Location: somewhere in southeast Usea

"I can't believe we're doing this..."

Muttering to herself, Vulture glanced at her surroundings with vigilance. But the wariness was not born from mindful caution. She scanned her surroundings more than her radar, keeping in mind the worrisome fact that at any moment, the very sky above their heads could burst like stars.

But hey, no worries. Command had instructed them to be extra careful during their reconnaissance, as if that would be enough to dissuade what she had heard from her sisters upon returning from their mission. Just be "extra careful". It's not like an unknown weapon was of any concern now that it was unveiled.

Or hey, if the same weapon was going to be turned on them, just be sure to survive it. Worked fine for her sisters and the other carriers. They're certain there'll be a convenient inlet or crevice to take cover from. If they could do it, surely they could too.

"... I can't believe we're doing this..."

"Ugh, we heard you already Vulture. No need to repeat it all the time," nagged Cleveland. She sailed ahead of the carrier, forming the spearhead alongside Columbia. "Besides, if you didn't like the plan you would've bailed."

Vulture rolled her eyes. "I'd love to, but people upstairs wouldn't be happy if I violated direct orders because they wanted someone to help be the bait."

Columbia exchanged a look with her sister as they continued their voyage. Under the grey blanket that was the sky, the seas struggled to remain blue. The wind continued to blow gracefully but this did little to placate the ships on their mission.

Cleveland kept her eyes peeled but found the emptiness to be disappointing. "You see anything?"

A bubblegum quietly popped as Columbia peered through her binoculars. "Nope. Nothin' to see for miles. At least not yet."

The light cruiser frowned as she kept note of their heading and location. From what she could tell, they were around the same longitude where Operation: Bunker Shot had transpired - where an uncertain weapon had revealed itself. If it was active, then they were certainly in range. Their mission was to try to determine how this weapon worked.

"Hey kid."

Cleveland didn't bother turning around. "What is it, Vulture?"

"The thing that my sis- er, Kestrel and Buzzard saw… you think that was something the Sirens could do?"

With a shrug, the blonde gave her candid response. "Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if they could."

Cleveland heard a light scoff from the carrier. "If it really is from them, then that's one hell of a gun they got tucked up in their sleeves."

The cruiser tilted her head quizzically. "You think it's something else?"

"I'm just saying, throwing around air-burst bombs (hella big ones, granted) doesn't strike me as 'reality-warping'. Thought they'd use something more mumbo-jumbo or something..."

Columbia held back a snicker. "'Mumbo-jumbo'? Now that there is a phrase I ain't heard of in a while."

"No, really," Vulture insisted. "Last I heard from Andromeda, she thinks she can figure it all out, said she had a clue. In other words, that crap couldn't be magic. And I don't think so either."

"So what do you think it was?" asked Cleveland.

"Like I said, it would be one hell of a gun they got. Or some kind of high-speed burst missiles. Or maybe both."

The cruisers looked incredulous. "A gun? You really think there's a cannon big enough to make those kind of shots? I've never heard of any massive gun that could shoot from beyond the horizon like Andromeda claimed."

"Maybe for you..." Vulture muttered under her breath. But further words and speculation were cut short as a shell whistled right past their heads. Scrambling, the ships looked to see black-hulled vessels all around them.

Columbia looked around in shock. "Siren ships! Where did they pop from?!"

"Shoot, we must've been so distracted that we didn't notice!"

"Just so we know, I had nothing to do with it! But whatever, let's do this!" Brushing past the cruisers, Vulture catapulted ahead, rigging primed and ready to go as she charged. F-15s already took to the air and by the time Cleveland and her sister even reacted, the first explosions boomed.

Nursing where the carrier had pushed past her, Cleveland could only look at Vulture with irritation. "Why does she keep doing that?... Whatever. Let's not keep those ships waiting. Let's go!"

"After you, Cleve!"

The day remained young as yet another explosion thundered. But this time it signaled the last of its kind as the day finally caught reprieve to today's skirmish.

Catching her breath, Cleveland made sure to check her surroundings. "Looks like that was the last of them."

