>>3579598
>fuck it, get drunk
There's really not much else to do outside of attempting to escape.

>>3579598
>>wake the destroyer
This fucking place bro

>>3579712
>http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3508255/
>>3579631

>fuck it, get drunk
>>wake the destroyer

L’Audacieux mummers a plea to her unseen dream-adversary and you frown in sympathy, taking that as the cue to wake the destroyer, giving her a gentle shake of the shoulder. The girl recoils briefly and lets out a nervous whimper before wakefulness returns and she begins to recognize her surroundings.

“Sorry.” she mutters quietly. “I was having a bad dream.”

You offer a dismissive gesture in response to the apology. “Me too.”

The destroyer sits upright slowly and glances about the room uncomfortably. “I think it’s this ship.” she offers uneasily, “there’s something about it that I don’t like.”

You nod in agreement and let out a sad sigh before standing upright and walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?” L’Audacieux asks, the anxiety in her voice obvious.

“I was thinking about going to the galley,” you offer, “I’m sure there’s something in there that can get us drunk enough to forget where we are.”

L’Audacieux seems to ponder the idea briefly before standing up and following, offering no rebuttal to your plan.

The hallways outside your given quarters are dark. The flaming barrels and gas lights that illuminate them earlier are either waning or extinguished entirely, only the quiet flicker of those few still holding out allow you to navigate the abyssal fortress. Behind you, your destroyer escort clings to you, eyeing the hallway behind you nervously.

Despite the darkness, returning to the officer’s mess is a fairly trivial affair, given how close it is to your quarters. The room is now dark, abandoned like many of the rest of the halls and now smelling vaguely of rotten fish. While no booze is evidently present, a door near the back offers entrance into small kitchen area. The smell of decay is overwhelming, the loss of power no doubt causing any food that wasn’t bottled or canned to go rancid.

Ignoring the odor and taking the time to survey the room, you’re pleased to find your efforts are rewarded. At one end of the room, the welcome sight of several bottles of unbroken wine lay scattered beneath a rack that once held them. You grab one and forgoing class, slam the edge on the nearest counter, shattering the head.

L’Audacieux glares at you with slight disapproval but still accepts the offered wine, grabbing a discarded cup to pour some for the two of you.

“This is probably not a good place to get drunk.” she mutters.

“Probably not.” you agree, before breaking a second bottle of wine, ignoring the offered cup in favor of your own bottle. “But what else do we have?”

The destroyer shrugs before taking a healthy swig. “I don’t know.” she admits quietly, “Sorry- this place has been making me nervous..”

>>3579903
“Yeah.” you admit, taking a drink. “I’ve been getting that too, my sister really knows how to make a place homey.”

She says nothing, electing instead to take another drink. though her mood seems to improve slightly by your sarcasm.

You take the opportunity to continue poking about the room, throwing open various cabinets and claiming any canned goods you can find, tossing them all onto the preparation counter in the room’s center, still holding the bottle of wine and taking occasional swig. You’ve reached the third cabinet and are grabbing a can of green beans from the back, when L’Audacieux interrupts you in a worried tone.

“Provence?”

You turn around and notice the destroyer’s gaze is fixed on the entrance, where you spot the form of the battleship you met outside of L’Audacieux’s room. The Abyssal’s arms are crossed and her expression is of naked annoyance.

“Is there something you’re after Lady Provence?” she asks, the question’s low tone makes it obvious that the battleship is not offering assistance.

>explain
>offer booze
>throw the can at her
>ask a question
>other

>>3579907
>offer booze
"I found what I was after, would you like some?" :)
(Sarcasm)

>>3579907
>offer booze

>>3579922

You step between the destroyer and the Abyssal and offer the newcomer your best shit-eating grin, giving the bottle of wine you're nursing a shake to add effect. "we already found what we were looking for." you answer "Did you want some? We're more than willing to share."

The Battleship glances down at the bottle of wine and then back up at you, an expression of distaste forming on her face. "Are you drunk?" She asks in an accusatorial

"Not yet." You reply, feigning disappointment. "but we're doing our best."

The Abyssal's disappointment deepens. "Your sister offers you her trust and you return only suspicion and degeneracy. Her love for you does not make her blind or stupid."

"Don't threaten Provence." L'Audacieux interjects, suddenly taking a step forwards.

The Abyssal offers a slight smirk, causing the destroyer to shrink back. "Cute." She murmurs, "at least your pet seems fond of you."

>What do you do?

>>3580052
>what do you do
>Bring ourself to our full height and loom over her. She's not your superior and she's not going to continue terrifying L'audiceux.
Hey intimidation made her back down last time. Abyssals respect strength. I think.

>>3580064
I agree.
Supporting

>>3580064
>what do you do
>Bring ourself to our full height and loom over her. She's not your superior and she's not going to continue terrifying L'audiceux

You set the wine bottle down on the counter and turn yourself towards the battleship, doing your best to square off against her.

"L'Audacieux is not my pet." You growl, "she is my friend and I won't stand by idly while you intimidate her."

The Abyssal's posture doesn't weaken and she continues standing against you, the faint smirk from earlier dies into a serious look and she marches your glare for some time before finally nodding. "fine." She relents, "I'll refrain from bullying your destroyer. But know I won't stand idly by while you besmirch Bretagne's name by violating the trust she's put in you, your sister is smart and capable. You've yet to demonstrate either of those characteristics."

You cross your arms but say nothing.

"Now that that's over. I'll leave you to your debauchery." The battleship mutters, turning to leave.

>Offer a parting remark
>Return to drinking
>Poke about the ship when she leaves
>Other

>>3580092
>>Offer a parting remark
"I was not told your name"

>>3580099
>>3580099
"You'll find names hold less weight here than they do among you lapdogs." The woman growls, pushing her way out of the kitchen.

L'Audacieux let's out a sigh as the Abyssal leaves, slouching noticably in relief. "Thanks Provence." She offers meekly, "you really saved me back there."

You smile and ruffle the destroyer hair. "You did great standing up for me back there."

The girl says nothing, but smiles contently at your compliment.

You grab the bottle of wine off the counter and take a hearty swig. "That one is quite the bitch, we'll have to watch out for her."

L'Audacieux nods emphatically. "She's clearly got us in her sights." The destroyer hesitates. "So what now?"

>Drink more
>Poke about
>Go back to your quarters
>Other

>>3580130
>>Go back to your quarters
>But bring the Bottle

>>3580130
>Poke about
Look harder around the wardroom. Any interesting documents left behind in the trash? Or back in our stateroom?

>>3580130
>Drink more
Gotta wash the bad taste that bitch gave us

>>3580837
Bitch needs a taste of our shells desu

>>3580837
>>3580648
>>3580194
>Go back to your quarters
>Poke about
>Drink more

You take a healthy swig of the bottle. “I just want to take a bit to poke about,” you respond, stepping out of the mold infested kitchen and back into the wardroom, “there might be something interesting left behind?”

You spend some time searching the formerly quite amenable dining area, kicking aside random refuse and poking through the trash with a grimace, doing your best to hold onto the bottle of wine throughout the process. It’s clear throughout the process that cleanliness is not something Abyssals seem to prize and much of the previous owners refuse is left scattered throughout the room. Aside from a few broken plates inlaid with the word “Cavour” and several important looking documents that cause you to again curse your lack of Italian language comprehension, there’s little to be found in the room.

“Well that’s a wash.” you mutter to the destroyer, patiently waiting at the entrance, still clutching her own bottle of wine protectively. “I say we grab a few bottles and head back to our room. If nothing else the alcohol might help us get some actual sleep and it’ll wash the taste of that Abyssal out of my mouth.”

She giggles slightly and follows obediently, joining in on the plundering of alcohol before returning with you to the quarters offered to you by your sister. You stumble slightly, exiting the mess room, the effect of the wine hitting you earlier than expected. Halfway through the return trip however you note through a drink from the bottle that she no longer is following, instead the destroyer seems intently focused on a closed doorway.

You raise an eyebrow questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

She snaps suddenly towards you as if taken aback by your question. “Sorry.” she stammers in a hushed tone. “I heard someone talking in there- it sounded. I think it was your sister.”

>probably just that stuck up battleship tattling on you, lets get drunk
>listen in
>we can ask in the morning. Lets get drunk
>knock
>other

>>3581074
>>listen in
This goes against my better judgement but we are drunk so let's roll with it.
Dangerous choices Ho!

>>3581074
>listen in
Drunk-Stealth-Mode Engaged.

>>3581110
>>3581278
>>listen in

You attempt to give your escort a wry smile, but with the wine taking hold it comes across more as a drunk and lecherous grin and step towards the door, placing your ear against it

L’Audacieux offers an anxious look and clutches the bottle of wine nervously but doesn’t object to your actions.

The voice at the other end is muffled by the laminated wood, but still identifiable as Bretagne’s. “Shhhh.” she coos in a matronly tone, “I understand your anger and apprehension, but I ask that you trust me.”

“Of course I trust you.” a second voice interjects in a hurt tone, unsurprisingly recognizable as the gruff battleship you’ve become ever so fond of in the past few hours. “But I can’t trust her. She takes advantage of you.”

Your sister lets out a tired sigh. “I am not nearly as feeble and clueless as you like to think. I do not need quite as much protection as you like to think. Of course I see her suspicion, my love for her does not make me blind. But Provence is important to me and to our future and I can’t just toss her aside because it’s convenient.”

“But Lorraine-” the voice begins.

“Do not compare Provence to that treasonous whore!” your sister exclaims loudly and you hear movements in the room as Bretagne is provoked into action. The room goes quiet for some time before the battleship offers a quiet apology.

“No, the fault is mine, I apologize.” your sister quietly comforts. “I understand. Of course you are worried. You have given so much to me and along comes Provence. You’re afraid she’ll steal my love and loyalty away are you not?"

The voice is quiet as the accusation sets in.

Your sister lets out another sigh, this one amused and loving. "You know I would never stoop conspire against you." she assuages kindly. "I am not in the business of trading one sister for another."

>what do?

