North Pacific Sea
Water was forcefully pushed aside as three figures surged forth towards their desired destination. Their speed caused the lower end of their jackets to flap erratically in tandem to the current they faced. The sun was barely rising on them with darkness falling back to regain its strength. Days of travel had gotten them much progress but…
"Agh! Why haven't we gotten there already?!" said one of the figures with gritted teeth and clenched fists
One of the others answered, "Several more hours if we don't get lost again."
"Forgive me, comrade, I forgot to prepare all my essentials since Pamiat was so impatient," the last one added while preventing a giggle from escaping her mouth.
"If Kurov were here, she would have given us all a severe punishment for making such a mistake. I hope this Admiral is a hard worker because I worked really hard for Soyuz's favor."
"From what Azur Lane has told us about this Admiral, I hear he has quite a record on him. We won't know what type of person he is until we meet him first hand."
"Rossiya, we all know what we must do but we will be in the hands of an Admiral from the Eagle Union. You cannot expect him to comply so easily with Soyuz's offer."
The woman replied, "You may be right but, the motherland comes first."
They would soon go back to silence while increasing their speed by a few more knots. The faster they got to their destination, the better.
"That should be the last one."
Gabriel wiped his hands with a small towel as he observed what laid in front of him. Stacks of presents neatly organized onto a red sleigh. It was surprising that hundreds of presents could fit inside such a transport. If a mythical fat man in a red suit could do it with much more items, then why couldn't Gabriel? The only problem that was going to face him was moving the damn thing to the large Christmas tree at the center of the base's town.
Today was Christmas Eve, the day that he had waited for a long time. This would be one of the two holidays before his marriage with Hood. The plans were still being drawn up but if the Admiral had to guess, he would assume sometime mid-January. That left roughly two to three weeks of preparation on the Royal Navy's part. That said, there was also another reason that Christmas Eve was special for today.
Three members of the Northern Parliament would be arriving today. Avrora talked much about them but Gabriel preferred to see for himself. As far as he knew, there could be some bad blood between them and the Ironbloods due to their history. Then, there were the controversial aspects of their homeland that he heard stories about. But, this was before the Sirens had ramped up the war and everything changed. Who knew what the Northern Parliament was like now.
With the current tasks done, for now, Gabriel made his way down to the docks to await the arrival of the three shipgirls. The sky was a bright blue in conjunction with the sun's glorifying light. Although the atmosphere was still cold, the snow was going to slowly evaporate and return to its never-ending cycle. Little did he know that the snow would cloak something from his sight.
"Hopefully the snow is all gone by next week," Gabriel said, kicking a clump of snow that obstructed his path. The substance flying a short distance before landing harmlessly on the ground in many smaller pieces.
Suddenly the world went dark as something was blocking his sight. The Admiral felt someone's skin touching his own and it only took a moment to realize that someone was purposely blinding him.
"Guess who," a feminine voice said
He could easily tell whose voice that was but just for the sake of the tease, "Hm, I don't know because I can't see who it is."
"You're no fun, Teitoku," the voice stated as whatever had obstructed his vision was removed. He caught a glimpse of gloved hands before they fled from his peripheral view. Turning around, Gabriel came face to face with Shoukaku.
"Not bothering Akagi today?" Gabriel rose a brow with his lips curling upwards slightly.
The woman grabbed his right arm and leaned slightly against him, "No. It wouldn't be very kind of me to keep senpai from resting. Besides, it is my turn to be by your side."
"I was unaware that you all agreed to take turns."
The Admiral was met with a light slap to his cheek and a carrier who had a frown, "Teitoku, don't say dumb things like that."
"Sorry, I'll try not to have Hornet's remarks rub off on me," he replied back before turning in the direction of the docks, "We got some guests coming very soon."
The two walked down to the docks to await the shipgirls. Multiple ships had to be moved to other parts to make room for the Russians. Manjus worked constantly to scrape off ice and snow from the hulls of the ships. The small birds were able to fit down the barrels of the battleships to prevent any blockage while smaller guns needed tools to perform the necessary task. The aircraft carriers were a bit easier to maintain since they housed mostly plains and the flat decks were less difficult to clean.