"Didn't seem to be too many," Columbia remarked as she looked at the smoking remains of the mass-produced ships. "Looks to be just another one of them patrols."

"There weren't that many 'cause I did all the heavy work," Vulture bragged.

Cleveland shot a look of annoyance at the carrier. "Yeah Vulture, we get it. You're a carrier and we're just cruisers. If anything I think people will be more impressed by ships that aren't so obviously strong putting in the effort."

"Whatever. This whole thing was a cakewalk so it's not like it mattered all that much," Vulture shrugged with indifference.

Cleveland's brow twitched. There was no hiding it now as she marched towards the carrier with a stormy expression. "Listen bird-brain. If you think you're-"

"Woah, what was that just now?"

All heads looked up to see Columbia's eyes drawn to the skies. It was bright as any daylight could be, with the clouds proving benign and the distant skylines bearing no ill omens of enemy reinforcement. Cleveland stared in confusion. "I'm not seeing anything. You sure you saw something?"

"I know I did, sis!" Columbia asserted. "I definitely saw some kind of flash and-"

Then it came. It rippled through their bodies and assaulted their senses as they saw, heard, and felt it all at once. One second, the trio were standing on the open sea, and the very next thing they knew, they were on the ground, with the wind knocked off their chests and ringing in their ears.

Vulture tried to sit up but felt her body weighed down by sores and aches. "Arrgh… What was that?!"

Cleveland groaned as she clambered back onto her feet, her rigging suddenly feeling like dead weight. "It… it must be that weapon!"

"Well we ain't sticking around to find out for sure! C'mon, let's get outta here!"

"Righto!" The three ships quickly broke rank to flee. But as fast as they could sail with their backs turned to the scene, they could not be fast enough to evade a second round of explosions that split the sky over their heads. The shockwaves smothered them, enveloping them in a vice-like grip that seemingly threatened to crush them.

"Rgh!" Pushing past the pain, Vulture clambered back to her feet, afraid to waste even a moment not fleeing. And flee she did, putting the proverbial pedal to the metal, running as fast as her rudders could take her. The meters she crossed in seconds seemingly stretched into kilometers. All she could think of was getting the hell out of dodge as fast as she could, as soon as she could.

Another round of explosions and Vulture felt the sea slap into her face hard. It took a second's orientation to realize she had fallen over and it took only another second for her to remember that she was supposed to run.

Another series of blasts and Vulture fell forward, the shockwaves catapulting her over the water. She tumbled as the winds carried her like tumbleweed, finally coming to a stop when the winds died down. Adrenaline spent, she lay groaning, unable to stand. She awaited the next series of ear-splitting blasts with restless breaths, but as seconds passed, so too was her anticipation. Lifting her heavy head, Vulture looked up to see drizzle lingering in the air like a haze. The clear skies, once torn and splintered by the enemy's weapon, had returned to peace. Were it not for memories of events that transpired moments ago, it was as if nothing unusual had happened.

Vulture could hardly believe it - it was over. She got away safely (technically not unharmed, but she was alive so that counted). She began chuckling at her fortune.

"Heh. Heh heh… Well wattayah know? Looks like we made it out in one piece, kid… Hey, you listening?"

She turned, but was met with no faces. She looked in the other direction and saw naught but the open sea. She leapt up to her feet.

"Hey, kid. Kid!" But as much as she tried, the evidence - or absence of - surrounded Vulture. Gone were the two Eagle cruisers that had accompanied her; she was now alone. She raised her radio, but heard only fizzling static.

They were gone, yes. Where did they go? She couldn't see them in the horizon anywhere. Did she head in the wrong direction? Can't be; she looked at her map and she was where she was supposed to be. Did they head in the wrong direction? Probably.

But what if they were…?

Vulture stopped herself before she could think any further. She stood on the sea of indecision as she rubbed her temples, considering her options. To press forward to look for them would be to sail blindly on her lonesome, with no idea where they are or if they were even alive and with no telling when that weapon would show up again.

