Chapter Eighteen

With how the day had gone, I would've thought hosting a dinner with the senior representatives of each faction would have been a quick recipe for a noisy meal, but somehow the evening had progressed without almost any problems at all. At first I thought it was just good fortune, but it occurred to me rather quickly that the captain had simply made sure that he invited the right guests. Aside from myself and Montpelier, who had been allowed to stay since we were the ones who made the meal, the other kansens present were King George V and Hornet from the Azur Lane, and Akagi and Admiral Hipper from the Crimson Axis. Everyone present was well-respected within their camps, and they were all surprisingly agreeable with one another, even Hipper, who had something of a reputation for being difficult to work with. Maybe she just didn't want to be the only person to make a fuss about anything.

As for making the dinner itself, while settling the issue with Montpelier had taken up valuable time, the preparations were hastened by the aid of Denver and Mutsu, who both offered their help. While a part of me worried that recruiting our sisters deviated somewhat from the captain's intended orders, he never explicitly said that we couldn't recruit willing assistants. Even with five people, as Choshu joined as well, we only just barely managed to have dinner ready in time, so it ended up being a necessary compromise. Thankfully, there was no objection to making curry for dinner, and having our younger siblings around made things much livelier in the kitchen, in no short part because of the sheer volume of questions my sister had for the two Cleveland-class sisters in her bid to know every last detail of how things were done in the Eagle Union.

Plus she really wanted to know if the ice cream boat rumours were true.

It was a shame that they couldn't join us for dinner, but we made sure that enough food was made to leave them portions. I would've liked to have been able to eat with all of them, too, but Montpelier and I were expected to be present at the captain's table.

"Do you really think you'll be able to fix everything just by having the four of us eating together? I know the curry's decent, but it's not that great," Admiral Hipper remarked in the midst of our dinner. Despite her comments about the quality of the cooking, that didn't stop her from holding out an empty plate in request for seconds. "And I'm pretty sure even you're not dumb enough to try and have dinner with every girl at this port."

While I got up to serve the Iron Blood her next plate, DeWolf gave a casual shrug. "Mealtimes have always been a good foundation for diplomacy," he answered. "But you're right: I doubt private dinners alone will fix things, and I'm confident that my waistline wouldn't survive the attempt."

"Nothing wrong with a little wining and dining, if you ask me," King George V said with a playful laugh. "If anything, more commanders should try it. Most are too intimidated to make the attempt."

In her case, I could see how a person could be intimidated by her larger-than-life presence and charisma. In my case, it was more out of respect and reverence than fear that kept the human officers from ever getting close to me. Proper etiquette kept almost all humans at bay, lest my divinity be tarnished, and even if I disagreed with the notion, at least one of my attendants took the matter with deadly seriousness. As I took my seat back at one end of the table, next to the captain and across from Montpelier, I wondered if King George V ever suffered any ill effects of her fearsome reputation. My initial impression, though, was that she wasn't the type to let protocol stop her.

"I hope you don't find us intimidating," Akagi said, almost teasing, to the captain. "There's no need to be scared. I promise you, we don't bite." She giggled in a manner that made me second-guess how serious she was just now.

I still couldn't pin down the exact reason for my colleague's peculiar treatment of the captain. While I was glad to see that she appeared supportive of him, she came off so strongly that I was left wondering if she had some kind of ulterior motive. It was shameful for me to be suspicious of her, but I had never seen her act in such a way to someone who wasn't a kansen, much less a foreigner.

"I like to consider it more of a healthy respect for your abilities," DeWolf answered, even though I knew that a mess hall full of armed kansens did, in fact, scare him. "Now I know you girls have enjoyed quite a bit of freedom in deciding how things operate here, but I think we can all agree that changes are needed, and that you each should have an equal say in this process. Everyone is going to need to take part, so it should be done as fair and equitable as possible, and somebody who can serve as close to a neutral arbiter as possible would make it an easier transition."

It was a clever tactic to position himself as more the man who can help make the transition easier rather than strictly the agent of change. Allowing everyone involved a fair say in these changes would keep everyone invested and more likely to work together to make it a success. And keeping it open and public meant that it'd be harder for anyone reluctant to pull out, lest they find themselves alone against the rest of the factions. I did have my doubts about how well this idea would be received by us in the Crimson Axis, since DeWolf was still technically an officer aligned with the Azur Lane, and how well would he be able to maintain neutrality?

