Alright so here I am with another fic. This time around it's based off of the game/anime Kancolle or Kantai Collection. For those that don't know, the premise is that the world's oceans are taken over by a mysterious enemy and the only way to fight back was to create the ship girls. It's a pretty addicting and fun game and I recommend you try it out.

A.N I have re written this chapter from its original publication. If you've read this before I say give it another go.

-CanadianBacon

Kantai Collection: Liberation Part One

Tragedy, Second Chances and War

"Dialogue"

'Speaking to himself or inner dialogue'

Journal entries

July 23rd, 2020

North Atlantic off the East Coast of Canada 1400hrs

'How should I start this thing? I guess it would be best to just give a brief summary of myself.'

My name is Tyler Quinn, 20 years old, born in Canada to a Japanese mother and a Canadian Father. I guess Canadian isn't really specific? My dad is English by descent. I take completely after my father though and you wouldn't believe I had Japanese blood in me if I didn't tell you. I've always been in good shape because of sports and working physical jobs through school. Since I'm in the military, it only helps. I've been told I'm good looking by quite a few girls.

'Jesus, I sound like a prick. I'll probably take that out. No one who's going to read this cares what I look like.'

As a kid and I've had this fascination of the oceans. Even as a little kid I decided to join the navy as soon as I could. That's what I did and now I'm the captain of HMCS Iroquois the third ship of its name. She's a modest destroyer built for patrol and escort duties.

People may wonder how I'm a captain of a ship at the age of 20. I'm not some military genius like Napoleon Bonaparte or I guess Admiral Nelson would be the better comparison. I'm not saying I don't know what I'm doing though. The answer lies with connections, more specifically due to Vice Admiral Quinn, who happens to be my father; it was pretty easy for him to get his son into a position of command.

That makes me sound like I'm some spoiled military brat. I never wanted that treatment. I wanted to work my way through the ranks on merit and hard work but my father would have none of that. I guess he wants me to follow in his footsteps, be an Admiral some day. I doubt that ever going to happen. I like the ocean too much to give it up for some desk job and a pay raise. I like to be able to command my men from the ship itself, not some base on the horizon. Plus I don't want to leave my ship and crew for someone else to fuck up.

I've been in command for just a year now, but it seems like I've earned the respect of my men. I like to follow the quote "Treat your men like your own sons and they'd follow you into hell." I don't know who that's by but it's a good idea for anyone leading men into battle. Not that we've actually seen any combat yet. The latest war Canada was involved in was the Second Korean War but I was still in school then.

Speaking of my crew, we are currently participating in a joint US/Canada NATO naval exercise. This isn't some normal exercise though. It's big, really big. Every ship in the RCN is present and almost half of the USN is here staging this operation to strengthen the bonds between our two navies.

Our job today as escort for the USS George Washington is to ensure no aircraft, subs or missiles get close to the carrier. It should be rather easy as the Iroquois is the newest destroyer Canada acquired. She comes equipped with tons of modern military tech. The George Washington is also joined by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which has my father on board discussing things with the US admiralty.

It's been pretty slow today though. Only a few early morning fire and damage control drills and that's about it. I wonder if we'll get the day off.

Something strange is happening though. As I'm writing this the weather went from beautiful and sunny to dark and cloudy in just a few minutes. I know were in the Atlantic but this is unnatural.

Behind me I hear the distinctive sound of sonar. "Captain! The sonar is picking something up!" The operator yells breaking me out of my thoughts.

I put my digital pad down and look his way. "Bring up the HUD."

The crewman types something into his desk and a second later a display appears on the bridge for all to see. I showed us what he was seeing, a single contact approaching fast. I looked out the windows and the storm was growing worse, but there was no rain accompanying these dark clouds.

"Captain more contacts! A lot more!"

A crewman yelled with slight panic in his voice. He had all the right to be a little scared though. The HUD was now filled with what looked like 50 to 100 different unknown signatures.

"What the hell are they? Nothing moves that fast under water." My Lieutenant said aloud to no one in particular.

"All hands to action stations! Get everyone moving!" I ordered the command for battle. Whatever these were they weren't friendly.

The alarms on the ship went off soon after and the command was given. The vessel was now alive with everyone getting to their positions preparing for combat. We threw on our life vests and prepared ourselves for what was coming. By the looks of it, the entire fleet was doing the same. The carriers were even launching aircraft loaded to bear.

"Captain, the contacts are approaching directly in our path, it looks like one will ram us!"

"Dammit, brace for impact!" I curse as everyone hunched down and held onto something for dear life. I watch the HUD as one of the contacts gets closer and closer. Before it hits I close my eyes and hope for the best.

...

