Chapter Sixteen

By mid afternoon, I was of the opinion that my life would've been a lot easier if Captain DeWolf had just kept me locked away in a cell instead of granting me my freedom. If the rumours about how DeWolf handled the mess hall crisis had already spread through the kansen ranks at port, then surely news about the captain being 'caught' giving the former flagship of the Fourth Combined fleet a princess carry would be known in every corner of the island by dinnertime. I would not even be surprised if people back in the Sakura Empire started to hear of this scandal before the week's end.

I could still remember the looks on all of the girls' faces in vivid detail; wide-eyed in surprise and confusion, mixtures of curiosity and excitement amongst the younger ones, while the older girls no doubt held judgement behind their scrutinous gazes. It wasn't just my own reputation that I worried about, but the captain's as well. No doubt there were those, like Montpelier, who felt betrayed by his decision to exercise leniency with me. Rumours of impropriety could torpedo his career if word reached his superiors, or at the very least jeopardize the rapport he was trying to build with everyone. My carelessness had already caused enough problems at the port, my shame couldn't stand it if that were to worsen.

Sadly, I had little time to rectify matters in the aftermath of the aforementioned candid moment. I was too embarrassed to say anything right away, if for no other reason than the fear that any denial would just be held up as evidence that something inappropriate had clearly occurred, and by the time I had managed to shake my thoughts free of the crushing embarrassment, everyone had already scattered. The only reassurance I had for the immediate moment was the fact that DeWolf didn't appear to be embarrassed or worried about how we were seen, but he had already admitted to being the type to always put on a calm front, so maybe that was the case here as well.

Time offered little salvation for me, as it soon came time for the general briefing that DeWolf had promised everyone. Everybody assembled in the main lecture hall, which was typically used for classroom lessons, but it was one of the few rooms capable of housing every kansen at the same time. By the designated time of fourteen hundred hours, the rows upon rows of seats arranged in a wide, ascending arc, had been filled with the members of the various factions. I was one of the lone exceptions, as DeWolf had asked me to sit up front while he spoke. While it kept me separated from anyone who might still be harbouring a grudge, in the minutes before the briefing started, it meant that almost every eye in the room had an unobstructed view of me just sitting a few feet behind the speaker's lectern. As paranoid as it sounded, their collective gazes felt… intense. It was as if they were all scrutinizing me, judging me…

It wasn't helped that the normal, chatter-filled atmosphere was conspicuously absent that afternoon. The same tension that had gripped the mess hall earlier still lingered, and even a casual observer would notice that all the kansens had seated themselves in accordance to their allegiances. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to make sure that the girls from the Sakura Empire and Eagle Union sat at the farthest ends with a sizable buffer zone of Royal Navy and Iron Blood in-between. There was the occasional murmur and exchange of cold stares, but the only liveliness I saw came when I spotted Mutsu sitting in the back rows. She was with Choshu and Kawakaze, unsurprisingly, and she waved quite enthusiastically when we made eye contact.

"Psst, hey! Nagato," a voice whispered from behind me.

It was familiar, but unexpected, so a pang of concern flashed through me as I turned to see the blue-haired visage of Aoba. Among those of the Sakura Empire, she was near the top of the list of those I least wanted to see, as the seasoned cruiser had as much a penchant for tracking down story leads and port gossip as she was at sailing the high seas. Though I had little interest in gossip, even I knew about her stories and newsletters. There were more than a few occasions where we had to have a conversation about her publishing embarrassing details about senior officers and the admiralty, and there was little doubt in my mind as to why she was now at my side. She didn't even try to hide the fact that she already had her pen and notepad in hand.

"Miss Aoba, to what do I owe this visit?" I asked, hoping that falling into my usual mannerisms would conceal my nervousness.

"Well, Lady Nagato, word through the grapevine is that you've been working rather closely with the new commander." She wasted no time in getting straight to the point, saddling right up beside me with an eager glint in her eyes. Her writing hand was already twitching in anticipation. "Would you like to comment?"