While they waited, Shoukaku spoke, "From what I have heard through Mikasa's tales, the Northern Parliament was once a monarchy that had terrible leadership."
"It was much more than that," a grimace crossed Gabriel's face, "It was like fate dealt the worst hand it could to them. I wouldn't want to look down on the Northern Parliament so early until they arrive."
"Even so, I had heard about all the things that occurred during their revolution. Mikasa mentioned having a friend in their ranks other than Avrora."
"Another older warship? Huh, I didn't think we would see any more."
"You thought wrong, Admiral," said a voice behind the two. The holder of the voice being the ever so dignified Queen Elizabeth. She didn't have her usual escort but came alone to the docks for reasons unknown.
"What brings the Queen of the Royal Navy out here?" the Admiral asked
Elizabeth gazed at the open ocean while answering, "You should know that Azur Lane has done its part to support the Northern Parliament during the first Siren attack. Without our resources, they would have fallen to the enemy within a few short weeks."
The Admiral would have liked a story about the Northern Parliament's efforts in stopping the Sirens but he began noticing something approaching in the distance. Three humanoid shapes that he could hardly make out but they were making fast progress. One of them began to double its efforts and sped at an even faster pace towards the docks. Instead of stopping right at the edge, the first shipgirl made a leap off of the water followed by a somersault.
Once she landed, Gabriel got his first-hand experience at the standard look of the Northern Parliament forces. Like the tundras that he had only seen pictures of, their uniforms were as pure as snow with the second coat of fur. The girl in front of him had orbs of violet that seemed to pull his attention with a gentle tug.
"Yahoo~! So this is the homeport? Are you the Admiral?" her eyes began to trace him up and down for confirmation, "I thought you would be a little older but that's fine. I am Pamiat Merkuria, Light Cruiser of the Northern Parliament. My rigging may be a bit old-fashioned but I am a menace in the Black Sea."
"Admiral Gabriel Harper, welcome to our naval base," Gabriel introduced himself followed with a casual extension of his hand to greet the shipgirl. He soon realized how 'vertically challenged' the light cruiser was as he had to lower his hand more. It seemed even the older ships could be as small as Queen Elizabeth. Pamiat had a higher octave in her voice that seemed to betray her age but such was the case when dealing with shipgirls.
Speaking of the Queen, one of her brows was twitching along with her staff being held tightly. What the Admiral failed to notice right away was that this old light cruiser was blessed rather than royalty herself. If he had looked back at the battleship, he might have noticed a vein beginning to show itself.
"My comrades should be here any moment now but I have to ask, is there Sakura ramen here? I haven't had a bowl in years," Pamiat inquired
"I would be happy to make some for you since I am the secretary for today," Shoukaku answered with a side glance towards Gabriel. A look that he knew meant some form of teasing later on. At least his attention turned back to the arrival of the two other representatives.
Like their comrade before them, the two other representatives had similar uniforms that spoke of their homeland. The only difference between them was one girl was not ashamed in revealing herself a bit more. Despite this, the Admiral's eyes were focused on the tallest woman who's gaze had the strength of a black hole. A shiver ran down his spine the longer he kept contact with the crimson gaze.
"You are the Admiral, huh~..hehe. My expectations have been surpassed," the shorter of the two shipgirls said, a hand covering her mouth while her other hand held a chain attached to her rigging. Her short blue hair confused Gabriel to think she looked similar to Gascogne. Like Pamiat, she too was blessed with gifts although her voice carried silk to the ear.
"Are you insinuating that the Admiral was going to be a lowly man?" Queen Elizabeth questioned back, her staff pointing at the woman with a single thrust.
"Aha, I mean no disrespect. My apologies, Light Cruiser of the Northern Parliament, Chapayev, is under your command," the woman replied back, bowing slightly to confirm her intentions.
