Kantai Collection - KanColle - Auspicious Seas, Phoenix Skies:Volume1 Chapter 3: Doing One's Duty

Chapter 3: Doing One's Duty

Outside the Commander's Room——
The first thing that came into view was the seemingly endless ocean.
A single breath is enough ti fill you with the briny taste of the sea. The sound of lapping waves flowed past the ears.
"Mm~as expected, it's better on the high seas after all..."
"You've been on land this whole time?"
Following close behind, Kaga spoke out.
She held down her hair as it fluttered in the wind.
That expression was far too beautiful - one could stare at it forever.
But staring too long would maker her angry again. Better to look back at the sea.
"I've been idling too long landside, since I was convalescing until recently."
"...If something goes wrong, you'll go right back there again."
"Ah...yeah..."
She's talking about the whole penalty laps business. In retrospect, I, too feel that I went a little too far.
Either way, I attempted to change the topic.
"So that's the factory?"
I pointed in the direction of a giant gantry crane, and the red brick structure directly below it.
"Indeed...please follow me."
With that, she stepped in front of me and thus led me to the factory.
As we got close, it became obvious that it was a huge building after all.
Normally, it would be normal for a shipyard or factory to be huge...
I looked to Kaga.
——does building a shipgirl's rigging require this much space?
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah, nothing, is it here?"
I pushed open the big heavy door to enter the factory.
The factory——
was a dimly lit place.
Only a single thread of light reached through the window.
From the boxes placed in the dark corners scurried innumerable little creatures, darting in and out of sight.
I gulped.
"Oy, what are those?! Is something there?!"
"...It'd be more alarming if they weren't in the factories."
Now that she mentioned it, shipgirl rigging isn't man-made.
All over the place were wooden boxes and metal drums full of supplies. The path between them was virtually a maze. Kaga hurried me past these resources, towards a curtained off area emblazoned with the sign "development."
Even deeper——
A standing sign.
On it was the figure of a fellow in a yellow safety hat, a hammer in hand. It's wearing a skirt——a female, probably.
Kaga spoke:
"Admiral, equipment is developed here."
"When you say equipment, you mean the weapons used by the shipgirls, right?"
"Precisely."
I could feel countless eyes upon me, gazing from the shadows cast by the boxes and barrels.
"Are the engineers not here?"
Additionally, I had seen no tools either.
While the weapons used by shipgirls aren't particularly large, manufacturing them should require some advanced tools.
Kaga was looking here and there with me as well.
"I've never met anybody like that."
"Then who is it that makes it, and how?"
The gazes leveled at me appeared to increase
"...well, must you insist on finding out, no matter what?"
I turned my gaze to my feet.
To be honest I was still quite interested; but if it was that difficult to explain, perhaps it was simply something I was not meant to know.
I sighed.
"A long, long time ago..." I murmured.
"Ah?"
"In order to repay those who had rescued her from a trap, the Crane took human form, weaving the most beautiful brocades for them. But nobody had seen how she had done it."
"Hm?"
"In the end, those she had owed gave in to their curiosity and spied on the sneaking process. Her true form revealed, the crane disappeared without a trace, never to be found."
"A folk story?"
Looking at Kaga's expression, I was surprised to realize that she did not understand.
It seems that these shipgirls had never heard that tale.
I would have to explain the sudden story after all.
"Hm...either way, there are some things that should not be examined too closely."
Kaga nodded.
She continued her explanations.
"If we leave supplies and development materials here, equipment is built."
"Development materials?"
"Just like this."
Kaga reached into the fold in her robes, removing what seems to be a gear before handing it to me.
It sure looks just like a normal gear.
On closer inspection, however, this texture and feeling isn't that of metal, but the crumbly texture of hardtack.
"This, is this a cracker?"
"It seems like these are manufactured directly by headquarters. I don't know any details either."
If they came from headquarters, they definitely weren't the products of the Naval District.
"...we receive these when we complete tasks and missions assigned by GHQ."
"So these are valuables, then."
A resource supplied specifically to units with real achievements: it sure sounds like something worth looking forwards to.
Kaga pointed at the gear in my hand and remarked,
"Shipgirls on expeditions have found them too, but these are rare circumstances...whatever the case, these are absolute necessities for development and construction."
"By construction, you mean?"
"To put it simply, we are increasing the number of shipgirls. I will give a more detailed explanation in a moment."
She probably means manufacturing the shipgirls' riggings, I surmised.
Then, struck by a thought, I looked to Kaga.
"Hold on for a second...could they make a rigging that I could use?"
"Is the Admiral a shipgirl?"
"...Ehhh, it's impossible after all, huh."
While it was exactly as I expected, it was still disappointing.
At any rate, resources and these gear-like development materials were integral in the development and construction process, this much I understood.
"Does the factory have any set days off?"
"...What? As far as I remember, you can set down the required components, and they'll immediately get to work."
"That's amazing! These are true engineers!"
"But, they kind of work based on their whims. There's really no clear range of how much time or resource is needed to obtain the desired equipment."
The hell? These aren't engineers, these are artists!
"E-even if you keep begging them?"
"...Feel free to try."
My predecessor must have tried as well, and realized that she would have to abide by these engineers' whims and fancies.
"Well then, what if I were to request higher-capability bombers?"
"That kind of specific request doesn't fly. Just give them some bauxite and a plane of some sort comes out."
Isn't this way too whimsical?
What a headache.
It looks like upgrading equipment isn't going to be easy.
But if this is the only source of shipgirl equipment, I'll have to dance to their jig.
"I understand. Well then, please."
I handed a piece of those gear-like, cracker-like development materials to Kaga.
"...It is difficult to tell whether you will get what you want. Is this really alright?"
"Mm, it's fine."
Kaga opened a box and asked:
"What about the resources?"
I thumbed through the data I had brought over from the Command Room.
The Naval District's bauxite stockpiles weren't large.
But roughly 300 units could still be spared.
From my predecessor's records, it appears that she had focused on main guns. Her attempts to develop planes were far too few to provide any clear recipes. Guess I'm on my own.
Skimming over the records, I listed the resource investment to Kaga.
"Let's start with 30 units of fuel, 30 units of munitions, 30 units of steel and 100 units of bauxite; is that acceptable?"
"Very well."
Kaga removed the resources and put them on the table.
Her hands had scarcely left the table when a curtain embroidered with the words "Developing" fell, covering the surface as if it were a tiny stage.
Crunch, crunch: the sounds that came across the curtains sounded like munching.
"Are those actually crackers?!"
"...Who knows?"
Speaking of which, aren't there Western Legends involving the dedication and breaking of bread as parts of rituals and agreements?
Movement, on the other side of the curtain.
Clang, clang, the sounds of metal on metal; glug glug, a flowing sounds; and the sound of explosions.
——What the hell is going on back there?
I felt a sudden urge to grab the curtain and pull it open.
But I had to fight it, at least for now.
There are many things on this good earth that we are better not knowing about. I just want equipment, a plane that can defeat the high-performance torpedo bombers of the Abyssal airfleet.
With a clatter, the curtains swung up.
Lying there was——a Type 99 Dive Bomber.
 