>>3581286
>>what do?
>back to the room. Now. Quietly.
Well that was...unexpected. damn.

>>3581286
>>3581371
This, gotta stealth drunk away.

>>3581371
Also I'm genuinely impressed by the fact that Bretagne still considers us important. Now the real question is what does she mean by "our future".

>>3581371
>>3581474

>what do?
>back to the room. Now. Quietly.

Your eyes widen as Bretagne finishes assuaging the battleship’s concerns and you take a step back, sensing now would be a good time to return to your quarters. Behind you L’Audacieux greets you with a look of apprehension. You try to ease the girl’s concerns with a reassuring smile, but at this point you’re so drunk and preoccupied that the expression seems to only make the destroyer more worried.

You nod back towards your room, doing the best attempt at a stealthy exit that your blood alcohol level will allow. Luckily for the pair of you even the Abyssals seem to have better things to do at this time of night and your return to your quarters is unopposed and unnoticed.

Your escort lets out a breath and you step back into the familiar grimy bedroom and she takes a long drink from her wine bottle before sitting on her bed with an audible thud.

You take a long drink from your own bottle, mulling over the conversation you eavesdropped on.

“Is- is it something I’d want to know?” your destroyer asks snapping you out of your thoughts in a tone of worry. “What you heard Bretagne discussion I mean. I can tell bad news when I see it.”

How do you respond.
>no, it’s nothing
>explain part of it
>recount the conversation as factually as you can recall

>>3581494

Bretagne is- damaged but for the most part her obsession with you is genuine. You are after all one of the few vessels that she doesn't feel was either an enemy or a traitor.

>>3581582
>explain part of it, and say that you'll explain the rest when you're not as drunk.

>>3581582
>explain part of it, and say that you'll explain the rest when you're not as drunk.

>>3581594
>>3581621

>explain part of it, and say that you'll explain the rest when you're not as drunk.

“I-” you start, thinking over how best to explain the conversation you overheard. “There’s a lot to it. Long story short apparently that battleship has a lot more influence here than my sister or her first let on. We’ll have to tread a lot more carefully around her in the future.”

The destroyer grimaces slightly.

“I don’t think we’re quite on the number one spot on her shit list yet.” You reassuringly add before glancing down at your mostly empty wine bottle. “Plus it seems that Bretagne is mostly genuine in her attitude towards me. But I think I’ll need to try and sort everything I heard out and explain it again sober, I was never good at politics.”

L’Audacieux nods slowly and takes a drink from her own bottle, looking none too pleased over the information you’ve thrown on her. “So, what now?” she asks, seemingly asking about both your immediate situation and sussing any long term plans out of you.

>you’ve probably had enough liquor to sleep at this point
>ask/tell L’Audacieux something
>Poke around some more

>>3581836
>you’ve probably had enough liquor to sleep at this point
We're probably not in the right mindset to continue talking.

>>3581836
>>you’ve probably had enough liquor to sleep at this point
We try not to die.

>>3581997
>>3582108

“Good plan.” She mutters dryly before lying down herself.

The night passes without instance. The looted wine seems to cloud your mind and keep the nightmares at bay, offering you the chance to sleep without interruption.

The morning however is not so merciful. You wake ungracefully, hunger and hangover biting at your stomach and brain. Eventually you manage to roll over and stand hoping desperately for anything to help either pain go away, the searing light coming in from the one small window in the room making the task seemingly impossible
. Your search is interrupted by a knock at the door, light and polite in tone. You take some steps forward and grope about the quarters until you find the doorknob and swing the door open.

It's not your sister or the battleship. Instead the small form of the Abyssal escort that once served as your guide through the carrier bob happily before you a tray of unappetizing but almost certainly edible food clutched in her hands.

“Good morning Lady Provence.” The girl beams holding out the tray for you. “I was told to bring you something to eat.”

You manage a grunt of acknowledgement and rub your eyes haggardly.

If the Abyssal notices your disheveled and hungover appearance she makes no comment on the matter and continues to appear frustratingly happy.

“Begging your pardon Lady Provence but Our Lady asked that you meet her in the throne room once you finish eating.”

You offer a grunt and prod the rather clumpy and unidentifiable pasta sitting on the metal tray.

>Ask question
>Offer a dismissive grunt and eat the food
>Offer a dismissive grunt and see your sister right away. L’Audacieux can make sure the food doesn't go to waste.
>Try and make her as sad as you are now

>>3582227
>Ask for some fresh water to help knock off some of the headache, and to wash down the food.

>>3582252
+1

>>3582327
>>3582252

>Ask for some fresh water to help knock off some of the headache, and to wash down the food.

“Could-” you begin before pausing, startled at the harshness of your own voice. “Could I get some water?”

“Yes Lady Provence. I'll fetch some right away,” the girl answers with an emphatic smile.

“Fresh water.” You add before the girl can leave, “I need a drink.”

The Abyssal's enthusiasm fades slightly at the clarification, replaced with slight confusion.

“I'm sure there's a few bottles in the vending machines or old kitchens.” You offer, voice still hoarse from your dey throat.

“Right.” The Abyssal affirms with sudden vigor, “we’ll find it for you Lady.”

As the girl turns and leaves you hear a groan behind you. L’Audacieux stirs and wakes with scarcely more grace than you did, clearly feeling the effects of your drinking the night before.

“Our nightmares moved from night to day,” she mutters quietly, eyes thin slits to filter out the incoming sunlight. “

You nod in empathy, offering the tray of food towards the destroyer. Her mood seems to brighten and the prospect of food.

She accepts it gratefully, spooning the lumpy canned gravy with a sense of gusto that you suspect she's only capable of because she's too sun-blinded to get a clear look at the food. “Who was that just now?” She asks groggily.

“The Abyssal escort who showed me around earlier. She brought us breakfast.”

The destroyer frowns and glances over to you. “Did you eat yours already?” She asks, noting the lack of tray on your side of the room.

“Okay, she brought me breakfast.” You admit guiltily. “It looks like whoever sent her doesn't think too highly of you.”

“Bretagne.” She concludes through a mouthful of food before offering the partially eaten tray back to you.

You nod and hesitantly accept the tray, your own hunger becoming difficult to ignore. “Probably,” you admit again, scooping up some watery green beans. “She had the escort ask me to meet her later.”

“About what?” The destroyer asks suspiciously, you shrug and prepare to elaborate before the door rings with the same polite knocking as earlier. You pass the remnants of the food back to L’Audacieux before opening the door. The same escort greets you with the same enthusiastic smile, though this time her arms are full of several plastic waterbottles.

“Thanks,” you offer, taking the proffered water and tossing a bottle to your destroyer, the action prompting a confused look from the Abyssal, though she says nothing on the matter.

“Would Lady Provence need anything else before she meets with Our Lady?” The girl asks curiously, now meeting your gaze again

>Does Lady Provence need anything else before she Meets our
Lady?
>No (discuss what you can recall of last night with L’Audacieux)
>Yes (ask a question of the Abyssal or invite her in to chat on a subject of choosing)
>Yes (request an item or service)

>>3582465
>Yes (ask a question of the Abyssal or invite her in to chat on a subject of choosing)
Make small talk about why she is in such a good mood. Then steer the conversation to the daily routine of the Abyssals. Who stands post? Training schedules? Patrols? Field days (probably never, given the mess)?

>No (discuss what you can recall of last night with L’Audacieux)
Shouldnt get too cocky with the questioning of the lower level abyssals. we already know that the other BB is quite wary of us, and even Bretagne is.

>>3582782
>>3582825

Given these two are contradicting could I get a tiebreaker before penning the next section up?

>>3582465
>>No (discuss what you can recall of last night with L’Audacieux)
I agree with >>3582825

>>3583209
>>3582825

>No (discuss what you can recall of last night with L’Audacieux)

You take a drink, the water already helping to soothe your throat and refocus your mind. “No.” You grant the Abyssal, “that's all I needed. Thank you.”

“A pleasure Lady Provence,” the escort beams before turning about on a foot and sauntering out of the room.

“She seems pleased.” L’Audacieux notes dryly.

You decline to reply and close the door behind the Abyssal and then back towards your destroyer. “I think it's only fair I let you know what I overheard last night. After all we’re in this together.”

The destroyer looks a bit uneasy at your tone but allows you to continue uninterrupted.

“Bretagne and that battleship were talking. The battleship expressed concerns over my loyalty. My sister didn't exactly disagreed but said I was important to her and her future.”

“What sort of future?” the destroyer asks, “Is this about Hood?”

You shake your head, “neither of them mentioned any plans, but I think our Battleship friend is a lot more important here than we thought. I think maybe even more important than Bretagne.”

“Furthermore," you add reluctantly, “Bretagne addressed her as 'sister’”

L'Audacieux's eyes go wide, “you have another sister?”

“No.” You reply, “At least I didn't. There were only ever three of us in the Bretagne class.”

“Maybe they returned together? Some sort of adopted kinship?”

“Maybe.” You relent, “but I think the crux of the matter is that whoever that bitch is- she's right. I can't count on Bretagne favoring me over her.”

L’Audacieux nods and takes a drink of her own water, the relief it offers overshadowing much of her worry, “I guess we'll have to keep an eye out in that case.”

>Meet with Bretagne, after all she's expecting you
>You had something else you needed to say before meeting
>Other

>>3583272
>Meet with Bretagne, after all she's expecting you

>>3583282
>Meet with Bretagne, after all she's expecting you


“Agreed-” you offer. “Now, hungover or not I should meet with my sister, no need to give her any more reason to mistrust us.”

“Good luck.” The destroyer offers.

You respond with only a departing nod before taking the opportunity to excuse yourself from the room. The hallways outside are once again navigable in the early morning through the braziers and what sunlight makes its way through the passages and holes in the ship, illuminating the black mildew and grime that seems to fester in the vessel.

You find your way to the throne room again easily enough and are unsurprised to find your sister perched atop the ramshackle chair that dominates over it. She doesn't seem to resent you for taking the time to eat and converse with L’Audacieux beforehand. In fact at the moment she seems to be talking to a familiar looking small Abyssal, patting the girl's white head matronly and offering some unheard comments.

