Warning: Might contain strong language.

Chapter 8: Gem of The Ocean

"What do you mean Columbia's not with you?!" Helena nearly shouted at Prince of Wales. She just finished recounting the Ship-girls aboard when she noticed they were short one person. Now, Helena was on the verge of panicking.

"I thought you had her extracted with Cleveland!" The Battleship retorted, not missing a punch.

"Cleveland was alone! I didn't see Columbia anywhere nearby!"

"Oh God... don't tell me-" Warspite voiced her thoughts but she was interrupted by Phoenix's muttering.

"We left her... son of a bitch, we left Columbia back there!"

"You can't be serious, what will Cleveland say once she learns about this?!"

"She won't take it kindly"

"Montpelier?"

"... Big sister won't take the news kindly, she'll spring to action immediately and look for Columbia by herself"

"We should go back"

"That won't do"

"Why?! It'd be too easy with you! 3 minutes ride and then we'll go look for Columbia"

"I think you misunderstand. I'm not a part of your organization and thus have no responsibility to you and your well-being, nor am I willing to take part in your proxy war especially if it's possible to jeopardize my still feeble existence. This is entirely your fault, I've given you the task to sort the troops and you failed, I was merely offering you support for one and one time only"

"You're being unreasonable!"

"No, you are the one being unreasonable. What I did was returning your kindness, and we're now even. I suggest you stop stretching your luck since you hold no power over me and nor do I have any relations with you. Do not mistake my respect as a symbol of powerlessness, I see all of you as assets in the battlefield, we are no allies"

"But... you have power, the capability to save lives, can't you just please help us this time?"

"That is exactly the reason why. I have power but I'm lacking knowledge, all this time I'm operating on a minimal amount of information, I'd like that to change first because the last thing I want is being manipulated by some shady organization I barely know. Your Commander is a competent man, he'll do something about it, besides isn't it partially because of his order that we had to go through such... compensation?"

"But that..."

"Is his order and I believe he has his reasons, wouldn't be the first time a superior give me a questionable order, I know. Doesn't mean I had to like it though"

Silence, another stand-off, another conflicting ideas. Nobody was willing to relent they were inclined to their own opinions, in a way no one was wrong either. Still, this was not a good start and Vestal certainly didn't want it to be the cause of their ends either.

"In any case" The Repair Ship began as she finished checking Cleveland's now bandaged arm, she should give Helena a compliment later for doing an excellent job applying those. "I support her decision, going back now is no longer an option, Crimson Axis should have had their forces alerted. And then there's the matters with our injured too, I need to put Hornet to drydock quickly and I mean quickly"

Murmurs spread across the hangar, some Ship-girls saw the logic in Vestal's words and agreed with it, some were just too tired and just got along, not a few glared her way though for saying such a thing.

"Columbia is a soldier, she knows the risks. I don't think converting is an option to KANSEN so the worst they might do is to scuttle her if they successfully captured her. Maybe that will serve as a harsh reminder to you guys that this war is a real war, and loss is inevitable on both sides? Either way, if you want me back there, I wouldn't hold myself from dropping a swarm of Bident Missiles this time and I could guarantee I'd wipe them off clean you wouldn't have a problem setting a picnic after. Pick your choice, it was supposed to be an obvious one if you weren't so reluctant to kill your enemy"

"Helena... San Diego... I ask for a favor" Montpelier said eventually, straining to get her voice out of her tightening throat. The sounds of her heartbeats nearly choked her alive and the rushing of her blood certainly was not helping in clearing her mind. She got to make the decision that would affect the ships of the Cleveland-class, since it was a tradition for the eldest sister to decide for her younger sisters, it wasn't without faults but it kept chain-of-commands within fleets exist.

So Montpelier had to make the call since both Cleveland and Columbia were incapable of doing so.

"What is it, Montpelier?"

"I need you both to help Columbia. I'd have gone myself but I need to take care of Denver, her fever is getting worse I think she got an infection from her wound"

"Montpelier was it? Did you not hear me the first time? I will not be sending any forces below to recover one ship we don't know the well-being of unless if I was given the clearance to actually fight back, not that it matters in the first place but formalities are a pain in the ass"

"I did hear you... I don't ask you to deploy your forces, I ask you to give Helena and San Diego a transportation down" The Light Cruiser affirmed.

"That would be suicide"

"They don't have to go into the city outskirts"

"You want me to drop them in the ocean? But how do you know where Columbia will go? Our AO is literally in the middle of sea, she might go to an entirely different direction"

Helena stepped forward, her hands up in a reassuring stance as she moved to the two. "It's okay, Columbia will go to one obvious direction eventually. I'll have my recon aircraft circling the area and my Radar on maximum output setting, ours are better than Crimson Axis' so we'll detect them sooner if we're busted"

"Your cover is the night, if Columbia doesn't show before dawn I suggest you vacate the area" The Heavy Carrier said to Helena and Phoenix before tilting her head slightly as if thinking about something. "I've deployed a TAC-SAT to monitor your progress, it can also serve as a communication relay" She then stopped herself, grabbed a fistful of her hair and sighed tiredly. "Listen, I don't like watching people dying, and all of you have the best interest at heart, I can see that. I've contacted and explained the situation to your Commander and said it's a no go, saying something about international incident so we have to take it carefully, but I'm confident you will make the right call when the time comes?"

"... What do you want me to do?" Helena said with a frown.

"I won't be here but this planet is within my reach, call it and my Archers will come raining"

Drip...

"..."

Drip...

"..."

Drip...

"Ugh... what the... hell...?"

Drip...

A groan echoed in a dark, empty building, drowning the steady dripping sounds coming from the water in the ceiling. A rustling followed it after a moment of silence, and then a shuffling before finally-

"What the fuck, Cleve?!" Columbia shot up, she sat there behind a pile of rubble blocking what was once an open entrance. Her eyes were hazy, she was barely able to make out her surroundings when she opened them, an effort that seemingly equal with doing a high maneuver without rolling her superstructure upside down and crashing into the waves.

It was stupidly difficult and it was stupidly dark.

It took Columbia another five or maybe six seconds to get her brain functioning in at least half of its normal capacity, it didn't help that the first thing she noticed was how quiet everything was. Usually there would be Cleveland smacking her head after she cursed out loud but no, there was nothing but silence.

Okay...

"Cleve, hey you there? Answer me"

She tried to stand up only to fall back to her bottom when a wave of sharp pain shot up from her right leg, almost pulling her to the verge of unconsciousness again. The blonde Cruiser sat there, clenching her jaws in an attempt to suppress a scream from escaping her throat.

The agony was what she needed to wake up fully though, it forced her brain to recall the previous events, reminding her of a dreadful memory. It took her fifteen maybe twenty seconds to calm down, seconds in which she slowly regained her lost composure. She remembered now, the ambush, the explosion that almost tore her rudders off, the multitude of aircraft diving down on them and the vivid image of Cleveland shoving her away to this very same building.

Cleveland.

"Incoming! Twelve o'clock high! Dive bombers!"

"Copy! Firing forward secondary battery!"

"Shit, Columbia! Starboard low! Splash on the water! I count 4, no make that 5! Torpedoes closing in!"

"What do we do?!"

"Evasive maneuver!"

"But the concealment-"

"Just do it! Half a quarter throttle, sixty degrees to starboard! Bofors on my tracers!"

"C-copy"

"Fire!"

"Firing"

"Adjust speed to half, full port engine"

"Aye, full port-woah Sonar acoustics up! That's a small margin!"

"Easy now, let them pass... Passed, clear. Adjust heading to zero-three-zero, all ahead flank"

"Cleve! We've got more Dive Bombers coming from three o'clock high!"

"Shoot them down!"

"I'm trying but I can't hit anything!"

"I see them! They're too close already!"

"Oh shit! incoming! incoming! incom-aggghhhh!"

"Columbia?!"

"Ah...! It hurts! motherfucker it hurts!"

"Columbi-oh no..."

"What do you mean 'oh no'?! Is it bad?! my leg is still there, is it?!"

"I-it is still there, but..."

