A/N: Hey there! Welcome to the Hipper-class chapter. That includes Tallinn, Eugen, Hipper, and Mainz. I had this idea of "a commander and some kansen hop in a car…" story stewing in my head but couldn't think of a proper way to execute it. I think this is decent enough, though. And yeah, there's more music and Coldplay in this one.

One more thing, I mellowed some of the personalities here. Exhibit A, Hipper. She won't be as much of a tsundere as usual. Might be an unpopular opinion, but sometimes I just find those types subtly annoying.

Anyways, thanks to those who read the previous chapter, regardless of what you thought of it. Thanks to those who thought this would be worth following or giving a heart. And thanks to the ones who left comments, they're nice to read.

That said, allons-y!

Tallinn groaned in the seat next to me. I face her, wordlessly communicating, What?

As soon she sees me, I turn my attention back to the road, not wanting to crash in the middle of a highway. She replied, rather monotonously, "I'm bored."

Sitting straight and stretching my arms while keeping the steering wheel secure in my grip, I sigh and retort, "Well, so am I." The annoyance is apparent in my tone, intentionally or otherwise. I was bored. And I was a little irritated, admittedly. Tallinn continued, "Why were we even assigned this 'mission' again", she complained, punctuating the mission part with air quotes.

"Because", I begin, "you four were caught getting wasted on a work night yesterday." The sisters gave me their mutual protests, in the form of discontented noises before the car falls into the same, blank silence that had taken precedent for the past hour and a half on the highway.

Shaking my head, I shift lanes because this guy in front of us is just moving too damn slow. You're on a bloody highway with other cars around, pinhead! Mainz stops me from voicing my impending road rage. "Then why am I here? The only things I drank were water and coffee."

Glancing back at her, I shoot her a quick look before once again facing ahead. "Because you went with them. You were sober, but you didn't stop them. Think of it as by association. You're an accomplice."Mainz only snorted in reply. "That's rather silly."

"Look", I say, "I didn't decide this. If I did, you guys would simply be back at base sweeping the mess hall. ASB just thought that this would be more...effective." Mainz slumped back in her seat, murmuring screw the bureau anyway under her breath. She was sat in between Eugen and Hipper, one to her right, one to her left, respectively.

I continue, "What were you guys even thinking? It was a Tuesday night, and you knew you had obligations today!"

Eugen shrugged and replied in her sultry voice, "We just went with the moment, Kommandant. Can't sisters have fun together every now and then? It's only so often we get to see Tallinn~." Shaking my head, I explain, "No harm no foul with sisterly bonding, but save the alcohol for the weekends, at least."

She hummed in response before returning to staring blankly out the window.

It was Hipper's turn. "Why can't these documents just be uploaded to the secure server and reprinted at central? What year is this, 1935? Are we gonna use morse code or something for our transmissions now?"

That makes this what, the sixth time she's asked that? Eugen, surprisingly, was handling this better than anyone else. "These files contain intelligence that is simply too sensitive for the secure proxies we use at the moment, even the fresher ones. The best way to get it over there is a, quote, 'low-profile secure document transport.'", I explain.

Also known as sending subordinates on long road trips in civilian vehicles to act as a discount postal service. Fun! Good fun! At least we had a nice car on the base.

Agh, we still have a solid hour or so left in this drive. A sour mood like this is gonna get us nowhere, fast. No use sulking here like this. If we're stuck in this situation, I'd at least want to get out of it without these four being salty with me. I need a plan to liven things up.

Striking conversation? Tried that. Worked for a few minutes but then I got shut down eventually. I need something that can keep going even if we run out of things to say. I did bring my player with me. And this car takes aux cords.

...

Right. If I'm following through with this, I can't be the only one having fun with it. Eugen knows some of my playlists, right? I used to have them running while we worked. Good thing she isn't too down in the dumps. All I need is for her to play along and I'm sure the rest will follow. Even if we'll look ridiculous at first.