Gabriel followed Chapayev's example and performed a casual bow in return, "Welcome to the fleet, Chapayev. My name is Gabriel Harper, you may refer to me however you like."
He extended a hand for a shake but did not expect the light cruiser to take it with both of her hands, "We should get to know each other more, Admiral~."
"Chapayev," the battleship behind her seemed to rein in the leash with the light cruiser letting go of Gabriel's hand. Once she was out of the way, the battleship spoke, "Forgive her tendencies , comrade Admiral. I am Sovetskaya Rossiya, lead battleship of the Northern Parliament. My power is in your hands."
"It's good to have all of you, but, why only three? Avrora has told me there were more but only you three came around," the Admiral said, looking back out to the sea for any signs of other shipgirls.
Pamiat was about to answer but a hand blocked her lips from speaking. Rossiya cleared her throat, "Our other comrades are needed back at our homeland. If the Sirens ever attack again, we need a line of defense."
"Makes sense, let me give you all a quick tour of the base."
As the Admiral led the three Russian shipgirls around, Shoukaku looked back at Queen Elizabeth to find the loli battleship shaking. The grip on her staff was tight enough where she threatened to break it if she used more strength. The Sakura carrier placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder which forced a sudden reaction out of her. Elizabeth spun around like a child being spooked by a fellow friend.
"Ah! Sorry Shoukaku, I was lost in thought. Those Parliament girls are something," Queen Elizabeth commented. Her gaze then narrowed to the floor, "Especially that cruiser girl with that old rigging."
"You don't recognize her? I thought all ships from the First Great War knew each other," the Sakura Carrier said in return.
The Queen shook her head, "The Northern Parliament was different back then; before the revolution that changed them. Good times back then, battleships broadsiding in massive lines."
The shipgirl went silent for a moment, holding her staff with both hands while gazing towards the sea, "I miss them...Queen Mary the most. I wasn't there when it all happened but Warspite saw it first hand. But, those times are gone now and girls like you rule the seas but it feels good to be in the thick of it all.
Shoukaku gazed towards the sea as well with the image of large battleships exchanging rounds. Carriers now took that role with their planes being the live ammunition rather than turrets firing large ordnance. To think that only happened within thirty years before aircraft carriers became the dominant force on the seas was heartbreaking. At least they were all united to fight a common enemy.
"I should go. I don't want to leave Teitoku alone with handling those three women on his own," Shoukaku finally stated, earning a small nod from the small battleship.
"You should, they might just steal him away under your nose." Elizabeth giggled before turning to the Sakura woman. "I appreciate you lending an ear to an old lady like myself."
The carrier gave a smile in reply and turned to catch up towards the group. Once she was out of sight, Elizabeth sighed as if she held something in for quite a while. Then, she too left the docks to perform some daily tasks.
"And this is where Akashi does all her magic."
Gabriel pushed open the door to the tech lab where the great machine lay with cases of Wisdom cubes stored near the walls. He had taken the Northern shipgirls around some of the basic buildings like the administration office, the canteen, the small academy and etc. As of now, the shipgirls would have their quarters set up in the same building of the Dragon Empery. Currently, they had gone back to their homeland with his permission and there were plenty of rooms. The only small complaint would be they basically had the whole building to themselves; no doubt getting the ire of the other factions.
"Hm," Rossiya hummed while looking around the summoning device closely, "So is this how you were able to summon those from the fallen?"
He nodded, "Yes, but I can't just attempt it at will. The cubes have to 'speak' to me before I even try. The only exception were the priority ships since that was a matter of waiting. I can't just summon someone from death at any moment."
"When was the last time you 'heard' from these cubes?" Pamiat said as she opened one of the cases where a few Wisdom Cubes sat idly.
The Admiral scratched the back of his head, "I would say I haven't summoned a shipgirl in a whole year. They've been silent for that long but I'm confident they'll react at some point. There was this one time ..."
