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Disclaimer: I don't own Azur Lane or any other properties I make references to.

"Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine."

-Alan Turing

Chapter 18: The Aftermath

Strategist wondered how her successor had felt right after Calico Jack had defeated the Blue Hole Guardian. Was she scared? Or was she just as blindly optimistic as any other Purifier that she had met? It really didn't matter though, whatever the answer was. Because it wasn't going to stop what happens next. Strategist was bound by how Sirens do things. She had to report what had occurred to her immediate superior, that being Observer Alpha. But Strategist was afraid at the prospect of facing Observer right now, so she decided—in a very un-Siren way—to try and procrastinate the meeting that will no doubt see her summarily executed.

So, she sat in front of the console from which she had observed the battle and issued orders to the fleet of mass production ships. She reflected on what had occurred. Of course, she was furious at her humiliating defeat handed to her by the craftiness of Calico Jack. She would love nothing more than to wring his neck for his trickery. But that ship has sailed, and if he had found a way to best about a quarter of the Siren Naval forces in the North Sea, then that probably meant that he would find a way to survive her personal onslaught if she decided to go for it. She had held all the cards, had every advantage but in the smallest of her slip-ups, he cheated her out of victory. This made her anger flare briefly. She wanted to stand up and smash everything in sight out of rage and she wanted to shout the vilest of profanities, but it was no use. Her fate was sealed. It was only a matter of time.

She saw a message appear on her console. She gulped when she saw who it was from. It was Observer. She wanted a report of what had just happened. Apparently, the algorithm had shifted again. Strategist's judgment day had come. So, she stood up, calmed herself down, and got on her way to Observer's study.

On the way, she resolved that if it was her end, she would face it with pride and dignity. She arrived at the entrance to Observer's study, and she steadied her nerves before she got to the door, because it would open to invite her in as she got close. She hoped against hope that this wouldn't happen this time, but it didn't come to pass. The Door slid open, Strategist entered, and the door slid closed.

They briefly spoke on what happened. Strategist tried to justify her actions to Observer but was cut off part of the way through her explanation. Purifier had been incompetent. But Strategist had been incompetent, idiotic, and insubordinate. Observer's thousand voices proclaimed that there was no place for the likes of Strategist among the Siren command structure.

Purifier got the honor of being able to amuse Observer in her last moments, but Strategist got no such opportunity. Purifier's remains had been removed form Observer's study in several large chunks, but Strategist's fate was to be scrubbed from the walls and floors, having been cruelly and painfully ground into a fine red and black paste of cybernetic flesh by her superior's rigging's tentacles.

Though thoroughly annoyed at what had happened, Observer wasn't troubled at any development quite yet. The Heralds of the Deep—for all their temporary usefulness—still hadn't been given enough time to make their move.

They'd better move soon though. The algorithm now only predicted a 82.5641648692% chance of the Sirens winning the war.

The actions of Calico Jack were rapidly become a critical variable in the algorithm's predictions. It was quite anomalous.

XXXXXXXX

Las Vegas and Nashville remained standing in the hug for a few moments more. Nashville was quite enjoying it. She loved having her commander so close to her and being able to feel his warmth and breathe his scent. Commander liked it too, for many of the same reasons. But well, he had two extra reasons; and they were currently squishing up against his torso in between himself and his companion. Whether or not she was completely aware of what she was doing was beyond him. But before he did anything that would embarrass himself—which was to say, very quickly—he chuckled a little bit and observed, "Are hugs after a victory a tradition now?" He omitted the fact that there hadn't been hugs after every victory, nevertheless he really needed something to focus on, and that was the first thing to mind.

"Victory hugs?" she asked. "I like it. Let's do it." She giggled a little bit and squeezed just a bit tighter. "Victory hug," she whispered, sounding pleased with the prospect.

He wasn't expecting such a cute reaction to the suggestion as a giggle. He nearly melted because of how blindsided he was by that. He also squeezed a little tighter and then he said, "We should see what the rest of the fleet wants to do though."

Nashville was mildly upset that the hug would have to break but she understood that things would have to get moving soon. The hug broke off, but she still easily maintained her smile for her commander. He smiled and nodded back as he turned to reach for the radio transponder He jumped just a little as a voice suddenly started speaking of the airwaves. "Calico Jack, are you okaaaay?" It was Cheshire. It would seem that she was attached to Duke of York's fleet. Nashville grumbled a little but got it under control quickly. She had given Cheshire a chance the last time she saw her, and they were supposed to be friendly now. Then Nashville realized something. She hoped that Cheshire still didn't have the cat ears ready that she had promised to make Nashville.

Commander picked up the radio transponder and replied to Cheshire first, "It's all good over here. Shipshape and Bristol fashion I'd say."

Cheshire virtually sang back, "I'm sooooo happy that you're okay! I'll be right over to say, 'Hi,' to you and Nashville! And I got a surprise for her too!"

"Roger that, Cheshire," her replied. He turned over towards Nashville. She now had a look of abject horror. He teased, "Ready to start the 'Cat Ear Revolution?'"

He had expected that she would vehemently deny such a prospect but instead she shook her head no. He noticed that she was clearly more perturbed about this than he previously supposed so he dropped any hopes of teasing further. He offered, "I promise not to laugh if it looks funny."

Nashville took some solace in him saying that. She smiled faintly and nodded. And then when the fact that she had laughed when he tried on Cheshire's ears a few days ago came to memory, she felt extra grateful that he had promised not to laugh.

He now diverted his attention towards the radar screen. A small signature was approaching Nashville at about forty-two or forty-three knots. He wagered that it was Cheshire. She would still take another few minutes to arrive so he then opened up a radio channel to Duke of York and Hood. He got their attentions and said, "Well, that went pretty well and I'm all for celebrating right here and now, but after what just happened, I bet Siren submarines are gonna show up really soon, and after the trick I pulled, I bet they've already updated the cypher. I recommend that we get back to London as soon as possible."

Both Hood and Duke of York accepted his proposal without argument or complaint. He ordered Nashville to reverse direction with the rest of the fleet. She complied and duo went to await their visitor on her deck. A few minutes passed and they watched while Cheshire in her rigging sailed abreast Nashville's hull and in a feat of superhuman strength, leapt up a few stories to land perfectly in front of the duo. Before anyone could speak her rigging dropped from her back onto Nashville's deck with a loud clanging and she leaped the few feet between them to bring Calico Jack into one of her signature big hugs. Nashville started to count to ten in her head. She started counting even faster and repeatedly when her commander returned the gesture.

