6472/Force Recon

Force Recon
Date of Scene:	22 April 2019
Location:	The Great Ocean
Synopsis:	The Fifth Strike fleet, Haguro and Evangeline, head into hostile territory to find evidence that an Abyssal Demon-class has evolved, or is in the process of evolving, into a Princess-class.
Cast of Characters:	Shigure, Neuroi Girl, Haguro

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Shigure has posed:
    Open Ocean, two thousand nautical miles(250nm) south-southeast of Suez Canal.

    Shigure, Yuudachi, Kuma and Yamashiro stand in formation, backs facing each other, eyes out into the open water. Scout planes circle at a wide perimeter, and guns are trained outwards... A circling of the proverbial wagons. Radio broadcast goes out from Shigure's radio-mast, the fairy giving a quick flutter of semaphore, before dropping through a hatch in the black-haired girl's rigging. "They're on the way. Maintain formation. We are in enemy territory, and most civilian traffic avoids these waters. Confirm targets, but assume hostile if anything is spotted. Weapons are SAFE, do not fire unless confirmed hostile and fired upon. This is reconnaisance, if we engage in combat, our ability to acquire information will be extremely limited."

    The others give grunts of affirmation, then silence reigns once more while the fleet awaits their reinforcements.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline soon joins the scout planes, her own senses reaching far and wide to detect whatever she can. Infrared should let her see underwater contacts, and radar should let her spot any surface or air contacts. She also circles at a wide radius from the ship girls, hoping to be able to give them enough warning if anything does appear.

     "...Evangeline reporting in...no contacts so far...continuing scans..." she radios to them, her usually soft voice probably sounding quite loud in the otherwise silent waters. It should be noted that she is flying quite high, apparently wanting to keep some distance between herself and the water since they are so far from shore.

Haguro has posed:
     Haguro is running solo today. She's been doing that for quite some time now since turning Abyssal, and she's still doing so even after sinking and changing back to the black-haired office worker-esque Cruiser that's probably more familiar to the Fifth.

     She also doesn't quite look like she's certain about being here. Spotting the shipgirls from the Fifth and Evangeline in the sky, Haguro raises her hand in a firm salute, but she doesn't approach either straight away. Instead, she turns to start scouting the area, keeping some physical distance while her guns remain visibly on standby rather than seeking out potential targets.

     <<"No visual yet.">> There's a long pause before Haguro speaks up again. <<"... Are you all well? Its been a while.">>

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma looks up as her scout plane reports Evangeline's approach. The gravelly-voiced cruiser radios back. "It's good to have you, kuma. If you need to rest, you can use Kuma's deck, kuma."

    Yamashiro likewise looks toward Haguro as the cruiser approaches, providing a salute in return and speaking softly over radio. "It has been some time. I see that you have become a kanmusu again." she doesn't say 'returned to yourself' or 'come back to us'. Neither of those are true. "You are welcome to formation. Haguro."

    Shigure then signals, "Double Line. Flagship and Yuudachi afore. Kuma and Yamashiro a-rear." she glances towards Haguro maintaining distance. "Air cover, provide direct assistance to Haguro. She is outside of our air defense envelope." The fifth then set up in formation, moving north at a cruising pace. "Eyes peeled... we're looking for information on a possible Apotheosis event. If we can capture transports, we may be able to glean information from their cargo."

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline's radar picks up Haguro and she turns to investigate, but when it turns out to be Kanmusu Haguro she flies down toward her. Still at a bit of a distance though. Haguro did attack her at one point. "...hello Haguro...I almost didn't recognize you...do you feel any different in this form than you did in Abyssal form..?"

     As she talks, she takes up position at Haguro's left flank, maintaining about 10 meters of distance between them and about 20 above the water.

Haguro has posed:
     <<"Understood. I'll adjust my path, but I won't be too close in case anyone starts firing on us.">> Haguro keeps her tone neutral, but there's a slight lift in her tone. The subtle gesture from Yamashiro is appreciated, but her focus is still on the recon mission.

     Catching up can wait until later. For now, she keeps moving parallel to the Fifth, close enough that they'd still be within yelling distance, but far enough that it'd be unlikely that any stray shots meant for herself would hit the others or vice versa.

