Chapter 8: Observe
The later part of the day and night had gone by like a blink of an eye. Enterprise remained in bed rest, Zuikaku and Belfast remained on alert for any moves that the Pseudo-Eagle Union might do as they waited with seized breaths that the limiter rig might not be enough.
In the end, they were a little relieved that the night had gone without issues.
It was the start of a new day where the air around the base had changed. To some, it didn't feel any different from any other day, but to others, like Cleveland, she could tell that something was going on at the dock.
The blonde-haired Eagle Union had run out on her breakfast of toast and eggs when she received an urgent update from Akashi.
She reached the dock where one of the USS Enterprises had been bolted to the dock with large metal claw-like restraints that wrapped around it. She saw the cat-ship girl standing in a daze with the wrench loosely hanging off her hand.
"Hey, Akashi, what's the update?"
Akashi looked nervously toward the Eagle Union, and it looked like she wasn't happy with what she had to come clean about. "Well, do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
Cleveland felt a sweatdrop on her cheek, and her throat grew dry. "I'll take the bad news first."
Akashi slumped her shoulders in defeat, and her lip trembled with nervousness. "The creepy Enterprise lady's ship is trying to change shape."
Cleveland didn't need any further explanation as she witnessed firsthand, the words the cat-shipgirl had uttered.
The sound of screeching metal filled the air of the dock as if it was trying to conform to a different shape. The ship itself appeared to violently shake in a slow and determined motion to fulfill the new shape that it needed to please. The metal made one last effort to bend to the new shape, fortunately, it grew dormant as if nothing had happened after its struggle.
"It was trying to change to its rig form!" The blood inside the blonde Eagle Union ran cold and her feet almost gave out on her.
"Yeah, nya! I don't know how but her will is scarily strong to bypass the signal disruption and to have a faint connection established with her ship. My limiter rig is doing its job but it's still an experimental project after all," lectured Akashi.
"I guess that's what we get for settling on a prototype project."
Akashi turned red with anger at the dismissive comment. "Akashi's limiter rig hasn't failed. It's performing at the rate that was predicted, which… I guess that's the good news. If it was any other, then you wouldn't see this stressing of the rig. She's too mentally strong for this prototype after all."
Cleveland closed her eyes with her arms crossed. "She's doing this, which means she's planning to attack the base… so much for Hornet's pacifist optimism. Will this hold or will she break the disruption?"
"I... I can't be for sure, Miss Cleveland. The data from the rig is showing that it's stressing itself by keeping it from changing forms. If only we could increase the distance between girl and ship, then the limiter rig would be able to relax."
Cleveland narrowed her eyes in frustration. While that was a simple idea on initial thought, she could assume that Azur lane wasn't big enough to provide that distance. Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted an odd shape in the corner of her eyes just beyond the background of her vision. When she focused her gaze on the location where she suspected the odd shape to be, which was an antenna from a nearby building, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Akashi perked up from the odd head glance. "What are you looking at?"
"I don't know. For a second there, I thought that something was looking at me—like a bird."
"You saw it too!? I told you that Akashi wasn't crazy."
"If you're talking about the cage thing that you mentioned, we checked it out and found no such thing in the command deck, Akashi."
"What?! You cat to be kitten me! There was a cage in there!"
"I don't know what to say. I did have a feeling that something was looking at me, but it could have been anything or maybe I'm being paranoid."
During that same time, in the medical room of the doppelganger, she was asleep on the bed with her closed eyes expressing that they were shifting left and right underneath her eyelids.
She was in an odd state between lucid and obscurity in her mind as her dream was different compared to the other ones she had. In this one, she was flying with nothing but air underneath her. Her ship was visible to her that looked beat up yet no longer critical like it once was. She was perched on an antenna that overlooked her ship and she tried to command it to bend to her will. She noticed two women, a green-haired shipgirl and a blonde-haired shipgirl that were talking about her with urgency.
She heard bits and pieces of their conversation right before the blonde looked her way. The dream-like vision disconnected as she no longer felt securely connected to the creature that she had been sharing eyesight with.
Just before the connection was completely severed, she heard a malicious cry from the inhabitant she shared sight with, then she saw the reflection of the creature in the water as it fled from the dock area to another location on the base.
Her eyes slowly opened with an unknowingly faint glow of yellow to them. This was an odd state of union with the other creature that understood her pain and hardship better than anyone else knew, yet was still a pleasant one, nonetheless. Her desperation to take advantage of this connection outweighed her growing question of how she had been able to establish this form of sight. "Relax... your feelings are understood. Observe... for now," she said to the empty room. Something inside her told her that her winged companion could hear her within these walls.
She had learned a lot from the shared sight of her winged companion like verifying her ship's condition that was still needing repairs and the fact that it was being repaired simultaneously with her counterpart.