Giving a dignified, diplomatic answer was child's play for me, so as nervous as I was, I had confidence in my training and experience. "The captain and I's working relationship is a product of the current situation, of which the Sakura Empire is once again at the heart of. He has thus proven to be diligent and professional, and the circumstances of the current arrangement shall be explained in better detail during this briefing."

"I see, I see." Her pen waggled about as she furiously scribbled down her notes. I doubt she believed me wholesale, but she was experienced to know to keep up the pleasantries. "And what do you say regarding the rumours that you were seen being carried around the commander's office all bridal style?"

"H-he was not carrying me around the office, I fell into his arms."

"Sakura flagship falls for new commander," Aoba said, verbalizing her note-taking. That wasn't what I said and she knew it, but obviously she was trying to goad a reaction from me.

Well, it worked.

"I did not fall for him! If you write it like that, people will get the wrong idea," I blurted out. "I lost my footing, and the captain helped me. That is all!"

"Sakura priestess swept off her feet by new commander."

"That is even worse!"

My composure was sinking faster than a destroyer with a broken back. I feared if I got even more flustered, even the lecture hall would notice, assuming they couldn't already hear my flimsy rebuttals. My salvation, though, came from an unexpected source.

"Okay, that's enough," a firm voice said as a gloved hand grasped Aoba by the shoulder. On the end of the limb was none other than Montpelier, with her usual look of thinly-veiled annoyance upon her face. "The briefing is about to start, so either take your seat, or I'm dragging ya to it."

"Come on, everybody's talking about, and I'm just trying to give people what they want," Aoba insisted, albeit upon deaf ears. Since the Unionist wasn't interested in excuses, a few encouraging shoves towards the seating area sent the inquisitive kansen on her way. I hoped that would be the last I dealt with rumours and speculations, at least for today.

Still, I was surprised that it was Montpelier of all people to help me, and the trend continued as she pulled up a chair and sat down next to me. "Thank you for your intervention," I said, feeling it necessary to express my gratitude despite how shaky things were between us.

"I didn't do it for you," she answered, coldly, as I expected.

As the girl slouched and folded her arms, as if the very idea of sitting next to me was just barely tolerable, a curious thought crossed my mind. "You do not need to be down here," I reminded her. "Should you not be sitting up with your fellows in the Eagle Union?"

Montpelier just shrugged. "It's fine. DeWolf said he'd have more work for us after the briefing, so I may as well stay where he can easily find me."

It was an odd response considering how reluctant she had been with our assignment in the first place. "But would you rather not sit with your friends?" I inquired. Her response was little more than a half-hearted grunt as she averted her gaze from me, which just struck me as ever more of an outlier. "You… have friends, do you not?"

"I have my sisters; that's more than enough."

Knowing how large some of the ship classes could get in the Eagle Union, that didn't sound too outrageous, but it still didn't fully explain why she sat with me. "And why aren't you with them?"

This time, she didn't even bother with a guttural response. An uneasy silence just lingered in the air between us like a morning fog, but thankfully it was short-lived as the lecture hall door opened just a moment later. In strode Captain DeWolf, accompanied by a hushed silence as the kansens regarded their new acting commanding officer. I was wondering what had held him up, as I had arrived in the lecture well ahead of him, but the clipboard and thick stack of papers tucked under one arm suggested he had come well-prepared.

"Good afternoon everyone," DeWolf began, taking his place at the lectern. "I know for a lot of you, this briefing is long overdue, and for that, I do apologize. I can only imagine how chaotic things have been over the past few days, and I'll do my best to address your concerns. Now for all of you who I've yet had the opportunity to meet, allow me to introduce myself: my name is Captain James DeWolf, and for the immediate future, I will be your acting commanding officer. I know there's a number of you who are concerned that my assignment here will upset the status quo, that the lifestyle that you've grown accustomed to will be thrown into turmoil. Now I can tell you right now, I was assigned to this posting with the expressed intent of not upsetting any boats or apple carts." His expression soured, however, as he held up the clipboard. "At least, that was going to be the case until I read this. Would anyone care to guess what it is? It's the after-action reports from each of the four camps. From your own senior kansens, it's the perspective of how you allowed a Siren raiding force to catch you so flat-footed, and how I arrived at a naval port riddled with crater and shell splinters."

