne and Thatcher sprayed the Sirens with 9x19mm Parabellum rounds from their MP5Ks.
The Beavers' tenacity rivaled that of the legendary Johnston at her last stand, charging into battle with guns blazing.
"Ba-Ba-Back Blast Clear...." Spence announced, shouldering a green-pipe with a bang (likely a AT-5 Anti- Tank Rocket Launcher).
"Fire!"
One of the Siren ships suffered a catastrophic hit, its bow exploding and splitting in half. The Beaver Squad cheered, now facing the lone behemoth of a Siren ship.
Charles Ausburne and the Beavers, with a mix of defiance and recklessness, charged at Orochi like a group of armed children.
In essence, they were precisely that: a group of youngsters wielding American military gear and firearms. It was a scene akin to a "Call of Duty: Children's Warfare" scenario.
The situation was akin to a lone Maus tank being incessantly poked by a swarm of child infantry, their bullets merely an annoyance.
Orochi's main guns, positioned too high, couldn't depress low enough to target the nimble Beavers. This elevated placement became a critical flaw in countering the smaller, faster targets.
The Beavers, with their superior speed, stayed within Orochi's blind spot, peppering its port side with bullets and high-explosive anti-tank munitions.
Orochi's planes were also preoccupied, engaged in a fierce aerial battle with Azur Lane's aircraft. The Azur Lane planes focused on targeting the Siren Capital Ships and Carriers to reduce the Siren's aerial superiority.
The Beavers' audacity and unwavering tenacity would have made Cmdr. Ernest E. Evans proud, as these 'tin cans' fearlessly bullied the larger ship, relentlessly peppering its sides with holes.
Despite their bravery and relentless assault, the Beavers' attacks couldn't penetrate the thick armor of the giant Siren ship. However, their efforts bore fruit as the port side was riddled with bullet holes from their concentrated fire.
Water slowly seeped through the holes they had created at the waterline of the giant ship. Orochi began to tilt to its port side as water flooded several bulkheads.
"Alright. That should do it," Charles Ausburne said, watching the water rush into the holes they had made.
"Sirens on the deck!" Aulick shouted, pointing her MP5K upwards and start showering lead.
Charles Ausburne looked up and saw a cluster of Siren minions aiming their weapons down at them. Her swift reaction resulted in a precise shot that eliminated one of the Siren minions at the edge of the deck.
"Shoot 'em!" she barked an ordered.
A fierce firefight erupted between the two sides. The MP5Ks' rapid fire and low recoil gave the Beavers the advantage.
One of the Siren minions lost his head after a close encounter with an anti-tank rocket. Spence was horrified at the result of her shot.
Foote rained down a barrage of 40mm grenades on Orochi's deck with her Milkor MGL Grenade Launcher. The Siren minions scattered like headless chickens.
She screamed as a hail of 40mm grenades was unleashed from her six-shot revolver grenade launcher, emptying the cylinder within seconds.
Quackbang Grenades were also thrown onto the deck, sending a number of Siren minions flying through the air in a manner reminiscent of exaggerated 80s and 90s grenade explosions in action movies.
However, the Beavers weren't unscathed. They sustained minor bullet wounds and scratches, but their Kevlar armor absorbed most of the shots.
Aulick narrowly avoided a headshot, thanks to her Kevlar helmet. She only received a painful knock to the head from the impact.
After the gunfight subsided, Charles Ausburne and the Beavers checked to see if any Sirens remained on the deck.
"Foote, check if there's anything left on the deck," Charles Ausburne ordered.
"Got it." Foote responded by firing two 40mm grenades onto the deck as the others kept their weapons trained upwards, anticipating any further threat. Double-tapping with 40mm grenades – a distinctly American approach.
Seconds passed, and there was no response from above. "All clear!" she declared.
"Prepare the bags of C-4," Charles Ausburne ordered, then pointed towards the waterline amidships of Orochi's hull. They attempted to move closer, but the powerful wake generated by the massive ship prevented them from approaching.