"You know what", I begin. Feeling their eyes shift to me all at once, I continue, "We might as well get what fun we can out of this. On the open road and the sun's up. You wanted quality time, right? Figures we use this as an opportunity." I make sure my tone doesn't have as much of an edge to it. Be the change you want to see, right?

Tallinn's first to bat. "How?"

"Well, we're in a car with a half-decent speaker system installed", I explain, my eyes reading the Harman/Kardon print above the disc slot. Hipper speaks up next, "Just play something good."

I raise my right hand up to appease her. "Don't worry, you can trust me", I reply. "Besides, Eugen will probably already recognize some of these tracks."

"Hmm?"

Talking to Tallinn, I ask for some assistance. "Could you grab that white cable for me real quick?" She inspects the compartment between us, pulling on the wire protruding out of the box. "This one?"

I look at it and give her my confirmation. "Yep, that one. Thanks." Taking the cord from her hand, I quickly connect it to my player before landing my left hand on the wheel once again. Keying the display on, I scroll through the playlists before stopping on the one I was looking for. Tripping, Vol. 3. The description I left underneath the title read, For when road trips run cold.

I face Eugen and give her a knowing look. Turning back around, I hit play on the first song. Adventure of a Lifetime. The signature guitar riff comes in almost immediately, accompanied by an equally catchy chant that punctuated the chords perfectly. I knew for a fact that not even someone as teasing as Eugen would be able to resist this track. The opening musical phrases instantly lit her eyes aglow. I can almost hear the slight smile and realization in her voice as she asks, "Oh! Isn't this the collection you'd use whenever we were working late in the office?"

A smile of my own slowly folds on my face as I snap my fingers. "Some songs are the same, just a different playlist!"

The drums kicked up with three loud crashes of the cymbal before stabilizing into an easygoing bop, my own head motioning to the beat. The bassline supplied its own unique undertone, giving the rest of the composition a nice sense of subtle syncopation. Three more loud crashes and the first verse begins. I couldn't resist joining in and singing along.

"Turn your magic on, to me she'd say"

"Everything you want's a dream away"

"We are legends, every day"

"That's what she told him."

Gesturing sharply towards, I cue her in. "Eugen, go!"

Her voice took hold, still a little hesitant. We'll get her there.

"Turn your magic on, to me she'd say"

"Everything you want's a dream away."

"Under this pressure, under this weight"

"We are diamonds"

As abruptly as she started, she finished with the verse, bringing me back into the mix.

"Now I feel my heart beating"

"I feel my heart beneath my skin"

"I feel my heart beating"

"Oh, you make me feel"

I look back to face her before our combined voices ushered in the instrumental chorus, closing the verse.

"Like I'm alive again!"

Laughing, I look back out the windshield, tapping my hands on the wheel to the beat of the song, the mood now lifting.

Eugen and I joined the second voice in the chorus, shouting, "Alive again!" Now we were getting somewhere.

The other three girls in the car likewise started nodding to the rhythm, too. They should join in the fun. If only they knew the lyrics. Ah!

Talking to all three of them, I call over the music, "Tallinn! Mainz! Hipper! Are you guys getting the gist of the lyrics?"

Mainz replies, "Yes. Only the ones that repeat, though."

Nodding, I answer, "Alright, that's good enough. I'll just cue whoever in for the next one."

Due to the quick exchange, I wasn't really ready before the next verse began. Luckily, Eugen picked up where we left off.

"Said I can't go on, not in this way"

"I'm a dream that died by light of day"

"Gonna hold up half the sky and say"

"Only I own me"

Keeping up with the original alternating pattern, I pitch back in.

"I feel my heart beating"

"I feel my heart beneath my skin"

Quickly, I put a twist on things by gesturing to Tallinn, cueing her in. To my pleasant surprise, she picked up on it, though with a little reservation.

"Oh, I feel my heart beating"

"Cause you make me feel"

Calling out, I say, "Now, everyone!"

Our combined voices joined together, kicking it up a notch.

"Like I'm alive again"

I laugh again, not because I'm making fun of anyone's singing, though granted, Mainz's unexpectedly animated performance was kind of funny, but out of satisfaction. My trump card strikes again! Mood's going downhill? Just whip this playlist out and crank it right back up.

