A Fresh Start Chapter 4, an azur lane/碧蓝航线 fanfic

Part Four – Faith in the Universe

I wake in a cold sweat, that dream had felt so real. I look to my left and see that it's just minutes before I'd be getting up anyways. It felt so real, I remember talking with Savanna, her telling me that it was okay to move on with my life that she didn't want me to be stuck without love in my life for the rest of my days.

I swing my feet over the side of my bed and start to think about last night, how it made me feel to see Cassidy sleeping against Algérie… then I start to think about yesterday, how Cassidy had gotten hurt. Finally, I start to think about how Algérie had slapped me in full view of subordinates as well as challenging me on being Cassidy's dad, this puts me in a difficult spot, I can't let that kind of stuff go, it sets a bad precedent if I do.

I run a hand down my face before I get into some loungewear and head downstairs, filling my mug with coffee; I lean against the counter and start to figure out what to do about my new problem… I send a message to Algérie, stating that I'm doing this for official reasons that I need to track down Jean Bart and have a chat with her.

XXXX

A couple of days later I've finally managed to track down Jean Bart, thanks to Algérie pointing me in the right direction. Still, she proved to be the hardest kansen to find on this island, I've got Cassidy waiting in the jeep as I walk up to this little hidey-hole that was tucked away behind some bushes in a cove. As I get closer I can hear some arguing in French, once voice I know the other I don't.

"Vous avez giflé le commandant, l'Algérie qui ne peut pas glisser!" that voice must be Jean Bart, she sounded frustrated.

"Oui je l'ai fait. C'était un imbécile à tête de cochon!" that voice was clearly Algérie.

"Eh bien, au moins, vous admettez l'avoir fait ... Il doit y avoir des retombées, il ne peut pas simplement vous laisser le négliger. Mais vous avez également remis en question son rôle parental envers sa fille, ce n'était pas à vous de le faire." that was Jean Bart again.

"A quoi pensez-vous alors?" there was Algérie, going by the tone, she was asking a question I'd wager.

"Je vais vous avoir confiné dans les quartiers pour le mois prochain, ou quand la flotte d'Iris arrivera, surtout parce que j'aurai besoin de vous quand ils arriveront ici." I think I knew a couple of words there, Jean Bart said something about arriving and a fleet… must be something to do with the Iris fleet.

"Je comprends, mais je n'aime pas ça." that was Algérie again, but was the icy retort from Jean that sent a chill down my spine, not that I understood it, but it was the tone, "Je m'en fous si vous l'aimez ou non, vous le ferez quand même ... et vous serez chanceux si je ne vous ai pas coulé ou dépouillé de votre statut de Templier pour cela."

That was when I chose to make my entrance, pushing back some of the leaves, I see Algérie standing ram-rod stiff, hands folded behind her back, chin up, chest out a little. But it was the woman in a red and black outfit, her dirty blond hair tied in a high ponytail that was leaning into the personal space of Algérie that sent another shiver up my spine. Her red eyes turned to me and she switched to English as she said, "Am I clear Algérie?"

"Oui, Jean Bart." She said back, cheeks a little red.

Jean placed a gloved hand under Algérie's chin and turned her to face me and said, rather pointedly, "Commandant, my dumbass subordinate would like to offer her apologies for the other day, for the way she both spoke and acted towards you in the clinic. Is there anything you'd like to do to her? I've already confined her to quarters for the next month or the arrival of the Iris fleet."

I got the feeling that Jean Bart really meant what she said about anything, especially when she put so much emphasis on that word, which was reinforced by the slightly panicked look in Algérie's eyes, I turned my full attention to the battleship as I said, "No, I think a month's confinement is sufficient in this case."

Jean looked to Algérie out of the corner of her eye and said with the same icy tone, "Sortez de ma vue, maintenant, Algérie."

I still don't know what was said, but it seemed to set Algérie off at a run, she looked over her shoulder at me as she made her way from the hidey-hole. Once she was gone, Jean Bart turned her attention back to me as she said, "Richelieu-class battleship, Jean Bart, I'm the Vichya Dominion's last cutting-edge battleship."

"Commander Daniel Wolf." I greet her back; she gives me a nod before climbing back into a hammock that was in her hideaway.

I follow her in and I ask, mostly out of curiosity, "You really weren't going to let me do anything, right?"

Jean shrugs as she says, "My big sister is the holy-than-thou one, I don't give much of a rat's ass for the Templars, vows or whatever bilge wash. If you wanted to take her right here on the sand, then I might've had a problem with it."

A shiver ran down my spine and I change the subject, "Speaking of your sister, who do you think she'd send here?"