An hour later, Cleveland had made her way to Enterprise's room to lay out the recent events that unfolded. Everyone had been inside the room including Belfast, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Hornet.
"That's pretty much what we are facing here. Her ship is reluctantly being repaired along with yours, and Akashi's rig is barely holding back the connection between her ship.
Enterprise silently nodded as she had gained a jaded expression on her face. After being told about the basic living urges, she wouldn't be surprised now if their breaths had become synched with each other. "I see. Don't worry, Cleveland. Vestal had already eased me in on some of the explanations and theories that she uncovered during the surgery. Besides, if the distance is the key to keep helping that suppression rig, then all the more reason for what Zuikaku and I talked about."
Hornet, Belfast, and Cleveland all stood confused as to what she meant.
The room felt like it had silently been divided with Enterprise, Zuikaku, and Shoukaku on one side and the rest on the other.
At that moment, the door opened to reveal two black-haired women with white officer uniforms from the Sakura Empire.
"I apologize for the delay. We were planning on being here yesterday, but we had to wait for Nagato's approval," spoke the one at the front that had bangs and a long ponytail with a white ribbon.
"Hi, hi! The reinforcements have arrived," happily spoke the one behind her that had a mole on her right cheek and long flowing black hair. She also had black pointed and furry ears and both women had golden-colored eyes.
Zuikaku jumped forward to greet them both. "Takao and Atago! It's great that you're finally here."
"Excuse me, what's the meaning of this?" Said both Cleveland and Belfast. While they didn't find Sakura Empire roaming the Azur Lane base to be strange these days, these two were always busy with work and were never here unless it was a business call.
Takao folded her arms defensively. "It looks like our presence here was unexpected. We are here to transfer the injured Eagle Union prisoner to the Sakura Empire."
Cleveland scrunched up her face with distaste. "We might be allies now but who gave you the right to do that!?"
"I did," said Enterprise with her eyes focused toward Cleveland.
Everyone looked at her with Hornet, Belfast, and Cleveland being the ones left in shock.
"You what?! Enterprise... are you sure that was a good idea?"
"I've never been surer. The old me would have never agreed to this deal but the Sakura Empire has shown that they are trustworthy allies that no longer pursue the progression of Siren tech."
Takao smiled softly at the praise. "You flatter us, Enterprise. Trust is tied to our honor and we would never betray that."
"Didn't you betray the Sirens?" Replied Cleveland with narrow eyes at the Sakura Empire heavy cruiser
Atago was ready to explode with a full lecture but Takao held her hand out gracefully to hold her back. "There was never trust with the Sirens only manipulation from their end. And an unhealthy sinister gain from both sides that was unsustainable. Our allies in Azur Lane along with the Orochi battle brought a lot of perspective on how we should continue for the survival of the Sakura Empire going forward."
"While we appreciate the assist on our missions from Iron Blood and Sakura Empire, this prisoner is a personal Azur Lane matter that's very delicate."
"No, Cleveland. This is an Enterprise matter; it's always been that way," said the white-haired carrier.
Cleveland was taken aback by what she heard. "Enterprise, we don't need to involve them in this matter."
"They are our allies. I agree that trust is very important. This is my decision in the end as the acting Eagle Union leader that oversaw that mission. She's basically a pale imitation of me that falls to me to decide with."
"Ent... If the distance is the real issue, we can send her to the Royal Navy or one of their bases, right Belfast?" Asked Cleveland.
Belfast remained silent as this wasn't her place to argue. She understood now what Zuikaku and she had been talking about and how it made sense for this logical move.
"Cleveland, you know just as well as I do that if we send her off to the Royal Navy, they won't know what to do other than keeping her locked up. This would be the black mental cube all over again, a bunch of black box unanswered questions. At the Sakura Empire, not only would distance be a factor, but they are also versed in Siren matters that could help us find a way to break this bond," said Enterprise.
"She's right. While we no longer mass-produce siren ships, we still hold the knowledge of Siren biology and engineering for record-keeping. Our facilities are also more than equipped to study and hold personnel," explained Takao.
"Yes, please trust us, Miss Cleveland. Would you like me to hug you to prove our trust?" Said Atago with eagerness.
A panicked face appeared from Takao. "We are trying to get them to trust us not the opposite!" Cried the ponytail swordswoman.
"Grrr... fine, there isn't a logical reason to object to this with only past paranoia taking center stage. However, the doppelganger's ship is going to stay right here where it belongs," remarked Cleveland.
"Of course, If what Zuikaku's report claims to be true, this mystery woman has all of Enterprise's abilities. It would be wise to keep her far away from her firepower. The last thing we want is an attack on the Sakura Empire after we have reduced so much of our forces."
"See, Miss Cleveland? We no longer depend on mass-produced siren ships, so Iron Blood along with Royal Navy and Eagle Union are helping us fill our slots during missions."
