Azur Lane: Fallen Stars, chapter 2
Welcome to Malta.
"We have completed the scan of the enemy ship" she dutifully reported.
"And?" Her captain inquired
"The ship is heavily damaged. All power is diverted to the forward shields. There is only one life-form on board." She listed the scan results.
"What?!" Her captain exclaimed.
He must have missed something. She began reading the list again "The ship is heavily damaged. All power is diver-"
"No, you insolent scraphead." He waved her peon away, turning to the view screen angrily. "Skywalker, what treachery is this? You have nothing to bargain with." Her captain declared, having seen through the lies of the Jedi.
"In that case I'll be going." The war criminal chuckled with a villainous sneer. "Oh, you can still have my ship!"
The Venator accelerated straight towards her, and she could only scream in rage and fear. In desperation she diverted every ounce of power to her guns, sacrificing propulsion, life support, and even her shields. She fired with everything she had, overloading capacitors and melting turbo-laser barrels.
The enemy's final charge could not be stopped. Deflecting off the right arm of her carrier ring, the Venator became a flaming spear that pierced straight through her heart. Pain tore through her entire body and blackness enveloped her.
"Noooo!" She screeched, waking in a cold sweat. She sat up quickly, clutching at the blankets of her bed.
"Whoa!" A voice rang out out beside her. "Hey, it's ok! You're safe!" A purple haired girl grabbed her shoulder, steadying her.
"W-where am I?" She asked the purple haired girl.
"You're at the Grand Harbor, the Royal Navy's main base on Malta." The girl explained. "My name is Javelin, I'm a Royal Navy destroyer. What's your name?" Javelin asked.
"My name? What is my name..?" She tried to remember. "Procurer. My name is Procurer." She answered.
"Procurer huh? That's a unique name... I like it." Javelin stood up. "I need to go report that you've woken up ok? I'll be right back!" The small girl spoke over her shoulder as she scampered from the room.
Procurer watched her go, before taking stock of her situation. She was lying in a comfortable bed that was situated in a modestly furnished room. She found herself dressed in a modest white hospital gown.
"Malta? I've never heard of such a planet." she thought to herself. "And what's with this outfit? Shouldn't someone important like me be much better dressed?"
"Hello... Miss Procurer?" A soft spoken young girl, whose hair was as purple as Javelin's, poked her head around the door. "May I come in?"
"Uh... sure." Procurer answered. "What's your name little girl?" She asked.
"I'm Unicorn... and this is my friend Yuni." The young girl introduced herself and the stuffed toy Unicorn she carried. She wore a fine looking white dress with black bows down the sides, that left her shoulders bare. "Javelin... sent me to look after you... while she went to see Miss Illustrious."
"Look after me? A child?" Procurer couldn't help but feel slighted, but decided to push the feeling aside. Perhaps Unicorn was more important than she thought.
"Hello Miss Unicorn. Thank you for coming to see me. You too Miss Yuni." She told the girl who had come to sit beside her.
"He-he." Unicorn giggled, blushing as she hid behind her stuffed friend. "You have really pretty eyes... like Miss Formidable but more glowy."
"Oh? Glowy? What do you mean?" Procurer asked.
"Your eyes... glow red, like shiny rubies." Unicorn's own purple eyes shined as she looked at Procurer.
"Thank you. You're quite cute yourself!" Procurer couldn't help but rub the younger girls head in thanks.
"I'm glad to see you two getting along." Javelin returned to the room, holding an armful of clothing. "Miss Illustrious would like to meet with you over tea, if you don't mind, Procurer."
"That sounds lovely." "This "Miss Illustrious" sounds important, I should definitely cooperate for now" she thought as she answered.
"I've brought some clothes she had prepared for you." Javelin placed the clothes she was carrying at the foot of the bed. "I can take you to see her whenever you're done getting ready."
"I should go... get ready too." Unicorn said, standing up. "I'll see you... at teatime."
