Legends

Chapter 24~ Being Carroway is Suffering

Admiral Carroway was more than used to the insanity that came with managing kanmusu. Or so he thought. Walking into the briefing room he was treated to quite the sight. Liberte and Normandie were deep into a game of tic tac toe although they were using lipstick instead of pens to draw their marks. Titanic was next to Queen Mary who was frowning like a classic teenager who had been told her curfew had been shortened by an hour. Another talk about her upcoming trip to Australia most likely. Titanic made helicopter moms look like little schooners compared to her. United States was fiddling with one of her hastily mounted guns on her rigging, no doubt still adjusting to the feel of it. Hindenburg and the other two airships were offering pointers not that their advise was particularly helpful. The destroyers and schooners were in a competition to see how many of Liberte's freshly baked pastries they could stuff in each other's mouths. At the moment, Bluenose appeared to be winning with 30 croissants bulging in her cheeks. Refereeing or trying to as she was laughing too hard to speak much were Becuna and Tang. Olympia was seated nearby, sparing disapproving glances at the submarines. She had a notebook out and ready. Fairies lined the desk around her in a similar position. Carroway noted Normandie's own fairies were also covering the desk although they appeared to be in the middle of a costume contest with Liberte's fairies.

Thankfully, before Carroway could fully process this insanity, Bluenose noticed him, although her voice was muffled through the pastries crowding her mouth. "ATTENFION ON DECK FT!" She struggled to swallow the goodies while everyone stood as the admiral entered.

"As you were." He waved a hand, deciding quickly to put aside what he had just seen. Normandie and Liberte put their game away and paid close attention. Carroway operated the projector. Everyone stifled a gasp at the image that appeared on the screen.

"This, is the Lone Princess." He said, sparing a glance at Titanic. The liner had her hands balled into fists and she was literally shaking. Queen Mary rested a hand on her shoulder. "Mom."

Titanic however was too angry to hear her. "W̵̖̟̳̮̣͂͌͂̅̓ḫ̵̞̙̼̣̱̈̀͑̿̇̋ä̶̧̛̙̤͓̹̳̙̳̐̇̈͆̈́̏t̸̛̫̼̥̤̀͊̉͠ͅ ̵̱̞͚̟͛̒͑̐̀̏̉i̴̼̪̖̯̮̼͒̚s̸̛̠̠̗̐̑̓͂̽̉̉̅͝ ̵̭̘̲̩͍̿͌̐͘ţ̶̳̰̩͚̭̏̈́̓̑͛̐͜h̵͔͙̞̀i̶̛͖͖̬̳̖̰͒̕ş̵̼͉̩͔̰̻͔͙̅̍̾̔̈́͝ ̷̯̤͖̞͕̫͛̋̅̄̚ͅâ̸̧̱̬͚̼͈͓͚͊͊͌̑̆b̷̳̝̘͍̦͍̙̹̮̝̿̑̀ǒ̴̱͕̟̈̎͂͛̚͝m̷̤̭̲͙̮͈̖̑͂̍͗̎͘i̵̬̗̰̺͗n̷̢̪̘̳̠̗͚͙̫̗͗̈́å̸̩̌̀̋̉̑͆̂t̷̢̡̛̥͖̼̗͊̈́͆͛̈̈́̓͝͝í̷̧̯̻̞̞̠ơ̴͇̯̻̠͛̌̀͆͆̒͝n̷͎̻̲͍͍͂̓́͌̈́̑̏͜?̵̧̰̙̹̺̬̗͓̟͖͗̓" She snarled. Normandie and Liberte who were also close by shifted back.

Queen Mary however, despite how her own eyes flashed with fear, held her ground. Carroway's respect for her, already high as it was, went up even more. "Mom, I know it looks like Olympic but I promise you it isn't. She would never, become that."

Titanic took a deep breath, focused on her daughter and nodded. "Apologies Admiral Carroway." She said as she sat back down. Everyone relaxed as she did so.

"Completely understandable." Carroway assured her. "There are more images Titanic." He warned her.

With a glance at Queen Mary still pressed comfortingly against her side, Titanic offered a stiff nod. "The Lone Princess was behind the latest attack on this base. Although her forces have taken a pounding we believe she is building them back up. It is imperative we locate her base." Carroway explained.

"Do we have any leads as to where her base might be?" Olympia asked. The cruiser was no use in an assault but her many years plying the seas made her useful for strategy.