Or she could retreat. Pull out and come back with help and a better, more sane plan. There's no way she could find the two by herself. It wasn't her fault that Cleveland and her sister decided to get separated, oh no, why would it be her responsibility to look after two veteran ships that can take care of themselves? And why find them today when they could be found later, with her other sisters that care so much about her? At least that sounds more reasonable than looking for them by herself! And if they did die, it technically wasn't her fault! It wasn't her fault that the enemy weapon wiped them clean off the face of the earth all of a sudden! If those sisters of hers and her girlfriend come finding their dumb big sis sleeping with the fishes, boo-freaking-hoo, not her fault.

Why was this so problematic for her?

'Arrgh, dammit! Why'd that stupid kid have to make things complicated? First it was me having to bail their asses out, now this?!

'Ugh. I remember Buzzard lecturing me about that...'

Earlier...

"... What do you have to explain yourself?"

"Explain what?"

"Don't play dumb with me! You know what I'm talking about!"

"Alright, look. You probably heard about it but let's not jump to conclusions-"

"I already got the debriefing from Cleveland which the other Eagle Union cruisers corroborated."

"... Ah crap."

"So you were aware of what you did? Breaking rank to run, leaving them behind without vital air support? Leaving them to fend for themselves against enemy reinforcements?"

"Those submarine squirts bailed on us first!"

"They're Arquette's problem to deal with. You're mine. And right now, I see a lot of problems."

"Hey, plan called for us to make our retreat from the area once, and I'm paraphrasing, Operation: Early Bird has been accomplish and/or substantial enemy reinforcements arrive. Far as I was concerned, it was mission accomplished and it was the Aquila Vanguard, whoever they were, that got sent after us. If those squirts' reactions were anything, I thought it was best for all of us to just high-tail it outta there."

"And you did. Problem was, it was only you."

"Look Buzz, I-"

"Don't call me that."

"Fine, Buzzard... I know what I did was wrong. I just did what I thought was sensible at the time. Can you really blame me for that? And besides, didn't the kid tell you about how I came back and saved all their butts in the end? I think that should at least count for something!"

"My concern isn't about whether it counted for something or not… What I'm- what you should be more concerned about is whether it should've counted sooner."

"What do you mean?"

"You ran away, claiming motives for doing so. Yet you changed your mind. You did the very thing you claimed you wouldn't, or didn't want to. No one ordered you to do it, no one forced your hand. Only you. You did the right thing, but only when they were in grave danger. You couldn't stop yourself from doing what you needed to do, so there was nothing to keep you from doing it sooner."

"..."

"You're my sister, Vulture. You and Kestrel. I know there's more to you than even what you think. And… I want to see that too, even for a little bit.

"... Come. Why don't you get some rest and put this aside for now? Fort Grace wants us for a pivotal battle tomorrow. Wouldn't want you to sit this one out with a dour mood, don't you?"

"... Right."

With a sigh, Vulture returned to the present. Taking a deep breath, she looked towards the horizon, her eyes shining with determination and her back turned against the way home.

"Alright, kid. You better be where I can find you..."

Vulture popped her head into the opening with expectant eyes. But her wishes were denied yet again.

"Not here either..." She quickly hopped over to the next crevice, making sure to keep an open eye for every indentation in the rocky outcrop for any familiar faces. But as she made her way, nothing stood out to her, and when she did arrive to peer into the crevice, she found nothing again.

"Not here," Vulture muttered under her breath. She glanced around her with a sigh.

She hopped back to the waters with a weary hope and took off. 'Not there, not here… Just where could they be?' As much as Vulture could ask, the open ocean harbored no answer or clue for her as she continued on her lonesome. Nevertheless, her mind continued to whirr.

'Okay, okay. Those two weren't in the places I've looked so far. Fine. That just means I haven't looked everywhere. But there can't be that many nooks and cranny for them to hide in-'

Blips on her radar caught her eye. Her heart skipped almost expecting that she had found them, but found herself glancing at blood-red icons. Hostile contacts.

She skidded to a halt. She could see the contacts fill the vestiges of her radar: a full patrol fleet. Quite a bite to chew, but for a carrier like her perhaps she-

Vulture paused. For a reason only her inner gut could answer, she held back on thoughts of attack.

