Resurrected
Back from the dead. That was what Yamato was, and she was well aware of it. She was the last surviving shipgirl, with all her other sisters and comrades long since departed once more, to whatever afterlife awaited them.
And yet, she didn't mind. She was the last, but she had been pivotal, not simply in winning a war, but saving the very planet itself. She had been restored, renewed, to a point where she never had to worry about fuel ever again. And with her position, she would have all the ammunition she could need. For that she was grateful.
That was in the back of her mind as she followed along after Captain Sanada, First Officer Kodai, and the rest of the command staff as they moved through Cosmo Navy Headquarters towards a meeting with Fleet Admiral Hijikata. She knew as much as they did, that it was urgent business, and she had a feeling that the peace they had enjoyed for the past year since returning to Earth was about to come to an end.
This was emphasized by what they wore, Sanada stunning in the Captain's uniform he had been given almost a month after their return to Earth. The others wore their uniforms as well, Kodai in red, Mori in yellow, and Yamato herself wearing her usual white and red garb, though she did not have a parasol with her at the moment.
Still, for all the bustle and hurry that she was in headquarters, she was confident. They had traveled to another galaxy and had returned inside of a year, a feat never before done, much less imagined. Certainly she could never have anticipated the journey she ended up making, and the things she had done.
A pang ran through her frame as she recalled the past, and all her comrades. I wish you could be here, she lamented to herself, even as their absence firmed her resolve. She represented the kanmasu in the Cosmos Navy, and she would not let them down.
At last they arrived outside of the Admiral's office, the Captain hitting the intercom panel near the side of the door. "Captain Shiro Sanada, here as requested," he said, before his had fell from the button.
There was silence for a moment before an answer came, that voice that had become so familiar in recent memory. "Enter."
As the group took a step back, the door slid open automatically, allowing them to step inside. Or rather, would have, had someone not emerged at that same moment. "Goodbye Admiral," the woman said with a respectful salute, before turning to see Yamato and the others standing there.
"Excuse me," she apologized, turning to the side so she could slip past. But she stopped when she caught sight of Yamato, though the shipgirl thought nothing of it. She knew she had some sort of reputation, so it wasn't that much of a surprise.
Yamato smiled warmly, stepping aside so the officer wouldn't be hindered, all courtesy and tact. "Oh, don't worry," she replied, brushing aside the unnecessary apology. She was in the way after all.
But before she could step inside, the officer spoke to her. "Hey, you're Yamato, aren't you?"
"I am," the shipgirl confirmed with a respectful bow, her parasol dropping before it returned to her shoulder. "CNS Yamato, at your service."
What she got in return was a stare, eyes wide and jaw seemingly on the verge of dropping. There was some sort of emotion behind her gaze, but Yamato couldn't tell what it was, and she could only feel a bit awkward under such scrutiny. Had she done something wrong, or was this merely adoration and respect taken too far?
Fortunately the Admiral was here to put an end to that, before it got any more strange for her. "Captain Sanada, it's good to see you again," the admiral said from his desk, cutting through the conversation and drawing the group further into his office.
"Likewise Admiral," Sanada responded, coming to a halt in front of the man's desk. Yamato certainly felt the same, holding a great respect for the man from her previous Captain, Okita, the one who had saved the world.
With that said Hijikata looked past Sanada to the following shipgirl, nodding in approval. "Yamato, good," he said calmly. "The woman who just left my office has wanted to talk to you for some time now. I'm willing to wait for you if you would like to oblige her."
"Really," Yamato asked, looking back to the female officer. Said officer had previously been trying to walk away, and the shipgirl could swear that she had caught the end of a death glare aimed at Hijikata, before guarded neutrality returned. That was odd, especially if she wanted to talk.
Well, if that was what she wanted then Yamato could hardly object. "Of course," she replied before looking to her captain. "I'll be with your shortly," she then promised, confident in that statement.
"Alright. Don't take too long," Sanada replied with a slight smile before the door slid shut, leaving the two of them alone for now.
Turning to face the officer, Yamato was able to get a better look at her, and what she saw was interesting. The woman was taller than she was, though she was otherwise similar in form. Her hair was a pale blue, and unlike the more traditional garb that Yamato herself wore, she was clad in the white and red uniform of a tactical officer. Not that Yamato would judge.
At first there was silence, stretching on into oblivion until it was broken by the officer. "I...Thank you for everything you did. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you."
"Don't worry," Yamato replied, shaking her head. "I was just glad to be of use." She'd heard that a lot since getting back to Earth, so she was used to it by now. And really, being able to save the universe had made all the pain and fighting worth it.
"I bet." As Yamato wondered where that statement had come from, the officer tilted her head slightly, wearing a light smile. "I don't suppose you know who I am," she asked, the tint of hope resting in her tone.