After what seemed like an eternity, nothing happens. You could see the world spin everyone was so still.

With one last ping all the contacts disappeared from sonar.

...

"Was it a false alarm?"A crewmember asks confused as he gets up.

Before anyone could answer him a huge water spout erupts next to the ship causing it to list to port. Whatever just came up is big, really big.

As the spout cleared, only what could be described as a monster was seen beside the ship. It resembled what looked to be a whale. But what made it clear as day it wasn't some animal was that it had ethereal looking blue eyes.

We all just stared dumbfounded or scared at the beast.

"What the fuck is that!" A crewman shouts in panic and points towards the creature.

No one answers him.

It just sits there….doing nothing. I really don't know what to do in this situation. They don't train you for killing fucking sea monsters!

Unfortunately, my question is answered as the creature faces my ship and opens it mouth with a deafening roar revealing what was definitely a cannon.

"Get down!" Someone yells and I instinctively duck for cover. A large and loud explosion rocks the ship a second later making my ears ring and knocking the wind right out of my lungs. I can feel my conscience wavering but I hold on to open my eyes a few seconds later.

The fire prevention system has turned on trying desperately to stop the fire that was spreading below deck.

I get up only to see the creature preparing another shot.

'So that's my navy career huh?' I think to myself with a hopeless grin. The one someone gets when they know their fucked.

But before it could fire the finishing blow it's ripped apart by the deck gun with three rapid fired rounds.

'Holy shit, whoever fired that gun deserves a medal.'

I take a quick breather to gain my bearings and assess my surroundings. The bridge is relatively unharmed and everyone seems to be okay except for just a few headaches, bruises and cuts.

"Get me a damage report! I want to know if we're going to stay afloat."

"Yes Captain!" A crewman says before gathering the info from his computer. The HUD comes back up showing a 3D layout of the ship. It doesn't look good. The shell from that monster over penetrated and left a hole in both sides of the ship. Damage control systems are underway but the flooding is heavy. Fire is also spreading but the fire control systems seem to be working. All weapons are online and the engine room is unscathed.

I look out the window to see what's happening with the rest of the fleet and all I see is a massacre. Multiple USN and RCN ships have gone down and the ship we're supposed to be protecting is about to be overrun. The USS Truxton and USS Gravely are putting up a last ditch effort to keep the carrier safe. But without more help the George Washington will go down.

'We can still fight.' I look at my crew and they all anticipate my next order bringing a smile to my face.

"How bout we get some payback!" I yell over intercom. The ships crew erupts with a cheer letting me know they're still in this fight.

I order my men to link up with the remaining escorts and fight off the alien bastards.

The men give another cheer as the ship slowly starts moving.

After about a minute of finding our way through the burning wreckage of friendly vessels we link up with Truxton and Gravely. The two destroyers held off the monster long enough that the George Washington is already getting out of the AO.

"Keep firing! Keep the bastards back! Don't let up! Everyone else help with damage control!" I yell these words of encouragement in the middle of battle hoping my crew doesn't break.

But the situation is looking pretty dim no matter how you put it. Almost the entire fleet has sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Thousands of bodies litter the water.

After about two more minutes of fighting the inevitable happens. Truxtons magazine lights up and explodes causing the entire ship to be obliterated in the blink of an eye. The flash is so bright I can't keep my eyes open to even watch.

Not even ten seconds later Gravely catches fire and her crew abandons ship. Our ship has taken a lot of hits itself and its clear were sinking.

"Sir, what are we going to do!? Were all that's left?" A sailor asks me with tears in his eyes. I can see in his eyes he thinks it's over.

"Nothing we can do sailor. Just hope to God the water isn't too cold." I say with a sad smile.

"All hands abon-"

I start but I'm not able to finish as an explosion rocks the ship. I suddenly find myself in the air and my leg feels….hot? Then with a thud I'm under water. It's cold…really cold. My arm also has that burning sensation coursing through it.

'Wait, what the fuck are you doing you moron? Swim!'

My senses return to me as I start to paddle my way to the surface. My right arm and leg really fucking hurt which slows me down a lot. I can see the surface but I'm swimming too slowly!

'Swim, swim, swim!' My lungs are burning at this point and I have a need to open my mouth to suck in fresh air, only there is none and that would be my death.

The closer I get to the surface my vision starts to tunnel and soon enough I close my eyes.

After a couple more paddles I breach the surface and take a huge gasp of air. When I open my eyes I'm a witness to a horror show. My ship has broken in two and is already sinking rapidly taking how many of my crew with it.

The explosion must have sent me flying far enough away to not get dragged down with it. How I made it out is beyond me.

