Chapter Text
February 24th, 2025
Lalo and Eric Martinez were the sons of a Desert Storm Veteran. Born in Houston, the brothers spent much of their childhood moving from place to place, sometimes even living overseas. Their Mexican-American heritage occasionally made them stand out in unfamiliar places, but it also shaped their character and resilience. When they came of age, Lalo and Eric enlisted in the US Navy with their parents' consent, determined to follow in their father's footsteps. In the early years of their careers, they were assigned to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, USS Nicholas, where they served for four years as sonar operators.
Eventually, the time came to step ashore. The brothers pursued higher education and later returned to the Navy as commissioned officers. Their dedication paid off, and both earned the rank of Lieutenant. Soon after, they were assigned to the Ticonderoga-class Guided Missile Cruiser, USS Lake Erie, joining her crew for her next voyage. Fate would soon a dramatic turn when the Lake Erie's Captain and XO were relieved of command following a loss of confidence in their ability to lead. In the aftermath, Lalo and Eric were given the rare and remarkable opportunity to assume their first command in their early thirties.
With Lake Erie out of maintenance, the ship set off for her deployment to the Persian Gulf with her new Commanders in control. Lalo and Eric headed out onto the bridge and took in the clear skies, the sound of the ship's hull crashing through the waves was calming, almost tranquil, as they discussed where their careers would go once they had accomplished their maiden voyage as Captain and XO.
"Skipper, XO can you head up to the bridge? Helmsman needs you." One of the sailors asked.
The brothers headed up to the bridge to see what the helmsman needed. When they arrived, they watched as the displays flickered and the consoles went haywire, Eric pulled out his compass, and strangely it was spinning wildly like a roulette table. Lalo then resorted to using the sextant to try and get a fix on their location until the ship's power was cut leaving the Lake Erie dead in the water.
The ship gradually came to a stop in the middle of the sea, USS Lake Erie was now dead in the water. The crew members in the engine room attempted to power up the generators, but it was no use. Radioing for help was also a fool's errand, even with the use of Morse code. Instead, they chose to just bide their time and wait...after all, someone would notice a ten thousand ton cruiser missing with all hands and send help.
Eric scanned the horizon for any potential threats. Without the radar, he had to rely on his binoculars to locate any potential enemies visually. There was no sign of a jet and even then, the Russians couldn't have any fighter jet that could fly this far out and with them dealing with their affairs in Afghanistan, playing around probably wasn't much of a priority either.
"Everyone eyes out and pay attention! Look for any suspicious activity!", The Captain ordered the crew, "If it was there, we would've seen it...or heard it. The whole ship's silent!", He continued.
"What....the...fuck IS THAT!?" The helmsman cried, pointing to the sky at the mysterious flying object that hovered over their ship.
The sky cracked open with an eerie silence as the object descended; a colossal UFO, dwarfing the cruiser below. It hovered like a shadow cast by the heavens, diamond-shaped and immense, easily three times the vessel's full length. Slowly, it began to rotate, each turn deliberate, rhythmic, like the ticking of some alien clock.
"It's a...spaceship?! And BIG!", Eric replied, noticing that the UFO had a diameter at least three times larger than the Lake Erie. "It looks like something outta War of the Worlds!", He added.
A blinding ray of light surrounded the ship. It was bright enough to blind those who looked up at hit and hot enough to cause mild sunburn. Anyone who was outside took shelter as quickly as they could to protect themselves. With the light came an ear-shattering noise that made the sailors' ears ring in pain. The torture lasted for five minutes finally, the ray of light disappeared and the agonizing ringing subsided.
After days of sailing blind through a cold gray shroud, the skies broke open in a wash of blue so clear it almost looked unnatural. Not a cloud hung overhead. The ocean glittered beneath the morning sun, calm for once. Lalo stepped out onto the deck, taking a deep breath of the salt-heavy air. It smelled clean now, not damp and stale like it had for the past week.
He raised his radio and keyed it. "Engine room, status report."
The reply came faster than expected, and with a tone he hadn't heard in days: pride. "All four turbines are back online, ready to rock 'n roll, sir!"