Glancing up into the skies above, a tingling sense crept down Vulture's spine. She broke off with a leap in the other direction and never looked back.

'That ain't gonna work. No way, not ever. I know I'm a kickass carrier but I got limits for crying out loud!… Alright, let's think. Kid and her weren't where I tried looking. Doubt the enemy found 'em either. Just where- Wait. If they disappeared during that attack, then they couldn't have gone too far… Yeah, that's it. I was just overthinking it all along!... I think.'

New strategy in mind, Vulture sped off.

Her radar made no sound which was why Vulture almost missed it.

An indicator within range. If she had to take a guess judging by how it almost slipped past her notice, it would be a faint signal. And it didn't look hostile.

She glanced towards its direction, spotting a tiny island. Too meager for any seed of civilization, yet inscrutable enough to shield any unexpected encounters from simple eyes. Vulture quickly redirected towards the lone specks of green. Already her head began craning as she tried to spy into whatever crevice and clearing she could lay eyes on.

"Hey," Vulture blurted reflexively. "Hey. Hello…?"

No response, but the signal was closeby. Vulture ventured among the rocky outcropping, her tentative senses vying with her eagerness as she kept calling.

"Yo, kid. You there?"

Awkward silence and the faint echo of her own voice answered her. Vulture pressed forward, her impatience accelerating her steps.

"Hey, kid! If you're really here then you better-"

"WAAH!"

The sudden scream of an unexpected figure launched Vulture on her rear, screaming in surprise of her own in response. But rather than having bumped into some kind of monster, the unexpected meeting had turned out to be mutual as the encountered figure nursing her backside was...

"Columbia?!"

"Well don't scare me like that, Vulture!" the blonde protested. Seeing the light cruiser again with her own eyes, Vulture saw that she was not entirely unscathed: strands of loose hair out of alignment on her golden mane, her attire dotted with slight tears here and there, and all in all still damp from head to toe. "I thought we were on the same team."

"Right back at ya," Vulture muttered. "But just what were you doing here? I went up and down just looking for you! C'mon, get the kid and let's get out of here."

Columbia glanced behind her with an anxious face. "Um, about that..."

Following the cruiser, Vulture was led into a small cave, its ceiling barely taller than her. Her frame flooded the view in shadow but as she took two steps forward, she saw who it was.

"Kid!"

"Hey, Vulture." On a flat rock sat Cleveland, looking no worse than her sister (which is to say, their day could certainly be better). Though singed and covered in dust in some places, her gold hair and appearance was still just as lively as ever. However, the same could not be said for her expression.

"Didn't expect you to turn up. Wasn't sure what to think when we lost sight of you during that crazy attack. Did you bring help?"

"Huh? Nope, just me."

The eyes of the two sister ships widened upon hearing this. "You tried to find us all by yourself?"

"Yep. Had to comb through the whole area dodging patrols trying to find you two. And believe me, it was a lot more work than you think."

A skeptical look from Cleveland graced the carrier. "Never thought I'd see you go out of your way to rescue us. I thought you ran."

"Hey! You could at least pretend to be grateful. I could've left you guys behind to save my own hide. Remember the last time I bailed you guys out?"

Cleveland sighed. "Look, I'll thank you for coming back for us again, but don't take this to mean that you can act like you're better than us. And since you're here, how about you help us out?"

"Come on, what's the hold-up? I found you two, so let's leave already."

"Cleve can't move on her own," Columbia interjected.

Vulture stared between the two in surprise. "Say what?"

From where she sat, Cleveland lifted her foot to give everyone a better view. Like the others, her rigging was intact and functional despite the visible damage but as Vulture leaned in for a closer look, she saw there was just one exception.

Cleveland quietly winced under their inspection. "It's my rudders. I think something's jammed in the gears because I can't steer, let alone move on my own."

"And I can't tow her back to port safely by myself," her sister added. "We were real lucky to find a place to hide in, but it's only a matter of time before someone comes looking for us. But now Vulture's here we can make a run for it."