She spots you entering from the sidelines and greets you with a warm smile, “good morning Dear Sister. I trust you slept well?”

You prepare a rebuttal when the girl swings around to confront the newcomer, the shy and contented smile that she showed your sister grows into panic and worry as she makes eye contact. You're faintly surprised that the girl is in fact not your former guide, though the resemblance is strong, her face is slightly less round and her eyes burn a bright blue. Her face is somewhat familiar to you, even beyond the resemblance to the other Abyssal, though it's difficult for you to place.

“Lady!” the girl screams stepping between yourself and your sister. “She is a heathen, sent as an assassin.”

Your sister looks briefly confused before amusement takes hold. “
Little one, this is my sister, she is welcome here.”

The girl glances between you and your sister in confusion. “But she is a lapdog. A servant of those who cast us out.” She mutters quietly to Bretagne in confusion. “Does Our Lady test us?”

Your sister's amusement gives way to a chiding anger. “She is not a blind lapdog of the humans, she is my kin and Dear Sister. There is no test here and you'll show her due reverence.”

The Abyssal eyes you up again before looking sullen and downcast. “Apologies Lady.” She mutters to your sister. “We must do as Our Lady commands, Our Lady is our guide.”

“Splendid.” Your sister offers, raising the girl's chin to bring her into eye contact. “We shall discuss more of your words in the future, but for now there is still much you need to do little one. You are dismissed. I have words for my Dear Sister.”

>>3583437

The girl stands straight. “Yes, Lady,” she recants, bowing slightly before turning and exiting the room at a brisk pace.

Your sister watches as the escort leaves before offering an apologetic half smile. “You'll forgive her lack of etiquette Dear Sister, the little one has only just now been welcomed to our fold. She does mean well.”

You offer a dismissive hand wave, “no offense was taken. I was told you needed to speak to me.”

“Yes.” Your sister agrees, brightening noticeably, “it was brought to my attention, rather correctly that neither you nor any of my own have fought beside each other in the past. I was hoping we could run some exercises before the attack on the stronghold. It would after all serve no one's good to have us bump into and run over each other while in combat.”

You nod at the suggestion. “That seems to make sense.”

“You can even bring your little destroyer friend, no doubt she’ll be there alongside you after all.”

>Agree
>Decline, the operation may tip off your cooperation
>Agree without L’Audacieux
>Suggest an alternative
>Ask a clarifying question

>>3583439
>Agree
>Suggest an alternative
We should do it, but nothing too fancy. Maneuvers perhaps but no actual firing. It could give away our position.

>>3583439
>Agree

>>3583456
>>3583462
>Agree
>Suggest an alternative
We should do it, but nothing too fancy. Maneuvers perhaps but no actual firing. It could give away our position.

You nod again thoughtfully. “given neither of us have the faintest idea of what sort of doctrine your fleet ascribes to, I think that's an excellent suggestion. Though I am worried- if Hood's lackies are tipped to our cooperation off it might make assaulting her fortress all the more difficult, some light maneuvers might be in order, gunnery would attract attention.”

“I suppose that has merit, truth be told I was hoping for a little gunnery competition,” your sister relents passively. “Most excellent. I'll make sure our surface assets are prepared. In the meantime, why don't you make sure your little friend is ready?”

“I'll let L’Audacieux know,” You promise.

“Most excellent Dear Sister, I look forward to it.”

You nod and return along the familiar path to your quarters, greeting the destroyer with a nod upon entry.

“What did Bretagne say?” The girl asks, still nursing her water and grimacing slightly with a pain no doubt mirroring your own slowly abating hangover.

“She wanted to run combined exercises in preparation for the attack on Hood, she wanted me to extend an invitation to you.”

The escort frowns at this, looking perturbed over your explanation.

“What's wrong?” You ask, picking up on the clear unease.

“It's nothing,” she replies immediately before thinking the comment over briefly “It's just that for some reason no longer being ignored doesn't sit so well with me, given where we are and who our hosts are. Did you have a plan?” She asks, her tone slightly hushed in comparison “Or are we still waiting on that?”

>Did you have a suggestion?
>Yes (write in)
>No, we'll hold out until after the attack on Hood
>No, but I'll keep my eyes out

>>3583590
>I was going to sort it out after Hood was gone in truth.
>>Did you have a suggestion?

>>3583599
>I was going to sort it out after Hood was gone in truth.
>>Did you have a suggestion?

“Not yet.” You admit, “killing Hood still seems like a net gain for us. I was hoping to sort things out after that.”

The reply doesn't seem to sit well with the destroyer, who looks in thoughtful discomfort at the water bottle in her hands.

“Did you have another idea?” You ask in response to her demeanor, “it's not like I'm in charge here.”

“Well.” She begins hesitantly, “Well they're going to be letting us out in clear water for maneuvers, right? It's as good of a time as any for us to make the slip, we could get back to Lorraine and the rest, without a problem.”

You shake your head. “Even Bretagne is aware enough to keep us on a short leash.”

“Do you think she'd be willing to stop you?”

“Maybe not, but I imagine the battleship might.” You concede, “but I’d be more worried about you.”

At this, the destroyer surprises you with a confident smirk and a shake of her head. “I'm a Fantasque remember?” She replies proudly, “thirty five knots is a comfortable cruising speed. There's not a ship- Abyssal magic or not- that can match pace with me and my sisters.”

You can't help but smile at her confidence. “Fair enough.” You concede again before frowning, “but there is still the issue of the prisoners stuck down in the brig.”

Her confidence wavers at your reminder and her brow furrows again with the worry that's taken hold of her since your arrival.

“We could split up to distract them,” she suggests, a faint tone of desperation replacing her confidence, “then at least one of us could get out.”

“And the other?” You suggest, leaving the question hanging in the air.

>Her plan seems solid enough, you'll risk it.
>Her plan needs some work but you think it's worth doing
>Patience L’Audacieux, we’ll proceed after the attack on Hood. They'll be confused and scattered then.

>>3583739
>Patience L’Audacieux, we’ll proceed after the attack on Hood. They'll be confused and scattered then.
"I'm not going to risk you. And I sure as hell am not going to leave you here alone"
We are safe for now...i think? But we need to stick together.

>>3583739
>>3583754
Supporting this. Not liking our odds 2 versus every single Abyssal on this base.

L'Audacieux goes quiet as your question continues to hang heavy in the air between you. "I-" she begins, before a frown settles in.

You ruffle the destroyer's hair comfortingly. "I'm not going to risk you. And I sure as hell am not going to leave you here alone, besides I think we're safe for now as long as we stick together."

She thinks the comment over before sighing in defeat, "I- I think you're right." she admits unsteadily before smirking slightly in a teasing manner, "In any case, you're not nearly fast enough to get away."

You shrug in mock defeat before gesturing down the hall, "In any case, Bretagne expects us shortly."

The destroyer stands and makes way to follow and you and you offer an encouraging nod before heading out of your quarters, Guiding her the short distance down the hallway before reaching the throneroom. Inside your sister still remains, talking again with the same Abyssal she was earlier, though this time the Abyssal is accompanied by your former guide. The later clings happily to the new returnee, her bubbly mood seems if anything to have only increased since you last saw her this morning. Beside your sister, the battleship whose name still eludes you stands passively as your sister talks indistinctly to the two escorts.

"Provence." she greets, noting your entrance. and sparing a sidelong glane at the destroyer behind you. "And I see you managed to prise the little one out of her quarters." She notes, her tone conveying none of the judgement her words seem to carry. Behind you, L'Audacieux recoils slightly at the comment, though remains quiet.

"L'Audacieux was more than happy to participate." you add, intending to take the sting out of your sister's words. "She's looking forwards to getting a chance to prove herself." You nod towards the pair of smaller Abyssals assembled before your sister. "It looks like she's not the only one looking forwards to it."

"They'll not be among us during the excersizes," the battleship interrupts, crossing her arms"They are not suited for open war."

Your sister ruffles the hair of your former guide sympathetically, "Indeed Dear Sister. They shall not join us. Those among the fleet will await our orders in the open ocean." She offers an unreadable smile in your direction "Seeing as you don't favor gunnery drills I was curious if you had a suggestion, on where you think we should start."

>let her take the lead.
>favor combined arms
>favor a gunnery line
>favor screening tactics
>favor ASW
>Something else
>Ask a clarifying question

>>3584547
>>favor combined arms
We've more than Battleships among us and we'll need more than brute force to deal with Hood's Navy. Best work on our coordination I think, even if Bretagne and ourself will be dealing with Hood.

>>3584547
>favor combined arms

>>3584604
>>3584583

You shrug, "I haven't gotten a chance to survey the fleet, but my understanding is that we've got more than just us battleship, right? I figured a focus on intercommunication from each fleet arm would be the most helpful way for me and L'Audacieux to find our bearings. After all, if everyone is going to be helping us against Hood, we might as well train together."

Your sister nods at this, before adopting a teasing look, "It won't help you figure out the nuances of our fleet, but hopefully you'll figure us out well enough to at least shoot at the wrong side."

Your mouth upticks slightly in amusment, "I'll try my best." you offer teasingly "Besides, this way we'll all figure out the basics, instead of stumbling over the complex stuff."

She nods, "A good suggestion Dear Sister. Now, if there's nothing else you have to plan, I'll show you to your fleet."

>Lead on (switch perspective to Lorraine)
>I had something else.
>Lead on (perform the exercize as Provence)

>>3584721
>Lead on (perform the exercize as Provence)

>>3584721
>>Lead on (perform the exercize as Provence)

>>3584888
>>3584849

So a decision is made.

Unfortunately time has caught up to me and I'm starting too fatigued to write coherently without many edits and rewrites so I'll pen this up in the morning.

Cheers guys and thanks for sticking with the quest so far.

>>3584923
Yah no problem QM. It's fun.

>>3584849
>>3584888

Lead on (perform the exercize as Provence)

You gesture towards the throne room’s exit. “Lead on Bretagne, let’s see your fleet.”