He froze for a moment with his brain stopping shutting his mouth down from leaking the information. They didn't know about the Pure Cube or the incidents with the mechanical beasts. Although, the Northern shipgirls' riggings awfully reminded him of his first encounter with the Leviathan. Was it a coincidence?
His thoughts were broken when he felt someone's gloved hand rest on his shoulder. Upon closer inspection, it belonged to Chapayev. He felt an aura come off of her that was enticing him to relax and tell her all his secrets. Like a subtle wind wanting to carry him through distant plains. It didn't help that those icy blue eyes of hers were drawing him in, "You can tell us whatever is troubling you, Admiral. We are in your care now."
"It's...something I'll tell you all later. I'd like to get to know you three first before I speak about more important matters," the Admiral replied, leaning back against the machine with his arms crossed.
"That is fine, Admiral. It is common to be wary of strangers no matter how noble they may seem. How do you normally get to know a new member of the base?" Rossiya waved off his professional response
"Secretary work or sorties. Since the Sirens have been absent as of late, there is no need for them."
"I...see."
Gabriel gave a grunt while pushing himself off the machine, "Alright, I think that is everything. If there is anything you girls need from me, just let me know. You three are free to do whatever you want so long as it doesn't cause any issues on base."
He watched them all nod and leave before the familiar feeling came back to him when he looked at Chapayev. The light cruiser gave him a wink before leaving the building as it left the Admiral thinking to himself. Either she knew how to get his attention or his perverted desires were coming back to bite him in the ass. I mean, she did have a great body to look at along with her clearly exposing a good amount of her breasts with her open jacket.
"Goddammit! I'm falling for that again." he silently smacked himself before he found himself falling into the floor when something hit him from behind.
Pain worked its way into his body while Gabriel was a bit stunned that something had suddenly attacked him. There was no one else in the room. Looking around, he found no traces of anyone being present near him or even outside the door. So who just smacked him in the back of the head if no one was in the area?
"Amiral…"
He whirled around to the sound of the voice to see the same woman that he saw during his time in France. This had to be Jean's sister, the former leader of the Iris. Gabriel relaxed his shoulders and slowly approached the holy woman. His mind felt scrambled with any explanation of seeing someone who should be dead. He hadn't even summoned her yet she stood in front of him right now.
A sudden force overpowered his body with his legs falling down to his knees. His voice was silenced before it could make a sound. A ringing of voices entered his ears like the chorus of a choir perfectly tuned. He felt so small in the presence of someone much larger. In his entire career, the Admiral never felt this way from anyone.
It would be easy to mistake the woman for being alive if she wasn't semi-transparent. Her ghost floated over towards the previous crate of Wisdom cubes before touching one of them. For a moment, the dull cube was unresponsive but it would light up suddenly. Richelieu's ghost would turn back to Gabriel and give him a bow before vanishing with the powered cube shining brightly. No words needed to explain what he needed to do.
He quickly flipped a few switches to get the summoning machine up and running before grabbing the Wisdom Cube and placing it within. The cube began to float within the instrument before energy began to pump into it. The cube began to whirl slowly at first with energy raising its velocity until it suddenly exploded. Smoke filled the room, forcing the Admiral to cough and exit the warehouse temporarily.
He suddenly bumped into the approaching Shoukaku and fell onto his back.
"Teitoku? Are you alright?" asked the Sakura woman. She reached down to help him to his feet while he quickly nodded. There was no need to worry her with what was going on inside the warehouse.
"Yes, I'm alright. I was just doing some test runs to be sure the lab is in working order." Gabriel muttered before adjusting himself accordingly, "Let's get back to the celebrations shall we?"
Shoukaku's face scrunched up as if examining him, "It wasn't those Northern women causing you some trouble were they?"
"No, just saw something that I didn't expect. In fact, someone has come back and I consider it a great present to the Iris."
Shoukaku raised a brow with her mind buzzing on who he was talking about. As far as she was concerned, every shipgirl was either on this base or working for Azur Lane in their homelands. Was there someone that hadn't been summoned back? If so, who?
