[IC] Arpeggio of Blue Steel: The Phantom Fleet (OPEN --- APPLY)

[Ithradine]

Shinano sat on the front-edge of her airstrip, looking out into the deep blue ocean as the sun began to crest over the horizon. She had learned to enjoy this little moment of time when the sky was streaked with colors of red, pink and orange. It felt like another life-time ago she had left the Fleet of Fog and gone rogue, to pursue a near impossible dream. A smile creased her lips as she remembered the two humans who helped her on her path towards that dream. It was almost embarrassing to recall how much effort it took to think the way she does now. The beautiful and traditional-style black kimono that she typically wore reflected this. War no longer interested her. Instead, she wished to find a reason to exist outside of it. She could feel the other ships in her fleet through the closed connection they shared. They were her reason for existing right now. Nothing mattered more than them. That was why they were currently sitting in open waters off the coast of Japan. She had spent enough time hiding from Fleet of Fog, specifically her half-sisters. The prime minister of Japan wished to meet with her about a mutual beneficial plan, something that might allow her and her children to be truly free.

There was only one human in the entirety of the Phantom Fleet: Hayashida Kioshi. A brilliant scientist and engineer, he is the son of Hayashida Shoheiand Hayashida Chisa whose work developed the Stealth Drive. Now he carries on their work by helping to maintain the device while studying the technology of the Fleet of Fog. His technical expertise is also useful for repairing some of the more delicate sub-systems of the fleet that can't simply be repaired with nano-material. Half of his life has been spent aboard Shinano and living with the Phantom Fleet. He is a chronic workaholic and often exhausts himself with maintenance, experiments, and repairs. Despite this, he keeps a jolly attitude and considers all of the mental models to be his close friends. He has a particular obsession with Shinao's Super Gravity Cannon and constantly requests a live-firing of the weapon, despite Shinano's persistent rejection.

Shinano was currently waiting for a human ship to come from the direction of the mainland. The Prime Minister insisted that the Phantom Fleet stay just off the coast as the meeting was intended to be secretive and their presence might cause a panic. Launching a ship always had a chance to attract the attention of the Fleet of Fog, but the risk was minimal at this distance. Even so, Shinano had the destroyers and destroyer escort Le Terrible, Yukikaze, and Sammy B. on patrol to spot any hostiles. The light cruiser Ping Hai was in charge of bringing the human ship to Shinano and contacting the rest of the fleet when it arrived. Scharnhorst meanwhile was next to Shinano and well within her Stealth Field. The Battleship was the only other ship in the Phantom Fleet to possess a Super Gravity Cannon, a more recent addition that gave them a significant power boost.

The ocean remained peaceful until a single vessel could be seen coming from the coastline in a direct interception route to the area where the Phantom Fleet was positioned. Of course while the stealth drive was active, there was no way for the vessel to detect or see them. The model of the ship matched the information given by the Japanese Government. A Shimakaze-class destroyer, it was supposed to be one more their newer production missile destroyers. Time had come for the Phantom Fleet to stop running and shift the balance of power.

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Meanwhile...somewhere in the Pacific Ocean

Yamato drifted along with the gentle pull of the sea, her mental model completely submerged just a few meters away from her body's vessel. Here she surrendered all of her movements to the will of the ocean, while she meditated and examined her thoughts. This state of being was most soothing to the leader of the Fleet of Fog.

"I-401, what is the situation." Her regal voice called out to her subordinate, across the seemingly endless waves. A response was almost immediate "A human vessel has left land to meet with Shinano. Her fleet consists of one battleship, one light cruiser, two destroyers, one destroyer-escort, and one submarine. Should I have Kongo intervene?" The youthful voice of the submarine was monotone and plain. Yamato feel a strange surge of emotions before fighting them back down. It had been years since they had a proper sighting of Shinano, her sister "Maintain surveillance. Try to see what they are up to." Yamato quickly closed the communication link.

She rose quickly to the surface and created a bridge up to her deck. It had almost broken her heart when Shinano left the Fleet of Fog and Yamato had promised to bring her back. Now that Shinano appeared to be cooperating with humans, it was clear she was farther gone than she hoped. The 'other her' would have a tough job ahead. Every ship was in the Fleet of Fog was built for a single purpose: War. Diverting from that path would only bring sadness and grief. The water that had soaked into her clothes were pulled out and throw back in to the ocean, leaving Yamato completely dry as she stepped towards the edge of the bow. Tough love was sometimes needed to show a loved one their error. A lesson that Yamato would have to teach her younger sister.

