Sorry that I've been away. but I've been playing VR and I ended up taking a break after something big happened. Plus. I am still very inexperienced with the Azur lane girls. so I don't have much to go off on other than taking a look into how others depict them.

If any of you are curious about Black Shift. Well. My partner is getting better and says they will be able to return between then and the fall. So keep a eye out for it! Getting on to the more gritter stuff. You may wonder as to whether I've considered killing off a few characters? Well. The reason is because I am actually hesitant on the idea and where Azur Lane gets its replacements in contrast to the siren, who. by virtue of the RNG character generator can basically pump out an infinite number of shipgirls if they have enough iron and steelmaking. plus Lithography industries to do so. The downside is that if one dies. they are basically gone for good.

It gets weirder if you delve into how Azur lane's casualties are replaced. If you think they are replaced by cloning... well. Let's say Laffey. then the two Laffeys would all be the same. unless this laffey were to be modified in some way-then it would truly become.. a modified copy. But If it was a perfect secondary version of the original Laffey. that Laffey-self is legitimately Laffey as well. there are now just two 'Laffeys'. both are really, actually, completely Laffey. Both are alive. And both are real.

If you copy a .png image. have a friend shuffle them about and then stare at the icons that represent the files. which is the copy and which is the original assuming they have identical file names? Does it matter in any way? If you load them into a paint program. do they not display the exact same image loselessly down to the last pixel? Are the files not the same length? They are the same in every way. which is the 'real' one? what makes the other 'fake'. or a 'copy'?

Nothing. there is virtually no difference between them. they are all the same. They are both pictures of Kaga or whatever. They are exact. and neither is the copy. neither is the clone. They are both real.

The problem is that we are not built to deal with this sort of thing. we all imagine ourselves as special. and to have another instance of us going about is... rather mind-breaking. It would be a very crazy thing to think about. even if they are all identical twins raised separately from each other.

And with that. it might be possible that the question is answered. Anyway. I do have a potential new set of stories from another partner I have. one for yet another Purple shift spinoff and another set of romantic stories!

"Whether or not a superintelligent artificial intelligence - chooses to coddle human minds entirely depends on what is was raised - like a child - to value itself, how favorably it looks upon us, and how much love or duty it can have toward us.

We can only hope that if we ever encounter a superintelligent AI, that is was raised by loving 'parents', cares deeply for the species that brought it to life, and wishes very much to please its progenitor species.

Otherwise, we are collectively done for."-Unknown


10 minutes after immobilization of Second Fleet

"All ships have formed up. sir!"

"Have the fleet prepare to move out. We need to retake the initiative immediately, or the enemy fleets will pick us off one by one. All ahead!" Smoke belched. turbine blades and boilers coming to life in every siren that could still fight. It was a testament to training and technology that most of them were still functional and battle ready. Personally, Kuroki was of the belief that it was thanks to their damage control experience who managed the tall orders of the day.

"All ships acknowledging, Moving all ahead at full." It was quite a sight to the unique Wichita. her eyes picking up on the light signaling and shouting between the 37 shipgirls that remained combat-effective to some degree.

She survived the close-quarters brawl by being the furthest from the metaphorical anvil when stray Skuas struck the bridge of some Kagero-class she didn't know the name of like some kamikaze zeroes straight from the second world war. which had left her stumbling straight into the killzone that ended with a heavy bomb being dropped on top of her propulsion compartments with the outcome of one very dead destroyer, resulting in her immediate takeover to communications specialist. simply because they had noone else experienced enough to interpret her superior's orders despite the static and screeching over the radio that indicated they were being jammed by some unknown EW source. which she hadn't heard of before until now.

She didn't like it and hated her new position. but Ramway assured her that she was more than ready for it. Morale among the girls was already plummeting. and they needed everyone on hand to help drive back the enemy fleets over this combat support logistics highway. But in the face of losing four super battleships and half of an entire Task Force combined with radios being down?

