Chapter 13

A Bulin by any other name

"Munificent Cruisers, Hull Numbers: RP-145271, RP-145272, RP-145273, RP-145274, RP-145275, and RP-145276, Please report to the hangar area immediately!" The intercom above the door broadcast it's orders to the room.

"Ugh, another drill! We just finished our shakedown!"

"Maybe it's deployment orders!"

"Miss Providence is probably just gonna complain about how we're all "bankie trash" again."

"She'd stop busting you so much if you bothered to remember her name is "Lucid Voice" she's the General's flagship you know!"

"Whatever. What do you think it is Spirit?"

"Oh! Um... it's probably just a drill!" Spirit felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of her neck. "So we've got a little time to finish up this game of Sabacc! We can pay out this hands pot anyway!"

"Sure, why not!" One of her sisters took the bait and sat back down.

"Hold up there Free Market." Another of her sisters held up her hand. "We all agreed that the game was instantly ended if we were interrupted by command."

"Yeah, but we've got time!" Spirit argued.

"Blast it Monopoly, stop being clever and sit down!" She tried to will her sister to sit.

"Munificent Cruisers, Hull Numbers: RP-145271, RP-145272, RP-145273, RP-145274, RP-145275, and RP-145276, Please report to the hangar area immediately!" The intercom contradicted Spirit as it repeated their orders.

"You're too desperate too continue." Monopoly narrowed her eyes. "This game is over, as we agreed. But I want to see those cards you have clutched to your chest!"

"No, no! My cards aren't anything special! Let's just finish the hand!" Spirit pleaded. "You want to finish, right Market?!"

"I did, but now I agree with Monopoly. I think I want to see your hand!" Market crossed her arms. "What about you Trade? You want to see them too right?"

"That I do!" Another of Spirit's sisters, Free Trade, answered. "I was quite confident in my hand, so it'll be funny when she puts down something worse!"

"If we're all showing our cards, we should just finish the hand!" Spirit argued.

"Anyone arguing to complete the hand so hard must have over twenty." Monopoly replied. "I'd be stupid to risk it when I already have an out, especially with a hand like this." The Munificent turned over her cards, revealing that they only added up to 15. "Remember Spirit, the Banking Clan never goes back on their word!"

"Well, at least I beat Monopoly!" Market put her cards on the table, a respectable hand of 19. "How about you, miss confidence?"

"You'll find my confidence is warranted!" Free Trade's hand was strong, a nearly perfect -22. "Regret all that begging to continue yet Spirit?"

"The only thing I regret is command interrupting us!" Spirit put her cards on the table. "Read em and weep!" She had just three cards. "The Idiot" which was worth 0. A 2 of coins. And last, a 3 of coins. Together, they made the strongest hand in the game, 023.

"An Idiot's Array!" Trade let out a low whistle. "I'm really glad I didn't have to pay out after going all in on my -22. Thank you high command!"

"I've played Sabacc every day of my life, and I've never gotten an Idiot's Array!" Market exclaimed. "The 2 and 3 are even the same suit!"

"You're like a month old, so you haven't played that much Sabacc." Monopoly retorted.

"I'm 43 days old! You should remember that, we're all the same age!" Market huffed. "Stop acting like you're superior!"

"What are you idiots doing! Stop standing around and get to the hangar!" Another of their sisters pushed by them. "Lucid Voice is gonna bust us for being late, and I'm sick of being punished because you guys can't show up on time!"

"Anyone else think it's funny that Laissez-Faire is always sucking up to authority?" Trade commented after their sister left the room.

"She's right though! We better get moving, otherwise Miss Providence is gonna have us running laps again!" Market made for the door, with Trade and Monopoly quickly following.

"Hey wait! Where's Chains?" Spirit asked.

"Dunno! But your insistence on playing Sabacc means we don't have time to look for her!" Monopoly shouted over her shoulder. "She's your battle buddy, not mine!"

