Gift of The Kansen
Fear Nothing
As the sun beat down upon the quarter-deck of the USS Boston, Akagi looked at the rows of small, flag-clad bodies that lay before her, and could not help thinking that it was almost inappropriate for the day to be so beautiful. The pain in her heart wanted it to be raining, or at least overcast, for there to be some kind of acknowledgement from the wider world of the terrible sadness she felt. But instead it was a cloudless summer's day, the glittering azure blue of the deep sea stretching to the horizon, where it met the softer, deeper blue of the soaring, boundless sky.
Kneeling by the first body, she gently pulled the flag to one side, revealing a General Bulin, somehow looking even smaller in death than they already were in life. Though there was noise and bustling activity all around her, it seemed to slowly fade away, until she was looking at the Bulins' peaceful face in near-silence. Reaching into the basket she had brought, Akagi dropped a handful of sakura petals onto the Bulins' chest.
'I am sorry, little Bulin.' She whispered, cupping one cold cheek. 'But I will not forget.' After a moment she let go, then tightened the blue flag of the Azur Lane back round the body. Twenty five more times she repeated the same ritual, and each time she found herself blinking back the tears. But she would not let herself cry, not here, not now, for she knew that they would not have wanted her to cry for them. The Bulins that had survived their mission did not really see what they had done for her as anything special, nor themselves as heroes.
Akagi, however, believed differently. For the Bulins had dared the impossible - and so many of them had given their lives - in a desperate attempt to help her. Even though she and Kaga had treated them so badly over the years, still they had thought only of helping her.
The last one was the hardest of all, for it was the Specialized Bulin that had led her sisters in the attack on the Siren Fortress, and Akagi could not help wincing when she saw the damage the Bulin had endured. Even her hammer, the pride and joy of every Specialized Bulin, had been destroyed - all that was left was the half-melted shaft – and so hers was the only flag to also contain the traditional ballast of two cannonballs. A final time her hand dipped into the basket and poured pink-white petals over the Bulins' still form before touching one lifeless cheek.
'I am sorry, little Bulin. But I will not forget.'
As she had before, she re-tightened the flag, but she did not rise right away. Closing her eyes, she bowed her head, letting her mind grow calm and clear for a few moments, before she asked the Gods of the Sakura for their blessings. But for the first time in years, she asked nothing of them for herself, save the strength she needed to carry on. All that she asked for now, she asked for the Bulins' sake. That their actions would be remembered by others, for those that yet lived to know only joy and happiness, and for those that had passed on to know the Gods' mercy and love.
A soft breeze rose and blew around and past her, and suddenly, clear as day, she saw Mount Fuji in her mind's eye, the Tree of the Sakura in front of and overlaying it. At the very periphery of her vision she caught a suggestion of what seemed to be silvered tails flicking from side to side, and each time they twitched, the vision changed. First she seemed to be flying, over a green, bountiful land cut through by countless great canyons – but as she travelled further and further along, they began to cluster inwards, merging until all that was left was a single abyssal chasm, the fertile land around it dying away until it was plain, brown rock.
With an abruptness that almost took her breath away, she was plunged straight down, hitting water she had not realised was there before sinking further and further into its cold depths. She could sense many things around her as she descended... or, rather, she could sense many things. Things she knew she should be glad she could not see, although at one point she could have sworn that she saw what seemed to be herself, but with two great horns jutting from her forehead and surrounded by a dim, sickly green glow.
She was far beyond the reach of any light now, alone in complete, crushing darkness – and then she felt it. There was a presence, a powerful, ominous presence, there. Something old, something that plotted and planned to bring about humanity's downfall, that desired their pain above all else. For it was something that hated.
Akagi's eyes snapped open again, and she realised she was still kneeling in the bright, mid-morning sunlight. Blinking away her confusion and wiping cold sweat from her brow, she looked up to see the same clear, blue sky she remembered stretching from horizon to horizon. It seemed that only moments had passed, but it had felt so very much longer.
That was most unexpected... and most worrying. She thought, feeling her heart – and her tails - beginning to settle back down. What could be the purpose of such a vision? And those silver tails... was that Shinano-sama? I must speak with Nagato-Sama about this, as soon as we make Port.
Standing back up, she glanced round and realised most of the Kansen nearby were all staring off into the distance. Looking in the same direction, she saw that although still a good mile or more away, they were beginning to approach an island, which appeared to have been volcanic at some point. Her eyes followed the islands' coastline, and she noticed that there was a large, zig-zagging channel that seemed to lead into the islands interior. It was not until she saw the fortified docks at the end of that channel and the broken, half-melted ruins that still hulked almost as high as the volcano cone, that she understood what she was actually looking at and where they now were. And as she heard the murmuring start among those around her, she realised she was not the only one.
'Geez, that's what the Bulins attacked?'
'They didn't just attack it, they stormed it, they took its power core.'
'What the hell did they use that could cause that kind of damage?'
'The Sirens' ammo dump went up, maybe?'
'Guess it could be... almost looks more like they dropped a nuke on it though.'
'Holy crap, look how that place was designed – 'Fortress' my ass, this was a goddamn death trap.'
'Bulins were very brave, yes.' A voice at Akagi's elbow said, quietly. Looking down, she saw Ayanami, one of the best torpedo-boats in the IJN, who, after a moment, solemnly looked back up at her, and Akagi nodded.
'They were braver than anyone could ever have expected.' Replied Akagi, bowing her head – she could not trust herself to say any more and keep her composure, and she was relieved to see the Commander, speech in hand, walking to the port-side rail near the bow.
There was a burst of static from the ship's tannoy system, that gave way to a man's voice. 'Attention all hands, this is Lieutenant DeVeers. All hands, bury the dead. I repeat, all hands, bury the dead.' At the same time, the flags lowered to half-mast and the steady beat of the Cruiser's engines died away as the ship began to coast, slowly coming to a complete halt except for the action of the tide.
The hustle and bustle of a fighting ship underway almost immediately ceased as the crew all took up their ceremonial positions on the deck, the only thing to be heard in the resulting silence being the slap of waves against the hull of the ship. As they were visitors to the Boston, the contingent of Kansen, comprising of a half-Fleet's worth of ships from each of the Factions, arranged themselves in straight ranks on the quarter-deck, all facing out to the port-side.
'Men, women and Kansen of the Eagle Union and the Azur Lane,' Began the Commander. 'We are gathered here today to bid farewell to these brave Kansen who have fallen in the line of duty, taken from us by the injuries they suffered in combat. And yet it could be argued that it was not duty that brought them here, for Bulins are not made nor expected to fight – but even so, still they volunteered for one of the most dangerous missions possible, for they knew that without their help, another would have been lost to us. Though the hearts of Bulins are both large and gentle, as indeed all hearts should be, they are not timid. They showed great courage-'
Akagi closed her eyes, letting the Commander's words wash over her as she thought of the Bulins she had met after their return to the Port. How happy they were when the Oni had been taken out of her and she had been returned to herself. Their wonderful, pure-hearted joy whenever she played with them, or gave them the hugs and head-pats they now so often requested from her. She was glad that the Commander was showing the dead Bulins such respect, treating them exactly the same as she would any other Kansen, and ordering that they be buried at sea with their sisters who had been killed during the attack itself. Glad, but... all the respect, and all the fine words in the world, could not bring them back from where they had now gone.
...Or could they? Akagi was forced to wonder, for only a couple of days ago, both she and her sister Kaga had already borne witness to one such apparent miracle.
Akagi and Kaga had continued to gape in astonishment, unable to believe what they were seeing. She could not be there, she was dead, it was impossible. And yet there she stood in front of them. Amagi, the third and eldest Kitsune sister, nodded to Akagi, still smiling.
'You are wise to be wary of the Sirens' promises, Akagi-neechan. For they knew they could use your hope of bringing me back to this world to control you, without you being aware it was their agenda you were following.' Slowly the smile left her face and her eyes glittered as she looked at Kaga. 'And you, Kaga. You have come... not quite as far. I asked you to look after and protect Akagi, to be a dutiful sister to her, not indulge her every whim without question. It was that way of thinking that allowed the Oni to so very nearly succeed in taking Akagi from us entirely.'
Trembling, and with her face now whiter than Akagi's if that were possible, Kaga also dropped to her knees, bowing her head to the ground in supplication. 'F-Forgive me, Amagi-Oneesama! I-'
'If you are about to say that you are sorry, or that you apologise, you should save your breath.' Interrupted Amagi, her eyes fierce and cold. 'It is easy to say such things. Where family is concerned, do not be sorry, Kaga, be better.'
Kaga looked up at her, then bowed her head again. 'Hai, Oneesama.'
Amagi glared sternly down at Kaga for a few moments more, then her customary gentle smile reappeared as she elegantly knelt and closed her umbrella, laying it across her knees.
'And yet, you are able to recognise and learn from your errors, Kaga-neechan. This is a very good thing, and it gives me hope that our labours to save humanity will not be in vain.' Amagi looked at both of them. 'Come sisters, sit with me, and let us talk for a little while.'
Finally able to force themselves into motion, Akagi and Kaga did as they were bidden, kneeling in front and to either side of Amagi, as they had often done so long ago.
'Ah, I had forgotten how pleasant this can be.' Said Amagi with another smile, and for a moment the only thing to be heard was the soft sighing of the breeze coming through the Torii gate behind her. 'You really have not told anyone, have you Nee-chan?' She inquired after a moment, her gaze sliding over to regard Akagi. 'Not Shikikan-sama, not Nagato-sama... not even your sister here.'
'Not told me?' Asked Kaga, with a puzzled look to Akagi. 'Not told me...what?'
'The truth of why the Oni did not succeed in taking her.' Amagi stared at Akagi intently, but the younger Kitsune merely bowed her head. 'The Oni failed, Kaga, because Akagi had been fighting it - all the years between when I left you and now, she fought that demon, and she fought it alone.' She was forced to pause as coughs again wracked her body, but to her sisters somehow they did not seem quite as bad as they had once been.
Akagi saw Kaga staring at her, eyes wide in wonderment, and she shook her head.
'It is not what you think, Kaga. It is our duty to fight such things when they appear, for their very existence in this world is a threat to humanity. I did my duty. Nothing more.' Akagi bowed her head again. 'And even then, I failed. Had I been stronger, more disciplined, I could have defeated it myself, and the Bulins need not have sacrificed themselves.' A thought struck her then, and she looked back up at Amagi. 'But from what Nagato-sama said when we spoke afterwards, I believed she at least was already aware of that, Nee-sama – it is why I did not go into any more detail at the time.'
Amagi, now recovered, nodded. 'In a way, I would be surprised if she was not. From what I know, she has been having many long conversations with Shinano-sama, and I cannot imagine that your situation did not come up in some fashion.'
Hearing that name made Kaga and Akagi glance at each other in surprise.
'But... is not Shinano-sama still one of those lost to us?' Asked Kaga.
'So far as I know, she still slumbers, sealed away in her dream beyond Time.' Replied Amagi, then she chuckled. 'But she is not called the Dream Prophet for nothing... and, like all of us, she has been doing what she can to help.'
Akagi gave her elder sister a curious look. 'Nee-sama, how did you learn of these things? I do not doubt what you tell us, but I also cannot see where this knowledge has come from.'
Amagi smiled. 'The source of my information should be obvious.'
'You mean – you have also talked to Shinano-sama?'
'In my case, 'talked' is perhaps too strong a word, as I do not have the talent for dream-speaking.' Amagi replied, with a shake of her head. 'It seems that Shinano-sama was aware I had become... concerned about you, and she simply sought to ease my mind by sharing some of the knowledge she has found. And I am ever grateful for her consideration.' She curved an eyebrow at Akagi. 'Speaking of which, it may interest you to know, Nee-chan, that the Oni that so plagued you has, in fact, been very diligent in communicating Shikikan's wishes to the rest of Yomi. Her name – and, by extension, that of the Azur Lane – is becoming both known, and feared, in that realm.'
'So – Shikikan-sama has struck a bargain with the Oni, with Yomi?' Gasped Kaga, and to both sisters' shock, Amagi suddenly burst into laughter. Another coughing fit interrupted her, and Akagi found herself remembering the look in the Commander's eyes when she had told her the price the Bulins had paid in helping her.
'No.' Said Akagi softly. 'No, she would have struck no bargain with them. Not after all that happened.'
Her amusement having outlasted the coughing fit, a still-chuckling Amagi looked at Kaga. 'Forgive me, Kaga-neechan, I was not laughing at you. From what I was shown, the Oni wanted to bargain. It so desperately wanted to be able to negotiate – but our Shikikan is far, far stronger than it first realised, and so she held all the cards. In the end, the Oni had no choice at all but to do exactly what she told it, not unless it wanted to face her in person, and that could only have had one ending.' Her grin was vulpine, and openly malicious. 'I suppose it could be called a bargain... of a kind. Certainly the Oni has chosen to think of it so, so as to salve its pride.' She fell silent for a moment.
'And there is something else I must tell you. You already know, implicitly, that the Sirens are not the real threat – if they truly wished to conquer the world and enslave or destroy humanity, there is nothing anyone could do to stop them, for their power is far too great. Especially before we Kansen came into being – and even that was due to the Sirens allowing the secret of the Wisdom Cubes to be discovered. If they intended this to be a war of extermination or conquest, what possible reason could they have had to do that? And so be careful, my sisters. For though I cannot say when it will be, the true battle is coming, and it is one that will not be fought in this world.'
Amagi lifted her head for a moment, almost as though listening for something, before fixing her sad eyes back onto Akagi and Kaga, then gracefully bowing. 'I am sorry, my beloved sisters, for there is much and more that I would talk to you about, but my strength is not all it might be, and so I ask your forgiveness, for now I must depart once more.'
As they all rose to their feet, Kaga bowed. 'You will never need to ask our forgiveness, Amagi-Oneesama, for you will always do what you must.'
'Onee-sama, I never got the chance to say this... before.' Akagi said softly as she also bowed, heart aching in her chest. 'But... thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for us. And may we one day make you proud.'
Amagi smiled. 'Akagi-neechan. Kaga-neechan. You are both true heroes of the Sakura Empire. I have been proud of you since that glorious day we awakened in this world together.' She returned their bow. 'And one day, if the Gods will it, we may meet again.'
Straightening back up, the eldest of the Kitsune sisters turned and walked back towards the Torii gate, a soft fwip sounding in the silence as she opened her umbrella. As she passed the threshold, there was a brief flare of light – and then the gate, the mountain behind it, and Amagi herself, were gone, leaving only one last flurry of cherry blossoms that slowly sank to the ground.
Akagi pushed her memories away as the Commander called out 'firing party – present arms!'
Then she stood to attention and snapped a hand to her brow along with the rest as the Bulins' bodies were slid down their stands and consigned to the deeps, the firing party firing a volley in salute, and the bugler playing 'Taps', the sound echoing out over the empty ocean. Then a second volley, and finally the third. Dropping the salute after another couple of moments, and with a gesture to Akagi, the Commander moved away to one side. Stepping up to the rail in as stately a manner as she could manage, Akagi upended her basket over the side, the last few handfuls of petals drifting down to settle on the water's surface. She drew to attention again, and for another second or two there was only silence once more. Then, in the manner of such gatherings, as if by some unspoken agreement those present all dropped to at-ease, and she heard the Commander thanking everyone for being there and the respect they had shown. As the crew dispersed back to their regular sailing stations and they got under way once more, turning for home, she still stood at the rail, head bowed, tears sliding unbidden down her cheeks.
I am so sorry, little ones. Thought Akagi. I wish there was more I could do for you. And may your sisters never need to fire their guns again.
And behind them, the floating sakura petals caught the sun, shining brightly, until it almost seemed that the very stars themselves had come to rest upon the sea.
As the Boston finished tying up at the dockside, the Commander noticed both Bismarck and an extremely glum-looking Akashi waiting off to one side, and sighed. That was not a good sign. Striding down the ramp back onto dry land, she returned Bismarck's salute as she walked over to join the pair.
'Welcome back, Kommandant.' Said the tall blonde formally, and the Commander could not help a slight smile.
'It's good to be back, Bismarck.' She nodded down at the morose Repair-Ship. 'And good to see you too, Akashi... But the two of you being here together means something must have happened. So, what exactly have I managed to miss?'
Bismarck held up a cautionary hand. 'It would probably be best to discuss this in Akashi's workshop, Kommandant – there is something that could easily affect morale if it was overheard.'
'And easier to show than just explain, Shikikanya.' Said Akashi with a sniffle, and the Commander could see she was trying to hold back tears. And now that she was closer, she could see that Akashi had black smudges on her face, and one of her ears looked like it had been singed slightly.
'Point taken.' Said the Commander with a shake of her head, then she gave a broad 'after you' gesture. 'Lead on then, Akashi.'
'Hai, Shikikanya.' Murmured Akashi, her gaze seemingly never leaving her boots.
The Commander reflected that it was highly unusual to see Akashi so upset – she always got nervous when anyone in authority brought up her pricing model for Akashi-shop, and she usually had a snarky reply ready for any questions regarding ethics, but the Commander could count the times she had seen the green-haired merchant being genuinely emotional on one hand. And one of those times had been just a few days ago, when they were trying to save Akagi from the Oni.
When Akashi saw her friend de-barking from the ship, she seemed to perk up a bit, even essaying a little wave that Akagi returned... but then almost immediately she subsided again, ears drooping as her shoulders slumped down. And for perhaps the first time, the Commander found herself feeling real concern for the mercenarily-inclined Akashi.
Whatever it is that has happened, she isn't taking it very well. Thought the Commander.
'Still,' She said aloud. 'It was a shame the Bulins didn't want to come to see their sisters off.'
'They did say that they did not see the point, Kommandant. 'Dead is gone, Bulin.'' Replied Bismarck, and the Commander shook her head.
'I know, I know. And it's not something I could or would order them to do. It just...' She sighed. 'It just didn't feel right not having them there, you know? They ask for almost nothing, and yet so many of them gave everything. It's like they think they're worthless, when they're the furthest thing from it.'
She shook her head again as silence fell between them once more, a silence that lasted until they reached Akashi's workshop.
'Well, damn.' The Commander looked over the ruins of what had been the Azur Lane's sole Wisdom Cube Actualizer, and heaved yet another sigh. 'Ok, what the hell happened here?'
'Akashi isn't... isn't sure, Shikikanya.' Akashi replied gloomily, and the Commander held up a hand.
'Well, in that case, let's take it from the top. I remember sending the reinforcement request down, so I assume you activated the Actualizer not long after. So what happened next?'
'It - it had been running since just before you left with the burial detail, Shikikanya. One of the nice things about it, you can just select the program, hit the button nya-nd leave it, nya. Akashi came in early this morning and saw the processing was complete, so Akashi just finished the program and... and...' Akashi gave a low, distressed sound as her eyes filled with tears, then overflowed, pouring down her cheeks. 'And then it exploded, Shikikanya! It's ruined, we can't get any more Kansen, nya! Akashi has... has... Akashi has failed you, Shikikanya!'
'Bismarck, anything to add?' Asked the Commander, and the blonde shook her head.
'Nein, Kommandant, not to the tale of how it happened, at least. As to the aftermath, so far as I can tell, I was the only one who heard the explosion – the Port is largely deserted so early, and though it was loud, it evidently was not enough to waken the whole Port.'
'That's a mercy, at least.'
'Indeed, Kommandant.'
The Commander looked at the still-crying Akashi. 'Akashi, I need to know, were there any indications before using it that there was something wrong?' She asked in a soft voice.
'No, nothing, nya!' Sobbed Akashi.
'What about after it was started up? Can you remember any warning signs?'
Akashi wiped what tears she could away and thought for a moment, then shook her head. 'Akashi doesn't – doesn't think so, Shikikanya. It just seemed to blow up out of nowhere, nya!'