"I think that's a reasonable request," Akagi said, much to literally everyone's surprise.

"You're… on board with this?" a skeptical Hipper remarked. "Aren't you the one who's always going on about making the Sakura Empire strong enough to stand on its own?"

Without even a moment of hesitation, she replied with an uncharacteristically humble, "Yes, and look where that got me." Once everyone was finished picking their jaws off the floor, she explained herself further. "Don't get me wrong, I still believe that the empire's future lies in strength and self-reliance, but I've also learned that there are times where cooperation is necessary."

"Well, I'm more concerned about how he intends to address the inequality here," Hipper continued on, casting a sideways glance to the captain. "My Iron Bloods still only have limited access to the armories and machine shops here, and aside from Akashi, we're still heavily reliant on whatever the Azur Lane deems to supply us with. Not to mention while they're allowed to build and modify the base on a whim, I'm required to fill out a dozen forms just to get my own workshop area approved, which I'm still waiting on, by the way."

One could see Hornet, our designated representative from the Eagle Union, about to make a rebuttal when Captain DeWolf raised his hand to interrupt. "You're right Miss Hipper, and one of the changes that needs to be implemented is to better incorporate Crimson Axis personnel into the day-to-day operations of the port, including the workshops, labs, and armories."

"But sir, there could be sensitive information in those areas," Hornet said. "I don't want to seem rude, but is it really wise to let them have unrestricted access? If the situation were reversed, you can be sure they wouldn't let us have free range."

Her concern was certainly valid, and there was no denying that the Iron Bloods would maintain very strict limitations on movement or access were we operating in one of their ports. Even us in the Sakura Empire were kept in the dark about a lot of what our allies did in their research departments. Everyone knew their rigging incorporated more Siren technologies than ours in the empire, and far more than they would admit openly to. It would be unfair to ask our new allies to grant us freedoms that we would not extend to them, but at the same time, we couldn't operate our own forces as efficiently if we remained entirely reliant on them for logistics and support.

"I understand your concern, Hornet, and that is why we'll be moving sensitive materials and information off-site to other facilities on the mainland. Everything on this base must be accessible to all parties involved. And any new construction projects will have to go through the standard approval channels."

"I suppose that's a reasonable compromise," the Union carrier nodded in agreement. "It would be nice to see the Crimson Axis pitch in a bit more regularly."

"Does that sound fair, Miss Hipper?" DeWolf asked, turning his attention back to the heavy cruiser.

Though she made a show to look displeased and reluctant, her answer suggested otherwise. "It'll have to do," she eventually answered. "I still don't know how much objectivity we can expect from a Royalist."

Her last remark prompted a sudden and unexpected chuckle from King George V, who promptly explained to our confused stares, "Oh, he's not one of ours, I assure you."

Though the answer came as a surprise to all of us, I think I held the title of 'most confused' when I heard DeWolf wasn't of the Royal Navy. His uniform looked like theirs, and he clearly had an extensive familiarity with their kansens, but if he wasn't one of them, then who did he belong to?

"What do you mean he's not from the Royal Navy?" I asked, unable to contain my confusion. "He looks just like one of yours, and you said so yourself that you knew him better than almost anyone on base."

With the exception of Admiral Hipper, my confusion proved to be an amusement to everyone. It was obvious that I had been mistaken, but it felt rather embarrassing that I was one of the few who didn't know better. Without a word, the captain set his cap down on the table and slid it over to me. Knowing the answer must have been staring me in the face, I picked it up and examined the most important detail on it: the cap badge. It was very typical of the Royal Navy, and featured an anchor beneath a large crown. It was only after a second, closer examination that I noticed that the gold trimming surrounding the anchor did not consist of the typical thin, golden leaves, but instead large broad ones.

"These are… maple leaves," I murmured under my breath. Realization followed soon afterwards. "That means you are from the Maple Monarchy?"

"The captain's a moosehead," Montpelier said to confirm my inquiry, although I wasn't sure if she meant that as a compliment or an insult.

"The moose is a noble and majestic creature," DeWolf replied.

"No, sir, they're not. They're shag carpets on stilts that sound like an old man trying to get out of a recliner."