"But what, Cleve?! Stop pulling my leg!"

"Seriously?! With a leg like this?!"

"Ah fuck, accidental pun I didn't mean it I swear! But what does it look like?"

"Like it's just got Swiss cheesed?"

"... Ah, double fuck..."

"Come on, we have to go"

"I don't think I will make it"

"I will make sure you do! Hold on my shoulder, a couple of meters to go until we reach the next building!"

"I... I can't move my right leg... It's too painful"

"Don't stop now, Columbia!"

"I can't! I can feel things scraping against my bones and it's so... so painful. Just... leave me already!"

"Move, dammit!"

"Fucking leave me, sis!"

"Shut up!"

"I'm running out of smoke to generate! It's now or never!"

"I won't leave you!"

"Yes you have to! Montpelier can't take the burden of leading the Clevelands, you know that! Our sisters need you, Cleve, as a someone they can look up to"

"And you?! You think I can live with the fact I let you die?! I'm getting you out if here one way or another. Even if it's the last thing I do"

"Hey wait, what are you doing?! Put me down this instant! The smoke is dissipating they're going to spot us. Oh shit, Cleve you dumbass we've got Dive Bombers coming down to us!"

"They're just distractions, the real threat is here"

"Wait, where are you bringing me to?! Cleve? Cleve!"

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, but this is the only way I can get a peace of mind. Live on, Columbia, go"

"... what are you doing? Cleve...? Sis, please..."

"Take care of everyone, tell our sisters I love them-"

"No... I won't let you-agh!"

"-And I love you, Columbia-"

"Stop! Don't you dare! Cleveland!"

"-Farewell"

"NO!"

The golden flash of Cleveland's main battery firing startled Columbia back to present, she nearly jumped out of her skin when it filled the front of her vision again like a broken video player, reminding her of the last moment before she was separated from her sister. Cleveland purposefully sealed the exit way by collapsing the ceiling to prevent Columbia from getting out to help her, she did so to spare her.

Her sister wasn't here, not anymore, that one was for certain. Now everything was up to Columbia. She didn't expect it would really happen, she would have listened to Cleveland more if she knew, but now all that left was a deeply rooted regret.

"You dunce... you knew all along, didn't you?" Columbia whispered to the emptiness, feeling her skin bristle from the sudden cold coursing in her veins. Tears began to flow down her cheeks as the throbbing pain on her leg was gradually replaced to the one on her chest, and before she knew it she already had her face buried on her knees, even her injury could no longer stop her from her sorrow.

"You're an idiot, Cleve... you should- I can't... this, I can't..."

That night, sadness filled that ruined city, one that had been years since it happened. A heart wrenching wailing of a girl who had her heart torn from her chest drowned the usual silence with terrible melody, her soul screaming bare for those willing to listen to her suffering.

Now Columbia remembered, the reason she passed out was because of shock. She cried her eyes out too before when things suddenly fell quiet on the outside with Cleveland not coming back despite her repeating pleas and her desperate effort of literally clawing her way back and pulling the rubble one by one until her nails began to bleed and muscle aching. It was all for nothing and the moment she realized Cleveland would never come back she just... shut down, her mind completely crumbled down as her emotions raged uncontrollably.

The sky, ever so forgiving and understanding, began to pour its content down, concealing the pained echo as seconds ticked by to minutes, and minutes passed by to hours. Eventually, her crying faded to mere sobs, and her sobs turned to an empty gaze as the last of her light left her person, gone along with the realization.

Slowly, she lifted her head up, and then her body and whatever will she could muster. Now, all that remained was to fulfill her responsibility, the responsibility which acted as a foundation that kept Columbia from falling to the deep abyss of vengeance. It was there, the uncontrollable burning desire to kill and continue killing every single Crimson Axis ships especially those two Carriers responsible for Cleveland's death. Her sister once said she shouldn't act on impulse and emotions but it was easier said than done in practice.

It would be a suicidal fight, but Columbia just didn't care.

With a deep shaky breath, Columbia banished the thought from her mind, instead focusing on tasks at hand. First, time stamp, it had been 12 hours since she passed out apparently, a quick look to her mental clock told her so. A lot could have happened in those hours and the lack of cannon fire in the area had begun to make her worry, she needed to regroup with her friends and reformulate their strike plan now they down a Cruiser, that after she was patched enough to continue the fight of course given she only had one functioning main battery.

Also there's the matter with her leg.

Looking around, she noticed the building she was in was actually a shop, there was a wooden stall on her left and what appeared as a menu board behind it, Columbia was only barely able to make out their outlines through the pitch black, anything else she literally had no idea what was before her.

She reached out to her injured leg, feeling her skin and the all too familiar moistness before flinching back when her fingers met a rugged surface that was her wound which also automatically sent another searing pain up her head. Columbia paused then, and after one last quick check on her surrounding she then activated her hull lights to illuminate her leg—

—only to promptly shut them off a second later.

Oh... oh, okay... first aid, you know how to administer them.

Columbia produced a box of first aid kits from her rigging, this time opting to use the packed flashlight as a source of light. She settled behind the stall, dragging her foot all the way until finally she found a good enough spot where she could stretch her legs on even ground.

Rummaging through the first aid box, she pulled out a bottle of medical alcohol and held it at eye level.

Thanks for the bomb shrapnel, bitches, I'll make sure to return the favor one day.

The next agonizing 20 minutes were spent with Columbia extracting pin sized or smaller metal fragments from her injury, muffled cries of pain constantly left her throat in the whole process along with countless cursing that would even make Wisconsin blush. But overall, everything went smoothly for the Light Cruiser and she now had her leg wrapped with bandages nicely.

It was exhausting though, mentally and physically.

Columbia sighed, taking her time to let the pulsating pain gradually subsided. She took a dose of Ibuprofen and popped it into her mouth, chewing through the medicine with maybe a little too much vigor despite its bitter nature. There was a tad bit of coppery taste courtesy of her bloodied fingertips but Columbia ignored it, taking a little bit of blood wouldn't kill her, losing litters of them would.

Grunting, she pushed herself to her feet. Reluctantly putting her weight on her right leg just enough to not reopen the wound there. Once Columbia was sure she wouldn't be dripping blood she then stored the first aid box back to her rigging and took her first step forward.

And another, and another.

Columbia navigated through the ruin, keeping a hand on the wall to keep a track on her surroundings all the while listening to any sound that wasn't produced by the heavy downpour outside. Her way back was sealed so all she could do was to move forward along the path despite the prominent fear of not knowing where it led constantly nagging the back of her mind. It was a terrible conduct, she wasn't allowed to check on her older sister for the last time, there was no goodbye, only bitter reality that she must push forward through the darkness alone.

At last, she met an exit after minutes of probing her way through the dark building when a flash of thunder suddenly illuminated the hallway, giving Columbia a brief clue as to where to go. The heavy rain was also getting louder the more she travelled up a stairway so she was pretty sure she went the right way and much to her relief she was correct.

The bone-chilling wind that coupled with heavy rain was not appreciated though.

It's a good thing her bandages were made specially for Ship-girls, they were waterproof in the outside to meet the seaborne demands and KANSEN working environment or otherwise she would be dealing with an entirely different problem regarding her wound right now.

Columbia shivered when another gust of wind washed over her body, seeping through her ruined clothes and penetrated her flesh mercilessly and unrelentingly. Between night operations and heavy seas she hated the latter ten times the former, but most of all she hated it the most when the two were combined into one like this time. There was only so much water Columbia could tolerate, which was ironic.

The Light Cruiser stopped near a small alleyway, head held high and eyes distant as she stared at a certain building afar, a building that was her destination. A seed of unease began to settle deep in her stomach when she saw no cannon flash, a usual retaliation strike from the Battleships stationed high above overwatch positions, or any patrolling friendly aircraft. There was only one meaning, and Columbia didn't like it.

Has it... fallen?

She clenched her chattering teeth so hard it actually made her jaw numb.

No, I need to make sure.

