Azur Lane: Fallen Stars, Chapter 4

The Crimson Gem


She had made it farther than many of her sisters, it wasn't uncommon for a ship of her weight class to be destroyed in their first battle after all. Her first battle, during the blockade of Ryloth, had actually been pretty fun. She had been one of only two Munificent Cruisers chosen to stand beside the great Lucrehulk Battleship, Procurer, as they prepared their trap.

When the Jedi and their Venators had arrived, they had lurked out of firing range like cowards. Instead of fighting, the Venators had dedicated all of their fighters into a strike against Procurer herself. Procurer had cleverly waited until the fighters had broken her lines, before calling forth four more Munificents to ambush the Republic forces.

Together they had swarmed the Republic fighters, swatting them aside. Then their attention had fallen on the Venators. Procurer's attack was quick and decisive. Her fighters had crashed across the trio of Venators like a wave, destroying one and crippling another. The Jedi fled the system, their ships in flames.

They had won the day! Procurer had even told them "Good Job!" and she had felt a warmth reaching across the void through their control connection. It was like a gentle hand was patting her on the head. She almost swore she was in a dream. It was the happiest she had ever felt.

If only she had known the nightmare that was to come.

She had laughed at first, as the crippled Venator had limped back into the system. The Jedi General Anakin Skywalker had come to offer his pathetic surrender, and beg to be allowed to deliver supplies to the blockaded planet. He and his Venator, Defender, had crept close to Procurer under the guise of peace. She stopped laughing when she felt Procurer scream through their control connection. She had reacted to her flagship's distress instantly, immolating Defender with a hail of turbolazer fire.

She had been forced to watch in horror as the suicidal Venator had smashed into Procurer at full speed. The Lucrehulk's death was quick, as she was torn apart by internal explosions. Procurer's control connection had been instantly cut, leaving only emptiness and despair behind.

"They killed her! Oh God, they killed Procurer!"

"No...no...she can't be dead!"

"She was so strong... how could she just die?"

"Procurer...please! Please answer! We can't do this without you! Please come in!"

Her sisters voices had crowded the radio, their panicked sobs echoing across the bridge. She could only stare at the wreckage that had once been her flagship, numb with shock. But then she saw it. A new contract had appeared on the radar, the Republic's final Venator reentering the system. Her despair and emptiness where instantly swept aside by a new feeling. Rage.

"Everybody shut up!" Her voice nearly cracked as she yelled at the five holograms before her. "Another Venator just jumped in!" Their chatter died out at once as they all looked at her nervously. "Who's in charge!?" She demanded.

"Not me."

"Not me."

"Me neither..." her sisters holograms looked between each other in confusion. Then, one by one, they all looked to her for guidance, silently electing her as the new flagship.

"All we have to do is destroy that Venator, and we win. All ships advance! For Procurer!" She had shouted her battle cry.

"For Procurer!" Her sisters answered the call. Together, the six Munificents advanced on the lone Venator, who had simply rolled onto her side and exposed her unarmed belly.

"Ha! They can't even fire back. All ships, divert all available power to weapons and Fire!" She cut her engines and her shields to boost her firepower, blasting the Venator with all her grief and rage. She would avenge her flagship.

"There's fighters! They're coming around the Venator!" One of her sisters screamed in panic. "They're all over me! I can't..." The girl's hologram had cut out abruptly, as the Republic's Y-wing bombers tore her apart.

"They're over here too!" Another of her sisters cried. "Somebody help me! Procurer! Please!" Another hologram winked out, destroyed at the source. One by one the holograms blinked out until she was alone, surrounded by the flaming wreckage that was once her sisters.

She felt her knees give out as the final squadron of Y-wings crested the Venator's side and bore down on her.

"Procurer...everyone... I'm sorry." Her final transmission had no recipients. A torpedo hit her bridge before it was even sent, vaporizing the entire structure.


"She's waking up! Hand me that coolant, Nya~!"

"Buli!"

Indistinct and unfamiliar voices echoed on the edge of her perception. Upon hearing them a sharp pain shot through her skull.

"Ugh...my head..." she opened her eyes weakly. Her entire body burned with a dull pain, but her head hurt worst of all.