Then Nashville saw her commander take on a concerned look. That stoked her curiosity. He said to Cheshire, "Are you okay, Cheshire?" Nashville looked closer. She noticed that Cheshire was quivering lightly. She was crying? Her commander added on, "See? I wasn't lying. We're just fine." Cheshire didn't respond, probably favoring to continue the moment of her confirmation that he was alright. He spoke for a third time, "I know that we're on friendly terms but I gotta say that I wasn't expecting you to react like this for someone you've only known a few days."

Only now did Cheshire release him and she straightened up to say, "It's because you're my owner. After being a stray for so long, I found my owner. Is it wrong to be scared when you're in danger?"

Nashville empathized with the PR heavy cruiser. She'd be terrified too if her commander's safety was riding on someone else's capabilities. Without thinking, Nashville's mouth opened, and she heard herself admit, "I'd be scared too. It's okay to be scared over it."

Cheshire looked towards Nashville now and smiled while she wiped her tears with her finger. She then approached Nashville and gave her a hug too. Nashville was surprised by this, but she knew that any amount of civility between them would be hard to maintain if she didn't return the hug. So, she did. Cheshire spoke to her now, "Are you okay, Nashville? Your hull is damaged."

Nashville had forgotten the dull ache in her side, but now it came back to her. But still, she replied, "I got hit by a battleship shell, but then one of my abilities activated and my hull repaired itself. Mostly. But I'm okay now."

Nashville was taken aback by the sincerity of Cheshire's response. She said, "I'm sooo glad that you're okay too." Nashville felt herself smile at that. And then Cheshire let her go as she recalled something else, "Oh! And I got a surprise for you!" Here it was. Moment of truth. Nashville prepared her fake gratitude for when she is revolted at whatever Cheshire had cooked up for her cat ears. She watched as Cheshire waltzed back towards her rigging, and she reached into a part of the rigging and pulled out the cat ears.

Commander spoke up about what he saw, "It actually looks pretty good."

At a glance, Nashville was inclined to agree. While Cheshire's own ears was clearly a stylized bow that had the shape of cat ears and had enough dimension to it so that it could pass as either a bonnet or a head-dress of some sort, Nashville's "cat ears" looked much more like a traditional bow. Cheshire's ears came in the form of a headband that disappeared into her hair while only the fabric showed, but it was clear that Nashville's was meant to tie into her hair. The ribbon itself wasn't frilly on the edges, but it was a few inches wide, and it was colored in three stripes that ran along the whole length of the fabric. The outside stripes were in the same shade of red as Nashville's normal dress with a cream-colored center stripe. Cheshire explained it's simplicity in comparison to her own accessory, "I didn't know how you would want to wear it, so I made something that can be worn differently. Instead of the only one way my own kitty-ears can be worn." Nashville nodded dumbly, completely flabbergasted with how not against the idea of "cat ears" she was anymore. Cheshire continued, "Can you lead us to a mirror? I want to show you a couple ways to tie it."

Nashville felt like it was okay to let Cheshire do that. She hadn't noticed it, but she had stopped counting to ten over and over again a long time ago. She smiled and said, "Okay. Let's get going for one."

Commander spoke now to say, "You two go on ahead. I'll be up on the bridge."

They parted and he made his way to the bridge. He had to admit though, he was curious to see the end results of what the cat ears would look like.

XXXXXXXX

Nashville led the way to the nearest head, which was attached to one of her old crews' quarters. She grabbed a chair and carried it with them into the head itself, unfolding it in front of one of the mirrors over the sinks. As she sat down, she said, "I have to admit. What you have wasn't what I was expecting."

"You probably thought I'd make you something like what I have didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Cheshire looked saddened briefly before she explained, "I know that hardly anybody likes cat ears. So, if we're going to make the cat ear revolution a reality, we have to make it easier for everyone to join in. Yours's my first experiment with this style." Cheshire perked up though, back to her normal jovial self and she happily said, "Okay then! Let's get started!" Nashville was okay with that.

Cheshire started out with where she would have the bow tied if it was on her head. It started around the base of Nashville's skull, under her hair to loop around towards the crown of her head where she watched Cheshire fold the ribbon to a specific thickness and tie it in a fashion to give what was really close to the shape of cat ears. It didn't look terrible, and it didn't have the thickness of Cheshire's, but Nashville could tell that this style wasn't for her.

Cheshire untied the ribbon carefully to begin another style. One that took advantage of Nashville's long wavy hair. Cheshire gathered a small amount of Nashville's hair on the back of her head to make a place around which to tie the ribbon. Cheshire got to work tying it, and as she did, she talked, "It's kind of weird for me to be inside crews' quarters."

Nashville was confused. "How is it weird?"

"I was never launched as a normal ship like most ship girls. I never left the drawing board during World War II, so I got launched like how you see me now. I don't have crews' quarters because it wasn't in the final plans when I was launched."

Nashville didn't really know how to proceed after that admission. Cheshire must have a really special purpose to have been launched, just like her. Nashville now had to know, "Do you know why you were launched?"

"I'm what's called a 'Priority Research,' ship. There are less than twenty of us in the whole world. Or at least, there are less than twenty that I know of. Close to the end of the last war with the Crimson Axis, most of the governments that had ship girls could see that the Sirens would be the next enemy, so they dug up their old blueprints from over eighty years ago to make us for the sole reason of fighting the Sirens. They made us as a backup because they didn't think that normal ship girls would cut it." So, Cheshire was like her, and that saddened her. For a second time today, she empathized with Cheshire. Cheshire continued, "But I'm glad that I'm here. Until I was launched, I was just a stray in the sea of people's imaginations. But now I have a chance."

Silence befell them for a few seconds while Cheshire continued to carefully tie the bow. Nashville said, "I think I know how you feel. I only found this out recently but, well… You see…" Nashville sighed and then she said, "My commander and I have a very secret mission. But we aren't the first ones to have it. The last ones died before they could succeed and I found out that I was given a second chance, as a ship girl, only in the possibility that they might fail."

Cheshire had finished the bow but didn't call attention to it yet. She leaned downwards to give Nashville a hug from behind her. She said, "It's sad that they died. But you're here now. And you got to meet Calico Jack. I think that a chance to live is worth it. Don't you think?"