     Spotting Evangeline approaching, she nods once while pausing to do a quick spin just in case they've missed anyone behind them. "Somewhat. I feel lighter." She gestures at her midsection and the distinct lack of the twin-headed bitey tail, then focuses her gaze forwards again.

     She kinda misses that thing sometimes.

Shigure has posed:
    There's not much to be seen or detected... the seas are eerily silent, even for Abyssal territory.

    "It's too quiet... Yamashiro, send your scout plane ahead... there should be a port the Abyssals commandeered when they first moved in. We'll start there." says Shigure, signalling to Haguro the course change. A fairy uses light signals, not trusting radio as much anymore.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline tilts her head slightly when Haguro spins, thinking she was showing off how she looks now. "...You look good..." she comments before continuing on course. "...it is good to see you again...and...I am glad we can work together once more..."

     She notes the course change and waits for Haguro to lead the way while she increases altitude again, focusing her scanners in the direction of the Abyssal port.

Haguro has posed:
     Spotting the signal by light, Haguro nods and adjusts her cruising angle just so. She hunches over slightly, too, as if that'll actually make her any less visible than she already is in purple and white with all the steel covering her. At closer range, Evangeline can see that her gear is a little bulkier now, and that there's a few chains dangling out of some of her guns.

"I am, too. Although... Hmn. I don't know how much really has changed since last time, though." She chuckles awkwardly, but doesn't elaborate as their focus shifts to watching for threats. Perhaps as if feeling a bit anxious, Haguro starts picking up speed. She's not sure when they'll make contact, but there's bound to be something worth capturing or retrieving if they're quick enough!

Shigure has posed:
    After a few minutes of travel, land comes into view for the airborne eyes and sensors, a few minutes later, the surface movers spot the land... and even from this distance the harbour is abandoned. It looks as if something exploded in the center of the anchorage, buildings are broken and some collapsed entirely, scorch marks mark every vertical surface.

    "Flagship, land ho, heavy damage to the anchorage..." says Yamashiro.

    Shigure then nods, switching radio back on. "Evangeline, Haguro, proceed into the anchorage, see if you can find anything. The Fifth will take up perimeter positions and cover you." she says, the fleet fanning out to provide cover both entering the area, and coming from the sea.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     "...Still no contacts..." Evangeline reports, her voice carrying over radios all the time anyway. "...if this is an abyssal outpost...we should have seen something by now..." she says as she moves toward the apparently abandoned base. She hears Haguro and turns her head toward the cruiser. "...we are working together...that has changed..." she says, then moves on ahead. "...acknowledged...moving to anchorage...weapons still in safe mode..."

     She takes up role of recon plane, her radar and infrared working overtime to try and detect anything in or around the port.

Haguro has posed:
     An abandoned harbor. An ideal place for an ambush, explosives, all sorts of traps that would be easy enough to set off in sequence and ensure anyone investigating gets trapped or killed in the process.

     Alternatively, an ideal place to slow them down long enough by making it seem that way. "We could have worked together before. It just... Didn't happen." Her tone is neutral as she replies to Evangeline, although there's a hint of sadness there. "But... That was before. This is now. I've gotten stronger, so keep behind me if anything comes."

    Despite her misgivings about the existence or non-existence of traps, Haguro doesn't slow down until she reaches land, and she's already heading in to scope the place out. <<"Understood. We'll relay any findings back, and we'll be listening. If we don't respond within twenty seconds, leave immediately.">>

Shigure has posed:
    As Haguro and Evangeline move into the broken buildings... there's no signs of traps, no signs of ambushers. Nothing. The area's been picked clean, however. No metal remains, the standing walls all torn out of the rebar within the concrete, leaving hollow husks... someone, or something, cannibalized the resources here for some project elsewhere.

    Abyssals don't often keep written records, but there are a few husks of stolen ships in the drydock building, one of the few that still has some structural soundness. Within one of these, is a black box recorder.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     "...no...we couldn't have..." Evangeline replies to Haguro before she starts circling the port. "...still no signs of activity..." she radios. "...but...it appears to have been scavenged for every scrap they could find..." she adds before slowly circling her way down to the base. "...even the walls have been destroyed to remove the metal within...what would they need so much scrap for...?"

