Kantai Collection Quest: Pacific Strike 46

"Damnit!" You hiss as you quickly motion for the other destroyers to start slowing down. Thanks to the nightvision sets you were all wearing, they could clearly see your hand signs and cut engine power.

"Awwww damn." Johnston sighs. "So we're just gonna sit and wait?"

"Looks like it." Heerman shrugs.

"I say we take the fight straight them landlubbing-" Kidd starts to shout before Haida ever so helpfully clamps a hand over her mouth, silencing the little pirate destroyer.

"Just because the darkness makes it harder for them to see doesn't mean they still can't hear." Haida mutters to Kidd. "Let's try keeping the volume down, yeah?"

"Mrbph." Kidd presumably replies.

"Good." Haida finally lets go and pats Kidd on the back. Pepe gives an annoyed but subdued squawk at the Canadian shipgirl.

Meanwhile, you continue to observe the Abyssal patrols with your optics, squinting as you track their running lights. They certainly weren't afraid of getting spotting, that was for sure. You keep watching as the two clusters of lights converge on each other.

And then they stop.

"Well fuck." You sigh.

"It looks like they've stopped." Wild Card Four announces unhelpfully.

(cont)

Oh, I didn't, it's just that Hate seems to be the most likely to wake up one morning and have half the fleet sleeping in his room.

"Yes, I can see that." You sigh. "Options?"

"You're all clear all around ,assuming that formation doesn't just start moving without warning." The orbiting F-35 explains. "Looks like it might be some kind of resupply op or something, so they shouldn't be moving any time soon."

"Hopefully." Flasher interjects. Subs were always such a bright, optimistic bunch, weren't they?

"I say we just do a wide flanking maneuver and go around them at full speed!" Johnston cracks her knuckles.

"I think it might be better if we just coast on minimum power. They might hear us if we go full power." Heerman warns.

You all look to Eldridge.

"Hey, don't look at me!" She laughs nervously. "I'm just along for the ride! I trust you all know what you're doing!"

"You poor summer child." Haida shakes her head.

>Distraction time.
>Go around at full speed.
>Try to coast by at minimum power.
>Other

Just hope that Hate doesn't all of a sudden create a national secret by getting a shipgirl knocked up, Satan.

>>Try to coast by at minimum power.

>Try to coast by at minimum power.

>>Try to coast by at minimum power.

>>Try to coast by at minimum power.

>Try to coast by at minimum power.

I am more expecting Settle and Arizona or Goto and THE DESS to make the baby first.

>Go around at full speed.

>>Try to coast by at minimum power.

>Put fish in the water, a fitting fate for being predictable

"All right, we'll all sprint at full power for a few seconds, and then we throttle back to minimum power and coast on our momentum. No sense giving ourselves away now." You grunt. "Johnston, Haida, you two make sure Eldridge doesn't fall behind."

"Aye aye!" Johnston salutes as she grabs one of Eldridge's arms.

"W-what?" Eldridge blinks.

"You're going to find out what 30 knots feels like." Haida explains as she grabs Eldridge's other arm.

"Cool!" She says excitedly.

"All right, we do this one three." You order. "One... two.. THREE!"

In unison, all six ships fire up their engines at full power, blazing through the water. You silently keep a careful eye on your speed, making sure it's peaked at 30 knots before barking out your next order.

"Cut!" You shout and almost immediately, everything goes quiet as your engines go from a loud roar to a dull hum, barely audible over the ocean waves lapping up against your armored shoes.

And your formation begins to coast by the Abyssals, who were now so close you could see that they were indeed in the middle of some kind of resupply or transfer operation. Abyssals, both monster and humanoid, were hooking themselves up to Wa-class transports, presumably "eating." You could see a few humanoid types standing off the side, not really doing in particular.

Were they just... hanging out?

You shake your head. You couldn't afford to think about that sort of shit right now. You just hope all the precautions you took were enough.

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 5 (1d20)

Rolled 10 (1d20)

Rolled 12 (1d20)

Rolled 1 (1d20)

NOTICE US ABYSSALS

And that was too close.