How could anyone recover from that. especially when it was looking like that they weren't just dealing with a unknown enemy. but a outside context problem! She wondered. glancing over to the commanding shipgirl as she stared at the horizon and clenched her fists into balls. Try as she might. what had transpired in the last hour was too much for her to contain. just about ready to charge into the distant main enemy fleet and the unknown fast battleship leading several silhouettes.

"Sir. Second enemy fleet is doing... something. The battleship appears to be moving into the wind and is acting erratically... wait..." Her eyebrows furrowed down and she shook her head lightly. wondering what the second enemy fleet might be doing now. They still didn't know who of what weapon was used to disable their reinforcements so fast... and in such a efficient way. Maybe they were joining back up with the main fleet? But even if the thought seemed comforting. she felt her chest tensing up with a sense of foreboding doom. Something didn't seem right here.

"What is it?" They had enough surprises and counter-blows. and now they had lost their reinforcements to some unknown weapon. The last thing they needed was one more surprise strike that shattered the bulk of their remaining fleet units in this battle.

Before. Despite the presence of the unknown battleship and her detachment. They, at the least had some level of confidence that they could match them evenly and trade them for each shell and torpedo. and the arrival of their would-be saviors would have meant they outnumbered them by a considerable margin. Now? They were in complete disarray and confused, Four battleships. some of the largest the world had ever seen. all gone and foundering before they could even engage. bombed by what she was sure had to be a guided weapon. They had left at least ten destroyers ablaze. several cruisers awash in their own floodwater. three carriers unable to attempt any useful airstrike. and a few battleships, But that still left a sizeable chunk of them unharmed and healthy. ready to make it a living nightmare for them.

"The unknown battleship is launching something."

"What? It can't have several seaplanes all at once. hasn't it? The enemy ship launched a few floatplanes. but that was all it had!" The commanding siren felt butterflies in her stomach. Most battleships had several. but to see one launching all of its scout and gunnery aircraft all at once would be a very unusual move. especially in the midst of contested airspace. So what was the enemy shipgirl's intent with taking the risk? "Even the Yamatos had maybe seven. eight, but most carried four to five. Even if they carried bombs. it would still be a fool's move with our AA defenses!"

"You're right." Kuroki nodded. uncertain and squinting her eyes to blink away the ash in her eyes with her brows furrowing in confusion. Tears leaked out of her eyes from the force, but she dared not rest. "Reports don't indicate any carrier or aircraft cruiser in the AL detachment."

"...Battlecarriers?"

Both girls turned towards a battlecruiser of the famed Dunkerque design. teeth chattering and their bodies almost leaning in with a growing look of curiosity and attentiveness in anticipation. "There were some battlecarrier plans they thought up back in the Second world war. but how and why?"

Kuroki's eyes went wide and her eyebrows shot toward the sky. she couldn't help herself at what she just heard. "Certainly why. Battlecarriers are not a great idea. but if she's the case, then why didn't we recognize her as such until now?"

"We identified her faintly as a battleship. possibly a fast battleship judging by how fast she was moving, look at how she was able to maintain her fire while pulling sudden and demanding turns that even our best cruisers can't match. If she was a battlecarrier, we would have known by now." The raven haired fast battleship pointed out. taking notes and remembering what her silhouette looked like nearly a half hour ago compared to now. "What are the estimates we have on how many planes she's assembling?" Ramway interrupted. voice crackling and impatient.

More shadows in the skies soon appeared. some of them sporting a unfamiliar and modern-looking design. At least 12 of them were circling together in a holding pattern. a few so close they almost seemed to collide in a illusion. "12 of so.. Wait... Reports are coming in, They describe a swept wing or lightly swept delta wing merging into a fuselage. no propeller. several rockets or bombs. some kind of pod and red stars..." Kuroki contorted into a frown. the description almost seeming familiar with a acquaintance's hobby of nerding out on the cold war...

"Swept wings and no propeller." The commanding siren stared like she was a ghost in shock then felt her mouth almost drop to the water and freeze as if she had gone white. now realizing much to her horror of the newfound threat they were faced with. "No!"