     Not being one to operate on or near water, Evangeline leaves the husks to Haguro.

Haguro has posed:
     <<"How strange. YEs, it's... Empty. I wonder if they ate everything on the way out.">> Haguro murmurs as she pokes through the ruins, pointedly not responding to Evangeline's response in favor of focusing on the job at hand. <<"I know I had to eat... Not a lot before, but enough.">>

     She shudders lightly. It seems she's still not fond of the eating metal thing. Haguro grips those husks and moves them around, pulling them apart at the already-damaged sections to dig around further. Eventually, she stumbles across the black box, and she moves to retrieve that before holding it up for Evangeline.

     <<"Black box located. Should we investigate further?">>

Shigure has posed:
    "Surface contact... They're firing!" Yamashiro says, wincing as the distant speck of her scout plane blossoming into a little flower of flame. "Scout plane lost... hostile fleet, recon formation, a Ta-class Fast Battleship escorted by a Chi-class, and four destroyers. Could not confirm type." says the Battleship, the Fifth adjusting formation to a defensive posture.

    Shigure radios. "Haguro, Evangeline, we have company out here. Make best speed away from the anchorage, we will attempt to lead the--." She's cut off as shells start to fall around her and her fleet, plumes of water and shrapnel slashing at the quartet.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline floats down to take the black box, and holds it against her belly where it slowly integrates and disappears. "...black box recovered...moving to meet hostiles..." she reports, then looks to Haguro. "...I guess investigations will have to wait..." she says before taking off toward the enemy battlegroup. She flies up to a good altitude, then charges her weapons. "...permission to fire..." she asks since they are in safe mode.

     Once it is given, a Neuroi Breaker Beam lances across the sky, tinting the area in an angry red light as it cuts across the incoming Abyssals and leaves a vast upward explosion in its wake.

Haguro has posed:
     Of course there's an ambush here. Haguro doesn't seem surprised in the slightest even when that radio transmission comes over. Instead, she looks through the wreckage and ruins in the way, trying to get an eye on where the hostiles are coming from. With Evangeline spiriting the black box away, she hurries through the wreckage, then takes a direct path towards the Abyssals.

     <<"Negative, flagship. Evangeline's already retrieved the data, and the Fifth are confirmed enemies to them. The rest of you should go. I'll...">> Trailing off, Haguro steels herself as she keeps heading straight for the Abyssals, her guns remaining unprimed and not even raised. Instead, she just keeps her armored sections facing forwards.

     "Hold your fire! I am Haguro, also known as the Ne-class Heavy Cruiser! I need to speak with your leader." Forcing down her usual fear response, she tries to hide it by being as loud as humanly/boatghostily possible. "Let her know so we can arrange a meeting."

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline pulls her beam back just in time to keep from actually hitting the ships when Haguro moves in with the apparent intent of talking. Talking is always better, and there is a slight chance that they can end this with only the loss of a single recon plane.

Shigure has posed:
     The Ta-class, a Flagship from the golden aura surrounding her body, brings a pair of her tentacle turrets around to shield herself from the Breaker Beam's blast, turning angry eyes skyward as she aims a pair of turrets at the Neuroi, firing flak shells without a single word. The Chi-class moves in front of the Ta-class as Haguro comes barreling forward, the red aura denoting an Elite. She just hisses static-like white noise at Haguro, bringing her gun-arm up... strangely, the Chi-class doesn't immediately fire, like one might expect... is she waiting for something?

    The destroyers form a picket line, all of them glowing blue and chittering almost nervously, as their main batteries extend out of their mouths, but don't open fire either.

    The Fifth shift formation. "Evangeline, disengage, you have valuable information. Link up with the Fifth... Haguro, if they turn hostile to you, we will open fire on them." says Shigure, moving away slowly, but not so fast as to get clear of engagement.

    The Ta-Class, once it's clear that Haguro didn't understand her counterpart, places a hand on Chi-class's shoulderplate, and speaks simply, in broken sentences. "Lady in red, does not visit. Leave, or we sink you."

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline is already heading back when the flak shells come in. Some of the flak impacts her shield but no real damage is done. "...understood..." she reports to Shigure as she flies back quickly. "...while linked to it...I should be able to play the recordings on the black box..." she says as she moves to hover above the Fifth fleet's formation.