"Drink some of this..." a blurry green figure leaned over her, offering a canister of glowing blue liquid. "Try taking a few sips, Nya~"

She complied, taking a few sips from the straw pressed against her lips. The effect was nearly instantaneous, and she felt a gentle cooling sensation spread across her body. Her pain gradually receded until only her headache remained.

"Feel better?" Her eyes refocused on the green figure. She was a small girl, who wore a white robe decorated with golden gears. The robes had extremely long sleeves, hiding the girl's hands, and a collection of wrenches and other tools hung limply from the openings. The green part of the figure was her brightly colored hair, which reached nearly to the floor.

"Cat ears... she has cat ears!" That could only mean one thing. Zygarians. "Well at least we're Allies... technically." Not that the Zygarian slavers wouldn't grab anyone, if they thought they could get away with it.

"The Separatists will notice I'm missing, so don't get any funny ideas, Slaver!" She lied, sitting up.

"Slaver! I'm not a slaver, Nya! This is an honest and totally legal enterprise!" The green cat-girl huffed indignantly.

"Call it whatever you want Zygarian, but I know how your kind are." She shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean!? My kind! And my name is Akashi, Nya~!" Akashi began prodding her in the chest. "I can't believe this! I just saved your life!"

"Oh yes, I'm sure you did that out of the goodness of your heart, and not for your own benefit." She remained on the attack. "I certainly won't be expected to be your indentured servant, right?"

"I... you..." Akashi looked hurt, before her expression turned angry. "Just because I sell things for a living doesn't make me a monster!" The Zygarian jumped to her feet. "I'm a person too!" Akashi stormed from the cabin, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, I sure showed her." She thought, looking around the cabin. The room's sparse furnishings were worn, but well maintained. She froze as her eyes landed on the small figure sitting silently beside her.

"Um...hello..." she addressed the girl "how... uh... how long have you been sitting there?" The small girl didn't answer, instead cocking her head and slowly blinking. She wore a clean white dress, with matching boots and gloves. Her hair, also white, was adorned with a gray and red hairpin with a golden arrow. Across her lap she held a giant wrench that was nearly as large as she was.

"You're not very smart, are you, buli?" She finally answered.

"Hey! I think I'm at least average! And my names not Buli, it's Spirit of Commerce." She introduced herself. "But most people just call me Spirit." At least she thought they did. Thinking too hard still made her head hurt.

"Bulin's name is Universal Bulin Mark One." The white haired girl answered, very matter of factually. "Akashi saved your life twice. Shiranui wanted to throw you back, but Akashi said no, buli!"

"Yeah? Well she probably did it for personal profit." Spirit said defensively. "Zygarians aren't known for their charity."

"Bulin doesn't know what a Zygarian is, but she does know that Akashi went through a lot of effort to fix you up." A thoughtful expression came over the Bulin's face "I wonder what Akashi will do now if Shiranui tries to throw you overboard, or if Yuubari tries experimenting on you..."

" Oh-no" Spirit felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I just alienated the only person who was on my side. Stupid! When are you gonna learn to stop rushing in!" She chastised herself. "Fix this before you get air-locked!"

"M-maybe I should apologize... I didn't mean to be so rude..." the Munificent muttered to herself.

"Buli!" The Bulin nodded enthusiastically.

"Can you help me?" She asked the Bulin. "Can you lead me through the ship to where Akashi is?" As Spirit spoke, she turned sideways and put her feet on the floor. The metal was cold, and a shiver ran through her.

"Bulins where made to serve." Bulin answered from behind her. "But you should be careful, buli."

"Psh, what's there to be careful abo..." then she stood up, and the room spun uncontrollably. Her sense of balance and vision wend haywire. Something hard hit Spirit's side, and she crashed to the floor in a heap.

"Buli! Are you ok!? I told you to be careful!" Bulin rushed Spirit's side of the bed, crouching to help the fallen girl.

"Ugh... why is the floor rocking like that..." She hadn't felt anything while she was on the bed, but now she could feel the floor swaying underneath her.