Columbia was checking her rigging for like the third time that night when she noticed something protruding from one of the canals, a reflective black object or some sort was pointing into the sky and was constantly illuminated by a thunderstorm. Oh Columbia recognized it just fine, that's why she traversed her last functioning main battery at it while her feet carried her closer for inspection.

It was a Siren Heavy Cruiser, or at least what was left of it.

She reluctantly closed the distance between her and the object, constantly turning her head around and scanning her surroundings just to make sure this was not an ambush. The last thing Columbia wanted was being shot by another Directed Energy Weapon courtesy of a Siren when her old wound hadn't healed yet for her to get another one new.

"Huh... There is no other battle damage other than this big hole on top of it..." The blonde muttered to herself when she finally arrived on its side, tracing her fingers on the jagged surface all the while ignoring the signature numbness of Siren Effect on her spine.

Siren Effect was the phenomenon a Siren ship give to a KANSEN that included extreme discomfort whenever said KANSEN came to physical contact with a Siren. It was refered with many names and the effects were different depending on the Ship-girl but it was the term Eagle Union came with. Nobody had figured out why or how it happened though, closest explanations were just some hypothetical thinking it's on a spiritual level and couldn't be explained with science, or at least not with their limited technology.

For Columbia, it only served as a reminder why she despised the Siren.

Still, this remnant piqued her interest. The fact it was destroyed to the point it couldn't erase its existence in a single strike, you got to need a massive firepower or a very precise strike to inflict maximum damage. From what she could gather, this was a combination of the two which was a very rare and difficult feat to achieve.

There was no way this strike was possible from the clocktower, the trajectory simply didn't allow it. Buildings lined up around the destroyed vessel obscuring the line of fire, and a high-aim fire wouldn't have this effect considering the lost momentum caused by air friction to the shell, it wouldn't penetrate ship's armor much lest a Siren vessel with their enhanced plating.

Airstrike was the most possible probability, though the lack of damage to the nearby area kind of made Columbia doubt the idea for some reason. She had seen and experienced enough air to sea attacks on both allies and enemies to understand unguided bombs didn't have this much precision.

Then... Missile strike? But who... Or maybe the Commander decided to seek help from some conventional strike forces? Steel-hulls?

There were some KANSENs being outfitted with missiles alright, heck some of them were her sisters. Providence in particular often blabbered about how cool it was to just snipe your enemy from miles away but Cleveland insisted CruDiv 12 be kept out of the program after hearing the incident with Galveston rolling off to the blues. Their design had problems with balance already and adding more weight onboard was obviously not a good idea. Cleveland had been telling Union's top brass to cancel the idea and focus more on the Fargos or other ships in general rather than forcing it on her sisters and they'd put it into consideration.

Galveston wholeheartedly supported the advice, in complete opposite of Providence and Little Rock.

Columbia smiled softly but it was a short-lived joy because the moment she remembered what happened hours ago to Cleveland it was replaced with a painful throbbing on her chest. As if a thorn had settled deep in her heart, injuring her from inside out whenever Cleveland's smile and defiant face came up to the front of her eyes.

She shook her head.

No, focus. What can you deduce from this... There's a possibility of a missile strike, and last I heard a ship with guided missile in her classification was on Pearl, that place was thousands of miles from here so there's no way it's her doing. Nuclear Aircraft Carrier? Yeah she's close but again to move her would need a lot of time, I doubt the Commander had the luxury.

Then she looked up, and everything suddenly fell into place.

It has to be her.

Their guest, the unknown spaceship. Columbia had heard of the tales, how she wiped an entire fleet of Siren ships with a single salvo, it'd been a warm topic among her friends after all and not that far fetched of an idea. To be honest, her rescuing them was the most likely assumption although it could be a mere wistful thinking from Columbia's end considering that girl didn't have anything to do with them. She could escape, not run away but escape to a better world than this, a luxury they didn't have.

For all Columbia knew, she might have gone to an entirely different star system after deciding they didn't worth her attention and that her own fight was more important. Whatever war she was fighting and nobody would blame her for it, definitely none of her people had the right to do so.

Who is she to hold back such a tremendous sign of power?

The Light Cruiser shuddered at the thought, that was a vast scale, and here she was a few thousand miles away from home and she'd still need weeks to arrive back. Going outside the planet was a mere unattainable dream for her.

She continued her pace.

Going through the ruined city was proven to be more difficult during night time, plenty of reference points might ended up being missed entirely and Columbia nearly lost her sense of direction thrice as she ventured an alleyway only to emerged back at where she began despite the times she spent familiarizing herself with the area for the last few days. It would have been easier if she had her Radar but the passive sensors of her Anti-Aircraft Artillery and Sonar could only do so much especially in urban vicinity. Those signals bounced not from target but shallow water and, of all things, a lamp post in one occasion.

Columbia was this close from pulling her hair out when she finally got her bearing back, if it wasn't for her already preoccupied mind she would have gone insane.

If it was really her, does that mean we were rescued?

She bit her thumb as anxiousness and hope gradually replaced the automatic emptiness in her heart. It would explain the lack of any forms of resistance from their end, usually there would be squadrons of fighters circling near the clock tower and cannon flashes but all she could see was eternal darkness that was constantly punctuated by lightning flashes, no sign of life whatsoever.

Her previously dreadful hypothesis was replaced with something more positive at least.

But still, it didn't eliminate the fact Columbia should see it by herself to make sure, afterall all of this could be just her wishful thinking because to be frank a destroyed Siren vessel could only offer her as much as evidence. There was no concrete proof except what she thought, and she knew her mind was a chaos waiting to explode.

Loathsome whispers began to fill the back of her head, first as a dull static but it quickly replaced her ability to make logical deduction and decision. Then, it happened, her mental surge.

What if I was wrong and all of my friends were killed instead?

Why wouldn't she come sooner?

Did Cleveland have to die?

Where's help when we need it the most?

I entrust my sisters' safety to you.

You'd fail her.

Live on, Columbia, go.

You already failed her.

What worth are you?

Why?

It would be better if we never help them, if only I knew they would stab us in the back like this.

What is a country or two against the whole world?

Decimate them.

Decimate.

Decimate.

Don't leave anything behind.

Kill

KILL!!!

KILL THEM ALL!!!

"Shut up!" Columbia hissed out, from simply biting her nail she's now openly biting her thumb. Siren Effect differed depending on the Ship-girl, some would feel mere discomfort and simply walk away, some to a higher degree where they would physically damage and sink their object of distress because of various reasons, and there's extreme case where the Siren would affect a Ship-girl mentally and slowly ate them inside.

It was obvious which case Columbia's was.

Much to her dismay, biting her thumb didn't give her the result she expected since the Ibuprofen she consumed earlier numbed whatever sense of pain she had so Columbia gave up when the said thumb began to bleed. Normally after coming into physical contact with a Siren, Columbia would manage to deal with the after effects but right now her mind was a jumbled mess so it was easier to lose control over her thoughts.

It was not as much of a problem as stated, just her condition. She wouldn't go insane.

Probably.

If only I had my gums.

She often chewed on those not just for show but also as some sort of therapy, they helped ease her unstable emotions at times like these. But again, she's not fully depending on those, she'd manage one way or another. Besides, there were some more severe cases than hers.

The whispers slowly dissolved back into a buzzing static as Columbia began to recount her objectives, sharpening her mind to a more focused purpose. She took shelter under a building, checked her wound and rigging for the final time before continuing her march under the cover of darkness.

Oblivious with a black figure watching her from atop a building.

Time passed rather quickly for the Light Cruiser, when she finally arrived at her destination she didn't go for it instantly and instead she waited for what seemingly an eternity from across the street, prowling under the cover of ruin. She recognized this certain toppled building, it was where they put Hornet's steel form when it first caught fire, keeping it safe from further air raids. There were supposed to be some guard units placed nearby but Columbia didn't see any sign of them.

It only enforced her theory that she was the only one left behind.

The clock tower was directly in front of her, a couple hundreds of meters or so and only separated by ruin. Like most of the places in this city it looked desolate and empty, no sign of life whatsoever could be seen nearby, ironically the only proof people had been there before was a giant crater courtesy of a bomb that seemingly out of place compared to the oldest destruction in the background.

