Black and Gold Chapter 1, an azur lane/碧蓝航线 fanfic

A/N: Well, here we go again, thank you to the community on the subreddit for choosing the next girl, I'll admit I was surprised by the choice as well as the margin by which she won by. Based on the art I see there, I had expected it to be a tight race between Akagi and Atago, I honestly didn't expect Hornet to have such strong support. Let's hope I do her some justice here.

Part One – Green, Yellow, and Black?

I had flown into this base for some major political event, knowing that the old base commander would be giving me a tour and getting me up to speed before he would be reassigned elsewhere. I had heard of rumors of the kansen before, but until I read the file, I had no idea they were actually real. When my flight touched down, I got out of the craft with and slung my kit over my shoulder. I looked around and saw no one to greet me on the runway. Taking out my phone I cursed out as I saw the time, my flight was late. No surprise really, we had to stop for fuel and then ran into bad weather that forced us around it.

With a sigh, I checked the itinerary that had been given to me and I see that the next event is starting soon, well that doesn't leave me a ton of time to get there. I pick up my pace and head over to the motor pool to grab a jeep and head to the location.

XXXX

When I get there, again I don't see anyone outside; I guess they must be inside the wardroom. I leave my kit in the jeep, quickly adjust my dress whites, and sling my cap under an arm while I make my way through the building. I'm almost to the doors that should lead into the main hall and out of the corner of my eye I see a flash of yellow, right before I collide with someone and seconds before I hear the sound of breaking bottles. I look down and see a blond with these two long tails of hair coming off the sides in a dark blue dress, she looks down at the spilled blue liquid on the floor and says, "Aw geez.."

She paused and looked up, her green eyes darting to my shoulder boards before she added quickly, "Sorry about that Commander! I really should've been watching where I was going."

I step back a bit to get my shoes out of the puddle before I say to her, "It's alright, accidents happen."

I give a quick look around before asking, "Hey, do you know anything about the event that's going on right now?"

She blinks at me a couple of times before saying to me with a grin, "Let me find a mop, broom, dustpan, and then I'll tell you all about it."

It honestly didn't take us that long to find those items and start cleaning up the mess as she said to me, "It's my eldest sister's wedding, that's what's going on."

She pauses to look up at the clock before adding, "But she's running a bit late; she should be here at the reception by now."

I blink a couple of times and ask her, "Is that why I'm replacing Captain Stennis?"

"Captain?" she asks me.

I nod as I confirm, "Yeah, Captain James Stennis, I'm his replacement for when he's transferred to San Diego next week. The brass wanted me here to get a full briefing from him before he leaves." I pause before adding, "Something about this place having its own challenges."

I just finished sweeping up the bottle as she starts running the mop through the blue liquid and she asks, "So if you're the new base commander, can I get your name?"

"Commander Alexander Kidd, and can I ask yours?" I ask her.

"I am the Yorktown class' youngest sister, Hornet!" She says with a big grin.

I tilt my head to the side, I had no idea I was talking to a kansen, I thought she was just a normal girl. Wait a second she said this was her eldest sister's wedding reception. So I got to know the answer to this, so I ask, "So if you're the kansen of the Hornet, does that mean that this is Yorktown's wedding reception?"

She sighs and hangs her head before saying to me, "Let me guess, you want to know all about my big sisters Yorktown and Enterprise, right?"

I shake my head a little before asking, "So, do you know why this is such a political event?"

Again she sighs and says, "Because we kansen were just made public knowledge. Tons of photos have been snapped, especially at the wedding. Yorktown looked so cool coming ashore in her wedding dress and rigging." I make a sound of surprise and she tilts her head at me and asks, "So Commander Kidd, you want to sit at the head table with me? It'd give you a chance to chat up Enterprise, Yorktown, and Captain Stennis."

I give her a sideways look as I say to her, "Sounds like you want me to be your date to this wedding."

She grins and shrugs as she says, "If only to show up Enty."

I sigh inwardly. Sisters, they seem to be the same either human or kansen…

XXXX

Once we were done cleaning up she dragged me into the main hall, and that was when I spotted Captain Stennis, looking a bit older than I remember him looking and when he spots me, being dragged behind the blond he got up from behind the table and gripped my hand as he says, "Alex! It's great you could make it!"

I grin back at him as I say, "Great to see you, James, how are the sisters?"

He slaps my shoulder and says, "They're good, they're good." He turns slightly, facing a beauty in white as he says, "Yorktown, this is my best friend since the academe, Alexander Kidd."