Jean Bart sighed and rolled to face away from me as she said, "Depends on how lucky you are. If the universe hates you, Commandant, then it will be Saint Louis and she's every bit the zealot. If the universe loves you, you'll get Richelieu, she's still blinded by her faith, but she is reasonable."

I sigh, well that isn't much help. As I turn to head back to the jeep I say over my shoulder, "Thanks Jean Bart, maybe we can try to meet more often in the future."

I watch as she puts up a hand and waves it, letting me know she heard me but offering no answer.

XXXX

When we get to my office, I note that the secretary desk is empty, just as I expected it would be, I sigh inwardly and smile at Cassidy as she takes her spot on my couch and gets started on her tablet. For me, I get behind my desk and start to look at the list of kansen in port to try and get an idea of who I could call on to fill the role right now.

Vichya Dominion:

Jean Bart

Dunkerque

Algérie

Vauquelin

Tartu

Eagle Union:

North Carolina

Tennessee

California

Intrepid

Bouge

Ranger

Vestal

Baltimore

Bremerton

Brooklyn

Reno

Cleveland

Columbia

Montpelier

Denver

Gridley

Craven

McCall

Maury

After a short bit, I stop reading, I really don't feel like going down the full list of nearly seventy Eagle Union kansen. I sigh to myself I know that Dunkerque is not an option, as is Algérie thanks to her being punished for what she did, Jean Bart didn't seem the type to take on the extra work. I know that Vestal is busy with the clinic and North Carolina is busy being her fleet rep. I'm not going to task Bouge or Maury with the work either…

I pinch the bridge of my nose and lean back in my chair, looking over at the couch as Cassidy sat there and tried to do her school work, then I turned my attention back to the list before me, I discard the kansen from the Vichya for now and start to bring up the profiles of some from the Eagle Union. About halfway through the list, I find someone I think might be a good fit, Brooklyn, if anything she seems to be overqualified… I hope she won't feel like this request is demeaning in any way. I just send off the request when I feel Cassidy tugging on my arm, pulling me back to the world around me, when I look over to her, she puts her left hand against her belly and tells me, "Dad, can we find something to eat? I'm hungry…"

I quickly look at the clock and see that it's already lunchtime, I smile at her as I say to her, "I can do one better."

I pick up the phone in my office and call down to the kitchens to order some pizza for both of us, much to the delight of Cassidy. As we sat and ate the pizza, Cassidy asked me a question that I had been kind of dreading all weekend and morning, "Dad, where's Miss Dunkerque?"

I sighed and hung my head, I'd made it a point, to be honest with Cassidy as much as possible, and since this seemed to have an impact on her wellbeing, no point in not continuing that trend of being honest with her. I take a deep breath and tell her, "She's kind of mad at me. She's willing to still teach you French, but she doesn't want to deal with me for a while."

She tilted her head at me and her brow knit together before she asked, "Did it have anything to do with Miss Algérie being over for spaghetti night?"

I give a half laugh and nod as I said, "Yes actually. Algérie and Dunkerque have issues with each other, issues I didn't know about."

She nodded and took a bite of her pizza before looking down at it and asked another loaded question, "Does that mean that Miss Algérie won't be around again?"

I sighed and shook my head as I told her, "Not for a while at least. She got herself into trouble when she slapped me and challenged me on being your dad. I like Algérie and I was willing to let some of it go, but as I thought about it over the weekend, I realized I needed to do something about it…. That's why I sought out Jean Bart today to work out a good punishment for Algérie."

I watched as she bit her lower lip and reiterated, "Dad, really Bouge didn't do anything wrong! It was my choice to chase that ball and it was an accident that I slipped… Please, please, please don't be mad at Bouge."

I sigh and put down my pizza as I think about how to broch this before I explain to her, "I trusted Bouge and Maury to look out for you, they may look like eight-year-olds but facts are they are warships. On their watch, you got hurt, and I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with it."

That was when she gave me those damn puppy dog eyes, complete with trembling lower lip… I sigh and tell her, "You'll likely be allowed to play with them again, but not till you've healed up. Vestal told me that we'd be looking at around three to six weeks for your arm to be better and two to three weeks for your ankle."

She sighs and flops backward in an exaggerated way as she groans out, "That's punishment enough!"

I want to laugh, but I need to be firm here as I say, "Consider it being lucky, it could've been so much worse."

She sighed and placed her left arm over her eyes as she said, "I get it Dad, I do. But it still sucks that I won't get to see my friends for a while."

"Cassidy... watch your language," I warn her.

"Well it's true!" she says defiantly.