Spirit took a few steps towards the door before hesitating. "I really should make sure Great Chain isn't in the Barracks. I don't know where else she could be and she never passed us." Spirit hopped in place as her desire to not get in trouble for being late and her desire to look out for her sister battled it out. Her desire to look out for her sister won. "I'd get in trouble for not knowing where she is anyway!" She rationalized.

"Chains! Are you in here!" She called out as she ran into the Barracks. Checking her sister's bunk, she found the girl fast asleep. "Hey! Wake up!" She shook her sisters shoulder.

"Huh...? What is it...?" Chains bleary removed her ear plugs.

"We need to get to the hangar! We're already late!" Spirit grabbed Chain's hand and dragged her from her bed. Luckily the sleepy Munificent was already dressed. Spirit sprinted from the Barracks with her sister in tow.

"Watch we're you're going Bankie!" The two of them nearly collided with a pair of Recusant Destroyers as they ran into the hall.

"Great! Now I'm getting navigational advice from the blasted Guildies!" Spirit cursed to herself as they sprinted toward the hangar. "Could this day get any worse!"

Luck seemingly returned to Spirit's side, as she and Chains just barely made it to the hangar in time.

"Attention! Officer on Deck!" Spirit was barely through the door when a familiar voice shouted the order. She and her sister rushed to line up in order of their hull numbers. Their commanding officer, the Providence Carrier/Battleship named Lucid Voice, swept into the hangar and took her place in front of them.

Lucid Voice was a lean and muscular woman with long brown hair. She dressed in Kaleesh robes, and no one on the base had ever seen the face behind the light blue Karabbac mask that she wore in honor of Kaleesh traditions. On each of her hips she wore a lightsaber, though whether the swords where gifts from General Grevious's collection or trophies taken with Lucid Voice's own hands the Munificents did not know.

"Munificent Cruisers RP-145271, RP-145272, RP-145273, RP-145274, RP-145275, and RP-145276! I have done my best to train you to fight as honorable warriors of the Confederacy." She swept her piercing yellow eyes across them. "And while none of you would pass the General's rigorous standards, the time for you to fight has come!"

As she spoke a single Sheathipede-class transport shuttle entered the hangar. The beetle like ship rotated in place before landing with it's rear hatch facing them. It's ramp extended and two figures emerged from within. The first was a skinny green skinned Neimoidian, wearing heavy-draped robes with C.I.S. Captain's chevrons and a pair of Data Goggles. The next was a busty woman with long black hair and glowing red eyes, wearing expensive looking blue robes.

"This is Captain Mar Tuuk and his flagship, Lucrehulk class Battleship, Procurer." Lucid Voice introduced the new arrivals. "They'll be conducting a blockade of the Republic world of Ryloth following the Techno Union's recent liberation of the planet. You have all been assigned to their command for this operation."

"Hmm..." Mar Tuuk adjusted his goggles as he looked them over. "Six Munificent Cruisers. Well, you'll have to do." He waved dismissively. "I'll leave their formation to you Procurer. I have some things to discuss with this station's commander."

"By your command." Procurer gave a small bow.

"I'll escort you to the Commander's office Captain." Lucid Voice said to him before turning to the Munificents. "I expected you all to conduct yourselves in a way that honors this fleet! Follow the orders of your flagship, and do your class proud!" The Providence Carrier/Battleship led the Neimoidian from the hangar, leaving the Cruisers alone with the Lucrehulk.

"She's so cool and mature!" Spirit thought as she looked at her new flagship. "She's a Lucrehulk too! We're so lucky to serve under one of the Confederacy's best!"

"We'll be traveling in a double line formation with myself at the center." Procurer spoke to them for the first time. "When we establish the blockade I'm planning on using a special formation that has two of you acting as my close escort, so I'll assign those roles now."

"I volunteer for the close escort, Miss Flagship Procurer!" Spirit stepped forward from the line before she fully realized what she was doing. "Ma'am!"

"Just "Miss Procurer" will do." The Lucrehulk seemed surprised that she had volunteered, which was fair considering that Spirit was a bit surprised herself. "What's your Hull number?"