"Wow! Amazing! They really made it!"
That was some real Harry Potter shit.
But, if I could, I wanted something higher-spec.
Either way, I'll try again.
This time I used 30(Fuel)-60(Steel)-30(Ammo)-100(Bauxite) and produced a type 97 torpedo bomber.
While the manufacturing process is a mystery, it seems from the end product that the planes don't use all that much steel.
Thinking about it, most of a plane's fuselage is made from bauxite.
Bauxite consists of metals lighter and not as dense as iron.
Only the engine and guns really need high-tensile materials like steel.
Fuel, of course, is a necessity for airplanes, and it sounded like some fire was involved in the production process. It's best not to decrease that.
With these insights, I provided a new measure to Kaga once more.
"This time, try 30-60-10-110."
"...Understood...however, please control yourself."
"Ah, uh...yes."
Kaga removed the supplies once more.
The curtain fell once more.
And the result was——a plane I had only seen in the data.
"C-could it be...that's a Suisei!"
In this naval district there was only one of these planes.
In the face of my joy, Kaga could only show confusion.
"Didn't you want Torpedo bombers?"
"Ah...yeah, I want those as well, but any high-spec plane is a good thing."
"That is true."
"And it's all thanks to Kaga-san, thank you."
Her expression clearly said "there's nothing worth being so happy about."
"...This is the Admiral's work. The previous Admiral never committed such large quantities of resources into development; most of the resources went into maintaining and resupplying the shipgirls."
"Ah, is that so. Resupplies and repairs need quite a lot of resources too, huh."
"Due to our low success rate with our objectives, we're often low on development materials."
Speaking of which, I just used three of those. And it looks like they were valuable.
While it's great that I got the Suisei, were my actions a little imprudent? No...to be able to receive a high-spec plane from so few attempts——this should be considered great luck.
And, looking at Kaga's expression, she was satisfied as well.
 
