24 February 1942
Location: Moluccan Sea
Time: 0700
"Incoming, high left!" Mo's voice cracked through the comms, her rigging, the embodiment of her ship, bristling with Mk.46 autocannons.
The sky above them roared as another wave of Sakuran bombers tore through the clouds. Mo's radar lit up in a flurry of signals.
"Fire at will! Indomitable, where are those Fulmars?" Mo's Mk.46 cannons opened fire, spewing a storm of rounds, shredding through the approaching aircraft like a wall of steel.
Newcastle, Memphis, and the others bristled with their own anti-air fire, riggings spitting tracers into the sky. Explosions dotted the air as rounds connected with metal, sending some KI-48 light bombers spiraling into the sea.
"Fulmars engaging!" came the strained voice of Indomitable, her fighters screaming into the fray, dancing between flak bursts as they slashed through the bomber formations.
Mo gritted her teeth, her Mk.46 thundering non-stop, the barrels glowing from the heat of constant fire.
"Radar uplink engaged!" she shouted, feeding targeting data to the entire fleet.
Her radar, far superior to anything else in the area, picked out every single incoming threat, coordinating a flawless wall of defense. Yet the attacks kept coming.
"Contact Pearl! Now!" Mo ordered, her eyes locked on the flickering radar signals.
But Newcastle's voice was grim. "No response from Pearl. Java's still open, I'll try—"
A chill ran through her as an unknown kansen's voice crackled through the comms. "Let's play a little bit, Miss White Ghost."
Suddenly, another wave descended, larger than the last.
"More bombers incoming, high!" Mo's voice barely cut through the chaos as the fleet readied for another barrage.
The planes seemed endless, one after the other, a storm without end.
"We're not going to make it to Java on time…" Mo whispered, her eyes darting over the tactical display.
It was relentless. The enemy was forcing them into a losing game of endurance, and they were running out of time.
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26 February 1942
Location: Moluccan Sea
Time: 1800
The sun had vanished behind the horizon, casting long shadows across the sea as the waves gently rocked Mo's ship. For the first time in days, silence hung in the air, free from the whine of aircraft engines and the crackle of gunfire. The attacks had ceased with the nightfall, but the tension among the fleet lingered, thick as the humidity.
Mo stood at the railing of her ship, staring into the darkening waters. Her body still hummed with the adrenaline from the day's battle, but her mind was another story. Fatigue gnawed at her, both mentally and physically. She hadn't had a proper rest in days, her thoughts constantly racing as she coordinated every second of each engagement. The air raids hadn't given them a moment's peace.
She tried to steady her breathing, her fingers gripping the cold steel of the railing. Inside her head, time seemed to stretch and warp as her superior mental processing ran countless simulations, projecting possible attack patterns, escape routes, and defensive formations. Her brain worked overtime, dragging every second into an eternity.
"Mo, are you sure you're okay?" Memphis' voice came from behind her, soft but concerned.
Mo blinked, pulling herself from her spiraling thoughts. She turned slowly, offering Memphis a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine. Just... tired."
Memphis frowned, unconvinced. She was sure that smile was not a smile from the usual Mo. As her past roommate, she understood Mo enough to know Mo's self-doubt tendency. She had to do something, but the hard headed Mo would not give in with just her words, she needed others too. With this resolve, she gave Mo more time alone.
Some times had passed when Mo and her detachment gathered for a brief reprieve in the galley. Mo, despite her fatigue, had the largest share of food like she always did. The others didn't mind, Mo's firepower had kept them alive through the chaos, but her absentminded expression wasn't lost on anyone.
Jervis, quiet as ever, observed her closely from across the table. She wasn't one to speak unnecessarily, but her eyes rarely missed anything. Meanwhile, Amazon, ever the strict and somewhat old-fashioned instructor from the academy, sat beside Jervis. Though brisk, Amazon couldn't help but share her concern.
"Mo," Amazon's sharp voice cut through the quiet, "you'll burn out at this rate."
Mo blinked, her spoon pausing mid-air. "I'm fine," she murmured, though her voice sounded distant even to herself.
"You keep saying that," Memphis said gently. "But we're all seeing the strain. It's not just the food you're burning through."
Newcastle also chimed in, her voice low but direct. "She's right, Lady Monsoor. You've done more than anyone could ask for. But you're wearing yourself thin. We can see it."
Mo lowered her gaze, her smile fading. She knew they were right. The toll of three days of non-stop battles, always thinking, always planning, had drained her. But she didn't want to show weakness. Not now, not when her detachment needed her.
"It's just..." Mo hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper, "I can't afford to slow down. If I slip, if I miss one detail, if I fail, you all could..." She stopped herself, unable to finish the thought.