"Alive again!"

The music enters a quick break. Tallinn speaks up, with a tone that sounded like she'd just come to an epiphany. "Say, this is actually kind of fun."

Still nodding to the beat, I reply, "It's because everyone's pitching in. And the song's just a feel-good song. Perfect for long car rides."

She hummed an agreement, the third verse starting up, Mainz surprisingly taking the reign this time. Well if someone like Mainz gets behind this kind of morale booster, I wonder who else could.

"Turn your magic on, to me she'd say"

"Everything you want's a dream away"

Hipper joined in, the two of them singing out the rest.

"Under this pressure, under this weight"

"We are diamonds taking shape"

"We are diamonds taking shape"

I clap my hands and give a little cheer. "Now you guys are feeling it too!"

Mainz simply gave an awkward laugh as she replied, "It is strangely invigorating, Kommandant. Almost as if my voice needs to sing along with the rest of you."

"Ahh, that's good, that's good! We're finally coming round." To think we were still on the first track too. I'd expected they'd only start playing along 3 or 4 songs in, being generous. My thoughts evaporated as it dawned on me that we were on the track's last leg. I knew what this meant. I look back to Eugen and say, "Hey Prinz! Last bit! You remember how we do this, right?"

She gave it a moment's thought before she realized, nodding, "Oh, right." Tallinn, Mainz, and Hipper look at Eugen curiously, then likewise eye me up after. "Don't worry, you guys'll get it when you hear it. Besides, I'll cue you in", I say.

They nod their understanding as the song progresses and the last few lyrics start. Due to the exchange, I was a little late, but I caught in time for the second repetition.

"And if we've only got this life"

"And this adventure, oh then I"

"Wanna share it with you"

"With you, with you"

"Sing it, oh, say yeah"

"Woo-hoo!" I point to Eugen and she echoes, "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" I point again and she repeats, "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" She echoes, "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" And again. "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" This time, I point to Tallinn, who again picks it up swiftly. "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" Tallinn again. "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" One more time! "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" I cue Tallinn in. "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" I gesture behind, cueing Mainz, you're up! "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" Mainz echoes, "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" Last but not least, I direct my thumb to Hipper over my shoulder. "Woo-hoo!"

"Woo-hoo!" She calls the last word. "Woo-hoo!"

The song closes and I pause the player, waiting for any reactions. Tallinn starts laughing but has a genuine smile on her face. Mainz blushed slightly, saying, "That was…interesting." Eugen simply giggled and Hipper nudged Mainz in the elbow. "Hmph! As long as the song's right. Good choice there, Kommandant." That's what I like to see.

Perhaps noticing the absence of music, Tallinn looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes as she says, "Play another one."

I chuckle before asking for second opinions. "What do you guys think? Another round?" Everyone voices their amenability with this arrangement. Now, a drab situation had been taken and made into something engaging. A technique which, while difficult to achieve consistently, was worth the effort when it paid off. In this case, the four of them having a good time with each other, even if we were supposed to be out here on a punishment, was a nice sight to behold.

"Alright", I reply before keying the player on again. I browse through the playlist before an idea runs through my mind. "Hey Eugen", I say. "Any requests? Keep it something with lyrics that are easier to get. We want everyone here playing along."

"Hmmm…" Eugen gave it some thinking before giving me her reply. I hit play on her suggestion and set the device back down.

With a loud drop, a piano fills the car. Its medley is a powerful one, almost bringing everyone in the vehicle to a standstill. When the lyrics start, I take the mantle of opening us up.

"Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars"

"I'm gonna give you my heart"

"Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars"

"Cause you light up the path"

"I don't care", I signal Eugen.

"Go on and tear me apart", she picks it up right on cue.

We join voices to wrap it up, "I don't care if you do!"

I handle this bit solo, "Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars"

Eugen takes over the last phrase.

"I think I saw you!"