"Hold on a second," a voice shouted from the back of the Eagle Union's section. "Are you suggesting we're to blame for what happened?"

"I'm not, and this is not about assigning blame, but figuring out what went wrong," DeWolf continued, undisturbed by the interruption. If anything, it looked as though he expected some push-back. "Now I recognize that dealing with an enemy that can materialize practically out of thin air poses a challenge, but after reading these reports, it is without a doubt that your performance that day was not of a fleet comprised of four of the greatest navies on the planet, but rather just four navies who happened to all be in the same vicinity when the fighting started. Now I could spend all day dissecting the findings for you, but I think I can prove my point just by going over a few choice highlights. Sounds fair?"

There were a few discontented murmurs amongst the audience, but I think everyone was a little wary of what DeWolf was about to unleash on them. It was like they were all standing in front of a firing squad, wondering who was going to be targeted first.

"The Eagle Union report notes, 'upon the sounding of the general alarm, all kansens proceeded to report to their pre-assigned defense sectors. However, these actions were often taken without regard or consideration to the possible distance between the kansen's current location, and their assigned posting. In the most extreme case, a Fletcher-class destroyer spent more than twenty minutes attempting to locate the squadron she was assigned to. More than a dozen kansens reported getting lost in the confusion of battle. Kansens who chose to ignore their assignments and took the initiative in forming ad hoc squadrons were met with limited success due to a general apprehension to forming units consisting of mixed factions.'"

"General apprehension?" came a voice from the Royal Navy's section. Her disdain for the perceived insult was only just barely constrained by her Royalist upbringing. "It wasn't apprehension, the Iron Blood teams just flat-out ignored us. Even after we made multiple requests for reinforcements, they wouldn't even so much as lift a finger to help."

Naturally, such a comment would not go unchallenged, and no sooner had the Royalist fallen silent did one of the Iron Bloods rise to her feet. It was Admiral Hipper, no less, a kansen from my understanding who had a volatile temperament even at the best of times. "Huh? We followed your established procedures to the letter!" she shot back. "I will not stand for our vessels being blamed for following their orders and refusing to abandon their teammates because your fleets were incapable of handling a few wayward Sirens."

"So abandoning us is just fine?"

"You've twice the numbers we do at this port. I don't see why it should be our responsibility to stretch our lines even thinner for your sake."

"In case you've forgotten: we're all on the same side. Would it have killed you to at least speak english on the radio?"

"I'll use english when you idiots start using metric. We can't make use of any of the telemetry data you give us when it's all in Imperial."

Before their verbal sparring could come to actual blows, DeWolf let out a sharp whistle to garner everyone's attention once more. "As I said, this isn't about blame," he said as he gestured for Hipper to sit back down. Thankfully, she complied. "Now Miss Ajax brought up a valid concern—that Royal Navy requests often went unanswered. However, the report filed by the Iron Blood can help shed light on that." He flipped through a few pages, and cleared his throat. "'Communications had not yet been standardized between factions. There was an absence of commonality between broadcast channels, encryptions, reporting protocols, or even languages used. At times, kansens of Azur Lane communications could not be properly received by Iron Blood equipment, and even at times when communication links were established, information provided was often unintelligible due to differences in linguistic preferences. Combined with a general lack of radio discipline as communications deteriorated, these factors led to an unsatisfactory performance of inter-faction coordination and response.'" He paused for a moment as he gave Admiral Hipper a poignant stare. "Anything you'd care to add?"

"No, sir," she replied.