Cleveland, once again, couldn't argue at all as what Atago had said was true.
Hornet stepped forward with a resolve that she achieved during her silence from the whole conversation. "Cleveland, my sister seems to have given this a lot of thought as she would. Zui and Shou will make sure that nothing nefarious happens to the doppelganger, but if that isn't enough for you… then rest assured that I will also be there to keep watch."
Everyone looked at Hornet with a silence of shock.
"Sister…" Enterprise worriedly stared at the blonde Yorktown carrier, but her words were silenced with a hand toward her, urging her to stop.
"Nope, if you're going to talk me out of going, then you can forget it, Ent. I've made up my mind and this is what I feel is right. I want to protect you with all I've got, which means I need to be where the action is. Face it, you don't need my protection on this side anyway."
The injured archer frowned. A life span of rejected feelings came and went with no one sensing the somber silence that she had instilled. At the end of her thoughts, she gazed at her sister with reluctant acceptance. "It's not about my protection, Hornet. You're my sister and that's enough reason to have you around… however, I can see that I won't be able to talk you out of this, so be careful," said Enterprise with a tone full of sisterly concern.
Hornet didn't mean to sound insensitive to her sister's feelings, but this was something that she had to do to not only ensure her sister's health but for the mystery woman that she inevitably shared a small connection with. This connection was odd for her as to where they stood, only that it was there because she had saved her regardless of what harsh words she spewed back at her. She sternly looked at the black-haired sisters. "Is that going to be a problem if I tag along?"
"Not at all. Nagato wouldn't mind having an Eagle Union stay at the Sakura Empire just like Azur Lane has done for our kind here. We can find you a place to briefly stay, and while we do that, you can stay with us," said Takao with a kind expression toward the blonde.
"But sister! That's our sister time!" Moaned Atago as she held onto Takao by her arm.
Takao recoiled on impulse and shook her away before she embarrassed her further with an inevitable hug. "Every second with you is 'sister time!'"
Atago pouted yet agreed to the terms her sister had set with the blonde Eagle Union.
Takao cleared her throat before she returned to her diplomatic role in all this. "Enterprise, now that we have established our intentions, may we see what we will be dealing with?"
Takao and Atago were brought to the room of the doppelganger by Vestal that housed the one-way mirror.
The medical ship had been informed of the recent news by everyone else when she had made her way to Enterprise's room. She looked at the two Sakura Empire sisters. "As you can see, she has maintained the same injury that Enterprise had received during the mirror sea incident. She also seems to share many responses from pain to sensations that are still being concluded. I ask you that you make sure she is treated decently and fed accordingly. Also, while the treatments that Enterprise will undergo will also heal her counterpart, I strongly recommend that treatment is maintained on her end as well, just in case."
"That won't be a problem and we accept all of that. Aside from being able to freely roam, she's going to have standardized human rights," said Takao. She walked closer to the one-way mirror to get a better look at the counterpart of Enterprise. "She looks a little rough around the edges, but I can see a warrior's spirit inside her that rivals the Grey Ghost," she said with a warrior's smile filled with excitement.
Atago and Takao opened the door to the room.
The doppelganger had her eyes closed, and she opened them with annoying frustration to more visitors. Her mood changed when she caught the sight of the two high-ranking Sakura Empire shipgirls. "More Sakura Empire riff-raff?" She said with a mocking tone of voice.
Atago looked ready to pull the injured woman's ear violently, and she would have done it too if her sister didn't hold her hand out to stop her.
"The only undesirable here is you… but let's not name-call ourselves during our first-time meeting. I am Takao, the first ship of the Takao-class heavy cruisers."
"And I'm Atago, the second ship of the Takao-class heavy cruisers," angrily stated the other woman.
"Yes, don't take us so lightly as we have traversed countless battlefields under our power," stated the ponytail and white bow user.
The Pseudo-Eagle Union scoffed insultingly with no other response to their introduction.
Takao continued to smile at the defiant nature of the wild-haired woman. "I can see that you are not one for stimulating conversation—I admire that. You have an indomitable spirit that even in this broken state, is not truly defeated. I only wish that we could have met under different circumstances to be able to test our might."
"You talk big. Nothing stands defiant in front of me for long," said the wild-haired woman with a dangerous glare toward her.
Takao never faltered from those words. "You sure know what to say to light a fire in a warrior's heart. Our paths were fated to cross; it would seem. I'm looking forward to our continued interactions as prisoner and guard."
"I see… I guess the Eagle Union can no longer stomach this cruel reality."
"Don't see it like that, think of it as new beginnings," said Takao.
That one statement had stirred a storm of interest toward this Sakura Empire. She would never allow herself to respect anyone that dons the Sakura Empire title with honor, but she was different. She was a fighter that searched for the perfect opponent to test her blade on, even if it would mean her death. Her cavalier nature to her possible end was one to respectfully acknowledge before she would extinguish her.