I look around myself for some kind of debris but all I see are bodies and fire. So many sailors are just motionless, face down. There are still a couple human ships left floating but aren't fairing much better. All that's left of most ships are oil slicks, debris and dead crewmen.

I pull myself onto a piece of debris because it's getting too hard to swim. My right arm and leg are really unresponsive now. I find out why when I look at them. They're mangled pieces of meat at this point. My right side must have taken the brunt of the explosion that sent me flying. Now that I notice it, my vision in my right eye is also kinda blurry.

'Huh, so if I survive this I'll be a cripple.' I rest my head on the piece of debris I'm currently floating on. By this point I think I'll bleed out before help arrives anyways. The sky still looks shitty with that strange weather.

'Well fuck this sucks.' I think before I shut my eyes only too hear some very distinctive gunshots.

'There is only one this in this world that makes that noise!' I think as I quickly sit up to see Warthogs and Hornets making passes at the creatures. The creatures with seemingly no air power of their own retreat back under the waves as fast as they showed up.

The sky clears just a few seconds later revealing the bright sun and blue sky that was there just 20 minutes before. A smile cracks on my face as I see the long awaited reinforcements.

An explosion goes off behind me and as I look it turns out the Gravely's fire must of finally hit the ammo storage. Shrapnel starts flying past me and I get the feeling that my luck will still holdout but that was before I sighted the piece of metal flying straight for my head.

'Fuck!'

Unknown 0000hrs

Every sense is dead. There are no sights, sounds or smells. I can't feel anything, including my own body. I'm just drifting in nothingness.

That was before a bright light blinds my vision. Through that light multiple human figures emerge. As my eyes adjust I can see they're all female at least, some older than others. But what really captures my attention is that they all have some sort of strange outfits on. One of the older ones looks really happy to see me before she jumps, does a couple of flips in the air and latches onto me bringing us to the ground with laughter and kisses. She gives me a bright smile before helping me up. They all look happy and I just don't know what the hell is going on!

Then a second later it's over, the girls are gone and I'm left by myself once again in this total darkness.

"What is happening to me? Am I dead? This makes no sense! Who were those girls?" I have so many questions but no one can answer them.

Another light appears before my eyes and I'm now looking at...myself! I look absolutely devastated as I hold some flowers in front of a tombstone that's unreadable to me. I look behind…myself to see three more of those strange girls. Everyone is crying and it's obvious someone…someone important to me and them, died.

"Wait, why am I here? This never happened in my life!? This isn't a memory of mine!" I'm given more questions and no answers before everything goes blank once again.

'Seriously, I'm done with this! Wake up please! Get me out of here!'

Another blinding light reveals me in the graveyard once again. But this time it's much worse. Instead of the one grave there are now over a hundred dotting the landscape. I'm just standing there head down and looking depressed as hell. "I failed them, I told them their fates were theirs to choose, but I was wrong."

"Wait, I just spoke, that was definitely my voice. Why am I talking about fate anyways? It is up to you do with what you're given."

"Not when your fate is shared. I learned that the hard way."

'Huh? Oh shit I'm looking at me! Me is looking at my, oh what the fuck!'

"What do you mean fate is shared? How can someone share their fate?" I ask myself.

"You'll find out soon enough. Don't let this happen. It can be avoided." My other self says as he pans his arm across the horizon. "Now, WAKE UP!"

I open my eyes and sit up very quickly.

"Hey, wait you assho…"

"Eep! I look over and a young woman in a nurse's outfit dropped a food tray onto the floor. I obviously startled the living daylights out of her.

'Wait a nurse! I'm in a hospital!' I look down to see myself hooked up to some medical machines and I'm wearing standard hospital garb.

The nurse is still there just staring at me.

"You...y...your awake?" She manages to stutter out.

I guess I gave her quite the scare.

"Looks like it. How long was I out?" I ask as calm as possible, no need to freak her out anymore than she is.

"H...Ho...Hold on I'll get a doctor." She says as she runs out the door screaming for a doctor.

"Jeez, why is she so freaked out? I couldn't have been out that long?"

I wait a few minutes just sitting in my bed. I notice another guy just staring at me from across the room.

"...Sup"

"..." He says nothing as he closes the blinds between me and him.

'You'd think I just woke from the dead or something!'

I'm starting to get a little impatient and I decide I've waited long enough. I yank the needles from my arm and fling the bed sheet from my body. I'm blessed with the sight of my right arm and leg for the first time since waking up.

"What the hell?" They're completely fine, not a scratch left on them. Last I saw them they were in tatters but now it seems like it never happened. Now that if think of it my right eye is completely fine too.

I even put my hand over my left eye to check. "Yeah, I think my vision actually improved?"