"Now, the Sakura Empire's report brings up an interesting, closely related point. 'There was a distinct lack of a centralized command and control element to the entire defense. The base commander, Enterprise, immediately engaged Siren forces. Though this had an immediate, positive effect on morale, as a result she was often unable to provide clear instructions or a cohesive strategy, presuming she could even be reached at all due to the heat of battle. Without a command element removed from the conflict and able to maintain an objective view of the situation, our forces were unable to effectively coordinate their actions, or bring the necessary elements to bear against the largest threats. Individual combat units were forced to decide for themselves the best strategies for their sector and what metrics to gauge their own effectiveness. In the absence of a unified strategy, the tactical situations degraded into their most basic forms: destroy whatever enemies were in front of you. It was only through the raw and broad application of fire and steel that the enemy was repelled in spite of all our tactical shortcomings.'"

Having read quite a few reports from Myoukou, I recognized her writing prose almost immediately. It came as no surprise that the focus of hers was on the subject of leadership and cohesive strategies. In the Sakura Empire, we had always prided ourselves on our unity and harmony as a fighting force, and with any luck, it could be something we could teach the other factions in. I had to temper any swelling ego with the reminder that our forces had likely been just as reluctant to form 'mixed' units with the other factions, so we were not without fault.

Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere in the lecture hall had turned murky. It was clear that people knew there were problems, but having them aired so publicly made the shame that much worse. We were kansens, after all; we were supposed to be above reproach, but it appeared that we were just as prone to embodying some of the worst aspects of humanity, as well as its best. I was surprised there wasn't more pushback from the others. Most just sat silently in their seats, like students being lectured by their professor. No doubt there were many who were wondering, just as I was, how did the forces that united to bring down Orochi turn out like this?

Sensing the change in mood, DeWolf set his clipboard down. "From this day to the end of the world, but we in it shall be remembered," he began, clearly reciting something that sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite pin the source. "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers: for he today who sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother. However humble his birth, this day shall grant him nobility." He let those words hang in the air for a few moments, though it looked as though everyone was as confused by them as I was. "It probably won't come as any surprise that it was the Royal Navy's report that quoted Shakespeare. It notes much the same as the previous three, but there's a rather poignant part at the end that I think you all should hear for yourselves." He sounded less lecturing at the end, which prompted some curiosity from the audience as their heads perked up to pay close attention. Even I was a little eager to hear what prompted our captain to start quoting old english playwrights. "'Though over the past few months, we have lived together, broken bread, laughed, and shared with one another, when the time came once more for battle, we fell into old rivalries, egos, and national pride like a pair of old, familiar slippers. At the root of our failure to communicate, to coordinate, or even offer the most basic modicum of support, was the absence of trust in one another. We welcomed the Crimson Axis into our homes, but continued to treat them as guests, then acted shocked and aghast when they did feel the same fervent passion to defend the port as we did. Without trust, without that immutable bond forged only through adversity in the crucible of conflict, how can we ever expect to stand together? A kansen must be able to trust that the person next to them will fight with them, and, if necessary, die to protect them, just as they must be prepared to do the same in return. Our victory over Orochi proved this is possible, but that day only planted a seed, a seed that must be nurtured and encouraged before it can bear fruit. No great fleet was ever built in a day—not the Royal Navy, nor the High Seas Fleet, the Kido Butai, or the Pacific Fleet. All were the culmination of many hours of blood, sweat, toil, and sacrifice. So too must we pour just as much heart and soul into this young and ambitious alliance, such that it may become the fighting force and inspiration to the world that we all know it can be.'"

It was reassuring to hear such hopeful words, especially from a member of the Royal Navy. There had always been times where I worried that this alliance was a fool's dream held only by a select few, but it was clear that I was not the only kansen who saw the potential in this endeavour. On top of that, it also meant that DeWolf was a proponent of the alliance, too, and not just trying to keep the peace on base. That, or we were both fools.