The Commander nodded, and before Akashi could start crying again, she knelt and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. 'Then that means this wasn't your fault, Akashi. You have not failed me, it was an accident. And accidents happen, even to the best of us.'
Akashi gulped down a sob and stared at the Commander, her amber eyes becoming round as her cat ears began to perk up. 'You – you really mean it, nya? You're not mad at Akashi, Shikikanya?'
'I'm not mad at you, Akashi.' Said the Commander with a shake of the head. 'I'll admit it might have been different if this had happened because you were doing some kind of unauthorized experimentation on your own time, or it was something that could have been foreseen, or was ignored... but getting angry at you just because of an accident? No. Never.'
Akashi's eyes teared up again, but then she lunged forwards and threw her arms round the Commander's neck.
'Thank – thank you so much Shikikanya, you're the best, nya!'
Although a little taken aback by the sudden display of vulnerability, the Commander gladly hugged the small Repair-Ship back. After a moment or two, she started gently running her hand over the soft green hair, and although Akashi gave a surprised yelp, pulling back a little to stare up at her, after a moment she shyly looked away and made no further protest, implicitly allowing the Commander to continue if she wished.
A minute or so later, and Akashi was no longer trembling in anxiousness, and instead of tears, she was giving voice to a soft 'Nyaaaan...' of enjoyment and contentment. 'Akashi not... not a... pet, Shikikanyaaa.' She murmured, her eyes almost completely closed, ears twitching, and the Commander smiled.
'I know you aren't, Akashi. But if you're feeling really down, like you were, and it makes you feel better, like this does, then there's no shame in just accepting it for what it is, is there?'
Akashi didn't say anything, but with a low purr leaned into the Commander's hand a little, who heard a soft chuckle from Bismarck's direction. After another few pleasant moments, Akashi pulled herself away from the relaxing petting, and gave a surprisingly graceful bow.
'Thank you again, Shikikanya.'
'You don't have to thank me, Akashi.' Replied the Commander, waving it away. 'I'm the Commander, that means I look out for those who serve under me – everyone who serves under me.'
'Akashi thanks you anyway, Shikikanya. For helping and trusting Akashi, nya. For taking Akashi's word, nya.'
'I will always trust you, Akashi.' Said the Commander with another smile as she stood back up, then looked over at Bismarck. 'Was there a storm over the Port or anything when this happened?' She asked, and Bismarck shook her head.
'Nein, Kommandant. It has been clear sailing the whole time you were away. Though... I am unsure of the significance that would possess?'
'Well, I was wondering if maybe a lightning strike... what?' The Commander tailed off as she saw the look Akashi was giving her.
'Akashi knows what you're thinking, Shikikanya, but that sort of thing doesn't really happen, nya.' The Repair-Ship answered, more-or-less tactfully. 'Even if a lightning bolt somehow got past the conductor on the roof and manyaged to hit the Actualizer, the most that would have happened is the energy transmission mediums would have burned out, maybe fried a component or two, nya.' Akashi looked at the wreckage sadly. 'Would have been much easier to repair than whatever this was, nya.'
'I am sure you will manage it somehow, Akashi.' Said the Commander with a warm smile.
After a moment, Akashi visibly gathered herself, then threw a sleeve to her brow in response. 'Hai, Shikikanya!'
The Commander acknowledged the salute with a nod. 'Alright then. So, the program was completed, you said - did we get our reinforcement? And if so, who – and where - is she?'
Bismarck looked slightly embarrassed. 'We did indeed, Kommandant, but... we do not actually know who she is. Akashi says that when she appeared, she was unconscious, and without Rigging or even clothes, though she was covered with a blanket by the time I got here. She was also not a copy or alternate of any Kansen in the Fleet that I or Akashi have met, which would seem to rule out her somehow being a META. As to where, she should still be in the Medical facility – I took her there as soon as I realised she had still not awakened.'
'Probably the best idea,' Said the Commander with an approving nod, then she frowned. 'But she appeared unconscious? I didn't think that was something that could happen.'
'Not normally, Shikikanya.' Replied Akashi from where she was now looking through her tools. 'But how she appeared in the first place was definitely not normal, nya.'
The Commander tilted an eyebrow. 'I can't really argue with that, Akashi.' After a moment's musing, she nodded to herself, then looked at Bismarck. 'Well, I think that maybe we should go have a look at our surprise, mystery guest.'
'Jawohl, Kommandant.'
'Oh, by the way, Akashi,' Said the Commander, moving over to Akashi as Bismarck strolled to the door. 'Fixing this is most definitely a highest-priority task, so if you need parts, or help, or whatever – tell me, and I'll see what I can do. Also, we'll need to have a meeting with all the faction leaders, and soon – either myself or Bismarck will let you know when it will be, so keep an ear out for your communicator and organiser.'
'Hai, Shikikanya. And Akashi should be fine for the moment – need to find out what's actually gone bad first, nya.'
'And, there is one last thing...' The Commander leaned in to whisper in Akashi's twitching ear.
'Really, nya?' Akashi replied, looking over to where Bismarck was curiously watching them. For a brief moment, she looked sad again, her gaze dropping to her feet, but then she smiled, and she met the Commander's eyes once more. 'Akashi will see what she can do, Shikikanya.'
'Thank you, Akashi.' Said the Commander, returning the smile and giving Akashi one last head-pat before walking over to rejoin Bismarck. 'Time to see if we can work out who the new arrival is.'
One look at the arrival in question told the Commander that Bismarck's impression of her had been correct – she was not a duplicate of any current Kansen in the Azur Lane, and just the fact that she had short, completely black hair was enough to indicate that it was very unlikely she was a Siren Kansen, as almost without exception they were all long, flowing, silvered-blondes. She was now wearing a hospital-gown, which showed she was also unexpectedly heavily-built. Most Kansen had more graceful or willowy bodies, but whoever this girl was, they looked more like a boxer, a fighter. When they got within a foot or so, her eyes snapped open and she suddenly sat bolt upright, drawing a startled curse from Bismarck. She hurriedly drew herself in away from them, curling up into almost a fetal position, as though she were trying to insulate herself from the outside world.
'Hey now, don't worry, we're not going to hurt you.' Said the Commander as gently as she could, making sure to keep her open hands in sight so it could be easily seen they were empty. Although the girl's red-brown eyes darted in almost every direction, she couldn't help noticing that they kept coming back to hers. She wondered if it was because she was the closest – or was it because of the mysterious 'Cube Affinity' that any candidate Commander had to have, that the Cube researchers had always said would draw the Kansen to them?
'Bismarck, you'd better get Vestal.' The Commander said quietly, not breaking eye contact.
'At once, Kommandant.'
As her Secretary strode away, the Commander realised what was bothering her about those eyes – the brown almost seemed to be moving, around and over the red. She wasn't sure she had seen anything like it before – in fact, she wasn't certain she was actually seeing it now, it could easily be some kind of optical illusion that just made it look like it was moving. What was certain was that she was finding it rather disconcerting.
But that didn't matter right now. The only thing that mattered was getting this frightened, disoriented girl whatever help she needed. Thankfully, she seemed to be growing a little more relaxed already, slowly, slowly uncurling herself.
A few seconds later, the Commander caught movement in the corner of her eye, and glancing over, she saw Bismarck returning with Vestal.
When she also looked and saw the pair approaching, the girl shied away again, and the Commander help up a placatory hand. 'Easy there, it's alright – this is Vestal, she's our Medic, she's the one looking after you.' She said in the same soothing tone she had used before, gesturing to Vestal, and the girl returned a questioning look. After a moment, she slowly nodded and gave no reaction to Vestal coming closer, and the Medical Frigate gave the Commander a grateful smile.
'Thank you for that, Commander. I think we should be okay here now.'
'Happy to help, Vestal.' Replied the Commander, with a nod. 'We'll just be in the corridor to the front lobby when you have a moment.'
'There is something I have noticed about you, Kommandant.' Said Bismarck, and the Commander gave her a quick grin.
'Oh? What might that be?'
'You do not...keep yourself in situations unnecessarily, whether to try and prove something, or take credit for making them better. You only take what action is necessary to contain them, until the experts arrive.'
'If something bad happens and you have experts for that kind of situation around, you damn well leave it to the experts if you can. That's always been my belief, especially when it comes to something like this.' Replied the Commander. 'It's far too easy to wind up doing harm, even – sometimes especially - when you think you're helping. It's part of why we have experts in the first place, after all.' She shrugged. 'Though I would've stayed if either of them asked me to.'
Bismarck tilted her head to one side slightly. 'In light of how you have led us so far, I should not be surprised that you see things so clearly, Kommandant, though I am certain many others would not.'
They passed another minute or so in companionable silence, then the Commander gave a soft, thoughtful hum.
'Well, just going by physical appearance – her apparent age, her build, and she's pretty tall, to begin with - I think it's most likely that, whoever she is, she's a Battleship or Carrier of some kind.' She mused with a look at Bismarck, who nodded in agreement.
'A reasonable assumption, Kommandant. I think there is a chance that she is perhaps a Heavy Cruiser, but that would be the lowest possible weight class for her in my opinion. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Frau Nagato, but I have a feeling that is not the case, here.' Bismarck glanced at the door into the Medical Ward. 'There is something else, Kommandant – somehow, she feels... old to me. I did not think much of it when I brought her here, but then I felt it again, just before you asked me to bring Vestal over. And there are only two others I can remember that felt like this when I first met them – Mikasa, and Avrora.'
'Really?' The Commander raised an eyebrow. 'Hmm. That's certainly interesting, and if she is of similar age to those two, it might help with figuring out who she is.' She paused. 'But why the hell didn't she appear with her Rigging?'
A few moments later, Vestal came through the door, looking somewhat puzzled. 'The plot thickens, Commander – she is not entirely a blank slate, at least, which certainly was a concern, but she seemingly has no idea of who she is. She is aware of being a Kansen, and she can talk and express herself, but she apparently has no clear identity. She said it feels like parts of her mind are shrouded in dense fog that she cannot see through.'
Bismarck sighed. 'Well, I suppose that at least helps clear up why she has no Rigging, Kommandant. The Rigging of a Kansen is tightly bound to a Kansen's sense of self, their personality, their history. So if she has no conscious sense of self-'
'She will have no Rigging. So, we still don't know who she is and she is, currently, unable to fight... or, fight as a Kansen, at least.' The Commander sighed as well, then looked at Vestal. 'Other than that, how is she?'
Vestal shrugged. 'Perfectly within normal parameters for a Kansen, Commander – there is nothing physically wrong with her that I can find. For some reason she does seem to be suffering from exhaustion – she has already fallen asleep again – but barring the unexpected, I think that she should be up and about come tomorrow.'
'Any clues about who she might be that suggested themselves to you, Vestal?' Asked Bismarck, and Vestal frowned.
'Not really, I'm afraid. I would say she mostly shares the characteristics of a Battleship, but that would be as far as I am willing to go. There is no real hard-and-fast rule on our defining attributes, after all, and even her speech is almost completely without accent, so there's no telling where she is from either.'
'I see.' The Commander nodded. 'Well, I think the most we can do for her at the moment is just to be there for her, and help her get settled in. We won't disturb her any more today, Vestal, but if she does seem okay tomorrow morning, once she's had some food and suchlike, could you bring her to my office?'
'Of course, Commander.' Replied Vestal with a salute.
That evening, though she was laying in a warm, comfortable bed, the Commander found she was not feeling all that tired – and not for the normal reason when she had Bismarck laying next to her.
'Bismarck?' She asked, keeping her voice soft so as to not waken her Secretary unnecessarily.
'Ja, Kommandant.' Bismarck didn't sound very sleepy either, which made her feel a little better.
'Do you know why Akashi was so cut up about the Actualizer?' The Commander thought for a moment. 'I guess I can kind of see why, I mean, is it causing a problem? Well, yes. Was it something she technically caused? Also yes. That's certainly grounds for feeling down about yourself, of course it is. But I most definitely wouldn't have expected floods of tears and her all but begging me not to be angry at her. Not for something like an accident.'
'I think perhaps it is just that you do not fully understand Akashi, Kommandant.' Bismarck replied, looking at her with a smile. 'You see, Akashi has always been very solitary, very reclusive. The only person I know to have regular contact with her was Shiranui, and that was only in her capacity as her co-worker at Akashi-shop. Everyone else only interacts with her either when they need to buy something from her, or if they are trying to figure out what has happened when one of her experiments goes... less than well. The other day, when Akashi talked about Akagi having been her friend years ago, that was the first I had ever heard of it.'
Her smile turned sad. 'For so very long, she has been alone - partly by choice, partly by circumstance. But now, thanks to you, the Bulins, and Frau Nagato as well, her long-lost friend has been returned to her, and for the first time she has a real reason to be grateful to others. I believe she is feeling something that she never has before – that now, she perhaps truly belongs here, with you, with the Azur Lane. It is a feeling that can be frightening, even more so because it can also seem very fragile when one is unused to it. And that perception can magnify the fear of something breaking that attachment out of all proportion.'
'So, she was afraid that, because what happened could be seen as her responsibility, I might throw her out of the Azur Lane or something, just as she had begun realising she actually wants to be here?'
Bismarck nodded. 'Exactly so, Kommandant, or so I believe, at any rate. Such fears are not always rational, and when they are magnified in such a way, they can be truly devastating.'
'I don't actually know if I would have the authority to do that, if I'm honest. I mean, if you're a Kansen, you're part of the Azur Lane, that's just how it is. But even if I did, she doesn't need to worry about that, Bismarck. None of you do, and certainly not for anything like that.'
Bismarck smiled at her. 'I know, Kommandant.' Was all she said, and the Commander again felt that wonderful, cosy warmth as her beloveds strong arms wrapped round her.
The next morning, as she and Bismarck were poring over a combination of Requisition Forms, Exercise Requests, Battle Reports, and all the other bureaucratic paperwork that came with running the Azur Lane, the Commander heard a knock on the office door.
'That must be Vestal with our new arrival, Kommandant.' Said Bismarck as she left her chair.
The Commander nodded half-absently, but then she frowned. 'Hold on, exactly what time-' She fell silent in shock when she looked at her organiser. 'Oh my God, the morning's half-gone already? I had no idea!'
'Hm, what is that saying? 'Time flies when you are having fun'?' Said Bismarck, smiling when the Commander gave her a sour look.
'I'll remember you said that, Bismarck.' Replied the Commander mock-threateningly, stretching her arms over her head with a sigh. 'Paperwork isn't exactly my idea of 'fun', though to be honest I've always found that it's more like 'time flies if you're not paying attention to it.' But yes, by all means show them in if you would, please.'
A handful of seconds later, and her Secretary returned, both Vestal and her charge in tow.
'Good morning, both of you.' Said the Commander by way of greeting, then she gestured at the only black-haired one of them, now wearing a completely plain Rating's uniform. And she certainly wore it well – not least because she was a full head taller than Vestal, standing almost as tall as Bismarck. 'Now first things first, we really need to give you a name of some kind, at least until you recover your memories. We can't just keep saying things like 'hey, you', that's both impolite and unnecessarily confusing.' She gave the girl an apologetic smile. 'You're the first we've ever had to do this for, so I'm afraid we don't exactly have a procedure or anything. There's a convention that would mean calling you 'Jane Doe', but for some reason that just doesn't feel right, here. I suppose it kind of makes sense to start at the beginning of the alphabet, so, 'A', hmm... and as you're currently technically a civilian, it should probably be a civilian name, too.' She thought for a moment. 'How about 'Alice'? Is that a name you'd like, maybe?'
The girl tilted her head slightly as she considered it. 'I... think so? It – it sounds like a nice name, somehow.' She said, her voice unexpectedly soft, almost melodic. After another moment's thought, she nodded. 'Then, yes, if you are willing to give me that name, I shall be Alice.'
'Alright, Alice it is then. As you may have realised, I'm the Commander, of the Azur Lane, the Port and this Fleet. My Secretary Ship, who let you into the office, is Bismarck of the Iron Blood, late of the Kriegsmarine, and you already know Vestal, from the Eagle Union and the United States Navy.' The Commander said with a smile, then looked at Vestal. 'Vestal, anything any of us need to be aware of with regards to Alice here?'
Vestal immediately shook her head. 'No, Commander. The amnesia she is currently suffering is the only real issue I could find in terms of her health, both mental and physical.'
'Good, that's something I'm definitely glad to hear. Dismissed then, Vestal, and thank you for looking after her.'
Vestal saluted, but before she could do or say anything else, the newly-named Alice looked over to her. 'You have... my thanks as well, Vestal. Thank you for taking care of me like you have.'
Vestal smiled at her. 'Neither of you need to thank me, especially not you, Alice – looking after you all is my job, it's what I'm here for. But I must admit, acknowledgement is always nice.' She said, giving them all another bright smile as she turned to leave.
'So then, Alice.' Said the Commander. 'Vestal says the amnesia is near-total, that you are pretty much unable to remember anything?'
Alice nodded sadly. 'That's correct, Commander.'
The Commander grimaced. 'Amnesia is one hell of a thing to deal with – especially when it's that wide-ranging.' She gave Alice a compassionate look. 'I will do what I can to help you, Alice, I give you my word on that. Whether or not we will succeed in getting your memories back, well... that's a different matter.' After a moment's silence, she continued. 'So, to that end, I assume that in order to reach her diagnosis Vestal has already asked you all the questions – stuff like 'Where is home?', 'Who are your family?', that sort of thing?'
Alice nodded again. 'Yes, Commander.'
'Just making sure. And it seems to me that sorting this issue out should definitely be our number-one priority with you. I know that in cases of amnesia, particularly severe ones, something that can help is experiencing something related to memories that have been lost. Seeing someone they knew, tasting a food they used to like, etcetera. Now, as it happens we have a meeting with the heads of all the Factions and their aides happening in... half an hour?' She looked over at Bismarck for confirmation.
'At eleven-hundred sharp, so, that is in thirty-eight minutes I believe, Kommandant.'
'Ok, in a little over a half-hour.' The Commander looked back at Alice. 'If you would like, you can come in and see everyone. I'll have to ask you to wait outside until we ask you in, because some of the stuff we will be discussing will be Classified, and I'll need the attendees permission. But if you're alright with that, and assuming they say yes, it's something we can make happen. I realise this is short notice, and that it's happening really fast. I'm not going to pressure you in any way on this, there'll always be other such opportunities. But it could be that someone or something you see or hear will resonate with you and who knows? It might help. How about it?'
'It would be nice to meet people, and it cannot hurt to try.' Replied Alice with a nod.
'Do I have your permission to discuss your condition with them beforehand?'
'I... do not see why not Commander, it is why I will be there to begin with, after all.'
'A good point, but I have to ask. Well, the last question for now is, would you be okay getting there on your own, or do you want to wait for myself and Bismarck and we can walk there with you?'
'I think I would like to have a little while to myself, if that's ok, Commander.' Said Alice, a trifle hesitantly, and the Commander smiled.
'That's completely fine, Alice. Now, it's going to be in the small Meeting Room, on the Second Floor of this building. It's directly above this office, in fact. If you look to your left as you go down the corridor from here, you should see the stairs up, about half-way along. So all you need to do is go up those, come back around here, and the sign on the door says 'Meeting Room Two'. Is that clear enough for you to find it?'
'Yes, Commander.'
'Good, then. Now, you don't need to worry about being exactly on time, like I said there will be things we need to discuss first. But it would be best to try and make sure you're there by ten-past.'
'I shall, Commander.'
'Oh, I have something for you Alice.' Said Bismarck, taking a boxed personal organiser and a small lever-binder from her desk and handing them to Alice. She then picked up a laminated card, which she held out. 'Here, this is a Visitor's Pass. If you could please put your thumb onto the black square on your side?' Alice did as requested, after a moment there was a soft 'beep' as all the numbers and letters on the front lit up, and Bismarck relinquished her hold on it. 'There. It is now keyed to you, and you will need this to gain access to the Headquarters and a few other places, so make very sure not to lose it. Meanwhile the binder should hopefully be of some help in adjusting to your life here, and the organiser is something everyone in the Azur Lane has. Over short distances it can also be used for secure communication.'
