Chapter Text
24th December 2021
Christmas Eve
Azur Lane HQ
Wintertime had descended on the base.
Belfast, Bel-Chan and Enty-chan were putting up Christmas decorations and tinsel on the Christmas tree humming jingle bells. "Merry Christmas Belfast! I'll be your Santa Claus today, so you'd better hang your socks right by the fireplace before going to bed tonight." a voice said from behind.
"Santa isn't here Miss Enterprise." Belfast retorted.
"Santa Claus is real I tell you. Hm? But she's right in front of your eyes." Enterprise turned her around, "What presents do you want?"
"If your Santa shouldn't you be at your grotto with your elves." Zuikaku said as she and Shokaku put up tinsel.
"Well…." Belfast pulled her away towards the door.
Stepping outside the living room, "So how many ship girls are helping?" Belfast questioned.
"21 other than Sara," Enty said as the roar of aircraft in the distance echoed. Belfast already knew that the regular AEW and ASW patrol planes were out.
A while later
Belfast was in her regular maid clothes.
As the festive season approached, Enterprise having decided to join the celebrations as Santa Claus or rather Santaprise. After pulling on a pair of black pantyhose, black waist-length leggings and a white fur bottom skirt, she wrapped a large thick white coat around herself and secured it into place with her black belt.
She'd grabbed the red bag that held all the presents, placing them around her waist.
She had picked up and draped a white snow fur cape over herself to keep herself nice and warm, she wrapped her large white with red pattern scarf around her neck.
Taking a hold of her white earmuffs and slipping them into places, followed by her mid-arm length white fur gloves and her large white ushanka hat which had a snowman on top.
Doing a quick twirl in the bedroom mirror, she re-fixed her outfit then slipped her legs into her white fur topped high-heel boots with festive ribbons at the top.
Hidden beneath her skirt is two waterproof holsters containing her HK USP Match pistols.
Enterprise and Belfast walked into the snow-covered garden seeing their house lit up in multi-coloured Christmas lights and a Christmas tree outside.
Saratoga, Zuikaku, Vestal along with Little Belfast and Little Enterprise came out in Winter gear and with sledges.
The group left the house.
At the base
All the destroyers had gathered with other ship-girls waiting in anticipation, Santaprise opened the doors. "Ho-ho, Merry Christmas."
Grim flew in cawing, "Santa." the young destroyers said happily gathering around Santaprise.
"Have you all been good girls?" Santaprise asked them.
"Yes we have." each of the destroyers said.
"Well then cause you've been so good…." She reached into her sack handing out presents to the little destroyers and child ships, "...Remember don't open them until tomorrow."
"Of course, Santa we promise." the little destroyers all said.
"Santa where's your sleigh?" Kagero asked her.
"It's outside and has had a major upgrade, wanna see?"
Enterprise was sitting on her red and white carrier sleigh with a longer and larger flight deck with an angled runway.
The sleigh had space for at least five more along with the space for the present bag.
"Grimm dash away," she called as a stream of magic spread from the sleigh as it accelerated and lifted off the ground joined by a flight of fighter jets.
An F-14A and F-14B Tomcats leading an F-4B and F-4J Phantom II, F/A-18C Hornet, F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets, F-8E Crusader flew with the sleigh over the base before the sleigh disappeared.
Vestal watching couldn't help but smile.
Everyone watched as the jets performed aerobatics.
A little while later
Enterprise and her wives walked down to the lake, upon arriving at the ice lake, Enterprise changed her boots for white-furred high-heel boots with red ice skates.
Yorktown's long silver-coloured hair hadn't lost its shine as her light-purple eyes stared frozen out to sea.
Her silver choker stood out from black military that was unbuttoned on top of her black crop top which was buttoned up with a white knee-length dress that had a mix of black frills and a white with black and yellow cuff trim covering a black pantyhose.
Around her feet were blue cross-laced lady shoes. Her hands had white gloves.
Her right arm had an Eagle union stars and stripes flag with a blue rose on the right side.
Hornet despite also having a slender frame like Yorktown, too had a smaller breast size than Yorktown. Her green eyes seemed to stare towards the horizon as her long blonde hair was done up in twin tails.
She had a black bikini top with denim shorts that had a yellow belt covered over by a bulky black cape with a collar that yellow linings, it had black arm sleeves that also had a yellow lining.
Below her shorts were white thigh-high covered by black thigh-high silver metal boots that had a red bottom. Atop her head was a black with a yellow band cowboy hat.
"How do you not get cold in the Hornet sister?" Enterprise questioned.
"Search me, sis," Hornet responded.