Too late faggot

Oh thank god.

Really does make you wonder how many (offscreen) ship girls in this quest are in an intimate relationship or secretly got pregnant.

The six of you coast along, now at a snails pace as your momentum begins to bleed off and you have to rely solely on the meager power your engines were providing. The seconds drag out into what feel like hours as you carefully observe the Abyssal battlegroup, looking for any indication that they could have possibly detected you.

Likewise, the rest of your group was deathly quiet as well, as if afraid that even a whisper could tip off the enemy.

Thankfully, the Abyssals don't react at all, and continue on their routine business. Once you feel you're a safe distance away, you finally start throttling up your engines to a more reasonable speed.

"Looks like you're clear, Spearpoint." Wild Card Four confirms. "It's a straight shot to the target now."

Up ahead, you could see the underbelly of the Atlas platform, which looked to be a sheer forest of pipes, support columns, and all manner of odd constructions that the Abyssals had added on during their occupation. All highlighted by the flickering flames of gas fires or the harsh beams of searchlights.

(cont)

>Really does make you wonder how many (offscreen) ship girls in this quest are in an intimate relationship
Going by gossip, literally everybody

And you could swear you could see the entire structure... pulsating. Like it was breathing. Probably just a trick of the light.

"All right, we're close enough that their optics will see us, even int he darkness." Haida warns. "And that operation area under there looks to be lots of close quarters encounters. I think we should send Eldridge back."

"What, really?" Johnston blinks.

"I hate to say it, but Eldridge just isn't built to our spec." Haida sighs. "If it gets down to a knife fight, she won't be able to keep up with us."

"Hey, I resent that!" Eldridge grunts, the strange spinning tuning fork contraption on her back spinning quicker in annoyance. "I can totally handle myself! And you're gonna need all the guns you can get!"

"I just wanna get in there already and pillage some booty!" Kidd roars, waving her cutlass around.

Heerman just gives you a silent look, as if designating you to be the final decider.

>Bring Eldridge with you.
>Send Eldridge back.
>Other

>>Bring Eldridge with you.

>>Bring Eldridge with you.

>>Bring Eldridge with you.

>>Bring Eldridge with you.

>tfw someone brings Hoppo back home

>>Bring Eldridge with you.
Man we'll probably need all the help we can get.

>And you could swear you could see the entire structure... pulsating. Like it was breathing. Probably just a trick of the light.

Oh god its SOMA all over again!

>>Bring Eldridge with you.

>>Bring Eldridge with you.
She ain't no John C. Butler class like Sammy, but her radar wromhole thingy will hep when we de-ass out of there

"She's coming with us." You grunt. "Like she says, we can always use the extra guns."

"Your call." Haida nods reluctantly and glances at the ever expanding silhouette of Atlas nervously. "So what's the plan? Throw stealth the wind and go in guns blazing, or see how far we can get in by staying quiet?"

>The time for stealth is over.
>This is still a sneaking mission.
>Other

>>This is still a sneaking mission.

>>This is still a sneaking mission.

Try to maintain the element of surprise as long as possible.

>>This is still a sneaking mission.

>This is still a sneaking mission.

>>This is still a sneaking mission.

>>This is still a sneaking mission.

Quick someone post proper sneaking music.

>>This is still a sneaking mission.
Solid Snake all the way in and out.

>The time for stealth is over.

youtube.com/watch?v=8L5hlFd7__k

"We still have the element of surprise, let's not give it away." You whisper. "Flasher, what's your status?"

"Holding position on the outer perimeter." The subgirl reports dutifully. "If anything happens we'll do our best to slow down their reinforcements."

"Appreciated." You reply as you turn back to your own squadron and look at the literal forest of pipes and columns. It was going to be really tough to maintain a formation in that kind of mess. Maybe you should split into smaller groups? That would increase your chances of getting at least one team to the objective if the other were to be be found...

>Keep the unit together.
>Split up into smaller teams.
>Other

>>Split up into smaller teams.

Time to operate.

>>Keep the unit together.
Never split the party

>>Keep the unit together.
Splitting is what horror movie protags do

>Split up into smaller teams.