Not that it mattered since it would also merge with the rest, eventually.

A low buzzing noise suddenly filled the air, drowning the steady pitter patter of rain hitting a glass surface, the same glass of window Columbia was behind. The blonde Cruiser quickly peered through a broken section up into the sky, fully recognizing the tell tale of approaching piston aircraft thanks to her experience operating near those. The sound was getting louder so she knew they were close, too close in fact.

Instinctively, Columbia took cover, focusing her thought onto her impaired Anti-aircraft sensor to detect the aircraft and their general direction.The darkness made it impossible to properly identify her targets visually and her destroyed communication tower took it with it her capability to read IFF. Stuck without option, Columbia decided to play it safe and wait.

They said when you were anxious about something to come time would either slow down or quicken up depending on the subject, whether it was something good one looked up to or a dreadful event one didn't want to encounter. For Columbia, it was neither of those since she didn't know which it was but she was certain time slowed down for her to actually start pondering about her next course of action.

Now she was certain her friends had vacated the area Columbia didn't need to worry about their well-being anymore so her only remaining option was to also leave the city and return to base, all the while trying her best to avoid being detected by enemy forces. She could use the rough weather to bolster her chance of survival by slowly making her way to the coastline, and from there she could just speed it out. The clock tower was a reference point of navigation since night time without stars wouldn't give her any clue and she got that covered already.

All that was left was to safely slip past the patrolling ships, a task Columbia doubted she was fit with her sensor array busted and maneuverability reduced.

Maybe I should just wait until they leave?

The Light Cruiser fumbled with the hem of her ruined shirt, pondering the second option. She might wait, but there's no telling how long that would be, she didn't have enough supply for another week and betting on something like chance often killed rather than saved lives. After all, there were still days for her to cover her way home and Columbia wanted to be reserved about her supply.

Especially since her fuel would definitely run empty halfway.

It wasn't a problem previously since she had her fleetmates covering it for her, namely the Battleships, but now she was alone she had no one to share fuel with or simply tow her back to base. It seemed like her destiny was bound to either die here or die later in the middle of nowhere, but different to before this chance was certain and not a mere bet.

A broken down ship was as good as dead in this world anyway.

Still, a sliver of her heart still wished for a miracle to happen, yet a bigger portion of her logical thinking said it was a snowball chance in hell. The only one she could depend on was herself, and that included finding a way out safely and preferably without a whole fleet hounding her ass across the sea.

Or worse, get ambushed by a flotilla of Siren. She thought distractedly, still keeping an ear out for the aircraft.

The Siren was ruthless when it came to executing their target, if you're lucky enough you might find your end in the hands of some lesser Siren, those Mass Produced Ships. But if your luck was rotten, you might meet some higher Siren entity, those who had acquired human form and seemed human just like KANSEN. The first would simply kill you by either blowing you to kingdom come or break you to two by ramming, but the latter would toy with you until they were bored and had enough of you.

They would pick you apart, twist your rigging where it hurt, and tear you open slowly and methodically from head to toe. At that moment you'd be begging for your death, a luxury they wouldn't give no matter what you did.

The thought sent another fresh wave of chill down Columbia's spin and she found herself trembling in fear for a second. She had heard that firsthand from a captured ship, something that still gave her nightmares whenever she recalled those empty gaze of a broken soul. PTSD was not a strange term to her since she too suffered a degree of it, just like many of her compatriots despite their rather colorful characters.

It was inevitable, fighting a long dragged war would give one's such disorder, especially a war as great as the Siren War. She was sure she just got a new addition to her horrifying experience list today, too.

What different was for once her hate was not directed to the Siren, it was directed to two certain individuals, and a faction as a whole. She would never forgive Zuikaku and Shōkaku for what they had done, for taking her beloved sister from her and all the troubles they put her friends through. Columbia had made a vow that before the Siren could get them, she would first.

An eye for an eye, and it would still not be enough to quench her hate.

That's why when she saw Zuikaku and Shōkaku exited the clock tower she lost all her sense of reasoning, whatever logical thinking she had was thrown out of the window as her blood began to boil with intense anger in her veins, like a broken dam her emotions flooded out threatening to explode from within and drowned her alive, yet she embraced it all with open arms.

Columbia was seeing red, and before she knew it she already had her last gun pointed at them, shell fed.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you"

She turned around, gun mount whirling to face the new threat, a shadowy figure she knew damn too well who just from the silhouette, a person that was held just as accountable as the rest of her comrades and must be punished just as severely.

Takao stepped out of the shade.

A chill ran down Columbia spine when she noticed Takao had her rigging equipped, albeit in relaxed stance it still had better combat readiness than her pile of barely there superstructure, she could easily take her out with a single strike and she wouldn't need her sword to do so, a shot or two would definitely break through her already vulnerable hull integrity. But for some reason, Takao decided to step out and talk to her instead of quietly dealing with her.

Something was amiss. It might be Takao was trying to make a time for back-up so they could capture her for interrogation or other matters Columbia would rather not imagine, metals were precious material after all.

The Heavy Cruiser noticed the slight glint of dread in Columbia's hazel orbs as they locked each other in a staring contest. "Cleveland didn't sacrifice herself just to have you throwing your life away like this" She said eventually when it's apparent Columbia wouldn't say anything in return. Not surprisingly, her statement erased Columbia's previous agitation and replaced it with a more familiar fire.

"Cleveland didn't have to sacrifice herself if your people are not so fucking stupid" The Light Cruiser growled back, sneering. "I would take one of you to the grave if I have to as long as I get my revenge"

Takao stared at Columbia's clenched hands, the blonde was itching to pull the trigger. She never specified who she would bring with her but it was obvious enough it could be her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Takao repeated, this time she showed her hands up in a universal display of placating manner.

"Yeah?! Why?! Because it's a cowardly move according to your code of honor?! Because fuck you and your honor! Honor is not stabbing your friend in the back!" Columbia shouted, fully aware of the fact Takao came out unarmed and meant no harm to her but that was not her problem, it's Takao's fault not hers.

Something in which Takao understood, as she slowly put her hands down. "I don't deserve more honor, and what I have, have been tainted by my disgrace"

"Always talk big about upholding honor but never actually put it into practice, there is never a problem living in shame as long as you live"

"... I know"

Columbia paused, her frown deepening. "So tell me before I kill you, which one of the Cranes that got my sister?"

"It's neither of them"

"Another Carrier group? Hiryū or Sōryū?"

"Wasn't them either"

"Then Shō-"

"It was me"

Silence. Takao almost could see the gear working in Columbia's head as she went through the shock, eyes going wide and mouth agape.

"I was the one who delivered the finishing blow" She added, pulling her sword out to show the bloodied blade to Columbia who didn't even have the mind to register her action. It was a whole minute later Columbia finally managed to process what Takao just said.

And she certainly didn't take it kindly

Her face heated up as anger quickly replaced her surprise, red dots filling her vision and she shouted in response. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" That, obviously, was the last of her straw and she mentally commanded her sole functioning main battery to shoot, aimed directly at Takao.

The resulting explosion would alert literally everyone, that along with the huge fire ball would act as a beacon and reveal her location to her enemy. It would only be a matter of time until they found her hiding in the ruin and flushed her out. These facts didn't escape Columbia yet she didn't care.

She only cared about unleashing her fury, this suffocating feeling of anger constantly threatening to jump out of her chest. It hurted more than anything she ever experienced.

But it seemed she wasn't allowed to get her release.

Columbia slowly turned her head towards her rigging, specifically her main battery, when nothing came out. Her glare slowly morphed into horrified gaze when she realized the shell failed to ignite, stuck inside the breech despite her repetitive order to fire it and the clicking of the igniter.

A misfire.

Come on, dammit!

She kept forcing the trigger despite being aware she shouldn't be doing so yet her desperation overshadowed her training. Vaguely Columbia suspected her last operational gun had long been damaged and only now she was made aware of it, a fatal error that could only be detected with a deep examination which by itself was a luxury she didn't have.

