"Lady Shinano. Miss Texas would like to meet you." The bulin said as she knocked on the door of the Captains quarters.
"You may enter." Shinano's voice came softly through the door.
"She sounds tired." Texas said.
"She sleeps for 18 hours a day usually. But recently she had been sleeping a lot more. Probably trying to contact the boy from the Union." The Bulin said.
"A boy from the Union, you say?" Texas asked.
"Yes. He has taken up leading Azur Lane." Shinano said softly as she opened the door, unveiling herself to the light of day.
"Wow... I was honestly not expecting that." Texas said.
"I knew you'd come. Dreams don't have the ability to lie." Shinano said.
"I see. But you said something interesting a minute ago. What is Azur Lane?" Texas asked.
"It is a collective mass of ships, men and Kansen whose sole goal is to fight the Sirens." Shinano said as the bulins nodded.
"I knew y'all had something fun goin on! Sign me the hell up. I'm itching for a good fight." Texas said as she laid a fist on her hip.
"I'm sure Isaac won't object such a strong personality." Shinano said.
"Isaac?" Texas asked, suddenly even more interested.
"Isaac Garner of Eagle Union has taken the mantle of Commander of Azur Lane. Do you know him?" Shinano asked.
"Do I know him? Not personally, but when a colored man makes headlines on the east coast, a girl tends to notice." Texas said as she looked directly at Shinano.
"Colored?" Shinano asked.
"African American. Most folk in the Union aren't too fond of people like him. Kansens, as you call them, might be the only ones to treat him right." Texas said.
"How do you stand on that matter?" Shinano asked.
"I give respect where it is earned, not by the circumstances of your birth. A few months ago, had we met, we'd be fighting to the death on the waves of the Pacific. But today, you and I are sisters bound by a single common enemy. Be it Sakura, Ironblood, Royal, Union, or anyone else, so long as your goal lines up with mine, I ain't got no quarrel with a fellow warship." Texas said.
"So it seems." Shinano said as she left the darkness of her room and slowly walked down the hall. Texas and the Bulins followed.
"I can see the island. War is present there as it is in the Empire." Shinano said.
"War. From one to the next. Such a bothersome reality." Texas said as she exhaled an exhausted sigh.
"Bothersome? Maybe. But never boring." Shinano said as she pointed to the skies above the two ships.
"Lady Shinano. It is an honor to be in your presence." Akagi's voice spoke over the radio.
"A zero, huh? New York and her crew took one in Okinawa." Texas said as she unholstered her revolver, drawing forth her archaic but powerful rigging.
"Miss Texas, Akagi is a friend, please lower your weapon." Shinano said as she laid her hand on the barrel of Texas's revolver.
"She won't attack?" Texas asked as she held her aim, leading the aircraft with extreme precision.
"I can vouch for her. She will not attack. She is under the service of Isaac Garner as well." Shinano said.
"Hmm." Texas said as she slowly lowered her revolver, placing it back in the holster as Akagi's zero banked and made for the flight deck.
"Looks like Mr. Garner got himself quite a far reach to have captured one of the ships that soiled my countries name." Texas said as she glared at the aircraft.
"Isaac does not care to get into such triffling arguments. If someone can be useful, he will show them mercy and the fairness that he did not receive." Shinano said.
"I think I understand a bit. But I am still not happy about it. I know I said that I give respect where it's due, but Carrier Group 1 has a lot to answer for. Being the sole reason that the Union joined the war in force... They'd have to do something extraordinary to get on my good side." Texas said
"Lady Shinano, who is this?" Akagi asked via the zero's radio.
"You'd do well to remember, flattop. I'm Texas. Heart and soul of the Lone star state, and a two time world war champion. Bring your bag of tricks, 'cause I'll kick yer ass seven ways to Sunday." Texas said in a stern voice.
"A bit crass, aren't you?" Akagi asked.
"Maybe if you'd had the stones to attack us head on instead of in a sneak attack, I'd hold you in higher regard. But you and your forces attacked without warning, killing hundreds of men and sinking ships that had no reason to be sunk." Texas.
"Akagi, Odin wants to speak with you." Gangut's voice came over the radio.
"Gran?!" Texas asked.