"I'll give you some privacy too." Javelin chimed in, closing the door behind Unicorn as they both left the room. "I'll be right outside if you need anything!"
Procurer didn't bother answering. She was too busy inspecting the clothes she'd been given, a black dress with matching heels. It was well made, with high quality materials and expert stitching. Now thiswas something more worthy of being worn by her.
As she dressed herself in her new clothes Procurer had an odd feeling come over her. Her whole body seemed to tingle with a strange sense of disquiet. "My body..." Procurer's legs felt weak, nearly buckling as she sat back onto the bed.
"I have a body... an organic body!" It was so simple, she hadn't even noticed until she was alone and without distractions. A body wasn't a completely foreign concept for her. She had controlled thousands of mechanical peons in the past, but their senses had been rudimentary. Nothing about the feelings washing over her felt rudimentary. Her mind raced, struggling to process it all.
The room spun as she collapsed onto her back. She could feel the fine fabric of the dress and the soft sheets of the bed pressing against her skin. The light floral scent of a perfume tickled her nose. She could hear and feel herself beginning to hyperventilate. The taste of the saliva in her mouth mixing with the air nearly made her sick.
"Gaah!" Procurer rolled into a ball, clenching her eyes shut and covering her ears. "Make it stop! I hate it!" Some of the overwhelming sensations faded but were replaced by an even worse feeling. The roar of her racing pulse in her ears.
"Hey! Are you okay?!" A voice cut through the panicked haze Procurer found herself lost in. "What happened?! Are you hurt?!" Javelin grabbed her shoulder once again, her hand was a lifeline reanchoring Procurer to reality.
"Blood! There's blood moving around inside me!" Procurer blurted out in panic. She latched onto Javelin's arm "Make it stop!" She begged.
"Blood inside you..?" Javelin struggled to understand the larger girl. "Do you have an injury we missed? Internal bleeding!? I'll run for the doctor!" The destroyer tried to shake free of Procurer's grasp.
"NO!" Procurer sat up, she couldn't let Javelin go "N-no...don't go." her voice grew softer as she managed to get herself under a little better control. "I'm sorry Javelin. I was just... a bit overwhelmed." Procurer tried to explain. "I panicked. I didn't mean to startle you like that... sorry. Please, just keep this between us." She let go of Javelin's arm as they both calmed down.
"It's okay. Really!" The smaller girl's brow was furrowed in concern. "You should rest. I'll send someone to tell Miss Illustrious that you can't make it." Javelin squeezed the dark haired girl's hand reassuringly.
Procurer put her head in her hands. "Take control! Pull yourself together!" She took a shaky breath, steeling herself. She looked at Javelin and attempted to speak firmly. "I am fine. Please, let's just keep my momentary lapse in composure between us!" she implored. "I'd hate to cancel on Miss Illustrious. Besides..." she smiled weakly "...I'd like to get out of this room."
"Whoa..." Procurer couldn't help but stop and gawk at the view as she reached the top of the parapet. A beautiful blue sea stretched to the horizon before her, and massive harbor spread out across the harbor to her right. She'd never seen such beauty up close.
"Fort St. Elmo was built here centuries ago to defend Grand Harbor, and it's still standing strong today." Javelin said, coming to a stop beside her. "The nice thing about these forts are the views, they make guard duty more bearable!" She waved to the crew of a nearby AA gun before moving forward again. "Miss Illustrious had a table set up on the upper fort, the view will be even better there!"
Javelin led Procurer by the hand across the battlements toward the north tip of the star shaped fortress. Procurer barely paid any attention to where she was going, her eyes darting here and there as she drank in sights. The two eventually reached a stairway that led to a higher section, forcing Procurer to drag her eyes away from the they reached the top of the stairs, Procurer found another beautiful sight. Unicorn sat at a small table, beside a stunning woman who could only be Miss Illustrious.