Shokaku and Zuikaku had started a snowball fight with Enty and Bel-chan.
"Everyone liked your air show Santaprise," Vestal called out.
"I'm glad they did," Enty said back.
They watched Enterprise skate around.
Out at sea, the E-2C Hawkeye from Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown continued their patrol as did Illustrious, Formidable and Victorious's Gannet AEW.3s and Queen Elizabeth and Wales's E-2C Hawkeyes.
Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown had also sent out S-3B Vikings while Illustrious, Formidable and Victorious's Gannet AS.4, Eagle and Ark Royal's Sea King HAS.1 loitered around while the Wessex HAS.3 from the three illustrious sisters and Queen Elizabeth and Wales's Sea King HAS.6 were quietly motoring along patrolling for Siren Submarines.
Loitering around were Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown's KS-3A Viking tankers with their 36,569ibs of fuel load ready to refuel the combat air patrols.
Back at the Ice Lake
Enterprise had taken to the ice as Vestal joined by Essex watched her while Belfast had joined the snowball fight with Zuikaku and the others.
"A white Christmas, it's so pretty…" Enterprise said as she stopped in her tracks seeing someone who disappeared.
"Something wrong Enterprise?" Yorktown asked her.
"Not sure, though I saw someone, just gonna take a quick look," she said removing her ice skates and putting her boots back on.
In the forest
Enterprise wandered around when someone caught her eye, "Hello." She called.
A tall woman stood there, she had a slender frame and J-Cup bust. Her hair was dark-brown hair that was waist-length and had fox ears atop of her head, Enterprise stared into the purple eyes which had orange eyeliner below.
She could see the seven brown foxtails.
The figure had a yellow badge inside a black choker around her neck, she wore a black kimono that had a mix of white frills with red accents and a crane pattern design with a red with black accent haori underneath.
Her wrists had brown bridal gauntlets.
The figure's waistline had black metal with red accents that had a grey metallic sash holding a red obi on it.
Beneath her kimono, she had dark-brown pantyhose and black geta attached to her feet.
In her left hand was a red oriental umbrella.
Her right arm had a purple flame carrier deck.
"Can I help you, its cold out here you know," Enterprise said unaware of the aircraft lurking above the clouds,
"You!" the female kansen said throwing four purple leaves.
Enterprise summoned a 20-millimetre M134D Minigun firing back as the figure ran through the trees only for piston engine noise to draw her attention above.
A6M5 Zero fighters hovered above as A6M6c Zero strike-fighters streaked in strafing as it fired its nose-mounted and two inner-wing 13.2mm Type 3 Machine Guns with its two outer 20mm Type 99-2 Mk.4 Cannons followed by a volley of ten Type 3 unguided rockets exploded near Enterprise.
Enterprise ran at a hurried pace as Amagi threw four purple stars that became four D4Y2A Judy dive-bombers which dove from altitude dropping a 1100ib unguided bomb.
Zuikaku heard the rumble, "What was….what the hell's an A6M Zero doing around here?"
"Good question Zuikaku and where's Enterprise?" Shokaku questioned as more Sakura empire planes of old appeared in the sky. "I think we should follow the planes."
In the Base Town Square
The Eagle Union Eldridge, San Diego, Nicholas, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Seattle, Dewey, Hammann, Jenkins, Cooper, Saratoga and Concord were getting Christmas decorations.
The Royal Navy's Warspite, Cygnet and Neptune were along with the Sakura Empire's Urakaze, Yamashiro, Mutsuki, Yudachi, Agano, Isuzu and Kiyonami were setting up for the outdoor Christmas party later.
"Everyone get down!" Enterprise shouted turning over her shoulder to fire her gun at the attacking Zeroes firing bullets which peppered one that erupted into flames.
The crippled plane crashed into an empty building. Enterprise stowed her gun-running for the port.
She reached the docks only for more piston engine noise to catch her attention, the roar of six MK4T Kasei 25 engines brought her attention to the harbour.
A flight of six B6N2 Jill torpedo-bombers dropped its lone Type 91 number 3 torpedo into the water and as they climbed out fired its 7.7 millimetre ventral and rear Type 92 Machine Guns, Enterprise could only watch as the four torpedoes explode against the docks with number five and six-hitting her ship.
Amagi's 28 Twin 25-millimetre Type 96 Anti-Air Guns and 12 Twin 5-inch Type 89 Dual Purpose Naval Guns opened up lobbing 25-millimetre rounds and 5-inch shells at her.
She looked around seeing a motorbike dodging shells and anti-air rounds, quickly running towards it jumping on and starting it up, she sped off towards another ice lake.
