Authors note: So my prior Azur Lane ideas they have not been working, I just can't get them to, and it's probably because I didn't do enough prep work on them and wrote myself into a corner. This idea though, I've done a lot of prep work and it does appear to be going fine so we'll see how much everyone likes this idea. I've got the first three chapters (soon to be four) ready, so expect updates to that point relatively quickly.
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"He would be proud of you, you know that, right?" a tall, weathered man in his late middle years said as he stepped up to behind a girl who was kneeling down in front of a gravestone.
"He was my father, of course he would be proud of me," The girl said just a cool spring breeze blew the hood off of her jacket, revealing a head of long golden hair that almost seemed to shimmer in the early morning light.
"He never stopped being your father."
"You know what I meant Uncle," the girl said with an exasperated sigh as she stood up and dusted her knees just below the hem of her Black skirt.
"True, but that doesn't change the fact you need to choose your words better," the man said with a chuckle.
"Bloody hell, what I wouldn't give for you to not be a languages teacher sometimes," The Girl said as she turned around to face her uncle with her violet eyes.
"I could say the same. It still boggles my mind that you have a Royal Accent despite never having known your mother, or met someone from the Royal islands."
"And you have?" the girl said with a scowl as she crossed her arms over her tightly buttoned jacket. "You have said you have never met my mother."
"I haven't, but your father had always talked about her lots," the man said with a sigh as he looked at the grave. "only with her for two years before coming back home, only to not bring her with him. Damned shame."
The girl's expression turner downcast as she turned back around and looked at the grave of her father. "I, I wish I knew my mom. I wish dad had something so I could know her. A picture, a name, something. I just . . . why did he never tell me anything about her?"
"You're not the only one, Aggy," the man said as he stepped up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "He never told me anything concrete about your mother. The most informative thing he ever said was that you looked very much like her."
"That doesn't help a whole lot really," Aggy said with a sigh as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Even after three years I miss Dad a lot, but the more time passes, the more I want to know about mom. Is that strange?"
"No, it isn't so strange but . . . is that why you were trying so hard to get a civilian posting in Azur Lane? Because your mother was in the Royal Navy?"
"I . . . . . no. I know I'm not strong, or a fighter, I don't want to fight, but I want to help and it seemed perfect. I just . . . maybe I did. Maybe I just wanted to get closer to the mother I never knew."
"There is nothing wrong with that," Aggy's uncle said with a small yet genuine smile. "Honestly, Azur lane will be the best place to find such information, even if you don't know where you will be posted to."
"I guess," Aggy, said as she seemed to keep her gaze away rom her uncle." Uhm, I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"For taking the entrance exam for Azur lane without telling you first. For yelling when you found out and confronted me calmly about it. For running out of the house earlier."
"It's fine. You're a big girl who can make your own decisions," Aggy's uncle said as he looked up at the cloudy sky and felt the wind chill a bit. "It feels like it will rain soon. Want to head back to the house? You still haven't opened your letter from Azur Lane Command yet after all."
Aggy nodded as she and her uncle began walking out of the local cemetery just as a light rain began to fall all around them. They said nothing as they left the cemetery and began walking down the street to their nearby house, but once they reached the front door Aggy's uncle paused for a moment, as if frozen in thought.
"Something wrong?" Aggy asked as she noticed her uncle's sudden freeze as the rain was starting to grow heavier around them, their bodies only shielded by the overhang above the front door of the small but functional brick home.
"No, not wrong just," Aggy's uncle paused again and then suddenly unlocked the door and swiftly walked in, not even talking off his coat. "Meet me in the living room with your letter, I'll be right down," He stated as he disappeared up the stairs to the second floor.
Aggy stared for a second before sighing, entering and closing the door behind her. Hanging up her jacket and heading to the living room was a simple thing, and there on the coffee table was the letter from Azur lane High command, still sitting unopened as she had left it there when she had yelled at her uncle merely being worried over her choices. Merely being worried about the future of his only family and ward. "I really blew his question out of proportion. I'm such an ass," Aggy muttered to herself as she sat down on the couch and snatched up the letter, looking it over.
The envelope had security marks all over it and was far heavier than most letters would be. The only things on it were its sender, Azur lane High Command, the recipient, herself, and the words 'critical importance, open promptly written in a very blocky script.'