This Yorktown gives me such a sweet, warm smile as she says to me, "Any friend of James' is a friend of mine."

"See, I told you you'd be welcome up here!" says the blond that dragged me in here.

I nod as I respond to her, "Yeah, yeah."

The next thing I know, she's taking my hand again and dragging me out to the dance floor, so I call back to my friend, "I'll catch up with you later James, the bridesmaid here wants to dance!"

XXXX

The next actual workday I show up at the Captain's office, as I open the door, I see a woman with long silver hair behind the desk. It takes me a moment to put the name to her face as she smiles at me and I say to her, "Mrs. Stennis."

She smiles at me as she says, "Yorktown is fine, Commander Kidd." she paused to wink as she added, "But I do like the sound of that though."

I nod and ask, "Is he in?"

She nods and tells me, "He is and he's expecting you. By the way, Commander, my sister Hornet said she had a good time on the dance floor with you."

I feel my cheeks get hot that blond had managed to get me on the dance floor, something I don't normally do, at all. I run a hand through my short brown hair as I say to her, "Truth is I think that's the most fun I've had at a wedding in a long time."

She smiles sweetly at me and says, "You should get to know Hornet, she's a lot of fun."

I nod again as I say, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Of course, but I've kept you long enough, you should head on in." she says to me, getting up and rapping on the Captain's door.

Once it's open I step through and greet Captain Stennis with a salute after he returns it he says, "Alex, I know I said this the other day. But it's great you could make it to my wedding. So, what's got you stopping by my office today? I don't have a lot of time, since I'm expecting my replacement today."

I grin at him before I walk over to his shelf and spinning the prop on one of his model corsairs as I say to him, "Well you're in luck, James, you've already met with him."

He gets out from behind his desk and slaps my shoulder as he says, "Well, that sure beats what I was fretting about!"

I laugh as I say to him, "Believe me, I was surprised to get tapped for this position, I thought for sure they'd find someone of a higher pay-grade for this."

James moves to sit on his couch, putting his arms across the back of it as he asks, "So, it looked like you and Hornet were getting along well at the reception."

I take a seat on a chair across from him and I ask, "So, I was reading a bit of what I'm in for, this seems less like a combat posting and more like a-"

"A governorship, because that's exactly what it is." He interpreted me to say.

I nod and he continues, "The kansen are learning how to be human, right now this place is full of our kansen, but there are plans in the works to open this place up to more factions too."

I sit back a little and ask, "So between you and me, how human are they already?"

He gives me a sideways look before leaning forward and whispering, "You'll be hard-pressed to tell the difference most days and they feel human in every way too."

"You mean?" I ask, tilting my head at him.

He nods and says again, "In every way possible."

Huh, good to know.

I was about to ask something when there was a knock on the door shortly before a girl with what looked like cat ears on her head in a French maid outfit walked in with a tray that contained a coffee pot as well as some mugs and he said to her, "Thanks Hammann, have you checked in with Yorktown yet?"

"Not yet, why?" she says to him in a tone that I'd say bordered on insubordination.

James sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose and says to her, "Because I wanted her to tell you about the fact that we're moving to San Diego, the three of us."

She blinks a few times and I see her cat ears point backward as she snaps at him, "You did lewd things to Yorktown and… and… and!"

He shakes his head as he says, "No, she's not pregnant, at least not yet, Hammann. No, you are coming with us."

"Oh, well… fine, I guess." She back peddles before adding, "If that will be all, Captain?"

He nods and she leaves, leaving me to tilt my head at him as he says, "They all have their own unique personalities, Hammann is… well… she's Hammann. Sims is easier to deal with, but Yorktown has a way with with her."

I pour some coffee and ask, "So, what's the first thing I'm going to need to know about this place?"

He pours his coffee and says, "You'll need to find someone to serve as your secretary. All the girls here are fully trained for that position, but some are better at it than others."

I nod and sip my coffee and ask a different question, "I noticed some of them look a lot younger than others, is that normal?"

He nods, sipping his own as he says, "Yes, it seems to relate to their ship types, destroyers often look the youngest, battleships and carriers often look the oldest, but there are exceptions to that."

I nod again, sipping more coffee, and ask, "You know me pretty well James, who would you recommend for me?"

He pauses and thinks for a minute and says, "For the first couple of weeks, Brooklyn would be good, as she'd get you up to speed and settled in, in no time, after that, I think you'd get it figured out."

"However, there is something to be said in working with the first girl you meet on base. Then again, you might end up like me, getting married in under a year." He adds with a laugh.

