>>6135599“No, no they are not,” Raleigh says, with a bemused headshake. “But it could be worse. Iran's still making petty trouble. The North Koreans are riding high, since they’re pretty insulated from this mess, but it’s mostly sabre-rattling. Russia is having a devil of a time trying to keep their gas infrastructure safe up north. They’ve made noise about using tactical nukes almost every day, but nothing’s come of that. China, as I understand, was gearing up to seize Taiwan, but the Abyssals scuttled those plans hard, maybe for good; it turns out they need Gulf oil, Australian iron, and American pork something fierce, not to mention all their exports. They’re guarding their coast and islands and mostly letting everyone else do the high seas work. Tensions between them and most of the world are sky-high, especially Japan.”
“Oh yeah, the IJN reconstituted? They must hate that.”
“They do. They see the entire existence of shipgirls as a provocation. Quite a few venture that we're actually the same as Abyssals, proof that the Abyssals and maybe even the Ides itself are all an imperialist anti-China conspiracy. That said, they probably wouldn't be quite so bent out of shape if the few ships to come back to China hadn't all come back to the Republic of China.”
“Wait- *Taiwan* has China’s shipgirls? The PRC doesn’t?” You try and promptly fail to not laugh out loud at the notion.
“All five of them,” Raleigh confirms, smiling a little herself. “You gotta wonder, who pissed in their soup over that island? I swear these Reds are worse than Chiang ever was back in the day.”
“Unfinished business, you know how it is. But, that's it? No World War III, but chaos, bleeding, exhaustion, and tensions everywhere?”
“More or less. Feels like the world's holding its breath,” Raleigh says, “something's gotta give, and soon. Anyway, there’s a good deal more to fill you in on, and I should have the outlines of a plan for you by the time you’re back.”
“I’ll make it quick.”
And with that, your attention withdraws back to your true surroundings. Night is falling here too by now, unfamiliar stars winking into being overhead. Nagato and Long Beach are a ways to port and still talking intently, while Bainbridge is far to your starboard, all now little slips of shadow against the sea.
It occurs to you, looking out at the gathering darkness, that perhaps it’s not a good moment to attempt night flight ops at almost literal wavetop height. Now would be a really good time to have some freeboard.