"Careful, that's the only explosives we have left," Foote cautioned as Thatcher tried to navigate her warship closer to Orochi's side.
Thatcher sailed closer, carefully navigating through the ship's wake. She counted to three and threw the bags of explosives. The bags were equipped with magnets to attach themselves to any metallic surface.
"Alright, let's back off. The blast might take us out."
The Beaver Squad retreated out of the explosion radius. At the click of the remote detonator, a massive explosion rocked Orochi at its port side.
The huge hole created by the explosion was quickly flooded by rushing seawater. Orochi quickly tilted to its port side. As Orochi tilted, its starboard side rose, exposing its vulnerable underbelly.
SBD dive bombers and TBD torpedo bombers took advantage of the opportunity. Torpedoes slammed into the exposed red hull of Orochi.
SBDs, utilizing their precision targeting laser pods, struck Orochi's deck with remarkable 90% accuracy. 1,000lb Paveway bombs rained down upon the massive vessel.
Orochi's main guns, while devastating, were slow to target aerial threats. However, their concentrated laser beams managed to melt several Azur Lane planes that were conducting a bombing run.
During the Azur Lane bombing runs, the violent shaking dislodged several stored missiles onboard Orochi. One missile became jammed within its launcher, the launch mechanism damaged by the relentless bombardment.
Like the Yamato, Orochi was pummeled by torpedoes and laser-guided bombs. The relentless barrage of bombs and torpedoes struck both sides of the ship nonstop, mirroring the fate of the largest battleship that had sailed in the Pacific Ocean.
Orochi met the same end as the Yamato, slowly rolling over from the relentless torpedo attacks. A few seconds later, a massive explosion split the ship in half amidships. The explosion threw both Azur Lane and Siren planes into the air. The Beavers braced for the shockwave and the giant wave rapidly approaching their position.
"We beat Orochi!" Charles Ausburne declared as she watched the stern of the massive ship slowly sink beneath the waves.
The Beaver Squad jubilantly waved their hands and jumped in celebration of their seemingly impossible victory. Above them, Azur Lane planes soared overhead, dipping their wings in a gesture of acknowledgment as they passed.
Lafayette and Friends
Saint Louis deflected the shot that Omitter threw with the blade of her Polearm, the sound of the blade clanging upon impact with the Plasma Cannon shot.
Water splashed where the shot landed after being deflected. Saint Louis's eyes stared straight at the Arbiter, her gaze unwavering, as if to convey a message of her valor.
Omitter, however, did not seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation; for her, it was merely amusement. Lafayette and her friends faced her, their breaths ragged.
"Ha, ha! That was fun," she said with a cackling laugh.
"She's not even fighting us; she's playing with us!" Hamman hissed like a cat.
Ayanami raised her sword, panting. "She's not even serious... she's toying with us."
"Ohh... I've had enough of this!" Yuudachi shouted, her fist raised in irritation.
"Sir Lafayette, what are your orders?" Saint Louis asked the one in charge of this hopeful division.
Lafayette sweated profusely under the shimmering noon sun and the weight of command. There was no room for heroism; he could not put them in further danger.
"Just hold the line..." he began, his breath ragged. "We need to separate her from the other Siren ships. We won't win; we will only become more surrounded at this point."
He slowly glanced left and right, observing everyone's exhausted state. Seeing their ragged condition, he made up his mind. "Javelin, Hamman, Ayanami, Yuudachi, Shigure – I'll leave the Siren ships to you all."
He paused to gain their attention. "Saint Louis, Laffey and I will take on Omitter on our own."
The girls turned to him, nodding their heads in acknowledgment of his order. "Right."
Lafayette and Saint Louis dashed forward, the water beneath them rippling as they moved. Saint Louis raised her polearm and slashed down with its blade. Omitter moved out of the way, the deck where she had stood crumpling under the force of Saint Louis's strike.
Omitter jumped off the collapsing section. Lafayette aimed his sights at her and opened fire with his MK-110 Naval Gun 57mm Bofors, along with Naval Strike Missiles.