Though the moose-related comments flew over my head, the captain didn't appear bothered by Montpelier's quips, so I gave them no heed. The fact that neither King George V or Hornet said anything reassured me that my colleague wasn't acting out of turn. As for the Maple Monarchy, I knew little about the Eagle Union's northern neighbour; back home we saw them as just another element of the Royal Navy's vast empire. Granted, being caught between the Eagle Union and the Royal Navy would eclipse anybody. Yet while I still pondered the implications of our commanding officer hailing from a Royalist colony, Admiral Hipper had her own realization.

"Oh, so that's why High Command was okay with you being assigned here," she remarked.

Once again, though, I was left stranded on the island of ignorance. "Why is that, Miss Hipper?"

"It's basically because they don't see the Maple Monarchy as a threat to the balance of power, even with me in command of a joint kansen fleet," DeWolf explained. "We're not a large nation, nor do we have any serious political or military ambitions, so less chance I'd abuse my authority here."

"Plus he'd be more inclined to maintain a neutral position between the Royal Navy and the Eagle Union, as the Maple Monarchy is dependent on maintaining good relations with both," Akagi added. It made sense she'd know such political minutiae since she handled external affairs to a far greater degree than I. "He was, in a sense, chosen because he was the least threatening, most inoffensive candidate to all parties involved. No offense to you, captain."

"None taken, and there was a bit more to the selection process than just how much I did or did not bother people." DeWolf didn't exactly denounce Akagi's assessment, which as a whole struck me as rather disrespectful to both him and his career. However, something as important as assigning a senior officer's position in a joint kansen fleet would always be a difficult process, and the decision was always going to be equal parts political as it was military. The best candidate in the world wouldn't matter if half of the fleet refused to follow his orders, and in a strange way, being unthreatening and inoffensive was probably one of his best assets considering the changes he was proposing. A man with more presence and charisma would likely be seen as a threat given how many kansens had strong personalities, independent spirits, and conflict resolution skills that were mostly reliant on overwhelming firepower.

Before the conversation could continue on, a knock came from the doorway and a Royal Navy maid entered. She gave a polite bow in greeting before she stepped over to Captain DeWolf and whispered something to him. He then leaned over to Montpelier and did the same. Her eyes immediately shot wide, and she almost leapt to her feet, but stopped just short of it to give the captain something of a pleading look.

"Go, don't worry about us," DeWolf said as he gestured to the door.

No sooner were those words uttered did Montpelier fly out the door like a live torpedo, only just barely managing a 'thank you sir!' before she was gone. The rest of us just looked on in silence for a few moments. Nobody bothered for an explanation, as we all knew there was only one kind of news that could put such a fire into her. It was a relief to finally have some good news.

"Anyways, what I wanted to discuss before we got distracted by my nationality, was how we could go about updating our operational protocols and procedures."

"Right, you mentioned that during the briefing earlier," Hornet remarked. "I take it you want all our help in that? Make it a big joint effort from everyone?"

"I've never claimed to be a creative man," DeWolf confirmed. "You're all highly regarded amongst your peers with command-level experience. I'm one officer, so I'm going to need your help: liaising with your fellows, getting their thoughts and concerns, making recommendations for new procedures. Things like that. We'd meet up a couple of times a week to discuss what's been happening and assess how our changes are working out."

"It's not the worst idea I've heard of," Hipper said between mouthfuls of curry. "Definitely better than you just trying to hand down declarations from on high."

"It sounds just like something Enterprise would suggest," Hornet added. She grinned bright as she flashed him a thumbs up. "You can count me in, captain!"

I glanced over to Akagi, but I didn't need to see how her tails were swaying to know that she was already on board. She made her intents of support clear, so it would've made no sense to stop now. "As long as you don't just bore us with endless meetings and discussion, I'll support this effort," she declared. "Fortune favours the bold, as the saying goes."

"Considering how much of my report detailed a greater need for integration and cooperation, I'd be remiss not to lend my assistance either," King George V said to make the support unanimous. "However, speaking of help, I think you're going to need more than just the four of us to help you."

DeWolf tilted his head to the side. "I don't follow."

The Royalist gave a knowing smile. "Enterprise asked for an officer to be assigned here because she felt there was more work needed than she alone could handle. With her out of commission, who are you going to share your workload with?"

Hornet's expression suddenly lit up. "Oh, I know! He should get himself a secretary ship!"

"A what now?" Captain DeWolf wasn't the only one puzzled by the proposal, but he was the first to react. "Are you… suggesting I assign myself a kansen as an assistant?"