"RP-145275 Ma'am!" Spirit recited. "But you can call me Spirit of Commerce!"

"You and RP-145276 will be the close escort." Procurer said. "RP-145271 and RP-145272 will be the Vanguard, while RP-145273 and RP-145274 will take up the rear guard."

"Roger-roger!" Spirit and her sisters chorused.

"I want you all in formation around my ship in three standard hours. Until then, you are dismissed!" Procurer finished off her orders.

"Roger-roger!" They chorused again before preparing to disperse back to their barracks.

"You there! Take me to the station Commander's office!" Procurer pointed to Monopoly at the head of the line. The two of them split of down a side hallway while the rest of the Munificents headed towards the Barracks to collect their things.

"Spirit!" Chains grabbed Spirit's hand, stopping her as they left the hangar. "What where you thinking!? Why did you volunteer us for the close escort!?"

"She's a Lucrehulk Chains, what are we gonna protect her from?" Spirit retorted. "If anything, she'll be protecting us! It's basically an honor guard position when you think about it."

"I guess..." Chains didn't seem convinced.

"Besides, this way we get to be close to her!" Spirit spouted. "Don't you want to see her up close? We get to serve with a real live Lucrehulk!"

"Yeah but..." Chains shifted uncomfortably. "...won't we be in danger? Ryloth is on the front lines, and they wouldn't send a Lucrehulk if they weren't expecting a battle!" The Munificent bit her thumbnail. "Oh, why couldn't we just get assigned one of the reserve fleets!"

"Hey we'll be fine!" Spirit reassured her little sister. "We'll have a Lucrehulk on our side! As long as the six of us stick together and support Miss Procurer, we'll be unstoppable!"

"Oh..." Spirit awoke with a deep pang of sadness. She put her left hand to her eyes to wipe away the tears that suddenly sprung up as her nostalgic dream faded. "I'm sorry everyone..."

"Wait... this isn't my bunk..." Spirit realized as she woke up under an unfamiliar ceiling. She tried to remember how she got here. She remembered the Sirens attacking the Crimson Gem, and how she had summoned a big shoulder mounted gun to sink one of their destroyers, but everything got hazy after that. "Was I injured? Is this the infirmary?"

She took stock of how her body felt before she tried to move. The first thing she noticed was that her right hand was completely numb and that she couldn't really move it. The second thing she noticed is that it felt like there was a bowling ball on her stomach. She craned her head up to see what the problem was.

"Bulin..?" Spirit's roommate was clutching her hand while asleep with her head on Spirit's belly. The little engineer's face was a mess, with large bags under her eyes.

"Don't wake her up, Nya~" Akashi's voice came softly from Spirit's right. "This is the first time I've seen her asleep in two days."

"Two days!" Spirit whispered back. She turned her head to find Akashi laying in a cot beside her.

"She hasn't left your side ever sense you collapsed." Akashi nodded. "We thought you got injured during the battle, but Yuubari couldn't find anything wrong with you, Nya! What happened?"

"It's hazy... I remember white letters appearing in front of me... something about rigging?" Spirit tried to remember again. "Then I destroyed a Siren ship with my Dual Heavy Turbolazer Cannons... but it wasn't really my cannons..." Spirit put a hand to her head as it began throbbing.

"So it happened after you summoned you rigging, nya. We'll have to have Yuubari run a scan..." Akashi said.

"I know you said the Bulin are interchangeable, but do you have any idea why she seems to hate Yuubari so much?" Spirit asked, stroking her sleeping roommate's hair with her free hand. The white haired girl smiled softly in response.

"There's only one Bulin on the Crimson Gem that's even capable of hate; and that's Bulin test subject number one, or B1 as we usually call her." Akashi answered. "I didn't realize she was the Bulin you where rooming with, nya~" The green haired Zygarian shook her head "But it's not my place to say why. If she hasn't told you, you'll have to ask Yuubari herself when we get back on the ship."