"Yeah…Yeah, it is worth it," admitted Nashville. She hadn't thought of that. She was only able to meet Las Vegas because Operation Argonautica failed. "Thanks, Cheshire. That's what I needed to hear." It seemed that Nashville and Cheshire had something in common after all. Maybe Nashville wouldn't have to force her friendliness to the cat-like cruiser.

"Not a problem!" sang Cheshire, instantly driving out any gloomy mood. And then she pointed at the bow. "But look at your new kitty-ears! What do you think?"

The bow that the ribbon formed was very large and it rested on the center back of her head in a way that didn't interrupt her hair as it flowed down to her middle back like it normally would. When Nashville looked at the bow in the mirror, she saw that the top of the bow poked upwards just far enough over her head that it looked kind of like cat ears. But when she turned her head to the side and saw the carefully tied bow in her hair, she was amazed at how cute it was. The shape and color blew her expectations out of the water. Nashville smiled. She had misjudged Cheshire's style. She could totally wear this every day. "Color me surprised, Cheshire. It looks so cute."

Cheshire smiled broadly. "I knew you'd love it! But let's go show your commander! I bet he'll love it too."

"Yeah, let's go," replied Nashville. As they left the head Nashville decided that her list of friends had just grown by one name. And that made her happy.

XXXXXXXX

On the way to the bridge, Nashville properly thanked Cheshire for the new accessory. Cheshire accepted the gratitude readily. They smiled and then they agreed that it's just what friends do. As they got into he bottom of the conning tower, Nashville had to roll her eyes. Her commander was enjoying his metal music rather loudly right now. But she couldn't fault him too much, it's not very often that either of them got the bridge and it's sound system to themselves.

As she led Cheshire up the stairs to get onto her bridge she got more and more of the lyrics.

"…May the land lay claim on to Lawrence name

Seven pillars of wisdom lights the flame.

A revolt to gain independence

Hide and seek, hunters hot on their trail

Joined their ranks, obtained their acceptance

Side by side raid the Ottoman rail."

They came into the bridge to be confronted by a veritable wall of sound. He was enjoying his music quite loud but fortunately, he had posted his workstation in such a way that he could see the hatch open up, so he reached over to Nashville's MP3 player—that she had generously let him download his favorite music onto—and he paused it.

Only now did Nashville start to get nervous about what her commander might think of the "cat ears." Why did she keep thinking of it like that? It was really just a large bow. But still. What if he didn't like it? What if it was so hilariously stupid looking that he couldn't help but laugh even after he promised not to?

He stood up to get a better look and Cheshire asked, "Well, Calico Jack, what do you think?"

Nashville saw him put on an analytical look and she interpreted it as him readying criticisms for how it looked. She was about ready to use her hands to try and cover it from his sight but then he opened his mouth to speak.

But from his point of view, once he stood up, his initial impression remained much the same as when he first saw the accessory on the deck. He kind of liked it and he honestly thought the bow looked cute on Nashville. Not that he would ever use that exact wording aloud of course. He was just tall enough that he could tell that it was indeed a bow that was tied behind Nashville's head instead of any sort of faux cat ears like Cheshire kept insisting that it was and he most of all liked the color, and how it matched what Nashville wore and her eye color. He wanted to jump to some sort of compliment, but he stopped himself. What did she think of it? Because he really didn't want to say that he liked it if she didn't. And likewise, he didn't want to lie and say that he doesn't like it in the possibility that she does like it. He studied the bow for a second longer and then he looked at Nashville's face. He didn't dare ask her if she liked it and then agree with whatever she would say, him seeming to simply agree with her would rob any of his responses of sincerity. Nashville's eyes avoided meeting his own for a second, she started to fidget just a bit, but after she finally did get her eyes to look into his, she smiled sheepishly. Now he could tell that she liked it. But he still couldn't tell how much. He opened his mouth to say, "I think it looks really nice on you."

He saw relief flood Nashville's expression and she quickly asked, "You really do?"

"Yeah, I do like it. But could you please turn around so that I can see the whole thing?"

Nashville nodded quickly and she complied with his request. He saw the bow in all it's glory. At first, he was surprised at how large the bow was, it was easily six inches across, and it was tied so that the top two corners of the bow stuck up over her head to look like the sought for cat ears, but he liked how this feature clearly wasn't the objective. The knot had both trailing ends of the ribbon cascade alongside the rest of Nashville's ash blonde hair down about half the length of her hair. In an artistic and aesthetic sense, he loved it. And as an added bonus, it was tied to be perfectly symmetrical, which pleased his mathematical mind. He spoke again, "I really like it."

Nashville turned back around, and she said, "I'm glad that you like it. Because I do too."

They smiled at each other, and Cheshire passed the moment proud of her handiwork. But then Calico Jack turned to her and said, "I gotta admit, Cheshire. I wasn't expecting the end product to be so good."

Cheshire beamed at him. She exclaimed, "Of course it's good! I'm the best around here when it comes to these sorts of things!"

"No kidding," replied Calico Jack, "I'm sorry I ever doubted your ability with this."

"Same here," agreed Nashville.

Hearing how her work was so well received made Cheshire happier than she has been in a super long time. She wanted to show the duo how she felt about this. She found a simple, Cheshire-like solution. She said, "Aaaawww. Group hug!" And she bounded the two steps to take advantage of how close Nashville was standing to Calico Jack and she scooped the two of them into a big hug. "I'm sooo happy that I got to meet you two!" First Nashville's arms joined with the group hug. Then Calico Jack's. And then Cheshire was the happiest that she has probably ever been, and certainly the happiest cat alive.

The hug broke off and Cheshire asked if she could pass the rest of the voyage back to London on Nashville's hull. Nashville had to think for a few seconds before she gave her consent. Commander didn't have anything against the request, but he insisted that Cheshire get permission from Duke of York, who was Cheshire's flagship. Cheshire recognized this as reasonable, given the circumstances of having just finished a battle.