"I know it can be hard to let go of the past," DeWolf continued on. "There's not a person in this room that doesn't carry some scar left behind by conflicts past, be they physical or emotional. I won't lie to you: changes will need to be made, and some may be harder to accept than others, but they need to be done because what happened here," he paused as he held up the stack of reports, "we cannot afford to have happen again. There are a lot of people who'd love nothing better than this alliance to fall apart, so they can go back to their old squabbles, fighting over old borders and long-dead legacies of past glory. The world is watching us; we can't afford to fail. Any questions so far?"

The girl from the Royal Navy who spoke earlier, Miss Ajax as I recalled, raised her hand. "What sort of changes can we expect?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure yet. I only finished reading the reports a little while ago," the captain answered in a moment of frank honesty. "I would like to survey each of the camps to get their suggestions and concerns before making any final decisions. In fact, I would suggest each of the factions nominate a senior kansen to act as a liaison, at least temporarily." Considering there were nearly a hundred kansens from four fleets stationed at base, it made sense to avoid trying to petition each and every one of us. Setting aside the reports, the captain cast his gaze over to the Sakura Empire section for a moment, and while to most it might've seemed like a casual glance, I was able to follow his gaze and noticed that he appeared to be looking at Choshu. I was curious what his plans were for addressing her, but it looked like I would soon have my answer. "Now moving on, there's a couple of other things that'll need to be addressed. I know there are a lot of questions and few answers regarding Enterprise and what happened to her task force a few days ago. It was a hard blow to receive just a few days after such a harrowing raid, but I want to assure all of you that the matter is being investigated. There's been more than a few rumours about it, so those need to be laid to rest. So I want to start by stating that, yes, Enterprise and her team were incapcitated after a rendezvous with Lady Nagato of the Sakura Empire, and it was by her guns that the task force was struck down."

The lecture hall suddenly, but not unexpectedly, burst into a flurry of murmurings and angry glares, most of which were directed towards the Sakura Empire's section. Many had their suspicions, sure, but with the captain confirming the details, it made all of those hidden resentments bubble back to the surface. Once again, it took a few moments of gentle encouragement followed by a loud whistle sharp enough to cut through a slab of metal to settle the crowd again.

One could see the growing impatience in the captain's expression as he addressed the crowd once more. "Now as I was about to say, I want to reassure everyone that what happened was not a deliberate act of hostility by the Sakura Empire or any of its subjects. We have reason to believe that the incident was caused by an unknown phenomenon that impaired Lady Nagato's perception of her surroundings."

"And what in the Sam Hill is that supposed to even mean?" shouted a voice from the Eagle Union section, which was not an unreasonable reaction to the explanation.

"In the lead-up to the operation against Orochi," DeWolf answered, thankfully unperturbed by the interruption, "Enterprise reported a similar experience, where she stated she felt as though she was controlled by another consciousness."

"What? Like mind control?" Admiral Hipper asked. She sounded skeptical, but wasn't outright refuting the proposition.

"Not exactly, at least not how Enterprise described it. Our scientists believe this was caused by some dormant aspect of the wisdom cube that resulted in an overriding of her higher cognitive functions. So it's less of a mind-control and more like they go berserk, although I'm not sure if that's necessarily accurate either. The point is, it's not a deliberate act. There's a triggering event, but we've yet to isolate the cause. Thus, it's our belief that Lady Nagato was not in control of herself when she attacked Enterprise and her team, but nonetheless, for the sake of security, she has volunteered to have her kansen abilities restrained until this phenomenon is better understood. So I don't want to see anything even resembling retribution against either Lady Nagato or the Sakura Empire, understood?"

I wasn't sure if 'volunteered' was the best way to describe my decision, but since it kept the peace, I saw no reason to interject. It would've been a lie to say that I was still a bit afraid of myself, of what I could potentially do, and if it hadn't been for the collar, I would've probably suggested something more extreme to ensure everyone's safety. It still felt uncomfortable, not painfully so, but it was impossible to ever forget that this weight hung around my neck. Better than a jail cell, I kept reminding myself.