"You're really trying hard to get yourself killed, huh?"

Her glare returned at full force and she abandoned her earlier plan to shoot Takao, head snapping towards the Heavy Cruiser with burning malice supposedly enough to kill someone. Columbia brought her hands up and readied herself, opting to use her fists instead, not replying a word.

Takao raised her sword, glanced at Columbia, and threw it away somewhere behind her into the darkness, she wouldn't need it, not in this fight and not against this person. Columbia's wild gaze was an enough reason for her to not use it, and the way she staggered forward as she charged at her was a dead give away how this fight will end.

It was not a fight to begin with, just a hollow struggle of a desperate soul.

Columbia threw her a right hook, which Takao easily dodged by simply stepping aside, and then a punch with her left Takao also dodged. It continued on for a few minutes with Columbia getting more frustrated by each passing seconds with her attacks while Takao kept on swerving and stepping away without breaking a sweat.

It was when Columbia stumbled on her injured leg Takao decided to make a move.

The brunette grabbed Columbia's still extended hand by the wrist, yanked her close and sent her palm to the blonde's vulnerable neck, her fingers finding a purchase around her throat before tightening steadily.

"I can grant you that wish, if you so desire"

"To hell with you!" Columbia replied amidst her grunting, throwing a punch to Takao's face which again she dodged rather effortlessly, her retaliation was by tightening her fingers and furthering the pressure on Columbia's windpipe, slowly but surely suffocating her alive.

"You still have the drive to fight" Takao said to her, closing the distance between the two to stare directly at her eyes. "Hatred or anger? No, it's something more dangerous and stronger"

Columbia clawed at Takao's hand in a futile effort to release her grip, and despite the pain she couldn't help but to glare defiantly at the brunette. It was amidst gasps when Takao suddenly said something that made Columbia regret her suicidal actions.

"Cleveland is still alive" She declared suddenly, watching the blonde's eyes go wide in surprise. For a second, Takao eased her grasp to let Columbia process the information before pushing her against a wall, pinning her in place.

"Don't... fuck with me!" Another punch sailed through the air, weak and uncontrolled it couldn't compare to her previous attack. But this time Takao let her fist land on her cheek before releasing her off her grip, prompting Columbia to lose her balance and slide down the wall.

The Heavy Cruiser watched her sit there, coughing and wheezing all the while rubbing her reddening throat.

"Look at me" Takao ordered, making Columbia stiffened up in response. When it was apparent she wouldn't comply, Takao repeated her order, this time with a higher tone. "I said, look at me!"

Slowly, reluctantly Columbia raised her head, revealing a pair of moist hazel orbs to Takao.

The sight made Takao quiver internally and it was harder for her to keep her façade. "It wasn't anger nor hatred that drove you. Grief and sorrow did"

Columbia didn't even try to hold back her tears at that, they came running down her cheeks freely before falling to the moist ground below. Wrapping her arms around herself, she slumped to the ground and began to cry silently.

"Why" Columbia began, still not lifting herself up. "Why should I believe you?" She continued after swallowing a large lump stuck in her throat.

"Because I fear for myself"

"Fear...? Of what?"

"My judgement, my sins...They will catch up to me someday. I want to redeem myself before it's too late"

The damp floor splashed under Takao's movement, sending ripples around the small pond it made, Columbia watched as those ripples passed by her face all the while staring at Takao's reflection in the water. "There's not enough redemption for what you and your comrades have done in this world, your sins can't simply disappear" She grunted then, pushing herself up to her feet to face the brunette, her glare hadn't subsided. "They are too big and numerous"

This time, Takao didn't even try to hide her distaste as she clenched her jaw. "I know, but at the very least..." She trailed off when her voice failed her, gone in a split second along with her composure. "... I want to try my best first"

"... Why are you doing this? Your friends and countrymen? This..." Columbia gestured towards her damaged rigging, and then the ruin around her. "This is not how it's supposed to be"

"I don't know, there's something wrong with this whole ordeal"

"And you keep on doing nothing despite that?"

Takao averted her gaze from those judging hazel eyes, feeling the pressure of those words deep inside her heart. She was the one holding the gun but she felt vulnerable under Columbia's scrutinizing gaze as if the roles had been reversed. "I... serve the people of the Empire first and foremost, not the Emperor... not anymore, so even if I have to go fight against the wrongs of my superiors I'd have done it"

"Then why-"

"I can't abandon them" She cut in, shaking her head. "I can't abandon my sisters and leave them at the mercy of breaking yards"

Columbia's fists tightening up on her sides. She knew the Empire's policy regarding traitors and any act of treason, how they deal with deserters. It didn't stop at just humans but also KANSEN too with the difference only that KANSEN would involve scrapping and a lot of steel breaking, a nightmare to any Ship-girls out there. "You don't want any of this, don't you?"

"No, not in the slightest. There's something inexplicably wrong with Lady Nagato, the usual her wouldn't even glance your side the wrong way but she did, even went as far to a full blown conflict"

"Did something happen to her?"

"I don't know"

"You're not helping"

"That I know" For a moment, a small grin adorned Takao's face in reply to Columbia's jab but it quickly disappeared. "I'm planning to look at it myself"

"Why don't you just take your sisters with you and ask for protection from the UN? Human Rights cover us KANSEN too, you know"

"And go where? We have nowhere to go" She sighed tiredly, shoulders visibly sagging. "I should have done this sooner because if there's someone who can fix this, it should be us, not you"

"... Come with me, back to Azur Lane base"

"I can't"

"We'll provide you the protection needed as long you explain what is happening"

"A generous offer but I must decline" Takao said with a small yet genuine smile, there's something off about it that made Columbia feel unsettled but not in a threatening way. "Akashi should be able to provide you a lot of informations about the situation, she might be a bit obnoxious but she's honest" Columbia flinched internally when Takao suddenly moved her mast to her side and ripped her Radar dish from its place before presenting it to her.

"Uh... what?" She muttered, still feeling baffled.

"Take this, you lost yours in a firefight right? It might be inferior but it would do its job"

Tentatively Columbia complied, grabbing the Radar dish off Takao's outstretched hand. "You're... letting me go?"

"You're no longer here, you've been gone for hours, since those silver colored jets attacked along with your friends" Takao then stepped out of her way in an obvious encouraging display. "I just happened to accidentally crash my Radar when travelling through this ruin"

The Light Cruiser stared at her as if she had gone crazy before shaking her head, making her way to the darkness all the while keeping her eyes glued to Takao. Columbia was right near a corner when Takao suddenly said something that stopped her for a split second.

"That urge of yours has to wait until I'm done, but for now please wait for me. You can do whatever you want to me afterwards"

Columbia didn't need to hear anything more as she ran off towards the darkness.

Now she was sure Columbia had gone, Takao let go of her composure entirely and she fell on her knees, clenching both of her trembling hands together. She took a deep shuddering breath before she spoke to the air "You can come out now, Atago"

A pair of golden orbs glinted back from the darkness as whatever source of light nearby reflected on them, filled with an untold predatory and dangerous look aimed towards where Columbia had gone to. Unlike Takao's, her rigging was in full combat mode with her guns pointed on Columbia during the whole encounter.

She broke the glare when her sister called her and looked at a still kneeling Takao, picking the thrown sword she then made her way to her sister and offered it back. "That was foolish, how did you know her gun was in malfunction?" Atago asked disapprovingly, more colorful reactions were on the tip of her tongue but she held back.

"I didn't" Takao grabbed her sword back and after producing a white cloth from her cleaning kit she then began to wipe the blood sticking on it. "I had no other options, Columbia is a wild one often acts without thinking the consequences so I had to step in before she did something stupid"

"Well, you did something stupid"

"Can't deny I didn't"

Atago watched Takao clean her sword, grimacing slightly when she noticed the tremor in Takao's hands hadn't subsided yet. She feared her sister would accidentally cut her hands open with each wipe. "What you said... Did you mean it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're planning to go AWOL"

"... Enticing idea but as I said, impossible"

Atago grunted. "You know, we will follow you wherever you're going, even to the deepest of hell itself"

Takao's palm came to a stop near the tip of her Katana, fingers grazing the sharp blade at its front. "That is what I'm afraid of, taking all of you down with me" She stood up then, once again squaring her shoulders, once again putting on her strong front as she sheathed her sword back to its scabbard, cleaned and checked for any damage. "But enough of this talk. Lady Shinano said she'll take over from here, we're heading back to base"

"Alright, I'll tell Maya and Chokai to prepare and pack the shop. But before that..." Atago then paused as she looked at her sister mischievously, a sinister grin slowly blooming on her face.