"Yes. Our enemy, despite all the odds and technological huddles has managed to develop jet aircraft. even if they are experimental. Not only that. they're somehow managed to skip past the engine technology needed and design cutting-edge. revolutionary aircraft like the carrier variant of the F-4 and Super Etendards or the Skyhawks and possibly the Corsair. It would give our enemy a immense advantage. nevermind render our air support useless entirely." The Dunkerque sighed. transfixed and head shaking. "Our enemy second flagship is forcing us to decide as whether to pursue her and stop her... or letting her pound us into submission from the stratosphere." Ramway stood there unbelieving. Kuroki gripped her fists grimly. much as Kuroki could contain herself. it made her want to erupt like a volcano to how they could have overlooked this early on.

"That bastard." The shipgirl growled and shook. one more pillar of fire and bright orange mini-suns signifying a powder explosion behind them.

"Efficient and cold." Admitted ramway with pursed lips and a level of begrudging respect for having struck while they were unaware of this new fact. She sighed and almost crossed her arms. "Unfortunately for us, she is fighting. testing her experimental weapons to gain feedback on them for Azur lane." She steeled herself and lifted her chin. ignoring the burns and pain in her side. her voice reverberating with authority and a hint of desperation-and behind it. fear. "Attention to all! We're withdrawing. Gather up whatever we can of our remaining forces. cover the subs and retreat orderly! This is not a battle we can win!"


The sky is dyed blue and white. Rain clouds wander aimlessly across the dull afternoon plane.

"Incoming torpedoes! Nine Dougla Devastators and increasing!"

Point Defence Cannons of mixed calibers opened fire. Curtains of steel rippling in complex patterns. the 40mms were twin barrels on elevated pedestal mounts. The hydraulics and electric motors still good as new after being submerged underwater from their first day. The computerized FCS and TV/Laser director were small enough that the average human could have disassembled it and found a mobile phone processor inside. The PFHE fuzes in each round it spat out would have been small enough to hold in a open hand. and the magazines would spit them out by the several per second. It was a far leap ahead of the WW2 analog bucket-and-chain machines. built to react faster than a mechanical director and with enough accuracy to shoot down any anti-ship missiles that flew at supersonic velocity. Their mechanical cousins joined in. sprockets and gears turning. manually aimed cannons firing without the assistance of a sixth sense to intimidate their attackers.

But even as dozens of aluminium birds were destroyed. a handful got through the cloud of steel and they released their payloads. fracturing mild steel plating and ripping open holes into numerous watertight bulkheads.

"Enemy Tashkent Squadron is concentrating fire on the Towns and Hippers. Heavy damage to all vessels. Counter-battery fire commencing!"

The fleet returned fire, but the stress from looking to take advantage of the chaos induced by the airstrike and the complex maneuvering required to evade enemy fire and split up into two pincer sections made their task difficult. nevertheless, despite the intensity of enemy fire and the fog of war. Aurora's pincer with Spence and Charles backed up by Atlanta managed to bring their remaining weapons to bear.

A stream of accurately placed 127mm+ and 152mm gunfire nailed a Mahan class destroyer right in the stern. tearing off the gun unit present as she panicked before another salvo turned half of her hull into a open-air swimming pool. another serires of 406mm shells hit home on a Vauquelin. Her forward machinery ruptured even as her burning rigging continued firing off torpedoes.

A handful of Fletchers and J-class destroyers ceased firing as they put all of their attention into redlining their steam untis and sped away. leaving behind the burning wrecks of half a dozen Leanders and Mutsukis to die under the barrage of guns and M229 CRVs from nearby rearmed A-7s raining down on the helpless shipgirls.

With the enemy squadron destroyed. Phoenix and her detached fleet turned their gaze to the main fleet of enemy vessels that were emerging from the ever-looming storm system and were rushing. literally, toward them.

"This is Phoenix. We can see the enemy squadron coming toward us abreast! Several of them at the least and we have biplanes closing in. It's almost like they are endless!"

Dozens of ships have emerged from the direction of the clouds. closing the distance into knifefight ranges. resulting in close quarters naval combat as a mixture of ancient fabrics and monoplanes blew past Independence's cover and began torpedo runs on the nearest warships at the edge of Phoenix's formation.