The Commander frowned at the binder for a moment, then she chuckled. 'Hey, that's one of the 'So you're assigned to the Port' information packs, isn't it? I wasn't sure we even had any of them left! Where did you find that one?'
'A few days ago, when I was helping the Bulins get fitted, I spotted a small pile of them in a corner of the warehouse, Kommandant. There are still at least a half-dozen left, and they are in pretty good condition.' She turned back to Alice. 'Some of the information in there may be out of date, but most of it should still be current, such as where and how to get food and drink, and there are maps which show the whole layout of the Port, and the local area. Normally we would rely on the others in your Faction for this kind of thing, but in the circumstances...'
Alice gave a slight bow. 'Thank you, Secretary Bismarck.'
Bismarck looked like she was about to say something in reply, then she paused, with an odd look on her face, and the Commander smiled.
'I mean, she isn't wrong, Bismarck.'
'I know, it just... sounds strange said like that, Kommandant.'
'I'll let the two of you sort that out by yourselves. And don't worry, Alice,' Said the Commander, as Alice looked like she might be about to try and hide behind the binder she had been given. 'You haven't given offence or anything, you just phrased something a little differently than she expected, is all. Also, expanding a little on what Bismarck has said, with regards food and drink we've already notified the staff in the Canteen of your situation, so at least you won't be stuck trying to get fed. As well, we've organised a Rating's wage to be paid to you as a stipend, to be used how you wish - your Pass there will also work as a payment card, or to gain you access to the account at an ATM.'
The Commander gestured to the card in question. 'We call it a Visitor's Pass, but as Bismarck demonstrated, it is keyed to you alone, so it is still fully secured, which is why we can use it for monetary transactions. Also, on the subject of security, be advised that although the organisers can be used for communication, we do not send orders through them. We use either order slips or dedicated, encrypted communicators. Any electronic message you receive on your organiser claiming to be such needs to be reported to someone in authority – either myself or Bismarck preferably – and we will investigate it. Understood?' Alice nodded and the Commander looked at Bismarck again. 'Now I think the last thing we need to organise at the moment for Alice is a billet. Any thoughts?'
Bismarck considered, then frowned. 'All the Barracks have spare rooms, so that normally would not be an issue, Kommandant. However I am reluctant to assign such a room when we do not yet know to which Faction Alice belongs.' Bismarck looked at Alice. 'Something that the pack I gave you will not mention – and something we go to some length to avoid having to bring up - is that although all the Factions fight under the Kommandant and the flag of the Azur Lane, some individuals can be... pickier, shall we say, about the small details of such an alliance than others.'
'And we're very much aware that having a space of your own is very important.' Advised the Commander. 'So we want to avoid a temporary assignment if possible.'
'Unfortunately, I do not think we are going to be able to this time, Kommandant.' Said Bismarck after a moment, hands spread in a gesture of helplessness.
The Commander sighed. 'You might be right.' She looked at Alice again. 'We're going to have to have a think about this. Report back at thirteen-hundred, and I'll have a decision on that for you. Is that ok?'
'Of course, Commander.'
'Alright then. In that case, enjoy the sunshine for a little while, and hopefully we'll see you in the meeting.'
As Alice left the Headquarters building – after making sure that she could indeed find the stairs the Commander had mentioned – she stopped for a moment, to let everything just soak in. The blue of the sea and sky, calling her to adventure, the chirping and chattering of the birds, and the soft breeze on her face, bringing with it the smell of the ocean. She felt a deep, enduring joy and sense of wonder that she was able to live in such a beautiful place. And there was such a lovely, friendly energy to everything as well. Looking out over the Port, she could see small groups of what - by their size - had to be Destroyers, laughing and playing with each other. There was life and bustling wherever she looked, everywhere there were people doing what they enjoyed – playing sports, walking in the shade of the huge trees, painting, what looked like a rehearsal for a play. Everyone here was having a good time, and the thought made her smile. Mindful that the meeting would be starting before too long, rather than walk all the way down into the port just yet, Alice instead simply walked off the gravel path and down the curve of the hill a little way. Sitting on the green, lush grass, the sun shining brightly overhead, she opened the binder Bismarck had given her and started to read, humming softly to herself.
'-so, that's the story, nya.' Said Akashi, finishing her explanation on what had happened early that morning. 'Akashi thinks it can be repaired at least, but it's going to take Akashi a lot of time and a lot of parts, nya.'
'But if the Actualizer is broken...' Began Jean-Bart, red eyes narrowing slightly in concern. 'That was-'
'One of our primary means of strengthening the Fleet, yes.' The Commander finished for her. 'Which means we must find other ways of growing stronger, at least until such time as Akashi here can repair it. It is for this reason I am hereby requesting that you all start instituting extra training programs for your subordinates. I will also be approving more requests for Exercises, as well as weapon and equipment replacement and renovation.' She looked at the attendees. 'While this is certainly a problem, I do not believe it to be insurmountable. Commitment, good morale, and general preparedness by themselves can go a long way. Do any of you have an issue with the steps I've outlined? Richelieu?'
Richelieu lowered her hand as the others looked at her. 'Not so much an issue, mon Commandant, as a suggestion – after reading some of the reports on the mass Sortie to meet the Siren's last big attack, I believe it may be wise to create mixed training squads and Exercise teams. Few things break down biases and Factional rivalry like shared adversity.'
'A very good point,' Commented the Commander, making a note and apparently ignoring the glare Jean-Bart threw her blonde sister. 'Definitely something I will try to keep in mind. Anyone else?'
'What of any Cubes we may find from now on?' Asked Sovetskaya Rossiya, a note of curiosity in her voice. 'If they cannot be used, what should we do with them?'
'Just bring them back here as usual, nya.' Replied Akashi with a shrug. 'Can never have too many Cubes, nya. And they'll be perfectly safe in storage, nya.'
'Just a thought, but as we are now having an enforced break in using them, is there any way of finding out which Kansen are in which Cubes? I'm thinking it might help with structuring the Fleet if we know who the possible recruits are ahead of time.' Asked the Commander, and was surprised by the blank looks she got in response.
'Not... really, Shikikanya.' Said Akashi eventually. 'That's what the Actualizer was for, nya. No-one can know what Kansen will be created when the Cubes are used, not until they're used, nya.'
'Wait, what? Ok, hold on, I'm confused here.' Replied the Commander. 'Because when I was originally briefed at Naval HQ before coming out here, they were definitely operating under the assumption that each Cube contains specific Kansen. They couldn't explain why it can take more than one Cube to create a single Kansen, but it seemed generally accepted that 'Cubes do what Cubes do', and I wish that was me simplifying things and not something they actually said.' She grimaced. 'Not exactly the most scientific explanation, and the high-foreheads didn't take too kindly to my pointing that out. I can sort-of see their point of view, because if you don't know, then you don't know, and at least they acknowledge that. And you can't just look at something happening and say 'That's not possible', because evidently it is. But the fact that they've been effectively writing something potentially important off as 'because it's magic' has never sat well with me.'
'It is not that complicated, Kommandant – but, at the same time, it is not as simple as they seem to think.' Said Bismarck with a shake of her head. 'From everything we Kansen know about how we came to be, apart from being potential power sources the Wisdom Cubes are in fact also stores of information – huge and incredibly efficient stores of information. The proper equipment can pull relevant information out of the Cubes and... 'condense' it, I suppose the word would be, around that or anotherCube, which becomes the core of the new Kansen. So each Kansen does indeed have 'their' Cube, but it is more of a creation of the original Cube – or Cubes - used, not a Cube that they themselves were stored in, which is probably where they have become confused.'
'And the reason it takes more than one Cube for some Kansen isn't to do with the Cubes themselves, Shikikanya.' Supplied Akashi. 'It's that the bigger or stronger they were as a ship, the more information and power is needed to create their core, nya. And any Actualizer can only pull so much from each Cube at a time – it's a design issue on the Actualizer, not to do with the Cubes, nya.'
'Wow. So...' The Commander scrubbed her face with one hand. 'Oh, Goddamn it all, I knew I should have questioned it further at the time, and I can see exactly how and why they got it confused. This is so bizarre - they've got how the Cubes actually work wrong, almost entirely wrong. But at the same time somehow, somehow, each of the things they've got wrong have led them to a point where overall they're only slightly wrong, and they are in fact close enough that it doesn't make much difference in our day-to-day.' She looked at Akashi and Bismarck. 'Is that about right?'
Akashi nodded. 'Pretty much, Shikikanya. Once we realised all the hows and whys and where they were wrong, Akashi sent a proper report to them and everything, but we never heard back, nya.'
'That was, what? Almost four years ago now? Certainly it was not long before you joined us, Kommandant.' Said Bismarck.
'You did? But that was before you had a Commander, so did they ignore it?' The Commander rolled her eyes with a groan. 'Oh, for the love of... No Commander to sign off on it, so of course they did. This is the military we're talking about, I have to keep reminding myself of that.' She frowned. 'Hold on a second – Nagato, when we were first discussing what needed to be done to help Akagi, I said something similar. I can't remember exactly what my actual words were, but it was to the effect of 'Akagi would have been asleep in her Cube', or something like that. How come you didn't correct me on this then?'
She saw Bismarck give her a questioning look, but before her Secretary could say anything Nagato gave a small cough, looking just a little guilty. 'My apologies for allowing the misapprehension to stand, Shikikan. I did have reasons, however. The first is that at that point we were dealing with a time-sensitive issue, and I believed we could ill-afford the kind of discussion we have just had, as it can easily lead to the focus required to solve such situations being broken. So I said nothing to keep that conversation – and the effort to help one for whom I am responsible - going smoothly. And secondly, as you have now learned, there is no real, material difference in any event.' She mumbled something which the Commander couldn't catch.
'My apologies Nagato-sama, but I am not sure anyone else was able to hear that.' Said Akagi with a small bow and a smile, and Nagato's eyes went wide as her cheeks reddened.
'I said - and thirdly because I forgot to communicate it to you after that situation was resolved! There, are we happy now?'
'As I have become aware, it is an important step to admit one's mistakes, Nagato-sama.' Akagi replied, still smiling.
The Commander could remember a handful of similar moments from the past few years, and Akagi's smile had always had an edge to it, that said she was enjoying the opportunity to cut Nagato down a little - especially if she could still appear properly deferential while doing it. But now, it... didn't. She was truly trying to help, and the Commander wondered just how much of Akagi's past behaviour had been down to the Oni that had been trying to use her.
'It's alright Nagato, I wasn't trying to call you out or anything, it was just curiosity as to why.' The Commander saw both relief and embarrassment briefly flit across Nagato's face, before she schooled her expression back to neutrality. 'Now, there is something else I wanted to bring up,' Continued the Commander, looking round at the others. 'In case you haven't heard yet, the new arrival from the incident we previously discussed is, as far as we can tell, almost completely amnesiac. She knows that she is a Kansen, but that seems to be about it – she has no Rigging, and she does not even know her own name.' She saw some eyebrows rise in response. 'As she is currently a non-combatant, and technically a civilian, with her consent she has been given the name 'Alice', and I have asked her to wait outside for us. We do not know the reason behind the amnesia – though in my opinion it seems likely that it is somehow connected to the accident itself - but I considered that her seeing members of all our factions together might perhaps help spark a connection for her. Of course, there is also the chance that one of you might recognise her. Would any of you have a problem with her coming in here?'
There was a unanimous shaking of heads, but before the Commander could say anything further, Akashi spoke up.
'Akashi should get back to the workshop anyway, Shikikanya – Akashi can send Alice in on her way out if you like, nya?'
'That would be appreciated, Akashi, thank you.' Responded the Commander, with a smiling nod, and with a nod of her own Akashi ambled over to the meeting-room door.
Opening it, she looked round for a moment. 'Nya? Where is- Oh, there you are Alice, nya. Shikikanya says you can join them now, nya.'
'Oh, thank you, Miss...?' The Commander easily recognised Alice's soft voice as she replied.
'I'm Akashi, nya! No need to worry about the 'Miss', nya.'
'I see. Then, thank you, Akashi.'
'Well, whoever she is, she seems to at least have a grasp of manners.' Commented Queen Elizabeth approvingly. 'Unlike certain others, who shall at this time remain nameless.'
The Commander saw Bismarck's mouth twitch at the ice in Elizabeth's tone, while both Jean-Bart and Sovetskaya Rossiya rolled their eyes – though both also kept their mouths shut when they saw Warspite glaring at them.
A few moments later and Alice entered, carefully shutting the door behind her.
'Ok, so, let us have introductions first. Everyone, this is Alice.' Said the Commander as Alice stopped next to her and bowed. 'Alice, you've already met myself and my Secretary Ship Bismarck over there. Sitting next to her is Gneisenau, also from the Iron Blood. From the Royal Navy we have Queen Elizabeth and her second, Warspite.' As she stated their names and pointed them out, each of the meeting's participants responded – most of them with a wave or nod – so as to help Alice identify them. 'The Eagle Union have sent Essex and Cleveland – their leader is actually Enterprise, but she's away from the Port for the moment. Jean-Bart and Algerie are from the Vichya Dominion, while the Sardegna Empire has Lady Vittorio Veneto and Carabiniere. Lady Nagato and Akagi are from the Sakura Empire, while Richelieu and Jeanne D'Arc represent the Iris Libre. Last but certainly not least, we have Sovetskaya Rossiya and Avrora, both from the Northern Parliament – and again, their proper leader, Sovetsky Soyuz, is not here right now, she's out on extended duty.'
Alice bowed again. 'It is an honour to meet you all.'
'So, is there anyone here that you feel like you perhaps remember them, Alice? A comrade, or even an old enemy, maybe?' The Commander asked with a broad gesture.
'Or perhaps you might feel a connection to one of the Factions represented here?' Offered Warspite.
Alice slowly looked round the table again, wondering, considering, but finally she shook her head. 'It does not seem so. I am sorry, everyone.' She cast her eyes down. 'What makes this worse is that I feel like I should know some of you for some reason, but that knowledge is being... hidden from me. Obscured. But thank you so much for trying to help.'
'Sorry? You don't have anything to be sorry for, Alice.' Replied Essex with an emphatic nod, which Cleveland echoed. 'And I know Enterprise would tell you the exact same thing if she were here. It's not your fault you can't remember, and we were all here anyway, so it's not like you've put some undue burden on us.'
'Everything that Essex has said is correct, Alice.' Said Nagato, with a tilt of the head towards the Eagle Union representatives. 'And there are those amongst us who well know how you feel, and who will always be ready to help you if we can. You need only ask.'
'I see – I... I shall try to remember your kind offer.'
'As we have everyone together here, is there anything you would like to ask us instead, Alice?' Asked Avrora with a friendly smile.
'I... do not think so.' Replied Alice with another shake of her head. 'I only awoke yesterday, so I have many questions, but too few that I could actually put into words yet.'
'As Nagato has already said, once you are able to, you may call on us anytime. Our doors are always open.' Said Jean-Bart solemnly, causing some of the others to stare at her in amazement.
A smile crept onto Alice's face. 'You are all very kind.' Just then, another thought struck. 'Ah, actually there is a question I would ask, if that's alright?'
'By all means, Alice.' Said Sovetskaya Rossiya with a small nod.
'Well, when we spoke earlier, Bismarck said that all those under the flag of the Azur Lane fight together, isn't that right? But with so many factions in alliance... who is it that we are fighting? This pack has been very helpful, but it doesn't really say about this.'
'The original theory was that the Azur Lane helps to defend humanity from any that would threaten them.' Said Warspite. 'In practise however, our main – indeed, almost our only – enemy is, was, and remains, the Sirens.'
'The Sirens? Who or what are they?'
Richelieu shook her head. 'The Sirens are a trial sent upon humanity. They simply appeared out of the blue one day - several years ago now - and nearly managed to conquer the world, for they have power and technology far beyond our ken. It took all of our combined might to throw them back, though even now they are still an incredible threat. But as to their true identities, we do not know who or what they are, exactly.'
'There's some theories floating around, though.' Said Cleveland. 'For example, they have some Kansen of their own, so it's not impossible that they're from an alternate timeline or something.' She shrugged. 'Or so one theory goes, anyway. Now, I've seen some crazy stuff while fighting them, but...' She shrugged again.
'Do we know what they want?' Asked Alice.
'Not in so many words.' Replied Bismarck. 'Whenever they have spoken directly to us in the past, they have had a bad habit of intentionally being very cryptic and 'mysterious', which has been endlessly frustrating.'
Warspite chuckled. 'Getting a straight answer out of a Siren, Bismarck? That'll be the day.' She said as she sipped her tea.
Alice looked at Cleveland. 'I'm sorry, Cleveland, was it? You said the Sirens have Kansen of their own? What do they look like? Do they look like us?'
'Yeah, I'm Cleveland, and well, yes and no.' Answered Cleveland with a waggle of her hand. 'Their bodies are human-like, like us, but they all have silver hair, most have gold eyes, and their Riggings aren't ships, they're normally sea-creatures. Tester Beta's looks like a Manta Ray, Observer Alpha's seems to be a mollusc of some kind, and so on.'
'They sound like strange people.'
'To be honest, we're not even certain they can be called 'people'.' Said Avrora. 'And not just because they're the opposing side, you understand. At times, they seem more like a hive-mind than anything else. And there is also the fact that no matter how many times one of them is sunk, they always come back. I know for a fact that Purifier has been 'sunk' multiple times – not that she seems to care.'
'Anything else you can think of, Alice?' Asked Gneisenau with a brief smile.
After a moment Alice shook her head. 'No, not at the moment, and... I know your time must be valuable. So, by your leave, Commander?'
'As you were then, Alice.' Said the Commander with a smile of her own and a nod. 'And I'm sorry that it didn't work out, but thank you for your time here.'
With another graceful bow, Alice turned to leave.
As the door closed again, Algerie turned to her neighbour with a smile. 'Well, today has been full of surprises so far. So, what do you think of Alice, Lady Vittorio?'
'I must confess, I'm glad it was myself and Carabiniere at this meeting, and not my sister.' Replied Vittorio. 'Alice seems like a good girl, but her current mental state makes her vulnerable, and Littorio would latch onto that combination like a starving hound with a choice bone.' She sighed. 'Not to mention how she would moon over her looks and figure.' She took a sip of her tea – then realised everyone else was now looking at her as well, not just Algerie. Most were smiling, but she saw a few raised eyebrows too. '...What?' When nobody immediately answered, she ran back what she had just said in her mind and her eyes went wide. 'Wait, no, I meant only she would be attracted to such vulnerability, not that she would exploit it!'
'Pray, forgive us.' Said Jeanne D'Arc with a bow to Vittorio. 'We are all merely surprised to hear such a frankly candid assessment of the Lady Littorio – especially from her sister.'
'Well, y' know what she's like, at least.' Commented Cleveland, grinning. 'I always try to make sure I know what my sisters are doing, too.'
'Given the number of sisters you have, that must be rather more difficult, though.' Said Gneisenau, to a smile and shrug from Cleveland.
'I said I try to know, not that I do. And even then it's not like I'm Fletcher, I have no idea how she does it.'
'I have met Littorio several times.' Said Queen Elizabeth, with a small smile. 'Both in an official capacity and not. I must say she can be very charming and likeable - but it is indeed very obvious that she often has her mind on... other things.'
Jean-Bart gave a bark of laughter. 'I've never met her, but from the sound of it, she's someone who knows what she wants and sets out to get it.' Her smile grew wider. 'I can certainly appreciate that way of thinking.'
Although she was also smiling, the Commander cleared her throat, and everyone fell silent and gave her their attention again.