"You did this in under a year?" I ask with an unavoidable amount of surprise in my voice.

He sighs, turning his mug in his hands as he says, "Yeah, I kind of shot myself in the foot with the brass when I made the argument that the kansen are people and not hardware. To avoid an article 134 charge, the wedding needed to happen."

I nod, that made a ton of sense now and I ask him, "Are you good with it though?"

He sips his coffee, nodding as he says, "I am, Yorktown is the best thing that has happened to me. She really balances me out."

I nod and ask, "I saw what looked like a town on the flight in, what's the deal with it?"

"It is and isn't a town. It was set up as a way for the kansen to get used to the idea of shopping, it gets supplied once a month and uses an automated checkout system that deducts directly from your account." He says between sips of his coffee.

"Anything else I should know?" I ask him.

He laughs and says, "Lots, but a lot of it, you'll learn on the job."

I finish my cup of coffee and ask him, "So what can you tell me about Hornet? She seemed nice enough, but was under the impression I'd rather chat up her sisters."

He smirked as he said, "Hornet is a good girl. She's open, energetic, and generally happy. Just watch out for when she gets an idea in her head, she pushes for it. I mean that's how Yorktown and I had our first date, her sisters worked together to get the two of us alone and on a date."

"Good to know, and one last question, how's the food here?" I ask.

He smirked and said, "The pizza place is really good, and you get decent on-demand video service too."

"Yeah, but is it as good as The Big Cheese?" I ask him.

He laughs as he says, "No, but what is?"

I laugh back before I stand and tell him, "Fair enough, anyway I'll let you get to work while I explore a bit, I'll check in with you later, alright?"

He nods and asks, "Sounds good Alex, where are you staying right now?"

"Visitor's quarters right now, I'm going to be moving into the big house later." I say with a smirk and he nods.

XXXX

After I leave the control center, I start walking through a square and spot a golden anchor fountain in the center of it. Sitting on it, I spot that blond from before, Hornet. though this time, she's in a long black coat and a cowboy hat all trimmed in gold. When her green eyes land on me, she hops off of the rim of the fountain and I get a good look at what's under her coat, cut-off shorts, and a bikini top. I do my best not to stare, but damn does she look good.

She grins at me, putting her hands on her hips as she says, "Yo Commander! Are ya busy?"

I slowly shake my head back and forth and it was like she clued into my stunned state as she laughed and said, "Why hide it if I'm confident in it, right?"

I rock my head from side to side in a mixed message of agreement and disagreement as I say, "That's fair. But to answer your first question, no I'm not, why?"

She walks over to me and links an arm through mine as she says, "Then let Hornet show you around, I've got the dirt on everyone around here."

The next thing I know, I'm being pulled along again down the path and she asks me, "So, Commander, what was your last assignment?"

"Nothing special, I was the XO on a battlecruiser, the Alaska." I tell her

She blinks at me and says, "That's one that never got a kansen, did she?"

I nod as I tell her, "Nope, and to be fair, you're the first one I've met."

She looks up and grins at me and says, "Well, don't get any funny ideas, I'm not going to give it up on the first date."

Wait, what?

I'm stunned again and she laughs as she says, "That's what happened to Yorktown and Captain Stennis, they got drunk at his welcome party and knocked boots."

I laugh hard as I say, "Oh that's so funny. The last time James got that drunk he swore off drinking."

"Oh! Oh! Tell me what happened?" she begs me.

I laugh as I tell her about our graduation and how Captain Stennis hit every pub on, near, and not so near campus and woke up with Billy the Goat, the fourth. Hornet for her part, let herself go, holding her sides and bent over at her hips, shaking with laughter. That's when I tell her that I put lipstick on the goat and on Captain Stennis to make it look like he had a wild night with the goat. Hornet lost all controll at that point, falling onto her rear and laughed even harder.

Once she gets herself under control, I extend a hand down to her to help her up. Once she's up she asks me, "You hungry? The pizza shop should be open by now."

"I could eat." I say to her and she links arms with me again and starts to drag me off towards this pizza place.

XXXX

As we walk into this pizza place, I'm surprised that it's more of a restaurant than a traditional pizza place. You know, "get it and go" kind of place. I look to Hornet and I can see that she's looking hard at the menu and she asks me, "Hey Commander, what kind of pizza do you like better, Sardegna-style pizza or Eagle Union-style pizza?"