The woman smiled when she saw them, seeming to glow in the midday sun. She wore a flattering white dress that showed off the flawless skin of her shoulders and bountiful chest. Her white hair nearly reached the ground, flowing from beneath her white and black sun hat. It framed her face, making her blue eyes shine in contrast.
"I know I have some injuries, but you needn't look so surprised!" Illustrious motioned to the chair across from her with her left hand. "Please, sit down and enjoy some tea with us."
"Injuries?" Procurer had been so caught up in the moment she hadn't even noticed them. Looking closer, she spotted several bandages hidden beneath Illustrious's dress and an impossible to hide cast on her right arm.
Illustrious followed Procurer's gaze, hefting her cast slightly as she spoke "The Sardegna Empire and the Iron Bloods must've gotten tired of me raiding them, so they sent quite the aerial assault after me!" The Royal lady paused to sip her tea. "But it'll take more than a few bombs to stop me!"
Procurer took the seat she was offered, analyzing the women before her. "I was right to suspect Unicorn was important. Judging by their similar dress and her attendance, they must be related. Sisters? No. Mother and daughter is more likely."
"Javelin! Why don't you join us as well?" Illustrious motioned to the fourth seat at the table.
"Thanks! It's been awhile since I've had good tea!" Javelin slipped into the empty chair.
"And what of Javelin? Her eyes are blue, like Illustrious's, and her hair is purple, like Unicorn's." Procurer glanced between the three thoughtfully "Could Javelin and Unicorn be sisters?"
"Dido, could you please bring us another cup?" Illustrious called out.
"Of course ma'am." Procurer barely registered the maid who appeared, seemingly out of thin air, to serve Javelin.
"So this Miss Illustrious, who is some kind of nobility..." Procurer put the pieces together in her head "...sent her daughters to look after me, the mysterious outsider, and gather information before our meeting."
"My name is Illustrious, and I'm glad I've finally gotten the chance to speak with you." Illustrious addressed her, shaking her from her thoughts. "Javelin told me your name is Procurer, is that correct?"
"Ah...Yes, that is my name." She stumbled over herself to answer.
"So, what kind of Kansen are you? Who do you fight for?" Javelin's grip on her cup tightened as Illustrious cut right to the point.
"Kansen? I've never heard of something like that." Procurer's confusion was evident on her face.
The three Royal Navy girls shared a concerned look before Illustrious answered. "Kansen are living warships, given human forms by the Wisdom Cubes." She began to explain.
"I already mentioned that I was a Royal Navy destroyer, remember?" Javelin spoke up. Procurer did vaguely recall her saying something like that. "That's not just some empty title, I'm really a destroyer with all the guns and torpedoes of a traditional warship." Javelin explained.
"I am... the Royal Navy's support carrier..." Unicorn chimed in "I was born to support Miss Illustrious."
"And I'm an armored aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy." Illustrious finished their introductions. "Its clear that you are a Kansen as well, because of the speed your wounds healed and the way Unicorn was able to help you."
Their explanations made an odd sort of sense to Procurer. They helped explain the way her memories seemed to contradict her current condition, and the strange, instinctive feelings lurking on the edge of her consciousness.
"I've never heard the term Kansen before, but I understand what you're saying. " Procurer answered after a few seconds. "This must be some kind of weird, experimental automation process"
"As for the the type of ship I am..." Procurer paused, looking into her teacup as a wave of melancholy washed over her. "My heart wants me to say I'm a cargo ship, a provider of many wonderful goods and services..."Procurer looked up at the rest of the group, smiling sadly. "But that would be a lie."
She took a deep breath, before standing up and placing a hand on her chest. "I am Procurer! Lucrehulk-class Battleship Retrofit, Carrier loadout! Proud servant of the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems!" Procurer boldly introduced herself, bowing respectfully to Illustrious as she finished. "I would also like to formally thank you all for taking care of me."