Takao noticed this and she began to back up when Atago lowered herself in a stance. "Wh-what? What are you doing?"

"Oh nothing, just a bit of help to make your story a bit more believable. After all, you accidentally crashed and busted your Radar, while I shoved you away from some falling debris"

Takao's eyes widened and Atago's grin broadened, and before the former knew it she already had a blur of black charging right at her.

"W-wait! Atago! Don't do it you-!"

"You better relax your chest now or it'll hurt a lot!"

"NO WAIT STOP IT YOU DUMB-AHHHHHHHH"

Takao's scream was cut short when her back crashed through a wall, her hands instinctively wrapping around Atago when they flew out of a window to the street outside, splashing and tumbling on the flooded surface and dampening her already wet clothes more.

The newly made hole ruined whatever fragile sense of balance the small building was holding and it quickly crumbled down, dust and concrete flew in their wake as the ground shook in response to the haphazardly settled weight. It happened so fast they barely missed getting crushed by a metal beam.

Takao groaned in pain when they finally came to a stop near a turnover car, vaguely aware with Atago jumping off her embrace to her feet. "Phew, that was exhilarating" she said somehow shakily, offering her hand to her older sister. "On your feet, Takao"

"You idiot, you should have warned me first" Takao grabbed the outstretched hand and pulled herself up, visibly wincing when her back sent a wave of pain to her head. "Don't expect me to go easy on you in our next training session" She added with a glare.

At that, Atago's smirk faltered and quickly pure horror replaced her previously smug expression. "B-but I did! I told you to brace, didn't I?!"

"A warning is delivered before the event can unfold, not when it's unfolding" Despite it, Takao couldn't help but to give Atago a once over to make sure she was fine albeit subtly before checking on her own self, somewhat satisfied with the resulting damage on her rigging. "Well, at least it will do. Looks natural enough"

"See? It's all well and good. So, like, can you not punish me?"

"No"

"Oh come on!" Atago cried out, much to Takao's amusement.

"When you're done with your whining, go and notify Chokai and Maya. I'll be waiting here"

Her sister grumbled some more but she still complied, making her way to where the rest of the Takaos were all the while muttering something about being not appreciated enough.

Now truly alone, she was suddenly aware with the way her hand had been hovering over one of her pockets. Takao paused for a second when she remembered what was inside of it before she shoved her hand in and pulled a folded piece of paper from it, wet yet still clear enough for her to make out the letters printed on its front.

I did what you asked me, now it's your turn and keep on fighting.

The word Charlie Love Five-Five stared back at her

David was in the middle of reviewing a report when a knock resonated from the double doors across the room, sipping the black liquid that was his coffee he then glanced at the small clock on his desk, noting the triple digits glaring back at him. It was just past midnight, most of the Ship-girls should have been sleeping in their rooms, especially with how hectic things had been recently.

"Come in"

The doors creaked open, a now familiar head entered, still dressed for combat but this time that bulky gun of hers couldn't be seen on her back. Her sidearm was still with her though.

"Commander" Enterprise greeted with a nod, making her way to the front of his desk before stopping in a parade rest. "A report, sir. Columbia has linked up with Phoenix and Helena, they're currently heading back to base. I will send the live feed from my satellite to your datapad" She finished while gesturing at the aforementioned datapad on his desk, urging him to look.

The datapad was a wonderful piece of technology, it had far more computing power than a whole battlegroup, could last for weeks without being charged while the size was no larger than most books. It also could store hundreds Terabytes of data, something that was insane in their time.

And it was there, on his hands. David couldn't imagine what kind of stuff they could make from simply studying and reverse engineering it, they probably wouldn't need a compact disk and desk size storage drive anymore though.

The Commander's train of thoughts was cut short when the blue, rotating UNSC symbol on the screen dissolved, a prompt request of data-link appeared on its stead. He gave the woman in front of him a glance but all he received in return was a passive face staring back at him. Wordlessly, he pressed the accept button, a bit unnerved by her stoic sight. A brief loading appeared and after a moment the connection was established.

Three white dots greeted him as the satellite thermal imaging tracked what had to be his girls. "Can you identify who is who?" He asked Enterprise as relief washed down his body, feeling the burden of having his own stranded in enemy territory left him.

"Yes, sir. In the front should be Phoenix, the one in the middle is Columbia and Helena's on the rear". At this, the camera zoomed in as identification was registered. It's difficult to distinguish both Phoenix and Helena but Columbia was clear enough due to the damage on her rigging. "They're plenty miles away off the coastline now so they should be in the clear"

"Good... Good, that's good" He sighed then, this time fully looking at her. "I take it, you've also been tracking the enemy's positions this whole time?"

The display changed once again as a wider lense took over, with it the outline of the abandoned city suddenly lit up on the far right corner of the screen. The dots representing the Cruisers disappeared but three more highlighted blue triangles replaced it, and one by one red triangles began to cover most of the city land.

A string of words written in capital letters scrolled down.

TARGET IDENTIFICATION AT 99% ACCURACY, STRONG SIGNAL FROM FORWARD OBSERVATION SATELLITE.

COUNT: 53 TARGETS

FRIENDLY ASSETS: 3

HOSTILES: 50

MISSILE SYSTEM ON STAND-BY.

[AWAITING] LAUNCH COMMAND.

"Some of them are in enclosed areas and require missiles with bigger kinetic force, sir, but I've got them covered. Right now it's all up to Helena whether she deems it necessary to call the strike or not" Enterprise explained as she straightened up. "Or you, the launch order is on you"

"I can't authorize that, especially not from a foreign power such as yourself" David set down the datapad and it automatically shut off, crossing his fingers. "I respect you enough to not exploit you, but I'm not your commanding officer, Enterprise. My order shouldn't dictate your actions"

For the first time since she entered, an emotion disrupted her stoic face as a look of disappointment passed by "... I know, sir. It's just that I'm not used to make my own decisions like this. I was a ship, sir, lifeless and mindless, a war machine that didn't have to think about my course of actions"

"Lifeless you were but mindless you were not"

"I thought, therefore I was. What'd happen if I was given a life, sir?" It was a rhetorical question, David knew, a question that had been asked by many newly revived Ship-girls in the past. A moment of existential crisis even the so called humanity hope in the heaven was not spared from, in a way it made him relieved that this woman was not so much different from the rest despite her strong aura.

Yet he still thought it's necessary to answer. "You happen"

"I happen, sir. An existence that is neither human nor machine, an existence born from war and peace" Enterprise was aware of her rough personality, one that was forged from years of combat and conflict, and she was aware she was not any different with her peers in the UNSC. Enterprise was no Spartans who were taught to be tough from the earliest days, there never was someone teaching her that. If anything, she learned to be tough, or in many cases during the war she's simply pretending for the sake of everyone or her own good. Focus on the mission, discard all unnecessary emotions, the latter simply so she wouldn't think too much about the possible outcomes since it wouldn't cloud any judgement and even if it did affect hers it wouldn't affect the mission. After all, she was not the one calling the ball. Never was.

Until now when she was suddenly thrusted into it, a life where her task required her own wise thinking. It would be so much easier if she was back to being a slave to her own destiny, to be the war machine she was, at least she would know what to do when someone told her.

A missile knew where it was if it was told to go where it had to go. Point at the enemy and she would charge forward, kill and complete what she was told.

"That is all up to you" Enterprise's eyes adjusted back to the person sitting in front of her, it seemed during her period of internal turmoil she had lost focus and was staring at somewhere behind the Commander, away to the outside of his window. She mentally scolded herself for it, that couldn't happen again. "Which life do you prefer? What do you see yourself fit as? A human or a war machine?"

