"Welcome Home."

        Niigata, Niigata International City, Ajakon Confederation
  Akimoto sits in a chair, looking over an official document packet. “Minister Weber, please come to my office thing.” “On my way, Miss Prime Minister.” As he arrives she hands him a carbon copy of the document, then starts scanning the room for bugs, herself. “This is classified Omega-10, alright? None of this leaves this room and this conversation never happened.” “With all due respect ma’am, the only thing I’m an expert in is politics. I can’t guarantee that I won’t have people more knowledgable in whatever this is look over it.” “Well, it’s about either a Soviet, Beanstopian, or some sort of hostile sub, I suspect? The Yumi was searching for the UKM Remenant when an unknown sub was detected, Yumi hailed them and they immediately opened fire on Yumi. Yumi then popped decoys and anti-torpedo projectiles. Yumi was undamaged and could continue the patrol it was assigned, Any ideas?” “It says this was in the Mediterranean, right?” Akimoto nods, “Yes.” “Maybe it’s the Italians or GEDO playing around with a new top-secret submarine project. The Mediterranean is their playground after all.”  Akimoto scoffs, “Even if so, I don’t think they’d have the balls to attack an Ajakon missile sub.” “Well, it says small torpedoes right?” “Yes.” “What if they were just a scare tactic? Harmless torpedoes or blanks.” Akimoto thinks, “I don’t think p-GEDO would do that, though I am suspicious of the Italians and their former or maybe even current ASPA ties. The Iberians are still sore from Ajako’s exit, but… hm…” “Either way, jumping to conclusions is unwise. Would you mind if I took these reports to some of our experts? They should still be in touch with Italian technology. Maybe they know more.” “Go ahead, I would send some reports to Mount Kaikoma, but something massive just happened there, so I’m going to send stuff to the fallback locations.” “I’ll get back to you in a week then. Let’s hope on some insight by then.” She chuckles and nods, “Hope so.” Akimoto sinks back into her chair, sighing.
      Niigata, NIC, AC, 1 week later
  UKM officers are frantically scrambling to find their old transmitter having just finished reviewing the documents they recently received. The entire office is in deep panic as some scramble for phones while others empty boxes en mass. Underfoot is an intern, Izumi Oka, who is attempting to help. Finally, after 32 minutes of desperate searching they found their transmitter and made a stable and secure connection to the Ajakon Naval command centre. “This is Nipponretto Logistics Command, what do you need?” “We need an immediate connection to the Head of the Ajakon Navy. No questions.” “Understood, Connecting you with Lady Akimoto now.” While the connection is running the transmitter sends out a short message covering the entirety of the Mediterranean ocean on a very specific frequency. The message reads as follows: “[.... ... --..-- / .... -... .-.-.- / ... .--. / -.-. ..-. .-.-.-]” “Miss Akimoto, are you there?” “Yes, what did you find that required interrupting my therapy session?” She sounds intrigued. “We need immediate naval coverage over the sea of Japan and the strait of Malacca. We’ll explain along the way. This is important.” Akimoto looks serious, “I’ll scramble the European and Pacific Fleets, along with the ACCDF and Oddball Reactionary Task Force. Anything else you need?” “Air coverage and a clear path.” the transmitter spits back”[.... -... --..-- / .... ... .-.-.- / .-. -.-.]” “I’ll get a no-fly zone using aircraft.” the operator of the transmitter spouts back: “[.... ... --..-- / .... -... .-.-.- / ...-- --... .-.-.- ----. --... -.... --... --... ----- --..-- / .---- ...-- ----. .-.-.- ..--- ...-- ----- ..--- ...-- --... .-.-.-]” “We’ll see you in an hour, Miss Akimoto.” “[-.-. .-. --..-- / -- .-.-.-]” Akimoto tilts her head, hearing the Morse in the background, “See you… in an hour.” Akimoto finishes her therapy session and quickly puts on her business kimono. Meanwhile, Izuma walks to her boss, the guy who spoke to Akimoto, “Sir, what’s going on?” “We found out that the attacking submarine is the one that left Constantinople on the night of the collapse.” Izuma blinks twice, “Wow. Huh, okay.” “We’re in contact as we speak.” Izuma sits down. “Wow. No kidding?” “Come, a boat is ready for us. We’ll greet them on the sea.” Izuma perks up, “Which boat!? Did you know my aunt captains a submarine!!” “Sorry to disappoint young Lady but it’s a surface vessel. We wouldn’t have a good enough signal with both of our vessels underwater.” “What kind of surface vessel?” “Just a fishing boat.” “Ooo, my Mom owns one of those! How large is it!” “As large as we could scramble. Believe it or not, there is not a big market for fishing boat loaning.” Izuma puts on her jacket, “When do we leave? I’ll need to tell my mother I’m going on a trip.” “We’re leaving in 20 minutes.” Izuma is busy calling her mom, saying she’s going on a fishing trip, saying she’ll be safe.