Duke of York didn't allow it. She cited how handicapped Belfast and Hood were in the battle and that they didn't know for sure if the Sirens would be back or not. So, with disappointment on her features, Cheshire had to bid the duo farewell. She gave Nashville a hug, which was easily returned, and smiles passed between the two. Cheshire then went for a hug with Calico Jack. It too, was easily returned and smiles passed between those two, but Nashville's smile faltered, and her insides twisted into a knot. She started to count to ten again. But the hug broke off quickly and Nashville found herself relieved. They escorted Cheshire to where she had dropped her rigging and they watched as she vaulted over the railing into the water and sped away to form her hull back in formation with Duke of York's fleet.

They returned to Nashville's bridge and they passed the time in light conversation. At one point, Hood came over the radio so that she could request to speak in person with Calico Jack once they docked in the Pool of London. It was no trouble at all, so he said it was okay. Aside from that specifically, Nashville and her commander were able to chime in on radio conversation now and again, but with passing time, and the closer they got to the mouth of the River Thames, Commander was able to note that chatter died down.

They finally rounded out of the English Channel into the mouth of the Thames, and it was much the same they left it. The furthest out, they were only graced with the thick sludge of fuel oil on the water. The stench motivated those passing through to breathe through their mouths and not too deeply, or the fumes would cause lightheadedness. Fortunately, the oil on the water was only burning in some patches, and the water was still too deep for underwater wreckage to become a hazard. But that wouldn't last for very long. Duke of York and Hood ordered the accompanying destroyers to lead the way into the river, so that they can use their sonar to scan for safe passage through the sunken wreckage once they got into shallower water so that nobody's hull was punctured on any sunken ships.

Commander and Nashville both stood next to each other by a window of the bridge as they sailed through the area. For some reason, seeing the fire on the water, or the craters of explosions on the banks brought to Commander's mind a few parallels with photos of the first world war, but to a lesser extent now than then. Parts that were green on the banks were now mucky brown with raw exposed earth, and blue water was now a putrid brown. It was like the earth itself was wounded in the battle. But that wasn't the worst part.

As the united fleet got further into the mouth of the river, they saw the first bodies, and their frequency increased quickly. This would be the final resting place of many who had fought. Nashville averted her eyes. She had seen enough dead people in her time as a normal ship back in World War II. She didn't feel the need to be reminded what they looked like now. Commander had no such memories, so if for no other reason than morbid curiosity, he observed. He saw that some had obvious signs as to how they met their ends. Missing body parts likely meant death from the battle itself. No flotation devices meant drowning. Burns and charring from the fire. Others weren't so obvious.

Dear God. There had to be hundreds of them. Maybe more. He didn't know the strength of the Royal Navy at the Mouth of the River Thames. How would he know? But he had seen enough, and he looked away. But despite looking into the cloudy sky, his mind was still filled with the terrible scene he had beheld on the water's surface. He wished that there was some way that everyone could have known what was going to happen. They could have prepared. And even if they could have saved the life of just one of those who were no longer among the living, it would have been worth it.

He recalled one conversation that he had with Rear Admiral Slade in Miami about losses to her fleet over time. They agreed that war sucks. But back then, he had only been able to make a judgment based on the numbers. But now, he saw that behind every number was a life, a person. Now it was personal. Now he saw it, understood it, and couldn't deny it. War is terrible and should never have to be pursued. But here he was. What can one man do?

For the departed, he would see to it that they didn't live, fight, and die for nothing. He would succeed in his mission to break the stalemate with the Sirens and end the war. So, help him God. But for himself in the immediate moment, he could only think to pray. He finished his silent prayer quickly and he looked up to see his and Nashville's reflection in the window. He scolded himself for a moment for having forgotten his friend. He looked over to her and asked, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this."

He sidestepped to get cover the little distance between them and he put his arm around her shoulders. She didn't hesitate in putting her own arm around him too. He responded, "Of all things that one should never get used to, I think this is the top of the list."

"I wish we could have done more," Nashville admitted.

"Same." They passed a few more seconds in silence and then he said, "But I'm glad that you're okay. Do you still hurt from getting hit earlier or did your new ability repair all of the damage?"

"The ability repaired the worst of it, but it still hurts." His face contorted with concern. She added on, "But as much as it hurt, the original hit wasn't that bad. With a few days of repair, I'll stop hurting. But I can keep going. And please, don't concern yourself too much."

"How can I not get concerned? I don't know how to weld, and I haven't the slightest clue about how to repair a ship so the best I can do is get concerned. Besides, I'm supposed to take care of you the best that I can."

She smiled and said, "That's awful sweet of you."

Both found themselves looking out of the window again as the side hug broke off. They had to start to take indirect courses to avoid wreckage under the surface, but they got the first views of smaller boats fishing survivors out of the water. "But it could have been much worse," pointed out Nashville.

"No argument there." He paused and then asked, "How does this new ability of yours work anyway?"

"It feels like there's a guarantee to repair some damage under certain conditions."

"That's not very specific. Do you think you can throw out some numbers here? Feed this poor mathematician."

She smiled a little at his joke and thought for a few seconds. "Uuuuummmm. It's difficult to explain. I'd say repair five percent of my damage the first time I take significant damage each battle."

"What counts as a significant hit?"

"Armor penetrated." She thought for a few more seconds and continued, "Remember when you ordered me to aim my shots to get critical hits on the destroyers while they were going haywire?"

"Yeah."

"More than anything, the ability is a good way to keep from blowing up with a single critical hit."

"That actually sounds pretty useful. The key is just to avoid taking more than one critical hit each battle. Or any hit for that matter. The objective is to never have to use it."

"Sounds good," she replied. But then after a second of thinking she asked, "What do you want to call it?"

"I named the last ability. How about you take this one?"

She shrugged and said, "Well, one time a bomb exploded in the water right off my bow back in 1944 and I was repaired in a floating drydock by a repair ship called, "Briareus." I like naming the ability after that repair ship, but it feels like the name is…unfinished. But what do you think?" She was trying to get a name that they both could share with that last question.

"I kinda get what you're feeling," he agreed. He then thought aloud, "Well, we found the ability after taking the mother of all gambles so how about we call it, 'Briarues' Gambit?'"

"I really like that," she said.

"Briareus' Gambit it is," he concluded.

By now they were finally getting into the river itself and were coming to leave the carnage of the battlefield behind and with so many large ships in the water, the fleet had to take a single file as they advanced upriver. The city was now buzzing with activity. Convoys of military vehicles traveled on the roads parallel to the banks of the river. But there was an unexpected affect of the united fleet travelling upriver. It was like an impromptu parade on the water. Despite those who had been lost, hordes of Londoners were giving the fleet a hero's welcome. As many people as could be accommodated crowded the banks of the river. In some places, the crowd got large enough to start obstructing traffic. But even though these people had to be moved, nobody in the military complained that much for the slowdown because the show gave a much-needed morale boost in the face of what had just happened. And besides, the most urgent military business was always airlifted.