Vestal, seeing the damage immediately got to work, called on her rig and got down to work.
Amagi leapt onto a Zero fighter chasing as they approached the ice lake, Enty pulled her first HK USP Match pistol and started firing at the plane but her shots missed.
She fired up the engine taking it to full throttle as the A6M6c Zeros, D4Y2A Judy and B6N2 Jills circled waiting for the moment to attack.
She stopped the bike keeping the engine running as the A6M6c Zeros dove in firing a 13.2-millimetre Machine Gun and 20-millimetre cannon punching holes into the ice which spread cracks into the ice.
Enterprise could hear the sound of ice cracking as the D4Y2A Judys rolled in shooting from their 7.7-millimetre Machine Guns and dropping unguided bombs which smashed into the ice causing more cracks.
She throttled up again, Enterprise turned the bike weaving only for the last Judy's bomb to explode near her throwing her into the air. Enterprise hit the ice which cracked under her as the B6N2 Jill swooped in with 7.7-millimetre machine guns.
Enterprise had to body roll to avoid the bullets, she could hear the ice cracking more and more, she tried to pick herself up as she saw Amagi at the edge of the ice lake, Enterprise looked around seeing the 5-inch gun aimed at the ice and it opened fire.
Shells landed around her as the ice finally shatters sending her down into the icy waters.
Enterprise steadied herself swimming back up only to find the ice had frozen over again, she punched on the ice trying to break it but it was too strong, she punched and punched but the ice was now too thick to break, she kept trying and trying punching and punch but her strength just wasn't doing anything.
Feeling her muscles tiring she gave another punch and started sinking. 'Why is the universe so cruel to me." she mentally asked as the light was fading as a loud bang punched a massive hole in the ice-breaking it apart but Enty felt the blast knock the wind out of her but she could see herself rising.
Hitting the surface she gasped for air as someone pulled her up into a sledge on the lakeside with her ushanka hat on the sledge.
"We gotta stop meeting like this Enterprise." the voice that Enterprise recognised immediately.
A tall woman who had an hourglass figure now a supermodel figure and originally O-Cup breasts now were a Q-Cup.
Her dark red hair once had yellow and black shades was now red-tipped and now was at her ass but she still had her teal navy blue eyes.
Her hips were wider than before with slightly slender and long legs.
She had done away with the long flowing dark red and black ballgown with a white under-gown in favour of a dark red and black coat with a white shirt but she had kept her red gloves and black heels.
Her silver rapier was longer.
"Incom-cough-cough-parable," she said between coughing fits as ice rained down around them.
A volley of shells smashed into the area knocking Amagi down as Enterprise looked to see Incomparable's ship sail into the harbour which she could see from the ice lake. She had gotten a huge refit since Belfast and Enterprise last saw her.
Her five triple QF 4-inch Mark 5 Naval Guns had been replaced by eleven twin QF 4-inch Mark 21 Dual-Purpose Naval Guns.
But the biggest change was her anti-air battery of nine single 47-millimetre QF 3-pounder Anti-Air Guns.
They had been replaced by four octuple 40-millimetre QF 2-pounder Mk.8 Pom-Pom Anti-Air Guns backed up by a battery of four single 40-millimetre Bofors Mk.7 and twelve twin Bofors Mk.4 Anti-Air Guns.
It was further backed up by twenty-six single 20-millimetre Oerlikon Mk.4 and eight twin Oerlikon Mk.5 Anti-Air Guns. On each side was a quadruple 21-inch QR Mk.2 torpedo tubes that had replaced her eight underwater torpedo tubes.
She called on her rig, She had two ship sections and her funnel attached to her back.
The bow had one twin-turret BL 20-inch Naval Gun with a pair of twin QF 4-inch Mark 21 Dual-Purpose Naval Gun.
The stern had a twin-turret BL 20-inch Naval Gun with a twin QF 4-inch Mark 21 Dual-Purpose Naval Gun.
Around her waist was a pair of quadruple 21-inch QF Mark 2 Torpedo Tubes. "Now then miss, stand down," Incomparable said turning to face Amagi.
"Not until she pays," Amagi said.
"For-cough-cough-what?" Enterprise said as she coughed.
"For killing me at Midway!" Amagi shouted.
"What are you talking about! I didn't kill you….oh." Enterprise began to say before it clicked, "You must be an Amagi from some other timeline where you were converted into a carrier."
"Sister Amagi!" Akagi shouted.
"Akagi, it's good to see you again," Amagi responded as she and Kaga hugged Amagi.
Enterprise looked on when she felt herself being pulled from the lakeside, looking over her shoulder to see Vestal pulling her sledge, "Wait, Vestal, stop dragging me along all of a sudden…" Enterprise protested.