I sigh inwardly, she had a point, and personally, I think that the physical damage is punishment enough for her. I look back at my pizza slice and change the subject, sort of, as I say, "Cassidy, your safety is extremely important to me. I feel like the trust I put in Bouge and Maury was betrayed because you got hurt. This is compounded by the fact that I'm actually entertaining the idea of finding someone that might be a step-mother to you in the future and I need to be able to trust someone to look after you as well I would, if not better than I would."

She sits up at this point and nods as she asks, "So? Miss Algérie did a good job; she got me to the clinic…"

"True, she did. But she crossed a line in doing so and in what happened while you were in with Vestal." I say to her, as I look to Cassidy to see if she understands what I'm talking about.

Cassidy takes on a confused look for a little bit before it seems to dawn on her as she says, "Because she works for you it makes her standing up to you and hitting you really bad?"

I nod as I say, "It does."

She looks confused again and says, "But Miss Dunkerque didn't..."

"You're right, but Dunkerque doesn't like the idea that Algérie likes me in the same way she does, and I didn't help things by inviting Algérie over for dinner and a movie that night. And I think Dunkerque was mad that I didn't tell her what happened to you earlier." I tell her, she seems to understand when she leans against me.

After a few moments she asks, "Dad, I don't like Miss Algérie and Miss Dunkerque being mad at each other or you, is there anyone else you might like?"

I sigh as I'm honest and tell her, "Not that I've explored… a lot of the women here are very attractive."

"Well, who do you think is pretty, not counting Miss Algérie and Miss Dunkerque?" she asked me, wow was that a loaded question.

I sigh before I say, "There is a lot more to it than just being pretty, sweetheart."

"Oh, you mean like the ugly duckling story? Being pretty is more than just looking pretty?" she asked.

I nodded my head as I finished my slice before telling her, "Right."

XXXX

I was surprised how fast a month flew by, especially with Brooklyn taking over as secretary, she was so organized and well learned, she even filled in to help with French for Cassidy, and me, for the month. I was also impressed when Bouge came to me and told me what happened from her perspective, it lined up with every else I'd heard and I could see how upset she was about all of it, so I let her and Cassidy hang out in the house while she finished healing up, but I stressed the importance of keeping Cassidy safe, something Bouge seemed to take to heart.

Now however I found myself standing at the docks, curious to see who would be arriving, the atoll we were at was just a buzz with scuttlebutt about it. I had left Cassidy back at my office with Bouge and Brooklyn after Brooklyn had given me a binder with recommended protocols and dossiers on members of the Iris fleet. Thankfully it wasn't a 'cold day' for here and I could get away with my summer uniform, I laugh to myself a 'cold day' here was still in the low sixties degrees Fahrenheit. I bring up my binoculars and scan the horizon; I wanted to get a ship count before they got too close to the atoll.

As I swing from north to east to south, I spot some white and gold on the ocean. I swing back to the glint I saw and without taking down my binoculars I say to Intrepid who is standing beside me, "Can you send a scout out, I see something coming from the east."

A moment later I hear the rumbling of a big radial engine overhead, a few minutes later Intrepid says to me, "I see two destroyers, two cruisers, and a battleship… all flying red, white and blue flags."

Huh… that's more than I was expecting, seems to be an even number roughly to the Vichy fleet, so not so bad. I let go of my binoculars and start to flip through the files that I've got with me, going to the ship profiles as I ask, "Can you use any of these silhouettes to possibly ID any of the approaching ships?"

"I can try…" she said as she took a look, using one hand to play with one of her grey pigtails while her lips pressed together, eyes daring back and forth between the ships before she gave me the list, "Forbin, Le Triomphant, Jeanne d'Arc, Saint Louis, and Richelieu."

"Thanks, Intrepid, about how long do you think before they get here?" I ask her.

Her brow furrows before she says, "Based on the speed? I'd say maybe an hour, hour and a half?"

I ran a hand over my head, rubbing it back and forth as I think on Jean Bart's words and a lack of clear indication if the universe had love or hate for me, turning my attention to North Carolina I ask her, "Do you think you could ask some of the girls to move their hulls to accommodate them as far away from the Vichya hulls as possible?"

North Carolina gave me a friendly smile as she nodded and said, "On it Sir."

I let out a breath and waited, today was going to be interesting, to say the least.

I kept checking my watch as well as the horizon as they got closer, it wasn't long before I saw the kansen on the bow of the battleship, a banner pole in one hand with a flag billowing in the wind, her other hand had a red book in it, she seemed to be looking at it, I couldn't see her eyes, but it was the striking strawberry blond hair that surprised me. I had expected a more of a dirty blond like that on Jean Bart, not to mention even in an ornate dress I could tell she had ample… oh how did the kansen put it again? Right, torpedo protection, but more than that, she was stunning, and just looking at her felt so very calming.