"You can thank the miracles of modern medicine and good doctors." A man in what could be his late 30's walks in the room with the nurse that I scared.

"You see, he's awake." The nurse says still a little scared.

"...You weren't kidding."

The doctor pulls up a chair and sits next to my bed.

"I bet you have a lot of questions."

"Yeah I do, for starters how am I alive?"

"Well, as I said before it was the miracle of modern medicine..." I give him an angry glare letting him know I just want answers.

"Alright alright...jeez, everyone is always so impatient." He says with his hands up to calm me down before continuing. "When they found your body you were bleeding pretty badly so the troops applied some medical foam to your wounds. It stopped the bleeding and saved your life. Next you were transported onto the USS George Washington along with other survivors and wounded. Sadly, you were only one of the few that survived. After that you were brought here."

"Where IS here?"

"One of the National Defence Medical Centres. Specifically you're in Ottawa."

"Ottawa eh? I've been here once for school. How bad were my wounds? It looks like they weren't as bad as I thought considering." I showed him my arm as I said that with a smile.

His answer though, was something I wasn't expecting.

With a serious face he gave his answer. "What I'm about to tell you has to be said but it may be hard to digest at first."

"...I'll be fine, no bullshit and get straight to the point."

With a sigh he started his explanation."...Well you sustained multiple shrapnel and burn injuries to the right side of your body. Your right arm, leg and face took the brunt of the damage. Pieces of metal also lodged itself into your brain, somehow not killing you in the process. Because of your wounds we had to completely amputate your two right limbs, remove your right eye, replace eight of your ribs and your right lung."

"Then how the hell do I still have all of those things!" I yell angrily, not at the doctor but at the monster that did that to me.

"Medical advancements have significantly advanced these past three years. At first it looked like you were going to be left a cripple but just a few months ago your limbs and eye have been replaced with cybernetics. Your lung and ribs are synthetic along with the skin you see. But it both feels and looks real. It's not all bad though, your right arm and leg and inhumanly stronger now. It's truly amazing how far things have come."

I look down at my arm and open and close my hand. Everything works just fine. It's hard to believe they're not real...wait he said three years!?

"Wait you said something about three years! You mean I've been in bed for three years!?"

"Yes, because of the shrapnel to your brain you were put in a comatose state for three years." He says so calmly like I should have expected it.

"But I thought I was out for only...a couple days. I had one dream that entire time."

"That's not actually unusual. A lot of people in a coma's wake up without thinking they've been gone for long at all. To their surprise they've been out for a few months to a few years."

"Doctor Christiansen you're needed at the front desk. Doctor Christiansen you're needed at the front desk." The hospital PA system calls out.

"Well, it looks like I've got to go. If you need anything, press this button here and this nurse here will help you." He says as he puts a remote in my hand. "Oh, and we've contacted your brother. He's on his way here now and he should be able to answer any more questions you have." With that he leaves me to myself once again.

I get up and out of bed to walk towards the window. My legs feel no different than they did when they were flesh and bone so I have no trouble walking.

'At least I don't have to go through physical therapy.'

What the hell was up with that dream? I remember it clear as day.

But on my way to the window I'm struck with a familiar overwhelming sensation.

'I gotta piss.'

November 14th, 2023 National Defence Medical Centre Ottawa 1900hrs

A couple of hours later I'm sitting in a chair next to my bed. The hospital staff let me roam around for a bit and was surprised at how well I was doing. I also grabbed a bite to eat at the cafeteria. It tasted exquisite, I guess it's because I haven't had solid food in three years.

"Look whose back from the dead." A voice says from behind me. I turn around to see my brother, granted, my brother that's three years older than I remember.

"Hey I wasn't dead you ass." I say with a smile as I hug him.

"Well the way mom reacted when they first called us you would have thought you were in the grave by then."

"Speaking of mom, why isn't she here? I thought for sure she'd rush right over here. "

Connor gets a sad expression on his face and I guess I know what's coming.

"Tyler, mom and dad...they're..." He has trouble spitting it out but I know the answer already.

"How? How did they die?" I say in a rather cold tone which surprises him.

"Dad died in the same attack you were in. He was on the Eisenhower when it went down. Mom...mom was killed by rebels."

"Rebels! What the fuck do you mean rebels?" I yell as I lose my temper and knock a glass of water onto the floor.

"Jesus, Tyler calm down!" Connor says as he grabs me from breaking anything else.

"Calm down!? You just told me both our parents were murdered and you want me to calm down? Why the fuck was there rebels in Canada?"

"It was because of the war!"

"War?" I start to calm down and Connor releases me. I sit down on a chair near the window and stare outside.