Vulture shifted his gaze between the sisters, still confused. "Okay… Where do I fit into all of this?"

"No way I can get Cleve outta here with all those patrols meandering about," Columbia continued. "So here's the plan: I get my big sis out while you cover us."

"Huh. Guess that means I get to do all the work."

"What's the matter? I thought those ships would be a walk in the park for you."

"Whatever! Are we going or not?"

Procuring a thin but sturdy dark cable, a connecting line was quickly established between the two cruisers. Giving the cable a quick test with a pull, Columbia nodded. "Alrighty. Let's hit the road!"

Peering outside the entrance, Vulture signaled for the others to follow. Filing out from the cave, the trio cautiously returned to open waters. Course charted, they headed in the direction back home. But upon setting sail, the sisters' predicament became evident to the carrier's eyes as she turned: Cleveland remained afloat thanks to her rigging but bereft of propulsion, she merely floated on her own two feet, left at the mercy of her sister who was now burdened with her weight.

Vulture narrowed her eyes at the snail-like pace they moved in. "I hope we know what we're doing, because I will not be happy if we screwed this up."

"We're hustlin' as fast as we can here!" Columbia pouted. "... And don't get any funny ideas about our weight!"

"Too late," Vulture teased. "Kid's been paying a visit to her girlfriend lately?"

A peeved look curled on Cleveland's face. "W-what's that supposed to mean?"

A sly smile crept on the carrier's lips. "Well I heard 'ol Lena can make the most bangin' sweets and pastries. And you two do seem to have a thing going on..."

Cleveland's face was instantly flushed with red. "N-no I have not been with her just to eat sweets!"

"You sure? Back during that victory party you were really getting into it. And we all know those cupcakes were made by her!"

"T-that's totally different! I was just feeling hungry at the time and I was in a… I was in that good of a mood!"

Vulture laughed but the mood quickly soured when a jet swooped by. All three looked up just in time to see a single shape darting across the sky. Although it moved too fast for details to be caught, its silhouette told all.

"Aw hell. How did those Siren drones get the drop on us again?!"

"Doesn't matter, let's get out of here!" With haste, their pace was doubled. But no sooner had they resumed their journey home did black sharp outlines began looming over the horizons.

Columbia turned her gaze left and right, quickly gauging the numbers. "Enemy fleet closing on our flanks! If we don't get goin', we'll be sandwiched from two directions! Vulture!"

"Yeah yeah, no need to tell me twice." Shooting off away from the cruisers, Vulture charged in to intercept. A swarm of Eagles had already materialized by her side as she sent them off in the direction of the enemy fleets who, like her, wasted no time in summoning their own aircraft. As the aircraft clashed, Vulture closed in, her missiles primed and poised.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland sisters did not sit idle. Taking the lead, Columbia began evasive maneuvers, but with the weight of her sister behind her, her options were limited. Though they moved under the cover of the air battle, they could not escape the notice of the Siren ships. Wiggling past Vulture's interceptors, black planes began diving upon the two cruisers as if enticed by the prospect of easy prey.

But Columbia planned to make themselves anything but easy. She grunted as she steered around the bombs, keeping the sky alight with tracers that chased away the airborne harassers. Though repulsed, they were not deterred, and soon more arrived. Columbia's guns cut through the air but this time more joined in on the flurry of flak fire.

"I got your back!" Cleveland called out.

Columbia beamed. "As always, sis!"

The duo made their way under fire, Columbia leading the way while Cleveland focused on swatting bothersome pests. Now cannonfire began to rain over them; the enemy ships were now starting to close in, threatening to envelope them in a pincer attack. An ebon hull suddenly slipped into view in front of Columbia, presenting to her its full broadside. Columbia quickly veered to the side, only for the faceless warship to suddenly burst into flames, keeling over from impacts to its side. A familiar figure zipped by, giving them a smile.

'Not a day goes by without her trying to show off,' Cleveland thought as she looked at Vulture. "Cutting it real close there, Vulture."

"Must be a habit I'm making," the carrier retorted. Glancing around, Vulture saw the many black ships and planes that remained - their worries were far from over.