"Intel from Normandie during the Ne-class retreat suggests its somewhere to the northeast. Tang has recent evidence to back that up as well. Tang."

"Thank you admiral." Despite being in the spotlight the lanky submarine remained confident. She took the stand. "While out at sea on my first patrol in this command I came across what at first appeared to be a convoy. But now I'm convinced it was the Lone Princess being escorted." Tang flipped the projector to reveal the images she had taken of the task force.

There were a few whistles. "Damn that's a lot of firepower." Nuenzer whispered. The little Edsell-class was no match for a Fletcher but she was crazy enough to give it a try.

Next to her Davis was eying each of the ships carefully. "It's a lot less than I expected. I assume she's in need of a battleship or two."

"Perhaps that's why her course is set towards Greenland." Liberte mused. "We know the Northern Atlantic Princess is based there. It could be she's looking to take shelter or make a trade."

"That's what we think as well." Carroway said. "Good eye Liberte."

As the French liner blushed at the praise, Normandie spoke up. "Can Abyssals even form alliances?" She asked.

"Bismarck and Tirpitz did." Queen Mary pointed out.

"They're sister ships and surely are the exception." Normandie growled. "But these monsters don't have this level of coordination, do they?" She asked uncertainly.

"While the more corrupt ones might lack the intelligence to do so the more human versions have displayed this coordinating behavior in the past." Titanic said. She still looked shaken but Carroway had to admire her will as she forged ahead.

"If she is going to join forces with the Northern Atlantic Princess then can't we attack them both?" Hindenburg asked. She seemed oblivious to the way Liberte was staring at her. And the liner's gaze was not friendly.

Carroway sighed. "Not without help. The Northern Atlantic..."

"NAP." Bluenose called out.

"Beg pardon?" Carroway paused.

"Northern Atlantic Princess abbreviates to NAP right? Just saving you the trouble." The schooner said, oddly proud of herself.

"Right, NAP then." He sighed, ignoring a few snickers. "The NAP has at least four battleship that we know of based on our last intel. 5 battlecruisers and a hoard of destroyers. There also rumors of a carrier as well. But until these are confirmed I cannot authorize anything. So Tang,"

"Sir." The submarine looked at him. "You and Becuna will go back out, station yourselves off Greenland and observe. No shooting, not even at an easy target. This is for reconnaissance only."

"Yes sir." Tang couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Alright, dismissed." The shipgirls filed out, Liberte all but pushing past Hindenburg on the way out. Carroway called his star airship over. "If she's too much trouble I can talk to her."

"I can handle it sir. She has her reasons and I respect them." Hindenburg sighed. "I am, too German for her tastes. That symbol on my tailfin does not help matters."

"You're no Nazi Hindenburg."

"I said I can handle it." The airship huffed indignantly and Carroway spread his hands in defeat. Hindenburg retained her German stubbornness it appeared. With a dip of her head the airship was the last to fall out, Macon and Akron at her side as always. Despite her harshness, Hindenburg was fast becoming a momboat. Briefly the admiral wondered if he could put some money in the pool that was surely going around on how long before she realized this. Then he shook himself. He was becoming too much like his schooners. He needed a drink.

As Carroway left the briefing room and returned to his office he noticed two things. One was his massive coffee mug was missing and two, Constitution was standing there, and in her left hand, struggling to get away was a submarine Carroway hadn't seen before. "Admiral I got this thief trying to steal things off your desk."

Briefly Carroway wondered how the frigate managed to catch a submarine in the act but he pushed it aside. It was Constitution after all. MSSB seemed to flow through her. "You can let her go Connie." He said.

Constitution complied and released her death grip on the back of the submarine's swimsuit. The sub was skinnier than Tang or Becuna but shared Tang's black hair although her eyes were sparkling green. "What's your name subthief?" Carroway leaned over his desk and made himself appear as intimidating as possible. Constitution's glare which could rival Victory's most days no doubt helped.

The submarine yelped and snapped to attention, her bearing seriously impressive despite what she'd just been caught doing. "USS Wahoo SS-238 reporting sir!" She snapped off a picture perfect salute.

Carroway bit back a groan. Tang was bad enough at times. She and Wahoo together would be... oh well. Best get the pleasantries out of the way first before he crossed that bridge. He was vaguely aware of Constitution scribbling notes on her notepad behind him, recording everything as any good secretary ship did. "Welcome to Naval Station Lakehurst Wahoo. My name is Admiral Carroway. Now please be so kind as to tell me what you were doing in my office, stealing my coffee mug."