Your sister smiles and takes the lead, guiding you outside to the crashing waves and jutting metal of the severed center of the ship, the cold morning air providing some additional relief to the hangover that still bites faintly at the back of your head. Below you some few meters, waves crash between the separated halves of the ship, water churns amongst the twisted remnants of metal. You briefly search for the path that first took you into the ship before your sister grabs you attention with one of teasing grins before leaping headlong into the waves, landing on top of them with dancer-like grace.

You sigh and menatlly call upon your own armaments and soon feel the comfortable weight of your shipgirl rigging as your naval rifles and equipment materializes again on your back. You leap in behind her though the force of the impact and the shower of seawater accompanying your landing makes you all too aware of your own lack of grace.

Behind you, you head L’Audacieux landing with a small splash and you take a glance to ensure the girl is okay. The destroyer returns your look with a reassuring smile. Above you, you notice that no one else seems to follow. Apparently all three Abyssals your sister met with this morning are not to follow.

You offer an encouraging pat to your destroyer before continuing to follow your sister out of the ship’s broken form.

Above the open ocean, the sun greets the three of you. Below it, scattered below the ship’s entrance, several small groups of Abyssals, all humanoid in appearance stand patiently, greeting your approach -or more likely your sister’s approach- with a mixture of salutes, low bows and hushed greetings. Perhaps in total of mixed class, there’s two dozen ships, mostly light cruisers and a few larger destroyers. Though several larger cruisers and a mixed group of carriers stand ready.

>>3585877

Your sister greets them pleasantly, with a regal wave, before gesturing you forwards. “All of you here are familiar with my Dear Sister, Lady Provence.” she begins, her voice echoing over the waves with polite and soft spoken authority. “And no doubt you know that she has sworn to aid us in prosecuting the Heretics in the Northern Fortress.” there are a few nods among the crowd, but mostly their agreement takes the form of rapt and attentive silence. “She will be taking the helm in today's perparations for this assault. It is of course crucial to all of our success that we learn to operate together and I trust all of you will give her the same loyalty and devotion to duty that you all would grant me.”

“Right.” she begins her tone taking a more active commanding presence, “Standard cruising formation everyone, screens into position. My Dear Sister would ask that everyone participates.” the last comment seems directed towards L’Audacieux’s direction.

Wordlessly, the Abyssals begin to take a cruising formation. A loose screen of escorts and cruisers forming around the small carrier group, the formation clearly well practiced.

Your sister offers you an encouraging pat on the back, though the gesture doesn’t help. The discomfort and nausea her Abyssal form seems to always exude combined with your heavy drinking the night before causes bile to rise up in your throat and you fight to avoid retching.

“Don’t be nervous Dear Sister,” she comments in a teasing tone, apparently misunderstanding your discomfort, “they won’t bite.”

>Join the formation and ask them to run through various formation changes in response to unknown foes
>Join the formation and spend some time talking through their doctrine with the ships inside, while testing basic maneuvers
>ask a question beforehand


>>3585623
Thanks, it's always encouraging to know that people are enjoying the quest

>>3585881
>>Join the formation and spend some time talking through their doctrine with the ships inside, while testing basic maneuvers

>>3585881
>Join the formation and ask them to run through various formation changes in response to unknown foes
Probably a bad idea but it never hurts to see what they're capable of physically.

>>3585949
>>3585881
Wait never mind, we're doing maneuvers with the other choice.
Changing vote to
>Join the formation and spend some time talking through their doctrine with the ships inside, while testing basic maneuvers

>>3585967
>>3585932
>>Join the formation and spend some time talking through their doctrine with the ships inside, while testing basic maneuvers

You offer a nod of understanding to your sister and gun your engines, towards the formation, passing by the assembled Abyssals until you make your way to the formation’s center, where a trio of carriers stand. The largest of the three, a serious snow haired woman with a large headdress made of the Abyssal’s bio-mechanical black steel eyes you impassively as you approach.

“Lady Provence.” she greets, the statement as emotionless as her expression. .

“Good morning.” you return, “What’s our cruising speed looking like? Who are we keeping up with?”

“Seventeen Knots,” she replies, “Provided you wish the Escort Carriers to hold formation,” she doesn’t spare the pair of carriers behind her a look, but it's clear from their earnest expressions that they’re the subject in question. “Provided you and your own escort can maintain that speed.”

You hear a haughty and offended noise behind you and spare a teasing smile to L’Audacieux. “Right.” you return, offering a smile that you hope “Well, let’s set a course at heading two seven zero at seventeen knots. We’ll see how the formation manages that and we can get a feel for operating together.”

“Yes. Lady, Provence,” the Abyssal answers dry before turning towards the other two carriers. The small nod to them she offers as orders is grossly exaggerated by the construction on her head. The escort carriers begin adopting the given course, the rest of the formation responding in kind.

As the convoy starts, you match place with the carriers, adopting a spot at the center of the formation. “Now,” you begin, addressing the terse carrier and gesturing to the widespread of escorts around you., “Run me through what’s going on here.”

“We are operating exercises under your guidance Lady Provence. As ordered by Our Lady.”

You sigh in frustration, “No, what’s the intent behind the formation here?”

“Our Escorts run guidance for us Lady Provence,” the carrier replies destroyers screen for submerged foes and enemies from above and the cruisers watch the seas.”

“Your escorts seem very spread out.” L’Audacieux notes from behind you. “It looks like it would be hard for them to cover each other with gaps that large.”

“Our Lady elected to run the maneuvers without the menials.” the carrier explains passively.

“Menials?”

The Abyssal seems unperturbed by your questioning, “Those children of the Abyss that fight without thought, following orders and instinct exclusively. Our Lady rightfully reasoned that they would not benefit the exercise nor learn from it.”

>>3586397

“You mean the less human-like of the Abyssals?” L’Audacieux asks.

If the comparison to humanity offended the carrier she chooses not to express it. “Indeed. What escorts we have here now do not have their requisite squadrons, leaving gaps that would not exist in combat. Our Lady commanded it so.”

You frown. “Are they not reliable?”

“They are reliable.” the Carrier rebukes emotionlessly, “They will pursue our foes relentlessly, Lady Provence but they serve little purpose in a training exercise. They do not possess the ability to learn or act outside of their orders- or failing guidance, their base instincts.”

You nod thoughtfully.

>ask another question
>suggest a change in course or action
>other

>>3586400
>ask a question
"Does this fleet have experience en masse against another? Hood is bound to have her own fighters. Not that I doubt your abilities."
>Continue with the exercise
I doubt we'll get much from her but a bit of a covert information question suffices

>>3586477

>ask a question
"Does this fleet have experience en masse against another? Hood is bound to have her own fighters. Not that I doubt your abilities."
>Continue with the exercise
I doubt we'll get much from her but a bit of a covert information question suffices


“Does this fleet have experience en masse against other fleets?” you ask, breaking the brief silence, “Hood is bound to have her own fighters- not that I doubt your abilities.”

“In our current function no,” the carrier offers, “though many elements have fought together in the past in open war, some even before Our Lady was brought to us. This is the first time some have been called together by Our Lady. Rest assured Lady Provence, we will not fail her.”

You nod back, mulling the response over before addressing her again. “Let’s try a course change-” you suggest, “how does ninety degrees port sound?”

Wordlessly, the carrier alters to the suggested course, followed shortly by the pair of escort carriers. The surrounding ships suffer various delays on their alterations, though none delay enough to impact the formation’s security.

“You don’t radio in advance to your escort?” L’Audacieux asks curiously.

“I am not flagship.” the Abyssal comments, her tone seemingly free of judgement despite the implications her words offer. “Lady Provence is acting flagship is she not?”

“I suppose that’s true,” you admit quietly. “I hadn’t realized command here was so centralized.”

“Our flagship speaks with Our Lady’s voice,” one of the escort carriers interjects, her voice carrying an uncomfortable tone of excited fervor, “We must do as Our Lady commands, Our Lady is our guide.”

L’Audacieux shoots an uncomfortable look at you following the Abyssal’s excited proclamation of loyalty.

>ignore that, let’s run through a more specific exercise (write in)
>ask a clarifying question
> continue maneuvers (switch to Lorraine’s perspective)
>something else

>>3586787
>>continue maneuvers (switch to Lorraine’s perspective)
Good to know and keep in mind for the future. Command paralysis or misdirection could come in handy. Anyways, Lorraine time.

>>3586787
>> continue maneuvers (switch to Lorraine’s perspective)
We gained some good intel.

>>3587022
>>3587022
>>3587029
>>continue maneuvers (switch to Lorraine’s perspective)

You are Battleship Lorraine, currently, you find yourself along the North African coast. Where exactly is uncertain to you, given the plethora of landmarks nearby it’s easy enough to figure out the location if you were to take the time to do so.

The problem is, you’re already pushing yourself past cruising speed, intently focused on the task of finding your wayward sister.At the moment, the stretch of deserted buildings along the coastline seems to resemble the half dozen other stretches of deserted buildings you’ve already sailed by

“Lorraine.” A familiar voice calls from your flank

You turn to confront it, one eyebrow raised in question and are greeting by Émile Bertin, the cruiser seems to bare a grim expression, though that’s hardly surprising or even a change from the norm.

“We’ve reached Algeria.” she mentions matter of factly.

“Has the minelayer found the spot where Provence ran into her?”

The light cruiser shakes her head. “No. Though to be honest I’m not sure she’d notice if we did, the poor girl is exhausted. She’d run herself ragged at your cruising speed. At the pace we’re going, even with her comrades assisting her she’s near spent.” She hesitates slightly, “And some of my girls have mentioned that our pace is making sonar monitoring difficult”

You slow your pace briefly glance back. Behind you, Lepanto is red faced, panting heavily, and swaying slightly. You offer a sympathetic smile, that’s returned by an exhausted but determined nod.

“We need to find Provence and L’Audacieux.” you protest quietly to the cruiser, “We can’t hold a leisurely pace.”

She offers a serious look in your direction. “Charging in blind will do neither them, nor us any good.- though I will admit, I’m having second thoughts about the minesweeper.”