The new ships were a hodgepodge of almost random craft. from As and Early War craft to Condottieris and Kitakamis. Spotted among the group were even a few designs from history books;iIncluding Ranger and a Renown... Which was currently slugging it out with Quincy.

The fact the Ranger and a outdated-looking battlecruiser was included as part of the main firepower and then protected only by a few B-class and Farraguts was a sure sign of how desperate and notably brave the nearby enemy shipgirls were. regardless. the ancient battlecruiser was terribly imbalanced and the treaty carrier horribly vulnerable to fire. but it was clear that it just only needed to get off most of its precious cargo and launch them, even as MiG-29 Fighters dove in. too fast and too high for the slow-reacting dual-purpose guns of the ragtag fleet. dots of black marking the path of the guided bombs with silent actuators which steered them into an collision course with the Ranger's deck followed by a ear-splitting roar and jets of fire erupting from the breached flight deck pummeled into steel fragments. The treaty design had squeezed every cubic metre possible under tonnage constraints. and her hangars managed to give births to wings of fighter craft.

Ranging from a confusing complement of Zekes and Seafires to B6N Tenzans. The airstrike swarmed the cruiser and destroyer duo. swiftly maneuvering past the time-fuzed 127mm blasts and 40mm L/60 Marks to release their payloads. too much for even my remaining airborne air superiority MiGs to deal with in any reasonable timeframe.

And as swiftly as the new fleet had arrived, it had already begun disengaging and started to withdraw.

It had to have been effective. I'll admit grudgingly on that one. Whoever these forces were led by, they knew they didn't stand a real chance of fighting a straight battle between my own full forces and their random assortment of light and capital ships. even if some of their fighters were already falling to WVR Skyflash launches to clear the way for Bataan's Wildcats and their ships were occupying my fighter bombers through a brave. if quite suicidal decision.

They had essentially performed the equivalent to a drive by shooting or in a 'gamey' way. what the French destroyers from World of Warships did. a hit and run tactic that diverted precious attention to beating them aside and choose between putting Phoenix and her girls at risk and continue with the mission of exploiting the second enemy fleet's inability to respond effectively against asymmetric threats.

Normally. someone else would have chosen one of the options;Most likely the former option to pause and fight them rather than risk the possibility of someone getting killed.

Unfortunately for them. I was not a normal shipgirl commander and so with the cold logic of modern BVR combat. I chose both. Using the computer systems and processors of my electronics and again keeping track of their positions. My overly expensive weapon systems once again proved their worth with the occasional rumble of a Termit firing. the vibration of the main batteries driving their shells to near-hypersonic velocities as they tore apart the enemy with brutal and ruthless efficiency.

"Aurora. Go and reinforce Ariake, She's starting to list. Keep her safe from airstrikes and ensure she arrives back right by my side! Phoenix. I will continue covering you with my support! Continue with the objectives to flank the second enemy fleet!"


"Understood. Norfolk!" Despite the semi-known surprise. they had precious little else. Yes, they managed to deal considerable damage to Echo and blew out Quincy's bridge. but none were destroyed outright and they lost more than i did. having a carrier burning down and one Farragut plus a Condottieri eviscerated by bombing attacks is not looking good for the exchange ratio.

But what damage they did manage to inflict could put my NCO at serious danger if Alpha fleet or more nearby responding shipgirls decided to make their attack... like right now.

Peering through the eyes of my RADAR scopes and multiple sensors within my systems. I could make out a good deal of the remnants of the First Enemy Fleet on an attack vector from Phoenix's rear. aiming to take advantage of the damaged ships who were trying to prepare a attack run on the right flank of the Second fleet.

"They're trying to pursue Phoenix! Atlantas. San Juan. Spence. Libeccio. Turn around and move to intercept! Bataan and Independence. keep yourself positioned at the rear!"

"I-I will try my best!"

"Okay! Letsss go!"

I tore my attention from the Siren fleet to Phoenix's direction as the little fleet that surprised Phoenix before turned around. Another quick estimate told me that they were going to try to go for another quick boom and run attack again. This time they were on a leading interception course. likely for a torpedo launch.