A grin spread across Lalo's face. "Good work. Let's bring her up."
"Heads on a swivel, people!" Eric added.
The Lake Erie surged forward with renewed life, steel hull slicing through the waves. Twenty-five knots and steady. For the first time in what felt like forever, the old battleship felt like herself again. But the peace didn't last. Within days, the attacks resumed; creatures rising from the depths and dropping from the clouds, twisted things made of metal and bone, more machine than flesh. They came without warning, without any pattern, as if testing the ship's limits. The crew quickly learned that modern weapons were all but useless. Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles locked on, then veered off wildly, their guidance scrambled by some kind of electromagnetic interference that the creatures emitted. It was like fighting ghosts with an M4.
Out of missiles and left only with the twin Mark 45s, the crew of USS Lake Erie fought back until the last round. No matter what they did, nothing could put a dent in the armor of these monsters...then they shot back, putting a massive hole into the broadside of the ship, "Sir! We're hit and listing heavily to starboard! Damage control parties are unable to contain the flooding and the pumps are failing!"
"Abandon ship...Eric..ensure that the survivors get to the life rafts...I'll radio for rescue." Lalo said, his voice laced with defeat as he sent a distress signal out to anyone who was listening, "To anyone out there...this is the USS Lake Erie, we have a severe list to starboard and need immediate assistance."
Rescue eventually arrived in the form of a ship calling itself the Admire. The ship looked like something out of Starblazers with sleek railguns replacing traditional naval artillery and even VLS cells. The survivors were pulled aboard the ship and were even more surprised to see that the crew was all female, "This is quite an imrpessive ship...very sci-fi..." Lalo said.
"We're glad you came when you did...those things, they sank our ship...killed most of our crew." Eric shook his head in disbelief before turning his gaze to the blue haired Captain, "There was nothing we could do...our missiles...they would just lose lock and our gun couldn't even put a dent in their armor."
The Captain stood tall and resolute on the bridge of the Admire, her ice-blue hair billowing slightly in the recycled air as she surveyed the scene before her. The rescued sailors, bedraggled and exhausted, huddled together on the deck, their eyes wide with shock and awe at the sight of her sleek, futuristic ship. She could see the pain etched on their faces, the loss of their comrades etched into their haggard features.
Turning to the brother, his words echoing in her ears, she felt a surge of determination mixed with a pang of empathy. She stepped closer, her heels clicking on the polished deck as she approached him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her grip firm yet comforting. "I am deeply sorry for your losses," she said, her voice steady and sure. "The Admire and Aegis are here now. We will not let your sacrifices be in vain."
Her gaze swept over the assembled survivors, her eyes hardening with resolve. "Those creatures you faced, those... abominations, are a scourge upon the seas. But the Admire and Aegis are here to put an end to their reign of terror." She turned back to the brothers, her expression softening slightly as she met Lalo's gaze. "Your ship was equipped with conventional weapons, a relic of a bygone era. The Admire, however, carries the latest in naval technology; railguns that can pierce any armor, and Vertical Launch Systems that can unleash destruction from the depths of the sea to the heavens above. Those raptures will pay...mark my words. Anchor, get these men to the infirmary and Mast set course for the ark."
"Understood, Captain Helm!" Mast replied.
"We're gonna need a bigger boat..." Lalo sighed.
Eric shook his head, "Nah...it wasn't the railguns..it was because we didn't have enough gun."
The Admire arrived back at the Ark three days later. The survivors were in awe as she effortlessly maneuvered herself using her bow and stern thrusters through a series of locks similar in layout to the Panama Canal. After a tense but steady transit, she finally entered the Ark's water tank, a large freshwater oasis where the dockworkers maintained her. Also moored at the dock was the USS Salem and several Fletcher-class destroyers as well as a battleship thought to have long been lost to history, the Tennessee-class dreadnought, USS California.
"C-Cali it can't be...she was scrapped back in 1959...how?" Lalo asked.
"Is she a replica or something?" Eric added.