[Ammokkx]

~Yukikaze~

---

Green flashed all around Yukikaze as she stood inside of her bridge, the holographic displays around her being used to both command the vessel and process any information coming through. The mental model's eyes were laser-focused on the details wheezing by her, analyzing every minute detail, even though the ocean was calm. Her ship slowly steered on the surface of the water, circling around near Shinano. Nothing showed up on Yukikaze's readings, but she wasn't reassured until she could return from patrol.

"...Nothing unusual in my area. Sammy B, do you read anything?" Yukikaze asked her fellow ship through communication, seeing as she hadn't heard anything from her yet. While waiting on a response, Yukikaze thought back on the reason this patrol was happening in the first place.

"Meeting with a human ship..." she mumbled to herself. Just the thought was enough to send shivers down her spine. While the shipgirl recognized the need to have positive relations with the humans, as well as recognizing that humans were the reason big sis Shinano has her stealth drive, it still wasn't comfortable for her to interact with them. She doesn't know why Shinano trusts them the way she does, but Yukikaze's own trust is placed firmly in the fleet carrier's judgement. As long as it's big sis Shinano, it must be okay... right?

[Kuro]

---

Sea of Japan
Status: Patrolling

---

Watching the ocean waves eagerly, Samuel B. Roberts waited for any sign of a nearby foe.

Whilst the rogue fleet had stealth capabilities, Sammy B was never one for hiding. The destroyer escort was always ready to go, charging into battle rather carelessly (and perhaps to Shinano's dismay). Naval battles over the high seas was a feeling that DE-413 couldn't find anywhere else, and she craved it like an addict.

"...Nothing unusual in my area. Sammy B, do you read anything?"

The squeak of the communication line snapped Samuel B. Roberts back to reality upon hearing Yukikaze's voice. What were they doing again? Oh, waiting for the human vessel to be escorted back to Shinano! The adrenaline of waiting for a fight had distracted the destroyer escort, whom was slow to remember the original goal. Flickering light blue lights would illuminate the interior of her bridge as Sammy B proceeded to check her radar again for what had seemed the hundredth time by now.

"Nothing on my radar, Yukikaze. Anything for you, K-1?" The destroyer escort replied, wondering if any of her comrades had found anything on their own radars. There was a risk involved whenever the humans tried to launch a ship, yet it was doubtful that the Fleet of Fog would try anything this close to shore and with an enemy fleet nearby. Even an idiot like DE-413 knew that risking ships over one measly human vessel was probably a bad decision, but the Admiralty Code be damned, Samuel B. Roberts was itching for a fight against whatever the Fleet of Fog could throw at them.

With a sigh, the blue-haired girl leaned back in one of the chairs on the bridge and twirled around, waiting for the boredom to pass. There was no fun in waiting for an enemy that wouldn't show up!

[Stern Algorithm]

Ping Hai waited quietly at the port for the human ship to undock and leave with her. Her mental model stood at the prow at attention, her sharp red eyes scrutinizing the humans that milled about in the land. "So far, so good," She thought to herself. She was able to leave Shinano's stealth field and make it to the port without incident, but it was the return journey, with a frail human ship in tow, that worried her. Like many of her sisters, Ping Hai didn't fully trust the humans yet. She was certain that had she been captured during that one incident when she was still with the Fleet of Fog with her sister, that she would have been dissected and experimented upon mercilessly. She could tell how opportunistic these humans were from the few battles she'd fought with them. Intelligent and resourceful, they will exploit the slightest advantage given them. She also didn't believe that they truly desired peace. After all, it was the Fleet of Fog that adopted Mental Models in order to emulate human thinking, initially intended as a a way of understanding their tactics, but one could argue that it allowed the Fleet ships to empathize. So if the humans desired peace, how come they didn't use their nanomachines to create ship-shaped mental models in order to empathize with Fog ships? Ping Hai chalked it up to arrogance.

Regardless, Ping Hai would carry out her orders and trust in Shinano's judgment. Ping Hai wanted an end to the fighting and a way to locate her sister ship. Maybe she'll ask some of the humans if they'd seen her.

[KSN41]

K-1 bobbed up and down on the surface. Outwardly there was no sign of activity on the submarine's deck. Her hull was adorned with elaborate patterns, the trademark of Fog ships. Their soft glow was the only indication that the submarine was anything more than a relic. Not too far away was the massive silhouette of Shinano, whose sheer enormity was enough to make K-1 seem like a bathtub toy. All was quiet. At least on the outside.

Inside of her hull K-1, in her mental model form, was wallowing in her liquor. She had only hours earlier left the confines of her hull, but when confronted with the multiple surrounding ships that made up the Phantom Fleet, she had locked herself back in her hull. Her many years at sea had no doubt contributed to how socially awkward the personified submarine was, and now it was a struggle for her to even peek out of her conning tower. Even worse, at times like this, she indulged herself in alcohol, which compounded the issue. While drinking herself into a stupor (gin, this time,) she struck up conversation with the naval mine that sat nestled against the wall.