"Did you forget? I was in a coma for three years. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well you didn't really give me the chance to explain." He says as he sits down across from me.

"Alright I'm listening. Tell me everything I need to know."

"Fine, it's a long story so don't get distracted."

He goes onto tell me that those creatures made a worldwide surprise attack on every navy in the world. The world's navies were caught by complete surprise and most completely wiped out in just a few hours. Only a few ships made it safely to port. The USS George Washington was one of them. With the worlds navies gone the Abyssal's as people come to call them took complete control of the World's oceans sending the world into an economic breakdown. Travel and trade could no longer be done and everyone that tried…disappeared. The US was able to retain control of Hawaii but sacrificed almost the entire remnants of its navy protecting places around the globe. U.S bases like Guam and Midway went dark.

After a year, countries were getting desperate. So to pool together resources and manpower, the governments of the US and Canada wanted to band together. So a country wide vote was held. The final tally was 52% in favor of uniting. The United North American States was now a country that encompassed the entirety of the former US and Canada. On paper it was a win-win situation. Canada would now have the protection of the US military in case of a land invasion and the US would get the huge bountiful resources of the North.

This was where the rebels came from. Due to unrest of that 48% in both former countries a huge rebel force gathered for things like liberation and chaos. They were quickly put down by the now larger UNAS military but not before exacting a toll on the country. A lot of major cities and famous land marks were bombed.

In Europe the UK, France, Germany, Russia and Italy also agreed on a combined arms but couldn't come to agreement on creating a new country of their own. After a few of years with no victories against the Abyssal's, the world was surprised to learn that the navies of the UNAS, UK, France, Italy, Germany and Russia have been winning fights in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, and most recently the Indian Ocean. The thing is no one knows how there is a sudden turn around. There are rumors of top secret weapons being used against the Abyssal's but no one has confirmed anything.

In the Pacific, things were even worse. Japan could no longer rely on the U.S for aid and the U.S wasn't able to link up with them so the entire Pacific region is still firmly under Abyssal control. Word is that the UN is planning an offensive soon to liberate the ocean.

By the time he's done I've been left speechless. So much has happened and I've been asleep and missed it all. I couldn't save my mom and I couldn't help the war effort. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

After the long speech Connor looks at his phone and notices the time.

"Hey man I've got to go. Visitor hours are going to be over soon and I've got work in the morning. I'll come back tomorrow if you need me to though."

"No I'll be fine; you do what you got to do. Keep in touch though, seeing as you're my only family I have left."

"Will do man, stay safe." I hug my brother and he heads out and I head to bed. Surprisingly enough I'm actually really tired after sleeping for three years.

November 15th, 2023

National Defence Medical Centre Ottawa 1100hrs

I open my eyes due to the sunlight hitting me directly in my face. Well that and the fact that I had the same dream again with no change in it what so ever. Maybe it's a side effect of my coma or something?

*COUGH*

"What the hell?" I say turning on my side to see an older man in what could be his late fifties dressed in a naval officer's uniform sitting nearby looking at me.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" I ask him suspiciously as I sit up.

"Is that how you speak to a superior officer?" He replies in a slightly amused tone.

When the realization dawns on me I jump up and salute. "No sir, it was a lapse of judgment sir."

He stands up to return the salute before sitting back down.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's probably the first time seeing the uniform and it's definitely the first time meeting me. I'm Connell Howland, Fleet Admiral of the UNAS Pacific Fleet." He says as he puts his hand out.

I shake his hand in return. 'A fricken Fleet Admiral is here? What the hell could he want with me?'

"Do you mind me speaking freely sir?"

"No, go ahead. You can drop the formalities for now."

"Okay then why are you here?"

"Straight to the point, I like it!" He says as he pokes my chest. "I'm here to give you an offer. Believe it or not the public views you as a hero. Don't get me wrong, I know you weren't trying to be heroic; you did what any commander that day would have done. The difference is you're the only one that survived."

My face pales a little hearing those last words.

"I'm the only Captain that survived?"

"Yes, all others either went down with the ships or succumbed to wounds from the battle."

"So just because I survived they call me a hero? That's bullshit."

He turns around and walks to the window opening the blinds.

"I agree, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here because those monsters are stubborn. The Pacific Ocean is still completely controlled by them and we've had no success so far in rooting them out like we did in the Atlantic."

I sit up hanging my legs off the bed and walk over next to him.

"I see that sir, but what does that have to do with me? I'm only a Captain with no ship and if those monsters are as effective as they are, I just might end up like those others."

"That's why I'm hereby promoting you to Admiral and offering you command of a special task force. If you accept, everything from here on out will be highly classified and confidential."