>>Split up into smaller teams.

>>Split up into smaller teams.
This is no movie, and we're on a mission. Larger groups are less maneuverable and more visible, so its time to split up.

>Split up into smaller teams.

Time to blow it up quick or it'll try to talk to is or something.

"We'll split up and go in from different directions. That gives us a better chance of reaching the target." You decide. "Eldridge, you sure you're ready for this?'"

"Of course!" Eldridge smiles and flexes her arm. "I was made for this!"

"All right, so we'll split up like this..."

>Pick 2 destroyers to cover Eldridge. The remaining 2 will automatically be added to your team! Your current candidates are Johnston, Heerman, Kidd, and Haida.

>>Split up into smaller teams.
And put on some earphones with Mission Impossible music. We don't want Atlas talking t us, after all/

Haida and Kidd

"Alright, gang! Time to split up and search for clues."

Send Johnston and Heerman. They'll compensate for Eldridge's (lack of) armament while we and Haida compensate for Kidd's... Kiddyness

>Kidd and Haida.

>Heerman and Haida.

Johnston and Heerman

Haida, Kidd

>Haida and Kidd

>Haida and Kidd

All right, so the consensus seems to be Kidd and Haida will be sailing with Eldridge. Is that correct?

>Y
>N

>Johnston and Heerman

>N

>>Y

>>Y

>Y

>Y

>N

>Y

>>Y

"Haida, Kidd, you go with Eldridge and go straight in. Me, Johnston, and Heerman will circle around and come in from the flank." You order. "You get into any trouble, make sure to call it out. Got that?"

"Crystal." Haida nods.

"Arr!" Kidd cheers.

"Gotcha!" Eldridge gives the thumbs up.

"All right, let's go!" You nod as your two teams split up. You watch as Haida, Kidd, and Eldridge disappear into the maze of pipes.

"You girls ready?" You ask your sisters.

"Course we are!" Johnston says happily as she punches you in the arm a bit too roughly.

"Let's get this over with." Heerman frowns. "This places gives me the creeps."

Now that Heerman had pointed it out, the air did start to feel heavier and more oppressive the closer you got to the platform. Your skin began to crawl, like millions of little needles were being rolled across it, and you were pretty sure that it wasn't the cold. However, you couldn't afford to chicken out now, and you take the lead into the dark, pulsating underbelly of Atlas.

Oddly enough, it was... warm down here. No more chilly winds or icy waters. Down here, it felt almost like an oven. Almost as if...

No, better not to think about it. You shake your head in an attempt to clear it as you and you sisters cautiously wind your way through the thick tangle of pipes and beams.

"Jesus, this pace is a mess!" Johnston winces as she carefully maneuvers around an oozing pipe.

"Well, I don't suppose Abyssals have building standards." Heerman scowls. "It's too dark down here for the nightvision, and thermals are going crazy. Hoel, you think you can use your radar?"

You could give it a shot. It would definitely help you navigate this maze, but if they detect you...

>Use the radar.
>Don't use radar.
>Other

>>Use the radar.

>>Use the radar.

Something is in here with us. Directly in front of us, and staring.

>>Use the radar.

>Don't use radar.

A NEET?

>>Use the radar.

>>Use the radar.

>Use the radar.

Or perhaps a Re.

>Don't use radar.

A Re really would make an excellent monster villain here, take the Alien vibe to its limit, pick us off one by one before we throw it into a reactor or something

Rolled 1, 3 = 4 (2d20)

"All right, I'm gonna give it a sweep." You whisper to your sisters. "Get ready, though. Anything could happen."

"Got it." Heerman nods.

Meanwhile, Johnston gets her shield up and ready.

You then begin to power up your radar and let off a few pulses to get a read on your surroundings.

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>Nat 1

Rolled 14 (1d20)

PING

Rolled 1 (1d20)

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>Abyssals can't see shit

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BATTLE OF THE NAT 1's?!

UH OH

Would you like to use a FATE POINT to negate that 1? You currently have 3 points!

>Y
>M

Aw shit, here comes a Battleship RE....

Y