'So, unfortunately it seems we have struck out on helping Alice remember who she actually is, which is a shame. And I can surmise from the general lack of reaction that she is also not known to any of you here. Before I declare this meeting over, does anyone have anything else that they want to bring up or discuss?' Though Vittorio still looked stricken, everyone shook their heads, and the Commander nodded in response. 'Very well, then, meeting adjourned – however, I think Lady Vittorio might appreciate it if we can all avoid mentioning the revelation of her sisters'... dating preferences? So do please keep that in mind.'
Having a bit more time on her hands now, when she left the Headquarters again Alice chose to actually venture down into the Port itself. Although she did indeed find it troubling that she had been unable to remember or identify any of those in the meeting, she also found it difficult to be really upset about it – the sun was still out, and everyone was still here, making the most of their time. Her spirits lifting with every step, she strolled down the hill and into the main plaza that seemed to connect most of the Port. Almost immediately, a small flotilla of Destroyers rushed up to her, apparently captivated with her by the way they stared. They seemed to her a strange bunch, for though there were at least two types of Destroyer represented – some with white hair and carrying wrenches, the others yellow of hair and dress, toting drills mounted on gauntlets – within those two types they seemed to be clones of each other. She wondered if it was because there were differences she couldn't see as yet.
'Are you new here, buli? Bulins haven't seen you before, buli.' Asked one of the ones with white hair, and Alice smiled.
'Yes, I'm new, in fact I only woke up here yesterday.'
'Wow, really, buli? So, what's your name, buli?'
'Unfortunately, I don't actually know, and neither does anyone else at the moment. But for now at least, you can call me Alice. What can I call you?'
'Hi Alice, we're Bulins, buli!' Replied the one talking to her with a big smile.
'Bulins?'
'Yeah, buli! Any of us with a wrench-' All the ones with white hair held said tool up with a small cheer. '-are all General Bulins, buli!'
'An' all with drills-' Said one with yellow hair, and she and all her sisters held theirs up with another cheer. '-we're all Prototype Bulins, purin!'
'I see. Then, I'm pleased to meet you all.' Replied Alice with a bow. 'So what do you all do here at the Port?'
'We help everyone get stronger by bulifying them, buli!' Said the General Bulin who was evidently their spokes-person. After a moment her head cocked to one side. 'Not you, though, buli.'
'What? Why not me?'
''Cause you're really-really strong already, buli! Don't think even Eldest sister can make you any stronger, buli.'
Alice looked at the Bulin blankly for a second. 'I'm... I'm strong? Really?'
'Really-really strong, you bet, buli!'
'What – but, how can you tell?'
'We can see everyone's colours, buli.'
Alice stared at the beaming Bulin again. 'Everyone's colours? Wait, what colours? And how do they mean anything?'
The Bulin's brow wrinkled in thought. 'Hard to explain, buli. It's... like a kind of a light around you, buli. Shows Bulins what kind of Bulins can help you, like... Like Akagi and Lord Bismarck, buli! They both have gold light, so only Prototypes can bulify them, buli! And Bulins not really sure about 'how', buli. Bulins just... know, buli.'
'And what about if they're not gold?'
'Us General Bulins can help all of them, buli! 'Less they're shiny-white, then they need Eldest sister, buli!'
'Eldest sister? You mentioned her before, who is she?'
'She's the coolest an' rarest of us Bulins, buli! They carry big hammers, an' they can even fly, buli! They're the Specialized Bulins, buli!'
'So if they're the rarest... why don't you think your Eldest sisters can help me get stronger?'
''Cause you're not shiny-white, buli. You're more... sort-of glowy, buli.'
Alice looked at her hands and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary there. 'I... glow?'
'Yeah, really bright, too, buli!'
'So... that's why you all came over to see me – because you can see me glowing?'
The Bulins all nodded.
'Yeah, buli! Bulins never seen anyone like you, buli!' Said one near the back.
'It looks so cool, purin!' Chirped a Prototype.
Alice looked at them all, and couldn't help smiling at how delighted they all seemed, many of them bouncing up and down in apparent happiness. 'I see. Then, thank you for letting me know, and for the rest of what you told me, all of you.'
'Bulins always help, buli. It why Bulins here, buli.' Said the General Bulin, smiling widely in return, then she held out her arms. 'Can – can Bulins get hugs, buli?'
'Of course you can.' Said Alice, kneeling down, putting the binder down to one side, and holding her own arms out. With a happy little squeak the Bulin ran forwards and practically leapt into her embrace. She wrapped her arms around the Bulins' small body and after a moment, she realised that it felt... nice.
'Yay, we got another friend for hugs, purin!' Cheered one of the Prototypes, and that made Alice smile all over again. These Bulins were so... cheerful, so innocent. After another couple of moments the General Bulin she was hugging squirmed a little, and she let go. Looking down, she met the gaze of those soft, purple eyes as the Bulin smiled up at her.
'Hugs always nice, but your hug really nice, buli! Thank you, Alice, buli!'
'You're most welcome.' She replied as, with another happy chirp, the Bulin made way for the others. Once all the other Bulins had been given their hugs, they clustered back around the General Bulin.
'Bulins hope you find your name soon, buli! And... hope you still want to give Bulins hugs after, too, buli!'
With a cheerful wave, they all turned and ran off towards another part of the Port.
Lifting her hand in acknowledgement and farewell, Alice felt a slight tinge of sadness that they were leaving so soon.
'So do I.'
As the Bulins disappeared around a corner, looking at her organizer Alice realised that it was almost noon – and that she was hungry.
I might as well go and get some food. She thought, letting her feet take her in the direction of the Canteen. The Commander said they had already organised that for me. When she got there, although there were people around she wouldn't have exactly called it 'busy', and soon enough she found herself at the front of the line.
'Yes? What can we-' The person on the other side of the counter paused to look at her. 'Oh! A new face! Wait, Rating's uniform with no insignia, red eyes, black hair – you must be Alice!'
Alice nodded. 'Yes, I am she. And who are you?'
'Oh, I'm San Juan, Light Cruiser from the Eagle Union.' Said the blonde girl, with a smile. 'Good to meet you!'
'It is good to meet you, too. The Commander said that she had arranged for me to be able to get food here?'
'Indeed she has! What're you hungry for?'
Alice had studied the menu while in line, so she was ready with an answer. 'Well, I am quite hungry, so I think I'd like a Full Royal, with a glass of orange juice if that's ok? And Vestal gave me some pancakes for breakfast, they were really nice and fluffy – did she get those from here?'
'No, she would have made those herself – Vestal's actually a really good cook, too! The Full Royal is no problem, and though they aren't quite as nice as Vestal's, we can certainly do you a small stack of our pancakes as well, if you like?'
'Oh, that would be wonderful, if it's not too much trouble?'
'If it was, I wouldn't have offered.' Said San Juan with a smile, as she wrote the order out on a slip of paper. Once she had finished, she turned and pegged the order up so that it would be seen by the cooks. 'There we go! It might take a couple of minutes to get done, but as you can see we're not all that busy at the moment – the lunch rush hasn't hit yet - so it shouldn't be long.'
'Thank you, San Juan.' Said Alice, taking a couple of steps to one side so that the queue could continue being served.
'No problem at all.' Replied the Cruiser with another smile. 'Next!'
With nothing else to really do but wait, Alice opened up the organiser's box, and started reading the manual, reasoning that the sooner she learned to use it competently, the better. Thankfully it all seemed straightforward enough, and by the time San Juan caught her attention and handed her her tray of food, she was feeling quite a bit more confident in attempting to use it.
'Oh, thank you so much!' Said Alice when she noticed the decent-sized stack of pancakes, drizzled with syrup, and the blonde waved it away.
'I said it's no problem, Alice, don't worry about it!'
Carrying everything over to an empty table, Alice sat down and happily began to dig in. The toast was evenly browned and crunchy, the bacon crispy and flavoursome. The eggs and mushrooms were just a touch oily, but otherwise the rest of the Royal was very nice indeed, and the same went for the pancakes – they weren't quite up to the ones she'd had earlier, but were delicious nonetheless. Once she had finished everything, she piled all her used utensils back onto the tray, and took it over to the collection point. This was made slightly more challenging by the fact that while she was eating, the 'lunch rush' had definitely arrived and the Canteen had gone from 'mostly empty' to 'almost full', and moving anywhere was turned into a mini obstacle course. Once that was done, and keeping to the outside of the hall to avoid the worst of the crush, she headed back towards the exit, giving San Juan a wave as she passed their line of sight. She would have liked to hang around and talk to some of the many, many people that had turned up, but the Commander had said to report back at one o'clock, and that time had almost come. In lieu of trying to start conversation, she did hesitate at the door for a few seconds, looking out over the assemblage of Kansen, but apart from the same feeling she'd had in the meeting – that she should know some of those present – nothing struck a chord, and with a soft sigh she turned to leave.
Making it to the Commander's office with a couple minutes to spare, Alice decided to use the opportunity to start getting some things downloaded to her organiser, like the Juustagram App and an e-book reader. Once those were all underway, she closed the organiser back down, put it in her pocket, and knocked on the office door. After a few moments the door was opened by Bismarck, who gave her an approving nod.
'Good. You are exactly on time, Alice.' Was all she said as she stepped to one side, allowing Alice to enter the office, shutting the door behind them both when she did so.
Alice found that she quite liked the Secretary Ship. She was tall and imposing, with an undeniable physical presence and a stern, aloof attitude that, all combined, probably put a lot of people off. But she could tell that somewhere under all that steel and toughness, the blonde probably had a soft spot the size of the Port.
She followed on Bismarck's heels until she was again standing in front of the Commander, who smiled on seeing her.
'Good afternoon, Alice. And how has your first proper morning with us been? Not too overwhelming, I hope?'
Alice shook her head. 'No it has not been, Commander. Though it has been very interesting.'
The Commander chuckled. 'Yes, I can easily imagine that it has.' She leaned back in her chair and steepled her hands. 'So, to return to the subject of getting you billeted. After some discussion, Bismarck thankfully reminded me of something I had clean forgotten about, namely that we do in fact have a couple of 'guest rooms' in the Port. They're supposed to be for when the Brass come visiting, and I think I forgot about them because even when the Brass do visit – and those are few and far between – they've never used those rooms and stayed in hotels in the city. Probably because they're not exactly spacious, and pretty spartan, but if you'd like we can certainly get one of those put in order for you?'
'Why, yes, Commander, that would be fine – thank you!' Replied Alice with a bow.
'Like I said, technically they're for visiting VIPs, so if we do get such a visit, we might need to shuffle you around a bit – that being the main reason we want to get you properly housed soonest, so we won't be messing you around any more than necessary. Still ok with that?'
Alice nodded. 'Of course, Commander.'
'Right, we'll get that underway then. I think the best thing to do would be to have whoever does the cleaning contact you directly once they're finished. Would you give us the contact number for your organiser please, Alice?'
'Yes, ma'am.' Alice pulled it out of her pocket and quickly flipped through a few screens until she found it, the Commander noting it down as she read it out. After reading it back to her to make sure she had it written correctly, the Commander looked at Alice.
'Good. So, once the room is ready – and that shouldn't take too long, they're just unused, not trashed, so far as I know – they'll contact you with how to get there and everything.' The Commander paused and threaded her fingers together. 'Now, you might be wondering why I asked you for your organiser's number, considering that I could have ordered you to give it to us, or, as we gave it to you, I could have just gotten it from our records.'
'Well, I was a bit curious, Commander, I will admit. I assumed it was something to do with regulations?'
'Well, as you are a civilian, the rules are a bit different for you. But the main reason I asked for that information is so that you can see I do not impinge on personal privacy lightly, and that I likewise take the health and well-being of you all very seriously indeed. So that, hopefully, come the day you are inducted as part of the Fleet, should I subsequently give you orders that do not sit well with you, you will trust that I have good reason to give such orders. That I would not require you to do something unless it needed to be done. And because that kind of trust is earned, not demanded.'
Once Alice had left the office and she was back at her desk, Bismarck looked at the Commander. 'I do not know if you have seen the report she did on it yet, Kommandant, but while you were away, Akashi managed to finish upgrading the projector and other systems in the Briefing Room as you requested – the day after you left, sometime around sixteen-fifty in the afternoon, if memory serves.'
'Did she?' A slow smile spread across the Commander's face. 'Oh, yay! I'll have to head over and get some practise with it at some point.' She saw Bismarck looking steadily at her, and her smile widened a little. 'What? I don't get too many new toys to play with. And besides, you don't want me to embarrass myself when I'm giving a briefing, do you? 'And if you'll direct your attention to the screen...'' She mimed clicking a remote control. 'You should see... um, uh – yes, my apologies everyone, that appears to be a, um, a personal photo...''
'Point made, Kommandant.' Replied Bismarck with a chuckle, but then she paused for a moment. 'There is something I have been meaning to ask, Kommandant.'
'Hm?' One of the Commander's eyebrows went up in query.
'In the meeting this morning, you said that you had talked to Frau Nagato about the Cubes previously? But I cannot remember such a conversation.'
The Commander frowned as she tried to remember. 'Let's see... I think it was after Akashi had stunned Akagi, around when Shiranui and Nagato first realised she was possessed if I remember correctly.'
'Ach, so.' Though Bismarck nodded in acknowledgement, she was also frowning. 'I do remember that. Then, I apologise Kommandant, I should have been more than able to respond to such a statement, and I am unsure why I did not.'
The Commander smiled at her. 'Well, if it helps you did seem pretty distracted by that particular revelation, so it's no surprise you might have missed some of what we said.'
'I... suppose so. Certainly I do remember being very surprised when they confirmed the existence of the Oni.'
'And I really can't blame you.' Said the Commander as she stood up. Walking over to Bismarck, she sat herself sideways in the blonde's lap, leaning in until their foreheads gently touched. 'So stop blaming yourself for stuff like this. Ok? You're not all-knowing and you're not infallible, nobody is. Nothing bad happened because of it, and besides, it does you no good to get all dark and moody.' As she spoke, she traced a finger over Bismarck's lips, causing them to curve upwards as that sapphire-blue gaze flicked up to meet hers. 'There, see? A lot better.'
'You always seem to know how to make me feel better.' Said Bismarck with a soft chuckle as the Commander's hand lingered to gently stroke one cheek. 'Danke sehr, Kommandant.'
'You're welcome, Bismarck. Always.'
A couple of hours later, Alice was standing on one of the hills overlooking the Port and just drinking in the fantastic view. Hearing her organiser give a soft chime, she hauled it out and opened it up to check why. Seeing what she remembered as the 'message received' icon, she tapped on it.
'Hello, is this Alice?' The message began. 'This is Mikasa, Shikishima-Class Battleship of the IJN – your room has been cleaned, would you like to see it now?'
Alice eagerly tapped the 'reply' button and began typing. 'Yes, this is Alice. Thank you for your time doing this, Mikasa, and yes, I would very much like to see it!'
She pressed 'Send', and didn't have to wait very long for a reply.
'It is close to the central plaza – if you meet me there, I can walk you to it. My unifrom is black with gold trim.'
Though the spelling error gave her a moment's pause, the message was still easily understandable, so Alice just replied with 'I shall be there in a couple of minutes.' and started hurrying towards the plaza. When she got there, it took no more than a moment's looking to find Mikasa – her dark uniform made her easy to spot. There were a couple of other dark-uniformed girls wandering through the plaza, but only one who was plainly waiting for someone or something. That wasn't all she was wearing, either – she also had what looked like a white cape wrapped around her, held against her right arm by a band around the bicep with a curious quartered design upon it. Something that did give Alice a bit of a start was seeing the horns curving out of Mikasa's temples. Akashi's cat-ears, the canine ears possessed by Warspite, and the fox-ears on Akagi and Nagato had all struck her as a little odd, but these seemed stranger, somehow. Now that she thought about it though, she did remember seeing a few such others in the canteen before leaving, but it seemed they just hadn't registered with her at the time. With a wave to catch Mikasa's attention, Alice walked over to join her.
When Mikasa saw her however, her eyes went very wide, and she stared at Alice as though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.
'Um, L-Lady Mikasa, can – can I ask why you are staring at me?' Asked Alice hesitantly, causing the Sakuran Battleship to gasp.
'Oh, my apologies, Alice!' Mikasa replied with a quick bow. 'I did not realise I was being so rude! It's just that... I know we have never even met before, but – but yet I cannot shake the feeling that, somehow, I know you. I know it sounds silly, but when I was looking at you just now, it was almost like seeing a sister of mine.'
Alice's red-brown eyes widened slightly, then she smiled sadly. 'I think – I think it would be nice to have a sister – or any family, actually, Lady Mikasa.'
Mikasa blinked in surprise. 'You have no family at all?'
'If I do, I have no idea who they might be.' Alice replied with a shrug. 'I have no memory of who I really am, you see.'
'Truly? I was not aware such a thing was even possible. Then, if you do not know who you are, you are without a Faction to take you in...' Mikasa frowned for a moment. 'So, you do not yet know where you belong, and I cannot imagine the pain that that must cause you. Alas, I am unable to help with something like that.' She tilted her head towards a thoroughfare leading off of the plaza. 'But a place of your own, small thing as it may be, is nevertheless a place to start, anew if necessary. Come, allow me to show you to it.'
'Gladly!' Replied Alice, with a smile of her own, following along as Mikasa began walking. 'But... it will not be mine, will it?'
Mikasa glanced at her, then briefly closed her eyes with a sigh. 'No, I suppose not. I am sorry, Alice. I did not mean to give you false hope. It's just your situation is unique in my experience, and I have difficulty knowing what to say.'
Alice shook her head. 'No, it's fine Lady Mikasa. I can tell that you meant well. At least I will have a place, that is the most important thing, and, as you say, it is a start, a beginning. And someday, when I remember who I am, I will have a place of my own, so you are not even entirely wrong.'
'That is true, I had not considered that.' Replied Mikasa as they turned a corner, and after a moment she smiled again. 'Your attitude does you great credit, Alice. You are both understanding and insightful, and those are valuable qualities.'
They had barely gone another dozen paces when Mikasa stopped and took a bunch of keys from a pocket. 'We are here.' She commented as she unlocked a door and opened it.
'Wow, you weren't joking when you said it's close to the plaza.' Said Alice, walking through the door into a short, nondescript beige hallway with a right-facing corner at the end of it.
Mikasa nodded as she moved past Alice to the door set into the right-hand wall. 'Yes, in that respect it should be quite convenient for you.' Unlocking and opening this door as well, Mikasa leaned in and switched the lights on, before stepping to one side.
Alice looked at the room so revealed with a degree of fascination – as the Commander had said, it wasn't very big, only having space for a single-bed, a couple of slender sets of drawers, and a pair of wardrobes. As well, it unfortunately didn't seem to have any windows, but it was at least dry, cool, and quiet, and she could see a pair of air-vents set into the walls, so there would be some kind of air circulation when it got warm. There was also a door in one of the end-walls, which she assumed would be a bathroom of some kind.
'What do you think of it? Is it acceptable?' Asked Mikasa, and Alice nodded.
'Yes, very much so!' She replied with a small bow. 'Thank you again.'
Mikasa returned the bow with a smile. 'I am glad it meets with your approval. So, then, here are your keys, Alice.' She said, holding up a pair of keys on a key-ring. 'First one is for this door into the building – and it is only this door. There is another, more-used entrance to the building round the other side, but it needs a different key, and also has an Identity Card lock on it. And this is the one for the room itself.' She handed the keys to Alice, who began threading them onto the key-chain that Vestal had given her with the uniform that morning. 'Any questions?'
'Not about the room as such, but I was wondering what this building is actually used for? It can't just be rooms like this.'
'Indeed not.' Replied Mikasa with a nod. 'Aside from this and the other room around the corner, it is mostly meeting rooms. Each floor has at least two, along with a small cafeteria for catering purposes.' She frowned slightly. 'I am not sure what it was before that, but I believe the building was a storehouse of some kind, which became unnecessary once the large warehouses down by the Docks were built. And rather than just demolish it, it was re-purposed to how it is now.'