My heart skips a beat when I hear those words. I never wanted to be an Admiral like my father but it seems I can't get away from that.

"I'm grateful for the offer sir, but why me? There has to be someone more qualified or..."

"There isn't. Believe me we've tried. But you are the only remaining naval officer with brass balls kid."

"Sir, I..." I try to speak but he cuts me off again.

"You want to know something Quinn, I knew your father. He was a good man and he loved his sons. He spoke very highly of you and after that battle I see why. Now he may have done things that pissed you off but it was because he believed you were destined to do something great with your career. Now I can't force you to accept my offer, but I can say that this is the opportunity that your dad wanted for you."

"That's a low blow sir."

"Hmpf, times are tough."

I sighed. "I'll do it. I'd be a fool and a coward to not accept this post."

Howland grows a big smile on his face before grabbing my shoulder. "That a good man!"

He also tries to offer me a cigar but I refuse.

"What, you don't smoke? Good, this shit is horrible for your health." He says with a hearty laugh.

"Now get dressed, shower and pack your things, we leave in half an hour." He says as he drops a uniform onto my bed.

I just look at him.

"Don't worry they'll fit. You'll look like you were born in that uniform." He says with another laugh.

"Oh, and you'll need these." He says as he adds a few badges onto the uniform. I pick one up and notice it's for the medal of honour.

"Wait…this is for the medal of honour!" I say surprised.

"Yeah, as I said you deserve it. But no time for ceremonies, come on."

'The bastard had it all planned out.'

After a quick shower I put the uniform on and he was right. It was the perfect fit for me. It already had everything it needed and it looked pretty good to.

"It's about time, come on the birds waiting." He says while checking his watch.

"What about signing out of the hospital?"

"Everything is already taken care of."

"Following you sir." I say as we head to the roof where a helicopter is waiting.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Do you speak Japanese!?" Howland asks over the sound of the rotors.

"Yeah I do. My mom taught me when I was young, why do you ask!?"

He just gives me a quick smile. "It'll come in handy. Oh and how are your French, Italian, German and Russian?"

"What? I took a lot of language courses but I wouldn't say they're great. Where are we going?"

"Put your hula skirt on cause' were going to Hawaii."

With that I was on my way to my first post with little to no information on what it would entail.

November 21st, 2023

Pearl Harbour Hawaii, UNAS Pacific Command 1400hrs

It's been about a week since I've arrived in Hawaii. The weather is what I expected it to be, fucking awesome. As someone that grew up on the east coast of Canada, Hawaiian weather is amazing and refreshing. This past week I've just been dealing with everything I needed to get done since waking up, basically just settling into my new position. Most of my essential belonging has been shipped to me like my sword and pistol. I've been kept in the dark still on what ships Id be given command of and how I'm supposed to fight the Abyssal's. But today that's apparently going to change because I'm being summoned to a meeting where I'll be given the full run down. Aircraft arrived all morning bringing in delegates from the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Russia. I'm sure they'll be part of this meeting but to what extent?

I close up my tablet and set it down on my desk. I decided to continue my journal seeing as I'm probably going to be involved in something big starting today.

Three rapid taps sound off from my door.

"Who is it?"

A muffled voice comes through the door. "It's Admiral Howland's aide sir, I've come to get you for the meeting."

'Fuck~, here goes nothing.'

"Alright, I'll be right out."

I grab my cap and look myself over to see if everything is in check. It would be downright embarrassing if I showed up improperly dressed. After confirming everything is good I open the door to see a fresh faced young sailor, no more than 19. He salutes me and I salute back.

"The meeting will start in ten minutes sir. We should get there in five if we leave now." The sailor says with a bit of nervousness in his voice.

"Alright I'm following you."

"Yes sir!" He says as he brings me outside. The base is very much alive with sailors, marines and airmen doing their daily duties around Pearl. The base itself was hit in the Abyssal attack but the damage was minor. Unfortunately, among the casualties was the USS Arizona memorial which was destroyed in the fighting.

"You'll be meeting with Admiral Howland, Admiral Sir George Zambellas of the Royal Navy, Admiral Bernard Rogel of the French Navy, Admiral Andreas Krause of the German Navy, Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi of the Italian navy, Admiral Viktor Viktorovich Chirkov of the Russian Navy and finally Admiral Tomohisa Takei of the JMSDF." The aide gives me a nervous smile when he notices my face.

'I am completely screwed.'

Before long we've arrived at the meeting hall where I expect to be eaten alive. The aide gives me one last salute. "Good luck sir."

I salute back before giving him a nervous smile. "Thanks, I'll need it."

