Location: SSF Sand Island installation, Ceres Ocean
A calm sky, the heavens clear of dark clouds or any ominous bird. No looming shapes on the horizon. Only the calm breeze of the ocean air and gentle rhythm of tides punctuated the day. The sun was bright, today as it was yesterday. And with even the slightest optimism, would remain so tomorrow.
An almost lazy day. It was almost as if nothing significant was transpiring.
If only Enterprise felt the same as she marched down the corridor. She passed by the sights of the pristine oceans and clear skies without care. The emptiness only barely held back her concerns rather than soothe her soul. The sun was warm yet she had no time to bathe in it.
She could see the world's beauty, but could not bring herself to comprehend it. Not when turmoil ruled her heart.
"... This isn't our war."
"As much I would agree with that sentiment, we may have little choice in this matter," replied Belfast who trailed behind the carrier. "We cannot bear to retreat before we have even faced our foes."
"But it's not just Sakura Empire we'll face," Warspite worried. "Their newfound ally will be among their ranks. A nation whose power rivals that of the Federation. We must take the Verusan Entente into consideration lest we-"
"I know," Enterprise suddenly cut in. "I know what the Entente are, and what they can do if the Federation is anything to go by… But what I don't know is why.
"Why would the Entente, who once fought to protect the world 15 years ago, suddenly turn on the Federation? Why would a nation committed to the idea of peace turn on their former comrade…?"
She stopped in her tracks. Right as the words left her thoughts, Enterprise knew she already had the answer. Much as she wrestled with the questions of the present, she realized she had remembered agonizing over them before. So long ago, almost as long when rivals were once united. The day their alliance unexpectedly broke and friends became bitter enemies.
Even then, she knew they had at least had a motive for why they turned on them. But that did little to ease her soul. And now here they were, swept up in the moment. Almost like history repeating itself.
No.
Not yet.
Enterprise turned to address the others. "There's still a chance we can delay or even avert this war before it begins. I'll dispatch Brooklyn to try and reach out to the Entente, convince them that we are not the enemy, we came only on a diplomatic mission. In the meantime, send a message back to headquarters. Warn them that the Sakura Empire is active on this front and to prepare for any immediate-"
A commotion called for her attention. All heads turned to see a figure in black gown run up to them, breathless and urgent-eyed. She bent over in exhaustion, her white cap nearly falling off.
Enterprise looked with alarm. "What is it? Did something happen?"
Her head barely raised, her breath still catching up. When it came to Enterprise's caretaker, a look of alarm was not one to be taken lightly.
Eagle Union Repair Ship
VESTAL
Vestal panted. "The Federation… Barbet… She…!"
"... Mm-hm… Yes, of course. I agree…"
The inclusive mood was torn asunder when the door slammed open and in their place was Enterprise, Warspite, and everyone else of the Azur Lane.
The Gray Ghost spared no apologies for her abrupt entrance, ignoring the stares of the handful present. All that mattered in the instant was Barbet, seated behind her desk.
Enterprise instantly zeroed in on her. "What is the meaning of this?!"
"That should be my line, for barging in like so," Barbet replied with an ever-present sour expression on her face. "I thought you were taught etiquette back in boot camp."
The Eagle carrier forced her way to her desk, her compatriots forming her wings that forced all opposition back. Her hands perched against Barbet's desk, giving her no quarter. As much as she restrained herself, Enterprise could barely temper her outrage. She was in no mood for games or bullshit - she cut straight to the point.
"Why is all movement to the Anomaly site restricted?!" she demanded. "For what reason do you have to confine us here indefinitely?!"
Despite of the carrier's brimming anger - or in spite of it - Barbet merely sneered. "Why? Have you already forgotten? The Federation is in an open state of war against the Verusan Entente."
"In the event that our state is to become threatened, protective measures are to be enacted," added Halcyon, calm as her superior. "Inbound and outbound movement is to be limited; interdimensional crossings fall under this clause. As such, all traffic is to be restricted. In dire circumstances such as this, it is merely a matter of national security."