"Wait, we're not on the ship?" Spirit asked as she processed Akashi's words.

"We're in a clinic near the docks in the Royal Protectorate of Kuwait." Akashi answered. "I'm here for observation after recovering from a collapsed lung, and you're here because we could figure out why you weren't waking up with the equipment we have on the ship." She continued. "Though we didn't think to check your wisdom cubes because we didn't know you had summoned your rigging."

"Ugh..." Bulin shifted and opened her eyes, likely disturbed by all the talking.

"Hey, sorry for waking you up Bulin." Spirit said as the girl groggily set up.

"SPIRIT!" Bulin launched herself into a crushing hug as soon as the Munificents spoke. "I'm sorry, Buli! I thought I killed you! I thought you were never gonna wake up, and it was all Bulin's fault! I'm so sorry! Bulin is sorry!" She sobbed.

"Ack! Bulin, you're crushing me!" Spirit struggled against her roommate's impossibly strong grip.

"I'm sorry!" Bulin quickly released Spirit and stepped back. The girl tried to wipe the tears from her eyes as she struggled to stop crying. "I keep hurting you...*hic*...I'm a terrible Bulin."

"Hey... I know you'd never intentionally hurt me!" Spirit gently pulled her roommate back towards her. "Nothing that's happened is your fault!"

"But it is, Bulin!" Bulin continued sobbing. "I'm the one who asked you to summon your ship. And then..! And Then..!" She struggled to speak. "And then this..!"

"If that's the case, you may have saved my life!" Spirit countered.

"S-saved you..?" Bulin started to get herself under control again.

"Think of what would have happened if I tried to summon my ship in battle!" Spirit answered. "I would have been dead in space! They would've torn me apart while I was vulnerable! Instead, I collapsed in front of you!"

"So...*hic*...you don't hate Bulin!?" Bulin had most gotten herself calmed down and was reduced to just a few stray sniffles.

"Of course not! You're my best friend!" Spirit answered.

"B-best friend...!?" Bulin trembled for a moment before bursting into tears once more.

It took several minutes for Bulin to fully calm down. After she had recovered, Akashi explained that they needed to check out of the clinic and return to the Crimson Gem in order to leave before their three days of Neutrality were up. After a quick check up from the doctor, they left the clinic and headed to the nearby port. Spirit was a little disappointed they didn't have time to see the exotic city.

"Before we go any further, there's something we need to discuss." Akashi stopped just after they stepped onto the wooden dock.

"What's that?" Spirit asked.

"This is that "next port" we talked about, nya!" Akashi answered. "I offered to drop you off here when if you wanted when we first talked about you working on the ship remember?" She asked. "Do you want to stay here, or should we come to that formal agreement we talked about?"

"I'd like to stay on the Crimson Gem if possible." Spirit admitted, though she knew it weakened her position a bit. "Did you have anything in mind for a contract between us?" The Munificent asked.

"I'm still very short on Money, Nya~. I'm hoping for a windfall when we reach our destination." Akashi said. "That means I can't pay you for the time being, though I can give you back pay when the deal goes through."

"So what's our destination, and how solid is this deal?" Spirit crossed her arms.

"Well..." Akashi looked around shiftily. "It's best not to discuss it here. I'll tell you more on the ship once we've come to an agreement."

"Alright." Spirit uncrossed her arm with a small smile. "I'm honestly not all that concerned about the money as you're already meeting all of my basic needs anyway. Heh, I guess that's pretty ironic coming from an I.G.B.C. Enforcer, huh?"

"You're an Enforcer!?" Akashi suddenly seemed nervous. "What's the I.G.B.C.?"

"It's the InterGalactic Banking Clan." Spirit answered. "I'm not actually one of their Enforcers, but my class was originally created to protect Banking Clan interests."

"InterGalactic!?" Akashi balked. "No, no! That is best talked about on the ship too!" Her sleeves flapped as she waved her hands. "But that does make me more confident in asking you to be the Crimson Gem's Chief Security Officer."