The people's cacophonous roar of approval accompanied the fleet for the whole journey until they were finally able to dock in their assigned places. Fortunately, the city had the foresight to build enough piers on the river in anticipation of the number of large warships currently present.

They had tied in and were simply trying to figure out how they would get Nashville repaired when a new voice came over the radio. Anyone listening was able to quickly identify the voice of Grayson Roscoe. His tone was all business, "Hood, Duke of York, Commander, and Nashville. Stay where you presently are. A vehicle will be sent to each of you for immediate debriefing."

"Yes, sir," responded Hood.

"Very well," voiced Duke of York.

"Understood," said Las Vegas for himself and Nashville. He then turned toward his companion to say, "It looks like repair will unfortunately have to wait." She nodded in acknowledgement. He then asked, "Do you think he will find some reason to be mad or will he be congratulating us?"

Nashville considered the kind of person she thought Grayson Roscoe was before she predicted, "Probably both. But I bet he's gonna wait to choose which until after he makes us tell him the vivid details of what happened."

"He's gonna be really mad that we charged alone," foreshadowed Las Vegas.

"Probably. Especially after what he told us yesterday about being humanity's best chance of winning the war."

They didn't have to wait that long for them to see the same car that Sub-lieutenant Talbot drove the day before. Unsurprisingly, Talbot himself opened the driver side door and waved the duo to come on over. With that cue, they left Nashville's hull without delay. They briefly greeted the junior officer, and they entered the back seat to see that Hood and Duke of York was already picked up. They sat down and Commander remarked, "For how bad that could have gone, it's good to see the two of you again."

Hood smiled thinly and replied, "After the stunt you pulled, I had thought that was the last I'd ever see of the both of you. But yes, it's nice to see you two again."

"What stunt?" asked Duke of York. She had not been made aware of the Unionists' one ship charge down the Thames.

Hood calmly explained, "I'd rather not say here. You'll just want more information and I'd rather not have to explain twice to you and then to the Supreme Commander."

"Very well. Thusly, I shall be patient until the appointed hour."

And so, they awaited their judgment at the hands of Grayson Roscoe.

XXXXXXXX

In much the same way as the day before, the duo plus their allies entered the Main Building of the Ministry of Defense. The organization of the day before had been replaced by a frantic urgency of all present. Hood and Duke of York were about to get into the line to get through security but having gone through it the day before, Commander had them follow him and Nashville to the side desk. He gave his credentials, confirmed that all three of the women were indeed with him, and they progressed to the same point as the day before, beside the doors awaiting the marines that would escort them to Roscoe's office.

But Duke of York was troubled. Having seen Calico Jack flex his authority to get them to the front of the line reignited her curiosity as to the identity and purpose of the strange officer. Looking dead at him she asked, "Who art thou?"

In a characteristic lightheartedness he replied, "Who? Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am, is a man with no name." He saw the opportunity to make a movie reference, but it didn't go over well.

For the first time since he had met her, Hood looked annoyed. Her tone showed that she was. She said, "No more jokes Calico Jack. A stranger shows up suddenly, says there's a way to break the stalemate, has a skill completely unheard of among normal sailors, has authority rivalling the most senior of officers, and won't give hardly any details as to why. Who are you really?"

Silence permeated the air for a few seconds while the man formulated his response. He ended up dragging his hand down his face while he said, "Even I have to bow before some authority. The most immediate authority is that of Supreme Commander Roscoe. And he has ordered me to keep quiet and as discreet as possible in matters about who we are and what our mission is. I'd love to tell you everything. Truly, I would. But I have my orders. If you want to try and get details, I recommend you ask him because I won't give any."

Hood and Duke of York were not satisfied by that answer in the slightest, but they both saw that they weren't going to get anything else from him. Duke of York spoke, "Surely there is something, anything thou canst say to soothe our disquiet?"

"We want to help," pleaded the pirate. "Please believe that. We really just want to help."

Hood felt her annoyance melt away. In spite of all the things that she had wanted to believe, at the very least, she could see that the pirate's heart was in the right place. And well, from having been able to speak with him at length a time of two over the past few days gave credence to his plea. Hood decided that she would trust him. "Alright. I believe you," she said simply.

Duke of York decided to be more poetic. "I see that in thy heart of hearts, there is a flame blazing. A flame that would give warmth and direction to those who seek, but verily it is written that a flame shouldn't be hidden under a bushel but placed on a candlestick. Nevertheless, it is thy choice. But I'll enjoy the warmth and direction regardless, O Star of the North."

"Wow. I don't really know how to follow up after something like that being said," admitted Calico Jack to the royals' amusement. Duke of York was known to have that effect on people.

Nashville nudged him and said, "How about saying, 'Thank you?'"

He snapped his fingers and admitted aloud, "Good idea." He then looked back to Hood and Duke of York and voiced his thanks for them believing his words. It was well received. In all honesty, they were greatly entertained by the brief exchange between the Unionists.

Time passed in further silence. Hood was about to ask the codebreaker if he was angry at her for making her decision to follow Her Majesty's order but the door they were waiting beside opened and the same marines from the day before poked their heads out. Only this time, they were all business. The group stood and Calico Jack muttered, "It feels like going into battle all over again." Hood, Duke of York, and Nashville were inclined to agree.

No pleasantries were exchanged this time with the marines. They led the party towards Roscoe's office and let them inside. This time though, Lieutenant-Commander Larcom was more pleasant. She gave them a smile and to Nashville and her commander in particular she said, "It's a relief to see that you made it."

"It's good to see you too, Ma'am," said Las Vegas. "But how is the Supreme Commander doing?"

"Not so well, I'm afraid," she reported. "I'm sure you can imagine that things here in London is just the epicenter right now."

"No doubt," he replied, "Is there anything keeping us from going in?"

"Nothing that can't be put on hold." She stood from behind her desk and led the group to the door. She knocked and Roscoe's voice bade them to enter. The four of them did and they saw the wizened old tar as he sat behind his desk. He didn't look so good, like he hadn't had a wink of sleep in the past day or so. He was on the telephone and as he noticed the group, he concluded his call with a simple promise to call back.