I make my way to the meeting room which is guarded by two marines in dress blues. The let me in once I show them my ID and I walk through the door. I immediately notice six faces looking at me with scrutiny.

"Zis him? He zont look like much." A man with a thick Russian accent says while looking me down.

'Guess I know who Chirkov is.'

"Yes, he's just a boy still." A man with a heavy English accent says that could only be Zambellas

'Boy!?'

"Alright, enough, you know age doesn't equate to skill. I trust this man to get shit done. Now that our Admiral is here we can start the first meeting of Operation Kancolle." Howland saves me from any more scrutiny and everyone sits down.

"I guess I'll introduce you. Quinn, these are Admirals Zambellis…"

"It's Zambell-as." The Admiral says irritably.

"Right…Rogel, Krause, Giorgi, Chirkov and Takei." Howland finishes with the introductions and I introduce myself.

"Now let's begin."

A screen appears in front of everyone with the name Operation Kancolle on it. The emblem of Operation Kancolle is of a battleship surrounded by a reef with an anchor hanging from the bottom.

"Now I don't need to remind everyone that what is said here is of the top most secrecy. I you violate this secrecy you are subject of the highest of military punishments."

Everyone shakes their head in a yes and I do the same.

"So let's get started. This meeting will bring our commander here up to speed with current events and set the basis for how things will proceed from here on out. Admiral Quinn, this meeting is mostly for your sake so pay attention. Now as most of you know, our conventional ships and weapons proved mostly ineffective against the Abyssal threat. We simply couldn't afford to take the losses we suffered. In desperation, Japan developed a weapon, if you can call them that, to effectively fight those monsters. Admiral Quinn, feast your eyes on our saviors."

My screen changes and what I see confuses the hell out of me. I was expecting a crazy looking a ship or aircraft, but what I got was a picture of a young woman strapped with these strange armaments. They must be fucking with me. Some joke to play on the newbie.

"I had the same reaction you did Quinn, our most effective weapons against the Abyssal threat are these girls."

'Oh my god their serious!'

"Sir, are they human? Are they some kind of high-tech android or something?" I ask with haste. Something like this is beyond conventional or rational.

"They are human, at least that's as much as they'll tell me."

"So they're human... how's that possible?"

"I wish I could tell you but none of us know the science behind it. But I assure you they need food, water, and sleep. They can live and die, hell they need female only washrooms! You get my point?"

"Actually, I may be able to shed some light on the subject." Admiral Takei spoke up in English.

"Go ahead Admiral." Howland says as he gives him the table.

"When my country was first fighting the Abyssal threat, a live but wounded one washed up on shore. We don't know how or why but we captured it and performed experiments on it. Of our multiple discoveries, the most shocking one is that the Abyssals contain human DNA, but also fuel, ammo, steel..."

"So your saying those things used to be human!?" Admiral Zambellas spoke out in shock.

"Vhy veren't ve ever told thiz?" Admiral Chirkov said with a cigar in his mouth.

"We didn't feel comfortable on releasing this information until recently, but those things weren't just human. They were the warships those humans served on. Basically they have somehow manifested into those monsters. At least, that's what we speculate with what we've gathered."

"Wait, so that means our girls..." Admiral Howland starts but isn't able to finish.

"Yes, they have been given Abyssal DNA. That is where they get their new souls, personalities, strength and memories from. They are the warships of the past reincarnated as human girls. Why do you think these girls can carry weapons that weigh in the tons with no strain? That they are mostly unharmed when shot with high caliber weapons?"

"But...why girls? Some of them are only twelve years old." Admiral Krause asks.

"We think it has to do with the simple fact that ships are commonly referred to as a she. Our scientists first tried to inject male servicemen, but the DNA would always reject them so when we tried it on a female human it was completely compatible."

"So...why are these Abyssals attacking?" Admiral Rogel asks.

"That my friend is where our answers stop. We don't know why they want to kill and sink. Maybe its revenge, maybe it's God's will, who knows?" Takei finishes and sits back down in his chair.

A silence takes the room as we all absorb the knowledge we gained. This is nothing like I expected. I thought it was going to be much simpler than this. In just ten minutes I'm told the monsters that murdered my crew and my father were former humans and warships out for…revenge? As I'm thinking about this Admiral Howland gets back up.

"Well…shit, none of us were expecting that but thank you for sharing that with us Admiral Takei. Now while we're on the topic of Abyssal's we'll go over every confirmed class of Abyssal ship. The Admiral starts flipping through pages detailing each class with a photo. They all look similar in the freakish design but he then stops on something that makes me sick. This one…looks human.

"What is that?" I ask quietly.

