Beneath the Azur Sky

Chapter 1: The Christening

The wisdom cube. The enigma at the source of a project seventy years in the making. Is it a crystallization of ideals, an infinite well of knowledge, a stepping stone in humanity's progress towards the future… or is it a warning of things to come, and potentially humanity's downfall?

New York City Harbor, Eagle Union

April 14th 2020, 1400 hours

"Cassin, take the lead!"

"Understood, Downes…. Assuming the vanguard flagship position!"

A pair of girls skated across the water, riggings slung across their backs and guns in hand. Another pair of girls equipped with riggings, guns, and torpedo tubes rushed forward to meet them. Shots whizzed past the girls' faces as they unloaded shells from their own guns.

"Watch out, Cassin! I'm sending torpedoes their way!" yelled the white-haired girl over the roar of the waves.

Cassin gave a silent nod and peeled away to the left as Downes fired torpedoes into the water ahead of them. By now, the two fleets were so close they could almost touch each other. Unable to react in time, the opposing girls were caught by large sparkling explosions followed by erupting geysers of water. The torpedoes had found their mark quite easily, and the girls now lay in the water, their equipment smoking. A loud air horn blared from the port's speakers, signaling the end of the training exercise.

At the end of the pier, a young man in a white uniform watched the entire battle unfold through a pair of binoculars. His gaze was glued to the intense action between the two sides, analyzing every action the girls took. He only looked away from the victors high-fiving each other when a gruff voice called out behind him.

"Hey, Signas! Could you do me a favor?" An older man in a leather jumpsuit waddled up to Signas. He scratched his salt and pepper beard before addressing him again. "I need some more hands to finish up today's work. You know where Terry and Howard are?"

Signas glanced at his wristwatch and frowned. "I'm sorry, Henry. It seems their lunch break ended ten minutes ago. I should have reminded them, but-"

Henry dismissively waved away his apology. "It's fine, it's fine." He glanced over at the site of the exercise battle and gave a knowing smile. "You've always wanted to be a naval commander, right? Especially with all the craziness going on in the world right now."

Signas thought for a moment. To help people, to save the world, to protect those he cared about… well, no. That last one doesn't really apply any more, does it. A silent nod was all he could muster in response.

Henry patted him on the back. "You're a good man, Signas. Whether you become a commander or not, I just wanted to let you know you've always been a great help. Anyways," he said, readjusting his jumpsuit, "I'm heading back to the construction yard."

After a quick wave, Henry lumbered back to the docks while Signas made a beeline for the headquarters building. Why do I even want to become a commander now? He kept asking himself with every step. After two years of difficult manual labor aboard a light cruiser warship, what had started with an intensely burning desire to take part in the Navy had died down over time. It didn't help matters that over the past thirty or so attempts in the construction rotation, he had never successfully christened a shipgirl. His prospects of becoming a commander before war broke out grew slimmer by the day, and his depression hung as low over his head as the shadow creeping over his face.

As he walked across a lawn, he lowered his head and tried to look away from the disgusted and disdainful expressions of shipgirls who noticed him along the way.

"Ugh, that guy always gives me the creeps…."

"Shh, I think it can hear us…."

Ignoring their harsh whispers, he wondered why shipgirls seemed to treat him in such a disrespectful manner, even though he didn't recall ever wronging one; in fact, he'd barely even interacted with one, given they avoided him as often as possible. Perhaps this had something to do with his poor results in ship christening…?

He shook his head. Focus. Focus on the task at hand. He tried to shove away the negative thoughts eating up his attention, and entered the brick and mortar building. Inside, he took a left down the hallway, passing several doors leading to administrative offices, as well as a bust of a famous admiral facing away from the window. Further down should be the workers' break room, he thought. He hastened his pace to a light jog. As he approached, he could hear the crumple of aluminum foil and the television blaring annoyingly at nearly full volume.

"In other news, the Sakura Empire has made its official declaration of war against the Dragon Empery. No statements have been made by the Northern Parliament in response to this aggression yet..."

Signas entered to find two construction workers sitting in wooden chairs, the chubbier one choking down an entire hotdog. Meanwhile, the unkempt lanky worker turned off the television as he went off on a long rant.

"I'm telling you, Howard," he began while sipping from a can of soda, "they're gonna turn on us next. I keep warning all the bigwigs, we have to focus on the Sakura Empire now. Instead we're all just sitting around, twiddling our thumbs while the Ironblood Regime runs over everybody. Before we know it, the entire world will be ready to strike us down." He ended his tirade with a loud belch.

The plump Howard shook his head, gulping down the rest of the bun. "You can moan and whine all you want, but we don't know everything that's going on. My pa always said you can't trust the media. For all we know, the Ironblood could already be gunning for us."