His expression was unreadable but still he waved them forward to take seats around his desk. There were only two seats in front of the desk with another reading chair along a bookshelf. During a quick rearrangement of furniture, Commander noticed a Sherlock Holmes Novel on the bookshelf. It seemed that the supreme commander enjoyed a good mystery. But he didn't dwell on it, and once he finished the rearrangement, Commander followed the rule of gentlemanly conduct and gave deference to the women in the room. He stood beside Nashville as she sat. Only after the visitors had settled in did he begin to speak. "I will be perfectly frank. I cannot decide if I should be livid or content with how what just happened was handled. But still…" He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck and then he said, "But still, I am comforted to see all of you make it out alive. God knows we cannot handle more casualties among the Royal Navy's ship girls. All four of you are far too important to have die in a sneak attack."

Hood answered first, "I had feared for your safety, Supreme Commander. It's relief to find my fears unfounded. But I have to ask, for your sake, are you alright?"

He chuckled humorlessly and replied, "I will openly admit that I am not doing so well right now, but I have handled worse before."

"How can we help?" said Nashville.

"I want a thorough breakdown of what happened today. As I am sure you can imagine, I have several questions. But first, I want stories, now."

There were a few seconds of confusion among the visitors as to who should speak first, but eventually Hood offered a suggestion that the briefest story go first, until the longest. So, the order would be Duke of York, then Hood, and finally Calico Jack.

"Calico Jack?" asked Roscoe before anything else could be said.

Las Vegas answered, "Not having an official name has practically been an invitation to get nick-names so far."

Roscoe thought for a few seconds and asked, "So you're the Magician that the Eagle Union Ship Girl Forces have been raving about?"

"I wasn't aware of anyone raving about myself, but yes, I was called, 'The Magician,' back in Miami. I guess that word got out."

"Hmph. Well, I suppose since by what I have heard, specifics are still lacking in the Eagle Union, I can let this fame slide. It seems to be good for morale anyway. But anyway, Duke of York." She straightened out in her seat and he continued, "What was your involvement in the battle?"

Duke of York began with the ordered patrol of the English Channel two days earlier. She covered how the explosion of friendly calls over the radio led her to make the decision to lead her fleet into the battle, which was then cemented by Queen Elizabeth's order to protect London. Then came Calico Jack's radio call with the plan to corner the Siren fleet in the Straight of Dover. Her story finished with her fleet making contact with the Sirens and them opening fire.

Hood's story was where things got interesting. She began her recollection from when the first shells fell on London and she met up with Belfast to run toward Nashville's hull, where they had their riggings at the time. They got aboard Nashville's hull and heard Calico Jack's recommendation to go now. Then they entered into Hood's dilemma. They received the transmission from Queen Elizabeth to hold for reinforcements. Hood then went over the following verbal exchange as she recalled it, and that concluded with her and Belfast leaving Nashville's hull, and watching Nashville leave the Pool of London to go to the fight. It was notable that she kept her personal feelings about being ordered against what she wanted to a minimum.

While Hood was going over things as she recalled them, Commander observed the expressions of those watching. Duke of York seemed impressed at the intrepidity of the union duo. But Roscoe remained unreadable, and that greatly concerned the commander. He held out a hand to stop Hood's story. Once she stopped, he said, "I am sorry to interrupt your story Hood, but could you please tell me again why you ended up following the order from Queen Elizabeth?"

Hood smoothed a wrinkle out of her skirt, and she answered, "When the message was received and reviewed, in every possible way, it checked out as legitimate from Her Majesty. It was even corroborated by Belfast, who stood beside me when we received it. The order was to hold for reinforcements, so we did. Well, for a time."

Roscoe sighed and informed the battlecruiser, "Due to the now lacking London defenses, one of the first people to call me to organize a fleet at the mouth of the Thames was Queen Elizabeth. I asked what she had done during the battle and at no point did she mention a message ordering the London Garrison of Ship Girls to hold for reinforcements. You were tricked."

Hood now looked positively distraught. Commander could only guess what thoughts were shooting back and forth through her mind. But he wagered that none of them were positive.

Before asking Hood to continue the story, Roscoe spoke to Commander, "I expect you to say what exactly made you decide to ignore the false order when you are telling your story." Commander nodded, and that satisfied Roscoe enough for him to invite Hood to continue.

Hood continued, mentioning that a ship girl—she didn't say which though—from the garrison got free from the dock and started to go down the river. That action motivated the garrison, one-by-one, to ignore the order and charge after Calico Jack. Hood finally ordered the garrison to form up into the two groups centered around Exeter and Nelson so that they could optimize the speed difference to assist the union duo. Hood then skipped the time until she radioed to see if the foreigners were still alive. She went over what she saw: Nashville being surrounded, then her picking apart a battleship at close range, and then the garrison finally coming together while the pirate finished his magic trick. Then once it worked, they followed the Sirens out of the mouth of the river into the channel, where they destroyed them with Duke of York's fleet's assistance.

While Las Vegas had felt let down by Hood earlier, he recovered his respect for her over the course of her explanation. Never at any point did Hood embellish to make herself, or those under her look better, nor did she endeavor to make him and Nashville look bad. Hood spoke of what she saw, letting out the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This spoke leagues about her character. It seemed that if there was any ship girl to trust in the whole Royal Navy, it was Hood.

Speaking of stories and the truth, Roscoe was now looking at the duo. It was their turn now. They shared a look and with a gesture, Nashville signaled that her commander should give the story. Commander's story started at a different point than Hood or Duke of York. He started the night before with the creepy guy that he had played darts with at the pub. Due to how creepy he was, Commander suspected something and asked the garrison to be on alert. Then he cut to the morning when he and Nashville were talking about the stranger. They suspected that he might have been a Siren agent and even with that tenuous speculation in the air, the duo decided to remain on stations in case something happened.

In a like gesture as he did with Hood, Roscoe interrupted the commander. He then asked, "What made you think he was a Siren agent?"

"Well, uh, you know what Nashville and I are dealing with, so we can't afford to take these sorts of possibilities lightly. And besides, he seemed shady to not just me, but everyone there, but the biggest indicator that something was wrong was when he spoke and said something about all games having to come to an end. I know that it's profiling, and that the practice is neither moral nor accurate, but it's the best I can do. But anyway, him saying that is one of the most stereotypically evil things he could have said."