Laffey-459 aimed her issued M82A1 Barrett at the receding Omitter. Cornered by the three in their attempt to attack her simultaneously, Omitter activated her Force-Field.
The explosion from the Naval Strike Missile made her recoil. As the smoke settled, Saint Louis's polearm blade slammed against her translucent defense.
"I guess playtime is over; it's time to get serious," Omitter said as she was pushed by the three off the Siren Fleet she had brought.
The Siren Ships were left to the Azur Lane Shipgirls. Her eyes then shifted to the three.
Saint Louis once again brought her blade down upon Omitter, the impact of her attack sending the Arbiter crashing into the water's surface, creating ripples where she landed. Then, without missing a beat, Omitter was barraged by shots fired by the two.
Lafayette fired with the intensity of his Mk-110 Naval Gun 57mm Bofors, followed by small arms fire.
Laffey-459 fired her M82A1 Barrett and her 5-inch Main gun.
"Three against one, this is quite interesting," Omitter said as the three engaged her.
Saint Louis engaged in close-quarters combat with her polearm and medium-range attacks with her main guns. The close proximity and rapid, forceful strikes kept Omitter from lowering her Force-Field.
After forcing her to remain in one position, the missile attack came. The missiles were the only attacks capable of shaking her and her defense. The Force-Field she had raised flickered.
Lafayette waited for the moment her Force-Field flickered after the explosion. He analyzed each of the shots. He ordered Laffey-459 to target the central part that resembled a shark's mouth with her M82A1 Barrett.
Laffey-459 readied her M82A1 Barrett and said, "Right."
"Laffey, NOW!" Lafayette shouted the signal.
Laffey-459 took a precise shot at Omitter's Shark Rigging. As she pulled the trigger, a single .50 caliber bullet struck the center, destroying the blue orb-like thing on the Shark-like Rigging.
"EHH!"
Omitter hadn't anticipated someone targeting her rigging. The shot had hit her Shield Generator Core. The blue core shattered, leaving her without any Force Field.
Omitter realized she had made a critical error being without a Force Field, especially since her enemies were also using them. The tables had turned.
"Well... umm... This is awkward." She was quickly humbled after realizing she was defenseless.
Saint Louis was taken aback at the shattering of an Arbiter's means of defense. "What the... the Force-Field.... It shatters," she exclaimed in surprise.
The tense, awkward silence between them stretched for seconds before Omitter made her escape. She submerged underwater, as her plan was no longer to remain in the open. Saint Louis had been mere inches from slicing her with the blade of her Polearm.
Before Omitter fully Adios herself, she let out a shriek as Saint Louis's attack grazed her. Now beneath the waves, she thought she was safe. Or so she believed.
Lafayette, Laffey-459, Saint Louis, and Omitter were now engaged in a cat-and-mouse game, as Depth Charges from the two Shipgirls and Lafayette's ASROCs rained down underwater.
The Depth Charges sank into the water, leaving trails of bubbles in their wake, their noses diving down in search of any targets. This was followed by subsequent underwater explosions, as huge plumes of water erupted from the Depth Charge detonations.
"Is she gone?" Laffey-459 asked as she lowered her M82A1 Barrett, the tension easing.
"She got away...." Saint Louis said, observing for any debris that might float to the surface to confirm Omitter's destruction.
"Careful, she might be down there, waiting for an opportunity to attack us," Lafayette cautioned, urging her not to become careless.
"Right."
Below them, Omitter lingered, waiting for them to leave. She shut down all her propulsion and any means of underwater movement to avoid making the slightest noise. One wrong sound could compromise her vulnerable state. The destruction of her Shield Generator Core (the one that Laffey-459 had shot) and the elimination of her Force-Field made her an easy target for the two.
She maintained complete silence after facing a barrage of ASW Weapons, narrowly escaping death after evading an Active Seeking Torpedo. She sacrificed one of her turrets to block the incoming torpedo.