Signas had heard enough. "Ahem." He gave a false cough to get their attention.

The pair of workers startled and jumped to their feet, averting their eyes sheepishly as Signas crossed his arms and gave them a stern look.

"You're both late. Henry needs help at the construction yard, while you two are busy with what exactly?" he started.

Terry and Howard both bowed vigorously. "Sorry sir, we were on our way back just now," lied Terry very unconvincingly.

Signas started tapping his foot, his demeanor growing fiercer. "You have ten minutes to haul your asses to the construction yard. If I don't see you there, you're both getting written up," he growled.

Howard scrambled across the floor on his hands and knees before stumbling to his feet at the doorway. Terry briskly jogged after him, yelling "Sorry, and thanks for the warning chief!" as he left. Signas could only sigh exasperatedly in frustration.

On top of that, the two slobs had left their lunch trash scattered all over the floor. Signas began by reaching for the crumpled hotdog foil, silently cursing that he had to handle everybody's little tasks for them. Here I am, part of the proud and majestic Eagle Union Navy, bending over on my hands and knees preparing mess hall grub, scrubbing out latrines, and now picking up everybody's trash. I thought this would be my chance. I'd get to make a real difference. Some job this turned out to be…. He reached over for a plastic sandwich wrapper that had somehow found its way into the wall crack behind the television, straining his back in order to grab it.

After he found two empty cans, a half-eaten bag of salt and vinegar chips, and a spilled ice cream cup, he headed to the trashcan in the far corner of the room to throw away his revolting finds. However, he then heard some shouting coming from outside, where he was watching the KANSEN exercise fight earlier. He ran out the break room door and left HQ. There, he saw a man in a black commander's uniform scolding the shipgirls who lost the fight earlier.

"You two were pathetic out there! McCall, you were supposed to launch your torpedoes as you crossed the enemy! Craven, I specifically told you to have your torpedoes ready if McCall failed to hit them!"

McCall looked down forlornly, clearly annoyed. "Sorry, Commander. I just haven't had any popsicles in a week. It's been throwing off my mood lately, and I haven't been able to focus..."

Craven stepped in and argued back. "Listen here, Tristan! I couldn't fire any torpedoes because McCall would have gotten hit if I tried to launch them. And you told us to rush them rather than keep our distance. We saw they were readying their launchers, and tried to tell you, but-"

She was cut off by Tristan viciously slapping her in the face. Her look of shock turned into fear as her commander continued to yell at her. "Do NOT forget to address me as commander, you little shit! I don't want to hear any of your backsass, only results! You two better shape up, or I'm cutting your visits to the canteen!"

Signas could only watch as the vile man continued to verbally lay into the helpless girls. However, someone bumped past his shoulder with a muttered "'Scuse me." This man wore sunglasses with his hair tied back in a ponytail. He hung his uniform over his shoulder, exposing the gray undershirt beneath. He walked with a commanding yet laid-back stride as he strolled over to the other commander. Behind him, a small girl, presumably a destroyer KANSEN, with a purple beret and uniform followed behind him, nodding to Signas apologetically.

"Hey, buddy. Don't you think you should ease up on them? It's not easy thinking on your feet in a fight," the second man started casually.

Tristan glared at the man, clearly still infuriated. "You shouldn't tell me how to treat my ships. They're weapons, tools, soldiers. If they aren't doing their job, it makes me look bad too," he spat in response.

The man shrugged. "So what? If you're so insecure about yourself that you have to take out your frustration on good kids, you shouldn't even be leading them, let alone scolding them."

Tristan's face flushed bright red, and he looked ready to punch the other man in the nose as his fists clenched. "Me? Insecure?" His voice cracked with every syllable. "I'll have you damn well know I'm a high-ranking commander, and I won't take crap from someone below my status," he growled, barely holding back from screaming. He poked the man in the chest, where there was a distinct lack of medals compared to his own.

The man named Tristan wordlessly pointed to the dorms as he returned his attention to his shipgirls. Craven and McCall scurried away, afraid of any more verbal abuse that might be heaped upon them. They seemed to glance worriedly towards the girl following Kaine before breaking eye contact. The second man watched as Tristan stomped away and muttered, "High-ranking, and yet you can't even come up with a half-baked battle plan? Pathetic." And yet, Signas noticed a hint of a snarl in the second man's gritted teeth.

Even though Signas was hooked on every word between the two, he remembered that he needed to check on the construction yard to ensure the two tardy workers were actually doing their jobs. He strayed towards the edge of the dock, as far away as possible from any shipgirls around the base, while he made his way to the construction yard. He motioned to the guards in front of the entrance and said, "Henry sent me." One of the guards put his hand up to his ear and radioed someone inside. Soon, the main door to the yard slid open, and Signas briskly walked in.