"Now all of this leads me to the final matter needing to be discussed." DeWolf looked once more to the Sakura section and gestured for one kansen in particular to come down. My counterpart rose from her seat and quietly made her way down to the front of the lecture hall, all the while the audience murmured in their collective confusion. "Some of you have had the chance to meet Miss Choshu already. Now I'm sure there's more than a few confused people out there, so I will assure you that your memory is not faulty: there is no Choshu on any kansen registry. It's merely an alias in order to avoid confusion, as her real name is Nagato, lead ship of the Nagato-class battleship, and former flagship of the Fourth Combined Fleet."

Once again, there was an all-too-predictable rise from the audience, a combination of confusion and disbelief as they mulled over the possibilities amongst one another. Perhaps among the most surprised was Ashigara, who had formed a fledgling friendship with our newcomer, and she rose to her feet. "Are you saying we have two Nagatos?" she exclaimed. "How's that possible?"

It was the question everyone was wondering, but she was the first to be bold enough to say it out loud. I was a little surprised that Captain DeWolf had opted to be so open and forthcoming about it, but on reflection, it was a matter that would likely affect everyone at the port, and so they had a right to know. Besides, sooner or later, people would realize there was something different about her, and questions and rumours would percolate in the absence of the truth. By explaining it now, DeWolf could head off any potential confusion or mistrust that deception would've invited.

"As you know, the Sirens have demonstrated advanced technology and control over spacetime, in particular through their use of the Mirror Seas. We have reason to believe that Miss Choshu was brought here by the Sirens from an alternate timeline, although to what end is still an unknown. We also believe her presence is somehow connected to the Siren raid, and the encounter between Enterprise and Nagato. All of these matters are currently under investigation, but rest assured, we will get to the bottom of whatever the Sirens are planning, and we will put a stop to it. Be sure to brush up on your combat training, and keep yourself ready to sortie at a moment's notice, understood?"

For the first time since the start of the briefing, there was a sense of unanimous consent from all of us. Nobody needed to remind us that the Sirens were the real threat, even if we had disagreements in how precisely to address it. Whatever schemes were underway, it would be up to us to protect humanity. The briefing continued on for a few more minutes as DeWolf took a few questions, as did Choshu. There was, understandably, a lot of doubt surrounding her claims, and so she was given an opportunity to more formally introduce herself to everybody. Unlike myself, who always felt so stiff when addressing large gatherings, she appeared far more at ease speaking to her fellow kansens. Before long, the briefing was adjourned and everybody began to disperse, returning to their posts or whatever pastime they had been partaking in. Despite how much DeWolf laid out for everyone, there was an air of cautious optimism as the room emptied.

Soon, it was just DeWolf, Montpelier, and myself. As my colleague had mentioned earlier, the captain likely had more work for us, and so I remained in my seat waiting for my next assignment.

"So how'd I do?" DeWolf asked, turning towards us as he leaned back against the lectern. "Didn't lay it on too thick, did I?"

"Was quoting Shakespeare really necessary, sir?" Montpelier replied, blunt as always.

"Too pretentious?"

She shrugged. "A little."

"I thought it was a nice touch," I said to throw in my support.

"It was… okay, I guess." Montpelier still sounded skeptical, but must've wanted to add some positivity to her review. "You really think you'll be able to get everyone to start being all buddy-buddy again?"

He paused for a moment, a pensive look on his face, but when it came time that he looked ready to answer, he instead began walking towards the exit, and he gestured for us to follow. Montpelier just rolled her eyes, but we both followed soon afterwards, where he led us outside to the small courtyard near the lecture hall. There was a large water fountain set up there, which thankfully managed to survive the Siren raid without any permanent damage. However, it wasn't the fixture or its brilliant, shimmering cascades that the captain wanted us to see, but rather the small gathering next to it. Four kansens had assembled together, all of them destroyers judging by their stature, but I could only recognize two figures from among them. There was Ayanami, one of the Sakura Empire's most accomplished and capable destroyers, and Z23, a disciplined and steadfast soldier from the Iron Blood camp. The other two, with whom they were talking and laughing with, were familiar but I couldn't recall their names.