The factory doors opened wide.
"Admiral, are you in there?"
A high-pitched voice echoed through.
Zuihou ran in, breathless.
"Oy!"
As soon as I raised my hand, she ran over.
"I'm extremely sorry! I'm late!"
"Ah, you're finally here."
"Well, there was a note."
"Ah."
I had originally wanted to meet with them separately. Impressive of Zuihou, to understand my intentions.
She spoke up timidly:
"W-well then...what punishment will I be receiving?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Didn't you call me over on account of losing the exerci..."
"Not at all!"
Nevermind, she hadn't understood my intentions.
Zuihou's shoulders sagged.
"Admiral...in that exercise...I lost...to be finally able to look forwards to the carriers...you must be disappointed..."
"I'm not?"
"Eh? But..."
"To be honest, I had kind of realized early on that carriers alone can't win a battle."
"What?! Does the Admiral have no faith in us?!"
Zuihou's eyes widened.
It looks like the emotional impact was significant.
Okay, I worded that poorly.
"Sorry, that's not what I meant...fleets aren't composed entirely of battleships or carriers; they must work together to succeed."
"...But...if we have strong ships, aren't they stronger if we group them together?"
"So a fleet consisting of the strongest shipgirls is the strongest fleet?"
Taken on its own, that statement would normally make sense.
But basing fleet operations solely on this paradigm would remove the need for me to be present altogether.
No matter how skilled shipgirls are in combat, they aren't commanding officers. It is because of this that the position of Admiral exists.
"I promise you that you all will have the chance to distinguish yourselves. After all, you guys are a necessity in this fleet as well."
"Y-yes..."
Zuihou's expression still looked crestfallen. It looks like words alone wouldn't reassure her. It can't be helped, she would have her chance to shine one day.
But I had to do something about this heavy atmosphere.
I don't want Zuihou to keep showing that depressed expression——hm, that's odd.
Do I have any kind of special feelings towards her?
Nah, how would I...I just want my subordinate to cheer up. This is only to be expected of a superior.
I looked for a change of topic.
"Mm...speaking of which, apparently Zuihou's luck is quite good?"
"Eh? Is that so?"
Zuihou's eyes widened. While I had heard it from Kaga, it seems like she herself had not noticed.
"I just happened to be developing carrier planes; does Zuihou want to try it out"
"Eh?! Me?! But isn't that the Secretary Ship's..."
"Ehh...is it not alright? Kaga-san?"
I was just about to ask whether all shipgirls could do development anyway. Plus, in order to cheer her up, doing something a little new is...
There was not a shred of emotion of Kaga's face.
She spoke:
"...Do you mean to change the secretary ship?"
"Ah? Nonono, not at all! I just wanted to let Zuihou try it out now. If the secretary ship has to be changed for that, I won't push it."
Zuihou's a good girl, but that's not a sufficient reason to change the secretary ship. I'm aware of that.
Kaga silently ruminated. At long last, she nodded slightly.
"...Is that so...if you're just trying it out, it should be fine."
"Good, excellent! Kaga-san has agreed too, so try it out!"
"Understood!"
Though Zuihou looked a little nervous, her eyes clearly gleamed.
"Mhmhm...to be honest, I've been wanting to try this out for a long time now."
Either way, her mood seems to have brightened. That, alone, is enough.
I told Zuihou about the needed resources, and she moved them onto the table.
We waited for baited breath for the development to finish.
The plane was complete.
A new plane type, yet unseen!
I involuntarily shouted its name:
"A Tenzan!"
A torpedo bomber superior to the Type 97. For me, this is a necessity.
Zuihou stared, wide-eyed.
"Uwaaaahhh?! I-Is this really good?!"
"It's great! It's amazing! Zuihou! Great work!"
"Mhmhm~that's great, I helped out."
Looking at her smiling expression, it seemed as if she really was this straightforwards.
Kaga sighed. "It's this kind of thing that makes her the lucky ship, huh...well, whatever. Our high-performance airfleet has increased; it's a good thing."
It appeared that Zuihou's first-attempt success in developing the Tenzan had taken her by surprise as well.
I nodded.
"Mm, yes. It's a good thing."
"This is first time seeing a Tenzan," Zuihou exclaimed excitedly. "Oh yes, what should we do with this? Put it in storage? Or bring it to Akagi-san?"
"...Mm...well, since it's so hard to get, I'll let you hold onto it."
"Eh?! Really?! Ah, you mean you're letting me hold onto it for now?"
"No, I'm going to let you use it. We can make one for Akagi soon enough. I'll be counting on you from here on out."
"Y-yes! I'll definitely be able to help!"
Zuihou was positively glowing.
 