"National security, my ass!" Cleveland complained.
"You are holding us here against our will," argued Belfast.
"What of our safety?!" Vestal protested.
"Our home is on the other side!" pressed Warspite.
"Our friends!" Javelin shouted.
"My fans…" San Diego cried.
"We at least deserve the right to contact them about our whereabouts!" Brooklyn asserted. "If you can allow us to pass on communications, then-"
"No means no!" Shooting up from her chair, Barbet's explosive bark sent them all flinching back. All save for Enterprise whose glare met the Federation guard dog's on her level. Their scowls were a mere inch away, both sides daring the other to yield. A showdown without words; only sparks clashing from their silent anger.
Barbet was the one to finally break the deadlock. "... I command the Federation. I decide whether who goes where, who comes and goes. My decision is final."
Enterprise exhaled sharply, letting go of the breath she had kept taut in her chest. She withdrew, but kept her glowering affixed to the Federate carrier.
Barbet straightened back up, her own withdraw coming with it the smug sense of victory. Yet like Enterprise, her glare never left her.
"Leave… and expect to be kept on a short leash."
Barely a minute passed before Cleveland kicked the wall. The tinge of pain she felt in her toes was nothing compared to what she felt in her heart. "Damn it all!"
A hand gently tugged her back. "Miss Cleveland, please. Restrain yourself."
The light cruiser sighed. "Sorry. I just needed to get it out of my system."
Belfast gave her a sympathetic look. "I understand your frustrations. This is extraordinarily difficult for us all. But while there is a time to express your vexations, we must regain clarity of mind. The sooner we do, the sooner we may find a resolution to this predicament."
"You mean, until Miss Bossy decides we can go home?" Cleveland replied sourly. "It won't matter what we do. Even if we tried our best, I just don't see her budging at all. If she decides we can't leave, then she'll make sure we never do."
Belfast frowned, unable to summon a suitable response against the kernel of truth the young ship spoke of. She was no fool. With an unforeseen war now on the horizon, who knew where the events would turn. And among those who held the reins, Barbet was the only one.
The maid sighed quietly to herself. As much as she had espoused it to her Eagle friend, her own frustrations did not fully disappear. Doubts and uncertainties still left clouds in her mind. She knew better than to give in to anger, but even then she felt lost, like a vessel adrift in the vague darkness of the sea, deprived of the stars' light…
It was almost funny, she realized. Looking at the young knight, Belfast remembered how they first wound up in this world. But back then that was just a room, their freedom just behind the locked door of their cell.
Here, it was like the whole world was their prison now.
Turning to look around her, Belfast saw the others gathered in the crew quarters, an elementary one where bright light filled the space through filter-like blinds. The smallest of creature comforts were present and offered to them, but they were no solace to the grim reality they faced. In the corner of the room, the maid made out Cormorant fiddling with a video camera before stepping back in acknowledgement of its installation. She casually surveyed the room while murmuring a narration about the present situation and the current dour mood.
If this was their cell, it was quite the peculiar one.
Enterprise stood by the window, her stare piercing through the gaps in the blinds. The day outside remained cheerful and bright as always, as if confident in the future's hopeful disposition.
Oblivious, of course, to the going-ons of the present.
Behind her, Warspite shifted restlessly. "What are we to do now…? If we are not allowed to return to our homes, then what we are to do here? If war is on the horizon, then…"
Enterprise didn't finish. Of the options open to them, flight was out of the question. If they were not allowed to retreat, let alone warn their comrades back home… then the only reason for them to stay was to fight. To fight not just against Sakura Empire but the ships of a rivaling superpower. She had hoped to harness the powers of this world to aid her cause, and now she was to look forward to fighting against said power. Her expression tightened into a grimace at the thought of it.
But what choice did they have?
A door creaked opened behind them. She turned to see Buzzard in the void, her complexion tense. She scanned the room and her nose wrinkled in disapproval.