"War machine" She answered almost immediately. "It was what I was, it was what I should have been"

"You don't even see yourself fit as a human?"

"Sir, being a war machine, a mere spaceship would greatly benefit the UNSC more if my emotions ended up being a hindrance for the mission. Tactically speaking, I have more advantages in this form but what good am I when I can't even decide my course of actions?"

A look of genuine concern adorned David's face. "Let's... talk about this matter in another time" He muttered but it's still hard enough for Enterprise to hear it as she nodded in return. "There's something I need to discuss with you but first, please sit down"

Enterprise looked at where David was gesturing and nodded once again, making her way to the couch she remembered she first sat on during her rather rude awakening. There was a series of clanking from the Commander's desk that caught her attention as she settled down, and much to her bewilderment two wine glasses and a bottle of Whiskey was suddenly set on the table before her, the Commander sitting behind it.

"Sir?" She asked, slightly surprised, mostly puzzled.

"Well, this has technically past my work hour so I can do whatever I want" The Commander said with a smile, pouring the golden liquor on both glasses and pushing one to her.

"That is not it, sir. It's just that, I never have any alcohol" Enterprise admitted as she stared at her reflection on the glass, she could clearly see her own dubious expression.

"Then it'll make an interesting first experience don't you think?"

Enterprise hesitantly took the offered beverage, envying the Commander with how easy he took one large swig from his portion. She sniffed on hers first only to retreat slightly when a pungent scent of alcohol assaulted her nostrils, almost making her go against the idea of actually consuming it. "What is the matter you wish to speak with me, Commander?" The ravenette began as she slowly brought the shot close to her mouth, feeling the liquid on her lips before she opened them ever so slightly and tasted the Whiskey rolling to her tongue.

Enterprise almost gagged.

It burned, the liquor hurted her taste buds worse than that one time she experimented drinking warm water which turned out to be too hot. It was not really unlike it as she now already began to feel her sensitive tongue turning numb, and it didn't stop there since whatever amount she was drinking had made their way down her throat, still burning even worse.

Tears began to welled up on her eyes as a part of biological response and she coughed, setting the glass down almost instinctively. David watched through the whole ordeal with a perfectly concealed amusement for he had seen the scene far too many times and enjoyed it far too much than he'd like to admit. Though it had to end here as she pulled a bottle of water from under the table and passed it to Enterprise.

He hid a grin by taking another swig when Enterprise desperately downed the whole bottle in one go. "Easy there" The Commander said eventually when she was done.

"How could someone like this thing?" She responded with a clear disdain aimed towards the Whiskey, glaring at it as if it was death itself.

"Same reason why someone could dislike it" He countered with a small smile before setting his now empty glass down and straightened up. "There are some matters I need to discuss and your consent is paramount"

"I'm all ear, Commander"

"Well first of, as you are aware, we're not in a very good situation right now. The Azur Lane Coalition can't guarantee your safety if the worst happen so based on that sentiment I have request an... external intervention"

Enterprise nodded, felt like she did that al ot nowadays. "I understand your position, Commander, but what do you mean external intervention?"

"Following your arrival I made a call to Eagle Union and asked for an assistance to cover up this whole incident, that is the reason this base hasn't been crowded with unnecessary personel. Of course the Admiralty upboard wouldn't just let it slip by but between you and me it's better than to have some politicians who only know to run their mouths"

"So they will come to inspect me instead? And I take it sometime soon in the future?"

"One week. In one week Eagle Union will send a representative to this base, he will also represent the rest of Azur Lane since he's a part of the HIGHCOM"

"Can we trust him?"

His answer was resolute. "Yes, more than anyone. There's a fraction of the Union 7th Fleet heading to this base, a group of Carrier strike force and some supplementing ships and Ship-girls consisted of two Carriers, one Fast Battleship, two Light and Heavy Cruisers, and one Light Carrier. Although the number might change it was the confirmed count"

Enterprise silently processed the informations and almost instinctively reached out to her metal form in the low orbit, preparing to give the recon command only to pause when she remembered where she was. "Who are they and what's their current position?"

"They're on Pearl, resupplying. As for who, well, we have the first nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier coming our way"

"The Enterprise CVN-65?"

"No, the Constitution CVN-65" David saw the ravenette's face drew a puzzled look, something he could relate. "She's another Enterprise?"

"Supposedly in my world, but it seemed not in this world. What about the rest?"

"Two Essexes are confirmed and at least one Baltimore too, we're still waiting for the final notice"

Enterprise was no stranger to World War 2 ships, she had a full data about them including their history and combat capability but nothing prepared her for the actual personification. Prince of Wales did mention about the existence of some rough individuals, something that was sort of like her, and she couldn't help but to feel a little wary with the upcoming meeting. It would be great if they could see eye to eye, if they couldn't it'd be a troublesome first impression.

"Is there anything I should prepare before the meeting?" She asked after a brief silence.

The Commander poured himself another glass full, taking a sip before replying. "There will be questions but I don't think you will answer all question?"

"The non-classified should be fine, unless the situation demands I won't reveal any of my secrets. I take it to decide what's good" She was her own Captain now, Enterprise had to decide for herself.

"We won't pry, I promise" David smirked then. "Well, to be honest I don't really care with what you want and don't want to reveal, having your helping hands are more than enough for me"

"Not like they can force me to do so" Enterprise mumbled in return, earning a chuckle from the Commander. it might be a source of amusement for him yet it was anything but to her. She would blow herself first before anyone could touch UNSC secrets without her permission, it was for their own good for the most part.

There was no telling what they wouldn't do when they learn she had schematics of a bomb capable of blowing half a planet to molten glass, or the smaller picture, her electric-based weapon systems.

"I will make sure of that, trust me, I don't want you moving away and leaving this planet when your help is proven to be invaluable"

Despite herself, she couldn't help but to snort slightly. "Me moving away will be your last concern if that happen, Commander"

There are more extreme measures, and the most extreme will include a mini supernova explosion.

He was oblivious of her rather dark thought, as another moment of silence prevailed. Enterprise waited patiently for another few moments before she decided to change the topic, something that had actually been nagging her since the last few hours. "What is a Wisdom Cube, Commander?"

He gave her a look. "Did you find something interesting with your examination of it?"

Busted.

After their rescue operation, Enterprise requested for the recovered Wisdom Cube to be handed to her for study and deep examination, which was just the partial reason for her action. It currently resided deep in her laboratory radioactive containment chamber, watched by a security AI and surveillance cameras she personally kept a track on.

"Something feels... off about it, sir"

"A sense of nostalgia is normal, whenever a Ship-girl comes in close contact with a Wisdom Cube they'd feel it"

"Except it's not what people would describe as nostalgia"

David frowned. "It wasn't? Are you sure about it?"

"I might not know much about emotions but I'm slowly learning, so I'm sure it was not" Enterprise shifted on her seat, fixing the Titanium-A armor strapped on her chest. "It's dread... I feel dread and confusion and helplessness radiating from it, ugly emotions. Yet I know they weren't mine but the cube itself, as if it was telling me it feels those emotions by disrupting my own"

"Hm... According to the report, the Essence inside is different but nothing about this abnormality" David mused out loud, rubbing his chin. "Why did nobody notice this..."

"Essence" The spaceship began. "What is this Essence exactly? I remember Prince of Wales mentioned it before"

"It's the core"

"Of Wisdom Cubes?"

"Of Ship-girls" The frown on his face disappeared with a heavy sigh, instead it quickly bloomed on Enterprise's face. This was a sensitive topic to discuss with a Ship-girl, any Ship-girl, many would feel discomfort when talking about this one particular subject before evading it altogether. "What makes a Ship-girl's personality? It was this Essence that represent their strongest emotions when they're still a steel hull, they carried it with them when they are reborn in flesh and blood"

"So you mean... a Wisdom Cube is, basically, our soul?"