"Amiral, by the grace of God, you have done it. What a pleasant surprise." a voice said behind him before Shoukaku got a full view of the Iris monarch. From her bright clothing to her tall stature that seemed to loom over Gabriel.
The Sakura carrier looked at him for an explanation, one he was ready to give, "This is Richelieu, leader of the Iris Libre. I just summoned her."
Richelieu was about to greet the carrier properly until a hesitant look crossed her face, "Amiral, Jean is on this base, oui? I must see her."
At this moment, Shoukaku leaned close to Gabriel to where she could whisper in his ear, "Didn't her country go through a division."
He nodded, "Yes, we need to make sure both sides don't erupt into conflict. I'm honestly expecting this to get worse." Gabriel then turned to Richelieu with a nod before escorting the holy woman to the French dorms. He didn't know what to expect from Jean but he really hoped it all worked well. This was Christmas Eve and what a better way to give a blessed gift than bringing back her sister?
Cool wind bristled past with the blades of grass forced to bend to its whim. The sun stood firm above the base yet it was beginning to fall to rest. The blue oceans stood below a large cliff that stood to overwatch the docks. Ember observed the new arrivals and how the base was preparing for the festive day. She made no comment about it nor did Ash, who seemed to wander off somewhere. It was just her standing over this familiar cliff but in different circumstances.
"The pieces are shifting around. The final game will begin," Ember muttered.
"The final game?"
Ember closed her eyes and released a short breath. She didn't turn to face the person who spoke those words. Behind her stood someone she used to be and representing a past life she once had. How such things used to be yet they were forced to change.
"The final battle. Are you prepared?" Ember asked, letting the question settle on her counterpart's mind.
Takao answered, "I'm prepared to die for what I believe in and who I care for. If it achieves the final victory, then so be it."
"If it comes to it, are you prepared to lose him?" Ember raised another question but with a much more obvious intention.
Takao narrowed her eyes with a fierce fire growing within them, "That won't ever happen so long as I live."
"So you say, but you know well enough that battles can end with unexpected results. You should be ready to lose those who are close to you."
"If that's what you say, then why did you turn to the Sirens? Doesn't that make all the sacrifices in vain?"
Ember finally turned back towards Takao with her own expression souring, "I did what I had to do. You should be grateful that I am on your side and not theirs."
"Would they see it that way?" Takao replied back, "Would your sisters understand you breaking your code and working with the enemy?"
Ember then began to approach her counterpart with her hand firmly placed on her blade, "You don't know what it is like to lose everything you hold dear."
Takao would have a response for that if she didn't hear something behind her. Quickly turning, she spotted Maya walking up the path towards the cliff. When her gaze returned back to her dark counterpart, she was nowhere to be seen.
"Is something wrong, nee-san?" Maya asked her bewildered oldest sister
"No. I was thinking about some personal matters." Takao said to her youngest sister while walking away from the cliff. Ember's words didn't shake her resolve yet there was truth in what she said. A final battle to end this war which could only mean the Sirens would throw everything they had at them. It was just a matter of when.
The doors to the French dorms opened as Richelieu let her eyes wander around her surroundings. Neither Gabriel or Shoukaku could blame the newly arrived battleship from feeling curious about this island. He didn't give her a tour like he did the Northern Parliament but he generalized much of the factions present on the base. A few that Richelieu was not too pleased to hear.
"So even the Ironblood and Sardegna Empire have joined you?" asked Richelieu with her right hand rising to her head as if a headache was erupting. She couldn't believe that enemies who took over her homeland at one point in her life were now allied once more. It was a good thing for sure but it just seemed too sudden. Had she been gone for that long already?
"Not willingly at first," Gabriel admitted with a shrug, "Hell, some even gave us a hard time before they surrendered or I convinced them to join. It does help when the Sirens show themselves and make a mess of things. Lots of paperwork."
Shoukaku hummed, "I was one of the lucky ones to not be sunk in his hands. Although, I cannot say the same for my other senpais."