"I guess I should. They did say they would only send mail if you were accepted," Aggy muttered to herself before wedging a nail underneath the envelopes flap and tore open the end. Just as she shook out what appeared to be a couple dozen folded papers, her uncle came into the room holding a steel jewelry box that she had never seen before.
"Hmm, oh good you haven't started yet," Her uncle said as he sat down in his chair across from the couch. "So, what does it say?"
"Um, what is in the box?" Aggy asked her curiosity on the jewelry box far outweighing the papers in her hands for some reason.
"Your letter first," Her uncle said as he set the box on the table and gestured to her. "You never said what you had applied or taken that test for aside from it was a civilian position, so I'm curious."
Aggy let out a sigh as she unfolded the papers in front of her. "They made us test for our top three wanted positions, making even people who were only applying for one, to apply for three," she paused as she read through the first page of the letter, then moved it aside to read the next and smiled. "I've been accepted for the position of a dormitory keeper and secretary upon the Azur lane Pacific ocean Base."
"Secretary for the whole base?"
"No, for the dormitory I'm going to be taking care of," Aggy explained further before grinning. "$24/hr, with paid benefits and pension. Pretty good for just keeping up the maintenance of a dorm building and sorting people's mail!"
Aggy's uncle suddenly let out a relieved sigh. "And here I was worried you were aiming for something more dangerous."
"Well, no, but I suppose the Pacific base is plenty dangerous with its location if something happens," Aggy said as she moved another page to find a map. "Wasn't that base the primary location for Ship-girls fighting against the Sirens?"
"It was, yes. Your father mentioned that being where he first met your mother, though they didn't apparently start going out till they met on Royal Soil across the Atlantic a year later he told me."
"So, maybe I can find information on my mother then?" Aggy asked hopefully, though it was clearly a strained hope.
"Maybe. That base was a cornerstone of humanities defense against the Sirens. I had heard it had been abandoned after they were defeated though. I wonder when they reactivated it?"
"Maybe a few years ago? Aggy suggested. "That was when the Iron blood broke away from Azur lane, right? So maybe it's for assurance"
"It was, and that would be sensible I suppose," Aggy's uncle said before shaking his head. "Does the letter say when you are to head off?"
"Um, let me see," Aggy said a she began flipping pages. "Uh, oh. Im supposed to be at the port tomorrow to leave with a convoy for the island base. So, tomorrow."
"Well, then you better start packing, no?"
"Well, it says that clothing will be provided-"
"That means uniforms, not things like undergarments, socks and other personal effects," Her uncle spoke up, stopping her from continuing.
"Oh, right. I should start packing then," Aggy agreed as she stood up, only for her uncle to put a hand up.
"Wait one moment. This box. . . Your father told me that if something ever happened to him, and that if you found yourself going anywhere on a boat, he wanted you to have this."
"What is it?" Aggy asked as her uncle turned the jewelry box to face her.
"Well, he told me it was something of your mothers," He said as he opened the Box, revealing a Silver chain holding a small platinum cage that surrounded what looked to be a vibrant shard of Sapphire.
"It, it's beautiful!" Aggy exclaimed as she gently reached over and lifted the pendant out of the case, staring deeply into the blue jewel. "This must be worth a fortune!"
"Perhaps, I never tried to figure out how much it is worth, the jewel unnerves me personally."
"Why though, it's so beautiful!" Aggy said as she looked at it, noting that it almost seemed to glow in her palm. It was surprisingly calming.
"Well, I'm not much for jewelry I guess. Your father said that was your mothers, and that it was important that you have it, but only if going on a boat for some odd reason," Her uncle said with a shrug, " Probably some silly royal naval tradition or something like that. Either way, it's yours now."
"Thank you, I will make sure not to lose it," Aggy said seriously as she unclipped the necklaces clasp and put it around her neck, the pendant hanging just above her chest loosely.
"I'm sure you won't. Now, go get packing. We'll have to leave early tomorrow morning to get you to the port on time, so you won't be able to pack in the morning at all."
"Right, I'll go do that right now!" Aggy declared as she dropped the letter on the coffee table and bolted out of the room, leaving her uncle along in the living room with his thoughts.
"Goodness. Brother, I really wish I had met your wife, if only so I could know who she gets it from," He muttered as he realized that his home was going to be a lot quieter in the future.