"Let's not get cold feet now!" Columbia encouraged, as if able to read Vulture's thoughts. "Just need to keep it up and then-"

A flash, followed by an ear-splitting crack. Instantly all stumbled before it, the wave of tight air smothering over all. Vulture, Cleveland, Columbia - everything fell from its might, and as the trio regained their senses, they knew exactly what it was.

"... Oh no..."

Vulture groaned aloud. "AGAIN?! You've got to be fricking kidding me!"

Coughing, Columbia clambered back to her feet. She turned towards her sister, but as she crawled to her side to help her up, her jaw dropped. Cleveland caught sight of her sister's shocked expression and following her gaze down, her expression began to mimic her sister's.

Vulture appeared from behind, confused by their silence. "What's up? Come on, talk to me! We don't have all-"

They turned and as Vulture saw the two severed ends of the tow cable in Columbia's hands, now it was the carrier's turn to look shocked. "... Shit."

The blonde held the torn cable up in useless display. "... Towing Cleve to safety's out of the picture now. Now what?"

Cleveland glanced at her sister with a serious visage. "Columbia, don't worry about me. Just focus on getting out of here as fast as you can."

Her sister could only look at her aghast. "But Cleve-!"

"Forget it. Even if you could carry me I'd only drag us both down! And I won't let that happen! You too, Vulture! Get out of here!"

Neither budged. Even under the dark clouds of peril, neither moved. Fear would provoke them, yet they stayed. No words were exchanged until the two made their moves, much to Cleveland's surprise.

"H-hey!"

"Stuff it, kid!" Vulture snapped as she scooped up the cruiser. "I didn't risk my butt finding you just so I could ditch you!"

Columbia winced as helped lift up her sister, occupying the other half. "Oof. Is it just me, or has our dear sis really did gorge on Helena's baking?"

Cleveland could only glare in silence with her face concealed by a shade of red but did not object as the two ships successfully hoisted her up. Vulture and Columbia looked at each other.

"Ready?"
"Are you ready because I'd like to blow this joint already!"

And together, the two ships dashed off. Fast like a race, the two ships carried their own through the churned waters. A race to the finish line that was sanctuary, where as much as the contestants competed with each other their true enemy lay above.

Another series of shattering explosions. Even when united, they had no chance to withstand their blows. But when they fell, they fell together; where they fell, they fell on each other's shoulders. With difficulty they rose. By now the sea had been churned and twisted from the impacts, shards and dismembered scraps of black metal strewn about the restless waves.

Cleveland couldn't believe her eyes. "Either they must not care about those drone ships, or they want us dead that much!"

"Good to know we're so special! Come on!"

Back on their feet, back to the exodus. They dared not stop, even when their very bodies ached of the overwhelming blasts. Dents and strained metal was all that decorated their riggings, their accessories hanging by the proverbial string and held together by disbelief.

The open sea, its blue waves untouched by the scene of cataclysm, was within view. Although weathered by the blasts, the fire within Cleveland sparked once she saw the sea that beckoned safety. "Almost there, we're almost there now! Just a bit more-"

Another round of explosions, too quick for any warning. They felt it sweep them heads over heels like the wave of an angry god as they were sent tumbling over the surface. They smacked hard on the waters, pieces of their own riggings accompanying them as they did. There they lay, their strength finally depleted as pain took hold of their senses.

Vulture groaned, trying to fight off the pained exhaustion. She lifted her head, but her entire body felt like lead, her faculties dense with numbing pangs. Turning, she saw the still form of her ally. With her golden mane glowing brightly in her vision, Vulture couldn't tell who it was. But she could care less.

"...Kid? Hey… kid. This… this ain't funny..."

Her head fell and the last thing she saw was a shadow falling over them.

"Ouch!"

"Hold still, or else this will take longer than it needs to," Buzzard fussed.

Vulture grumbled as she sat, the various bandages wrapped around her leaving her with stifling discomfort. The small but noticeable scent of medicine was present all around the infirmary but it paled compared to the presence of someone beside her.