"You bet. We used to do it all the time back at our major bases in the Eagle Union. The commander got a bit of extra help, and the kansen got experience in how base operations are handled. And trust me, handling a port with this many girls is going to involve a lot of paperwork."

I had never heard of such a concept before, although in principle it sounded logical. In the Sakura Empire, we had a tendency to keep the officers and kansens separate, although that was partly due to certain incidents involving Akagi and officers who didn't understand the concepts of personal boundaries, either hers or those of other kansens. I think the last person who dared her temper was 'accidentally' left behind on Minna Island while the rest of the fleet departed. In spite of that, I found myself intrigued by the concept, and figured that it was something we could implement. Captain DeWolf would need all the help he could get, after all, and it wasn't as if there was a shortage of manpower available. One kansen being held in reserve for administrative duties wasn't going to disrupt operations, and it would bridge the gap between DeWolf and the rest of us so he'd be seen as less of an outsider.

"Well, if the captain needs help in the office, I'd be more than happy to assist," Akagi volunteered. "I've spent many years serving as an advisor to Lady Nagato, so I'm no stranger to handling fleet operations, odd jobs, and other minor nuisances that might distract you."

"Despite what happened with Project Orochi, I can vouch that Miss Akagi would be an excellent counsel and very capable in administrative duties," I added in support of her. "Although I must wonder what sort of… 'minor nuisances' she kept away from me."

Her answer was just a coy laugh, which was about as much as I expected I would ever get from her. Still, despite her curious insinuations, I doubt there would be a more capable person from the Sakura Empire that could fulfill such an important role. That said, having a member of the Crimson Axis in a subservient position to an officer of the Azur Lane could be seen as something of an insult, that our faction as a whole had become subjugated. Then again, would having a member of the Azur Lane as a 'secretary ship' not also suggest that they alone held the position of dominance? The fact that I knew Akagi could handle such a question with ease was part of the reason why I believed she'd make an excellent candidate.

"Actually, I was thinking that Miss Nagato would be an ideal choice," King George V suggested.

I think I got whiplash from how fast I swung my attention over to her. "W-what?! Me?"

"It'd help keep you busy since you can't deploy while you still have that collar on you. Plus, I've heard you and the captain work well together, and a good dynamic is important to an effective working relationship." It sounded as if her confidence stemmed from personal experience, not just from the nature of a secretary ship, but also with regards to working with Captain DeWolf.

"And given Enterprise's absence, it'd be better to keep a seasoned carrier like Akagi on the duty roster rather than cooped up in an office," Hipper added.

For a second, my fellow Sakuran actually looked a little… annoyed that I was being given more consideration than her. It was a side of her I hadn't seen before, but most likely because she could never be openly angry with me back when I was the flagship. Given I wasn't a carrier, we were never really rivals in any meaningful way, either, so this was the first time we had ever been in direct competition for anything. I don't think either of us were expecting this outcome.

"Now, now, you wouldn't want to laden Lady Nagato with trivial paperwork," Akagi countered. "Such work is beneath a person of her stature."

"What stature?" I reminded her. "I no longer hold any leadership positions in our fleet. I am your equal now and owed no preferential treatment."

"But Lady Nagato—"

"Excuse me." In all the discussion, we had overlooked Captain DeWolf's opinion on the matter, but he had now taken that matter into his own hands. "I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm, but I would prefer to take everything into consideration before I make a decision, assuming I decide I even need one of these 'secretary ships'."

"Of course. I suppose we got a little ahead of ourselves," Akagi said, bowing her head apologetically.

I, for one, was just thankful that I needn't worry about getting on her bad side.

Without Montpelier around, I expected to be burdened with the sole responsibility of cleaning up after dinner, so I was a little surprised when Captain DeWolf offered to help, too. He said it was his call to send my colleague away, so it was now his responsibility to make up the difference. Plus, and this was pure speculation, it kept him occupied and away from Akagi and the others once dinner had concluded. He did seem motivated to have them leave, and he looked almost like he was ready to start shoving them towards the door when he bid them a good evening.

As the executive dining hall had a small attached galley, we used that to wash up all the dishes instead of making the trip back to the main mess hall. I noticed that aside from when he stated his intent to help with clean-up, he otherwise remained remarkably silent as we tidied up. Not wanting to disturb him, I just followed behind him and assisted wherever it seemed prudent. Thus it was that we would find ourselves at the sink, the captain washing down the dishes before handing them over to me for drying. No words were spoken, we both just knew what needed to be done, and I was certain that if I hadn't started drying the dishes, he wouldn't have been bothered by it either.