Next up, Kaga explained to me the "Construction" process.
It was nearly dinner, so the explanation was short and concise:
To put it simply, resources and development material goes in, shipgirl comes out.
The more resources you invest, the higher the likelihood that a strong shipgirl comes out. In the end, however, the shipgirl that comes out, like the "development" process, is completely based on luck.
For me, one point in particular caught my attention.
"So you're saying that they're not making the rigging, but the entire shipgirl?"
"...Yes."
Without their rigging, shipgirls looked identical to humans, so this was a little bit shocking.
I looked to Kaga and Zuihou.
"You guys...are you really not humans?"
"..."
Kaga said nothing.
Zuihou tilted her head to one side.
"Hm...how is it? Maybe it's a little different here or there...but I haven't really confirmed it."
"I see."
"If the Admiral believes that he 'must find out no matter what,' does he want to confirm it? If it's just looking..."
"I-if it's just looking?"
"If it's just looking...although it's a little embarrassing..."
——What is she talking about? What am I supposed to be looking at?
Kaga glanced over.
 
"...Rejected."
Zuihou raised her palms, face red.
"O-of course I mean that if the Admiral says that 'I must investigate the differences between shipgirls in humans no matter what,' then we cannot disobey orders, you know?!"
Kaga sighed.
"Although shipgirls are born to take orders...there is a point at which one has gone too far in all things."
I frantically shook my head and stammered:
"A-ah no, of course I wouldn't give that kind of order! Regardless of how closely you resemble humans or where you differ, I will continue to command you as shipgirls! That's obvious!"
Kaga nodded.
Zuihou smiled a somewhat lonely smile.
"Ah...yeah. I'm a shipgirl, after all...not a human..."
——What?
She's clearly correct...but then what is this feeling?
Then again, I can't quite phrase my concerns in a concrete form. I'll just keep it in mind.
Either way, let's try to build a shipgirl.
From the records, it appears that my predecessor often attempted a combination of 30 units of fuel, 30 units of ammunition, 30 units of steel and 30 units of bauxite in her constructions.
"What does this combination of resources indicate?"
"...It appears that this was surmised to be a recipe that yielded high-performance destroyers."
"Ah, I see...well then, let's try this out. Shall I leave it to you, Kaga?"
"Mm, let us try it out."
Kaga nodded
as she deposited the resources on the construction table.
Unlike development, construction looked as if it would take some time to elapse.
"...Good, it seems like this one will take quite some time."
"Do we have to keep staring at it?"
"That is unnecessary."
In that case, it would be a waste of time to dally here.
We decided to leave the factory for now.
 
It was already suppertime, and Zuihou left for the shipgirls' mess hall.
My meal was in the Command Office.
The Admiral dining in the mess hall with his subordinates would only make them unnecessarily nervous.
Moreover, the higher up's meals were rather luxurious; I would be self-conscious if I ate at the same table with my subordinates anyway.
Separate dining accommodations for the superior and subordinate was both natural and logical.
Even if it was just me and secretary ship Kaga.
 
There appeared to be somebody in the command office when I returned.
"Hm...you are the supply officer...no? If I recall correctly, you should be..."
Peering from behind a pair of glasses, this dark-haired, knowledgeable young woman was the light cruiser Ooyodo.
"Thank you for your work, Admiral."
"Did something happen?"
She wore a rather odd sailor uniform. Though it was modeled after the uniforms used in countless girl's schools, it had clearly once been a navy uniform.
The back flap of a sailor uniform collar can be raised from the back to help receive sound.
It was a modification that made it easier to hear orders on a warship.
As to how this naval uniform became the hallmark of girl's schools——well, the truth is that the queen of a certain nation had quite adored the design. Her son the prince went cruising, and so it entered into the realm of children's clothes. From there it caught on among women as well.
My country adopted the uniform for girl's schools because they were popular at the time.
——As such, this uniform isn't a school uniform, but a true military uniform. Probably.
I still don't really get it though.
Hell, why are there holes at her waist that show her skin?
It's really distracting. Then again, she is a shipgirl, so she must have some kind of special reason.
Ooyodo spoke.
"GHQ has new orders for you, Admiral."
"Ah? Was it wired over?"
"No. I can communicate directly with GHQ."
"That's damn impressive,"
I exclaimed as I glanced at Ooyodo.
Ooyodo proudly puffed up her chest.
"I am one of the new model specially-designed flagship light cruisers, after all. Leave fleet Commands and Operations to me."
"How reliable...but, putting together operations...isn't that the secretary ship's job?"
"Of course, I would do my utmost as secretary ship as well!"
A brilliant smile floated onto Ooyodo's face.
In return, Kaga responded with an antarctic frostiness:
 