The beat dropped and a lively guitar melody punctuating spacey synthesizers rushed through the speakers like water through a breached dam. The drums kept it in check and made the rhythm more energetic and structured, encouraging us to rock our heads to it. When the musical chorus ended, it died down almost as quickly as it wound up and was replaced by a pleasant acoustic guitar.

I took up the opening lyrics to this part. Tallinn snapped her fingers to the snare drum.

"Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars"

"I want to die in your arms, oh"

"Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark"

"I'm gonna give you my heart, oh"

Eugen filled in for me when the second half came on.

"I don't care, go on and tear me apart"

"I don't care if you do, oh"

I say, "Alright, you all know what comes next!"

Our combined voices piped up collectively.

"Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars"

"I think I see you!"

I have myself another satisfied laugh before the repetition kicks in.

"I think I see you!"

The beat drops once again, having all of us pumping heads to its rhythm. Finally, the car is bubbling with life and energy again! Mainz chimes in above the instrumentation, "I quite like this song! What's it called?"

Eugen answers her query, "It's kind of obvious, heh~. The title is A Sky Full of Stars."

Mainz nods and hums, falling silent as the music once again takes hold. A secondary melody comes in on top of a lower guitar, adding to the sonics that accentuated the catchy rhythm of the track. Another bout of drop and a continuation of the instrumentation burst into the mix. Almost as a finishing condiment, icing on the cake, vocals chip in above the cacophony.

Cause you're a sky, you're a sky full of stars

I sing along with the next portion, "Such a heavenly view!"

"You're such a heavenly view!"

The song draws to its logical conclusion, but this time I don't pause the player. I trust the shuffle to give us a good selection.

As the third track begins to play, it sounds noticeably different from the first two. It has a bounce to it, an interesting signature, and a touch that I recognized almost instantly. When I realized it, I felt my face light up a little. "Oh! Fragments of Time!"

God, this song jogs so many memories. I missed this one.

"I'll just keep playing back"

I point to Tallinn. "These fragments of time"

Shifting my hand, I gesture towards Hipper. "Everywhere I go"

Next, Mainz! "These moments will shine"

And, Eugen! "I'll just keep playing back"

Hipper again! "These fragments of time"

Back to Tallinn. "Everywhere I go"

I finish it. "These moments will shine."

The fourth track. Everyone sang, "Burn, baby, burn!"

I took over, "Disco inferno!"

Everyone took it back, "Burn, baby, burn!"

The fifth track.

"Come and get your love!"

I laugh a little. "Let's go, guys! This is great!"

"Come and get your love!"

The sixth track.

"Ah-oh-ah-oh-ah"

"Got me feeling drunk and high"

"So high, so high"

After a handful of more songs, idle chatter and small talk began to replace the chorale. I was happy with whatever, as long as they were having fun. Tallinn commented, "Commander, could you share this playlist with me? I need to have Murmansk listen to some of that, she'd love it." Naturally, I happily agreed to give her a list of the songs when we finished our commission.

My sense of time took control for a second. My instincts told me I was forgetting something. Looking at the clock on top of the dashboard, it tells me that it was now 1213 hours. So that's what I was forgetting. Lunch.

I pause the playback and look around, asking, "Anyone else getting kind of hungry? It's lunchtime."

On cue, Mainz's stomach growled and she blushed a little, putting a hand on it to try and cover it up, whatever that might do. Eugen stifles a laugh and Hipper snickers softly as I nod. "Right, it's settled. There's a gas station with some fast food places a few kilometers ahead, we'll just go for a quick drive-through." Everyone nodded and I resumed the playback, a plan of action now in place. Grab a bite, then get to CC by, say, 1240 hours? Our appointed time is at 1300 so that should give us enough of a grace period.

I pulled into the station and we got our food, Hipper nearly throwing a fit when Eugen almost succeeded in coaxing the server to bring us the spicy variants instead of the regular ones. I don't mind spicy but I guess Hipper isn't a fan? I shrugged it off and decided to humor Hipper, not wanting her to slap her sister into next week. Not to mention poor Mainz getting caught in the crossfire. Cross-slap-fire? Whatever.

We were back on the road in no time, the music providing good company even while we ate and talked. The playlist just kept chugging on.

