< OOC: It felt good writing this. Replies might be slow - sometimes even once every two days - but I'd forgotten just how much I missed this. ^^ >
Rear Admiral Ivy Taylor had always considered herself a simple woman. She'd arrived in this world in the rather simple town of Winnfield, Louisiana, and though she'd had little choice in the matter, it'd pained her considerably to migrate so far from her roots. Throughout her childhood she'd displayed a rather simple manner of speaking, and those that knew her well would attest that this was preserved in her private dealings. She kept a rather simple aesthetic about her, wearing her flowing silver hair in a gigantic ponytail down to her knees, and didn't seem to mind the flecks of dirt, sand, and dust that clung to her navy blue uniform. Only in her eyes - those wide pools of glimmering gold - could one discern her true character. Throughout her time, they had been wide with joy upon her graduation from the naval academy on Lake Michigan, cast in a bow-shape amongst her friends and lovers, and sharpened to razor's edge during the Conquest of Canada.
Today, taking the podium before an audience of thousands, Ivy's visage took on an entirely new demeanor, one of cool confidence masking great excitement. The tropical sun rested heavily upon her head, bringing forth rivulets of sweat even as she fanned her face with her officer's cap. Officers and Fleet Girls from nearly a dozen countries awaited her eagerly.
"... Alrighty then! Let's get this show on the road." Ivy spoke, cracking a wide, toothy grin. "Welcome, one and all, to this year's Western Pacific War Games; hosted by the United Socialist States of North America, and the Greater Japanese Empire. I am Rear Admiral Ivy Taylor, commander of the North American naval detachment for the duration of this exercise, and joining me today is my second, Commodore Natsu Nakamura."
Natsu gave a polite little bow towards their audience. "Thank you, admiral."
"Without further ado, I'll review the rules of engagement for the exercise."
"Lastly, and this is delivered on the orders of President Thompson herself, it has come to my attention that some place little faith in the lasting alliance between our two countries. As long-time miltary liaison and active commander of the International Task Force based in Kure, I say this skepticism is unfounded. While it may be true that the world is not as we once knew it prior to the Crisis, by my mark we have emerged from it stronger and wiser. I may hope, that the concept of war - between any of our countries - seems absolutely preposterous."
Reactions varied upon national lines. The French and Brazilians found themselves quite ambivalent for one, but the Germans all shot collective daggers at the Fleet Girls from the new socialist state in Great Britain. And though Ivy chose to ignore it, she couldn't help but notice a burning anger brewing in the eyes of her second-in-command.
Several days later, about a hundred miles southwest of Guadalcanal, the North American carrier Lexington straddled the tranquil seas as the centerpiece of her formation. It was a damn fine day for their carrier operations - hot, near-cloudless, with a slight breeze from the northwest.
Lexington: "Ey Wisky, Any sign of the enemy fleet?"
Wisconsin, an Iowa-class sailing as escort at the head of the formation, closed her eyes and furrowed her brows.
Wisconsin: "Kingfishers ain't got squat. We'll keep looking."
Here California piped up. She was a tall, rather trim battleship clad in a black cape and a long white dress nearly down to her ankles.
California: "Whassa matter, Lexie? Eager to slap a Jap?"
Lexington: "Naah, not really. I just can't wait be home again is all."
Wisconsin: "Yeah, no maternity leave for Fleet Girls, eh? Them's the breaks I guess."
Lexington wouldn't even think of deserting, but from the outset of the sortie it'd been obvious there was somewhere else she'd rather be. Her chest was still swolen with milk, and she seldom went a day without looking at the photos tucked away in her wallet.
At last, the moment had come. Wisconsin radioed a set of coordinates to the fairies in Lexington's outfit, and the carrier aimed her Thompson high into the wind. The torpedoes slung underneath her Avengers were stark white with a magenta tip, indicating they carried paint rather than explosives. She waved them off as if they were her children too, and protected them with a wing of Wildcats lurking high above their formation.
< The opening North American attack wisely targeted the carrier Hiryuu, crippling her (in reality, coating her entire bottom half in magenta paint) with nearly half a dozen torpedoes. The destroyer Mutsuki was also hit by a stray torpedo, but remained afloat. Light damage was scored on Kongou and Haruna. However, Lexington underestimated the efficiency of Japanese combat air patrols, and as such could not prevent the "destruction" (again, coating with magenta paint) of a third of the three-dozen torpedo bombers launched at the Japanese task force. >
[spoiler title='North American for this operation']NAS Lexington (CV-2) - Lexington-class Fleet Carrier - 90/90
NAS California (BB-44) - Tennessee-class Battleship - 75/75
NAS Wisconsin (BB-64) - Iowa-class Fast Battleship - 92/92
NAS Hazelwood (DD-531) - Fletcher-class Destroyer - 30/30
NAS Callaghan (DD-792) - Fletcher-class Destroyer - 32/32[/spoiler]