Roscoe smiled lightly at his reasoning. If under different circumstances, such an accusation of being stereotypically evil would be downright hilarious because of how ridiculous it is, but right now Roscoe was willing to take Commander's reasoning as, well, reasonable. He beckoned the Union officer to continue.

He recalled the first shots into the city, Hood and Belfast boarding, the dilemma and he explained that in the time that he had known Queen Elizabeth, she didn't strike him as the kind to put something as urgent as the capital under attack on hold by ordering her subordinates to inaction. He suspected it was a trick from the beginning. After trying to persuade Hood didn't work, he described his gamble that charging would motivate the garrison to follow. He gave his ultimatum to Hood and Belfast, and they left. Then he and Nashville charged. He recalled the original plan for the battle and then starting to get his false radio transmission together once he learned that Duke of York's fleet was around. Then there was the torpedo volley foiled by a depth charge, the glitching Sirens, Duke of York's agreement to cooperate with the new plan, getting surrounded, Nashville's ability, the timely appearance of the garrison, wrecking a battleship, forming up with the garrison, and then sending off the false radio transmission, which he called a magic trick at the time. He finished by confirming that the rest of the story coincides with what Hood had said.

Explanation over, Roscoe started to speak. His level, deliberate tone sent chills down Las Vegas's spine. Roscoe asked, "Tell me, Commander. What is the difference between someone getting a court martial and someone getting a medal?"

Before Commander could answer, something very unexpected happened. Hood interrupted the proceedings. "Supreme Commander Roscoe, please forgive my speaking out of turn but I will not maintain silence on this matter. Despite the foolhardiness of this man and woman, I would insist that had they done anything differently, at best we would have had more casualties and at worst, we would not have emerged victorious."

"Thou hast heard what I have heard," said Duke of York. "Prithee heed the words of Hood, for I agree with her wisdom."

Roscoe sighed and said, "The question still stands."

"The difference is that one has a stupid plan that works and the other has a stupid plan that fails," ventured Las Vegas.

Roscoe blinked a few times. He wasn't expecting that answer. To be perfectly honest, he expected an answer more along the lines of one is smart and the other is idiotic or he expected the commander to simply admit that he didn't know. Whatever the case may be, Roscoe was going to take this opportunity to give the young officer a lecture and a slap on the wrist for doing something dumb, and then a pat on the back for managing to pull it off. But his answer had thrown the old man for a loop. Roscoe thought on the answer for a few moments and was only able to conclude one thing aloud, "I need a smoke. I hope none of you mind."

From his upper desk drawer, he produced an ornate lacquer case, which when opened showed a wooden tobacco pipe. Aside it he placed a tin of dried tobacco leaves. The visitors observed what was clearly a multistep ritual to get the pipe ready. Hood and Duke of York both recalled a time when pipe smoking was common, but Nashville was having a nostalgia attack. General Douglas MacArthur was famous for his corn cob pipe. But the codebreaker among them had no memories to associate with the act, for Grayson Roscoe was the first pipe-smoker he had ever met. But he did smile a little bit when he recalled the Sherlock Holmes novel from a little earlier.

As the Englishman was starting to carefully pack his pipe, he resumed speaking, "I will admit Commander that I am rather peeved with how you took such a great risk to charge alone into battle. But by Jove, I am scared to think of what could have happened if you had done otherwise. So, consider yourself lucky. Not only do I have no choice but to agree with what you did, but support for you has come from some unexpected people in Hood and Duke of York. However, please be careful. If for no other reason than the long-term health of this old man." He said this last part as he was ironically lighting up the pipe.

"Yes sir," complied Commander. He then lightly joked, "We hope to keep you around for decades to come."

Roscoe smiled as he started taking his first few puffs. He replied, "Spare me please. I haven't even retired yet." Roscoe then spent the next ten seconds enjoying the smoky complexities of his favorite blend of tobacco from his favorite pipe in the presence of people that he actually recognized as competent. He lamented silently that all those things were in short supply nowadays. Nevertheless, he asked, "Is there anything else any of you want to say?"

Hood gestured to her side towards Nashville and Las Vegas, and she asked, "Who are these people?"

Roscoe looked towards the duo in question for a moment as if to confirm who Hood was gesturing to before he looked back to her way. He took the pipe out from his mouth and started to gesture with it's stem first towards the duo and then to Hood and Duke of York. "Those two people have a very secret mission that is very vital to the greater war effort. And when the man that you call, 'Calico Jack,' speaks, know that he speaks with my authority. For that matter, in Crimson Axis territory he speaks with Eriko Hara's authority too. But still, given the nature of their mission, information is strictly regulated and given out on a need-to-know basis only. And given the fact that you are currently asking me this is a sign that you do not need to know anything concerning the matter. But if you, or anybody, should ever need to know, he will make the judgement and disperse with information appropriately."

"Methinks it dangerous to give so much earthly authority to only one man," opined Duke of York. "The power of the Crimson Axis and Azur Lane is mighty while separated, world shaping while together. And this man conforms to the latter as a wielder of both."

"You are absolutely correct," admitted Roscoe, "But both myself and Chairwoman Hara were getting desperate. Our possible courses of action were running out. We did not feel like there was any other choice..." He again used his pipe's stem to point to Hood and Duke of York for that last part.

Silence permeated the air for a few seconds. But Las Vegas couldn't resist a making a reference, "You could say that the choice was elementary, my dear ladies." Given present company, he made sure to forget any faked English accent with his Sherlock Holmes impression.

Hood and Duke of York weren't amused, but Roscoe was smiling and chuckling at the surprise reference to his favorite series. He finally addressed Nashville, "Is he always like this?"

She nodded and reported, "Yes sir. But most of his references go over my head. But I'll admit that sometimes he is funny."

"Only sometimes?" asked the man in question.

"Yes. Only sometimes," solidly affirmed Nashville.

Roscoe took on a look of nostalgia and he recalled, "The funny ones always did help in making the voyages smoother." He took another few puffs and then asked again, "Are there any other burning questions in our midst?" There were none, so Roscoe stood from his seat to give the signal that it was time for the visitors to be off. He gave each a handshake and wished them all well. Final goodbyes were given, Roscoe repeated how happy he was to see all of them alright, and the visitors left his office. Only this time, the supreme commander was left with a much better mood than when Nashville and Commander had left his office the day before. Or maybe it was just his pipe?