Finally, we'd reached the end of the shuffled pool.

This last song was predicated by a symphony of orchestration and violins with a sparkly synth sprinkled throughout, instantly recognizable to anyone who's heard it even once before. Suddenly, the song exploded as its beat dropped, gushing electronic sound and instrumentation. A familiar chant preceded the first verse.

When she was just a girl, she expected the world

But it flew away from her reach

So she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of

Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise

Every time she closed her eyes

Tallinn spoke up. "This one's a damn good one, too. Are all of these by the same group? At least the ones that – sound – like this song? The vocalist's voice is so unique!"

I chuckle a little, "Yup, a British band called Coldplay. I recommend them. Check out their other songs on your own time, too. The first song I played, Adventure of A Lifetime, came from their album A Head Full of Dreams. Get your hands on that LP if you feel like it. It was my comfort album back home."

"Ohh, I see", she replies while nodding her head.

"Listen to Everglow. A really nice, peaceful song. Brilliant lyrics, a lot like the others."

"Will do", she said.

The song played out and reached its end. By the time that happened, it was 1243 hours and we found ourselves in front of the building. The security personnel that greeted us were surprised for a second when I gave my credentials and business at Central Command. Assuming they were wondering why an installation commander and some kansen were here on 'low-profile secure document transport', I explained to them that the girls had been sanctioned for drinking a little too much on a work night and I'd been swept up in the penalty as their commanding officer.

The guards then explained to me that they weren't curious about that, but more about why we didn't look like we wanted to introduce each other's faces to our fists after making "that kind of trip." To this, I smirked and gave the sisters a knowing look before I shrugged, "We just went with the moment."

They let us in and the group began fulfilling their errand. I promised them back at base that as soon we got here, we'd get in, file the reports, and get out. I made good on that promise and we piled into the car once more for the ride back by 1308 hours.

The return trip was significantly less eventful.

Everyone fell asleep an hour into the drive, and I changed playlists to Snooze, Vol. 4. This one's description was More stuff for sleeping. Driving at a constant but more leisurely pace, I take a look around the car. Tallinn was leaned against the door, eyes sealed shut and her breathing soft and slow. Eugen and Hipper were resting on both of Mainz's shoulders, and Mainz herself had her head tilted back on the headrest. It was peaceful, and maybe a return to the boring from when we began this trip. But it was the kind of boring that I didn't mind quite as much.

This was the kind of silence that had the air of contentedness. All these sisters wanted from the beginning was to have a good time with each other. Unfortunately, they chose the wrong way to do so, on the wrong date. Disregarding that, I was happy that I was able to help them, however minor the contribution might have been. The stress they're put under when deployed into combat situations is already enough of a burden on top of other, more secretarial duties that they also take up every now and then. They deserve some fun when they can get it.

Looking ahead and admiring the sights that the afternoon sun illuminated, I resumed driving and enjoying the music.

An hour and a half later, I parked and shut the vehicle down in the base's onsite carpark. Finally. The sudden deafening silence and the car's ceasing vibration woke Tallinn up.

She slowly opened her eyes, lifting her head up. "Hm?"

Turning to face her, I raise my eyebrows and smile at her. "Back by 3 in the afternoon. Like I promised."

She wiped her eyes with her hand as she sat up straight, registering that we were back home. "Oh. Well, then. Nicely done, sir."

I smirk and nod, triumphant. Gesturing towards the back, I say, "Now help me wake your sisters up, will you?" She gave me a small smile and nodded.

We alighted from our seats and I took the opportunity to wake the rest of my body back up when my feet hit the solid ground. Damn, that feels bloody good. After driving for a good few hours straight, nonstop, your legs need a nice little stretch.

Tallinn and I went through and woke the other three up. We said our goodbyes and they got underway. Well, three save for one. I look to my right and see Hipper still standing next to me. "Hipper?"

She turns to face me and replies, "Yeah, uh… Uhmm…"

I tilt my head. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to…", she trailed off as she muttered the rest of it under her breath.