Yamato hummed momentarily in thought before shaking her head. "Sorry, I don't." She felt bad about it, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. And if this girl was important, she would remember.
The officer frowned then, crestfallen with her hopes dashed by the shipgirl. "I thought at least you would see the differences..."
A confusing statement that Yamato needed a few moments to work through and realize the meaning. But once she did she lurched forward, eyes wide with a shocked state that was all too obvious. "Wait, you're-"
Elation rose on the officers face as she straightened up, flashing Yamato a wink as she posed at the same time. "That's right. CNS Andromeda, name ship of the Andromeda class, and the new flagship of the fleet. Pleased to meet you."
Yamato supposed that she should have been jealous that she was no longer the flagship, but in this moment she didn't care. After so long, here was a real, live shipgirl for her to interact with. "But how is this possible?" Certainly she hadn't seen any other shipgirls around before now.
Andromeda shrugged at that, somewhat uncertain as well. But in spite of that she would try to explain as best she could, as the scientists had explained it to her. "The Wave Motion Core, I guess. Just like your experiences with Yurisha and Okita sticking around even when they should have been dead and gone." Yeah, she had read the reports.
That made as much sense as anything else Yamato could think up, so she would accept the explanation until a better one presented itself. "How long have you been operational," she then asked. It was hard for her to be unaware of the time slipping by, but she was determined to get the most of this that she could. The Admiral was a smart man, as always, to predict what she wanted.
"About a month," Andromeda replied nonchalantly. "It was all pretty hush-hush. They wanted to have me ready in time for the anniversary." Obviously the current situation had ruined that plan.
It was another forlorn desire on Yamato's part, and some anger that she hadn't been told about this sooner. But she didn't complain about it either. After all, as far as she was concerned the payoff was worth it. "Well, I look forward to working with you Andromeda." She bounced slightly on her feet, beaming as well. It might even be a bit like old times.
But such hopes came under fire with a nervous chuckle, Andromeda scratching the back of her head. "Look, uh, Yamato, I appreciate all that you've done for humanity, I really do. But we can't work together."
"What? Why not?" To say Yamato was confused would be an understatement as her head tilted slightly. They were the only two shipgirls here, so what possible reason could there be for them to not work together if they had the chance?
"Because you've done a good job, and now it's time for someone else to do the hard work," the other battleship replied matter of factly.
That didn't come close to a reasonable explanation as far as Yamato was concerned. She had not flown to another galaxy and back in a year, saved the planet, and overthrown an empire just to be sidelined and separated from the only other shipgirl in the universe. "But I can still help," she pointed out with a restrained calm. "What if the Earth is put in jeopardy again?"
"Then I'll protect her," Andromeda replied with a grin, overflowing with confidence. "No offense, but I'm the most advanced ship in the fleet now. Everything they pioneered with Wave Motion tech has gone into me, so I'm faster, more heavily armed, and more powerful than any other ship we have. I'm more than capable of the job."
Yamato's face fell, settling back into the guarded expression that she had worn so many years ago. Just like then, they wanted to pull her out of the fight, sideline her when she was her greatest weapon. She had to fight back panic and desperation, that voice inside her that cried out, that would not let itself go now that she had become useful at last, had proven herself to everyone.
"I see," she replied calmly, her true emotions hidden. Orders were orders after all.
If Andromeda caught on to that, she didn't show it. Instead, she went on with her explanation, gesturing between the two of them as if she was trying to justify it. "I mean, it only makes sense. You were the last ditch effort of human kind to survive. And you did that job amazingly well, all things considered. But I'm better than that, more than that. They need a warship now, not a retrofitted ship from before humanity had space flight. So they made me."
"Of course." Yamato wasn't stupid. She understood the reasoning behind the decision, but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.
Andromeda took a step forward, closing the distance between the two even as Yamato remained in place. "Don't worry," she went on, trying to placate her comrade. "I'm sure you'll just be reassigned to one of the more quiet sectors in the defense grid. I'll be taking over main combat operations."
"If those are the admiral's orders." So, it was just like before then. Consigned to some quiet place while everyone else did all the work. She had had her moment of glory, and now it seemed that they were going to throw her back on to land.
With that said she turned and headed for the door. It was obvious that there wasn't going to be any more pleasant conversation between comrades, and if that was the case then she might as well get to business. "Until we meet again."
"Yeah, likewise," Andromeda replied, a bit more subdued than she had been before. Perhaps she realized that she had screwed up, but it was too late for that as the door slid open and Yamato stepped inside to rejoin her captain.
Still, as the door closed, Yamato could swear that she heard Andromeda mutter under her breath, but she dismissed it as she turned to the business would hand. Time would tell whether it would be true or not.
"I'll make you proud."