Procurer retook her seat, and found the other three looking at her with varying looks of surprise. Javelin's jaw hung open slightly as she struggled to process all that Procurer had said. Unicorn sat wide eyed, and seemed to be leaning toward Illustrious while clutching Yuni. Illustrious however, seemed to be unaffected, though Procurer noticed her eyes had widened in surprise as well.
"Good, I manged to make an impression" Procurer thought "The dramatic self introduction was the right choice."
"Now, Miss Procurer, perhaps you cou... " Illustrious began.
"What's a Trade Federation? I've never heard of a group like that!" Javelin interrupted as she recovered. "And how can you be a Battleship and a carrier at the same time?"
"Looh-cur-hulk." Unicorn said to herself, digesting the unfamiliar word.
"Girls!" Illustrious spoke sharply. "Let's all calm down and..." Only to be interrupted again by the piercing shrieks of multiple air trade sirens blaring at once.
"Tch!" annoyance and anger flashed across Illustrious's face momentarily. "It looks like Sardegna has no intention of letting us enjoy our tea!" She quickly drained her cup as she stood. "We need to get underground! Now!" Javelin and Unicorn shot to their feet as well.
"Air raid! Come on, we need to go!" Javelin grabbed Procurer's hand and dragged the stunned girl to her feet. "Follow me!"Javelin led Procurer by the hand as the four women quickly decided from the upper fort and onto the parapet.
*BANG* Procurer stumbled as the AA emplacement she and Javelin had passed earlier opened fire. Seconds later the ground shook as multiple large explosions sounded in the distance.
"They're bombing the Harbor!" Someone yelled. Procurer could only clutch Javelin's hand as the girl veered down another staircase off the parapet and into the lower courtyard. Suddenly a low flying aircraft shot by right overhead.
*THOOM* A bomb landed on the parapet where they had just been standing, showing the group with dust and debris.
"The shelter... the shelter is right... over here!" Illustrious struggled to speak through a minor coughing fit. A maid with a massive black sword on her back had materialized to shield her from the debris, and now moved to help her up.
"It's through that door!" She pointed.
Javelin threw the door open and led Procurer down the darkened steps. Unicorn and the others followed close behind. At the bottom of the long staircase was a large, dimly lit hallway.
"We should be safe here... well as safe as we could be in an air raid anyway." Javelin said, letting go of Procurer's hand and walked farther down the hall. Procurer simply leaned her back against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.
"Ooh, ooh! Stop! Put me down Dido." Illustrious's voice was laced with pain as she reached the bottom of the stairs. The maid gently lowered her to the floor again the wall opposite Procurer. Her white dress was marred by streaks of dirt, and a small red stain was spreading on her right side.
"Miss Illustrious!" Unicorn rushed to Illustrious's side, burying her face in the crook of Illustrious's left arm. The younger girl trembled as she clutched Illustrious's side.
"It's ok Unicorn! I'll be fine." Illustrious comforted her, rubbing the girls purple hair with her good hand. She then raised her eyes to meet Procurer's own.
"You're having quite the exiting first day!" She joked. "Welcome to Malta!"
Author's Note: Well here's chapter 2, only a week later than I intended. (I was actually ready to publish Thursday, but then YoStar announced Nimi's oath skin and swimsuit Amagi and I'm not competing with that!) Speaking of that I intended, I said "Biweekly" last chapter, but I actually meant "Bimonthly", sorry.
So, our first star-ship has been introduced! The Lucrehulk, Procurer. As you may have guessed from the quotes in my opening She appeared in Star Wars, The Clone Wars: Season 1, Episode 19 "Storm Over Ryloth". I actually had to dig a decent amount to find her cannon name as she's not named in the episode, and was only given her name when her mini-figure appeared in "Star Wars Pocket Model TCG" which is a trading card game.
Procurer is identified as a Lucrehulk-class Battleship in the card game, despite clearly having the unmistakable enhanced communications suit of a droid control ship. Naturally I decided to use my poetic license to make her a carrier.