"I will not back down here."
 
Kaga glared with eyes that had seen many a battle. Ooyodo's smile, however, remained as cheerful as before.
"Hmhm...the one who decides that is the Admiral."
She smiled a gentle smile that filled one with reassurance. Even under such overwhelming pressure, she could still smile like this——indeed, she had managed to turn the tables and put pressure on her opponent.
Kaga looked over to me.
"...that is true...the decision on the secretary ship is decided by the Admiral."
"Mmm...isn't that true, Admiral?"
"Eh?! While I now know that Ooyodo can help in assembling operations, I have no reason to be dissatisfied with Kaga's performance and no intention of switching. And I most certainly have no intentions of deciding who is better."
Would she be angry or hurt? Neither, it transpired——though she seemed to have been taken by surprise, her smile never faded.
"Well, I understand. But if you wish to find me, I will always be here, whenever you need me. I will be waiting."
"Ah, ahh..."
"Well then, shall I read out the new orders from GHQ?"
Speaking of which, that was why we were here in the first place.
 
The operation would be called "The Operation Ah-go Decisive Battle."
Destroy the powerful enemy mobile task force located at the Okinoshima islands!
Ooyodo recited:
"In ten days, the fleet will be embarking on a large-scale transport operation. While we have attempted this operation three times in the past, our convoys have always been intercepted and assaulted by the Abyssals en route, leading to grievous losses among both the transports and their escorts and the subsequent failure of the operation. A more roundabout route has been considered, but such a route would provide more opportunities for interception by the Abyssals and greater consumption of fuel supplies, further complicating the situation.
Failure of this operation could lead to significant shortages in daily necessities among the populace."
 
 
I nodded as the recitation ended.
"I see, so it's an overseas convoy."
"Indeed. There are a great many supplies and materials that cannot be locally sourced...examples include fuel and rubber, as well as many pharmaceuticals and medical supplies."
Many modern drugs and pharmaceuticals must be produced overseas, and are needed by large subsections of the populace.
Fuel is also important; while the weather is warming up, the northern municipalities will still need to stay warm. Local trade and industry are also highly dependent on fuel.
Our nation is heavily dependent on overseas imports, and the only way to move such resources in bulk is over the sea.
The success or failure of this operation could affect the lives of countless individuals.
"I am completely aware of the significance of this operation. I have no further questions or concerns."
"Well then, I shall send out the confirmation receipt."
"In ten days, huh..."
Performing the remaining formalities, Ooyodo turned towards the door.
At the door, she turned around once more to show her usual smile.
"Should the Admiral require it, I shall stand at the front as the fleet's flagship. After all, I am the new model light cruiser built for that purpose."
And with those last words, she left the office.
 
"Hm...a very...energetic individual. Kind of like Ashigara."
While it's great that fighting spirits are high, it's also important to limit the sortieing shipgirls in the interest of conserving resources. How troublesome.
Kaga sighed:
"Rather than energetic...it's more like..."
"Like?"
"A feeling of responsibility...or perhaps regret?"
Did something happen in the past?
But on the topic of Ooyodo, Kaga said not a single word more.
 
