Pennsylvania stifled a yawn. It would have been unprofessional, disrespectful even to do so amidst a battle for the fate of the Pacific. After all, these night operations were hard on everyone, and they weren't yawning. No, Pennyslvania kept it down, her attentions focused out to the dark waters beyond, even as her companions conversed.
"They wouldn't dare try it."
"They might. They're getting desperate."
"The backbone of their carrier force was lost at Midway, they're scrapping for any victory they could get."
"Still, only battleships… who was it again, Fuso and Yamashiro? Right, Penn?"
The question directed at Pennsylvania dragged her attentions from the moon's reflection off the waters of the Surigao Straight to the cock-sure grin of California.
"According to the patrol boats that engaged earlier, yes."
Why they were attacking though, Pennyslvania had no answer. It was clear that the Sakurans didn't realize that they were sailing straight into a gun-line.
"Just like deadmen." Pennsylvania mumbled. Three years of this war had certainly shifted her attitude about it. She had come to terms with what had happened to Arizona- how she had been helpless to help her sister while her own rigging was being worked on during that fateful attack. She had turned that grief towards a new task and purpose; being "Big Sis Penn"- the ship who protected her juniors, the ship who covered those gallant marines that stormed the enemy beaches.
"Even if it's only two of them, striking more warships from their roster is our job." Tennessee called out from just past California. They were all on strict light discipline, but not so much sound- and Pennsylvania certainly had a moment of worry that the boisterous Tennessee's boasting would have carried over the waters.
"And revenge for Pearl Harbor." West Virginia solemnly replied, her sister Maryland nodding as well.
"More poetic that you five are the ones who will strike it." Mississippi spoke from the center of their battle line. That was right… Mississippi hadn't been there…
Pennsylvania's radio crackled to life, the young voice of the juniors who had joined in this ambush calling out, "Destroyers have sighted the targets and we're moving to engage! Let's go, Fletchers!"
The battleships tensed. The destroyer ambush was the first phase of the ambush, but they were alone out there- the battleship line and cruisers were held to keep the "T" crossed… it meant Penn couldn't get out there to help.
"Good luck, godspeed Fletchers!" California radioed back before turning to Pennsylvania. "They'll be fine, Penn. It's dark, and they're quick little devils."
California's grin could ease even the most heavy of hearts, though it did little to lift the unease that loomed. Minutes melted into hours- or a single hour? Pennsylvania hadn't so much as blinked away from the horizon, fully expecting to see the outline of the Sakuran battleships.
"I hit Fuso! I hit her! Lookit her limp!" a radio sizzled, the cheer of other destroyers crackling in the background. The battleships gave a quiet cheer, but it was a somber one.
"Yamashiro and some cruisers are still coming, but we've thinned them!" Fletcher radioed her report properly, unlike her younger sisters.
"Good, then we can still get a piece!" Tennessee cracked her knuckles and checked her turrets. She would have to wait a while though, it would still be an hour or two before the enemy flotilla got into range- if they got into range.
"Time to spread out, then. Everyone to their places!" Mississippi waved the battleships out of their loose huddle and into proper blocking positions.
"Shropshire?" Pennsylvania called out to the dark, only to have the Royal Navy ship slink into view, her grass-green hair making her all the more easy to see in the moonlight.
"Yes, Miss Pennsylvania?"
"Stay near Boise. Can't have our allies lose a ship on one of our operations because of carelessness."
"You worry too much, Miss Pennsylvania!" The green-haired cruiser waved aside Pennsylvania's concern, "I can't just go back to my sisters empty handed! We need to show you Yanks a thing or two about a proper gunnery fight, after all."
"But you're with the Royal Australian-"
"And I'm an English girl at heart, Miss Pennsylvania." Shropshire placed a hand on her hip as she flicked her long flowing ponytail back over her shoulder, "London will want to hear about my travels, so let's not disappoint my sister!"
Sister.
It was a thought that Pennsylvania mulled during those long hours of sailing, or in those quiet moments before a battle. Arizona… would Arizona be disappointed in how Pennsylvania turned out?
"Enemy radar contact. Range forty-two thousand and closing." West Virginia called out over the radio. Pennyslvania snapped from her clouded thoughts, almost instinctively adjusting her guns, but held fire. She couldn't see anything, and without the radar guidance to pierce the dark, she couldn't effectively shoot.
Eight thudding whumps from the other end of their line, loud enough that even Pennsylvania could hear them, West Virginia's guns firing in concert. The blasts flickered, like someone flashing a signal light at the other end of the line.
"Hit her, range is right. Open up, ladies."
Flashes down the battleship line, like snapping sparks on the Fourth of July. The boom of sixteen-inch guns, all focusing on one unfortunate soul out there in the dark. Only Pennsylvania's guns were silent.
Yamashiro was trying her best- she was trying her best to be flagship, she was trying her best to follow the admiral's orders, she was trying her best to not cry.
She knew Fusō had sunk. To be left behind amidst the Eagle Union sharks that had dogged them in the dark was a death sentence. She wanted to turn around and go back, to help Fusō, to run away from what was clearly an ambush… but she had her orders- intercept the invasion fleet at all costs.