"... So that's what happened," noted Buzzard as she glanced at each of the three wounded ships. She looked them over with a critical eye. Although she did not shake her head, her opinion was evident. "Never expected to hear the turn of events play out as they had."

Lying next to Vulture, Cleveland and Columbia smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. We nearly got done in by that thing."

"But we didn't," interjected the tomboy carrier with an assured tone. "So our enemies can go suck it!"

A prodding finger deflated her bravado. "While I'm glad you all survived, don't pretend like you can take your survival for granted. The mission itself was indeed risky from the start and that's before I get to retracing certain events you've mentioned. Firstly, was it true you were seriously considering self-sacrifice, Cleveland?"

The blonde in question looked to the side before answering as honestly as she could. "Er… Yeah. I just didn't want my predicament to take anyone with me to the grave. Guess you could say it was my 'big sis' instinct kicking in."

Buzzard raised an eyebrow but said nothing. If anything, she seemed somewhat approving. "Fair enough. Even if it was at the spur of the moment, I do not question your intentions. Now then, Vulture."

Vulture looked up too see all attention on her. "Huh?"

"I keenly recall hearing how my less-responsible sister, upon realizing she had been separated from the others, take it upon herself to go look for them by herself. Logically, one could be forgiven for withdrawing in this situation; SAR missions are always ill-advised to be performed solo for a reason. In fact, retreating would have been the best - if not pragmatic - decision you could have chosen."

Vulture groaned. "Please don't tell me I got to explain..."

"... But considering the outcome, I'll be willing to overlook that as well." Looking up in surprise, Vulture now saw a sly smile coming from Buzzard. "The written report can wait. For now, focus on getting some rest." Turning, she began to trot towards the exit, but right as she was about to pass, she stopped.

"Oh, and Vulture?... I don't know if you still remember what I once told you, but… I appreciate it. For what you did for them."

Vulture blinked in surprise, unsure of how to react despite knowing the answer. "Um… sure."

"That said, I did say that I would like to see this part of you. But since I wasn't around, I'll only give you partial credit." And before her sister could elicit a protest, Buzzard had departed.

Vulture could only stare at the empty void her sister had occupied. "... Smartass."

A light giggle was stifled behind her. "I guess not even Buzzard is above teasing you like that. That must've been the first time I've seen her be not so serious."

Vulture flopped down on the cushion with a sigh. "Someone in the family had to be the prim-n-proper brainiac. No idea how I came to be different from her."

"You're not alone in that regard," said Cleveland. "Siblings can work weird like that. But that's what makes them special!" She smiled as she thought of all the many siblings she had known. Whether they were friend of foe, of the Azur Lane or the Crimson Axis, everyone was part of something they could call family.

With that said…

Her smile faded as she began to fidget. "Hey, uh, thanks for not leaving me and my sister behind back there. I don't think either of us could've made it out without your help."

"Er… Right. Don't sweat it."

The cruiser gave her a weird look. "You're not going to brag about it?"

"Honestly, I feel too tired to even do that." As much as Vulture chose those words, they were only half the truth. Down inside, she found herself strangely lacking the mood for boasting. She glanced towards the cruiser - the Eagle Union's "Knight of the Sea". Vulture thought back to how she risked herself in searching for the pair, and how she had tried to risk her own life in turn for the two of them. And with the way she seemed prepared… Was that why she was called a "knight" that many looked up to? It wasn't all just for show?

Was this was her sister hoped to see from her?

… For some reason, Vulture felt like she would have no problem with it.

"Hey Vulture, is something wrong?"

"Huh?" She blinked, suddenly realizing what she was doing. "Oh, nothing. I just, uh... You're real special, you know that, Cleveland?"

She looked at the carrier in silent surprise before she sputtered in laughter. "You too, Vulture!"

Light laughter and chuckling began to flow, filling the room with a cheery air. The three ships partook in their own festive atmosphere, misgivings and grievances between them absolved in their own form of mutual understanding. The kind born from sharing burdens, where a sense of bond forges from the furnace of misadventure. It was an inauguration of newfound respect, between a young knight and the boyish carrier.