The Admirals all looked uncomfortable too. "That's another good question. At first these things were like mass produced toys that all resembled monster, but recently they've started to appear human. Highly mutated and female humans at that, that leaves the question, how?"

Admiral Krause takes the table. "All we have on this is rumors and speculation. But most agree that they are…former female service members converted. That would explain the absence of any female bodies in the water after a battle."

"That still wouldn't explain the sheer numbers of them. It's like they mass produce them now…somehow." Admiral Giorgi adds.

"Well gentlemen, that's one of the goals of project Kancolle. Admiral Quinn, this council of nations has chosen you to be the Admiral of a combined fleet of these ships girls. Your job will be the liberation of the Pacific Ocean, find out where their bases are, destroy them but most importantly, find out what these things are and where they come from. You have the support of these countries and their girls will become available to you as things improve in home waters. For now you'll have a small fleet of destroyers from the IJN, USN and RCN under your command. We want to see if you can actually command a few little ones before we give you the big guns. Your base of operations will be on the Japanese island of Okinawa; therefore your supplies will come from the mainland so make sure to keep those lines open. Anything you'd like to add gentlemen?"

Admiral Takei stands up once again. "Yes, I'd like to point out these girls are not normal sailors. They are very free spirited so adjust your methods accordingly. Some will have personalities better suited for training your other Kanmasu, while others will be good for teaching the young ones. Others will be suited for secretarial and logistical duties. Another thing to keep in mind is that they may become very much attached to you, how you plan to deal with these is up to you. I've also been informed that you speak Japanese, so that will help you immensely when it comes to dealing with Japans fleet girls. So remember, each of them is unique, if you have any questions feel free to contact me on the mainland." Takei sits back down and Admiral Krause stands up.

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we may have struck a terrible blow to the Abyssal fleets in the Atlantic and Mediterranean but the threat isn't completely gone. If you are able to send us additional resources, we'll be able to send more help your way." Krause sits down after his speech.

Rogel gets up next.

"Your base crew will also be made up of these girls. Like Takei said, some are best suited for command, secretarial duties, construction and repairs. Remember that these girls are not public knowledge, so we can't simply hire regular crewmen to do these jobs. All regular human interaction will be limited to project Kancolle staff." Rogel sits down and after no one else gets up Howland stands up once again.

"Remember Quinn, these girls are still human. They'll need rest, so don't push them too hard."

"Speaking of which, can the girls be killed?" I ask because none of them have mentioned what happens if things go bad.

"Unfortunately, they are not invincible. They may be somewhat protected from physical damage because of the special DNA, so the only damage they sustain when hit is to armor, aka clothing and weapon systems. But when the weapon system on their back fails it becomes too heavy and drags the girl under the water, drowning them. The system fails when it's taken too much damaged to sustain itself."

'Well shit, that sucks.'

"I understand, don't make any unnecessary risks."

"So, if no one has anything to add this meeting is over." Howland says as he shuts the terminals down. Everyone gets up and shakes my hand to congratulate me before leaving the room. Howland walks over to me and shakes my hand.

"Wasn't what you were expecting eh?" Howland says with a smirk.

"I don't think anyone could have seen that coming." I say giving another nervous smile. I look at my hands and they're still shaking.

I guess Howland notices this because he puts one of his cigars in my hand. "Things will be fine; if you're half the man your father says you are you'll do just fine."

"Where will the other Admirals be during all this?"

"Everyone except for me and Takei will be on the mainland gathering reports and giving you missions to complete. The only time you'll see them again will be during the monthly meetings. Now get going, you've got a flight waiting to take you to Okinawa." He says once again shaking my hand.

November 22nd, 2023

Unnamed Naval Base, Okinawa Japan 0030hrs

The helicopter is just about out of hearing range by now but I'm still just standing here with my luggage in awe. This base is magnificent; it was obviously designed with the ship girls in mind because it resembles a university campus more than a naval base. The docks are big enough for supply ships but that's about it.

At the moment I'm the only staff member on base. I'll have to check everything out tomorrow before the girls get here. But right now I just want to sleep; jetlag is killing me.

When I get to the building that's marked as the main HQ I'm pretty impressed. It's a red brick two story building that's also pretty long to. When I walk into the building there is an atrium and a double staircase heading up to the second floor on each back wall. I don't really know what's down the halls yet but I guess this is where all my operations are handled. Heading up to the second floor I go down the left, take a right and come across a single door with a sign that says Admirals Office.

My office is pretty nice but still very bland at the moment. After further inspection there is another door on the left wall and right wall. Opening the door on my left I finally find my bedroom. It was built for a Westerner in mind which is plainly obvious. I took my uniform off, placed it neatly on the racks and fell asleep in a minute.