In contrast to when we were dining, he seemed more at ease, more relaxed. Without his coat, and his sleeves rolled up, one could easily forget that he was the acting commanding officer with the way he looked. I was content to allow things to remain as tranquil as they were, but eventually it appeared that even he felt a need to break the silence.

"The dinner went well," he said out of the blue before handing me the next plate. "I'm sure we have yours and Montpelier's cooking to thank for that."

"I doubt the meal was as important as the company," I replied, attempting to remain modest.

He shrugged. "A bit of both, perhaps. I've never been particularly good at entertaining. If it's not about work, I feel like I run out of things to say in the first ten minutes." I tried to think of a counterpoint, but I reflected on the course of the dinnertime conversations, it was almost always about work-related matters, or being directed by one of the girls present. It did fit with how his brother described him. "The curry was good," he continued, snapping me from my train of thought. "Did King George V give you some pointers?"

"She did, yes. Was it obvious?"

"Probably not to most, but I could recognize her influence," he said, giving me a brief but reassuring smile. "She's a good cook: taught me a lot as well."

"I get the feeling you should request for her to be your secretary ship," I suggested. "Presuming you decide upon one, of course." Optics about subservience or dominance aside, if the captain needed an assistant, then it should be the kansen best suited for the position. His success shouldn't come secondary to worries about power dynamics. "King George V is very capable, and the two of you appear to already be quite close."

He didn't even hesitate to shake his head as he passed me a handful of utensils to dry. "She'd never agree to it, and I wouldn't want to put her into that kind of a position. It'd be… awkward."

Something about what DeWolf said sounded viscerally wrong, as if the very concept of 'awkward' and King George V didn't even belong in the same hemisphere as one another. Even from my few limited interactions with her, I could tell that wherever she went, awkwardness would just melt like ice before her radiance. Either the history between them was more in-depth than I thought, or he was referring solely to how he would feel.

"Were the two of you—"

"Hey, could you actually do me a huge favour?" His interruption came so swift that I felt almost obliged to ignore how he cut me off. "You see that box over there on the counter?" DeWolf directed my attention to a small take-out container that sat nearby. I had seen him filling it with some leftover curry earlier, but assumed he had done it for himself. "I promised I'd have that dropped off after dinner. Could you run that for me? The room number is written on the lid."

It sounded as if he was trying to avoid where the previous conversation was going, and if that was the case, then I realized it was better to just respect his wishes. There was nothing to be gained trying to nose my way into the history between people when they didn't want it discussed, as much as my curiosity continued to burn over it. In the end, it was none of my business, so I dutifully accepted the new assignment and left the captain to finish cleaning up. He probably wanted some time alone; heaven knows how busy he'll be until Enterprise is well enough to return to her post.

As my search for Montpelier earlier in the day gave me the opportunity to explore the port more thoroughly, it was easy enough to find my destination. The warm evening glow made for a relaxing stroll, as well. However, that sense of ease began to falter when I arrived and realized that I was making a delivery to the port infirmary. A sinking sense of dread began to form in the pit of my stomach. The only kansens who were currently in the infirmary were the ones that I caused. Fearing how people might react to my presence, I tried my best to be discreet as I headed inside.

Luckily, the infirmary was rarely a busy place so late in the evening. There was the familiar tinge of antiseptics in the air, and a restful tranquility only interrupted by the occasional beeps and pings of nearby equipment. I saw Miss Vestal at the front desk when I passed by, but she seemed preoccupied so I decided not to disturb her. From what I understood, she was quite close with Enterprise, so I could only imagine what she was going through at a time like this, and I was likely the last person in the world she'd want to talk with. I was still wondering who I was being sent to when I reached the doorway of my appointed destination. Uncertain of what the right protocol was for this moment, I settled on a gentle knock and a silent prayer that the occupant was asleep, which would spare me from a difficult encounter.

A brief moment of silent trepidation hung around my neck, finally capped by a hushed response of, "Come in, but quiet."