"Who are they?" I asked, looking to Montpelier.

"Well, the one with the rabbit ears is Laffey—she's from the union—and the purple-haired girl is Javelin, from the Royal Navy," she answered. "But why are you showing us this, sir?"

"Because they're friends," he answered plainly. "I've only been here a few days, but every time I see one of them, they're always together, either whole or in part."

I had heard about Ayanami forging a friendship with some girls from Azur Lane, but I had never seen them for myself due to being kept at arm's length from everyone thanks to my responsibilities as flagship. They looked happy together, as if the entire Siren business wasn't even the slightest concern for them. It reminded me of life back in the home port, of the smiles and laughter that made me so envious of the common life. If nothing else, it was proof one didn't need to be part of the Sakura Empire to enjoy the harmony and unity that we were so often proud of.

"You kansens inherit the memories of the warships you were derived from," DeWolf continued on. "You all have long histories that are full of conflict, death, pride, rivalries, and grudges. I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like for any of you. But unlike warships, you kansens have the ability to make a choice—you don't have to let old memories and wounds dictate what kind of person you are. Everyone talks about working together like it's some Herculean task, but… it doesn't have to be. It can be as simple as just choosing not to hate."

The three of us watched in silence as the group of friends headed on their merry way, or rather most of them did. The one with the bunny ears seemed reluctant to leave her perch on the fountain's edge, and had to be dragged away by two of the others. I wondered if they had any secret, or if it was just in their nature to be more open and approachable. For someone like me, who had trouble making friends even in my own camp, those four displayed an ideal I could only hope to strive for.

"Seems a little clichéd if you ask me," Montpelier muttered, mostly to herself. Already looking bored, she turned her attention back to the captain. "You said you had another assignment for us to handle."

"Ah, yes, that," DeWolf said, clasping his hands together. "How are you two at cooking?"

"Cooking? With her? I'm a warship, sir, not a house maid," Montpelier shot back. "If you want dinner prepared, you should ask the Royal Navy."

"I could, but I'd rather ask the two of you. We'll have dinner in the executive dining hall at nineteen-hundred hours. Don't fret too much over the menu, but please make sure there's enough for at least seven or eight people."

"Nineteen hundred hour? But sir—!"

"You have your orders, kansen." There was a firmness in his voice that stood in stark contrast to his more easy-going tone from just a few seconds prior. Clearly, there were limits to his patience, and I worried my cohort might not know well enough to back down. Not just for her sake, but also DeWolf's since, as he told me earlier, he didn't have many contingency plans if anyone ever tried to push back against an order.

Thankfully, Montpelier knew well enough when to stand down, signaling her acquiescence with a resigned sigh. "Very well, sir, we'll get right on it," she answered, compliant but unenthused.

"Just don't worry too much about it. It's not as if we're entertaining the admiralty."

While the captain tried his best to be reassuring, my calm facade was only a mask for the panic storm that was brewing inside. Cooking was never something required of me as a miko or flagship; in fact, for almost the entirety of my career, I had never been more than a few minutes away from a skilled chef or a mess hall. Sure, I could follow the basic instructions needed to prepare the pre-packaged food included in ration kits, but that was about the extent of my knowledge. The whole process of planning and preparing food from scratch was as foreign a concept as nuclear physics. However, after Montpelier's brief bout of insubordination, I was afraid to voice anything that might sound similar. With any luck, my partner was skilled enough in the culinary arts that I could just follow her lead and help wherever possible.