She kept her acoustic signature low as she slowly sank into the dark abyss of the sea floor. She stared upwards, watching the silhouettes at the surface gradually fade into the darkness.
A portal appeared behind her as she continued her slow descent. She was glad that it came in time at her needs. However, the disturbance caused by the portal's appearance jeopardized her stealthy retreat.
"Shit!" she muttered.
Lafayette's sonar beeped nonstop as it detected an acoustic signature below. The signature didn't match Omitter's, but he wasn't taking any chances of her escaping. Lafayette launched three Lightweight Torpedoes to hunt her down.
Omitter watched three oblong shapes tubes race towards her. She quickly activated her propulsion to evade the pursuing "Homing Pipe Bombs."
As she made her desperate escape into the portal, the three Pipe Bombs also followed her, entering the portal uninvited.
Siren Base
Omitter fell from the portal, which had appeared several meters above the ground, landing flat on her face. "Ouch! What was that for?!" she complained to her saviors.
Strategist Mk-III and Strategist Mk-I exchanged confused glances, neither understanding her complaints. "Umm.... We just saved you," one of them said.
"You could have at least lowered the height of the fall if you're trying to save someone injured!"
Omitter was injured from the two Shipgirls' ASW attacks, leaving her immobilized and wounded. Now, these two had saved her, only to drop her from several meters high.
Before one of the two strategists could speak, the three Lightweight Torpedoes burst out of the portal above where Omitter had just fallen.
The Sirens lost their composure as their hearts skipped a beat at the sight of three Torpedoes dropping from several meters. The tips of the torpedoes struck the floor, activating their warheads.
"EH!" Omitter eyes widened and mouth gapped at the flash of light engulfing everything.
'Ricco goes Kaboom' along with the Sirens blowing up the Base. Lafayette's little Torpedo penetrated deeper than he had anticipated with the Sirens, causing a huge mess by detonating deep inside.
"Target Destroyed," Lafayette's onboard A.I. announced as it identified the explosion.
Lafayette breathed a sigh of relief that one of the Elite Sirens had been eliminated. He knelt, his hands on his knees. A battle against an Arbiter was an accelerating experience. Now he understood why he had been relegated to the most boring, yet meticulous job in the navy: Submarine Warfare.
"Is it dead?" Laffey-459 asked, her tone nonchalant as she looked down at the clear and tranquil sea.
"Yeah... I think so..."
After he said those words, Laffey-459 returned to stand close beside him. Lafayette's brows furrowed slightly in annoyance, but he couldn't fully deter her because she possessed greater horsepower than he did.
"Can you at least give me a moment? I mean, you've been close to me ever since this morning."
Laffey-459 simply stated, "No."
Saint Louis watched the two with a small smirk on her face as the threat from the Siren subsided. However, her vigilance remained sharp for any unexpected intrusions into this brief moment of respite after an intense battle.
"Miss Laffey is protective of Sir Lafayette," she muttered with a sigh.
...
Langley and the Kids.
Langley, along with the girls, rained lead upon the dive-bombing Siren planes. All of them were engaged in anti-air and anti-surface combat.
Ayanami, Yuudachi, Shigure, Hamman, and Javelin launched a barrage of torpedoes at the advancing Siren ships. Plumes of seawater erupted as each Siren ship sustained a direct hit to its bow or hull.
The annoying Cat (Yukikaze) was absent from the group, but she had been replaced by another, slightly more annoying Cat (Hamman).
"Die, Siren Scum!" Hamman cursed as she and the others executed their torpedo run.
"Damn, she's way more annoying than Yukikaze," Shigure muttered.
Javelin spoke solemnly, "You'll get used to it."
"Shit! We're surrounded!" Yuudachi shouted.
"Damn it, we traversed too far, and now we've ended up in the middle of the Siren Fleet," Ayanami said.
Javelin pointed her javelin at one of the Siren ships as energy fire slowly materialized at its tip. "Javelin Raid," she activated one of her defensive skills.