Enterprise approached the Federation carrier. "Buzzard."
She looked up, her expression softening in recognition of the Gray Ghost. "Enterprise. I take it that our wartime measures have included you too."
"Unfortunately," Enterprise admitted, betraying the slightest of sourness in her tone. "Barbet saw fit to ensure that we do not depart without her permission, which she had no intention of granting."
Buzzard looked worried. "... Would the rest of the Azur Lane be fine in your absence? If the Crimson Axis are aware of your presence here then-"
"That may be the least of our worries," Warspite grumbled. "My Majesty remains on our Home Isles so the Royal command chain remains, but we have no way to warn them of any impeding attack if the Crimson Axis do take advantage, let alone of our current straits."
"And who knows what else may occur outside our notice," Enterprise brooded. "If only we could send an emergency dispatch then-"
"Unfortunately, that might be a problem." Looking behind Buzzard, Enterprise and Warspite spotted another woman, her uniform matching the colors and livery of the Silver Star Federation but decorated to imply a rank of some importance. Long elegant strands of silver-white hair flowed down her back, mirroring that of Enterprise's but where they differed were the short rough tufts at the top of her head.
Silver Star Federation Aegis Cruiser
WARBLER
Enterprise narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Part of the restricted measures include communications," Warbler replied, uncaring of the dagger-like stares directed her way. "Ensures that all comms are better-monitored as part of op-sec. Only approved channels available, and they will be reserved for military traffic. Of course, Barbet's call."
Enterprise cursed to herself. It was Barbet, again!
Javelin cut into the conversation. "But surely she can't mean that! What if our homes are in danger? How will we-"
Flipping her phone open, the destroyer tried to bring up her messages. But when they loaded, she was greeted with only a blank space. San Diego arrived at the same disturbing revelation, whereupon she sunk to the floor in tears. "My fans… How can I be number one without my fans…?"
Warbler shrugged. "Rules are rules. I'm just the messenger."
The reason brought frustrated looks from the Federation's "captives". Even Buzzard snuck in a glance at the officer kansen who so nonchalantly enforced their superior's demands.
The sound of scuffling feet. Surprised looks followed Enterprise as she marched out of the room.
"Where are you off to?" Warbler inquired.
"For a walk. I need time to think," the veteran carrier answered coldly. "Or am I not allowed to without supervision?"
Warbler willing stepped aside, conceding an open passage to the Gray Ghost. "Suit yourself," she replied.
She was already gone by the time she finished.
Enterprise made her way past the entrance. She stepped into the open daylight, careful to shield her eyes from the golden rays that blazed with tropical heat. She walked along the path, crossing the courtyard, a dirt road, the grassy yard-
She stopped short, the beach and the open sea only a hundred strides away. Enterprise snuck a furtive gaze towards the Sand Island Base behind her. Shaded windows dotted the buildings; many eyes that could be watching her. Watching… perhaps waiting for her to make the wrong move. Waiting for her to make the stupid mistake of setting off in spite of the "protective measures" enacted. Just what consequence awaited for her back?
The carrier turned back to the open sea before sighing. Freedom that lay just on the horizon only served to mock her for her dilemma.
So they were imprisoned.
But was it their choice?
"Enterprise."
The carrier looked back in surprise. Even if she suspected someone to monitor her, Enterprise still found herself caught off-guard by the appearance of Kestrel.
"What is it?"
"... May I join you?"
Another surprise for Enterprise. She looked away, maintaining her facade. "You may."
She waited for a second, hearing and sensing Kestrel stand next to her. Enterprise kept her eyes trained on the ocean horizon.
"... You're thinking of home, aren't you?"
Enterprise didn't answer. She didn't need to say anything to confirm to Kestrel.
"I'm sorry…"
"Don't be," Enterprise answered firmly. "It was Barbet's decision, not yours. You had no say in it."