The mood in the galley grew heavy until Newcastle spoke up. "Lady Monsoor, how much longer do you think you can keep going like this?"
Mo didn't answer right away.
Jervis, still silent, stood up and walked over to Mo, handing her a water jug to refill Mo's empty glass.
"You need to take care of yourself," she said quietly, her tone gentle but direct. "You've been pushing too hard."
Mo drank the water from the now filled glass, her fingers trembling slightly. Jervis didn't often speak, but when she did, her words carried weight.
The others nodded in agreement. Amazon, for all her sharp edges, added, "A Kansen who looks like you right now isn't fit for battle."
Mo's gaze remained downcast. "But I must keep going... I've already failed so much before. The deployment delays, the technical issues right after starting my first sea trial... I've always been seen as a waste, a failure. If I mess this up, it'll just prove them right."
Newcastle sighed, exchanging a look with others before speaking again, her tone firm. "That's not true. We're still here because of you. You've kept us alive, kept us moving forward. And you'll continue to do so. But you have to trust us too. Let us share the load."
"You've proven your worth, Mo," Indomitable said softly. "You've saved us time and again. But you can't keep running yourself into the ground. We won't survive that way."
Mo's chest tightened, her breath hitching as she fought the urge to break down. For so long, she had carried the weight of her reputation, her failures, and her doubts, burying them under layers of caution and over-preparation. Now, under the relentless strain of battle, those walls were beginning to crack.
"I..." Mo began, but her voice faltered. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She had always tried to be strong, but now she realized that strength wasn't about bearing the weight alone.
Newcastle stepped closer, her expression softening. "It's okay to rely on others, Lady Monsoor. We'll make it through together."
Mo's hands tightened on the utensils she held before she finally let out a long, shuddering breath. "You're right," she admitted quietly. "I... I've been so scared of failing that I've been pushing myself too hard. But I trust you all. I do."
Mo swallowed hard, her gaze moving around the room. Jervis was quietly tending to Memphis' light injuries. Amazon's expression, though stern, was understanding. Even Indomitable watched her with concern. These were her comrades in arms, her friends.
Looking at Mo's expression, Newcastle smiled. "That's all we ask."
Memphis then asked Mo, "Hey Mo, you once told me, you have sisters right? Can you tell us about them? I'm curious!"
Mo, as if sidestepped from the previous frown, bit by bit excitedly and proudly told her detachment about her sisters. Not only about her sisters, but also her history, including her bad luck and what she did during peacetime. After Mo's story, others also told their own stories. This little chat after dinner unknowingly improved Mo's mood and also developed trust between them.
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27 February 1942,
Location: Moluccas Sea
Time: 0700
Morning came, and with it, Mo's renewed resolve. After a night of restless but much-needed sleep, her mind felt clearer. The thought of another day of evasion seemed intolerable, but a new plan had formed during the night, one that might just give them the edge they needed.
Gathering her detachment on the deck, Mo's voice rang out, steady and firm. "We can't keep playing this slow game. Our supplies are nearly gone, and the longer we stay out here, the more we'll lose."
The others listened intently, the weight of the situation clear in their faces.
"We're going to make a dash for Java," Mo declared. "It's risky, but if we stay out here, we're dead. The only way to get through is speed. I'll manifest my ship and act as a mobile fortress. You'll all board it. That way, we'll be fast and packed together. No one will be left behind."
Amazon raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "You know the risks of manifesting your ship, Mo. It's a much larger target."
Amazon was right. It was an all-or-nothing gamble. A Kansen could either summon her ship and control it like an extension of her body, or equip her rigging, never both. The ship gave a kansen higher cargo capacity and overall less strain on Kansen's mind, but the rigging made her a smaller target and gave better mobility. The last couple of days, they would focus to deal with air attacks in their riggings and steadily moving if there was a chance.
"I know," Mo replied. "But right now, it's our best chance. I'm fast enough, and with all of you on board, we can focus our firepower. Indomitable's too slow to keep up if we dash on ourselves in riggings, and we can't afford to be separated."
Indomitable nodded, with a sorry look in her face. "She's right. I'd slow us down."
Jervis, still quiet, added, "It's reckless, but if anyone can pull it off, it's you."
"Hah! Show me if those delicate 'electric engines' are truly superior to the good old steam turbine!" Amazon said with a broad smile of her face. She was relieved to see Mo's resolve.
Mo met their eyes, her determination shining through. "We've been playing it safe, trying to outlast them. But that's only drained us faster. If we make this dash, we'll be betting everything on one last push."
Memphis, smiling despite the tension, nodded. "Then let's go all in."
The decision was made. Supplies were running out. Time was running out. But for the first time in days, Mo felt a sense of control. The fear and doubt that had haunted her began to fade, replaced by the fire of determination.
Today, they would run. Together.
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