Even in a whisper, the voice sounded familiar enough that I wasn't too surprised when I crept inside and saw none other than Cleveland occupying the hospital bed. She was hard to recognize with her forehead wrapped in gauze, her arm in a sling, and her body covered in the most god-awful green hospital gown I had ever seen. What was more surprising in its unique twist was Montpelier's presence. It wasn't strange to see the younger sibling in and of itself, but rather the fact that she sat at the bedside with her head nestled on Cleveland's lap, arms folded into a makeshift pillow.

"Shh," Cleveland hushed with a raised finger, then beckoned me closer.

"With how quickly she left, I'm surprised she's asleep," I commented, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Poor girl probably hasn't slept a wink in days," she answered. A soft smile crossed her features as she petted the slumbering sister. "That's just like her though, always thinking about others." There was a brief flare of her nostrils; she must've caught the scent of what was in my package. "Hey, is that for me?"

"Ah, y-yes," I said before I hurried over to the free side of the bed and set it down on the bedside table. "The captain must have figured you would be hungry when you woke up. Montpelier helped make it, too."

"Oh, nice! Give it here, before it gets cold." Even with her arm in a sling, she was able to use it to support the container while her free hand could handle a fork. One could see how much her eyes lit up at the sight of the meal inside. It was probably her first decent meal in quite a few days, so it was understandable. "Thanks for bringing this. The hospital food ain't bad, but nothing beats a good curry!"

While I was certain that nothing about her behaviour was out of the ordinary for the famous Eagle Union cruiser known as Cleveland, it still came as a shock to see her in such high spirits. Her 'unbeatable spirit' was one of the many points of praise brought up while Montpelier, Denver, Mutsu, and I were making dinner. In fact, almost every time the older sister's name came up, it was followed by another proclamation of her greatness. It was almost as if the two siblings went out of their way to brag about how great their class namesake was, and from anyone else it might've come off as arrogant or boastful, but I could tell from how they spoke that it was a sign of reverence. I was all too familiar with the notion, as people often heaped praise upon me for simply being the lead ship of the Nagato-class despite barely having the kind of credentials to warrant it. Under better circumstances, the sight of a spirited young girl gobbling down a meal I had helped prepare would be uplifting, but a nagging question would not give me peace. Though I feared it would ruin the moment to speak it, eventually my conscience could not remain silent.

"Why aren't you angry with me?"

"Eh?" Cleveland just cocked an eyebrow and stared at me like I had sprouted another set of ears. "Angry? Why would I be angry at you? Honestly, I'm just relieved to see that you're okay."

Relieved? She was relieved? This was not some squabble over the last plate of mochi or a dust-up between rival fleets, I almost sank an entire flotilla in a hallucinogenic rage. I knew she was a good person, but that level of selflessness could've sent her straight to Nirvana. My mind had wrapped itself so tightly with fret and anxiety, braced to receive whatever insult and hatred that would surely be thrown in my face, that instead of feeling any sort of humility or relief, my thoughts just burst like a coiled spring.

"But I shot you!" I blurted out without any regard to any nearby patients or slumbering siblings.

And sure enough, my outburst startled Montpelier awake, her body shooting upright and alert. A half-lidded, half-awake stare lingered about her, and it took her a few moments to realize that a few strands of hair were stuck in her mouth. "Wha—Nagato, you're here?" she murmured. One could see the second the gravity of the situation struck her as her eyes shot wide and she jumped to her feet. "Ah! Sis, wait! It's okay, the captain said that Nagato wasn't—!"

"Don't worry, settle down… both of you," Cleveland reassured us. It was strange for her to be the voice of calm and reason in this situation. "I was there, remember? We could tell right away Nagato wasn't acting normal, and when Enterprise saw the way her eyes were glowing, she knew right away what was happening. Honestly, she was more worried some of the other girls might panic and shoot first. She was shouting at them to not shoot just in case."

"Wait, Enterprise was telling… your people not to shoot?" I asked, my previous worries and concerns struck silent by this new information. I could remember the shout of 'don't shoot', but I thought that had been directed at me, the more obvious danger. "She was… protecting me? This whole time? But Mutsu never said anything like that, and she was there, too."

"Well, your sister was so fixated on you, she probably just didn't notice," Cleveland suggested.

"Then even as you tried to help me, I fired upon you," I murmured with a growing weight of shame.