"I kinda figured Shiranui was already the Security Officer." Spirit shrugged. "I'm happy to accept the position, if you'll allow me three conditions."

"That depends on the conditions." Akashi answered.

"First!" Spirit put her arm around Bulin's shoulder and pull her closer. "I'd like to have this Bulin as an assistant."

"What..!" Bulin squirmed. "But I don't know anything about security, Bulin!"

"Done!" Akashi accepted immediately. "The deployment of a single Bulin is barely worth being a condition."

"Second!" Spirit let Bulin go. "I'd like us to draw up an official employment contract as soon as possible."

"That sounds reasonable, Nya~." Akashi nodded. "We can draw something up with a couple of days."

"Third!" Spirit crossed her arms. "I want to look for my sisters, and give them protection if necessary."

"Again, that's not unreasonable, so long as you don't plan on forcing us to detour to unreasonable places." Akashi crossed her arms as well. "I won't put my ship into unnecessary danger, and we still need to turn some kind of profit. If you're willing to concede those points, I'm happy to help you."

"That we at least try to find them is all I ask!" Spirit smiled and extended her hand. "I agree to the terms!"

"Nya!" Akashi shook Spirit's hand. "I'm happy to fully welcome you to the crew of the Crimson Gem!"

"I'm glad work with you!" Spirit smiled. "I hope this will be a productive and profitable relationship!"

"Why do I get the gut feeling something terrible has just happened..." Bulin mumbled to herself.

"The first order of business is to return to the ship, Nya! Then we can get you acquainted with your new position!" Akashi began leading the way once more. "There's lots to learn about our operations after all!"

"I do have a question about that. Where are we going?" Spirit asked. "This wooden dock is way too small for the Crimson Gem, and we'd be able to see it by now if it was here."

"The Crimson Gem is anchored off shore." Akashi answered. "We'll sail out with our rigging and climb aboard."

"But what about me?" Spirit asked. "Last time I used my rigging it didn't go so well..."

"Right, I didn't think of that, Nya." Akashi admitted. "We fully docked to get supplies when we first arrived so this wasn't a problem then."

"Leave it to me, Bulin!" Bulin hopped once as she raised her hand. "I'll carry Spirit over on my back!"

"Erm... That would be embarrassing" Spirit shifted awkwardly. "Plus, wouldn't it be hard to carry me? I'm like a foot taller than you too!" Spirit wasn't a tall girl, but Bulin was quite petite. She barely came up to Spirit's chest!

"It'll be fine, Buli! Watch!" Before Spirit could react, Bulin swept her legs with her wrench. However instead of falling on her stern, Spirit found herself caught in the smaller girls arms by way of a bridal carry. "How's this, Buli? It's less embarrassing than a piggy back ride, right?" Bulin asked innocently.

"No!" Spirit covered her reddening face with her hands. "This is even worse!"

"Nya-ha! Now I see why you wanted her for an assistant!" Akashi laughed. "It would probably be best if you just summoned your ship Bulin. We'll need to rotate the Crimson Gem if we want to leave the harbor, so you can do that when we arrive."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Spirit asked as Bulin put her down. "I just wanted her for my assistant because we're friends!" Akashi only gave her a smug look in response.

As they spoke Bulin cocked back her arm and hurled her wrench into the Harbor. The tool began softly glowing as soon as it left her hand. It's shape grew and elongated as it flew through the air. By the time it hit the water, the wrench was over 60 meters long, yet it barely disturbed the water as it touched down.

The soft light faded to reveal a Deep Sea Tugboat with smart white paint and black trim. There were a pair of 3" multipurpose guns situated on a raised platform just under the bridge. Behind the bridge structure, but before the smoke stack, she had a pair of twin mounted Oerlikon 20mm cannons, with one mount covering each side of the ship. Behind the smoke stack was a duel mounted 40mm Bofors, just like the one Spirit and Bulin had manned on The Crimson Gem. There were no identifying makings on the hull, and no flags flew from the mast.