It wasn't long when she was unstrapped from the bed that had become her world and restrained by Atago and Takao. The one known as Atago had gone rather handsy with the doppelganger, and ironically enough, the wild-haired woman was grateful for the rig she was imprisoned in that kept her from feeling anything vital. Vestal had made sure to inject her with a relaxant aid that dulled her strength to make it less harmful for the doppelganger as the medical ship didn't want her to hurt herself in an attempted counterattack.
She was placed in a wheelchair with straps to her left hand and legs.
"Your one-way ticket to the Sakura Empire awaits, darling!" Said Atago sweetly.
They wheeled her out of the room and into the hallway.
The injured woman desperately tried to find a way out of this predicament that she didn't foresee yet could not find an opening with her current state that silently infuriated her.
"Watch your eyes," said Takao as she placed a protective hand on the injured woman's forehead to block the sunlight when they exited the medical building.
The light felt blinding and the injured woman did feel grateful for the assistance, of course, she would never admit it. When she felt adjusted to the light from outside that had been days since she had seen, she looked around to see various shipgirls that halted their daily tasks to see the living anomaly that was her. She kept her head down as she was aware that seeing anyone could cause her unexplained head-throbbing headaches to ensue.
She gazed at the sky and what she saw off in the distance was her faithful eagle, who silently observed with an itching urge to strike down the people around its injured master.
The injured woman connected her gaze from the vast distance between them to express that her order from before had not changed. "Observe," she uttered silently that only Takao managed to overhear.
"Hmm? Have something to say?" Asked Takao which earned her no response.
The doppelganger's eyes darted to her right when she saw the last person that she least expected. The atmosphere around her grew heavy when she witnessed Enterprise sitting in a wheelchair like hers accompanied by the royal maid from before.
They exchanged a silent glance of distaste and loathing for the other that didn't fully convey their overall hatred for the other.
She then passed her without any words being uttered, and then she came face to face with the brown-haired woman from her interrogations that was accompanied by a white-haired Sakura Empire woman.
The swordswoman carrier took the lead without any interaction with the injured woman as they reached the dock that housed four Sakura Empire warships.
Takao walked up to the brown-haired carrier with a hand on her shoulder. "We will be using your ship as transport. The rest will maintain rig form on board for any immediate battles that we might face until we reach safer waters."
"Sounds good to me," said the carrier.
"Hey, wait for me," said another voice from behind them.
The doppelganger slowly widened her eyes in the realization of the voice that she heard. She turned her head sideways to see Hornet walking toward them with a duffle bag that sparked the injured woman's curiosity. She quickly looked away as her throbbing pain flooded her mind when the distance became too close, and she was able to look at her face.
Hornet stopped, and she grimaced at the typical reaction from the injured woman. "Going to a new place can always be a challenge. Maybe having a familiar face around can lighten that burden," she said with a compassionate tone.
The doppelganger scoffed through her pain that made a dent in Hornet's heart that the blonde didn't express. "Shouldn't your sister need you more?" She barked coldly away from Hornet.
"She does… this is me supporting my sister," she said with undertones that left her statement open for interpretation.
The injured woman softened her standard glare-fueled face briefly with a shadow of acceptance in her eyes before she snuffed it out with cold indifference.
"Hornet, will you be riding with us?" Asked Takao.
"Nah, I'll follow you all on my ship. It's going to be crowded anyway on board, and I have a feeling that our passenger is going to be painfully restless during the trip there if I'm around." Her words had caused a shifted expression from the doppelganger that appeared like that of sorrow. It couldn't be verified as she maintained a furrowed expression in the overall expressions that she did show.
Hornet's ship and Zuikaku's ship soon began to move, and the injured woman gave Azur Lane one last look before they took her inside the vessel. While she should be in a state of relief that she wasn't going to be in a state of mental pain from faces that chipped away at her, she knew that where she would be going would be the land of the ones in which she had a bloody history as far as her mind told her.
She pushed that aside for now as she had to center her mind on the only reason that mattered, killing Enterprise.
For that, her winged companion would be instrumental in setting her ambition into motion.
Well, there you have it, everyone! Part 2 will have the setting being mostly in the Sakura Empire. There will be parallel stories between Enterprise and her counterpart as they are the main characters, and I want to do chapters in which they have some more development done before they have to square off and deal with their conflict.
I'm also interested in making the romance work that is going on with Zuikaku and Belfast as they find their way of letting their feelings be known to Enterprise in this hard ordeal she's going through.
The next chapter might take a while to come out since there are still small holes in my story outline that I want to fill with more impactful events. Plus, I find myself feeling like the story changes a small amount when I'm writing that naturally works for me, so I have to adjust my outline accordingly. Thank you for reading and see you next time!