A barrage of torpedoes left Javelin's torpedo tubes and struck most of the Siren ships.
Everyone followed suit, activating their own unique skills. Plumes of seawater erupted at the waterline of each Siren ship as it was hit by a barrage of torpedoes.
But even with all their skills activated and the torpedo barrage, the number of Siren ships was only reduced by a quarter. Out of ammo and exhausted, they were completely surrounded.
"Damn you Sirens, why won't you DIE!" Hamman shouted, raising a fist.
Out of ammo and out of hope, they simply waited for the end. There was nothing more they could do but wait. As they waited, each Siren ship exploded simultaneously.
They then looked up and saw Tomahawk Missiles and Naval Strike Missiles raining down. They all sighed in relief, and those who had the energy to spare cheered after witnessing the Michael Bay-esque explosions.
"Looks like our Prince in Shining Armor just saved us," Shigure said.
Langley was busy directing her Fighter Planes to prevent them from breaking their defensive line. F4U Corsairs whizzed past above her, and a few landed on her deck rigging for rearming.
Corsairs performed their task of intercepting unwanted visitors in their airspace, and now several of them were low on ammo and fuel from all the interceptions.
.50 caliber and .30 caliber rounds shredded the Siren planes that challenged the Corsairs. A squadron of Corsairs dove down and began strafing the decks of Siren ships, which were then pounded by HVARs (High-Velocity Aircraft Rockets) fired from the wingtips of each Fighter Interceptors.
"There's too many of them," Langley muttered, gasping for air in utter exhaustion.
She was completely tired from all the launching and landing of her planes. She hadn't expected to end up being a full-time Carrier with constant carrier operations. Sweat dripped down her entire body; she was completely soaked in her own perspiration.
'If this continues... I might break. The wear and tear on my Rigging is starting to show itself. If I break now, the Girls will be left with no air cover.' She shook off all the negative thoughts that lingered in her mind.
'No. I can't stop now.' Langley then launched another squadron of F4U Corsairs.
As the last Corsair left her deck, she fell to her knees, her body feeling numb from all the launching and landing. She then looked at one of her hands, her vision blurring as she stared at it.
In her effort to get back to her feet, she fainted from total exhaustion. In her utter weariness, Langley collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from her forehead.
'No... I can't lose consciousness now. I need to support the others...' she said to herself, as if uttering words of motivation.
Unicorn came to the rescue and initiated a healing process on the exhausted Langley. Like Langley, she too was exhausted from launching planes and providing healing support all the way.
"Don't give up, Miss Langley. I've got you healing," she said, her tone tinged with concern.
"Thank you, Unicorn," Langley responded, her breathing ragged. "I can still hold on my own."
Unicorn's healing ability restored Langley to her fully healed state. Her tiredness and signs of exhaustion vanished from her appearance. Her Rigging, which had been on the verge of collapse, now glistened as if fresh from dry-dock and repair. Without wasting a moment, Langley resumed her flight operations, launching more F4U Corsairs.
"I'll take over now; you should rest for a while," Langley said as she took charge, allowing Unicorn to rest since she too was exhausted.
"Thank you, Miss Langley," Unicorn said, her tone still ragged from the exertion of healing.
U-Chan, in her Unicorn form, supported her, allowing Unicorn to rest on her back.
U-Chan became the MEDEVAC, a red cross emblazoned on the saddle and cloth strapped to her body, signifying her non-combatant role.
Several meters away from the two Light Carriers, Eldridge maintained her typical alertness (I don't know what her serious face looks like). Her face was flat as she and Sims kept watch over the two Carriers, ensuring they weren't targeted by surface and aerial threats.
Sims was actively engaged in dealing with aerial threats, shooting them down with her 5-inch gun.
Eldridge simply discharged bursts of electricity at any Siren planes foolish enough to approach them, like mosquitoes buzzing against an electric coil.
In her hand, she held a rope, towing a life raft where Yukikaze lay unconscious, her eyes still spinning at total out sense.