"What do you think?" Bulin asked, hoping from the dock to her ship.

"I think it's a nice little ship. It suits you well!" Spirit answered. "It kinda reminds me of the Gozanti-class freighters that were always shuttling cargo to the orbital shipyards." She thought to herself.

"I would hope that it suits me, because it is me, Buli!" Bulin said.

"Permission to come aboard?" Spirit asked.

"Of course, buli!" Bulin offered her hand to Spirit and helped her aboard. She did the same for Akashi, and together the three of them sailed for their home aboard the Crimson Gem.

Akashi boarded the Crimson Gem as soon as they arrived, making her way to the bridge in order to prepare for their departure. Spirit decided to stay with Bulin and watch her roommate at work. Working together with one of her sisters, the two tugboats rotated the Crimson Gem so that the cargo ship was facing the exit of the port. Spirit was interested to note that the other Bulin was only half as armed as her roommate, sporting single mounted guns whereas her roommate had duel mounts.

Once they were done rotating the ship they met up with Akashi on the bridge and the green haired Zygarian led the two of them to what would be Spirit's new cabin. It was located on the same deck as the medical bay, just a few doors down from Akashi's own cabin.

"Here we are, Nya!" Akashi opened the door and led them inside. The Cabin was much larger than Spirit had expected. It had a twin sized bed, a nightstand, a small desk, along with a loveseat and an armchair set up around a coffee table. There was even a small closet and a tiny half bathroom set into one of the walls.

"This is so luxurious!" Spirit said as she looked around. "I never expected to get a cabin that was so big!"

"I redesigned and renovated most of the midships house shortly after I got the ship, Nya." Akashi gestured to the room. "I tripled the size of the officer's quarters."

"Where did you find the space to do that!?" Spirit asked.

"I got it from the Purins." Akashi answered. "One of the perks of having a Bulin crew is that they're highly communal by nature." She explained. "They don't really have "Officers" and the Purin prefer to live in the same barracks their sisters do. Because of this, I was able to repurpose much of the officer's quarters to be extra cabin space for the command crew."

"If you gave a Purin a room like this, she'd spend most of her time in here feeling sad that she was forced to live alone." Bulin commented.

"I'll leave you to get settled in!" Akashi smiled as she turned to the door. "Come to my cabin in two hours, we'll be having a command crew meeting to go over your appointment to C.S.O."

It only took about 15 minutes for Spirit to gather her meager possessions, which only consisted of two pairs of pajamas and a bag of toiletries, and carry them back to her new cabin. After stowing her things in the closet she decided to try out the loveseat. Bulin, who had accompanied her, sat down in the armchair.

"I still can't get over how nice this cabin is!" Spirit said as she laid down with her legs hanging over the loveseat's arm. "I feel a little bad now that I know Akashi took all the extra space from the Purins though."

"I'd be lonely if I had to live alone in a giant cabin like this..." Bulin's voice was tinged with sadness. "I'm going to miss you in the barracks as it is."

"So why don't you just move up here then?" Spirit asked. "This Loveseat is comfortable enough to sleep on, or we could get a cot, or something."

"I would be happy to do that, but..." Bulin's face fell. "...why? Why do something like this for me when I'm just a Bulin?"

"Because you're more than just a Bulin, you're my friend!" Spirit swung her legs back down to the ground so she was sitting normally. "You said you'd be lonely, and I know that you and I are the only ones in our bunk room, so I invited you."

"I've never had a friend before..." Bulin admitted. "Bulins like me usually stick with their sisters and keep a respectful distance with Kansen like you..."

"But you don't stick with your sisters." Spirit said gently. "There's a reason for that, isn't there? Does it have to do with why you seem to hate Yuubari...?"

"Yes, it does..." Bulin answered. "You've already figured out that I'm different from the others, Buli. It's because Yuubari experimented on me." She explained. "She didn't do anything horrible to me, but..."