"After being out this long and falling into the lake you need to warm up," Vestal responded.
"Huh? But it doesn't feel cold to me. No, seriously I'm not cold." Enterprise continued protesting.
"You fell into an ice lake, you're coming with me to the sauna so you can dry and warm up and expel any water you swallowed.
As Vestal dragged Enterprise, they could see some Fletchers having a snowball fight with Hood, Bismarck and Abercrombie.
Abercrombie picked up a large amount of snow into a snowball and threw it at Hood hitting her who grabbed several snowballs throwing them back at Abercrombie who aimed at Bismarck but missed.
Bismarck threw a snowball but hit the tree above Hood who was gathering snow when the snow fell off the tree burying Hood in snow.
"Auntie Hood!" Abercrombie said worriedly.
"I'm alright Abercombie," Hood responded poking her head up and grabbing a pile of snow into a snowball throwing it at Abercombie who threw her snowball at Hood who'd pulled her from the snow.
As Vestal pulled her sledge and Enterprise along they saw the little beavers making snow angels, Unicorn and Uchan were making a snow unicorn statue while other Eagle Union destroyers were making other snow statues.
A little Later
Enterprise was sitting in a sauna as Belfast, Vestal, Zuikaku, Shokaku and Saratoga were seated next to her but "You okay Enterprise?" Shokaku asked the carrier girl.
"I think so." the Eagle Union carrier responded as sweat rolled down her skin.
Enterprise sat back, So I gonna use a new method to deliver all the gifts tonight as my SBD Dauntless and TBD Devastators were not the most practical options so this year."
"This year has pretty much sucked first 102 Fletcher ship-girls then Junyo and Roon disappear off the face of the earth and Bearn takes her own life." Enterprise groaned.
"Yeah it has but I think they'd want us to remember them and make sure their sacrifices aren't in vain." Saratoga's words seemed sombre.
"So Akashi is working on your gift as let's just say it's gonna change everything," Vestal said with a grin.
"Will I have to pay for it with gems?" Enty questioned.
"No, as this is a Christmas gift to be received at midnight now how about we relax a little bit before hitting the onsen," Belfast said.
After finishing in the sauna and showering, the group headed for the base onsen and went inside.
As they sat down, "So what changed in the world other than what we know?" Enterprise inquired.
"Well from what I understand the cube technology changed the world dramatically as world hunger and energy crises were gone and global fossil emissions pretty much stopped mostly as everything moved to the wisdom cubes," Belfast remarked.
"So I assume the balance of Naval power is not the Eagle Union being the number 1 power…." Enterprise trailed off.
"You'd be correct Miss Enterprise although how do you make it affordable?" Belfast said.
"Probably the wisdom cubes although won't the sirens bringing the cube technology back to the 1940s not radically alter the timeline?" Enterprise mused, the other girls looked at each other briefly as they mused on what Enterprise just said.
"She's right, it would," Shoukaku responded.
"So I assume the British Empire is still going right Belfast?" Enty asked the head maid.
"As far as I know it is as they roughly estimate that the Royal Navy has a displacement of 1,686,648 tons," Belfast said leaning back.
"So I think I've got a new way to deliver the rest of the presents tonight," Enterprise said as Belfast rubbed her shoulders.
"I plan to use my H-2 Seasprite and H-3 Sea Kings transport helos, although I might need some heavy-lifters….." Enterprise began to say when the blonde-haired Wasp walked in, she was completely naked not doing anything to cover her large breasts.
"You need some help with tonight Enterprise?" Wasp asked sitting down next to her.
"Yeah, I could as I need heavy-lift choppers," Enterprise responded.
"I miss you Wasp, I'd rather have you as my sister…. And I'm thinking of asking Langley." Enterprise told her before getting her into a hug.
"I know Enty but if you offered me to be your sister, well…." Wasp stopped as Langley appeared.
She put her towel aside revealing that her petite frame and flat chest expanded into an hourglass figure and an I-Cup bust size, getting comfortable, She was as tall as Hornet and her long wavy green hair was down.
Langley sat down in one of the baths, "Miss Enterprise I had a hunch you'd offer me one of the Enterprise Class and as much I appreciate the thought, I must decline as I am happy with my current carrier."
"Alright, so Wasp do you?" Enty asked.
"Heck yeah, CV-18 Wasp can be the helicopter carrier," Wasp said excitedly.
"Hold on then…." Enterprise said briefly then lifted herself out of the water leaving everyone a chance to see her naked form.
"That's Eagle Union's ass," Wasp said giggling.