Kaga presented me with a dossier regarding the Okinoshima Waters, the target of the Operation Ah-Go decisive battle.
"...These are Okinoshima Island Waters."
"Hm? Kaga, aren't you looking kind of pale?"
"...Yes...these orders...the previous Admiral had received them as well."
"Ahh, the convoys will have to pass through here if they want to reach the southwest. These really are important waters."
"...The fleet was forced to retreat midway...leading to the failure of the operation."
Kaga looked somber.
I raised my eyebrows.
"A retreat?"
"The previous Admiral used battleships as the core of the fleet. Unfortunately, one of the shipgirls was heavily damaged en route. Even though the enemy main fleet was before our eyes...she decided to retreat."
"Is that so...so the scale of the enemy deployment is that large as well...meaning that the enemy can also grasp how vital those bits of rock and sand are. Do we have the records on that operation?"
"Here."
Kaga passed over the dossier.
These were the previous Admiral's Operational Records.
I skimmed over the document.
"Is that so..."
With Battlewagons as the core, this fleet prioritized arms and armor above all else.
The fleet consisted of Nagato, Mutsu, Atago, Ashigara, Haguro and Ooyodo.
A thought occurred to me.
"Hey, why don't we deploy all of the shipgirls at once? I know it'll be annoying to resupply afterwards, but..."
But given that this was a large-scale transport operation, it seemed worth it to pull out all the stops.
"...If the fleet deploys with more than six ships, it becomes easier for the abyssal scouts to detect us and locate us...we would come under heavy enemy air attack well before reaching the target area."
"That's not good."
"Moreover, the flagship is already expected to command two fleets, a total of twelve shipgirls. Any more and she wouldn't be able to keep track of them all."
So I could still deploy two fleets as a combined fleet, huh.
But then again, if we ran into an air raid...
Well, our current anti-air capabilities aren't exactly inspiring confidence just yet.
"Hm...based on our current supply stockpiles, a single six-ship fleet is more suitable. After all, the island the Abyssals use as an anchorage is quite close."
If the island mobilizes its entire air contingent, we'd be hard-pressed to hold them off even if I sortied the naval district's entire carrier wing.
Plus that could bring up the specter of fighting those giant invincible carriers in a head to head battle.
In order to evade Abyssal detection, it'd be better to stick with a six-man fleet.
 