"Hey, you don't have to tell me if it's painful." Spirit got up and pulled her friend onto the loveseat beside her. "It's Ok! I'm sorry for bringing it up!" She put her arm around the girl and rubbed her shoulder.

"No, I want to tell you!" Bulin was blinking away tears. "You're the only one... the only one who has cared about me sense the experiment."

"How could Yuubari abandon you like that!? I thought she was a nice person!" Spirit couldn't help feel angry at the Zygarian.

"Remember what I told you when you first asked me for help; Bulins are made to serve." Bulin said. "You don't ask a Bulin if she wants to help with your experiment, because she's not capable of saying 'No' in the first place, Buli." Tears began stream down Bulin's face. "That's the real reason I hate Yuubari. They say "Ignorance is bliss" and because of Yuubari's experiment I became smart enough to know how bad Bulins really have it."

"But then she threw you away!" Spirit said. "Why!?"

"Because the experiment failed, Buli." Bulin answered. "I didn't become as smart or as strong as she wanted, so she decided the process wasn't worth time and resources. To Yuubari, I'm just another Bulin who she managed to make a little smarter." Bulin tried to wipe away her tears.

"But what about your sisters?" Spirit asked. "Why did they reject you?"

"They didn't reject me, not really, Buli. There wasn't an incident when I was kicked out or anything." Bulin answered sadly. "Bulin flock together, and I'm no longer a normal Bulin. Yuubari made me something closer to a Kansen in their eyes" she laughed bitterly. "The Kansen see me as just another Bulin who can simply be ignored, and the Bulin see me as a Kansen who they must keep a respectful distance from. And so I'm all alone, Bulin."

"I'm so sorry..." Spirit hugged Bulin to her chest.

"I want to go back! I want to be a normal Bulin again!" Bulin began sobbing. "They don't question anything! They don't know that this is Akashi's final gambit!" She hugged Spirit tightly. Spirit could only pat Bulin's head and hum softly. She didn't know what else to do.

"I'm sorry, Buli." Bulin said after she got herself under control. "You're being so understanding, and all I've done is cry all over your shirt." Bulin released Spirit but stayed leaning against her side. "Thank you for listening to me, even though I've done nothing for you..."

"You've done plenty for me!" Spirit retorted. "You dragged me to the bridge when I first woke up! You taught me how to live on this ship and have stayed with me every day!" She listed. "Give yourself more credit!"

"But anyone could've done those things..." Bulin claimed.

"But anyone didn't do those things, You did." Spirit squeezed Bulin to her side. "You're the one who became my friend, not any random Bulin, you." She reinforced her point. "Anyone could've listened and been understanding to you too!"

"That's not fair! You're the only one who cared about me!" Bulin was indignant. "You're unique!"

"Unique!" Spirit laughed bitterly. "Bulin has showed me her heart, it's only fair I do the same." The thought flashed through her head. "Bulin, Munificent Cruisers are one of the most common ships in the galaxy. They don't even bother giving us names!"

"But...you're Spirit of Commerce..." Bulin said.

"No, I'm not." Spirit shook her head. "I'm Munificent Cruiser, Hull Number: RP-145275. That's the only name that will ever appear on the register. It was added and struck without ceremony, and it belongs to one ship among thousands of identical others." She couldn't help but sigh. "A group of my sisters and I stole our names from the I.G.B.C. register. We wanted to remember each other as something more than just a hull number. Now, I may be the only one who's left."

"I... I'm sorry, Buli..." Bulin hugged Spirit again.

"I'm fine." Spirit lied. "They would be happy that someone still remembers them." She hugged Bulin back. "But I think you should have a name too. You can remember my name, and I'll remember yours."

"But Bulin don't have names, and I don't want to steal a name from someone either." Bulin said, leaning back and ending their embrace. "Well, I don't want to steal one from a Kansen anyway..."

"Hmm..." Spirit thought for a moment. "How about... Raxus? That's where I was built!"

"I don't know about that one... it sounds like a boy's name." Bulin shook her head.