With the new assignment handed out, we parted ways with DeWolf and opted to head immediately for the mess hall to make use of their kitchens. We still had a few hours to prepare, but I had a feeling we were going to need every minute we could get, especially if I was going to be handling an equal share of the work. One didn't need to be telepathic to tell that the stomping, brooding Montpelier was unhappy once again, perhaps even more than she had been before. Did she really not like cooking, or was it something more? Given how well the two seemed to get along back when they were talking about New York, it couldn't just be a matter of disliking Captain DeWolf.

"Are you troubled, Miss Montpelier?" I asked, worried her mood might affect our newest assignment.

"I'm fine!" she insisted.

Even I wasn't so naive as to take that at face value. "Is there something about the assignment that's bothering you?"

"Maybe I'm just not happy about being stuck with you for the rest of the day," Montpelier snapped. She didn't seem too bothered by me earlier in the day, so I wasn't sure if her sudden disdain for me was genuine or just a convenient excuse. As much as I would've liked a straight answer, I didn't have the confidence in my persuasiveness to risk trying to coax the truth from her. After a few moments of grumbling, she cast a sideways glance to me. "So… all that stuff the captain said earlier, about you not really being 'you' when you shot Enterprise. Is that really true?"

A lot of the day's troubles could have been spared if DeWolf had been able to explain things before Montpelier tried to take justice into her own hands. Then again, if we had almost come to blows, it was unlikely I would ever have had this opportunity to speak so candidly with her. "It is the most plausible explanation given what evidence we have," I answered. I wish I had a more absolute answer, but I felt obligated to be just as honest with her as DeWolf had been with all of us, and the truth was that we just didn't know for certain.

"So you don't remember anything that happened? Nothing at all?"

"I would not say I have zero recollection of the event, but when I try to think back to it, it becomes a quagmire of distorted images, thoughts, and feelings. It becomes hard to discern reality from fiction." Granted, I tried my best to avoid thinking too much about the encounter, if for no other reason than to avoid the guilt and shame that came along with it.

"Was there anything you know for certain is a real memory?"

I didn't know why Montpelier was so interested in my recount of the events. I thought she had already made up her mind about it, but perhaps she was giving me a second chance. Still, I was skeptical that anything I could recall would provide irrefutable proof, otherwise we would've brought it forward already. "I seem to remember hearing Enterprise shouting something that sounded like 'don't shoot'. As I said, it is all hazy. The things I remember most are the emotions I felt. There was so much hate… pain… and anger. I felt like I was going to explode."

"Sounds like you did, in a way."

"Do you not believe me?"

It was a longshot, but one could still hope that maybe the captain's explanation and enough time around me would convince her that I wasn't some backstabbing cur. She sighed as she mulled her answer over. "Maybe. Hard to say," she murmured back, sounding almost reluctant to admit as much. "I guess if the captain trusts you then I can… for now."

"A few moments ago, you sounded rather displeased with him," I replied, curious as to the sudden swing in opinion.

"I can trust him and be unhappy about his orders," she answered. "Speaking of which, I don't suppose I could convince you to just let me skip out on making dinner?"

Even if I was feeling charitable, which I wasn't, I would never agree to such a one-sided arrangement. "The captain's orders were for us to make dinner together, and I intend to see that through." There was also the obvious issue that if I did try to make it by myself, it would likely end in disaster for the both of us, but I didn't need to bring that up just yet. "If you do trust the captain, then you should trust that these orders are not just frivolous whims meant to bother us."

"Fine, geeze," Montpelier groaned as she rolled her eyes. "Captain must be telling the truth because there's no way a goody-two-shoes like you would plan a sneak attack."

"Thanks… I think." It was a step forward in the right direction, at least.

"Could I at least have thirty minutes? Just to check on a few things?" This time around, her request sounded more genuine, rather than a desperate attempt to shirk responsibilities. It was definitely tied to whatever reason she was annoyed with the orders in the first place, and while a lesser person might've used this as leverage to get a better work arrangement, I did want to try to mend things between us. Plus, as she said, I was a 'goody-two-shoes'.

"Very well, but not a minute longer, or I will inform the captain of this dereliction of duty."