Azur Lane: Capt. Matt Garth Reunites with Yorktown

Chapter 7 - A Little Sister in Trouble

After witnessing everything Capt. Garth decides to have all ship girls assemble. Every girl is accounted for. Including the young ones who are currently in training. As soon as they have gathered in the courtyard. Matt comes out of the building and looks at the girls with a look of exasperation. He then speaks to Prince of Wales in a sad tone.

Capt. Garth: Miss Wales is every girl present?

Wales: Yes captain. All of us are present including Enterprise.

Capt. Garth: Good. From the looks of it we are totally outnumbered despite all the preparations for an unexpected attack like that.

Wales: I agree with you captain.

Capt. Garth: Good morning ladies. Today, December 7, 1941 is a day as what Pres. Franklin Roosevelt said in my world a day of great infamy. The enemy struck first while all of us are enjoying our free time. I can't describe what happened despite our intense preparations. Hopefully that will be the first and last time the enemy will strike us. It's unfortunate though that a lot of our ships are severely damaged. I can't believe that I will experience seeing two factions that are similar to my previous world. All I can say is that we got hit hard. I don't know how they found out about our weakness in our defenses. But if we can salvage some parts of the enemy ships and aircraft. We might put up a credible defense system. Hopefully I expect that our reinforcements arrive soon. But for now we will have to make do with what is left of our meager force. That is all I have to say. You may go back to your usual activities.

The ship girls went back to their usual ways. Wales, Cleveland, Illustrious, Enterprise, and Capt. Garth go inside the office and begin to discuss their counter strategy. Wales decides to praise Matt for his short speech earlier. Even though it was short it was enough to boost the morale of the ship girls in Azur Lane.

Wales: Great speech captain.

Capt. Garth: Thank you Miss Wales.

Enterprise: I came too late. I should have arrived much sooner.

Capt. Garth: It's ok Enterprise. To be honest they got us real fast and real hard.

Illustrious: We can only hope that the main force of the Royal Navy gets here before Iron Blood gets them.

Enterprise: I hope you're right. There's no telling when they will attack again.

Cleveland: Sir I suggest that we should do a twenty four hour patrol duty within our premises. That way we can easily defend our base from the enemy.

Capt. Garth: Easier said than done Miss Cleveland. We don't have enough vessels to patrol the perimeter. I don't want to risk the lives of the young ones.

Wales: The commander is right Cleveland. We only have a meager force as compared to Red Axis.

Enterprise: If you want captain. I could send out a couple of my dive bombers to do scouting on our perimeter. 

Capt. Garth: That would be a big help Miss Enterprise. But I suggest that you better get some decent rest first. You've exerted too much of your energy in the battle earlier.

Enterprise: I understand captain. I guess you somehow remind me of him.

Capt. Garth: Bull Halsey? Honestly I'm not as feisty as him. The only person I can think of who can match his feistiness is Admiral Nimitz.

Enterprise: Ah yes. Admiral Halsey if I recall correctly. He fought for my preservation and conversion into a museum ship.

Capt. Garth: Unfortunately I never got the chance to work with him. Before Midway he was in the hospital with a rare case of psoriasis. Leading to Admiral Raymund Spruance taking over for the time being.

Enterprise: Admiral Spruance if I am not mistaken was a cruiser commander before getting promoted to admiral.

Capt. Garth: That's correct.

Enterprise: I will take my leave now captain. (Walks out of the office.)

Capt. Garth: She can't fool me just one bit. I know that she will send out two to four of her SBDs to patrol the perimeter.

Wales: You seem to know Miss Enterprise very well captain.

Capt. Garth: Back in my world she is one heck of a headache for Admiral Halsey. But he knew how to tame her original ship form.

Cleveland: I guess she is still stubborn up till now.

Wales: So what is going to be our counterattack captain?

Capt. Garth: I know that this may sound crazy. But I am thinking about doing what Lt. Commander James Dolittle did back in my world.

Wales: And that is?

Capt. Garth: Send a squadron of bombers to where those Sakura Empire ship girls live and drop bombs in key areas of their headquarters.

Wales: But where will we get the aircraft that can drop bombs on Sakura Empire in an instant?

Capt. Garth: We could use all of the dive bombers of every aircraft carrier present. But that would take hours before they can do damage on the enemy's territory.

Wales: Then what type of aircraft do we need sir?

Capt. Garth: Mid-range to long range bombers Miss Wales. Those are the types of aircraft we need. But there's another problem.

Wales: What is that sir?

Capt. Garth: Where do we find them? And how do we launch them straight into the enemy's heart?

Wales: That is definitely a big problem.

As Matt continues to wonder where he can find a reliable bomber squadron. A ship girl is now on her way to Azur Lane headquarters. But unfortunately she has a few escorts to provide her protection. They will soon meet Red Axis in open waters. And it will be a place where Enterprise will lose her bow and arrow. This is due to the fact that her ship isn't a hundred percent repaired. And she will be facing her a ship girl who will stop at nothing just to beat her in a battle.

Along with her is a ship girl who's original form is at the bottom of the sea. She was sunk by a singular bomb that exploded in her munitions magazine. A war memorial is built on top of her deck that serves both as a reminder about the horrors of war. And as a memorial of the officers and sailors who died while they were trapped inside her hull. Meanwhile the ship girl who's original form was used in the "Doolittle Raid" will now be facing the two ship girls whose original forms were heavily damaged at the battle of Coral Sea.