"It is wrong that Enterprise looks pretty hot like this?" Wasp grinned staring at Enty walked out of the onsen room.
"Wasp." Hornet chided back.
"Maybe not, as look at her, she looks sexy with those legs," Tirpitz said blushing somewhat.
Hornet looked over to see Friedrich Der Grobe, Bismarck, Tirpitz, Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Nimi, Javelin, Laffey and Ayanami were seated.
"Hey, Tirpitz did Victorious bomb your room again?" Hornet asked the former Iron Blood battleship
"Umm she wanted to send her new Buccaneer S.2s but now that I've lost my old ship, she's not gonna do that."
"Hmm, I'll have to have a talk with Victorious over some of my black forest cake…." Tirpitz began as Enterprise returned with a white cube.
"I've been trying to introduce that into Enty's diet," Belfast said.
Enterprise re-entered the water with the cube in her hand, "Wasp do you want this, you can still turn back as there is no going back."
"I want to be your sister properly this time," Wasp said back taking a hold of the cube.
Wasp relaxed as the white disappeared inside her only for herself, Hornet and Yorktown to glow, Everyone shielded their eyes.
The light faded and they all stared at the three.
Yorktown was a tall woman but now was as tall as Odin, her slender frame was now an athletic slender runner, her large bust was now a 0-Cup, her long-silver hair was down by her large ass.
Hornet was as tall as Hakuryu and her slender frame had become a slender athletic bodybuilder with her medium bust becoming an N-Cup with her long blond hair gaining a shade of orange and is undone.
Wasp had grown to be as tall as Azuma with her slender frame had turned into an athletic model figure from a high jumper, the large bust had grown out to an N-Cup.
Her long orange hair grew darker with two bangs, one running down the sides of her face.
"Wow, you girls look smoking hot," Littorio said, flashing a smile as the three girls blushed.
"Why are ship-girls have their bodies modified?" Javelin questioned.
"I'm honestly not sure," Enterprise admitted.
"So Tripitz how are things going with Victorious?" Tirpitz leaned back upon hearing Bismarck's question.
"It's going well but I hear lady Littorio is dating Illustrious." Littorio bushed at Vittorio-Veneto's words,"
Belfast glanced at Zuikaku, "My child Nimi's ship is heading back to be preserved." Friedrich chimed in.
"My battleship's fate is my decision," Tirpitz said before she pulled herself from the onsen, heading for the door.
"Umm could the twenty-one Corsairs and twenty-eight Barracuda Mark 2s from Victorious sink Tirpitz?" Enterprise questioned.
"Hmm…." Bismarck mused pondering on it.
"Unguided bombs mostly," Belfast replied.
"I do wonder why torpedoes weren't used," Ayanami mused to herself.
"anti-torpedo netting," Tirpitz said back.
Friedrich Der Grobe moved over to Tripitz putting her arms around the former Iron-Blood fast battleship, "What troubles you, my child?"
"I wish I have died not by the Air Force's tallboys." She groaned.
"So how do you want your ship to die?" Friedrich inquired somewhat sombre in her asking.
"I want my Battleship will be taken to Norway's Kaafjord where I want Victorious sink it," she responded,
"Umm Tirp, Victorious doesn't have the bombs with the punch needed to break through your armour, you really shouldn't be upset at her," Bismarck said stopping her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Sis with anti-torpedo netting around, a torpedo strike wasn't possible and even if it could have and have been successful, where you made a torpedo strike damn near impossible," Tirpitz paused as she listened to Bismarck.
"Sis, what choice was there? the Royal Navy couldn't kill you even if torpedoes were possible, so they had to send the Lancasters and tallboys as that was the only option they had." She said, Tirpitz, looked stunned.
"I need to talk to Victorious," Tirpitz said.
"I know, now join us and let us relax," Bismarck said softly, Tirpitz smiled.
Tirpitz and Bismarck returned to the onsen.
A little later
Columbia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Maryland, West Virginia, Georgia, Boise, Montpelier, North Carolina, Washington, Colorado and South Dakota, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Arizona had gathered. "Something wrong Commander Enterprise?" Arizona asked.
"Yes…." She sighed "Girls I'm ordering you back to the mainland as the metal used to build your hulls was found to be defective and Pennsylvania, Nevada, Maryland, West Virginia, Columbia your hulls are suspect, so your hull will be inspected and if it is found of any defective metal, you're temporarily being sidelined."
"Why?" New Jersey groaned.
"Because your hulls are not up to the strength of Eagle Union so we need to fix, you will depart within the hour dismissed," she said sternly.
She watched the group go.
She leaned on the podium, staring out into space.