She heard a slightest of sighs from Kestrel. "I wonder… if they too had no say in it. Ships like ourselves, unable to affect the circumstances."
Enterprise wasn't sure what to think of it. She acknowledged that nothing could ever be unanimous, that there would always be those with lingering doubts no matter what. Sometimes, things transpired beyond one's control on their own; such was a matter of life.
But at the same time, it rubbed her the wrong way to think that it was how the world worked, that the course of history was being written entirely by itself, no hand penning the story. It was a fate of helplessness that would be shared by too many.
Yet, it made her sick to believe that somewhere, somehow, someone chose this to happen.
But who? Akagi? This Umely person? Was it a Siren's hands pulling the strings from the shadows?
Whatever the answer was, it will not uncover itself. It awaited them at the finish line.
And all it demanded was for them to partake in this war.
Enterprise knew that war was about the unexpected; death and destruction awaited around every corner just as much as triumph and glory. A wise warrior had the luxury of choosing their battles, but they also knew better than to rest easy - conflict always sprung up when one least expected it.
To the Gray Ghost, she was to be prepared for the unforeseen, to be determined to win. To win would be to survive the next day - here, it meant securing a passage home. Both home and the war's truth awaited them on the horizon, just beyond their reach.
All they had to do was fight.
She would always curse at such misfortune.
"When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz will reveal itself…"
Enterprise snapped awake. "Hm?"
"It's a legend, an ancient folklore that I once heard about," Kestrel explained. "It was said that there existed a mythical being who dwelled in the winds of calamity. Some say it was the personification of catastrophe and ruin."
"So it was a demon," dismissed Enterprise. "Not the kind of thing I'm interested in hearing about in a time like this."
"And yet… it was also said to be a savior."
Enterprise blinked in confusion. "How could a force of destruction be a savior?"
"At first, Razgriz is a destroyer… But after a period of slumber, when the world has sunk into the pits of despair… it is reborn to heal the land it once devastated. The dark demon redeems itself as a hero that brings back hope." A warm look decorated Kestrel's expression as she mentioned the ending.
Enterprise stared at the curious look on the carrier's visage before turning away. She wasn't sure what to make of the myth, of a fantastical being whom she considered more a villain than a protector. But in a time like this, perhaps an upbeat tale was desirable.
'A hero that brings back hope…'
…But not before the world has been brought to ruin.
Her thoughts fell short when her ears picked up the sound of urgent footsteps behind her. Enterprise and Kestrel turned to catch Cormorant and Javelin running up to them. A pressing look characterized both their faces.
Enterprise sighed internally. Another emergency situation.
"We have a problem!" Cormorant quickly spoke. "We need you two back inside."
Before either of the two carriers could ask, Javelin laid the answer for them.
"We're detecting a large-scale attack on course for here!"
The room was already packed by the time Enterprise, Kestrel, Cormorant, and Javelin slipped inside. Everyone stationed on Sand Island was present: Buzzard, Vulture, Andromeda, Warbler, the Azur Lane expedition, and to the surprise of the latter group, even Barbet and Halcyon.
The Federation leader and her secretary stood at the head of the room, joined by Warbler who occupied the opposing flank. The latter perked up in recognition of the final visitors before nodding. "Everyone's here. Good, let's begin. We don't have much time. Andromeda."
At the front of the room, a large-screen projector sprang to life. Its awakening must have been abrupt, opening with color bars as the system searched for receiving input. Once found, the display briskly flickered past a series of images: the map of the world, the map of the Ceres Ocean as it surrounded Sand Island, and then a close-up of the Island itself from the omniscient perspective.
Straight to brass tacks.
"Ever since the unofficial commencement of war with the Verusan Entente, Andromeda has been closely monitoring signals traffic. About 11 minutes ago, a series of intercepted communications that carried a particular pattern intensified. Combined with our satellites just now detecting a sizable flotilla charting eastward, only one thing is certain: the Entente intends to make the first offensive… and we at Sand Island will be first contact."