That's a tough call, both are good but rather different. I'm not starving right now, so perhaps something lighter today? I start reading the menu, I see that it's divided up between the two types, so I turn the question on her, "Well, are we staying here or getting it to go?"

"Here I think." She says, tapping her chin with a finger.

I nod. That makes it easy. So I step up to the counter and start going through the kiosk until I find just what I'm looking for, a margherita pizza. I give it a click, take out my card and let the machine scan it. From behind me, Hornet asks, "Not super hungry?"

I shake my head as I move aside and say, "Not right now, you?"

"I can't decide, maybe I'll just get a bit of everything." She grins and places an order.

I was surprised at how fast they came out, then again a Neapolitan pizza never takes long, but hers' surprised me with just how fast it showed up, doubly so when I saw it was an Eagle Union-style deep dish.

As we take seats at opposite sides of the table, I watch as she opens the box lid, leans forward, and takes in a big whiff of it as she says, "Cheese sure is good."

I take a bite of mine, and it's good! The crust is light, crispy, and has a good chew. The sauce is good and the mozzarella tastes fresh and has a great stretch. Across from me, well... that is an epic cheese stretch if I've ever seen one. Hornet takes a bite of hers with a look of total bliss on her face. After she swallows she says to me, "One day, I'm going to visit Chicago and have real deep-dish pizza."

That takes me back. I had taken a road trip one weekend just for deep dish, I smirk as I remember the entire trip, she looks at me and asks, "What's up?"

I feel my cheeks get a little hot as I say to her, "Sorry, I was just remembering a trip that I took with James to Chicago one weekend just to get pizza. It should've been a twenty-hour round trip, but things went sideways from detours, wrong directions, and just stupid stuff turned it into a two-day trip that almost had us late for class on Monday."

She sits back in her spot, laughing again as she said, "Oh wow, I never would've thought our straight-laced Captain to be so… reckless."

I sit back and laugh as I say to her, "You don't know the half of it. We avoided expulsion, several times over our time at Annapolis, and we barely graduated, but we graduated."

After I take another bite, I change the subject and ask her, "So, James recommended that I ask Brooklyn to help get me accustomed to this place when I take over next week, do you have a suggestion?"

"Sure do, me." She says with a grin.

I tilt my head to the side and she continues, "Look, I know I might seem like the most relaxed, but I can keep you on track Commander."

I give her a sideways look and ask, "Yeah?"

She nods with a grin as she says, "Just because my goals are to eat well, sleep well, and play well, doesn't mean I'm not able to work well."

I nod and say to her, "Alright, we'll try this out for a week and see how it goes."

XXXX

I spent the rest of the week getting up to speed, but right now I'm at the docks seeing off my friend and previous base commander, along with his bride and their escorts. I shake his hand as I reassure him, "Don't worry Captain, I've got this."

He grins and slaps my shoulder as he tells me, "I know you've got this Alex, it's the others I worry about having the run of you."

I laugh before saying to him, "Hornet's given me her word she'll help me keep this place in line."

He nods before leaning in to whisper, "Good plan keeping her busy, she's been known to get up to mischief if left unchecked."

I look to my left to see his bride hugging two others, one has hair like hers and Hornet, it really is interesting to see how close the three of them are, and how they act like they really are family. I feel a tug on my arm and James whispers to me again, "Don't get any crazy ideas about Hornet, I'm her brother-in-law now and she's a good girl."

He lets go of my arm and we both share a laugh as I snipe back at him, "I'll be sure to send a letter to Billy the Goat that she needs to forget about you."

I see the color drain from his face as Yorktown turns to look at him, tilting her head to the side and asks, "Billy the Goat?"

He looks at me and says, "You promised to never bring that up again!"

"You said you were done with drinking." I shot back with a wide grin.

"Fair point." He says rubbing the back of his head.

I laugh again as I step back from the ramp and salute him as I say, "Fair weather and fair seas, Captain."

He salutes me back and responds, "Good luck Commander, you'll need it."

I stay at the docks long enough to watch the small fleet leave the harbor before I feel someone pull on my arm as she says, "Come on Commander, the pub awaits!"

I look in that direction to see Hornet pulling on my arm as other sister is walking ahead, perhaps this will be a pretty good assignment, I tell myself.

XXXX

A/N: Chapter one done. I hope you enjoyed the start of this one and a return to the world of One Wild Night. I'd also like to thank my beta reader for his diligent work here on this new story, over on the subreddit he goes by u/PeakeTheCat. I've also cross posted this to the subreddit for r/azurelane and the r/HornetCult