Manjuus wearing nurse caps tended to her injuries, applying bandages to her bruises even though she was as cranky as a cat. Some of the Manjuus worked on repairing her damaged Rigging, their magical repair tool that looked like a Duct Tape. A tool of every creative Military.
Their magical Duct Tape managed to hold together her battered and destroyed Torpedo Tube Launcher, where Omitter had shot it. Now, the duct tape held everything firmly, much like "Flex Tape" in the commercials.
-Everything was tight and secure, thank you Duct Tape-
Yukikaze woke up from her daze, her mental state still reeling, though she had regained some consciousness. Her head ached from the fall.
"Wa, what....? Where am I?" she asked, her tone groggy and slow.
"At the world of the living," one of the Manjuu said, making the cat even more confused.
As everyone had a brief rest, a booming voice echoed, coming from Charles Ausburne, as the Beaver Squad rushed towards them at high speed in an emergency.
"Medic!... Medic!... we need a Medic here!" Charles Ausburne called out for the Corpsman.
Unicorn turned her gaze at the person who called for help. "Over here!" she shouted, beckoning them to come over.
The Beavers, despite their Hail Mary attack on Orochi, had not emerged unscathed; they bore bruises and burn marks.
Unicorn almost quivered upon seeing the state of the Beaver Squad. She hadn't expected them to receive so many bruises and burn marks. "Wha-What happened?"
"We beat Orochi," Charles Ausburne boldly proclaimed. And the Beaver Squad cheered their victory against such a massive foe.
"Don't Bullshit me! No one in their right mind can sink Orochi alone!" Yukikaze burst into shouting after hearing that.
"Nah... we just did," Charles Ausburne retorted with a smirk.
...
Far away from the sinking wreck of Orochi and the fleet of Siren ships that had accompanied it,
The surface of the Ocean was littered with debris from Siren ships. Some were burning, thick black smoke billowing as the heavy oil ignited. Others slowly sank as the structural integrity of their hulls failed to keep them afloat, the damage beneath the waterline proving fatal.
But the most shocking sight was the submerging wreck of Orochi. Its immense size caused the vessel to sink slowly, until its stern disappeared beneath the waves. It was a complete annihilation of the Siren Fleet at the hands of Azur Lane planes and a bunch of "COD Kids."
Tracker Mk-II watched as the behemoth slowly succumbed to enemy fire. "This is Tracker MK-II, Orochi and the Fleet are destroyed, I repeat, Orochi and the Fleet are destroyed," she reported the status of the Siren Fleet.
"Copy that, return to base."
"Right, copy that." Immediately after, a portal appeared beside her, and she teleported to an underground Siren Base.
At the underground base, dozens of capsule-like incubators filled the area. Inside each capsule floated a human male, connected to numerous wires that kept him alive.
Strategist MK-III stood in the middle, in what looked like a pathway, awaiting her arrival. "Good, I need your help to destroy the evidence that this experimentation doesn't exist."
Tracker MK-II tilted her head, surprised by the sudden change in orders. "Why??" she asked, confused.
Strategist MK-III closed her eyes, visibly annoyed. "Azur Lane Forces are at our doorstep; we need to destroy the evidence that could lead them to the nest," she said, almost yelling.
"Alright, I get it."
Azur Lane Ground Troops, along with the Shipgirls, were now at the gates of the Siren Base. Fierce fighting erupted between the two opposing forces, with bullets whizzing past overhead and tank rounds blasting through walls and any available cover.
After the beach landing, all the Ground Troops were ordered to head towards the gates of the Siren Base. M10A2 Bookers and M4E8 Shermans provided fire support.
.
Above, A-1 Skyraiders dropped what every military enthusiast loved: Napalm. Napalm rained down on the clustering Siren defenses at the wall. Siren Minions received an appropriate response by being burned to hell.
Everyone in the Ground Forces was motivated to end this senseless war as they stormed the walls without any fear in their eyes. Men on the ground advanced, guns blazing, as they fought their way in.