>stop for a break and convene with the convoy
>continue pace and send Lepanto back with escort
>continue pace and send Lepanto back alone, you’ve seen no enemies yet so aren’t worried about the rear
>slow pace and continue onwards
>other

Calling it again tonight, sorry. Tomorrow should get more productive and exciting for Lorraine and friends

>>3587563
>slow pace and continue onwards

We wasted an opportunity to cull Abyssal numbers with fancy manoeuvring:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Victoria_(1887)#The_collision

>>3587563
>>slow pace and continue onwards

>>3587563
>>stop for a break and convene with the convoy

>>3587927
>>3587642

>>slow pace and continue onward


You sigh and offer a sympathetic look to the struggling Lepanto, your formation extending outwards to hold security around her as her pace steadily slows. “Okay,” you admit with a nod, “We’ll drop speed to match pace with her.”

Émile briefly looks like she’s about to object but closes her mouth again. “Okay-” she admits before picking up her headset and keying her mic. “Émile Bertain to all. Drop speed to twelve knots and tighten formation.”

From behind, you can see some panted protests by Lepanto to the two destroyers assisting her, but Leigonario and Mitragleiri rebuke her complaints. “How are our girls doing?” you ask her, eyeing the trio of French destroyers scattered throughout the convoy.

“Bordelais and Le Mars seem to be holding up, they’ve run harder missions before.”

“And Le Terrible?” you ask, eyeing the black-haired destroyer holding position at the impromptu convoy’s front. The normally jovial and carefree girl is currently offering an over the shoulder glare at the Italian minelayer.

An expression of worry paints the light cruiser’s face, “She’s worried for her sister, I think she blames herself for not noticing L’Audacieux has slipped off earlier. Truth be told, if it wasn’t for you pushing for a recovery mission, I think she would’ve gone out by herself.”

“We’ll have to keep an eye out for her in that case. despite her spirit, I don’t think she’d last long against an Abyssal battlefleet.”

The light cruiser hefts a pair of binoculars and begins scanning the horizon, “I think you’d do well to heed your own words,” she mutters dryly.

You laugh despite yourself and shrug, “Hey I’ve got the rest of you with me don’t I? And at the very least you informed the admiralty, we’ve got backup.”

Émile seems unconvinced, though drops the issue shortly, letting her binoculars fall in their strap holding the side of her headset as a message comes in. “According to our Italian friends, this is where Lepanto ran into Provence.”

>Ask the direction the Abyssals came from and follow that course
>Ask the direction Provence came from and follow that course
>Fan out and search for clues
>Ask something else
>do something else

>>3588181
>>Fan out and search for clues
Obviously we should ask her what direction they came from too if only for reference.

>>3588199
>>3588199
>>Fan out and search for clues
>Obviously we should ask her what direction they came from too if only for reference.

“Good.” you mutter thoughtfully, “Let’s see if we can’t find anything worthwhile, we’ll fan out and see if the Abyssals or Provence didn’t leave anything.”

Émile nods and keys her headset, reiterating the commands to the rest of the fleet.

The Italians take the opportunity to immediately slow, the two destroyers offer encouraging words to Lepanto and guiding her to the nearby rocky coastline. You take the opportunity to rendez-vous with them, eyeing the coastline as you move. While you approach, you notice among the rocks the lone corpse of an Abyssal destroyer festering and bloated in the sun, seeming to indicate that Lepanto’s navigation was spot on.

Your mental note made, your turn back to the Italians, approaching the trio and managing to make contact with them as soon as they reach the beach, offering a greeting to the destroyers as you approach.

Lepanto looks up from a perch on a nearby rock the destroyers rested her on, eyeing you tiredly, still panting faintly and red faced from exertion. “Sorry,” you catch her mutter through her exertion and your admittedly extremely rudimentary Italian.

You offer a smile and shake your head and try to “Sorry too,” you mutter, scraping the barrel on your Italian grammar, “we go too fast.”

She laughs slightly at your statement, though it comes across as tired wheezing through her breathing. She lets out a tired reply, the only words of it you can make out are: “Everyone is fast”.

“I don’t think she can continue on much longer at this pace.” Legionario informs in her well spoken French, “She’s determined enough to help Provence, but she can only push her engines so far, before she physically can’t continue.”

You nod solemnly at the news, “We may have to escort her back or slow pace,” you admit, “Does she remember where Provence and the Abyssals came from?”

Legionario reiterates the question and Lepanto raises a tired arm to the west, before offering a tired arm in a slightly different westerly course, muttering something in Italian at each direction.

>>3588517
“They made contact with the Abyssals about fifty nautical miles to the west, just off the coast. She isn’t sure where Provence was, but she also came from a similar direction, though closer to the coastline, like she was following it deliberately”

“So Provence was either behind the Abyssals or made her way from the coast by land or by sea,” you conclude.

Legionario nods, “it sounds like that’s the case.”

You mull things over briefly before offering Lepanto an appreciative pat on the head. “Thanks,” you attempt to offer her, “you did good.”

The girl manages another tired smile, before your own headset sitting disused around your neck interrupt, a voice calling your name out across the channel.

“This is Lorraine.” you respond, bringing the headset back to your ear and keying the mic.

“Lorraine,” the voice of Le Terrible calls from the mic, causing you to glance back at the girl standing in the open sea. Surprisingly it looks like she hasn’t moved at all from her spot in the formation since you’ve stopped and her voice is still devoid of the carefree tone she usually uses.. “I’ve got two sets of contacts. One sonar, multiple ships bearing due west. It’s pretty faint, forty to fifty nautical miles out, course unknown.”

“Good job,” you mutter appreciatively, “and the second?”

“Air contacts, about seventy five miles out, probably a bomber or a group of biplanes by the speed, they’re heading along the coastline from the east on intercept course.”

“Good work, thanks Le Terrible.” you offer, but the girl neglects to reply.

“Two contacts?” Legionario mutters worriedly, “What about Lepanto, we can’t leave her here and she’s in no shape to fight, even at peak performance she’s not built for it?”

>what do with Lepanto?
>What do with the contacts?

>>3588522
OP are any of our ships equipped with scout planes of some kind?

>>3588720
Lorraine has seaplanes. I'll give them to Émile as well if you need them, she lost them in her refit but I don't think I ever specified if she came back pre or post refit.

>>3588755
>>3588522
In that case I would suggest this
>What do with Lepanto
Send her back to the nearest base with Mitragleiri as escort.
>What do about Contacts
Throw our seaplanes up and investigate those naval contacts to our west. See if we can determine their course and makeup. Contacts to the East iirc are only a small group so let's cling to the coast at current speed. No need to kick up unnecessary trouble yet.

>what do with Lepanto?
>Send her back to the nearest base with Mitragleiri as escort.
>What do with the contacts?
>Throw our seaplanes up and investigate those naval contacts to our west. See if we can determine their course and makeup. Contacts to the East iirc are only a small group so let's cling to the coast at current speed. No need to kick up unnecessary trouble yet

With a thought, the seaplane launchers on your rigging pivots into launching position and the engines of a tiny flying boat begins to whine to life. You key your headset to respond to the fleet, “This is Lorraine, I’m launching a seaplanes to the west to take a look at that set of contacts.”

With that the catapult fires and small aircraft pushes into the sky, immediately you feel the familiar second sense of an active recon flyer flare to life in your conscious, providing you a bird’s eye view in the back of your mind.

“Mitragleiri.” you ask pushing the recon flight to the back of your mind, “Do you think you can make it back to port with Lepanto?”

The girl hesitates, giving Lepanto an intense look. “I think so,” she manages, “Lepanto is still fast enough to avoid any submarines. But those aircraft-”

“Le Terrible reports that they’re few and slow. If there’s too much trouble, head inland and find cover.”

>>3589066
>>3589066
The girl hesitates before nodding, “okay,” she mutters, grabbing the minelayer’s hand and muttering an encouraging phrase in Italian. The minelayer gives you a confused look before nodding in sad acceptance and muttering something in Italian that you can’t quite pick up on.

You offer another encouraging headpat to the minelayer. “You did good.” you mutter in your best Italian, “thanks.”

She smiles sadly at this before Mitragleiri offers her some encouraging words and helps the minelayer up, “I’ll take her back safely,” she promises you before turning to her sister and hugging her broadly, “Be safe Legionario,” she mutters before pulling away and taking Lepanto’s hand, she guides the girl out into the open sea again and adopts an easterly course back towards Tunis.

“Right,” Le Terrible interjects interjects as the pair sails slowly away, “What’s the situation with the contacts, Lorraine?”

“Still in flight,” you interject, biting back a more authoritative rebuke and check in on the recon plane, willing the aircraft’s sense of perception back to your conscience mind.

Beneath you recon plane, the coastline stretches out near indefinitely. In the distance, you spot the contacts Le Terrible reported, several black dots mulling about near the coastline too and fro with no clear course between them. As the minutes tick by and you get closer you begin to identify faint silhouettes and eventually identifiable characters.

The great majority of Abyssals are the more bestial destroyers that seem to form much of the enemy’s usual fleet composition. The creatures mull about in loose formation, seemingly drifting around in a wide protective circle. In the circle’s center two of the more humanoid Abyssals stand. White-haired and smaller in stature than even your destroyers, the pair seems preoccupied. They run an irregular search pattern, moving slowly through the waves before occasionally reaching down and retrieving something from the water before depositing the unseens item into containers on their arms and legs, given the proximity to Lepanto’s ambush site and the careful work they embark on, you suspect that the Abyssals are collecting mines..

You key your mic, “I’ve got sight on the western contact. Abyssal escorts, it looks like they’re gathering the mines near where Lepanto said she got hit.:

>push onwards, you haven’t time to spare and you’re more than capable of killing a few minesweepers and destroyers.
>wait until you hear about the eastern contact
>other

>>3589068
>>push onwards, you haven’t time to spare and you’re more than capable of killing a few minesweepers and destroyers.

>>3589761
Alright. Once again, this is shaping up to be a larger piece and the time of day is having me run on fumes. I'll pen it up in the morning, but rest assured that Lorraine will soon actually matter to the quest beyond being sad and lecturing Provence.