I was ripped from my stunned state by a hand touching my shoulder and a voice saying, "Everything's already Sir, I've moved my own hull, Baltimore, Cleveland, and a pair of the Fletcher sisters to make room for them."

It took me a moment to place the voice, as I turn to look at North Carolina and I smiled at her as I told her, "Thanks NC."

She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Everything okay Sir?"

I lifted the binoculars again to look at Richelieu again as I said, "I think so."

I couldn't help it; she was just mesmerizing to look at. I mean I know every kansen on this base is attractive, I know Algérie is pretty, but Richelieu, well she was on a whole different level, it'd been a long time since the sight of a woman rendered me speechless.

XXXX

I stood a respectful distance back as the last of the Iris fleet docked, my blue eyes still locked on Richelieu, I found it hard not to be drawn into her red eyes, they were just so calming to me. Richelieu walked up to me, flanked by both Saint Louis and Jeanne d'Arc, I had a feeling both of the cruisers were more akin to warrior-priests rather than knights-errant like the Vichya fleet. Richelieu extended her left hand as she said, "Bonjour Commandant, I am Richelieu, Cardinal of Iris Libre."

I bowed my head slightly to kiss her hand, when I looked up to greet her, I saw her cheeks had taken on a pink hue as I said, "A pleasure to greet you Cardinal. I am Commander Wolf, how may I be of service?"

She gave me a welcoming smile as she said, "We have had a long trip from England, though reuniting with our sisters is a priority, we could use a respite."

"Of course Cardinal, what did you have in mind?" I ask as I straighten up and extend my arm to her.

To my surprise, after she hands her banner pole to Saint Louis, she links her left arm through my right before leaning in and whispering in that heavy French accent of hears, "A place where I could find a good Burgundy wine would be nice… I'm most tired of tea."

I laugh as I whisper back, "I don't know about a good Burgundy wine, but I know they have wine at least."

She again smiles softly and warmly at me as she says, "That will do Commandant."

It doesn't take us long to get to the local pup, to my surprise Richelieu doesn't seem disappointed in the building or the commonality of it, rather she looks over her shoulder at me before entering and says with a wink and a giggle, "Even someone like me lives an ordinary life when not on duty or performing religious rites. A person cannot live on faith alone; sometimes you just need a drink or two."

In that one action, I would swear to the end of my days that I saw a little bit of Savanna in Richelieu and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it. When I entered the pub, I saw that she had already gone to a table, and patted the table while she looked at me said, "Commandant, please, come and sit with me to have a drink."

I almost tripped over myself as I went over there, just as I sat down, one of the meowfficers came over, a little white puffball, a white officer's cap on its head, I had to take a close look to read the name, Eagle. But it was the way that the eyes of Richelieu lit up at seeing Eagle just before she scooped him up and cuddled him as she exclaimed, "Are you not the most adorable little creature!"

She turned her question to me with the words, "Commandant, is this a meowfficer? I've heard about them, but never seen one…"

I smile at her and relax as I say, "His name is Eagle, but yes, he is and he's a meowfficer of the Eagle Union."

Once she let Eagle down and take our order we sat in silence for a little bit before he came back with a glass of red wine for her and a coffee for me. I watch as she takes a sip, a smile coming to her lips before she put it down and smiled at me as she asked, "Tell my Commandant, how is my little sister, Jean?"

I shrug, truth be told I'd only seen her three times, counting meeting her on the beach for the first time. I stir my coffee and think about how to explain that I really don't know. I feel her touch my hand as she says, "No matter your answer, if it is true, I will be happy to know. I feel horrible for how things ended between me and her, I feel worse for being held in Davenport by the Royal Navy for so long… They wouldn't let us leave or contact our sister Templar Knights to know what happened when we went for help."

Her hand was warm and soft, and I got lost in her red eyes again for a moment before I said, "Truth be told, I've only met your sister three times, usually she is at her hidey-hole on the beach."

She nods but doesn't take her hand away, her cheeks getting a little red as she asks, "Then who have you been dealing with for the Templar Knights?"

"Algérie and Dunkerque mostly… but I got into a bit of a bind with both of them." I say to her, finding that there was something about Richelieu that left me unable to hide anything.

She nods, and smiles broadly as she says, "It is good to hear that they both made it, I look forward to seeing who else managed to arrive at this port… perhaps we can rebuild the Orthodoxy."

XXXX

A/N: Chapter Four down and another shift in the landscape. Should be fun to see how this shakes out, so thank you to everyone that has given me any of your time, I really appreciate the views, reviews and PM's. I try to listen and make adjustments in a way that fits where I want the story to go in the end, but I also try to let the characters dictate where the story will go.