Culmination

February 20th, 2003 - Waters North of Diego Garcia - Southern Expanse

0137

A wave crashed over Des Moines's bow, spraying cold water across her steel deck as the droplets were illuminated by her searchlights. The wind battered her superstructure, carrying with it a blanket of clouds that blocked both the moon and the stars.

It was a surreal feeling, to know that after months of waiting, she was finally within grasp of reuniting with her sister, Salem. So close, but she was forced to wait in the last few hours. In order to ensure a success against Fuji, the super-battleship that the Builder had created, she had to wait until two other fleets, Bravo and Delta, in addition to her own Charlie, were ready to engage, so that they could minimize the damage taken from the super-battleship's attacks.

She wasn't sure just how much she trusted their commanders, who were both shipgirls of the Yamato Empire, Des Moines's enemies up until a few months prior. Fusō, the commander of Bravo, was the leader of the Imperial Navy's Battleship Faction, and had lost three of her oldest comrades to Fuji's guns in the battle of Yokosuka. Mikasa, Delta's commander, was the former Empress of the Yamato Empire, who hadn't been seen in public in almost a century.

The first ships of Bravo's vanguard were starting to appear over the horizon, and Delta would arrive in only a few hours. Up until now, Des Moines had had her fleet just firing a few shells at Fuji to keep her where she was. It wouldn't be long until she would be able to begin her attack in earnest.

***

0224

"My apologies for my poor performance, Admiral."

The speaker was a young woman, with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes that still shined bright despite her injuries. She was lying in an infirmary bed, her torso propped up by two marines so that she could face her commander. Her right arm, which she had saluted with, ended at the elbow. every visible part of her body that wasn't covered by bandages was marked by cuts, bruises, and burns.

She was Java, one of the two Java-class cruisers of the Kingdom of Hollandia, and the commander of the advance force that Hollandia had sent to find the Builder. She was talking to De Ruyter, the commander-in-chief of the Hollandian Navy, the Koninklijke Marine, who had sent her to the Southern Expanse almost a month and-a-half earlier. 

"I have no successes to report, only news of the loss of the entire advance force, except for myself," began Java, giving De Ruyter a full report of the situation, "In addition, we are now locked in battle with an unsinkable Communist fleet, who have been tearing apart Oceanic battleships like butter."

Silence.

Java waited for a response, but nothing came. Confused, she looked to her sister, Sumatra, who stood behind De Ruyter, for an idea of what was going on, but was met with the same look of confusion. After exchanging a quick glance, they both looked to De Ruyter, sitting on a mahogany armchair, one leg crossed over the other. Her long blond hair was covering her face, and neither of them could make out her expression.

She slowly lifted her hand from her lap, reaching for the cup of tea on the table next to her. Right above the cup, she closed her hand into a fist.

"Admiral?" ventured Java.

She got no response, aside from the sound of shattering porcelain. She watched in half-dazed shock as De Ruyter slammed her fist repeatedly into the teacup, until the table beneath it gave out and one of the legs snapped, letting the table, the porcelain shards, and a puddle of tea spill out onto the floor. De Ruyter's fist stayed in the air, covered in hot tea, as shards of the teacup and saucer stuck out from her hand.

She lifted her arm up above her, as tea and blood ran down her arm and dripped on her face. 

"Is this really how this must end?" she muttered aloud, "If we are to die either way, either to our neighbours or to some supernatural means, then why must it be with such struggle?"

Java and Sumatra both stood silent, not moving a muscle. They had seen De Ruyter's violent outbursts many times before, but this was something else altogether. This sense of utter defeat was something that De Ruyter had never seemed to even acknowledge before, yet now it had become her. They watched, as she slowly unravelled, muttering to herself.

This was what the proud Koninklijke Marine, which had once been one of the strongest navies in the world, three women in a room, as their comrades died around them, giving up all reason to live.

Eventually, De Ruyter composed herself. She turned to face Sumatra, and began to issue orders.

"Reposition our fleet and put us between the Communists and our allies. They at least have a chance to survive this, but our navy has nothing more to live for, even if we make it past this battle." Turning to Java, she continued: "Your armaments have all been destroyed, and are unable to continue to do as you wish. You are relieved of your duties as a member of the Koninklijke Marine, and are free to do as you wish. If you survive much longer, I hope that you enjoy your life."