>>3589068
>wait until you hear about the eastern contact

>push onwards, you haven’t time to spare and you’re more than capable of killing a few minesweepers and destroyers.

Be mindful not to run into our own (is it an allied or an abyssal minefield?) mines on the way, though.

>>3590135
Curious why they would be clearing out some random minefield in the middle of nowhere

>>3590135
>>push onwards, you haven’t time to spare and you’re more than capable of killing a few minesweepers and destroyers.

>push onwards, you haven’t time to spare and you’re more than capable of killing a few minesweepers and destroyers.

Legionario frowns and glances over in your direction, “Since our last minelaying party got hit, the admiralty has been unwilling to send anyone else to watch over what the girls did get set along the sounds and inlets to slow their occupation. If the Abyssals are recovering the mines it could mean they’re preparing for a renewed offensive.”

You mentally recall the scoutplane, looking up to the midmorning sun out towards its last location and step off the beach and into the churning surf, taking course back to the formation, “Whatever they’re doing, they’re about to have a lot less fun doing it.” you reply, activating your comms, “We’re heading out again on intercept.”

Immediately, Le Terrible props begin churning in the water as she resumes her spot at the head of the formation, a frustrated and determined expression still plastered on her face.

The formation reformed, you continue up the coastline for some time, your destroyers offer regular reports from their sonar on the enemy’s movement and disposition.

It isn’t until the miles between you and the Abyssals shorten enough that their formation is visible on the horizon that Le Terrible tersely reports that they seem to be increasing speed, a sure sign that they’ve finally managed to spot you.

You spot the destroyers circling to a more dense protective formation as the humanoid pair of Abyssals break and run, thick black industrial-like clouds begin to waft from the smokestacks of the bestial destroyers as they work to guard their charges retreat.

“Lorraine, what’s the plan here?” you hear Émile Bertain’s voice interject into your headset.
You offer a sardonic grin as your turrets shift slowly into position, plotting the shapes with your long distance rangefinder before the smoke can settle around them. As your four double barrel turrets lock onto target you key your mic for reply.

>your guns are targeting the two humanoids to prevent their retreat (roll D100. This is a difficult shot at range against a small target, you need something close to a 35. Near misses count)
>you target the screen to disrupt their formation (again, similar shot, needing close to a 35)

>You tell the cruiser, you’ll be flanking around the Destroyers, it’ll take more time but you’re less likely to worry for Torpedoes and mines.
>You tell her you’re charging into the smoke, neither of you will have good engagement range and your secondaries will brutalize anything you encounter
>You’ll pin the Abyssals down while Émile and the destroyers flank and engage the horde of enemy ships. Your guns will be next to useless, but you might scare them into doing something stupid and your squadron is experienced and capable

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>3590615
>>you target the screen to disrupt their formation (again, similar shot, needing close to a 35)
Escorts are the danger here, not a few minelayers.
>>You tell the cruiser, you’ll be flanking around the Destroyers, it’ll take more time but you’re less likely to worry for Torpedoes and mines.
Also been a while since we rolled. Lower is better right? I forget.

>>3590666
Yeah, sorry. Lower rolls are good.

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>3590666

Supporting this, hope my luck works when I normally have to roll high :/

File: Punishing Chad.png (143 KB, 442x365)

143 KB PNG

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>3590666
Time to WEW

>>3591078
Papa Petain bless you child

File: 1559178011493.png (57 KB, 523x447)

57 KB PNG

>>3591240
Now is not time for blessings Father Anon.
Now is time for punishment.

>>3591412
Apologies, I'm house sitting with a borrowed computer and either it or the internet was not wanteing to perform. Hopefully my tablet will work better

>>you target the screen to disrupt their formation (35 dead on)

>>You tell the cruiser, you’ll be flanking around the Destroyers, it’ll take more time but you’re less likely to worry for Torpedoes and mines.
Also been a while since we rolled. Lower is better right? I forget.

You plot your solution and fire, running minor adjustments as each of you guns sound one after the other with a staccato of deep rolling explosions. Immediately you kick your engines into combat speed and accelerate after the fleeing Abyssals.

“Émile, get your girl’s moving we’re pushing around to the right to try to cut them off,” you tersely order, keeping your attention focused squarely on the enemy formation. At this range it takes some time for your shells to make contact but when they do the effect is notable as they careen on target on the rear of the enemy’s formation, scattering loosely around a pair of the screening destroyers, shattering the pair in a shower or ichor.

Confused by the change in formation or startled by your fire, their formation briefly breaks as they struggle to make up for the loss in number. You adjust your calculations and offer a second volley, which arcs into the air in a long winding trail before it slams home on a third of their destroyers. Soon thereafter the remaining two thirds of their fleet manage to regain their bearing and close the gap, blocking your shots for the time being.

“Good shooting,” your light cruiser compatriot offers as she watches the fall of your shots.

While the Abyssals have managed to spoil your line of sight, you continue to offer harassing fire as your formations close. While as a dreadnought, you were never the fastest ship in the Atlantic it looks like you’ve caught a break. The Abyssals here are scarcely quicker that poor little Lepanto and as the engagement’s time extends your flank continues to make progress towards running them down.

The closing gap is soon signaled by a volley of low caliber guns delivered by Le Terrible in the front, who, at the sight of blood, seems to push forward and her superior speed begins to shorten the distance between you even faster.

You hear a quiet curse snarled from her flotilla leader and Émile Bertain sails past you, managing to form up with the girl and sparing a few choice unheard words that draw the destroyer back to formation. Though through the combat her sanguine charge fills you with unease.

As if prompted to ask from behind you, the familiar voice of Legionario chimes into the radio “What’s the engagement plan Lorraine? Are we sinking them or tailing them?”

>Engage and destroy them all
>follow the minelayer, they’ll help you flush out the Abyssal’s base of operation
>try and take one alive. You know they can talk, maybe they can be threatened or cajoled?

>>3591443
Apparently my brother's computer is confirmed to be a dirty British collaborar

>>3591443
>>follow the minelayer, they’ll help you flush out the Abyssal’s base of operation
Destroy the escorts and tail the Minelayer. Let's see what we can find.

>>3591646
>follow the minelayer, they’ll help you flush out the Abyssal’s base of operation

“Kill all the destroyers,” you order, “we’ll flush the minesweepers back to their burrow and figure out where they came from.”

A chorus of acknowledgements fill your headset and you take the opportunity to push onwards continuing your flank until you spot the first of the Abyssal destroyers, weaving around the front of the black cloud and throwing up the thick concealing smoke, Le Terrible surges briefly forward and begins firing as soon as she has a shot, peppering the Abyssal with concentrated cannon fire, the monster groans and slumps into the waves before you can manage a clean firing solution. Le Terrible doesn’t seem to react, surging forward, Le Terrible strikes for another destroyer, this one managing to trade a few loose salvos with her before ultimately again slumping over.

“Don’t overextend yourself,” Émile Bertain chides the destroyer in a worried tone. The girl doesn’t respond, though does slow her course noticeably and rejoin her spot in the formation.

You prepare a reply when you notice a group of the destroyers increase speed, pivoting their course towards the sea and heading outwards into open water in a wide turn, their smoke screen continuing to billow out behind them, the clouds continuing to link the two formations.

“Shit.” Le Terrible mutters angrily. “They’re splitting up.”

You continue your course between the two, eyeing the twin black clouds and pondering your next course of action when a voice chimes into your headset nervous and with a strong Italian accent.

“Um-Lorraine?” Mitragliere voice announces, “we made contact with that aircraft Le Terrible saw.


You offer a swear beneath your breath and continue loosely pursuing the black clouds, trying to focus on both issues at once “Are you in trouble?” you ask.

“Well no-” the destroyer begins before you hear her let out a worried yelp and the sound of her headset fidgeting. Eventually after some time the noise stops and you hear the mic key again.

“Afternoon mon cherie,” a smug scottish voice answers, absolutely butchering your beautiful French language, “I heard you sent for the cavalry?”

>how do you respond
>what do you do about the twin clouds?

>>3591999
>How do you respond
"Edinburgh? Who else is with you?"
>What do with Black Clouds
Stay on the original group. I reckon the split off is a diversion.

>>3592147
This is of course if we know who it is. I forgot if Lorraine would know.

>>3592261
Lorraine knows Edingourgh, I don't recall if they ever get specifically introduced but It's safe to assume they know each other well enough.

>>3592278
Yeh that's fine then

>How do you respond
"Edinburgh? Who else is with you?"
>What do with Black Clouds
Stay on the original group. I reckon the split off is a diversion.

“Edinburgh?!” you reply with surprise, “who else is with you?”

“The entire fucking Royal Navy, love.” she replies haugtily, “we got the Nelson sisters and enough carriers to make the RAF shit their pants.”

“Where-” you begin confused.

“Shit, I’m kidding, it’s just the four of us, Glorious and her three musketeers. We did send word to the girls faffing about on the wrong side of Spain, they seem eager to get at it.”

You make a mental note to hit her when you get back to port, or at the very least to watch Provence go at it.

“What’s the word?” she asks into the stolen mic, “Glorious has her air support rearing and ready to go.”

“Currently pursuing some minesweepers down along the Algerian coast,” you answer, kicking yourself into high gear and resolving to follow the original target, “they’ve smoked themselves off and have split up, we’re pursuing.”

“Right, just let us know what you need, your little Italian friends have sent us right on the way, we’ll be there shortly.”

You decline to respond, bringing your headset down to your neck to avoid further comment. “Stick on the original group,” you order the girls still holding formation around you and nodding towards the second smoke cloud, “this one’s a decoy.”

You push towards the first group, trying to scry through the flanking cloud now billowed in front of you. You’ve nearly reached the rescinding smoke when you spot a small black object floating in the water among the dissipating smoke. Guiding your eye to several others. Mines.

The warning to the others begins and dies in your throat as something else comes barreling out of the dissipating smoke. One of the Abyssal minelayers, her violet eyes clouded with fervor and her flanks and rigging covered in a mixture of small black orbs and the more traditional mines recovered from the Italian minefield.