      Under the Sea, Red Sea, Orbis
  “So. Finally a friendly port, hm?” Kinoshita is deep in thought, “Niigata…” Kinoshita sighs, “Atlas, that’s my hometown.” “You’ll be home after 7 years on sea. Must be a nice feeling.” “M… maybe…” She sounds either distressed or worried, or both. “Take it from an old geezer like me. If you’ve been out for years, seen people come and go and seen the entire world shift, you want nothing more than to see home again, even if only subconsciously.” “Really?” Kinoshita, for a couple seconds, looks like a scared young woman.  “Home is where the heart and memories are.” Kinoshita chuckles quietly, when they hear retching from the bridge. “Another stomach bug… This will luckily be over soon.” The helmswoman stumbles out of the bridge, looking pale and fumbling to put on a mask, she speaks to Atlas and Kinoshita a little muffled, “Apologies Minister Atlas, Madam Kinoshita” Kinoshita didn’t understand the woman’s Greek, but got the gist of the comment. “Best of luck to you.” Atlas replies before rolling to the bridge. “Ahh, these old eyes are failing me…” “I think Japan has some medicine stuff.” Atlas chuckles. “That would certainly be beneficial.”
      Under the Sea, Sea of Japan, Orbis, 1 week later
  “We’re getting close, Kinoshita.” She nods at Atlas, “I can feel it in my bones, Atlas.” The communicator springs to life again: “[.... ... --..-- / .... -... .-.-.- / .-. .--. .-.-.-]” The communicator noises back: “[.... -... --..-- / .... ... .-.-.- / ...-- --... .-.-.- ..... ....- ....- ..--- ---.. ----- --..-- / .---- ...-- --... .-.-.- --... ---.. ..... -.... ..... ---.. .-.-.-]” As soon as the reply from Home Base arrives, “[.... ... --..-- / .... -... .-.-.- / ... - --- .--. / .- -.. ...- .- -. -.-. . .-.-.-]”, the ship immediately grinds to a halt. “Perform a perimeter scan.” Atlas commands. They perform their scan. They find the area infested with military class surface and underwater vessels. “Sink to the bottom, now! And turn off those bloody generators!” A silent message on a very specific frequency leaves the ship. “[.... -... --..-- / .... ... .-.-.- / ... ..- .-. .-. --- ..- -. -.. . -.. .-.-.- / ... .-. .-.-.-]” “[.... ... --..-- / .... -... .-.-.- / ...- . ... ... . .-.. ... / .- ... ... .. --. -. . -.. / .-..-. .- .--- .- -.- --- -. / -.-. --- -. ..-. . -.. . .-. .- - .. --- -. .-..-. .-.-.- / .--. .-.. . .- ... . / ... ..- .-. ..-. .- -.-. . .-.-.-]” “What in the devil’s hell is an Ajakon Confederation?!” Atlas exclaims, Kinoshita tilts her head, “The f**k? Confirm that?” “[.... -... --..-- / .... ... .-.-.- / .--. .-.. . .- ... . / .-. . .--. . .- - .-.-.-]” “[.... ... --..-- / .... -... .-.-.- / ...- . ... ... . .-.. ... / .- ... ... .. --. -. . -.. / .-..-. .- .--- .- -.- --- -. / -.-. --- -. ..-. . -.. . .-. .- - .. --- -. .-..-. .-.-.- / .--. .-.. . .- ... . / ... ..- .-. ..-. .- -.-. . .-.-.-]” “Same thing.” Atlas looks puzzled. “Admiral, they’re asking us to surface. What do we do?” “Maybe they found out our signal? But how? Either way, we’re not surfacing until we know what’s happening.” “[.... -... --..-- / .... ... .-.-.- / -.-. .- -. -. --- - / -.-. --- -- .--. .-.. -.-- .-.-.-]” “Sir, we’re getting something from a different frequency, they are repeating it over and over” “{... ..- -... -- .- .-. .. -. . / - .... .. ... / .. ... / .- -.-. .... -.-. / .. .-- .- - . --..-- / ... ..- -... -- .- .-. .. -. . --..-- / -.. --- / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. --- .--. -.-- / --- ...- . .-. ..--..}” “I don’t give a rat’s **s who that is, I’M NOT SURFA-” Atlas starts coughing heavily. Kinoshita looks concerned, “Atlas?” “This damned age! Reply to only our frequency! Turn the rest off! It’s giving me headaches!”