Their voices caused some of the doors within the proceeding hallways to open up. A few members of the Iris Libre and Vichya looked out their rooms to spot their former leader in the flesh. Those of the Iris immediately rushed Richelieu with bright smiles and tears of joy before attempting to compose themselves and kneel. Those of the Vichya were quite different.
Dunkerque was the first to speak, approaching Richelieu hesitantly like a child about to be scolded by her parents. Considering the Vichya's defection, it wasn't hard to see why, "Richelieu...are you...do you forgive us?"
To her surprise, Richelieu brought the battlecruiser into a hug rather than force her to kneel. The Admiral was a bit perplexed that she didn't administer some sort of punishment for past crimes. He surmised that spending time as a spirit with the grace of God must have made her very merciful. Either way, the surrounding French shipgirls were more than elated by this action.
"Hello sister." The hallway suddenly stopped their joyous moment to meet the very last obstacle in their path. Standing in the hallway was Jean, her expression that bordered on a frown looking at her blessed sister. Any form of happiness died in an instant as the corsair stood her ground and showed no signs of giving in.
"Jean...It's been too long." Richelieu took a step forward but the opposing battleship did not budge. She simply stood there and stared at her brighter sister. The others were left to wonder what was going on inside Jean's head as this stare continued. Gabriel even wondered if Jean was trying to hold herself back from unleashing a rant.
To everyone's surprise, the corsair simply grunted a "yeah" before turning her back on the whole group. Any tension that had built up was gone yet it left Richelieu looking more troubled.
"Jean, wait. Are you not happy to see me?"
Jean stopped mid-step before answering, "Oh, I'm happy to see you. I can finally make myself useful while you manage everyone. If you need me, I'll be getting ready for a patrol."
With that, the corsair proceeded to leave the dorms without anyone stopping or attempting to stop her. The Admiral looked back at Richelieu to find her forlorn and needed to use her flag to steady herself. Shoukaku gave him a quick look before gesturing in the direction of Jean Bart. The message was very clear, find out what was the drama between Jean and Richelieu. Gabriel jogged right out of the dorms to catch up with the corsair before she went off into the seas.
Thankfully, he caught her still walking down the path towards the docks. However, he noted that her hands were balled up into fists and her shoulders were tense. Her teeth were clenched like a snarling lion with her footsteps occasionally kicking up dirt. Quickly approaching, he got the battleship's attention.
"Jean, got a moment?"
"What do you want?" The Vichya battleship relaxed before turning his way, crossing her arms over her chest with indifference.
"You mind telling me what happened between you and your sister?" the Admiral questioned seriously, adopting a stern gaze.
Not surprisingly, she wasn't going to spill. "None of your business."
"It IS my business if this is going to hamper your combat performance. If there is something causing some inner strife between you two, I need to know it right now so we can work this out." He retorted.
"I don't need someone to try and give me therapy for something my sister did! I'm better off without her." Jean stormed off towards her ship in a hurry. It seemed like a crack had appeared in her defenses which Gabriel was going to exploit. He followed after her all the way to the docks which was beginning to annoy the battleship more and more. It wasn't till he boarded her ship that she turned once more to face him.
"Get off my ship, Admiral." Her warning was filled with an evident hiss. Yet, the Admiral was bothered by it all thanks to his experience with much more terrifying shipgirls.
"Tell me what's wrong and I'll get off."
"You really want to know so badly?" Jean gave him the sharpest glare she could muster before she began stomping around. Her face forming that snarl from just a minute ago and her fists clenched so tightly her arms were shaking. She looked ready to punch something in an instant but she held herself back. "How would you feel if you were betrayed by your own siblings?"
Gabriel frowned at the question with the intent very clear. It didn't take a brainiac to answer a simple question like that; anyone would be pissed to be betrayed by a relative. As much as he wanted to answer the question, he was going to entertain the battleship. "I wouldn't know first hand. Care to explain?"