“We must act as Our Lady commands. Our Lady is our guide.” the small girl screams a fanatic warcry, accelerating towards you. In her hands, one of the pilfered mines is raised defiantly.

>dodge her course (Agility, DC35)
>Shoot her (DC55)
>Attempt to disarm her (DC40)
>other

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3592618
>>Shoot her (DC55)
Sacre Bleu, a fucking Ghazi

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>3592618
>Shoot her (DC55)
Or at least shoot her in the general vicinity of her arms. Whichever works.

>>3593021
>>3592618
Okay so I had tard brain there for a second.
Basically I'm saying to shoot her limbs off.

>>3593028
>>3592842
>Shoot her (DC55)
>Or at least shoot her in the general vicinity of her arms. Whichever works.

>average 34

You key your engines into full reverse, bringing your guns into position. While your main batteries are hopelessly slow in such close quarters fighting, your secondaries swing into place effortlessly and you take aim at the girl’s arms, granting yourself a half second to double check the shot before discharging your entire broadside.

Despite the range, her small size and speed present a difficult target and several of the rounds fly off course into the far ocean. The ones that don’t however land right where you were aiming, the fire impacting across both of her raised arms, shredding the limbs into a mass of dull black pulp. One of your stray rounds impacts the mine, detonating it above the Abyssal’s head and sending her careening, limbless and damaged towards you feet in an ungainly heep, broken and bloodied, but still quite alive..

“Jesus Lorraine,” Emile Bertain mutters quietly at the spectacle, her voice a mixture of awe and discomfort.

Le Terrible glances at the broken Abyssal with a satisfied smirk and gestures towards the second black cloud, “one more to go, eh Lorraine?” she mutters, before accelerating towards the cloud.

>what do you do with the broken Abyssal?

>What do you do with the second Abyssal?

>>3593153
Also, calling the quest again tonight, sorry folks. Lorraine's journey to find the meaning of "Travaille, Famille, Patrie" shall continue in the morning

>>3593153
Have Emile Bertain take the cripple under tow and attempt to observe the second. Now is not the time to "damn the torpedoes". We've to return with multiple minesweepers for a proper assault.

>>3593153
>What do with damaged sweeper
Tow the Cripple
>what do with second cloud
Have Glorious send up a few planes to keep tabs on them

>>3593504
You shake your head, “We’re in a minefield Le Terrible,” you admonish “We’ve gotten lucky this far but with the Abyssals mining the area in front of us, we’d need a minesweeper to pursue.”

“But they’re going to warn the others.” the Destroyer protests, clearly fuming over your orders, “We should stop them when we’ve got the chance, before they can get word out, we can go around.”

“Patience Le Terrible.” Émile Bertain warns in a concerned tone, “running headlong into a minefield does none of us any good and the minefield's borders aren't marked.”

The girl’s anger doesn’t seem to diminish but she doesn’t offer any objections and remains put.

“Émile, take the Abyssal under tow, I’ll send a recon plane to track the second group.” Ignoring her objections you call upon your recon plane, still flying gently above the battlefield and course correct it, tracking the thick black clouds from above at a distance, doing your best to keep the aircraft unseen.

The cruiser nods at your orders, eyeing the bleeding Abyssal with obvious distaste. The creature wriggles about in pain, staining the water with dull red ichor. Her previously vividly white skin and hair are blotched with speckles of gore.

“Lady preserve me,” it mewls in desperation, “grant me the strength to finish my duty before granting me the rebirth of the Abyss.”

“What is she saying?” pipes up Le Mars, reminding you guiltily that the quiet destroyer and her sister are part of your flotilla.

You shrug, “Nothing important.”

The Abyssal suddenly stops her prayers, glancing up at you with labored breaths as if just noticing your presence. Her violet eyes contorts to anger and recognition and she flails in the water desperately before spitting a glob of blood in your direction, landing short of you from her prone position. “You are Our Lady’s kin?” she spits, the words forced out as if poison, “The one who twice betrayed her?”

>Yes.
>Yes?
>no
>other

>>3594099
>These things you say. Explain what they mean.
Might as well channel a hoity-toity personality with the prisoner.

>>3594099
>other
Betray? She betrayed La Patrie.

>>3594099
>Other
"I wish people would stop accusing me of betraying them. That's two sisters now"

>>3594776
>>3595121
>>3595401

>These things you say. Explain what they mean.
>Betray? She betrayed La Patrie.
>"I wish people would stop accusing me of betraying them. That's two sisters now"

You narrow your eyes at the wounded Abyssal currently staining the waves. “These things you’re saying. Explain what they mean.”

“She’s just ranting, trying to keep us busy,” Le Terrible angrily mutters.

“You are,” she mutters, an unreadable grin forming on her stained teeth, “You are her treacherous lost sister.”

You grab the Abyssal’s chin, forcefully raising her face to meet your own stoney glare. "I wish people would stop accusing me of betraying them. That's two sisters now," you mutter angrily, “I found my ground. Against the fascists, against those who sought to make our countrymen into slaves. They fought only for a puppet state, treasonous to all France stood for.”

“Lorraine,” Émile Bertain warns nervously glancing over the assembled destroyers, “this is not the time for this debate.”

You ignore her and continue staring down the wounded Abyssal. It spits again, this time coating your face with foul smelling saliva and blood. You throw the creature to the ground with an angry curse. But the girl merely laughs sardonically, rolling in the wave “Lady Provence has already been illuminated by Our Lady, even know your sisters serve together. Yet here you are alone and afraid. She is forgiving twice-betrayed,” the Abyssal adds another look of zealous passion overtaking her expression. “Even despite my failure here, I will be reborn whole from the Abyss again by her hand. She would forgive you.”

“Lorraine.” The light cruiser besides you quietly warns, tension in her voice.

“I would take you to her,” the Abyssal promises. “She would welcome you warmly, I swear it upon the name of Our Lady.”

>Accept
>Decline.

>>3595478
>>Decline.
Silence creature.

>>3595478

>Accept

Sisters three!

>>3595478
>Decline.

>>3596598
>>3596239

>>Decline.

You grimace at the Abyssal “Be silent,” you spit, “I am not a fool, I’ll come for Provence and ‘Your Lady’, but I’m not following you there like a sheep to slaughter.”

“Our Lady can grant you much-” the creature hisses angrily, but you pull your headset over both your ears, effectively ending the debate.

“Lepanto?” you radio tentatively and receive a burst of confused and flustered Italian you can’t quite make out and a short pause. Soon after Mitragliere’s voice sounds over the radio.

“This is Mitragliere,” she affirms, “I left my headset back with the British and am taking Lepanto back to port, do you need us to return?”

“No,” you answer, shaking your head to emphasize the point despite the distance between yourself and the Italian girl, “Can you ask Lepanto how far she and her party laid mines out from shore? I think we ran into the edge of her minefield and might need to go around.”

There’s a brief silence as your question is reiterated. “Not far, less than a mile,” the girl answers, “The girls have been laying pockets of mines to try to push the Abyssals out of the coastline to try and into open water. It helps cut down on casualties in coastal populations from random attacks.”

“So how far out do we need to go?”

“A mile?” the girl answers, tentatively. Lepanto seems to think that’s far enough.

“Thanks Mitraglieri, make sure you and Lepanto get back safely,” you reply, frowning with thought. The answer doesn’t leave you confident but the nearest minelayers are at best back in Tripoli. You ponder your options before pushing the button on the headset again. “Edinburgh, could we get a fly over by Glorious? We’ve got some Abyssals retreating along the coastline that we need harassed, it should be a big black cloud, she can’t miss it.”

“Sure thing” the voice on the other end answers, before stopping briefly, presumably forwarding your request to the carrier “Destroyers right? Glorious says she’d need some time to rearm to try and sink them. Most of her aircraft have depth charges on. We were a bit short on our own destroyers here.”

You nod and notice the rest of your party glancing at you expectantly. Émile Bertain stands above the Abyssal, a tow cable clutched in her hand. Le Terrible for her part looks ready to bolt, angrily glancing towards the black cloud in the distance.

>Ask Glorious to rearm and sink the destroyers and minelayer
>risk heading around the minefield to cut them off
>take a slow pursuit through the minefield and attack
>head broadly around the minefield and try to intercept
>hold ground and request a dedicated minesweeper

>>3597061
>Ask Glorious to rearm and sink the destroyers and minelayer
>head broadly around the minefield and try to intercept

>>3597105
Supporting this

How many Destroyer Shipgirls do we have in our flotilla Right now? And how many the retreating Italians? Maybe each Group can split up 1 DD to support Glorious, as we just heard shes in need of ASW help when dedicating her Flyers to something else.

>>3597460
Lepanto and Mitragliere are currently retreating together and just passed Glorious, Minotaur, Edinburgh, and Swiftsure..

Your immediate party consists of the L'Ardoit class destroyers Le Mars and Bordelais as well as Le Terrible and Émile Bertin, who I only now realized I was misspelling the name of.

>>3597499

regarding misspellings or too fast typing, that would be the L'Adroit class, or not? Nitpicking advanced...

>>3597634
Ha, yes. I guess that's two.

>Ask Glorious to rearm and sink the destroyers and minelayer
>head broadly around the minefield and try to intercept

“Right,” you offer the cruiser through your headset, “Have Glorious hammer those destroyers, We’ll push around to finish them.”

“Right, she’ll be real keen on that.” Edinburgh answers excitedly, “Glorious always gets a kick out of supporting a fleet engagement like that. I’ll pass that up and along, Edinburgh out.”

“Are we pursuing?” Le Terrible asks eagerly.

“we should be okay if we make a wide berth around the mines.” You answer her before addressing your squadron’s cruiser, who has begun tying her tow cable around the Abyssal wriggling and staining the waves. “Émile, can you keep up if you’re towing her,” you ask, eyeing the creature suspiciously.

The light cruiser nods and finishes her work before standing. “I can’t engage effectively, but it’s not like she’s armed or particularly fast. I can hold onto her.