Yamashio's best was the only thing left she had to give, and so she steamed northward as quickly as she could, Mogami at her side. Maybe that was it- maybe that was all the Eagle Union could scramble on such short notice.
The scream of shells shattered that hope. Instinctively Yamashiro shielded herself with her rigging, just like she always would, even when the incoming fire wasn't even aimed at her.
This time it was.
Crashing, exploding, and pain- so much pain.
"Yamashiro nee-san!" Mogami cried, skating for Yamashiro the instant the smoke and seaspray cleared.
"Stay away! It's me! They see me!" Yamashiro screamed. Of course they saw her. This was just like Yamashiro's luck that it should have been predictable. She could weather this! It would buy the other ships more time to get away.
"Run! Please, everyone just run!"
The wail- twice as many as the first. Shells thudded, plunged, exploded, and punched. So much water had been thrown into the air that they could have mistakenly sailed into a rainstorm.
Just how many ships had they run into? Yamashiro's eyes strained against the void of the night, the horizon easy enough to find, but the enemy lurking beyond it impossible to pick out with her aged rigging. How could the Eagle Union ships do it so easily? It made her want to cry out about how unfair they were being as another volley howled in upon her. What else could Yamashiro do besides sailed forward until she could properly fight back?
"Protect me, nee-sama." She half-pleaded, half sobbed as she continued steaming forward full speed, trying to throw off the aim of those invisible eyes that tracked her.
"Forward it is then, Yamashiro nee-san." Mogami solemnly nodded, startling Yamashiro, "For Fusō-sama."
She hadn't run… why? Why-
More wails, more explosions, more screams as Yamashiro's escorts dwindled. The only thing she could do was fire blindly into the dark- if only to make herself feel the slightest bit useful. Mogami copied her, though Yamashiro was sure it was because her escort actually believed that Yamashiro had a target.
"Mogami-san run-"
Shells had battered Mogami- not from battleships, but from enemy cruisers that had moved around them while they had been focused forward. Yamashiro's escort was bleeding badly, her legs dragging into the water line up to the knee- but still she held on.
"No, Yamashiro nee-san. You run. I will cover you."
Before Yamashiro could further protest, Mogami pushed herself forward, drawing up her torpedo rack.
What was she hoping to accomplish? To be blown apart by shells? To draw the fire from Yamashiro? Mogami's efforts were in vain, as another hailstorm of shells thundered around Yamashiro.
The pain was indescribable. Yamashiro's rigging had caught fire and, before she could jettison the loaded ammo within, it had cooked off, blasting Yamashiro to the ocean surface.
"Mogami-san!" Yamashiro cried, crawling to turn back south, "We need to run!"
She had to have done enough, right? This was enough! Losing her sister… losing her friends… she had proven her best was not nearly enough…
Yamashiro continued to crawl, hoping blindly that Mogami would follow. If she could make it back… if she could just get away with Mogami then… then-
"Yamashiro's not moving."
"Put another volley into her."
"Gotta give it to the Sakuran's, their ships don't go down easy- better target practice."
"We have torps in the water, try not to advance any further."
"Yamashiro's been struck by a torp! She's going down! So long, Sakuran!"
"Give her one more farewell volley. Full battery-"
"Hold fire!" Pennsylvania barked into the radio. She could see out in the distance, right at the edge of her range, the distinct look of California giving her an inquisitive stare, no doubt one shared by the others further down the battle-line. "Let her die with some dignity." Pennsylvania ordered. She could feel their scowls in the dark. How could Pennsylvania, of all ships, let a Sakuran die with dignity?
In truth, it was because she was sick of the fight. She had turned her entire being to protecting others… but if the fighting was over then, technically, those under her care were safe. The cycle of violence and retribution… enough blood, oil, and steel had sunk into the abyss to slate the depth's hunger.
At least, that was what Pennsylvania thought.
"Mogami is still afloat." Someone called hopefully through the radio, subtly asking permission to fire.
"And what's a single cruiser going to accomplish alone?" Pennsylvania snapped back, "Come daylight she'll be bombed if she's still in these waters. Save the shells for the rest of the fight." It was a sober reminder- the battle for Leyte- for the whole of the Philippines was greater than just this one engagement.
Pennsylvania was the first to turn her back to this fight- no… this execution, steaming north to regroup with the main fleet. Several of her escorts formed up without a word, Shropshire and Boise in tow behind her.
"You okay, Penn?" Boise had skated her way up beside the battleship. The Brooklyn class cruiser had that same look of calm concern as their older sister.
"Yeah." Pennsylvania looked back over her shoulder, watching as the battleship line reluctantly broke formation and sailed after her. "I didn't fight all this way, didn't get this strong, just to play at being an executioner." She grumbled.
Boise froze up a moment, pondering Pennsylvania's words.
"Arizona…" Pennsylvania hesitated, testing her sister's name, feeling it dance upon her tongue like a drop of cool water in a parched-dry mouth. "Arizona wouldn't want me to become that." Pennsylvania turned to smile at Boise and Shropshire. "To protect all of you- to protect those weaker than me is my reason to fight, but…"
"I know." Boise looked back out towards the inky black grave-sites of Yamashiro and Fuso. "No surrender, no quarter? Stupid." Boise shook her head.