I flipped through the data once more.
The achievements of Nagato and the others were all listed.
Enemy patrol encountered, defeated.
Next, an enemy surface fleet encountered, confirmed to be led by a battleship Ru-class, also defeated...
——Battleship Ru-class?!
My mind raced back to that moment, that battle where I had lost my closest friend.
That bastard is there too?!
No...recent reports have confirmed that there are multiples of abyssals such as the Ru-class battleships; it shouldn't be that particular one.
I took a deep breath.
Kaga poured a cup of tea.
"Are you alright?"
"Mm..."
I'm a little calmer now, having drank a few mouthfuls of the hot tea.
In that past sortie——they had run into an enemy Mobile Carrier Task Force and engaged a flagship Wo-class. In this battle, Ooyodo was heavily damaged.
Didn't they get defeated by a carrier?"
"They did."
"Then why does Nagato put so little weight on our carriers' views?"
"The enemy carrier was quite unique, particularly in regards to its aircraft...these aircraft could lift off and operate at night."
"Mm..."
Looking at the data, I confirmed that the enemy did indeed employ special aircraft.
By just altering their equipment, their aircraft could freely alternate between operating as a fighter, torpedo bomber or dive bomber——a dream fuselage.
Moreover, our side's airplanes can't operate at night; the enemy has no such worries.
"Are there any precise records on the enemy planes' specs?"
Kaga shook her head.
The Battle Records relied almost entirely on the shipgirls' testimony. The only other source of information would be any observations that could be gleaned from the observation module, provided the Admiral could write them down.
It'd be great if we had the afterbattle records of our fighters.
"Why did the previous Admiral prevent the carriers from deploying?"
"Because their firepower and armor are both subpar."
"But couldn't they protect our side from the enemy planes?
"Who knows? Compared to our planes, aren't the enemy planes superior in performance?"
"What about using some of those high-spec planes we just developed?"
"...We haven't tried it."
"While I understand that experience can only be gained through real battle, we do have ten days. Can't we try deploying a few times first?"
If we need more datapoints, we're going to have to sortie.
Kaga's pained expression conveyed her thoughts.
"...that would be rather difficult. Once we deploy to the Abyssal waters, we will be engaged in a series of battles. Compared to exercises, resource consumption on sortie is rather...well, Nagato and Mutsu consume quite a bit of resources. Moreover, repairs can take some time once a ship is heavily damaged."
"Ah...is that so..."
"That's written in the records."
I looked down at the beginning of the dossier.
Sure enough, quite a few retreats were recorded.
The magnitude of resource consumption was not lost even on me, a newcomer to the naval district.
Add on repair time, and there'd be barely any time for a second sortie.
Afterwards the convoys would have to force their way through abyssal-held waters...
The escorts could fight as hard as they could, but the end result would be the same...
It wasn't very hard for me to visualize that hellish scenario. I wiped the sweat off my brow.
"...The fleet was practically in arm's reach of the enemy main fleet...and yet my predecessor chose to retreat."
"That was the order she gave."
If the shipgirls retreated, the transport operation would fail.
"Theoretically, if the fleet were to advance while a shipgirl was heavily damaged, what would happen?"
"While I cannot be absolutely sure..."
"Just a guess will suffice."
Her response didn't require that much thought. It seems as if she had contemplated what would happen had they advanced many times before.
"Nagato and company may have been able to destroy the enemy main fleet and force the Abyssals out of Okinoshima."
"If it had occurred, the previous transport operation would have succeeded."
"Indeed. This course of action isn't wrong. No, it would have been the correct choice..."
There were words in between the lines.
It wouldn't have been the incorrect choice, but it'd be hard to say that it was the right choice.
——Does this decision to retreat have anything to do with the previous Admiral's current absence?
"...Let me just confirm again: you said that my predecessor had no problems with the shipgirls, correct?"
She nodded unhesitatingly.
"Yes."
"And she had never done anything like punishing herself."
"Yes. She was a rather proper and upstanding individual who made few mistakes."
"And yet she is not here. Is there a position more important than the Admiral in charge of the Shipgirls? There can't be, this is Humanity's last defense."
"...Perhaps that is true."
"She abandoned such an important responsibility, and then refused to even take the time to search for me or another successor...all this gives off a feeling that she didn't want to see the same thing happen again."
"...Perhaps that is what GHQ thinks."
"In other words, the Admiral's 'failure' was not in her relations with the shipgirls or her daily conduct. That leaves only her combat results."
Kaga sighed, deeply.
A sigh of confirmation.
After a short silence, she nodded and spoke softly:
"It is as you surmised...she ignored orders, and prioritized the safe return of her shipgirls above all."
"And this was why she was dismissed?"
"...The truth of it all is unknown...but that is what I believe."
"The operation failed so that her shipgirls would return to port..."
"We, too, can understand the importance of this operation. I'm sure she was equally aware, and made her preparations."
"...Preparations?"
"Her luggage had been packed by the time the transfer order was given."
It appears that she had also been aware what retreat would mean.
Even so, she had chosen to retreat.
Protecting the heavily damaged Ooyodo as she returned to port.
"Let's say the fleet advanced, and the Abyssals were defeated. What would happen to the heavily-damaged shipgirl?"
"Damaged shipgirls can no longer operate at normal levels of performance...should they continue to battle, it may become difficult to conduct evasive maneuvers."
Wouldn't they just be targets then?
Kaga's teeth were clenched as she forced out each syllable.
"Ooyodo would definitely have been sunk under abyssal fire."
"She'd be sunk...huh..."
The air felt heavy. It was as if the entire room had sank to the ocean bottom.
Breathing was euqally difficult.
I adjusted my uniform collar. Not that it would change anything...
What Ooyodo had said in the Command Office floated into my mind.
 
"Should the Admiral require it, I shall stand at the front as the fleet's flagship. After all, I am the new model light cruiser built for that purpose."
 
She was not seeking to be the flagship, or the secretary ship.
She was attempting to atone for the failure to advance.
How does she see the previous Admiral's decision not to advance right now? Because she was heavily damaged, the fleet retreated; because the fleet retreated, the Abyssals were not defeated; because the Abyssals were not defeated, the transport fleet was annihilated; because the transport fleet was annihilated, the operation failed and great amounts of men and materiel were lost.
Moreover, the previous Admiral was sacked.
"So that's how it is...responsibility and regret, huh?"
Kaga wouldn't be able to say it.
Ooyodo's thoughts were hers and hers alone.
"What would the Admiral do?"
"Mmm..."
When a shipgirl is heavily damaged; when retreat would lead to the loss of thousands of lives and the loss of your rank; when the enemy main fleet is right before your eyes ——
 
"Would the Admiral choose to 'Advance', or to 'Retreat'?"
 
I don't have an answer.

Translator's Notes and References

Backward to Chapter 2: Battleships and Carriers

Return to Kantai Collection - KanColle - Auspicious Seas, Phoenix Skies

Forward to Chapter 4: The Ah-Go Decisive Fleet Battle