"Nagato, please, don't blame yourself. Nobody could've predicted something like that was going to happen. I remember Enterprise telling me about how it felt when it first happened to her—that it was as if she was completely possessed. And trust me, if she were awake right now, she'd be telling you the exact same thing." Then, she reached over and gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder, and said words that I had hoped for but never imagined I would be so blessed as to hear. "So it's okay. I forgive you. Sometimes bad things can happen even when nobody does anything wrong."

With a heavy, much needed sigh of relief, I offered a humble bow to her. "Thank you. You humble me with your compassion and understanding."

"Well, big sis is the best, both on and off the battlefield," Montpelier added.

"Stop, you're gonna embarrass me," the older sister said with a faint glow and a nervous laugh.

"I should let you eat and get some rest," I said as I attempted to excuse myself.

"Well, hold on a moment." Cleveland's request made me curious, but I heeded as she beckoned me back to her bedside. "Now I heard you had to work with my sister all day. She didn't give you too much trouble did she?"

I glanced over to Montpelier, who was doing her best to avert eye contact with either of us. If I didn't know any better, she was a little embarrassed to be the focus of the conversation. "No, of course not. There were some… misunderstandings at first, but those issues have been resolved. You have a wonderful sister that you can be proud of."

That must have been the answer she had been hoping for because Cleveland just broke out in an ear-to-ear grin. "See? What did I tell you, Monty? She's not that kind of person," she said, which only made Montpelier start to turn a deeper shade of pink. "Now why don't you ask her what we were talking about earlier?"

Montpelier suddenly recoiled away, as if her sister had been replaced with a Siren. "Wh—you mean 'now' now? Like right now? At this very moment?"

"Of course I mean right now. There's no time like the present," an undissuaded Cleveland pressed on. "Life's too short to sweat the small stuff, so just go for it already. I know you can do it."

Montpelier was uncomfortable; it couldn't have been any more obvious if it was being blasted out by a foghorn. Despite my usual desire to avoid making others uneasy, I couldn't help but remain for the sake of my curiosity. I sensed no malice from the older sibling, so the encouragement was clearly sincere and intended to help. Given how stubborn the little sister could be, though, I half expected her to just bolt out of the room in a huff. However, be it from growing confidence or just overwhelming respect for her senior, Montpelier held her ground, her face tightening under forced resolve.

"W-well, y-you see," she began, words fumbling from her lips as she fought through whatever apprehension gripped her heart. "Back in the kitchen, um… when we were all making the curry. You… me… Denver… and Mutsu… it was, uhh… kind of… you know, I had, um, that is to say… it wasn't unpleasant."

Ah, I began to understand what was happening now, and why Cleveland had pushed for this. Out of respect for both of their efforts, I remained silent and waited patiently.

Montpelier's face began to resemble a tomato more and more as she forced herself to continue. "So I was thinking that, you know, maybe if it's okay with you, that… um, that the two of us could… could be, um… f… ffff—fr—frrrrrrr—!"

I wasn't sure if she was trying to say friend or clear a blockage out of her boilers, but whatever the reason, she just couldn't force those last few words out. Her face just kept turning more and more red as it twisted and scrunched as stubbornness battled with her loyalty to Cleveland. Just as I thought her head was about to pop, she just let out a frustrated cry.

"Agh! I can't do this! It's too embarrassing!" she screamed before she threw both hands over her face and bolted out of the room like she had an irate Siren on her heels.

The two of us just stared in silence at the open doorway as the sound of frantic footsteps slowly faded in the evening like a setting sun. Once it was clear that she wasn't coming back any time soon, Cleveland just offered me up an apologetic smile. "Heh, little sisters, am I right? Well, you know what she was trying to say. Vestal says I'm probably going to be stuck in here for a little while, so it'd be nice to know I've got somebody I can trust looking after her for me. I know she can be a handful, but she's a good kid."

I bowed to her once more. "I would be honoured to."

Seemingly more at ease now that she knew Montpelier wouldn't get too lonesome while she recovered, Cleveland eased back in her bed and turned her attention back to her dinner. It would be a shame if it were to go cold before she could enjoy it. "You know," she said before shoveling in a mouthful of rice, "you and this Captain DeWolf: first time I've ever seen Montpelier care about the opinion of somebody that she wasn't related to. The two of you must be pretty incredible to get her so worked up." She then gestured me even closer, enough so that she could lean in to whisper into my ear. "Hey, is it true the captain gave you a princess carry?"

By the heavens, did literally everybody on base already know?