Mast let out a soft chuckle as she tended to the brother's injuries, "Ah, that's a story and a half, Commander. You see, the Admire's purpose isn't just to be a fancy party boat for the elite. No, she was built with a secret purpose in mind, she was designed by Elysion to reclaim the oceans from the Raptures."
Helm walked into the infirmary, her hands clasped behind her back and her heels clicking against the metal floor as she took in the condition the brothers were in, "That is exactly right, Mast...Ingrid had originally designed the Admire to fight the Raptures on the seven seas, but unfortunately, that day didn't come until the we encountered the Kraken. After its defeat, Ingrid along with my squad, Aegis were granted the funding the establish the NHPS or Naval Historical Preservation Service. As for the California, you'd be surprised to know that she had been found derelict...supposedly, she was the victim of the same circumstances that you and your sailors faced. According to the records found aboard, she was slated to be scrapped until we discovered her."
"Then why didn't the Raptures sink her right off the bat?" Lalo asked, "She's a 30,000 ton battleship, she had to have been a threat to them just like the Lake Erie was...also can you get that ship seaworthy?"
"The Raptures deemed the ship a not threat due to the lack of life forms aboard and because its systems are rather antiquated. As for your next question, We can in theory produce new ammunition for California and the rest of these ships and sortie them within a month, but getting the approval from the Central government as well as Commander Lennox and the Legendary Commander is a very different story altogether...and donations from our donors have become more difficult to obtain." She continued.
"Well...we need a bigger boat. And we know a thing or two about naval tactics and I'm sure you would love a fleet wouldn't you?" Lalo chuckled.
Helm's eyes widened slightly at Lalo's bold statement, a flicker of interest sparking in their cerulean depths. She regarded him with a newfound appreciation, seeing not just a survivor, but a kindred spirit - someone who understood the allure and necessity of naval power.
Stepping closer, Helm's voice lowered to a determined murmur, her words resonating with conviction. "You are correct, Commander. The Admire is a formidable ship, but a single vessel, no matter how advanced, is not enough. We need a fleet; a mighty armada to scour the seas of this scourge and reclaim our rightful place upon the waves."
Her gaze drifted to the restored ships moored nearby, a wistful expression crossing her features before she turned back to Lalo. "The Central Government is... hesitant to invest in a full-scale naval revival. They see it as a needless expense, a relic of a bygone era. But I have long dreamed of revitalizing our naval forces, of creating a fleet that could stand toe to toe with any threat."
Leaning in, Helm fixed Lalo with an intense, almost fervent stare. "With your knowledge of naval tactics and a fleet at our disposal, we could turn the tide of this war. Together, we could sail the high seas and bring an end to the rapture menace once and for all."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip tight and resolute. "I am not merely the Captain of the Admire - I am the guardian of a dream. A dream of a human navy that can take to the open ocean and face whatever horrors lurk beneath. And I believe that dream is within reach... with the right alliance and the right leadership."
Turing to the others, Helm gestured to the ships outside. "These vessels are but a start... a foundation for something greater. Help me build a fleet, Commander, and together we can sail into a new era for humanity and the open seas."
"Well like my brother said before we arrived here...we just didn't have enough gun on our last ship but twelve 14 inch guns? Oh boy...don't mess with California...." Lalo held out his hand to Helm.
A slow, determined smile spread across Helm's face as she reached out and grasped Lalo's hand in a firm, resolute handshake. Her fingers curled around his, the strength in her grip a tangible promise of the unyielding resolve that drove her. When their hands met, Helm felt a surge of excitement and possibility. With the California in their arsenal and Lalo's expertise at their disposal, she could begin to envision a future where Aegis and the Admire were just the beginning of a mighty human fleet.
The California reborn would take to the seas once again, and she would be a formidable addition to their arsenal. Her 14-inch guns would be a devastating counter to the raptures' armor, and with Lalo's tactical guidance, they could be the key to turning the tide of battle.
Optimism swelled within Helm as she shook Lalo's hand, her voice ringing with conviction. "Then we have an accord, Commander. Welcome aboard Aegis, and welcome to the future of our naval forces. Together, we shall build a Navy and restore humanity's dominion over the waves and strike fear into the hearts of any who dare oppose us."