"Estimated force strength?" Buzzard promptly inquired.
"Assume a sizable element, relative to an entire strike group," Warbler answered grimly. "Worst, the Entente may throw at us all of their active ships with the intention of driving us out and capturing Sand Island."
"And use it as a base from which to launch further attacks on the Federation…" Buzzard murmured with grim realization. "ETA of the attack?"
"Within the hour or so. Perhaps less." This brought gasps and hushed looks from the crowd before Warbler continued. "Our only strategy as of now is to intercept them before they reach the island, catch them early before they can threaten the base."
"We will have to act quickly," the glasses-wearing Federation carrier thought with worry. "Strike decisively to blunt their advance, disrupt their composition enough to... Wait. If we're to be the frontline against an entire enemy offensive, then-"
Shooting a quick glance at their Azur Lane friends, Buzzard saw it swiftly dawn on them the implications. Exchanging a look with Enterprise and Warspite only confirmed the dread they shared.
"What would our guests be if they didn't assist our efforts?" Barbet asked rhetorically. As flatly as she said it, none could deny there was an air of insincerity surrounding it. "Since the war is coming here, the Azur Lane will aid in our defense, backing up our prized carrier trio as they hold the line."
Enterprise shot up from her seat. "Hold it right there, Barbet. I understand the 'necessity' of our involvement, but do you expect us to blunt an entire armada strike group? Compared to your assigned vanguard - Kestrel, Buzzard, and Vulture - Azur Lane personnel comprise the clear majority of the defense contingent." Sweeping her hand across the room, her point was presented by those present, Eagle Union and Royal Navy kansen dwarfing the mere three Federation carriers that sat among them.
Barbet rolled her eyes. "And what of it? You all should be no slouch in combat. Are you not the Azur Lane who have waged war since your birth? And even if you have not, you have the power of our carriers - veterans by their own right - by your side. Let them support you, or draw enemy fire from them if you want."
"And in the meantime, the order for mobilization has already been sent." Halcyon peeked down at the datapad cradled in her arm. "It will take some time for the process to be complete, but we have a few ships on standby. I have already summoned them here to provide immediate assistance."
The Gray Ghost bit her lip, glancing to the three Federate carriers. Uncertainty graced their silent visages as their looks shifted between the two. Likewise, as she peered towards her compatriots, Enterprise saw that they too stewed in uneasy quietness.
Barbet leered at the ships with a scowl. "... If you lot have no objections, then you are dismissed. I expect the flag of the Silver Star Federation to remain flying over Sand Island before the day is done."
She paused to shoot a particularly piercing glare at the assembled kansens, before shifting it to one in particular. Enterprise sharpened her own gaze when she felt the heat of Barbet's stare land on her, knowing full well what it meant.
"... We won't let you down, Captain," a voice softly stated.
Barbet turned to leave without a word, marching off in a huff with Halcyon and Warbler in her heels.
Taking their cue to leave, the Federation-Azur Lane fleet slowly followed suit. Buzzard was the first to lead the way, presumably to make way towards the armories. Others shuffled behind her one by one in disinclination - Vulture, Javelin, Cleveland, Brooklyn, San Diego, Belfast, Cormorant - all resigned to the battle to soon take place, the first shots of a new war that had begun without them, and of an end yet to be seen.
Warspite exchanged a look with the carrier before she walked out after the rest. In her wake Enterprise already made up her mind. If they must fight, then they will; the enemy was here, and they will meet them in the field of combat. Another day, another mission, another theater of operation.
And they won't be fighting alone - that Enterprise considered a silver lining.
Right as she passed through the doorway however, she caught something in the corner of her eye. Seated where she always had, next to the shaded windows where she bathed in golden rays, Kestrel remained behind. The meeting had adjourned, yet she seemed oblivious as she stared outside with glazed distant eyes. What she beheld in the world beyond, Enterprise couldn't tell.
But she could share her sentiment before she looked away and walked off.