'This is a fairly tall building, so there must be quite a few meeting rooms.'
'There are.' Mikasa said, smiling. 'But they get filled up more quickly than you might think. And, unlike the meeting rooms in the Headquarters, these are unsecured - once you are in the main part of the building, you can move between the rooms as you please. Also, these are only generally available in 'office hours', so you don't need to worry about being disturbed by people stomping about late at night.'
Alice nodded. 'That was going to be another of my questions. But, as it's been answered... I don't think there's anything else I was going to ask. I hope you weren't put out too much cleaning the room up?'
'Not at all.' Said Mikasa, shaking her head. 'Truth be told, I've always quite enjoyed cleaning. Putting a room to rights has always felt peculiarly restorative to me. Once you get into the rhythm of it, it can be quite relaxing on the mind.' There was a high-pitched chime, and it took Alice a second to realise it wasn't coming from her organiser, but Mikasa's, who quickly silenced it. She seemed to be thinking about something. 'You as yet have no family, Alice, but everyone needs someone to talk to, to confide in. Among the Sakura it is traditional for such discussions to be with one's sisters.' After another moment's thought, she held out her hand. 'So, as of now, let at least us be as sisters, Alice.'
'Huh? Oh, thank – thank you, Lady Mikasa! Thank you so much!' Alice readily took the offered hand, and giggled as they shook on it. 'Now that you mention it, I just realised that we both have black hair – so I guess we could even kind of look like sisters.'
'We do indeed.' Replied Mikasa thoughtfully. 'Which honestly strikes me as strange – except among the Sakura Empire, black hair seems to be a rarity with the Kansen... Ah, perhaps I am simply overthinking it.' She said with a shake of her head, then clasped Alice's shoulder for a moment.
'I am sorry, Alice, but I must go for now – Akagi and Nagato-Sama are expecting me. But if you would like, I will be free to talk this evening.'
'That was what your alarm was reminding you of?' Asked Alice. Mikasa nodded, and Alice returned it. 'Then I will look forward to it... sister.'
'This evening, then. As I have already seen your quarters, it is only fair that you get to see mine at our next meeting.' Said Mikasa with a smile. 'If you come to the central plaza again at nineteen-hundred hours, I shall meet you there. And whatever happens, I am very glad we met today, Alice.'
With that the Battleship bowed, turned, and walked away, leaving behind her a brightly smiling Alice. For now, no matter who she had been in the past or would become in the future, no matter how long it took, now she at least had something – someone – to hold onto.
Turning around, she stepped into the room – her room – and closed the door behind her.
Just in case, before I forget, I had better set an alarm myself so I'm on time to meet Mikasa. Thought Alice. Once she had done that, she looked again at the room. So, this is where I'm staying – for now, at least.
Dropping her binder on the bed, a quick check of the wardrobes and drawers revealed that they were all empty – not that she had expected anything different, but you never knew. She briefly wondered if she would need to go clothes-shopping – and in a hurry, as the afternoon was rapidly wearing on – but then she remembered that Vestal, before taking her to see the Commander that morning, had told her she had some more clothes put aside for her. She'd said it would make Alice's day a little easier, as she wouldn't have to be carrying them everywhere she went until she found out where she was staying.
Well, I have somewhere to stay now, so I might as well go and see what else Vestal has for me.
Before she left, Alice opened the other door to reveal that her earlier guess about a bathroom had been correct – though 'bath'room was perhaps overstating it. It had a toilet, a sink with a mirror above it, a standing-only shower cubicle, and that was about it. It would be enough for her to get and stay clean, though, which was what mattered.
A little while later and a slightly bemused Alice had returned, carrying a box of various things Vestal had thought she might want. A couple of dresses that she hung in one of the wardrobes, some towels, socks, tights, bras and panties that all went into some of the drawers, and an assortment of shirts, trousers, shorts and skirts that she put in the other wardrobe. A cup, toothbrush and toothpaste were perched on one side of the sink, with the soap, shampoo and bodywash ending up on the little shelf in the shower. There was also a badge with her name on it. She held it and stared at it for a little while, running her fingers over the letters spelling 'Alice'. It was what she was being called, but it wasn't her name. Still, it was nice of Vestal to get it for her. Eventually, she sighed and put it next to her organiser and Visitor's Pass, on top of the drawers closest to the bed. Looking around again, she found that even with such minimal possessions, the room was already starting to feel more like a home – or what she thought a home should feel like - and that made her smile.
Realising that she didn't have anything else she really needed to do that day, Alice decided that it might be a good time to give the shower a try-out. Stripping off the uniform she had been wearing since early that morning, she snagged one of the towels, putting it on the sink where she could easily reach it from the shower. Stepping into the cubicle, on closer study she realised that the shower was in fact more sophisticated than she had first thought. Luckily it was fairly self-explanatory - most of the various dials and buttons were clearly labelled – so she didn't need to go looking for a handbook or anything. Closing the door, she started the shower up and almost instantly it streamed over her, coming out cold and hard enough that she gave a startled yelp. A minute or so of juggling the various settings later though, and she had a wonderfully warm cascade of water to stand under. And stand under it she did, luxuriating in the spray pouring down her body, feeling her skin beginning to tingle slightly from the constant stream of cleansing water. After a few minutes of that, she decided – with some regret – that she couldn't just stay in there indefinitely and that she should actually get herself washed, reaching for the bar of soap first.
Once she was properly clean, she shut the shower off and started towelling herself down. Absent a hair-dryer, she instead patted it some with the towel – her hair was short enough that it would dry pretty quickly by itself, but getting rid of the excess moisture would certainly help.
A few minutes later, feeling dry, warm and clean, Alice got herself dressed again, selecting a pair of straight-cut black jeans and a plain red t-shirt to wear, making sure to transfer her key-chain over to her new attire. They felt nice, and as long as she didn't get too sweaty or anything, she felt that they would be fine to wear when she went to see Mikasa. She briefly wondered what to do with the clothes she had been wearing, then settled for folding them into the box Vestal had given her, so she could take them for cleaning later.
I'll have to see if I can get an actual laundry basket or something organised. She thought, then her stomach growled and she checked her organiser. Hmm. Just after half-past four. I wonder if I can get a slightly early dinner like I did at lunch?
Resolving to at least enquire, she picked up her Visitor's Pass, slipping it and her organiser into what felt like appropriate pockets, before pinning her name badge to her t-shirt.
It was only a matter of a few minutes for her to get to the Canteen, and she found it much like she had at lunch - mostly quiet – and seeing that San Juan was still behind the counter, she headed over to talk to her.
'Hi, San Juan.' She said with a smile, and when she looked over and recognised her, San Juan returned it.
'Hi again, Alice. How's your first day been so far?' The blonde didn't seem quite as bubbly as she had earlier, but given that she had now been there for several hours already, that was certainly understandable.
'It's been good, thanks.' Replied Alice. 'Vestal had got me some more clothes,' She indicated her current outfit. 'And I've got some temporary quarters, just until I hopefully get my memory back.'
San Juan blinked. ''Get your memory back'? You've got amnesia?' When Alice nodded, she gave a low whistle. 'Damn. Don't know what to say really, except sorry to hear that. So that's why you're called 'Alice', then, must be a pretty bad case if you don't know your proper name. Not even knowing who you are... God, that's a scary thought.'
'It's not scary to me, it's more... annoying, than anything else.' Alice said with a frown. 'It's keeping me from being who and what I can be, and I keep looking at people and feeling like I know them from somewhere, but then my mind throws up a blank when I try to think where.' Her head cocked to one side as she looked at San Juan. 'The Commander didn't tell you about it when she contacted you? She said that she'd 'inform you of my situation.''
'No.' San Juan replied with a shake of her head. 'She wouldn't just give out that kind of information, not without clearing it with you first. We do have to give a reason when we make special dispensations for someone, but it doesn't have to be that specific. She did contact us again this morning to tell us your name, though, which was unusual. I'd wondered what it was all about – guess that's what it was.'
'If you didn't know, why did you think I was called 'Alice', then?'
'No idea, really.' San Juan shrugged, saw Alice's curious look, and smiled. 'Look, was I interested in knowing? Sure. But – and no offence intended here – it's not like your real name is some kind of major, important secret or something. I did think you might be some new Prototype or Research ship or something though, their identities do tend to be a bit of a surprise sometimes. And they do try and keep those quiet.'
'I might be.' Replied Alice with a smile of her own.
San Juan chuckled at that. 'True enough, you might be. So, what can I do for you?'
'Well, I realise I'm a bit early, but I was wondering if I could get some dinner yet?'
'Huh? Of course you can! What did you want?'
Alice rattled off her requests, which San Juan again took down and then pegged it up for her.
'Shouldn't take too long – you seem to have a bit of a talent for coming in when we're decently quiet.' The blonde commented, and Alice, seeing that she still didn't have anyone behind her, decided she could chat a little more while waiting.
'You said 'of course' I could get dinner early, but – don't you guys have like a set menu for certain times?'
'Not really, no, we're not exactly a civilian restaurant, after all. And the Canteen's staffed pretty much twenty-four-seven as well. Everyone likes their routines, hence the rushes we get at noon and around seventeen-hundred, but also people get back from sorties at all kinds of hours and are pretty sure to want something, especially if they've been out for a while.' San Juan chuckled again. 'One time – this was a few years ago, mind – one time when I was on, I had Bismarck come in some time around twenty-one hundred, asking for breakfast like it was the most normal thing in the world. That caught me by surprise. Turned out she'd gotten a bit lost in her research and hadn't realised what the time was – she was so out of it, she hadn't even noticed that the sun had been down for a while.'
'Research?' Asked Alice, her interest piqued – she liked Bismarck, but she didn't seem the type to be into science. 'What kind of research?'
'She didn't say, and I didn't ask. She very clearly thought she'd said too much as it was, so I left it at that.'
Alice wondered at that, but saw San Juan's eyes flick slightly to one side, looking behind her. Realising that they were about to be interrupted, Alice quickly stepped to one side so that she wouldn't be in the way, which San Juan acknowledged with a nod of thanks.
Once she had her meal, and remembering how the Canteen had got at lunch-time, Alice took it over to a table near one of the sides of the hall. Keeping in mind that she really didn't have anywhere she needed to be going just yet, she allowed herself to eat at a rather more leisurely pace than when she had lunch. She was still going to have an hour and a half or so to kill afterwards, though, and she wondered what to do with that time. It was kind of an awkward amount of time, too - enough that she wanted to plan what to do, but not enough to really get involved in something. Even when she was almost finished eating, she was still considering it, until finally she decided to just roam the Port again for a while. A bit of exercise wouldn't hurt, there was still a lot for her to see, and it would help her fix where everything was in her head after her wandering around in the afternoon. Feeling a little happier now she had made some kind of choice on it, she finished eating and drained her glass, took her used utensils over to a collection point like she had earlier, then left the bustling Canteen.
When she eventually got to the plaza, Alice discovered that she was a few minutes early, and settled down to wait. Though the sun was still up, it was now hanging low in the sky, washing a warm reddish-orange over everything its light touched. And although she could still feel the sun's heat, now that she was standing still, Alice noticed that the evening breeze was soft and cool as it whispered by her. As she waited, Alice watched all those passing by, idly wondering who they were, where they were going, and for what reason. She wondered if she was right about any of them. Almost on the dot of nineteen-hundred, she saw Mikasa approaching - still clad in an all-black skirt and jacket, but without the gold trimmings and white cape, it didn't look quite as formal as her uniform had been. She waited until Mikasa had got a bit closer, and gave her a smile.
'Hey Mikasa. Those look good on you – are they new?'
Returning Alice's smile, Mikasa stopped a few paces away with a half-bow. 'It is good to see you again, Alice. And no, my clothes are not 'new' as such, but they are very comfortable.' She gestured to Alice. 'What of yours? Those are new unless I am much mistaken.'
'Yeah, Vestal got them and some others for me yesterday, while they were waiting for me to wake up.'
Mikasa ran a practised eye over them, then she nodded. 'They suit you well, both in form and colour.'
'Yeah, I thought so too – still only have one pair of shoes for now, but I can't expect her to do everything.'
'Vestal is one of the treasures of the Fleet.' Agreed Mikasa with another nod. 'And a lack of shoes is remedied easily enough. My only concern is that you may get mistaken – if you are not truly one of them – for a member of the Iron Blood. Their primary colours, as you may have seen, are also red and black.'
'Oh, I didn't realise. I'd wondered why I got some odd looks earlier, I hope I haven't given too many people the wrong impression.' Alice paused. 'Though, like you say, it might end up being the right impression.' She gave a frustrated sigh. 'I just wish I knew, but there doesn't seem to be any way around it at the moment.'
'It will come.' Mikasa assured her. 'It may take some time, but it will come.' She half-turned and gestured back the way she had come. 'Shall we?'
Smiling, Alice fell in beside her as they started walking. As they did so, however, she started thinking about what Mikasa had said, and her smile quickly left her.
'Alice? What is wrong?' Mikasa's voice broke into her thoughts, and after a moment Alice shook her head.
'Nothing, I hope. It's... It's just you said 'it will come', and I try not to, but this time I couldn't help thinking 'but what if it doesn't?' Mikasa, what happens if my memories never come back, and I'm stuck like this?'
'I can see why you would worry so, but you should continue to try not to dwell upon it if possible, as doing so almost certainly will not help.' Mikasa replied, then sighed. 'As to what would happen in such a case, honestly I do not know. I do not believe anyone can say with certainty, for it is not something that has ever happened before. But remember Alice, you are not alone in this. Even without a Faction, you have allies, and if you asked, almost any Kansen would be happy to help you however they can.'
'Lady Nagato said something very similar in the meeting this morning.'
'Did she?' Mikasa asked, and at Alice's nod, she smiled. 'Though I am glad to hear it, it does not surprise me much. Nagato-sama is also known as the Great Guardian Fox, and that is a title she earned for good reason.'
'Speaking of Lady Nagato, how did your meeting with her and Akagi go earlier?'
'It went... well. Probably about as well as it could have done, in honesty. I can't talk about what was actually discussed, of course, but substantive progress was made in a couple of areas, while progress in some others is tied to factors outside our control. So, we must wait and see on those.'
They were already in the Sakura Empire's part of the Port, and Alice found herself fascinated by everything around her, as all the buildings looked old enough - especially compared to the rest of the Port - that she almost felt like she had travelled back in time somehow. They turned a corner onto another road, and she saw something that sent her eyes wide in shock, though she did her best not to stare openly.
'Mikasa, who is that lady in white ahead of us?' She asked her companion as quietly and discreetly as she could.
'Hm? Who are you-' Mikasa scanned the road herself for a moment, then grinned. 'Ah. That would be Kaga, she is Akagi's sister.'
'Are all those tails hers?'
'Yes, they are.' Mikasa answered with a chuckle. 'She and Akagi are both Kitsune, after all.' Seeing Alice's blank look, Mikasa elaborated a little. 'No-one knows the exact mechanism behind it, but humanity's beliefs are somehow partially what shapes us, our forms and Riggings alike. For some reason, in the Sakura Empire we Kansen became heavily associated with the Yokai, so due to the shared beliefs regarding them of many of the Empire's citizens, we have taken on some of their features, such as the horns myself and several others have. And the Kitsune, the many-tailed fox, are a type of Yokai.'
'The Yokai? What are they?'
'Supernatural beings and mythological creatures, that appear in many of our tales and legends. It is a... shall we say, a very broad term, so I will not go into too much detail, but there are many Yokai that are essentially highly-intelligent animals, who often possess certain abilities. For example many are capable of shape-shifting, often into human form, and the Kitsune are among the most famous - or infamous, depending on the story - for this. And almost all can speak, or at least make themselves understood by humans, even in animal form. I can link you to some resources if you want to learn more about it?'
'Please do, it sounds like it would be really interesting!' Said Alice, eagerly nodding. 'So, if Akagi is also Kitsune, she has those tails as well?'
'She does.' Replied Mikasa with a raised eyebrow. 'You met her, but did not see them?'
'Well, I saw her and Lady Nagato's ears, but they were sitting on the other side of the table from me.'
Mikasa nodded. 'Ah, that would explain it. And, here we are.'
'Here' was a house that looked very much like all the others on the road to Alice's eyes – a low-slung building with a wooden frame, and a pair of steps leading up from the road to the front door. They ascended those steps and Mikasa unlocked and opened the door, before stepping inside and to the right, before turning back to Alice.
'Do please, come inside.' Said Mikasa, with what seemed to be a rather formal bow.
'Thank you, Mikasa.' Replied Alice respectfully, moving through the door and into a small wood-panelled ante-room, and Mikasa shut and locked the door behind them before following.
Following Mikasa's example, after she entered Alice took her shoes off and placed them on a mat set to one side of the door, before straightening up and walking into the house proper, looking around her with great interest.
Mikasa's quarters were filled with what most people would probably describe as 'knick-knacks', alongside detailed ship models, framed photos and other more obvious memorabilia – but as she moved among them, Alice could see that every one of them was displayed with the same care and attention to detail.
'You have so many things, but they all mean a lot to you, don't they?'
Mikasa nodded. 'Yes. I have spent a great deal of time trying to find things that could serve as mementoes of events, that, taken together, would chart my life's journey – or simply to remind me of those I once served with and who are now gone.' She gestured towards Alice. 'Those on your side represent my life as a ship. Those on this side are from my time as a Kansen.'
Alice nodded, then pointed to the picture she was currently studying. 'Who are the men in this photo?'
'Ah, that one is from just before one of the more famous battles, one we fought in our war against Russia – the Battle of Tsushima. The man at the front is Taisho – later Gensui - Togo Heihachiro, Saiko-Shikikan of the Japanese Combined Fleet, who made me his Flag-ship for the duration of that war. The one standing directly behind the compass is my Taisa, Ijichi Hikojiro, who was made Chujo after the war ended. Almost all the others are either my senior officers or Togo's staff.'
Alice looked back at the picture, and gasped, pointing. 'That flag behind them – it has the same design as your armband from this afternoon.'
'Yes, it is what became known as 'The Z-Flag'. In reality it is just the signal that represents the letter 'Z', but before the battle, Togo had informed the whole fleet that should that flag at any point be raised by itself, it meant that it was to be a truly decisive battle, that 'the Fate of the Empire' rested on the outcome, and that every man and ship must do their utmost against the enemy.'
'Did it work?'
Mikasa smiled, but sadly. 'We won, if that's what you mean. Looking back on it though, it is hard to see how we could have lost. We had every advantage. Numbers, tactics, technology, weapons, experience – all were on our side. As an example of the disparity in numbers, they had a total of twenty-nine fighting ships... and our force could match that with Cruisers alone. The Russians fought hard, but the gap between our forces was simply too wide, and the action bordered on a massacre. Afterwards pretty much their entire fleet was destroyed – a total of three ships made it to their destination, Vladivostok. All eleven battleships were sunk or captured, five of their nine Cruisers and nine other ships sunk, captured or scuttled, one ship fled to Madagascar and six more were interned in neutral countries. Meanwhile our total ship losses were three torpedo-boats. We lost crew and many of our ships took damage, of course – being the Flag-ship and on the front line, I took a large portion of it – but nothing some time in the Dock-yard couldn't fix. If they had had more ships and officers worthy of their sailor's bravery, things might at least have gone a little differently.'
Seeing Alice looking at her curiously, Mikasa shook her head. 'Do not misunderstand me – Tsushima was a great victory for the Japanese Navy, and I am proud to have been a part of it. Togo was feted as a hero on our return to Japan, and deservedly so, for all the advantages in the world can become meaningless if they are not used properly, and at the time we were unaware of just how much some of them contributed to the victory. He led us boldly and from the front, putting himself in danger so as to better lead his men, and there he presided over what some called 'the greatest and most important naval event since Trafalgar.'' Mikasa sighed. 'But the victory at Tsushima quickly became legendary, then mythical – and allowed us to believe that Japan could not lose at sea, a way of thinking that at least partially led to the attack on Pearl Harbour... and eventually to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.'