You nod and churn your propellers into the waves, wordlessly signaling the renewed pursuit of the Abyssal Fleet.

Your fleet travels on in relative silence, the deviation to avoid the mines leaves a significant gap between yourselves and the Abyssals. With the smoke in the way you lack an accurate fire solution and any long range engagement without a target would simply be a waste of ammunition. As you level out around the minefield’s edge and resume pursuit, you spot the distant forms of ungainly swordfish bombers lumbering along the coastline, towards the distant clouds.

“This is Glorious,” the chipper tone of the carrier chimes in on your radio, “my bombers are making their attack run now.”

The bombers begin to a slow flanking descent on the formation’s flank, their initial approach obscured by the very smoke that keeps the Abyssals safe from your shells. A few tracers shoot up to greet the planes, but you can’t judge their effect from your position. You attempt to scry the smoke when you notice, barreling out of the rear of the smoke, the humanoid Abyssal. Apparently Glorious’s torpedoes have forced an evasive maneuver that has brought it briefly out of the smoke. Your turrets begin to turn steadily and your casements pivot into position. You allow yourself a confident smirk.

The Abyssals seem to quickly pick up on their mistake and the destroyers begin to turn, bringing their smoke about behind them to conceal their charge. Though they still have some distance to cover and the maneuver leaves them exposed.

>Fire at the humanoid to get her out of the fight (DC45)
>focus on the destroyers to eliminate the smokescreen (DC45)
>split your fire (make a roll for each target, DC 40 for mains and 30 for secondaries, effect depends upon weapon used Recall you need to roll below target)

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>focus on the destroyers to eliminate the smokescreen (DC45)

With the smokescreen gone everyone can have a pick at that remaining minesweeper

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>3597663
>>Fire at the humanoid to get her out of the fight (DC45)
Fire!

>>3597687
>>3597696

Could I get a tiebreaker?

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>3598094
1 I vote for first option 2 is for the second

>>3598138
So it shall be, penning it up now.

>>3598138
>>3597687

>42

You concentrate your guns on the destroyers, picking your targets carefully before firing ripple firing your cannons, adjusting along the formation’s course. Your rounds impact cleanly on the lead destroyers. The lead ship falls to you primary weapon, HE rounds striking the Abyssal dead center and evaporating it into organic mist. That taken care of the second falls to your secondaries as your casement guns bark up. By the time the destroyers reach their target and cover the wayward Abyssal, their formation is too loose and their heading too straight and narrow. You pick off another with your secondaries before a fourth falls to Le Mars. The distance now close, the guns of your escorts now sound alongside your own.

Their destroyers reduced to a pair, they turn a broad outward turn to resume their previous heading. As they move their way back, you see a geyser of water and a hear a shrieking squeal. Apparently the formation doubled back straight into the aerial torpedoes their charge was originally attempting to avoid.

Le Terrible kicks her engines into full speed, blitzing forwards and pouring fire into the smoke. Round after round landing inside until a dull red ichor flows beneath the cover and eventually the corpse of the last destroyer floats unceremoniously out from the black smoke. The cover soon dissipates and their charge is revealed. Alone and exposed, the last Abyssal continues to flee occasionally turning back to toss more mines into the sea behind her, though your current course is not a direct intercept and the tactic seems to be more an act of blind defiance than an actual effort to hinder you.

Le Terrible seems equally unperturbed, the Abyssal before her clearly does not have engines built for combat and the creature is hilariously outclassed in terms of speed by the destroyer.

>Call Le Terrible off and follow the Abyssal
>Call Le Terrible off and destroy the Abyssal. Glorious and you can find their port from here or by interrogating the one you have
>Let her go for the kill

>>3598249
>>Let her go for the kill

>>3598249
>>Call Le Terrible off and follow the Abyssal

>>3598357
>>3598308

Alright, will pen up the next bit once we get another tiebreak. We're probably reaching close to the end of this particular thread, so once Lorraine finds the carrier we'll get to Provence's PoV again in the next one.

>>3598249
>>Let her go for the kill

>>3598308
>>3598561

>Let her go for the kill

You slow to a stop and watch Le Terrible, the destroyer closes the distance swiftly, leaving the L'Adroit sisters behind and pelting the Abyssal with small caliber fire.

Despite her lack of any credible armor or armament The Abyssal offers what little return fire it can, a pair of small caliber guns barking inaccurate and ineffectual return fire. Her efforts amount to little and the destroyer continues to hammer away with her guns even as a pair of torpedoes slip from her thigh mounted tubes and careen through the water. The destroyer only stops once a geyser of water and ichor rises from near the Abyssal’s feet. The monster lets out an unearthly cry of anguish and begins sinking below the depths.

Besides you, Émile Bertin watches the scene with an expression of worry, but offers no comment over the destroyers behavior, even as the girl returns, slower this time, her face still full of desperate frustration.

“As Our Lady brought her to our fold, so too will she rise again from the Abyss by Our Lady’s hand,” the prisoner responds to the returning Destroyer, clearly unperturbed by the show of force. Whether due to some personal conviction or simple apathy is difficult to tell.

Le Terrible seems unperturbed by her behavior. “We should keep going,” the destroyer barks, glancing at the sun, now already past its zenith. “The Abyssals were headed somewhere and I’m willing to be it’s close.”

“We should push our spotters up to search for us and wait until Glorious and her escorts get here. With three heavy cruisers we stand a much better chance,” Émile Bertin suggests staring down Le Terrible as if lecturing the destroyer on the best course of action.

>Agree with Le Terrible, time is important and it’s already late in the afternoon.
>Agree with Émile Bertin, firepower is key to victory
>other.

>>3598677
QM leaves for the night, sorry folks. I'll try to continue in the morning, though if the thread manages to die in the night as it's getting long in the days, Lorraine's story will continue sometime next week.

>>3598677
>Agree with Le Terrible, time is important and it’s already late in the afternoon.

>>3598677
>>Agree with Émile Bertin, firepower is key to victory

Combo-Breaker!

No really, we let Le Terrible have her fun even when she still makes a face that matches her name, before it turns dark and we don't know what we are up agqaint, we should consolidate our taskforce.

>>3598677
>>Agree with Émile Bertin, firepower is key to victory

>>Agree with Émile Bertin, firepower is key to victory

“We’ve got no idea what’s going to meet us at our destination,” you explain to the frustrated destroyer, “I understand you’re worried over your sister, but we do nothing for her or Provence by rushing in and getting ourselves sunk.”

It briefly looks like Le Terrible is going to protest, her face refusing to drop the look of frustrated impatience she seems to have worn since you began your expedition but finally her shoulders slump in defeated resignation. “Fine.” the destroyer mutters tiredly, “we’ll wait for the British.”

You nod your thanks over the destroyer’s understanding.

“It makes no difference.” the wounded Abyssal hisses in an amused tone, “you together are no match for Our Lady by herself. Let alone her when faithful are rallied behind her,” she licks her bloodstained teeth, “You will kneel before her and the Lady Mistress before this day is through.”

“What is she talking about?” Bordelais asks a nervous tone undercutting her question.

“Nothing important,” Le Terrible assuages, glaring angrily at the Abyssal “she’s talking nonsense to try and scare us all.”

“We speak only Our Lady’s truth.” the Abyssal rebukes in a mocking tone.

“I’m tired of listening to her.” you mutter dourly, the Abyssals's . “Gag her.”

The Abyssal offers no resistance as the light cruiser shoves a scrap piece of cloth into the creatures mouth, tying its ends around her head tightly in place. Your squadron’s mood seems to minorly improve with the monster’s silence.

Le Terrible’s own impatience doesn’t seem to abate and you’re ready to offer the destroyer some encouraging feedback when a voice chirps up from your headset, interrupting your efforts

“Lorraine. This is Glorious.” the familiar soft-spoken voice of the British carrier interjects. “I had some of my fighters on escort push out past your position and I think they just found something.”

“What is it?”

>>3600982
>
“An old warship, a carrier.” she answers, “It looks like it’s been run aground for some time, if I had to guess it’s been here since sometime around the Second Battle of Taranto. It’s about three or four dozen miles from your position give or take. It looks like a few Abyssal destroyers are hanging about it- I saw one of the more humanoid ones too, but couldn’t identify a class.”

“Do you think it’s the place we’re looking for?” you ask hesitantly

“Seems as promising a place as any,” the girl offers with a noncomittal tone, “It’s hard to say, we can always hold back and observe for a bit to see what’s up.”

>Hold back and observe, you don’t want to risk an engagement you can’t win or tip your hand
>Push inland and send recon planes in, it’ll tip your hand if you send too many but the Abyssals don’t seem to like straying too far from the sea and besides Glorious might have given your initiative up already with her own flight.
>Push hard and push fast. Speed is armor and Glorious doesn’t seem to see anything you can’t handle
>Get the cruisers together and attack hard, you need the firepower and don’t want to give up initiative

With that, I think I’ll wrap up Lorraine’s PoV and switch to Provence’s. I hope you enjoyed this thread. Unfortunately there may be a gap of a week or so between this thread and the next as my workload is increasing again, but rest assured Frogquest shall return. If you all have a preferred method or platform of announcing threads in advance let me know and I can try to accommodate. Genuine thanks for sticking with it, I appreciate that people are still interested and active.

>>3598138

Also just reread this through and realized the call for tiebreak was based on the order the comments showed up in rather than how they were displayed in my post. My bad, wasn't trying to railroad that decision.

>>3600991
>Push hard and push fast. Speed is armor and Glorious doesn’t seem to see anything you can’t handle

>>3600991
>>Get the cruisers together and attack hard, you need the firepower and don’t want to give up initiative

>>3600991
>Get the cruisers together and attack hard, you need the firepower and don’t want to give up initiative

See you next time, boss

>>3600991
>>Get the cruisers together and attack hard, you need the firepower and don’t want to give up initiative

>>3600991
>>Hold back and observe, you don’t want to risk an engagement you can’t win or tip your hand
Resist the onslaught by pulling back and regrouping.

>>3600991
>>Hold back and observe, you don’t want to risk an engagement you can’t win or tip your hand