Alright. So, first and foremost, I would like to apologize for the day or so longer wait than usual. I was delayed by a midterm exam and then Easter festivities with my family. However, I would like to take a moment and offer my most sincere gratitude to all of you who are reading, just a few seconds ago when I refreshed my profile page, I saw that this story just passed 11000 views. That's a lot more views than I was ever expecting. And on that same note, the story passed 100 followers since my last update. You lot have blown my expectations out of the water. Thank you. One thousand times, thank you. But enough of that mushy stuff. What do you think? I bet you weren't expecting much of anything out of Cheshire's car ear revolution, much less something to add on to Nashville's design. I would like to firmly lay the blame at Prinz Heinrich from the Inverted Orthant event. But anyway, I see some comments.

Greetings, Touhoufanatic. I'm glad that we were able to clear any possible misunderstanding up. I can see where you're coming from with the start of the last chapter dragging on a bit though, I couldn't much think of a shorthand way of transitioning from a London pub to a battle on the River Thames. Thanks so much for the complement about the idea of the Sirens messing with orders over the radio. About Belfast, well, now that she has what she wants, she can back off a bit from prying onto others' business, but I won't put her out of the picture just yet. Besides, I still haven't written the promised battle of the beverages yet. Concerning what will happen between Commander, Nashville, and Cheshire will be shown in the future. But whatever happens, I have no intention of just wasting Cheshire's character.

Hi SomeRand0m. Nashville totally does owe Belfast. But to be fair, if it wasn't Belfast it probably would have been someone like say, Prinz Eugen. And we all know that she would have had all the subtlety of a nuclear blast as she pointed it out. Don't feel dumb about ship camo. To be honest, I don't much get the point either and I thought that dazzle camo was just silly until I saw a YouTube video explaining what it does but outside of that, I get the impression that camouflage on ships is more of a way to keep the steel from rusting, but I'm not certain so don't quote me on that. You do have a point though, ships are pretty easy to spot as long at they're in visual range. I always did like detail oriented stories, so I'm glad that my own love of the nitty-gritty can teach you a thing or two. And you are absolutely correct, learning about old ships is fun. I'm not a programmer. But for my engineering major I have learned how to use a little program called MATLAB. I hate that program with a passion, but it's where I learned basic programming and the pitfalls that can make a program and a computer crash. I hadn't thought of the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP while I was writing the chapter. I guess all that Shonen anime that I watched in high school really has influenced me. Thanks for saying that about the battles, it's a real confidence booster. I was intending originally to do more with Swiftsure specifically, but she just kind of…fell to the wayside as I was typing. She is one of my favorite Royal Navy ship girls so I might include a bit with her later on, but we'll see. But for your question, what I had figured was while the garrison did start out unorganized, Hood would rapidly order some measure of organization that wouldn't allow any individual to charge ahead of the rest. Thus, the two groups. I certainly do intend to keep up the mini history lessons. It adds character to the ship girls. Is the commander more buff now? Yes, there has been gains. But does he look like your average anime fifteen-year-old? No. I'm too attached to Nashville to just simply kill her off. I do intend to put her and Commander through the wringer, but I won't just kill off a main character for no reason. I most certainly intend to give Hara treatment like Roscoe. I love both of their characters too much to just let them wither away. Thanks for the complement about the story. I'm not too sure what sort of writing plans I have once I'm done with this story. In all likelihood, I'll probably have graduated university by then and have a fulltime job. But we'll see. I totally agree with you about romance stories though. There is too much rushing and I've seen too many harem MC's get the girl just by being a guy and by being there. You do have a point though, I probably won't change the trusting, teasing, and joking around with Nashville and her commander. Take care yourself.

Hey there, Zander22122. Thanks for saying that about the fight scenes. I hadn't thought of that though. I guess I do focus on the ship combat instead of the rigging combat. I still have to find a clever way to incorporate the riggings at some point, but we'll see when and how that happens in the future. Thanks for agreeing with me about the character injuries. I tried to explain the ability this chapter, so I hope that I was able to convey what I was going for. I hope this chapter was worth waiting for.

It's good to see you, HeronLsL. You bring up a good point about the real Calico Jack having two women on his crew. I wonder what I'll do with this? Allow me to explain Australia and the surrounding ocean as it relates to Task Force 13. I had mentioned a book in the Eagle Union arc about a german light cruiser called the Emden and what I said then was true. But you see, the Emden's area of operations was in the Indian Ocean in those first few months of WWI and since she was a coal burning ship, she had to pull into secluded uninhabited harbors regularly to top off her coal bunkers from colliers. Based on the number that the Emden found, I concluded that if I was to hide anywhere with the limit of staying on the ocean, it would be somewhere in the East Indies. But let me conclude by saying that the information that Belfast gave is months old. I still have to say whether it's still accurate. Enterprise can still be anywhere; I just gave the first clue and the start of the trail that will lead to the Grey Ghost. Anyway, enough of that tangent. I'm happy that they surprise Siren attack was so thrilling for you. I think I may have said it in the last chapter's author's notes, but getting Nashville surrounded just kind of appeared on my computer screen. The part that I was most looking forward to writing was getting Nashville's raining fire ability to trigger at such a close range to a battleship. I'm glad that went over well. Strategist's luck ran out. Thanks for liking the chapter, I hope that this one was up to par.

Thanks for the review, Guest 2856. I wish I could update weekly. I really wish that I could. But I'm happy that the quality is able to keep you happy regardless of having to wait a few extra days over a week. Thanks for the complement and I will absolutely try my hardest to keep up the good work.

What's up, playerultima? I'm happy that you enjoyed the chapter, and you are calling attention to a bit of character development that I haven't called attention to. At the beginning of the story, Commander was supposed to only trust in the numbers, but here he is already starting to trust his gut feelings and taking gambles based off of them. I haven't featured it heavily in this arc, but I can assure you, he is a competent codebreaker. I hadn't considered upgrading abilities in my story like how they are upgraded in-game. But now that you mention it, I might end up coming up with something. I'll try my best to keep it up.

Whelp. There we go. One more chapter all finished. I have said everything that is on my mind. Take care, friends. If you are having a bad day I hope it gets better and if you are having a good day I hope it gets even better.