"Lack of sea legs and exhaustion are a bad combination, buli." Bulin began helping Spirit to her feet. The rocking made her nauseous, but she was able to stand with Bulin's support. The small girl was quite strong for her size and was able to steady the Spirit with minimal effort. "You should get back in bed. Bulin will just bring Akashi back"

"I need to go myself." Spirit took an unsteady step forward, only to stumble as the ground bucked under her feet. She nearly fell on her face again, but luckily the Bulin was able to catch her.

"Buli! Lean on me if you're insisting on going!" Bulin scolded her. The two slowly made their way through the door and into the hallway beyond. "Akashi's cabin is at the end of the hall. Take it slow, and we'll make it no problem!" Bulin pointed down the hall with her wrench.

Spirit didn't respond. She simply clenched her teeth in an attempt to prevent herself from throwing up, and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other without falling down.

"Just keep advancing. Advance, and you can win." she told herself. Step by step the moved down the hall. After what felt like an hour, Bulin broke the silence.

"You can lean on the wall while I knock." Spirit nodded, propping herself up against the bulkhead. BANG! BANG! BANG! Bulin rapped on the door three times with her wrench. The sound of each blow was like an durasteel spike being hammered through Spirit's head. "Miss Akashi! Your patient wants to speak with you!" The white haired girl waited patiently for a few moments before turning back to Spirit. "She usually answers right away... I don't think she's here, Buli."

"What... now." Spirit spoke slowly while clenching her stomach. "Do you know... where she might be?"

"The bridge was always the best bet, Buli." Bulin nodded "We only checked her cabin because it was on the way." She grabbed Spirit's side as they began walking again. "Do you think you can make it to the upper decks?"

"I've come too far to turn back now" Spirit mustered her resolve.

"We've only walked five meters, buli." Only to have Bulin crush it. Spirit shot her a venomous look, and the two trudged on.


Spirit learned the hard way that the ship she was on was too low tech for turbo lifts. The two flights of stairs Bulin dragged her up seemed insurmountable, but she made it. She was even starting to feel a little better too. When they reached the top Bulin lead her to another hatch, and a couple revelations.

First, stepping outside made it abundantly clear that they where in atmosphere. Second, the ship was no starship, but a seafaring one. The constant rocking Spirit had been struggling with was caused by the ocean's waves.

"Just how archaic is this vessel!? They're not even using repulsorlifts!" Spirit could barely comprehend such an ancient design. The ship was less than half her size too, she guessed it was around 130 meters long. "Half my size..? Where did that thought come from..?"

"Are you ok? You've got a weird look on your face, buli." Bulin looked at her worriedly. "Please try to throw up over the side."

"I'm fine. Just some... odd thoughts." She pushed them aside to concentrate on the task at hand. She followed Bulin up another set of stairs to a hatch labeled Bridge.

"This is it, buli. Are you ready?" Bulin stopped short before opening the door, shooting a questioning look over her shoulder.

"As ready as I can be, all things considered." Spirit answered.

"Diverting to Kuwait is a waste of time and money. We should just head to the Suez and be done with it!"

"Approaching a Royal Protectorate first will allow us to show the Royal Navy we have peaceful intentions. I'd rather not have my ship seized the second we enter the Red Sea, ~Nya"

"Here or there, it doesn't really matter to me."

"Tch, why do we even bother invi-"

Clang! The sound of the door interrupted the conversation as it loudly shut behind Spirit and Bulin. Three heads simultaneously swung in her direction. She recognized Akashi, who was standing in the middle, joined by two dark haired women. Another Zygarian wearing green robes and a human with black robes and pieced together bunny ears.

"Wonderful! Now the Siren spy is here!" The Human gestured at her with an annoyed look on her face. "Come to steal our navigation data?"

"N-no, I was just-" Spirit stuttered out.

"You don't deny being a spy then?" The human interrupted her.

"No! I mean yes!" Spirit was flustered by the accusation. "I'm not a spy! I don't even know what a Siren is!

"You don't know what a Siren is?! Please." The human mocked her. "You'll have to come up with a better story that that!"

"Oh, leave her be Shiranui. She looks so nervous that you're making her sick." The green robed Zygarian defended her. Shiranui only rolled her eyes in response.