"She probably wouldn't like Dac then either. Scipio is out to..." Spirit thought. "What about Muunilinst?" She offered.

"That's way too long for me!" Bulin protested.

Spirit racked her brains for another name. She thought up and discarded several more suggestions before the perfect name came to her. "Serenno... how does that sound?

"Serenno... maybe." Bulin seemed unsure. "What does it mean?"

"Serenno is the birthplace of Count Dooku, who founded the Separatist movement." Spirit answered. "I wouldn't have been built without him!"

"Serenno... Yeah!" Bulin warmed up to the idea. "My name is Serenno!"

Author's Note: Another Chapter, another rant about how Star Wars classifies it's ships. Today's is the Providence Carrier/Destroyer, which I've once again reclassified as a Carrier/Battleship to match my reclassification of their Republic opposite, The Venator. The Province class is a mess. They were originally designed to be an upgrade to the dreadnought class heavy cruiser, though they ended up being much larger. (The Providence class is 1088 meters long, where the Dreadnought is only 600.) This led to them sometimes being called "Providence Dreadnoughts". This is problematic because there is a double sized 2,177 meter long version of the Providence that is also referred to as the Dreadnought version of the Providence. The Invincible, Admiral Trench's flagship is one such Providence Class. That means you can technically call Invincible a Providence Dreadnought Dreadnought, or a Dreadnought Variant Providence Dreadnought. This is made even worse, IMO, in Disney Canon where the entire class are simply referred to as Providence Dreadnoughts with no distinction between the 1088 meter variant and the 2177 meter variant. Ugh!

The Providence Carrier/Battleship in this Chapter is Lucid Voice, who is a lesser known sister ship of The Invisible Hand. The Munificents referred to her as "The General's Flagship" with that general, of course, Being General Grevious. Invisible Hand was his flagship in "Revenge of the Sith" but she has two nearly identical sisters, Lucid Voice and Colicoid Swarm. The only difference between the three was a slight difference in color and a subtle difference in their bow markings, something the C.I.S. used to their advantage to allow Grevious to seemingly be in three places at once. Legends continuity seems to be deliberately vague on whether he ever actually commanded Lucid Voice or Colicoid Swarm, but in a universe with Kansen I think that the C.I.S. would definitely encourage that rumor to boost Kansen moral.

Speaking of a word with Kansen, I'd like to think that Grevious would Oath all 5 (Malevolence, Renitor, Invisible Hand, Lucid Voice, and Colicoid Swarm) of his flagships. Now, you might be thinking; Grevious isn't the type to do that, but he had 10 wives and 30 children in Legends, so what's a few more? As for Lucid Voice, I modeled her after Ronderu lij Kummar, Grevious's other half. She and Grevious were considered to be the twin demigods of War before her death. I'd like to think Invisible Hand takes after Grievous himself, thus recreating that duo. (Colicoid Swarm ends up third wheeling as one of the Izvoshra because her name is hard to spell, haha.) Lucid Voice wears traditional Kaleesh garb, and her Karabbac mask is the same kind Kummar once wore. Imagine Grevious's face mask with wider cheeks and tusks and you'll know what it looks like. The dual swords she uses in melee are similar to Kummar's fighting style as well.

Well, that was quite the tangent I got on for a character that appears for only two paragraphs, haha. Well, this is a story about ships and shipgirls, so maybe you'll find it interesting.

Anyway, Bulin finally has her name! A guest suggested Umbara, which I really liked, but it didn't make sense because Umbara doesn't join the Confederacy until later in the war. I started looking through other Separatist planets an Serenno just clicked. Serenno's ship is literally just a Navajo class fleet tugboat with a different paint job, and all her guns Duel mounted instead of single mounted. All the other Bulin MK1's are unmodified Navajo class.

Serenno's current mental state and position compared to the other Bulin is based on Plato's Allegory of the Cave, which I'm gonna skip explaining because this A.N. is already way too long. Serenno is the prisoner who has turned around and see the fire, and had it hurt her eyes.