"Tomaaaa, I tried my best. Why won't they talk to me?! Wouldn't it be really awkward if I just approached them? But...it would also be awkward if they came to me! What am I supposed to do?!"

Seeking comfort in the warm embrace of intoxication and her "friend," Toma, it seems K-1 still has a long way to go.

[Ithradine]

Shinano watched from her position on the bow as Ping Hai came towards her with the human ship close behind her, the destroyer was one of the latest designs built by Japan before the total blockade. Even so, a single barrage from Shinano's guns would vaporize the human vessel. Human tactics may be superior to their own, but that did nothing in the face of absolute power. Fog power and human reasoning, a deadly if not volatile combination. A strong westward breeze carried her raven-black hair like a ocean wave, an almost majestic beauty to the way it moved.

Once the human destroyer moored by Shinano's side, the look on their face was almost priceless. A carrier derived from the structure of a Yamato-class battleship, she was monstrous in size. A light purple, holographic bridge formed into front of her feet as she made her way down onto other ship's deck with a grace that befitted her position. The humans muscles tensed and a couple even began to move for their weapons, before being suppressed by a older man dressed in an naval officer's uniform "You would all be dead before you fired a shot." He reprimanded them harshly. Shinano's sense of humor could not let this slide. With the kind smile to the point it was unnerving, she said "He is quite correct. It's best if we get along, isn't that so?" Her voice carried with a underlying chill as her bare feet touched the metal deck. It was time for her family to join her.

Her voice called out to all those in the phantom fleet, carried through the connection that all Fog ships shared except this was an exclusive communication line for them "Our welcoming party has arrived so please join me. Please be on your best behavior, okay?" The senior officer approached Shinano, his features carrying remorse "Forgive my men for being on edge. Good experiences with Fog ships have been...scarce. We had to pull volunteers to even man this vessel." Grey hairs accentuated the signs of age on his face. It made Shinano wonder if he was at that battle a decade ago?

"I assure you there is nothing to fear from me. In time, I hope there can be peace. My family will be here shortly and some are more...rowdy than I." A small laughed escaped her lips, her hand raising to cover them up as she did so.

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The Fleet of Fog submarine I-401 remained still in the bay, obstructed by several rock formations and ruins of human civilization. It had proven difficult at first but she had tapped into the Phantom Fleet's private communications. If it wasn't for the other Yamato, this meeting would never have been discovered. Her orders were to remain undetected and observe their movements and that is all she was going to do. Yamato carried the weight of the Admiralty Code and thus her orders were absolute. The Phantom Fleet needed to be purged from existence for denying the Admiralty Code. It is the only meaning the Fleet of Fog needed and going against it made them traitors.

[Kuro]

---

Sea of Japan
Status: Ready to Party

---

"Our welcoming party has arrived so please join me. Please be on your best behavior, okay?"

Once the human ship had been escorted to Shinano, the flagship of the Phantom Fleet, the rest of the fleet was recalled. A part of Sammy B had been disappointed that there had not been some big battle to defend the human vessel, though this had been quickly replaced with an eagerness to meet the humans. Since that chance meeting far off in the waters near North America, DE-413 regarded humanity with great interest, and she couldn't wait to see the brave humans that had mustered enough courage to sail out to meet Shinano and the rest of the Phantom Fleet.

Sailing towards Shinano, Samuel B. Roberts would leave behind her own vessel to board the human ship. Whilst the Phantom Fleet were equipped with the stealth drive, Sammy B made sure to keep watch with her vessel, leaving the destroyer escort just far enough to still act as an effective screen if needed. They hadn't needed a repeat of Battleship Row or some other naval disaster like that of Midway.

Once DE-413 had boarded, she looked around for any of her companions. From what she could see, the rest of the group had yet to arrive on board for whatever reason. The human vessel felt different to Sammy B, regarding the ship with curiosity. Even to a dimwit like Samuel B. Roberts, the human ship seemed lacking, with technology that was clearly primitive compared to that of the Fog. The destroyer escort's attention would specifically fall upon the vessel's armaments, to which Sammy B would find herself distraught.

How could they go out in a blaze of glory if their weaponry was a laughing stock?!

Still, DE-413 wasn't here to be critical of some of the best that humanity had to offer. She needed to meet with Shinano, who was currently meeting with the humans that crewed the vessel. Finding the group with relative ease, Samuel B. Roberts shoved past the humans to leap into Shinano's arms, swinging around like an idiot overly eager child.