"I was beginning to think you Yanks were so hellbent on revenge that you were losing sight of the war." Shropshire skated alongside the pair, "I swear, it seems like some of you want to keep it going just for the sake of taking the anger out."
"I just want to end it." Pennsylvania responded. No one could question the determination in her statement with calls of cowardice, not a damn soul could. When the argument of 'Think of those who were lost.' came up, Pennsylvania could always answer that she thought of Arizona constantly.
And Arizona wouldn't want future lives lost over something that should be ended.
"For the future of everyone, this war needs to end."
The question was, how long was that bloodstained path ahead of her… or if she would even survive it at all. In the end, she would see Arizona, one way or another. And when Pennsylvania did finally get to embrace Arizona, she wanted to be someone that her sister could be proud of.
Fusō still hadn't arrived yet. No matter how long Yamashiro waited here on the docks day after day, still no sign of her older sister. Silently Yamashiro did her best to mime out the kagura dance that her sister had taught her; the one to guide familial spirits back home. It was solemn and mournful when it should have been joyous and reverent. Partially because Yamashiro's movements were clumsy and inexperienced, partially because there just was no untying that sadness. When she had finished, she scratched another tally mark upon the lamp post.
"Beautiful dance. What's it for?" A stern, deep voice, caused Yamashiro to jump, but a gentle hand ruffled her hair and gave her ears an affectionate scratch.
Pennsylvania stood so tall, so intimidatingly tall as she smiled down at Yamashiro. The Eagle Union battleships all were so terrifying to Yamashiro, as they rightfully should have been. Even if they were on the same side now, she simply just couldn't shake that feeling.
"I-It's for my older sister, Miss Pennsylvania." Yamashiro shifted, trying to shrink away, "S-so her spirit finds its way here."
"You can drop the 'miss' bit, kid." Pennsylvania took a seat on the dock's edge, letting her legs dangle off the side before gently patting a spot next to her. The Union ship's smile seemed… nice, but the way it pulled that scar on her face, it made the gesture feel… sinister?
"O-oh. Umm…" Yamashiro obliged, not wanting to appear rude, though she shrank further when Pennsylvania turned those steel-cold eyes upon her.
"Your sister's spirit, huh?" Pennsylvania sighed deep, seemingly exhaling all of that steel that had so intimidated Yamashiro. What was left was a woman, weary and quiet. The silence between the two was cool, but not awkward, an unspoken understanding that Yamashiro couldn't quite muster the courage to break.
"Hey, Yamashiro?"
"Y-yes Miss… umm, Pennsylvania?"
"You think… you think you could teach me how to do that dance?"
Why would a strong woman as Pennsylvania…? Yamashiro's thoughts stopped there. They all had sisters- almost everyone on the Azur Lane base; and if not by blood, then by camaraderie. It would have been stupid to ask why Pennsylvania would want to call a spirit to port.
As if sensing Yamashiro's hesitation and unease, the older battleship smiled, gazing out to the ocean. "For Arizona." She said, "My little sister Arizona is out there somewhere, alone."
The admission from Pennsylvania elicited a tiny, choked whimper from Yamashiro. Pennsylvania had so perfectly encapsulated that missing part of Yamashiro's heart with just the tone of her voice alone. It hurt all the more when Yamashiro had to explain;
"I could but… it might not have the same effect."
"Oh…"
Yamashiro fell silent as well, letting the sound of the waves crashing on the breakwater dull her pain. The woman next to her was just as broken, just as scarred -if not more literally- as Yamashiro.
"Pennsylvania?" Yamashiro struggled to properly pronounce her name, frowning at her own shameful and disrespectful display.
"You can just call me Penn…" The battleship chuckled to herself, "I'm only older than you by one year, but until your big sister arrives at port, you can call me Big Sister Penn… if you want, that is."
"Penn-neesan…?" Yamashiro tested out the name. It felt warm… caring... Pennsylvania's smile was lopsided, the unscarred cheek pulling that much higher than the other as she glanced to Yamashiro.
"O-oh… it means 'older sister' in um… informal Sakuran…" Yamashiro flushed with embarrassment.
"It sounds good. I like it." Pennsylvania's smile was growing infectious, even as she turned her gaze back out to sea, staring to the endless ocean beyond. "Penn-neesan- heh." She chuckled. "Until your big sis arrives, Penn-neesan will look out for you. That okay, Yama-chan?" Pennsylvania gently patted Yamashiro's head before pulling herself back up.
"Y-Y-You know our language?"
"I picked up some here and there from the other Sakurans. C'mon Yama-chan, there's some folks that the commander wanted me to introduce you to before heading out."
"C-coming!" Yamashiro picked herself up, mustering what courage she could off of Pennsylvania's kindness. It gave her something new, something hopeful to hold on to and strive for. When Fusō arrived, Yamashiro would welcome her sister with loving arms like always… but when that time came, Yamashiro hoped that it would be a new family, a new group of friends that ushered Fusō in from the cold.