"Texas?!" Gangut replied.
"On my star, Where have you been, you haggard old bitch? Texas asked.
"I was about to ask you the same, you ancient relic." Gangut said as the two girls broke down laughing.
"You know her?" Akagi asked.
"Of course I do! She and I used to drink til we dropped in Denmark when I was stationed in the Baltic sea back in 1918 before I was laid up. Even then, she would send me secret crates of whiskey since Avrora had refused to give me her Vodka making recipe." Gangut said.
"And Gangut always had returned the favor with some Russian goods. Matryoshka dolls, books, and she even sent me a stolen bottle of vodka." Texas said.
"Avrora was not happy with me for about a month after that. Apparently she was saving that for the day she got married." Gangut said as Texas let out a hearty laugh.
"How have you been since then, you alcoholic battle boat?" Texas asked.
"Much better since I get to finally let loose. This Isaac guy really knows how to make an old girl feel young again." Gangut said.
"O-ho? The I guess we'll have to see just how young you feel, grandma." Texas said.
"You're older than me!" Gangut said.
"So? I still move like a young woman." Texas said.
"And I don't?" Gangut asked, stunned.
"Last I checked, you clocked out after 26 bottles." Texas said.
"Shut up! I was already drunk when we made that bet, and you know it." Gangut said.
"Not my fault. You only put away 26. How many did I have again?" Texas asked.
"32..." Gangut said, defeated.
"That's right. Speaking of, I hope you managed to get Avrora's vodka recipe, 'cause I have several barrels of Kentucky bourbon from the states. Been waiting for the right time to crack them sons of bitches open." Texas said.
"Oh you tease. Get those boilers churning! We could always use another heavy hitter." Gangut said.
"We're already within 40 hours. Not too much longer." Texas said, smiling once again.
"I can't wait to see you again." Gangut said.
"We have quite a bit to catch up on." Texas said.
"Damn right we do." Gangut said as the line cut out.
"I see a smile." Shnano said.
"Gran is a very good friend of mine. I would usually leave my vessel to assist in the blockade, keeping the Gerrys out of Royal waters." Texas said.
"Does that mean you know Mikasa?" Shinano asked.
"Gangut spoke about her briefly during one of our drinking binges. But I have never met her." Texas said.
"I see. Well, while she is a very headstrong forward woman, she might be willing to have a drink with fellows from her own era." Shinano said.
"Warspite too. I know her pretty well too. A bit prude, but always a good one to talk to." Texas said as she looked up at the night sky.
"I have a feeling you all will get along wonderfully." Shinano said as she yawned.
"Don't tell me you're tired already." Texas said.
"Maybe if I had some of that bourbon, I might be able to stay awake a while longer." Shinano said as Texas smiled.
"Never one to turn down an offer like that." Texas said as she produced a bottle from her dress.
"Isaac has a memory of his parents working a bar." Shinano said as she graciously took a swig from the bottle.
"Oh?" Texas asked as she sat on the edge of the flight deck.
"Mmhmm. I sat with him and we drank, listening to the music from the years before this war." Shinano said as she joined Texas on the flight deck, her tails swaying happily after tasting the bourbon Texas had given her.
"How? Did you not just leave the Empire?" Texas asked.
"I dream when I sleep, Miss Texas. But my dreams are special. They tell the future, or allow me to enter the dreams of those already asleep." Shinano said.
"Remind me not to try and dream then." Texas said as she nudged Shinano's side, passing her the bottle.
"Isaac has been through a lot... I know he isn't doing well, but I managed to hide that fact from him as we talked." Shinano said.
"What happened?" Texas asked.
"I saw it... a new class of Siren ambushed him and three of the ships he holds most precious. Three went in, two came out. And he was injured far beyond what he should have been able to survive." Shinano said.
"A new Siren huh? Sounds like it'll be a fun little gift to bring to him." Texas said.
"Agreed. I am sure seeing her destroyed would bring him comfort until his fleet learns to reverse death itself." Shinano said.
"You're not making sense, and for now, I don't want to know. All I needed to hear was that I have a trophy to track, and a head to mount." Texas said as the two girls sat and drank, approaching the battle raging on New Guinea.