"That was debatable. If a Wisdom Cube indeed contains the soul of a ship, then what are they before they are revived? What are those memories and feelings they have? What was your consciousness before you arrived here?"

The question was directly aimed at Enterprise and for the first time ever she found herself lost at word. What was she? Why could she feel when she was not even a biological entity? How was she aware of everything around her?

Enterprise had one answer and she gave it to him.

"I... I don't know, Commander" She looked at him, eyes wide with fear and realization, fear of the unknown and realization to her not knowing. "What was I? What am I?"

"You were you, and you are you, Enterprise. A ship and a living entity. A Wisdom Cube doesn't dictate your personality, it doesn't contain your soul either, you have existed long before a Wisdom Cube made you exist"

"But isn't that contradictory with what you just said? Essence is the core of a Ship-girl so it's only natural for it to construct our personality"

Much to her surprise, David laughed. "If that was true, we all would be dead by now" He said between chuckles. "What did Prince of Wales say about you?"

"She thought I was a Siren"

"And what made her think so?"

"Something about strange light when I Manifest?"

"Yes, that. There's an Essence usually found in a Siren inside of you" The Commander paused, emptying his glass of Whiskey before continuing. "Sirens are different to human ships, while our ships' main 'color' is blue, theirs is purple"

"Purple..." She whispered, tilting her head remembering the first time she Manifest. There was some purple light mixed in her, and from what little observation Enterprise did neither of the Azur Lane girls had it whenever they Manifest. "Why is it only the Siren?"

"Wish"

"Huh?"

He smiled, a broad genuine smile as he pushed the now empty glass of Whiskey to the side before leaning forward. "Your name, what does it entail?"

"Enterprise is a name with great history behind it, sir, from a ship with wooden hull sailing on sail to a spaceship with Titanium plating and Deuterium Fusion Reactor. It's only natural for the Navy to keep it"

"Assuming humanity does keep her root, then you should know that is not all the reason"

"... yes, that is not the full reason."

"Then say it"

Enterprise hesitated. She knew the full reason but she only took it as mere superstition from an old adage. "Enterprise represents the wish of all mankind to continue enterprising through time, prevailing and prospering. As long as there's an Enterprise then humanity shall not retreat nor forfeit"

"A strong name, and a strong wish too" He leaned back, his smile never fading. "You carry with you the wish of mankind, a wish that is there amongst many others. The Siren does not carry with them our hopes and dreams, they only have hatred and an unquenchable thirst for destruction, that's why they lack humanity's lane, a lane where we wish for a day we can sail our own seas in peace. The azure lane"

Hopes and dreams to conquer the sea... That's why their main element is blue? Enterprise silently thought to herself, frowning deeply at the prospect. Metaphysics and supernatural stuff, she wasn't really believing either of those since she was a product of science and technology but science and technology couldn't turn a ship into human, at least not in a way she understood.

Still, it hadn't answered her question why there was an apparent Essence of a Siren in her. "How is that related to me, though?"

"The answer is within yourself, what was it that you felt first when you were revived?"

Images of burning continents flashed on her mind and Enterprise fell silent immediately. "Anger, and hatred" She answered, and in a smaller tone she added "With maybe a little bit of sorrow"

"Lingering feelings from your past life" David affirmed with a nod, crossing his fingers. "How do you think I know you are not part of the Siren?"

"Because I haven't killed anyone in this base?"

"Yes, that one, but there's another reason. When you Manifest there is still humanity's Essence in you, one that shone brighter than any Ship-girls I know, one that I don't believe is because of your mere size although it might also be related"

"Well, I serve mankind, there will be plenty of hell before I turn my back to it. My anger and hate were never directed to humanity because my whole existence is centered around ensuring its future and safekeeping its interests" She had a sudden urge to down her remaining Whiskey for some reason so Enterprise did just that, despite the burning liquid and foul taste she somehow found comfort in the discomfort it brought her. The Commander watched her with a slight surprise on his face but he refrained from saying anything about it. "That is my sole Raison D'être" She finished, setting the now empty glass to the table.

"You never think about your own interest or future, do you?"

Enterprise shrugged nonchalantly. "What is there to think? I will keep fighting until the day my platings fall off my hull, or when my reactors finally fail to process any fuel matters" Her maroon eyes grew distant for a second, staring somewhere behind the Commander before she shook her head and continued. "It doesn't matter how I die, breaking yards, during a battle, or even as a test subject, I don't care. I only care if I was being useful or not"

"I see... You are more dedicated than what I thought" It was an understatement and David knew it, in fact he couldn't really find the right word to describe it. Her infatuation, affection or love towards humanity was unmatched, as if it was indoctrinated into her from the day she was laid down yet it wasn't a false one since she believed it from the bottom of her soul. But the way she spoke about it worried him, as if she was detached from her reason for existing, as if she didn't even picture herself as a part of it and thus didn't belong anywhere near it.

A silent protector with no need for rewards.

"Is there anything else you want to discuss, Commander?" Enterprise asked him after a long pause.

"No... no, that should be all. You are dismissed"

She nodded and stood up, the couch creaking audibly when her weight left it. "I will inform you if something comes up with Helena's group, but I will take it on my own accord and call the strike if I deem it necessary"

"Yes, thank you"

"Have a good rest, Commander. And thanks for the drink"

"You too" David replied with a smile, watching her making her way to the exit. It was when Enterprise was about to close the doors back that the Commander remembered something he had been wanting to say. "Actually, Enterprise, one more thing"

She stopped abruptly, pushing the door open again to a crack. "Sir?"

"What do you think about temporary settlement here on the base?"

"... Is that an order, sir?"

"It's an offer" When she gave him a look full of uncertainty, he added. "It's a good opportunity for you to know everyone better, and it'll make future deployment easier if you wish to join" One more reason he didn't say was that he couldn't bear the thought of her being alone up there but David kept it for himself.

"I will consider it, Commander"

"Feel free to come, I'll save a room for you"

She smiled, one that was barely noticeable by those lacking keen eyes but he saw it clearly as day. "My gratitude, Commander" Enterprise saw him waving his hand dismissively in response, with one slight pull she closed the doors once again, this time for good.

The cool hallway air washed over her and she sighed in silent contempt, that conversation she had had emotionally tired her more than what she initially imagined. A part of her mind wonder what her Captain would say if he knew a mere talk actually made her waver while fighting a Covenant DDS-class Carrier she considered as another day at work but Enterprise quickly banished the thought, the latter she was familiar with while the former was a new ground to her so it's only natural.

She meant what she said, though. Enterprise never thought about her own future whatsoever only her next mission and assignment, for her there was never a place to settle down except with the UNSC, serving and fighting under her banner. There would always be a war for her to fight, or a new front line for her to venture no matter when. Home was just a concept for her, a place to raly before the next deployment. And deep down she knew her fate was sealed.

Once she returned back, she would be bound to a life of lab specimen, and that was the best case. Worst would be ONI cutting her open for study, after all not everyday you see a ship become a sentient organic entity, especially when the said entity was probably the most dangerous living thing in the universe since she possessed a strength and durability surpassing even a Spartan.

But she was fine with it, if it was proven beneficial for humanity in the long run then she would gladly give away this abruptly created life of hers. She had died once in defense of mankind, and she would do it a thousands times over again without a second thought.

They might cut her open to see her bleed, and she would bleed for them if that's what they wanted.

She didn't care.

Enterprise cared too much.

TBC

I don't really have anything to say here except that the next chapter is already finished, I planned to upload these two at the same time but I decided to upload this one a day or two before the next chapter.

The reason is because while I wouldn't say this chapter is a filler chapter, it has a less relevance compared to any other chapters, not as significantly but it's least important in a way I didn't want to upload it too separately with the next one. That said, it still holds key plot points as we began to delve further into this universe of mine.

Anyway, this chapter has around 14k of words, and the next one has a bit more amount so it will be a total of 30k words. I hope it's enough to redeem my seemingly negligence but as I said I found it necessary. Also any new questions asked I will answer in the next chapter so I'm sorry if this note is a bit short.

That's all I guess, see you guys (hopefully) soon.

Peace out, guys.