Inside, the construction yard was filled with sounds of metalwork and yelling as workers scrambled to and fro with boxes of tools and equipment. The sour odor of iron and steel filled Signas' nostrils, and he had to blink a few times and wrinkle his nose to get accustomed to the persistent stench. He saw Terry and Howard lifting a small metal ship frame onto a rotating swivel, where several other different hulls waited on their own pedestals.

"Hey Signas!" Henry called out from behind several large stacked crates. He turned to see the ungainly man approaching with a wrench in one hand and a welder in the other. His big, goofy grin meant he had some good news to tell. "We're closing up early. Fleet Admiral Nimitz gave us the rest of today and tomorrow off! Says we need to rest up, before the big day! Whatever that is, anyways. My guess is we're finally putting those pesky Ironbloods in their place," he continued, giving Signas a wink and a thumbs-up.

Signas glanced over at Terry and Howard. "That's good to hear. I hope you have a good day off," he replied.

Henry laughed heartily. "Yep, can't wait to see the wife and kids for a bit." He paused and his grin fell into a mild frown. "Hey, is something on your mind Signas? You look troubled."

Signas shook his head as convincingly as he could. "Not at all. I'm just… thinking about the possibility of going to war." That obviously wasn't on his mind, but Henry decided not to press further. What is it like… to have a family?

Henry crossed his arms, his brow furrowed in thought. "Yeah, that's been bothering me too. If only we didn't have to worry about all this war and violence. I'll be honest, I'm trying to psych everyone up so we can finish this war before it becomes too demoralizing," he told Signas quietly. "We'll definitely need everyone's help to finish this as quickly as possible, so I'm counting on you especially."

Signas sighed and nodded in agreement. "Understood. I'll do what I can."

Henry smiled again and patted Signas' shoulder. "Good lad." He pulled a keyring out of his pocket and handed them over. "If you could do me one last favor, could you lock up the christening table and storage shed before you leave? I need to fill out paperwork for today's construction costs and hand them to HQ."

Signas simply stood in place, keys in hand, as he watched Henry skip out the front entrance while humming a jolly tune. The request to lock the shed had completely flown past his ears as his attention turned to the christening table. A set of six different miniaturized metal ship frames sat on simple pedestals atop a rotating table. Above one of the hulls sat a bright blue cube on a small hanging platform, shining like a feeble streetlamp. He was supposed to remove the cube and return it to storage, but his hands instead gripped the cube tightly and held it close to his chest. He could feel a gentle warmth emanating from it, humble yet stubborn, as if it was trying to find a reason to live. Not unlike him.

He had failed at these christening sessions despite numerous attempts, so why should this time be any different? Actually, he shouldn't be doing this, he thought to himself. And yet… if it would let him perform his job better, and maybe even protect people and save the world, surely they would have wanted this? He was always a stickler for the rules and policies laid down by his superiors, but perhaps this time he could make an exception.

He held the cube in one hand while slowly turning the table clockwise. The cube didn't appear to react to each hull in turn as he brought it closer to the potential constructs. Battleship, no. Aircraft carrier, still nothing. Heavy cruiser? Not a single reaction out of the cube. He thought he saw something moving in the cube when he passed over the light cruiser hull, like a small ripple, but he blinked as it happened and convinced himself it was a trick of the light. Finally, destroyer and submarine. And yet, the cube refused to do anything. He could only sigh in frustration and disappointment as he waved his arm back and forth, trying to look for any changes in the cube. He was just about ready to lock down the swivel and take the cube to storage.

That's when he noticed the cube was flickering.

Panic suddenly set in as he nearly dropped the cube, sweat beading up on his forehead as he tried to assess what was happening to the cube. It didn't appear to be damaged on the outside in any way. Was it dying? He had heard stories that cubes could expire after enough time had passed without manifesting as a shipgirl, but it didn't look like the cube's glow was fading away. Perhaps… was it guiding him?

He turned the swivel clockwise towards the battleship hull, but the cube continued to flicker without any changes. He turned it counterclockwise back towards the destroyer hull. The cube didn't seem to react to the hull, but now it was flickering even more rapidly, signaling he was getting closer. He finally stopped on the light cruiser hull, and that's when the cube stopped flickering. Instead, it was now replaced by a steady glow, brighter than before, as he drew closer to the desired frame. The warmth in his hand now felt more like the heat of a campfire, not overbearingly hot but just enough to give a comforting presence. Signas gently placed the cube atop the hull, his breath caught in his chest. Was this really happening? Would he finally get his chance?