Not this time you little fuckers.

Piston-engine Bombers changed their course to target their interception vectors. Secondaries began to switch out for Extended range rounds and adjusted their aim. Main gun batteries loaded guided rounds and then fired. BVR fire forcing the fleet to disperse and attempt to make their attack runs... in small and piecemeal fashion that could be defended against.

Radar and Laser sensors went terminal and homed in around the forward elements of the enemy fleet nipping at my detached fleet; gouging chunks from destroyers and vaporizing whole chunks of mild steel. The fleet pivoted and began accelerating away from my blood-hungry light cruiser, their numbers being reduced from the guided and return fire as more and more of their numbers were claimed with lethality.

The Renown battlecruiser and a Kitakami sped away. rips in their armored citadels exposing them to the open air. fueling the fires that burned out of control and threatened to set off secondary steam explosions.

With that annoyance taken care of. I returned my attention to the Siren section hammering away at the increasingly tattered forward elements of Hornet's fleet trying to counter-intercept them.

Gunfire started again as we got within effective range. Guided rounds loaded already and slatted to be switched back to nonguided projectiles. Ranges were fed in and RADAR fire control locked onto a target shape and I pulled the red triggers that again accelerated AP shells toward a cruiser... and penetrated inside to detonate. It must have been a bad boiler hit since she began slowing down and her steering became erratic. Return fire began as San Juan and Juneau took at least four hits while Spence. nearly panicking ended up steering into my path, forcing me to turn to avoid a collision as she recomposed herself. again holding formation and waiting to be within the effective range of her guns.

"Gurrraggg!" some battleship-caliber shells crashed into my face in the midst of reloading. More angry shouting from San Juan followed as these were high explosive and had left a charred mark on my armor belt. But the one that had detonated on deck... had managed to jam a AA gun in place and nearly put one of my X-band RADARs out of action. Glaring with anger at whoever shot me. I fired back a few salvos toward where it had came from. even as the first of their destroyers and light cruisers began to filter through. They were trying to target the rear members of my detached pincer. but at these ranges, their weapons were too inaccurate to do any real damage unless they got in close.. which would result in their destruction.

"I am hit! One cannon won't work!" Libeccio finally also took a hit from the firepower being thrown at us by the assorted colorful mixture of classes and nationalites of siern shipgirls as the first of the dozen heavy hitters began to make it through.

Total engagement duration was already going into a half hour. I growled with exasperation as sensors detected the ever dwindling waves of siren aircraft flying out from Alpha Fleet's carriers.

They still numbered in nearly a hundred of so. with assorted gunnery spotting seaplanes joining the small swarm of so.

Unfortnuately, My MiG-29s had already used up all their missiles. Several Corsairs were only available and the ones i could launch. I wouldn't for the fear of what might happen if a heavy shell drilled itself into the energy flight deck. between that and being stretched thin. they didn't have the right tools to hit decks or even strafe them safely. let alone trying to protect my own air vulnerability.

What to do... What to do?

"We've outnumbered here. Norfolk!" unable to answer Independence's alert i considered my options. Turning around and toward the Second enemy fleet would take far too long;I had already diverted myself on a counter-interception course and the distance keeping me apart from Phoenix was steadily growing. I had been very thorough to target the most valuable ships first in my alpha strike with the A-7's AP bombs.

Long range AA fire would only do so much against the dive bombers and fighters in the distance. not to mention that it was even more impractical since it involved steering ourselves into their paths... Only it would be actually too dangerous since that free-for-all space was occupied by rear guard destroyers and more battlecruisers.

Hmm. When this enemy section began to turn toward Phoenix. they were closing to within gun range. weren't they?

A mental command brought up available ammunition;One that stood out was the 40mm SABOT rounds. a Laser rangefinder tinged in cyan focused on the shape of a Helena. The determined. if streaked with tears faces of two sirens desperately mounting a counter-charge staring back.

Extra velocity and low drag plus high ship speed and maneuverability as a fast battleship. that might work.