'Mikasa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-' Began Alice, saddened by the look that had appeared on her adoptive sister's face, but stopped at Mikasa's raised hand.
'No, you do not need to apologise, Alice. I should not have allowed myself to get so... caught-up in my memories, for your questions are asked in innocence, something I have trouble remembering, it seems.' She was silent for a moment, but then her face cleared a little and she looked at Alice again. 'Do you have any objection to alcohol?'
'I... don't know, I haven't had any so far.' Replied Alice, and Mikasa smiled, indicating the low table, set with a pair each of what looked like white high-edged saucers and glasses of water, and lastly a single white bottle, intricately patterned in blue ink, resting in a small heater.
'Then come, let us sit and talk of other things, and drink warm sake together, like the Samurai of old. It should just have reached the ideal temperature, though I do have other drinks if it proves not to be to your taste.'
Seating herself to one side of the table, Alice looked on with interest as Mikasa knelt opposite and reached for the bottle. Carefully and deliberately, she lifted the bottle from the heater, unstopped it, and poured a single measure of the clear liquid into each of the saucers, just enough to cover the bottom. Stopping the bottle once more, she sat it back into the heater.
'Ordinarily, we would pour for each other,' Said Mikasa with another smile. 'But this is our first drink together, and you are both my guest and new to sake, and so do not know how to handle the bottle properly.'
'Could I learn to?' Asked Alice, and Mikasa chuckled.
'Of course, it is not difficult – you only need to remember that sake is best handled gently, for moving it about too much can kill the flavour. You can pour the next serving, and I shall guide you, if you like.' Alice nodded and, following Mikasa's example, lifted her saucer with both hands. 'Is there a toast you would like to make, Alice?'
Alice thought for a moment. 'To our becoming sisters.'
Mikasa's eyes softened, and she nodded. 'A worthy toast indeed. So then, to our becoming sisters.'
Carefully watching how Mikasa did it, Alice lifted her saucer and gently tilted it upwards, before bringing it to her mouth to swallow the liquid gathering on the rim. It went down smoothly, warming everything it touched on the way, and though there had not even been enough for a full mouthful, she nevertheless caught a curious mixture of flavours as she set the saucer back on the table.
'And so, what do you think of it?' Mikasa asked after a moment. 'Is it to your liking?'
'I don't know if 'like' is the right word, but I definitely don't dislike it – and I certainly wouldn't mind continuing.' Alice smacked her lips. 'I tasted... apples, I think? And some kind of flower.'
'I am impressed.' Replied Mikasa with a small smile. 'Most non-Sakura rarely taste anything but the alcohol to begin with.' She raised her glass. 'Now, a swallow of water. It helps both cleanse the palate to keep the taste fresh, and helps prevent dehydration, to keep the drinker fresh.'
Once they had both done so, Alice looked at Mikasa. 'Is it still ok for me to pour next, Mikasa?'
'By all means, Alice, please do.'
As Mikasa had done previously, Alice gently took the bottle from it's heater and worked the stopper out. Taking Mikasa's silence as indication she was doing it correctly, she reached over and tried to pour the same amount Mikasa had originally, then re-stopped the bottle and placed it back into the heater.
'Well done.' Said Mikasa, with a solemn half-bow. 'As I said, it is not difficult, but you were both careful and diligent, mindful of what you were doing. The pouring was a little generous perhaps, but that is no bad thing, and certainly better than not pouring enough.' They both raised their saucers, and Mikasa smiled. 'I already know what my toast will be. To you regaining your memories, my sister, and may we one day soon stand side-by-side in battle.'
As they had before, they drained their sake, following it with some water. Once they had, Mikasa reached for the bottle again. 'And now that the formalities are out of the way,' She said, pouring a measure for Alice before handing the bottle over to her. 'We can relax, and we can talk.'
And talk they did, long into the night. Alice spoke of her first day and how everything had made her feel, giving Mikasa a glimpse at what life at the Port meant to someone with no knowledge of their place in the scheme of things, and the simpler joys to be had. The Great Veteran, meanwhile, got to regale the newcomer with her stories, of the places she had been and the people she had met, the things she had seen and done.
Alice's eyes shone with the fire of her imagination as she listened to such tales, with much smiling and laughter between the two of them, and it was not without something of a heavy heart that Mikasa eventually had to bid her guest farewell for the evening.
The next day, Alice travelled into the town proper, and though she did not have much in the way of funds just yet, she was still able to enjoy herself, purchasing a couple of pairs of shoes to go with the clothes Vestal had got her, a laundry basket plus a hair-dryer, and she also acquired a couple of decorative ornaments for her room. One was a statuette of a woman holding a trident and shield, done in white marble, while the other was a roaring lion carved from granite, with yellow glass for eyes. They were quite small and easily transportable, just in case she did have to move in a hurry like the Commander had warned her, but she thought they would look nice, especially as she had no windows to look out of. She also enjoyed the experience just for itself, roaming around the town, following the bustling streets as the fancy took her, striking up the occasional conversation with stall-owners or shop attendants. It was all so different to the Port, and to her that by itself made it an experience worth having - for much though she already loved the Port, she also understood that the Port was not the world.
Once she had returned, Alice put one pair of shoes in each wardrobe, placed an ornament on each of the dressers, and the laundry basket went next to the door, into which she immediately put her clothes from the previous day.
I'll take them down to get cleaned tomorrow. Thought Alice. She wasn't exactly sure of where the Port's laundry-rooms were, but she did remember seeing something about it in the binder Bismarck had given her.
And so, over the next week or so, Alice began to properly settle in to her life at the Port. As she still had no real duties, she had something of a tendency to wander around the Port, and rather more than most. Over the next few days she made sure to visit all the Factions, and found great enjoyment in seeing the differences in how each lived. From the Sakura Empire's Cherry-Tree forest, to the Iron Blood's Rigging Daycare, from the Eagle Union's baseball field, to the Royal Navy's palatial and exquisitely manicured gardens that they used for tea-parties, every one of them had something interesting or fantastic to show her, and she took it all in gratefully. She also got to meet many more of the Kansen that called the Port home, though most such meetings were only quite brief. And after most days – not all, but most – she would visit Mikasa again, now also able to talk about the people she had met and places she had seen. Somewhat to her own surprise, Alice found that she was naturally gravitating more towards the Royal Navy than any of the others, with the latest of her tea-party invites coming from none other than Queen Elizabeth herself. Although she wasn't entirely sold on tea – certainly not to the extent of the Royal Navy - she still thought it was an entirely acceptable beverage, the food at such parties had been consistently wonderful, and the semi-formal atmosphere was something she greatly enjoyed.
A couple of days after that particular tea-party, the Commander sent out an order to Queen Elizabeth, asking them to join her in the Briefing Room. Afire with curiosity, Elizabeth communicated her receipt of the order, and immediately headed over, Warspite as ever on her heels, to see what it was about. When they arrived, the Commander and Bismarck, standing at the front, both greeted them, then she and Warspite sat themselves down and looked at the screen the Commander often used to display pertinent information – currently, it was showing what seemed to be a map of Northern Europe. The last time Elizabeth had been in this room was during the preparations for the Azur Lane's response to the huge attack the Sirens had tried the previous month, which had involved almost every Kansen at the Port, and she couldn't help feeling that the room seemed a lot bigger with just the four of them.
'Before we begin, Majesty,' Said the Commander, 'I am very pleased to say that the performance so far of the Royal Navy units you have sent for the training and Exercises has been, across the board, consistently above average at the least.'
Queen Elizabeth visibly preened at hearing her subordinates receiving such praise. She had, of course, chosen who was to go very carefully, and been kept up-to-date when they returned, but it was always gratifying to have one's decisions so vindicated.
'Apart from a certain... regrettable personality clash, without exception they worked as a team with whoever they happened to be fighting beside, which was of course the point. So, my thanks to you for your choice of personnel.'
Though Elizabeth was still smiling, it went a bit brittle at the edges at that reminder. She'd sent Duke of York and Ark Royal to the first Exercise, who were teamed with Intrepid, and not long before the Exercise was about to start Duke of York had heard the Union Carrier talking to their vanguard, and badmouthing one of their opponents in particular - Scharnhorst. And as it happened, Duke of York and Scharnhorst had a long-standing mutual respect of each other, one that had endured over the years since their epic fight at the North Cape. Duke of York had responded, in that way that she had, by making some flowery, yet cutting remarks to Intrepid, who had taken a little while to catch on. And from what Elizabeth had heard, once she did, it had nearly degenerated into a full-blown shouting-match - while the rest of their fleet had looked on, no less - all of which was quite bad enough by itself. The thought that Ark Royal, of all people, had played peace-maker between them was mortifying. She'd ended up having to have a private talk with Duke of York about the whole affair, though she quite appreciated why the other Battleship had acted as she did. She had been discreetly informed by Sheffield that Duke of York had invited Intrepid over for drinks and a chat a day or so later, and that afterwards both seemed to be back on better terms with each other, so she hoped that that situation was now settled.
'So then, to business.' Continued the Commander. 'We have been receiving reports for a while now of Siren activity up near the Scandinavian coast. What appeared to be supply convoys, and suchlike. Which was strange, because as far as we know, in general the Sirens do not need to resupply their units, not in the same way we do. However, this morning, we noticed something - the convoys appear to have halted. And during their big offensive last month, there was no attack from there, either.' Using a pointer, the Commander indicated a Norwegian fjord, which brought up a couple of low-angle aerial photographs on the screen as well – the pictures were long-range, but high-resolution. 'This is the area in question, and this is the most recent imagery we have. As you can see, there does not appear to be anything there, which begs the question – where did they go, and why were the Sirens going there to begin with?' She put the pointer down and looked at Elizabeth. 'Therefore your mission is this – to travel out to this fjord, investigate the area, and see if you can determine exactly what it was the Sirens were doing there.'
'That is indeed strange behaviour, Commander.' Replied Queen Elizabeth, frowning. 'They do send supply ships out every so often, but this would be the first time they have sent full convoys that I am aware of. And why there, of all places? We know they have permanent holdings in the North, mayhaps they have been scouting some rivers and such to attempt over-land passage between the oceans? But then why send convoys out there to do that rather than actual scouting units? And why stop so abruptly?'
'On this, your guess is as good as ours, Majesty.' The Commander shrugged. 'Those are all good questions, and the answers could be very valuable in operations to come.'
'May I ask how we are to travel to the area in question?'
The Commander frowned for a moment. 'It'll have to be the long way, I'm afraid, Majesty. The extension to the Global Flight Ban was upheld in the Council vote last night, for another year. It wasn't that close, either.'
Warspite shook her head. 'I've never thought that they need to be that cautious.'
'I agree.' Replied the Commander. 'I think they're jumping at shadows – but I have to say I can at least appreciate where they're coming from, we really don't need the Sirens attacking commercial flights or taking them hostage, responding to that kind of situation would be a nightmare for us. So, the Ban is a bit of a mixed blessing – makes things easier in one way, makes them harder in another.' She shrugged. 'And it's not like we have any control over the Council's decisions – we just have to deal with the consequences of them.'
'As we have an Eagle Union airbase on the island, we did ask about the possibility of using one of their transports.' Said Bismarck. 'While it would be an alternative, they informed us that it would take a week or so for one to become available for such a mission.'
'And unless we somehow para-dropped onto the ocean from the plane, we'd still have to get to the AO from wherever we landed, then the same journey again after the mission is completed... and under our own power we should be part-way home before then.' Commented Warspite, and the Commander nodded.
'Precisely.' She replied. 'It is an alternative, but in the circumstances, it's unfortunately not really a worthwhile one.'
'What of the Sirens' current dispositions, Commander?' Asked Elizabeth.
'There appear to be no forces stationed here or nearby. There is always the chance of running into Siren patrols of course, but there are no strategic assets in the area that we know of.' The Commander looked at Elizabeth. 'Any further questions on the mission?' The leader of the Royal Navy frowned again as she thought for a moment, then shook her head, as did Warspite. 'Alright then. As to Force composition, who do you recommend sending out for this?'
Elizabeth thought some more. 'Myself and Warspite, obviously - Valiant is certainly an able enough second-in-command for any duties related to the Port. Vanguard doesn't get much opportunity to leave the Port, neither does London, so I daresay they would both enjoy a change of scenery. Fortune is a good scout, and her general reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering capabilities could definitely come in useful for this mission. I know Repulse and Renown have been feeling a little left out of things, especially as they were amongst the few who didn't actually get to fight against that last offensive, even though they were Sortied.' She frowned. 'I'll take Indomitable for air support – she'll likely complain, and probably at length, but she sometimes benefits from being reminded that we are actually expected to fight, and she is good at aerial reconnaissance. Comet and Exeter had their Retrofits finished just yesterday, so a low-intensity mission like this would be an almost ideal shake-down for them.'
'If you'll permit a suggestion Your Majesty,' Said Warspite with a small bow. 'I understand Leander still feels like she is living in the shadow of her sisters.'
Elizabeth blinked. 'Truly? I cannot think why she would believe that, her record thus far has been exemplary. That being so, I will gladly accede to your wishes in this instance, Warspite.' She paused again, tapping a finger to her lips. 'And I believe I should also bring Belfast for Communications duty... and just in case.'
The Commander nodded. 'So, we have yourself and Warspite, Vanguard, Indomitable, Repulse and Renown for your back-lines, and Fortune, London, Comet, Exeter, Leander and Belfast for your vanguards. Is that right?'
'Yes, Commander.'
'Bismarck, any conflicts against other duties that you're aware of?'
Bismarck shook her head. 'Nein, Kommandant.'
'Well, we'll let that stand as the make-up of the task force then. When will you be heading out?'
Warspite and Queen Elizabeth looked at each other. 'Everyone you named has been well up to time on their assignments, Your Majesty.' Said Warspite with a shrug. 'I do not believe there is anything urgent requiring attention at this moment.'
Elizabeth considered, then nodded. 'Then there is also no point in delaying - we will leave upon the hour, Commander.' Her blonde brow wrinkled for a moment. 'Incidentally Commander, I have something to ask. As this is not intended to be a combat mission, if she wishes to do so, would it be permissible for my force to take Alice with us?'
The Commander blinked in surprise. 'I... can't think of any particular reason why not, but if you'll forgive me saying so, this is a rather unexpected request?'
Queen Elizabeth nodded. 'You are forgiven.' She declared magnanimously with a smile, then she grew serious again. 'Alice's condition is... something of a tragedy, Commander. And we desire to help her if we can.'
'A laudable goal, but I don't exactly see...'
'How it could help her?' The Commander nodded, and after a moment Elizabeth continued. 'It has to do with who and what we are, Commander. Kansen are the incarnations of fighting ships, true. But we are not just fighting ships – first and foremost, we are ships, and as such we also embody humanity's desire to travel, to explore the unknown. It is our hope that if Alice were to accompany us on such a voyage, then out there, on the high seas, she may be able to discover who she truly is, as so many before her have done.'
'I see.' The Commander thought for a couple of moments, then shrugged. 'As I said, I can't really think of an objection, plus she's not under anyone's direct command as yet, so she has no set duties. And... I told her that I would do all in my power to help her. So if she wants to go, then that's fine with me.'
Elizabeth inclined her head. 'Thank you, Commander.'
Roughly forty minutes later saw the Commander and Bismarck at the dockside as Elizabeth's task force prepared to depart. To the Commander's surprise, by the time they got there, though she was still under Renown's watchful eye, Alice - wearing a pair of dark-blue cargo pants and a white 'Siren Killer' T-Shirt - was skating across the water as easily as the others. When she said as much, Bismarck nodded.
'For a Kansen, Kommandant, it is much like breathing, or aiming and firing our guns. It is easy for us, because it is part of who and what we are. And Alice at least knows that she is a Kansen.'
'Huh. Well, today I learned something, I guess. I never really thought to question it before.' Mused the Commander, then she looked over at Queen Elizabeth. 'Majesty, everything in order? Your people are familiar with the assignment?'
'Yes, Commander, and they are indeed.' Elizabeth replied with a smile, and it was obvious that she was glad to be heading out to sea again. On seeing the Commander, the others had immediately stopped what they were doing, forming up around Elizabeth, and they all nodded as well.
'You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself out there, Alice.' Said the Commander, and Alice gave her a big smile.
'It feels wonderful, Commander, like I can just keep going forever!'
Her innocent enthusiasm drew a smile or a chuckle out of everyone, and the Commander nodded in acknowledgement.
'Then I won't keep you any longer – and I hope that, one way or another, you find what you need, Alice.' The Commander and Bismarck came to attention and saluted. 'Good luck. And God Speed.'
The task force returned the salute, then Queen Elizabeth raised her sceptre.
'Then once more unto the sea! May glory come to those who most deserve it!' She called, and the task force pivoted around, and began skating out towards the open ocean.
Alice found travelling with the girls of the Royal Navy very interesting, making it a point to talk to all of them as much as she could – and with the journey up to Norway projected to take around five full days, she certainly had plenty of time to do so. She listened to Comet talk about her dreams of becoming an Idol-singer, and chatted to the rather more reserved London about the best ways to organise logistics. Belfast, however, while possibly the most polite and courteous out of all of them, was also one of the most reticent in terms of talking about herself. It got to the point that Alice worried that she had somehow upset the Light Cruiser, but when she brought it up while talking to Exeter on the second day, the latter had shook her head.
'No, don't worry about it, she's just like that. All of the Maid Corps are, as a matter of fact, none of them really like talking about themselves that much, especially to outsiders, and Belfast is Head Maid.' Exeter smiled. 'But don't let the fact that she's a Maid, or a Light Cruiser, deceive you – Belfast's tough as nails, smart, and she doesn't suffer fools. If you'd got her mad at you, rest assured there wouldn't be much doubt about it.'
Somewhat reassured – and forewarned – Alice decided to leave off trying to talk to Belfast for the moment. She may not be mad at her now, but if she genuinely didn't like talking about herself, there was no sense in needlessly provoking her.
She was relieved and grateful that Exeter was willing to share that kind of information – though she quickly discovered that the Heavy Cruiser was not without her own share of quirks, as she constantly framed anything about herself in terms of her duty to the Royal family. Alice could certainly understand Exeter's pride in having such a role, but she seemed to take it just a little far.
Apart from Belfast, the other member of the task force she didn't really feel comfortable trying to talk to was Fortune. She always seemed quite lonely, but when Alice tried to approach her, the meek Destroyer gave her such a fearful look she quickly backed off. A little while later she remembered hearing at one of the tea-parties that Fortune was always much more nervous when she wasn't with her sister Foxhound, and decided to try and be as gentle with her as she could.
On the other hand, though she didn't actually talk to her very much, she found Vanguard to be rather entertaining to watch. She was technically the youngest of them, as she had been launched the latest – being the last completed Battleship in the world - but that meant she was also one of the strongest, and she had an enthusiasm for life in general to match Alice's own. The Battleship's sword seemed to almost constantly be in her hand, shining and glittering as she swung it, although she didn't seem to be doing any kind of formal practise with it, just enjoying the feel of wielding it. And Alice couldn't help noticing that whenever Vanguard started getting a bit more 'energetic' with her moves, the others – mostly with chuckles and rolled eyes - had a tendency to move just a little farther away from her. She also heard Vanguard occasionally muttering what sounded like quotes, such as 'Ha! My Royal Sabre's flash seals your fate!' as she executed a particularly grandiose flourish, but then, more quietly, '...I don't know, it sounds good, but is it too short?'
Something that made even Vanguard put her blade away though, was the single spate of bad weather that they ran into near the end of that day. They had taken the darkening sky to just be the coming of night, it wasn't until the waves started rolling faster and higher, and the wind began whipping at them, cold and sharp, that they realised the situation. Indomitable, being an Aircraft Carrier and a little more in tune with atmospheric conditions, was the first to figure it out, and called across to Queen Elizabeth.