As he stepped back, he watched the cube envelop the small hull in blinding light. It slowly crept down the upper belt, and along the bow and stern until it eventually covered every inch of metal. Signas' mouth opened in awe at the wondrous spectacle. The entire light entity soon began to transmogrify, little stubs popping out from the top, sides, and bottom. The lower nubs grew long and slender. The sides followed a similar development, forming small curled fingers of light at the tips. The top protrusion expanded until it was the size of a small melon, adding ears along the way. A long mane of gorgeous azure-colored hair billowed from the back of the head like a cascading waterfall. Finally, the light began to slowly fade away as Signas could make out a young woman standing before him, her eyes still closed as she gently floated down to alight her feet upon the concrete floor.

Signas felt an intense emotion welling up inside him that he had never felt before. Was it pride, joy, anticipation, or some combination of them? As he reached out a hand towards the girl, her bright magenta eyes opened and she almost instinctively took a step back. Signas began to withdraw and utter an apology, but then the girl reached out a shaky hand towards him with the exact same curiosity. As their fingers touched, she gently pressed her palm against his, interweaving her fingers between his own.

"I am…" she began, "Brooklyn-class light cruiser, CL-50, Helena. Are you my commander…?" she trailed off.

Signas remained utterly speechless as he struggled to process what had just happened. After what felt like a lifetime of failure, now a beautiful result stood before him. Instead of pushing him away like so many before, she was asking to follow him. He mumbled wordlessly several times, racking his brain on how to respond.

"I… Yes, I believe I'm your commander. My name is… Signas. It's… good to meet you, Helena," he sputtered, unable to take his eyes off of her as his fingers closed around her hand.

She responded with a nervous smile and closed her fingers as well. "It's good to meet you too, Commander Signas," was her response.

Their conversation was stopped by the sound of a jiggling doorknob. Cold panic shot up through Signas again like a bucket of freezing water, his eyes widening in horror. Oh, no! Today's not my official construction allowance day!

He ran behind Helena and began scooting her towards the storage shed. "Let's get you in here first." If anyone found out he had christened a shipgirl without official sanction, he'd almost certainly be discharged from the EU Navy.

Helena flinched from the sudden unexpected physical contact. "W-wait, why are you pushing me? Where are we going?" she cried, her face a mix of visible confusion and fright.

Signas opened the door leading to the storage area and attempted to shove Helena through the doorway. "Please, it's for your own good and mine! Just bear with me here!" he growled. The construction yard's backdoor had stopped rattling, but he could hear the knob turning with a loud click.

Helena, however, struggled with all her might by pressing her arms and legs against the door frame. "Wait, please! Why are you doing this? I'd rather not go in there, it looks really dark! Please listen!" she yelled, her voice trembling as much as her body.

Finally, the backdoor swung open. Both of them turned to see Henry re-entering the building. Signas could feel the pit of his stomach churn into a dark, empty abyss of despair.

"Right, that was pretty quick! How do things look in here, Sig-" Henry stopped abruptly mid-sentence at the spectacle of the squabbling Signas and Helena, perched against the doorway. He blinked several times in utter disbelief at what he was witnessing, before scratching his beard and closing his eyes in concentration. Finally, he nodded.

"Signas, my boy. I know you're desperate, but… perhaps this is a little too rushed?" His eyes shot open when the realization hit him. "Wait a minute, did you christen that shipgirl?" He rushed towards them and shook Singas' hand.

"Congratulations, Signas! You finally did it! Your very own shipgirl, yeah? And a real pretty young lady at that." He then froze in place, as the next realization hit him just as it had hit Signas. "Oh, wait. Today wasn't your construction day, was it?"

Signas' response was a very shaky nod. "Please, Henry," he blubbered, "please don't get me in trouble. Can we just… leave her in the construction yard until my next construction day? Maybe hide her in the storage shed? That way, we can convince everyone I constructed Helena within my allotted allowance," he urged.

Henry scratched his balding pate and shook his head. "Hmm…. I'm sorry, Signas. I don't think we could hide her from everybody, considering we take stuff out of the shed regularly. I'm also required to report such incidents to the Fleet Admiral himself, as this is a usage of valuable military materials."

Signas' heart plummeted like a stone. His career as a commander was about to end the same day it began. He sighed and stopped pushing Helena against the storage door. Helena kept looking back and forth between Signas and Henry, trying to make sense of the situation.

"I'm going to try and vouch for you with Fleet Admiral Nimitz," Henry added after a deliberate pause. "He's always been an understanding guy. Maybe… maybe we can get him to ease up the punishment on you. After all, he told me we need all the help we can get." He trundled away while waving for the pair to follow him.

Signas immediately followed suit, head hanging low and shoulders tensed up; all of his hopes rested on the Fleet Admiral now. Helena still seemed unsure of what to do, fidgeting nervously in one spot; she only hurried after them as Signas was leaving the building.