Years Ago
In the beautiful shores of France, a fierce battle was at play. Cannons roared between two fleets: one of Royal Navy and one of the Templar Knights. Overhead this battle was a fortress that was accompanied by Jean Bart and Richelieu. The younger of the two was watching the naval battle with her hands gripping the edges of a window. Her eyes burning in the entire scene and the snarl beginning to form itself. The older sister contrasted her with neutrality dawning on her face.
"How can these 'liberators' demand our surrender if they are to stop the Ironbloods? I won't let them stand for this."
"Sister, please, we are caught between two sides with the Sirens bearing down on us. Headquarters won't answer our call and the Royal Navy will not wait."
Jean turned with her first smashing the glass in front of her, "So you'll let them terrorize our citizens? Raid our ports? Sink our sisters in arms?!"
"It's..." Richeleiu grimaced as she heard an explosion, "There is nothing I can do until Hea-"
"Headquarters will not help us!" Jean's rigging formed in an instant despite the fact she was not fully constructed. "It is only us and the Templars that can protect our home. We cannot expect freedom from foreigners. If you won't fight, I will!"
A nearby door opened before an injured Dunkerque staggered her way towards the two sisters. Her clothing was bleached with soot and multiple tears were evident. Her hair was messy and a stream of blood was falling near her visible eye. Jean Bart caught her fellow battlecruiser before she faltered under her injuries. "Forgive me, I could not stop them."
A quick glare came from Jean, "Rest here, dear friend, I'll make sure they don't proceed further. Not another inch."
"Jean…" Richelieu reached out towards her sister but was swatted away
"Make sure the Templars are ready for battle, what's left of them. I'll buy you all as much time as I can."
The younger sister then proceeded to leave the fortress to confront the oncoming threat.
Jean was leaning against the railing of her ship with her elbows resting on the cool metal. Her snarl was replaced by her usual frown with her aura having dampened slowly. The Admiral had listened intently to her recollection of her country's darkest times during the early years of the war. There were records that Massachusetts gave him about her encounters with the French battleship that told of a different tale. Even the newly freed French government told a slightly different story.
"You're mad at yourself as much as you are at your sister." Gabriel spoke his conclusive thought on the whole matter. This did not please the battleship as Jean removed herself from the railing to look him directly in the eyes.
"What gave you that idea? Was it that Eagle Union girl I traded shots with?"
"It's what I can gather from everyone's view on what happened during that time. I can certainly sympathize with how Richelieu took no action. I would have done the same thing in your shoes." He gave a sigh with thoughts of his fallen brothers coming to mind, "But you can't directly put all the blame on your sister."
Jean scoffed, "What do you propose I do? Apologize?"
A stern look rose itself on Gabriel's face, "Talk about it. Move past those events and focus on what's in front of you. You never know when you won't have your sibling around."
He began to walk down the ramp like he stated earlier. Jean kept her frown although her gaze went towards the floor, contemplating the Admiral's advice. By the time the Admiral touched the docks with his feet, Jean rose to speak. "Suppose I take your advice, would you care to meditate?"
A smile graced the man's lips, "You know where to find me."
After that encounter with Jean, Gabriel had decided to take a small break and rest at his office for a short time. It was getting close to dark by now and everyone must have been waiting for the time to open their presents. The thought of himself getting something came to mind but Gabriel would be fine to not receive anything. There wasn't anything he desired more than for this war to end so he could go home.
Home…
"What is my home?" He wondered to himself on the simple word. The Admiral spent so long on this base that he wondered if this was his home now. All these women relied on him for leadership yet there had to be some family back at the states wondering about him. What of his mother since the years after his brothers' death? He had cousins but did they even bother remembering him?
Looking at the calendar near the wall, Gabriel contemplated the matter. He couldn't exactly leave this base without an escort nor could he leave it for too long. The brass still wanted him on the frontline with the shipgirls doing routine patrols for Siren activity. A day or two away never hurt anyone with the lack of combat but there were those mechanical beasts in the seas. Someone had to destroy them or at least subdue their presence. Sadly, they haven't made any appearance beside the first.