'Oh dear God, Your Majesty, we're running straight into a squall! What should we do?'
'A squall?' Leander looked around them at the ocean again as if seeing it for the first time, and her face went pale. 'Oh, this is going to be bad!'
'Is there any way we can get around it?' Asked Exeter, but even as she spoke a lightning bolt seemed to tear the sky open, a heavy rain hissing down as thunder boomed.
'There's no time, it's right on top of us!' Elizabeth shouted over the noise. 'And we're in open ocean, we've got no choice, we're just going to have to take it, and get through it as fast as we can!' There was a series of blue flashes as Riggings were summoned, the added mass making the Kansen less susceptible to being thrown around by the waves, and Elizabeth looked round. 'Everyone, form up around Alice! We can give her some protection, and remember, try and hit each wave head-on!'
A few moments later and they were in a rough wedge-shaped formation with Alice in the second-to-last rank, as they began the harrowing task of attempting to ride over the ever-higher waves.
Time quickly lost meaning as they fought onwards through the storm, soaked to the skin from the driving rain, buffeted and chilled by the shrieking wind, the world around them often disappearing in the frequent flashes of lightning. Alice had no idea how long it had been since the storm hit, as it felt like hours had passed already. Then she heard 'Oh, shit – brace for impact!' from Repulse behind her, as they all saw something every sailor dreaded, a massive wave right in front of them... that had already crested. Moments later and the dark - almost black - wall slammed down onto them, pummelling them all with tonnes upon tonnes of sea water. As it did, her ears ringing and half-blinded, Alice felt more than heard a scream as Comet disappeared, smashed under the surface by the terrible fury of the sea. Without even thinking, she instantly dove head-long, angling downwards, and after a couple of frantic moments in the pitch-darkness, her outstretched hand touched something. Realising it had to be Comet, she grabbed on to what she now recognised as an arm, and started rising back to the lightning-lit surface as fast as she could. As soon as her head came out of the water, helping hands immediately caught hold, hauling both her and the Destroyer the rest of the way, setting their feet back on top of the surging water. Though she looked a bit shaky after her experience, Comet nevertheless appeared to be alright, giving Alice a weak smile and thumbs-up.
'Come on! We have to keep moving or we'll all get swamped!' Yelled Queen Elizabeth as they began to get underway again. 'But I think we're almost through it!'
Much to the whole group's relief, she was proven correct, as only a short while later the waves had become noticeably smaller, the wind was no longer a howling gale, and they could begin to see the stars above them. Once the sky had cleared completely and the occasional clap of thunder was no longer deafening, they realised that they had made it out safely and, gradually slowing to a stop, they all grouped up once more. For a few long moments, there was only silence between them, and another series of flashes as they all dismissed their Riggings.
'Thank you so much for saving me, Alice.' Said Comet quietly to the tall figure next to her, taking her beret off and squeezing sea-water out of it.
'Don't worry about it, Comet, I'm just glad I was able to find you so quickly.' Alice replied with a smile that Comet shyly returned after a moment.
'Well, while certainly an experience, that is not something I want to have to do again!' Renown was saying, Repulse nodding in agreement with her sister.
'We don't think anyone would argue with that, Renown.' Replied Elizabeth, trying to comb her soaked, wind-swept hair back into some semblance of what it had been. 'That was some of the worst weather we have ever seen in this part of the world, one would almost think we were out in the North Atlantic.' She looked at Comet, her worry plain on her face. 'Comet, are you alright? Are you okay to continue?'
The Destroyer finished wringing out her beret, put it back on her head, and saluted. 'A-Aye, Your Majesty. It was scary, but thanks to Alice, that's all it was. Just need to get my breath back a little.'
'I am glad you sustained no further damage, and you are brave to keep going.' Said Elizabeth, gently touching Comet's shoulder, then her gaze shifted to Alice. 'And that was a very courageous thing you did, Alice. Some might call it foolhardy, in fact. You gave us all a hell of a scare when you dived under, it was only thanks to Fortune and her sonar that we were able to keep track of you both. Without her, we might have lost all trace of you in that storm.'
'I don't think it was brave, really, Majesty.' Said Alice with a shake of her head. 'I saw Comet go under, and just... reacted. There was no thought, as such. I just... I had to try and help her.' She glanced over at Fortune. 'And thank you, Fortune, for your help. And all of you for pulling the both of us out at the end.'
'Yes, thank you everyone.' Agreed Comet, turning to face them and bowing.
'Eh? No, it's fine, you don't need to thank me, it wasn't a bother or anything... besides, it wasn't her time.' Murmured Fortune, looking away in apparent embarrassment. The others, meanwhile, simply waved such thanks off.
'You did the hardest and most vital part, Alice.' Said Belfast, her grey eyes inscrutable as always. 'If anything, it is us who should be thanking you.'
'And indeed we shall.' Announced Queen Elizabeth, looking again at Alice. 'Alice, your actions have quite possibly saved the life of one of our subjects, a friend, and comrade-in-arms. You have our – and the Royal Navy's – deepest thanks and gratitude for what you have done.' She looked round. 'Royal Navy! Atten-shun!' They all immediately snapped-to, and Elizabeth smiled. 'And salute the hero of the hour!'
A dozen hands lifted to their brows, and after a moment, Alice also drew herself to attention to return the gesture.
The rest of the journey was thankfully much less eventful, though Comet had understandably grown a little jumpy whenever the weather started to get a bit worse. But even though she might shiver a little and grow very quiet, she was able to keep herself under control, and stayed the course. A couple of days later, and a clear summer's night saw them sailing down the English Channel then out into the North Sea, and they realised that they were at last getting close to their objective. Early in the morning of the next day, the Norwegian coast was well in sight and the task force altered course slightly North-wards to head directly for the fjord. The weather was a little cool, reminding them all that Autumn was coming in this part of the world, but it was otherwise clear – the sun had the sky to itself, and it was shining down onto the lightly rolling dark-blue sheet of the ocean as they sped across that vast expanse, their wakes white as lines of chalk and their spirits high.
Not long before midday they reached the entrance to the fjord, the high, mountainous walls to either side framing a shimmering strip of water, and Exeter gave a low whistle as she looked at it.
'Damn. I'd heard that there were old Nordic legends about the big fjords being created by a giant hitting the earth with an axe. Now I'm looking at one, I can certainly see where they got the idea, and those cliffs are seriously steep.'
'From what I've seen, the entire world is just as impressive if you look at it right.' Replied Alice. 'Here, the Port, or wherever else.'
'I guess so.' Said Exeter in a reflective tone. 'I think it's all about what you're used to, isn't it? If you're used to something, you kind of take it for granted, and it's not that impressive anymore. We've been stationed at the Port for years now, so being there is just our every-day. Whereas you're looking at almost everything with fresh eyes, Alice, so you see it where we might not.'
They continued onwards, cruising around a long curve in the fjord's course.
'Alright everyone, look sharp!' Announced Queen Elizabeth. 'As you are all aware, we are here to discover what the Sirens have been doing here and why their ships have been vanishing in this area. So we need to conduct a careful and thorough survey of the area and see what we can find. Indomitable! I want your planes in the air to give us some detail on the terrain we're looking at, and for early warning in case the Sirens try anything.'
'As you wish, Your Majesty.' Acknowledged Indomitable, a flight each of her planes leaving her flight-deck a few moments later, soaring up into the clear sky as Elizabeth nodded.
'Very good. Fortune, your job will also be very important. Once we get further towards the end of the fjord, we'll need you to be pinging the bottom with your sonar to see if there is anything underwater we need to be aware of.'
'Aye-aye, Your Majesty!' Replied Fortune, with only the slightest hesitation.
'As for the rest of you, keep on the alert. Anything you see, hear or feel that is any way strange or unusual, inform us and we can plan out how to investigate it. Is that clear?'
'Yes, Your Majesty!' Was the unanimous reply, which brought a brief smile to Elizabeth's face.
A few minutes later, there was a low rumble in the distance, and Warspite glanced upwards in puzzlement. 'Huh? Thunder on such a clear-' She stopped, ears twitching as they caught a faint, high-pitched screeching whistle. ' Incoming! Everyone, battle formations!'
Even as they all closed up together, the first shells dropped, throwing up huge columns of water with each impact, and for a full five seconds the very air seemed to shudder as more and more shells shrieked down around them. When the world became quiet again, Warspite and Elizabeth's quick checks revealed that none of the task force had taken damage, though it was certainly not for lack of trying by whoever had been firing at them.
'Though it only bracketed us, that bombardment was extremely heavy, Your Majesty.' Said London in her customary unruffled tone, adjusting her glasses. 'The wind is toward us, so the enemy is up-fjord, in front of us. I counted between forty and fifty shells, with all of them being one-sixties at the least. Therefore the enemy force must have stacked Battleships and this long pause means they are firing in grand volleys.' She frowned. 'Something of a waste of resources, I must say. Sounder doctrine for such a force would be staggered volleys-'
'Be thankful for small favours, they've got our range!' Interrupted Warspite, then she squinted into the distance. 'I can just see them – there's a Siren force coming out of that inlet to the Nor'-East. Majesty, I recommend that we retreat for now, at least until we have some idea of what we are facing and can form a plan of action!'
'Agreed! Everyone, follow me, we will pull back out of their range for the time being!' Called Queen Elizabeth, then her eyes went wide when she saw Alice. 'Alice, you must leave us! You are a civilian, and we cannot guarantee your safety in a situation like this!' She looked round. 'Comet, Leander! Escort Alice out to the open sea, then get back to us as quick as you can!'
Both of them immediately saluted. 'Aye, Your Majesty!'
Though she wanted to protest, Alice knew it would do no good in such circumstances. Drawing herself to attention, she saluted Elizabeth.
'May luck be with you all, Your Majesty.'
Elizabeth's eyes went soft for a moment, then she returned the salute. 'With you as well, Alice.'
As the trio sped away, they quickly drew further ahead of the rest of the task force, who were all uncharacteristically silent – though there had been no further barrages so far, indicating that they were already outside the Siren's effective range, the tension amongst them all was palpable.
'So, what now?' Asked Alice of her escorts.
'Now? Almost certainly, we fight.' Leander replied. 'Once the pair of us get back, at least. If London was right about the type and size of force out there, they are way too big and way too close to the Islands for comfort. And the Royal Navy can't let that stand.' Both she and Comet, who had been amongst Alice's more cheerful companions during the journey, had looks of grim determination on their faces, and after a moment Alice nodded in understanding.
'I see.'
They travelled in silence for another few minutes, the other Kansen rapidly disappearing into the distance behind them, until they reached the mouth of the fjord, where they coasted to a stop.
'Looks like this is where we leave you.' Said Leander. 'Just keep heading straight ahead, and you'll get to the Royal Islands soon enough. It's been good meeting you Alice, and you saving Comet here proves you're a good and brave person, whether you get your memories back or not.' She and Comet held out their hands, and with a sinking heart, Alice shook them.
'Thank you, Leander, Comet.' Replied Alice, looking at them both. 'It was good meeting you too, both the pair of you and all the others. Just... don't go getting yourselves killed, will you? Come back alive.'
Comet gave her a sad smile. 'We'll try, of course. But it isn't always up to us.' She said with a small shrug, before she and Leander came about, and began skating back up the fjord.
Alice watched them go for a few moments, then she too turned away and started back out into the North Sea.
Meanwhile, the Sirens had not stopped pouring out of the inlet Warspite had spotted, and Queen Elizabeth gaped at the huge fleet now beginning to cover the fjord in front of them. She had no idea how many there really were, but they had to number above a hundred at the very least. 'Where in the Bloody Hell did this lot come from? This area was supposed to be clear! How did they sneak up on us like this? Indomitable! You're running reconnaissance, what the Hell is going on?!'
Indomitable's face had gone chalk-white. 'M-Majesty, I – I don't understand! My planes never saw any of this! They – they're not seeing anything now!' She pointed with a shaking hand to where her Seafires and Fulmars were circling overhead. 'As far as they're concerned, all those ships out there don't exist, the water looks clear out to the far end of the fjord!'
'What? But that can't be right!' Elizabeth looked back to the Siren fleet. She had felt the concussion from some of their near-misses, so they couldn't just be illusions. Glancing to her other side, she saw Fortune trembling, staring blankly at the enemy fleet. 'Fortune? What is it, what's wrong?'
'Before we fell back, they only touched the edge of my radar, but it – it was horrible, Majesty! It was like a huge, invisible wall approaching us!'
'So, we have an enemy fleet that can't be seen by planes, but that at the same time completely blocks radar? That makes me very suspicious.' Commented Belfast, eyes narrowed. 'And Your Majesty, it says to me that that fleet out there is being cloaked by something or someone... and there is a Siren we know of who could very well do exactly that.'
'Omitter.' Growled Warspite. 'Majesty, if Omitter – or any other Siren for that matter - is indeed leading a fleet of this size, we have got problems.'
Elizabeth nodded. 'Loath as I am to say it, I have to agree. We are not really going to be able to engage in a stand-up fight here - properly commanded and directed, that amount of firepower could just hammer us into pieces.'
'Incidentally, Belfast, I think you're right about the cloaking.' Said Warspite, a look of disquiet on her face. 'I didn't really think about it, but before we retreated out of range, even my targeting system didn't seem to want to notice them.'
'Ah!' Suddenly Fortune was standing completely straight, rather than half-cowering like she had been, and the others looked at her. 'Your Majesty, I've just intercepted a transmission from the enemy force!'
'You have? Well done, Fortune! What does it say?' Replied Elizabeth.
'I have it decoded, but parts of it are missing, Majesty. It was sent to, um, I think I'm missing the recipient, but it's from... 'BlackOut1'?'
Belfast gave a genteel snort. 'Oh, that's Omitter, alright.'
'Oh. Well, the first section reads 'I don't know why I'm not supposed to talk to Observer directly, so stupid as it is, you'll need to pass this on-'. Next section says '-her a bunch of Navy ships just blundered straight into us, and I've decided to chase them down. Fleet this big should be able to-' Some more missing, then, um, '-put those stupid Islands out of everyone's misery-', '-means Tester and Purifier will have fewer variables to deal with-' And... that is the last I have.'
'What? But that means... Omitter is going to attack the Islands themselves!' Gasped Vanguard, eyes wide in horror.
It dawned on Warspite that she had not heard anything from her ruler, and looked round. 'Your Majesty, what should we... Oh, no.'
Elizabeth stood stock-still, fists clenched at her side, jaw tight, her face pale and her eyes almost luminous with her fury. 'Stupid? Stupid.' For a long moment she was silent once more, a muscle in her cheek twitching. 'She... She... DARES! That bitch insults and threatens my REALM?! My SUBJECTS?!'
'Dear God, I've never seen her this angry before! Belfast-' Warspite looked round, but the Light Cruiser had already begun moving.
With her customary grace, Belfast slid in front of their raging monarch, and curtseyed. 'Your Majesty, though of a certain thy wroth be just and righteous, I beseech thee to calm thine self, for we are in sore need of thy Royal guidance.'
Seeing the Head Maid suddenly appear in front of her – and hearing the strange cadence of her speech - seemed to bring Elizabeth back to herself, and after a moment she nodded, a touch shakily. 'Yes. You – you are right, Belfast. I am... I am Queen, and must command.' She took a couple of deep breaths to help calm herself, then gave Belfast a curious look. 'But when did you start talking like that? Have you been hanging around Duke Of York?'
'On occasion, Your Majesty.' Affirmed Belfast with a smile and another curtsey, before moving back to her place in the formation.
At the same time, Warspite caught a flash of movement to the rear, and saw two familiar shapes approaching, returning their waves as they rejoined their respective fleets. 'Your Majesty, Comet and Leander have returned!'
'Have they, indeed? Good.'
Elizabeth did not even look round, and Warspite could almost see the gears turning in her head. The rage was still there, but it was no longer running wild, devouring reason - now it was harnessed, and powering the machinery of vengeance.
'Very well. Attention, all of you!' Now Elizabeth did turn around, her voice easily carrying across the whole task force. 'To give direct battle to these Sirens would be ill-advised, for their numbers are too great, but neither can we allow such a force to so impudently sail against our home without challenge! We must harry them, reduce their numbers as much as possible while minimizing our own risks. So we must needs attack in concert, one fleet drawing their fire and attention, while the other uses the opportunity to attack their exposed flanks. With Omitter cloaking their ships, we will need to lay guns manually, a challenge to be sure, but one we believe you can all rise to. Indomitable, it will be even more difficult for you to make effective use of your planes, but we have faith that you will manage. Belfast, Fortune, you have both already done us great service this day. We will not forget, and in time you shall certainly be rewarded for it.' Her eyes went icy-cold. 'And if, in the course of this battle, any of you find yourselves with the opportunity to land hits on Omitter, you most assuredly have our permission to take that shot.'
Out in the North Sea Alice stopped, her eyes scanning the horizon in front of her, and frowned. The Royal Islands were still an hour or so away, but she could... feel... something. Strangely, it did not seem to be entirely within herself – a part of her was calling to something else, that seemed to be somewhere in front of her. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the feeling, trying to track it down, to understand what she was being told. It was a bittersweet yearning and she realised that she was feeling homesick – but how she could be homesick for a place she had never been? Still she followed it, tracing the path with her mind, until eventually she came to it's end, at what appeared to be a scrapper's yard. There was a coldness there that swept up, out, and suffused her, a grim sense of finality, the end of something that had once been. Knowledge seeped into her mind, and chilling though it was, she nevertheless accepted it, for it was one of the missing parts of her.
'That is where my existence as a ship ended...'
Then it hit her – the homesickness, the nostalgia she was feeling, she was feeling it but it was not hers... it echoed from that same part of her whose call had brought her here. Which meant that this was the place her ship-self had called home.
'Then... this is my home too. So, I am Royal Navy as well?' She muttered to herself, but it was true, she knew it – even as she came to that realisation, she had felt the fog in her mind loosen its' grip slightly. Her thoughts turned then to those she had travelled here with, who she counted as friends, knowing that they were almost certainly fighting for their lives at that very moment, and her hands slowly clenched into fists. 'If I'm a Kansen of the Royal Navy, then they're not just my friends, they're my comrades. I don't have my Rigging, but whoever I am, I'm - I'm strong, I can't just leave them there, I have to try and help them!'
Setting her jaw and turning around, Alice started back the way she had come as quickly as she was able, and even when she reached what felt like her maximum speed, still she pushed herself to go faster.
The battle the task force found themselves in had been growing rapidly in both intensity and savagery. Elizabeth's initial plan had been a good one, and it had worked for a time, but there were so many Siren ships that it was difficult for them to tell if they were even making headway against them. There were in fact enough of them that after a little while their commander did the one thing Elizabeth had hoped they wouldn't think of doing – they simply split their force in two, and pursued both fleets at the same time, forcing the direct battle she had tried to avoid. For the Azur Lane Kansen, the fjord was the definition of the phrase 'target-rich environment', but their ammunition expenditure had been correspondingly prodigious, and as they started running low, things began to go wrong.
Though they had all taken hits from the immense amounts of return-fire, the first serious casualty was Fortune. Making a torpedo-run on one of the massive 'Rook'-class Siren Battleships and wanting to be sure of her shot, she had gone far closer than she normally would, the Rook and its escorts punishing her daring with a hail of fire, and though her speed allowed her to slip past much of it, she still took multiple hits. Gritting her teeth against the pain, the moment she knew she couldn't miss she salvoed her torpedoes and sheered away to her starboard side, her guns pumping shells at the nearest of the escorts. Then at point-blank range the Rook's main battery spoke again, and Fortune's manoeuvre had put her directly in its' sights. The huge shells landed less than a foot from her, the blast and shrapnel smashing and tearing her Rigging into uselessness, while the shockwave sent her limp body flying away over the water. Less than a second later and Fortune's torpedoes hit, detonating and ripping a huge hole in the Battleship's armoured skirt below the waterline, a hole that would see it sunk in only a little over a minute. With its' guns fully over one side and the hull rapidly flooding, the Rook quickly heeled over, its massive superstructure catching and crushing the closest of the escorts as well – but the damage had been done.