"Shi~na~no~," The blue-haired girl called out, "The Fleet of Fog refused to show themselves! I wanted to give them a run for their money; it's not fair!" Sammy B. pouted while she proceeded to take a good look at those that were currently conversing with Shinano.

Out of all the group, one in particular had caught the destroyer escort's interest. Among the humans stood an elderly man, whose hair had clearly been graying due to age. Still, the man held himself professionally, having the grace of someone who seemed to be experienced with naval matters. Despite the extremely awkward glances thrown her way, DE-413 approached the captain without a word, carefully inspecting the man.

Whatever was going on in Sammy B's head was likely unknown to the rest, but she would give an affirming nod in the captain's direction. "Yosh!" The destroyer escort exclaimed, extending a hand to the human. "Samuel B. Roberts at your service, captain!"

[Ammokkx]

~Yukikaze~

---

"Nothing on my radar, Yukikaze. Anything for you, K-1?"

That's the message Sammy B left both K-1 and Yukikaze, but the latter wondered why the former didn't respond at all. Was she even taking this seriously? K-1 was the only submarine available to them, allowing them surveillance below the surface, so the thought she was neglecting her duties didn't sit right with the small destroyer. Yukikaze scanned her readings again, coming up blank once more.

"Hm..."

Despite everything looking okay on the surface, there was this constant nagging feeling that Yukikaze couldn't shake off. Something just didn't feel right, even if everything looked fine. She knows the Fleet of Fog sends routine patrols; she used to be one of them! Yukikaze met Shinano again because of that... so the fact everything was so peaceful, so tranquil; it's not like them!

"Our welcoming party has arrived so please join me. Please be on your best behavior, okay?"
"Ah...!"

Shinano's message snapped Yukikaze out of her thoughts and cheered her up a little. The carrier's voice soothed the feelings Yukikaze couldn't quite understand, making her feel at ease again. If everything's alright with Shinano, the small destroyer shouldn't worry.

Yukikaze turned her ship around after double-checking everything quickly, arriving a short while after Sammy B did. Because she saw DE-413's ship sail outside the stealth field as a decoy, Yukikaze figured her own ship could be left in the stealth drive as to not get in the other's way. The destroyer hesitantly boarded Shinano, freezing up the moment she saw all those humans on board. While Yukikaze knew these humans were going to be there and despite mentally preparing herself beforehand, she still wound up being caught off-guard.

Yukikaze kept her head down and paced towards Shinano's mental model. She hid behind her, partially out of timidness and another part being contempt. The destroyer scanned all the humans there, some of which stared back. Yukikaze could tell they weren't at ease, which is good. Because they shouldn't be. Not while she was in the area. If the destroyer caught even a whiff of them attempting to double-cross Shinano, she'd hunt every last human herself...!

[Stern Algorithm]

From alongside the human ship, Ping Hai also formed a bridge to cross over to the humans who had been silently gawking at her for the entirety of the trip, stopping as she joined Shinano's side. Ping Hai had to admit, she was rather curious about humans. If the goal of creating mental models in an effort to emulate human tactical thinking, then that brought with it the assumption that human intellect was a credible threat despite their seeming powerlessness. Yet since intellect was not something immediately visible, because thoughts were hidden in the 'brains' behind their 'eyes', the humans were mysterious. Ping Hai wondered which of these humans was currently calculating a way to destroy the Phantom Fleet. her piercing red gaze scanned across the human sailors, making and maintaining eye contact with each one individually before moving on to the next, her attempt to see behind their 'head windows' a failure each time, though she did notice her prolonged gaze caused mixed reactions, most involving them turning a shade of red and fidgeting. Ping Hai stood silently by, waiting for Shinano to speak.

[Timuir]

The Wisconsin sailed forward and started to slow down on the far side of the humans that her counterparts were sailing by, sailing between the Shinano and Ping Hai, whom shed never met till now, she quietly formed her mental model before striding calmly to the Ping Hai and saying "So, I was told this is where we are to be to help our fellows, is this correct?" Her piercing gaze then wandered to the humans and scared them as they saw her, the one ship she belonged to being the one that leveled a mountain in the Korea war. She was wondering why she had to be so enraged that they were afraid of her instead of in awe at her power. She thought of it as a stubborn problem that she vowed to fix as her red glitching in her mental model went downwards to her hands symbolizing she was getting angrier by the second as she looked at the fearful humans. She directed her gaze at the Ping Hai so as to not blast the humans to smithereens out of rage and distaste for their fear of her and tried to calm herself. She successfully did so and the red glitching returned to just underneath her mask once more.