Leaning in a little, I say, "You wanted to what?"

"I… I just w-wanted to thank you. For what you did back there."

I raise an eyebrow, slightly confused. "What? You guys handed in the documents. They were marked with your names, after all. I just drove."

She gave me a look before replying, "No, no, not that, dummkopf!" She stopped talking and took a quick breath to calm herself down. "I was talking about…you know. The car ride."

I realize what she's talking about and smile. "Ah. Don't mention it. The mood was low, I could tell no one was happy, something needed to change or we'd all just end up on sour terms and a bad day."

She nodded and replied, "Well. More than that. It was… It was good to see everyone's fun side."

"Mmm."

"Like, I didn't think Mainz could sing like that. Wow."

I laughed at the subtle quip. "Yeah, well. If I can bring out the best side in everyone around me, then that's already a good enough time. And I'm glad you sisters were still able to have fun with each other regardless."

She blushed a little. "Y-yeah. Thanks to you, though. Ahh! Uhh - eh, whatever."

We just stood and watched for a few moments before she spoke back up again.

"A-and", she continues.

I look at her once more, eyebrow raised.

"If we could…do something like this again sometime…I wouldn't mind." She slowly looked at the ground sheepishly.

Smiling, I reply, "I'd be happy to. Just hopefully not for delivering a data packet again, yeah?"

She chuckled a little. Wait. Hipper chuckled? How could this be? Who are you and what did you do to Hipper?

"A-anyway! I'll see you around", she said before quickly walking in the same direction her sisters went.

I lean back on the car and watch her walk off. That was pretty fun. I'd do it again.

Staying there a few more seconds, my instincts tingle again. What time is it?

1517 hours. Perfect for an afternoon siesta, especially after that start to the day, but... Do I have something around this time…?

Oh damn. I have afternoon snacks with Dunkerque and Algérie! Putting my hand on my cap to make sure it doesn't fall off, I confirm that my player is in my pocket and sprint for the Iris complex as fast as my still-half-asleep legs would let me.

A/N: I wonder if our boy's gonna make it in time? Nah, he's got that. Anyhow, thanks for reading this kinda long chapter! As you can see, not any real romance here, maybe just implied. But I tagged romance as a secondary genre for a reason.

I've also decided on a format for this thing. If we ever get there, and I'm thinking we might, I'll wrap this up at 10 chapters, and then open a new volume.

Personal notes: I do listen to music a lot. Working, studying, writing, editing, gaming, sleeping, I could go on. If you're wondering Why Coldplay? Well, that's a nice little story.

When I was little and the family would go on long car rides (pre-COVID, naturally), my sister would usually have the aux cord. And one of my favorites that she'd play on these road trips was Coldplay! Their songs just have a quality to them that fits nicely with cooping up in a car and going somewhere far. But that was really the full extent of my Coldplay experience then. As soon as we were off the car I usually had something else playing. It's only a few weeks ago that I finally began to appreciate the band fully. I guess I just needed to grow into the lyrics. Heh.

I do apologize if maybe my use of songs in these stories starts to get a little annoying. A lot of my concepts revolve around using music as a way for characters to interact. I listen to a song, and I draw meanings and associations. "Hey, this song sounds like X would dig it, and this one sounds like Y would be into it", etcetera. And so I end up with a lot of music in a lot of these stories. It's something I love doing, so I'd say you might want to get used to seeing a lot of Coldplay and other artists in these. Speaking of, there's a solid chance Coldplay might be in the next chapter too, full transparency.

If it helps any, I recommend either listening to the songs I put in these stories when you're done reading, or just up and listening to the song as you read. I'll put a tracklist below. Either way might help you get a better feel for it. Alright, I've rambled long enough. Thanks again for reading and leave a review if you want to!

'Till next time! Cheers, Jarvis.

Tracklist

Coldplay - "Adventure of a Lifetime"; "A Sky Full of Stars"; "Hymn for the Weekend"; "Paradise"

Daft Punk - "Fragments of Time"

The Trammps - "Disco Inferno"

Redbone - "Come and Get Your Love"