The Admiral tapped his fingers against the desk as he looked for some days that were free. Besides his date with Sheffield, which she requested they visit England for, there was relatively nothing planned. With heart-swelling, he marked two days for a trip. A special trip to get away from the naval base and visit his home city.
His office door opened with Shoukaku entering, "How did your talk go?"
"Could have gone worse. I was able to convince Jean to at least talk about her issues with Richelieu. Getting them to make up for lost time will be another challenge."
"Are you ready for the gift exchange? Everyone is assembling around the tree and the children are awaiting Santaprise." Shoukaku said with a small smile curling up her lips.
Gabriel nodded, "Yeah, I don't want to keep them waiting."
Except, as he made his way out of the office, Shoukaku stopped him just under the doorway. Raising a brow, the Admiral did not understand why they were under the doorway until he looked upwards and noticed a small item. A small green plant hung just under the doorway that had years of symbolism in many cultures. Before he could make a response, the Sakura carrier placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the lips. He returned the kiss before the duo left the office building to join the rest of the girls in the town.
As they made their way, the same red sleigh from earlier flew by the two with a joyful Enterprise. It was a humorous sight since the lead aircraft carrier took this day very seriously for the children on the base. For a second, Gabriel could've sworn he saw Essex sitting in the back of the sleigh dressed as an elf. Oh, how the destroyers would get a kick out of that one. Not wanting to be left behind, the duo proceeded as quickly as they could.
By the time they arrived, presents were already being handed out. The sky was slowly becoming nighttime as the stars began to shine their grace on the base. One particular star was shining the brightest among the thousands that can be observed. The hum and voices of a choir could be heard in conjunction with the tree lighting up.
"Admiral, a gift for you." Cavour suddenly approached the man holding a rather rectangular box with Christmas. "On behalf of the Sardegna Empire, accept this." The rest of the Italian ships soon were behind their veteran shipgirl with expectant looks. They all seemed eager to have him open it.
Gabriel smiled down at the smaller battleship and took the gift into his hands. "Thank you."
Curiosity got the best of him as he cut through the wrapping and opened the box to find a large piece of cloth. At least, that's what it looked like. As he pulled it out, he noted it was a little heavier than it looked and there were a couple of latches to hook it together. The Admiral was still confused by what it was until he unfolded it to realize what it was. It was then that Littorio stepped forward, "Allow me."
Cesare shot her a small glare but didn't protest against the maneuver. Gabriel handed over the large piece of cloth to Littorio where she threw it over his shoulders and locked the latches around his neck. The cloth covered most of his body and rested comfortably on top of his clothing. It was a naval cloak fit for a man of his size. Colored in a beautiful dark blue and holding the Azur Lane symbol on the back. Fitting for the man in charge of leading this entire fleet.
"We couldn't think of anything right away to give you but it was my idea you have something to add to your uniform," Cesare explained before her eyes went to Littorio for a moment. The Admiral wondered if there was something brewing between the two that he was unaware of. Did that explain why she demanded to be his partner in the New Year's banquet?
Gabriel still couldn't help but give a smile at the Italian shipgirls, "Thank you for the gift. I'll make sure to use it often."
It was then that he heard the other factions look towards his direction with mild jealousy in their eyes before they presented their own gifts. He sweatdropped with all these gifts presented towards him and wondered how long it was going to take to clean up the place. Sighing to this fate, Gabriel went ahead to open as many gifts as he could. Although, something came from the very edges of his eyes.
Something came out of the water only to slink back into it in a serpentine manner. The moonlight above glinted off the creature's body. He couldn't see the colors but he already had an idea what it could be. It was no whale and definitely no shark. That could only mean one thing…
It was time to go hunting.
Phew. I was just able to finish this without falling into too many writer's block moments. I'll be starting on the next chapter right away and planning to do the first chapter of my side story. I hope everyone here is taking this global pandemic seriously and please be safe.
With love.