"I'm not nervous! It's just... all the rocking is getting to me." Spirit said defensively.

"A Kansen experiencing seasickness? I didn't think that was even possible!" The Zygarian stepped uncomfortably close to her. "Fascinating. I'd love to examine you."

"Um... well..." Spirit tried to step back, only to feel the steel door at her back.

"She's not here to see you!" Bulin came to her rescue, forcing herself between Spirit and the Zygarian. "Back off Yuubari!"

"Ah! Subject B1, exercising your enhanced sense of independence I see." Yuubari stepped back, though she seemed unconcerned that Bulin was threatening her with a giant wrench.

"Nya! No need to fight!" Akashi waved her sleeve covered arms as she defused the situation. "What are you here for then?"

"I... wanted to apologize." Spirit suddenly found it difficult to look Akashi, so she settled for looking at the floor instead. "I made some assumptions, and said some rude things. I'm really sorry."

"You dragged yourself all the way up here just to say that?" Akashi seemed surprised.

"Bulin did most of the dragging." Spirit joked, forcing herself to look at Akashi's face.

"Well, thank you for the apology." Akashi smiled at her. "I got angry because you reminded me of some things other people have said, I can't really blame you for lashing out when you've just woken up in a strange place." Akashi patted her on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Wonderful!" Yuubari clapped her hands together. "Now that we're all friends, I'll add... what did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't. It's Spirit of Commerce." Spirit answered.

"Alright, I'll add Spirit of Commerce to the Duty Roster at once" Yuubari finished.

"Are you stupid, or just complacent!?" Shiranui cut in. "Add her to the Duty Roster? There's a good chance she's a saboteur, or at very least a spy. You can't really be considering letting her walk around unsupervised."

"We'll just put her on one of the AA gun crews, and tell them to watch her." Yuubari countered. "Like it or not, we're barely above a skeleton crew. We need bodies Shiranui, and we don't have access to very many at the moment."

"I'm against the idea regardless." Shiranui crossed her arms. "Akashi?"

"I agree with Yuubari. We'd have to keep her under guard either way... though I hate the idea of using Impressment." Akashi answered, before turning to Spirit. "Would you be willing to work for us? I know you didn't want to end up an indentured servant, but I'm sorry to say I can't pay you right now." Akashi looked sorrowful for a moment, before perking up. "But you'd have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. We'd even leave you at the next port we stop at if you wanted, what do you say?"

Spirit thought about it for a moment. Akashi had just saved her life after all, and now she was offering her a place to stay. It sounded like a good deal, considering she didn't have any idea what planet she was even on.

"I accept your offer, at least till we hit the next port." Spirit answered. "At that point, maybe we can come to a more formal agreement."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Nya!" Akashi stuck out her hand, and Spirit shook it. "Welcome to the crew of The Crimson Gem! Yuubari will give you a quick check up, then we can talk about your assignment."

"Unbelievable. You're really just gonna let her waltz around the ship as she pleases?" Shiranui grumbled, but didn't protest further.

"Follow me." Yuubari opened the door and gestured for Spirit to follow. "You might as well follow to B1, you're due for an examination anyway."

Bulin didn't respond, but she did retake her place beside Spirit as the two left the bridge.


Authors Note: It's really starting to look like once a month is our release schedule isn't it? oh well.

So now we've met our second starship, the Munificent cruiser: Spirit of Commerce. She has a bad habit of rushing into things and can be a bit single minded, but she does her best.

Star Wars fans will probably notice that I'm calling her Cruiser instead of a Frigate, and that's mostly to smooth thing over on the Azur Lane side of things, and because I disagree with how SW classifies ships. My theory is that they wanted Super Star destroyers and their equivalents (like the Malevolence) to be battleships, and dropped everything down a category to compensate. For reference, in WW2 the British classified Frigates as "Anti-Submarine ships that were smaller than a Destroyer" which obviously doesn't describe a Munificent very well. Munificents, IMO, fit the cruiser combat role best so that's what I'll call them.

I had a lot of dialogue this chapter, which I feel is a weak point of mine, so I hope it reads ok.