     She faces the Abyssals again and charges a breaker beam once more. If things do go south, she wants to be ready to back up Haguro, important data or no.

Haguro has posed:
     Haguro grits her teeth as that Chi-class raises her gun, preparing for the worst that ends up not coming as she doesn't fire right away. Haguro has her own arms ready to raise to defend herself, but she doesn't have those guns raised even then. It could be confidence or insanity, but either way...

     Well, she hasn't gotten shot yet. That's something! Breathing a sigh of relief, she turns to the Ta-class and nods. "Relay this to the other Abyssals, then. Ne-class will speak to her." She keeps her tone even and firm as she speaks, and she even manages to suppress the shaking of her legs as she turns away, moving steadily to rejoin with the Fifth and Evangeline with her back fully exposed to the Abyssals (complete with light blue glowing circles, oddly enough).

     Anyone that's watching her face, though, can easily see that her jaw is firmly locked and she's too strained to even blink.

Shigure has posed:
    The Ta-class just stares impassively as Haguro retreats, then with no discernable signal, the entire formation turns away, and sinks beneath the waves... whether Haguro's message will be delivered or not is to be seen, but the threat is over. For now.

    Evangeline's connection the the black box allows her to read the information, The blackbox recorded everything until it was disconnected and left as useless when its host vessel was stripped for parts. Mostly Abyssal Static vocalizations, but a couple of more aware have a conversation in broken sentences. "Lady in red want more food. Wonder why." "We not to wonder, only take. Bring wire, leave box." "Ta-class say, Lady making go up... is true?" "Bring wire. Leave box."

    The recording cuts out after that, and the box is empty otherwise.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline plays the recordings outloud for the others, then tilts her head. "...they even took the wire..." she says softly, then looks around at the others. "...they are...building something..?" she asks before looking over to watch Haguro. "...it looks like they are moving off..." she radios to try and get rid of that stressed out face of Haguro's. "...this seems significant...Abyssals did not try to destroy us...instead allowed us to withdraw..."

     She pauses a moment, then looks to Haguro. "...is that because they recognized you..Haguro...?"

Haguro has posed:
     No shots in the back. Success! Alas, Haguro doesn't let herself relax until they are far and away from the mission location. Only then does she finally speak up again, glancing back once juuust in case.

     "M... Maybe. I wasn't even sure it would work." She chuckles weakly, sounding like she's lost a few years from her life just from that despite being a spirit and all. "Or... Ah. Or maybe they just didn't expect anyone to approach them. Either way..."

     Another deep breath, and she switches her radio back on. <<"Blackbox retrieved. Let's get out of here before anyone else comes.">>

Shigure has posed:
    Shigure nods. "Haguro, join formation, we should maintain a tight formation until we are clear of Abyssal waters... other groups may not be so forgiving." she says, making a gesture, and the other three spread ranks, allowing Haguro to slot into the center of the formation if she wants. "We make for these coordinates, then we can split off."

    The destroyer looks pensive over the recording, but doesn't say anything on the matter. She does, however, attempt to give Haguro a hug. "I'm so sorry.."

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline stays close to the formation this time, and moves to give Haguro a hug when Shigure does. She seems a bit hesitant at first though, remembering what happened the last time she gave Haguro a hug. And they are much farther from land this time. After hovering there close to Haguro a few moments she pulls back without actually hugging. "...are you alright..?" she asks as they head back to base.

Haguro has posed:
     Haguro's not going to refuse a security blanket to ease her mind after that last stunt. She slips right in, and she doesn't even notice Shigure approaching until she's already on her. "Eh? Oh. Shigure, it's..."

     And then Evangeline's in on the hugging as well. The heavy cruiser chuckles after a moment, opening her arms up to pat them each on the head with a warm smile. "It's fine. I'm alright. Everything's... Gotten better now."

Shigure has posed:
    "I should have been there for you, and I was not... I failed you as a fleetmate, and as a friend." says Shigure in a soft tone, easing back, then dipping her head at the pat, obscuring her eyes behind her fringe, though tears are obviously spilling from her eyes, plinking lightly into the water as the six make their way out of danger.