Before the Sirens could range on the barely-conscious Fortune and finish the job, Belfast raced over to her at top speed, firing all the way, her barrage of shells touching off the ammunition on the escort-cruiser Fortune had been targeting, and sending it skyward on a pillar of flame. The explosion also ripped into a pair of 'Pawn'-class Destroyers that had swerved a little too close to it as they tried to dodge Belfast's fire, killing their engines and shredding their armour and weapons, turning them into floating hulks. With the immediate threats taken care of, as gently as she could, Belfast hoisted Fortune up and over one shoulder, then turned and sped over to where Indomitable was trying to direct her aircraft.
Omitter's cloaking of the Siren force had made that task very hard indeed for her, and Indomitable was still fuming about it, as it meant she was contributing far less to the battle than she would like. But what had really stoked her ire was that the Sirens being here at all had ruined her plan, that she had been working on almost the whole way here, that would have seen her being able to sunbathe and nap almost to her heart's content. Though as things were, she was also grateful that there didn't appear to be any of the 'Queen'-class Aircraft Carriers among the Siren force, meaning she could concentrate her strikes where they would do the most good. She looked round as Belfast reached her, eyes going wide when she saw who the Maid was carrying.
'Oh no, Fortune! Is she-'
'She's alive.' Replied Belfast, passing her burden to the Aircraft Carrier. 'Out of all of us you're the one least in the firing-line, so please, look after her.'
'Of course.' Indomitable immediately answered, and with a nod of thanks Belfast turned back into the raging fight, heading towards Leander who was engaged in a close-range duel with a pair of 'Bishop'-class Heavy Cruisers.
As her guns roared at the nearest Bishop, Belfast reflected that it was strange, but she had seen almost none of Indomitable's normal indolent nature during this mission. With the example of Akagi fresh in her mind, she thought that if they survived this, it might be an idea if she looked into that when she had a moment.
The second fleet was in fighting just as fierce, and Comet and Exeter had been busy demonstrating that getting their Retrofits had been worth all the trouble they required, and several times over. Thanks to London's organisational and rationing skills their fleet's ammunition situation was a little better, but as the trio of Battleships that composed their back-line continually gave way to try and keep the enemy inside the effective range of their guns, they came to the realisation of another problem. Namely, that they were now rapidly running out of room. Some sixth-sense made Repulse look round at the last minute, and she saw the massive, almost sheer cliff-face behind them.
'Uh-Oh.' She faced front again, raising her voice over the battle-din. 'Guys! We're being backed into a corner, here! We've got a literal wall at our backs!'
Vanguard nodded. 'I was afraid it might be something like that!' She yelled in reply, her face grim. 'I just realised they've been herding us this way! See how they're not advancing down the fjord anymore, but coming right at us? They're trying to keep us split up! Also, notice they're taking advantage of the fact we have a minimum range on our main guns, dictating how and where we move! If it really is Omitter commanding them, she knows what she's doing, I'll give her that!'
'What? So what do we do now?!' Asked Renown, firing yet another volley into the mass of enemies. One of the only good things about their situation was that it was almost impossible for them to miss with their salvoes at their current range.
'I'm not sure, but unless we start mixing it up in melee, I don't think we can really do much more than we have!'
Vanguard glanced over to her left, but before she could continue her thought, a torpedo-ram, shielded from the sight of the vanguard by smoke and numerous wrecks, came flying out of the mass of enemies towards them, aiming straight for Renown. It was already in under the arcs of their primary batteries, and they immediately opened up with all of their secondaries – even though they were of smaller calibre, they would only need one or two good hits and the ram's payload would take care of the situation itself. The thing's hellacious speed, however, meant getting those hits was tricky to begin with, while the surprise of its sudden appearance caused their shooting to be poorer than normal, most of their shots going wide, and those that struck merely glancing off of the sloped front of the ram without detonating. Entering optimum attack range, the torpedo-ram's engines howled with power as it abruptly accelerated towards its maximum speed.
'Sis, look out!' Repulse, realising they would never stop the ram now, took a running leap to the side, shoving Renown as far away as she could. As she leapt, some instinct made her fire one last time, and with the ram bare feet away she saw her shots tear straight through its front plating. The massive explosion blew her off of her feet and threw her straight into the cliff behind them, the crushing impact and the blast from the torpedo-ram hitting her like sledgehammers to the head, and though her Rigging absorbed much of it, it still very nearly knocked her unconscious. The next moment and Renown was at her side, arms round her as she half-carried her sister away from the mass of rock. And just in time – dislodged by the shock wave from the torpedo-ram's detonation and the impact of Repulse's body, several boulders slammed down into the water where she had been.
Vanguard saw what had happened, and immediately realised the danger they were in – any shots that missed them now would hit the cliff, and with the cliff so unstable, they could potentially bring the entire thing down on their heads, to say nothing of the massively increased risk from shrapnel.
'Alright everyone, that's it! We've gotta get out of here now!' She yelled over the endless roar of gunfire. 'Renown, see that group of ships near the cliffs over on our port-side? Hit them with everything you've got left!'
She and Renown opened fire at the same time, their concentrated barrage producing a series of spectacular explosions. As the smoke began to clear, Vanguard saw their targets were almost entirely destroyed, and felt a surge of hope. 'Everyone, form up on me – we're going to link back up with Her Majesty and the other fleet! We're going to have to run along the coast, so Comet, Exeter, London, keep with us and screen us to sea-ward, and everyone stay away from the cliffs as much as you can!'
The next moment and they had started their dash to freedom, heading for the hole they had just opened in the enemy's battle-line as quickly as they could go, Renown helping to keep Repulse on her feet. Their speed and the unexpectedness of the manoeuvre meant that the opposing Battleships were unable to range on them with their main guns, but otherwise the storm of incoming fire continued unabated, tracers and shells lashing the surface of the water into foam. Hampered though they were by the shortage of ammunition, the inability to use any kind of automatic targeting, and the need to keep moving, they still hit back as best they could, trying to maintain the corridor of relative safety that they had managed to create. In such circumstances a single lapse of attention could be extremely dangerous, as proven when London spared a brief moment to look back and check Vanguard was following Repulse and Renown out – and missed the spread of torpedoes skimming in towards her. Screaming in pain, she started to fall, but Comet and Exeter, following closely behind, caught onto her on either side, smoothly enough that they were able to keep their momentum.
'Th-Thanks, you two.' Said London, almost unheard under all the gunfire, and they could see her eyes were wide and pupils dilated in shock response. 'Just let me down and I can... Oh – Oh God, I can't – I can't feel my legs! I can't feel them!'
Exeter managed a quick glance downwards. 'Don't worry, they're still there!' She replied, her high-explosive shells detonating a Pawn, then hammering a Bishop until it began to lose way, the entire superstructure aflame as it listed to port. 'You're cut up pretty bad and you're bleeding, but you haven't lost them – once we get you to a Repair Bay, you'll be up and about again in no time!' She felt London sag a little in relief.
'Oh, thank God for that! I was – I was worried...'
Exeter was glad that the rising note of hysteria she had heard in London's voice was gone, but she was almost completely out of ammo, and without the other Cruiser's firepower to help keep them back, the Siren ships were beginning to close in again, their escape corridor thinning. Soon they would be getting squeezed against the cliffs, then they would be pinned in place once more... and then it would be over.
Suddenly a double-flight of Fulmars roared in at almost head-height, their torpedoes already streaking through the water, dropping their bombs with only just enough height for them to arm. A pair of Rooks that had been trying to pen them in took several torpedo hits each, sending them rapidly to the bottom, while the remainder of the tin-fish wreaked havoc amongst their escorts. Although many of the bombs missed, enough hit that a row of fireballs erupted out of the Siren's formation, and they found themselves with a little extra breathing room.
Determined to make the most of this unexpected opportunity, they headed straight for the opening, putting everything they had left into one last desperate sprint for safety.
The Siren's pursuit of the task force had by now brought them out of the fjord into the open sea, and Queen Elizabeth was feeling numb, and sick at heart. Her main guns bellowed, and her final shells slammed into a Rook, breaking the enemy Battleship's back and almost splitting it clear in half, but even though it was the last enemy currently in range, there was no satisfaction to be had in the kill. She didn't even feel the pain from the several hits she had sustained... only the terrible, dull ache of failure. Her force, that had not even been selected with the expectation of seeing combat, and unable to use their targeting systems, had nevertheless put up a fight that ought to be recorded in the annals of the Royal Navy's history, to be remembered for all time. They had all followed her orders to the letter, fighting on the move, hitting and running, and she quickly lost count of the kills they had racked up, including many Battleships like the one she had just destroyed. And yet for all that, for all of their tremendous efforts, they had been unable to stop Omitter. She knew that that had been nothing more than a pipe dream, no matter how hard they fought Omitter's force was just too large to be stopped by them alone. Her recognition of that reality was why she had given the orders that she did. Yet, still, she had hoped. If they just fought hard enough, if they did enough damage, perhaps, just perhaps, they could turn Omitter back. But... they were all exhausted, their fuel reserves nearing critical. She, Warspite and Leander were completely out of ammunition, Belfast had maybe a couple of salvoes left, Indomitable had run her planes ragged, and worst of all Fortune had been terribly wounded, almost killed. She did not know how the second fleet was faring, but their supply situation could not be much better, and the sounds of fighting on that flank dying away slightly had her fearing the worst. They could do no more, and when they retreated Omitter would be free to advance on the Islands at her leisure.
And now that it came to it, the very thought of ordering a full retreat with an enemy – and especially this enemy - still in the field made Elizabeth's blood boil with a rage the likes of which she very seldom felt. It was dishonour. An insult, to the reputation of the Royal Navy, that had been made on the back of the blood, sweat, and tears of the countless sailors who had fought in it's name. A stain on the legacy that she had been bequeathed, by those heroes whose names still echoed down through the ages... though not even they had ever faced such odds. Cold comfort though that thought was, she nevertheless clung tightly to it, anything to make doing what she needed to do easier. This was what being Queen meant – to do what she should do, not what she wanted to do.
'Warspite, do we have any word on the second fleet?' She asked, and Warspite looked round, shaking her head.
'I am afraid not, Your Majesty, but Indomitable said that she was sending her next flight to try and help them, so it seems that there is still hope.'
Elizabeth nodded in acknowledgement. As long as there was a chance their comrades were still alive, she would not give the order to retreat, not yet. She would not abandon those who had fought so hard for her, no matter what. Fortunately Omitter did not seem to be aware of the severity of their situation, and was not pursuing them as hard as she should be. With the way they were being forced to give ground to the Sirens, though, Elizabeth knew that that state of affairs would likely not last much longer.
'Your Majesty!' Called Indomitable. 'Your Majesty, my planes see them!
'The second fleet, you mean?'
'Yes! They were encircled and under heavy fire, but I think they've just got clear of the Sirens, and they're heading this way!'
'Oh, thank goodness.' Elizabeth said quietly to herself, closing her eyes and giving a brief prayer of thanks. The thought that they could have been lost had hurt more than she would ever admit to anyone else. As soon as they rendezvoused, they could all make an orderly withdrawal. She would have to revise her opinion of Indomitable as well – she had worked just as hard as everyone else, and under the circumstances the Aircraft Carrier had performed exceptionally, her efforts proving pivotal in keeping the Sirens in effective range for Elizabeth and Warspite to fire on them. And although it was not the order to retreat, there was another order she needed to give – even if it felt like nails on the blackboard of her soul to do so.
'Belfast?'
'Yes, Your Majesty?' The Maid replied immediately.
'Once we have reached a safe port, as a matter of urgency I need you to get in contact with the Commander. Communicate to them what has occurred thus far – and send them the Mayday distress signal.'
Whatever she might have thought of the order, none of it reached the Maid's face as she curtseyed. 'As you command, Your Majesty.'
A few moments later Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief when she finally caught sight of the second fleet heading towards them, though her heart sank even further when she saw the state they were in. London, being carried by Comet and Exeter, while Repulse was being propped up by her sister. Yet more of her subjects and comrades wounded, and seriously if they were unable to make their own way. She saw Vanguard turn her head, then suddenly do a double-take.
'Your Majesty, look out!' Yelled the other Battleship, pointing off to one side.
Turning, Elizabeth saw a group of Siren ships that had at some point previously looped around to their other flank, and had now advanced to point-blank range. She cursed both Omitter's name again and her own inattention. She had noticed before that the cloaking effect Omitter was using – however it was being created – sometimes seemed to almost let the Siren ships disappear from sight entirely, especially if they were on the periphery of vision to begin with. And these ships had not been firing, effectively running silent so as not to draw attention until they were close enough not to miss.
Omitter has sent these ships for me. Thought Elizabeth, a slight chill running down her spine. She's trying to cut the head off the forces of the Royal Navy.
The next moment and Belfast let loose, firing the last of her ammunition in a raking fusillade of shots that tore apart both the 'Knight'-class Light Cruiser and the pair of Pawns – but the ship behind them was a Bishop, and that was a different matter. Sublimely indifferent to the fate of its comrades and largely untouched by Belfast's fire - though it had lost the super-firing secondary turret from its forward battery - it sailed forwards alone, closing the range until the large bulk of it appeared to block the fjord.
They had been caught cold. Her fleet was now entirely spent of ammunition, Indomitable's planes were refuelling, and the second fleet – assuming they had any ammo left – was still too far to reliably help. The Bishop was already far too close for them to turn and run – if they tried, they would still be in range long enough for the Siren ship to blow them to pieces from behind – and it was still too far for Warspite to get close enough to use her sword. Once it was reloading, that might be a different matter, but that would mean weathering at least one salvo.
Warspite, Leander and Belfast silently closed up in front of her, using themselves as shields to protect their sovereign.
'Stay behind us, Your Majesty.' Said Belfast in a tight voice.
'We might still have a chance.' Warspite had her sword in the guard position. 'We wait until it stops to fire, and when I give the word, we all dodge to starboard. If we time it right they'll miss, and then my blade will not.'
'On your order then, Warspite.' Agreed Elizabeth.
With everyone's attention entirely on the Bishop, none of them noticed a single, shimmering wake, lancing in towards it from the other side.
The Bishop stopped, its' gun barrels seeming to yawn impossibly wide at such range, and Elizabeth knew the momentary pause was only to calculate the firing trajectory. An instant later and Warspite yelled 'Now!'
They all flung themselves to the right, the Bishop's turret beginning to follow... but then the turret inexplicably seemed to spasm, jerking away just as it fired, and the shells went safely clear of them.
'What the – how did that happen?' Said Queen Elizabeth, but then Warspite's keen eyes noticed something.
'Majesty, look – is that Alice crouching by their main turret?'
'I – I think you're right! What is she doing?'
They soon discovered what, as with a teeth-grating scream of shearing metal, they saw Alice – through sheer main strength - tear the turret from its' mounting entirely, sending it sliding off the opposite side of the Cruiser's deck, then she disappeared into the hull through the new entrance she had created.
For a few moments, nothing happened.
Then Alice's figure reappeared on the Bishops' top deck and leaped over the side, back onto the ocean's surface.
Suddenly a series of huge explosions tore through the Bishops' insides until it was almost cracked in half, its remaining turrets froze in place and the lights running across its' hull dimmed, and went dark.
For a moment Queen Elizabeth, Warspite, and all the others of the task force stood dumb-struck, staring at the wreckage in amazement. Though the 'Bishop' class were hardy, true – as befit a Heavy Cruiser - they were still only a mass-production model, and on their own normally presented little threat to a fully-armed Kansen... but witnessing one being practically torn apart, both without Rigging and bare-handed, was something else again.
Though she was still panting from the effort it had taken, Alice found she was grinning to herself – she had scored her first kill. Hopefully the first of many.
No. Not the first. Not quite. Alice froze. Where had that thought come from?
She saw Belfast, Leander, Warspite and Queen Elizabeth – her queen - looking at her, their faces a mixture of concern and astonishment, and she felt memories rising from somewhere deep within. Two kings, looking at her with admiration in their eyes. The feeling of her keel splitting a submarine's hull in two, the hell-screech of tearing steel echoing in her mind. The restlessness of seeing all her fellow warships going out to fight only to be left behind, turning to sadness when she realised that she had missed the greatest sea-battle in history. Then everything disappeared as her mind filled with what felt like white fire, the agony of it driving her to her knees.
She threw back her head with a roar of pain, as that fire burned down, into, and through her whole being, scorching and searing as it went – but then, as the fire began to fade, she found her mind had become clear, the maddeningly impenetrable fog was... gone.
She knew, now. Who she was, and who she had been. Her name. Her history. Everything.
Warspite saw Alice, still on one knee, shake her head and glance round, as though trying to orient herself, then she began to slowly rise back up, facing the oncoming Siren fleet, who were firing as they came. Omitter, it seemed, had finally lost her patience - or perhaps it was simple rage at the failure of her gambit.
'Warspite!' Alice called, her voice ringing out over the shelling. 'What is the fleet's situation?'
Warspite blinked – it might have been Alice speaking, but her voice was no longer soft, in fact it was barely recognisable as hers, and now it was the voice of someone used to Command.
'We're pretty much all out of ammunition now. Fortune, London and Repulse have been badly hit, but we've all taken damage.'
'Then take the others and Her Majesty, and get them out of here!'
'But – Omitter is intending to attack-'
'Without ammunition you cannot stall her, but do not fear - they will not get the chance. I will hold them, for long enough at least, and I will follow when I can. Go!'
As she spoke, Alice looked back over her shoulder at Warspite, who felt her jaw drop – for where before Alice's eyes had been a dull reddish-brown, now they burned bright crimson instead... and suddenly Warspite realised who and what 'Alice' had to be.
'What the – who the Hell-' Before Elizabeth could finish talking, Warspite interrupted her.
'Everyone, with me! We make for the nearest port for repairs and re-arming!'
'What? I give the orders, Warspite! What are you- you dare lay hands on me! Put me down, damn it! Put me down this instant! Warspite! Warspiiiiite!'
When Elizabeth's aggrieved wail began to recede into the distance, 'Alice' nodded to herself. Forgive me, Majesty. She thought, but at least now, with her monarch safely out of the way, she could give her full attention to the enemies she faced.
Now the only Kansen still in range, every Siren ship's next salvo was aimed directly at her – as she faced the incoming shells, she felt as though time were beginning to slow, braced herself, and a faint smile wreathed her lips. A heartbeat later, and the shells impacted.
Realising that she was not projecting the right image for the ruler of the Royal Islands, Queen Elizabeth settled herself – if a trifle sulkily – into Warspite's arms. As they sped away, a thought caught Elizabeth's attention – why had Warspite so peremptorily usurped her authority? She had never done so before - she had on occasion protested her orders or questioned a decision, but even those had been few and far between... and then only because she had not been sure they would be in Elizabeth's best interest. And suddenly it all became clear - Warspite had given the order to retreat so that she would not have to. So that she would be blameless, her record unblemished, so she could point to Warspite and say 'it was her fault, I gave no order to withdraw.' Obedience was expected, of course, for Warspite, mighty as she was, and class-mate that she might be, was still her subject. But just how lucky was she, that she was able to command such loyalty? 'Belli dura despicio' was Warspite's motto, 'I despise the hard knocks of war' and apt though those words were, Elizabeth now thought that 'Semper fidelis' would perhaps have fit equally well - 'Forever faithful.'
Being carried by Warspite – and still brooding over their effective defeat - as she was, Elizabeth was able to look behind her greatest and truest defender as they and the rest of the fleet all retreated, and she gave a shriek of alarm when she saw the girl she knew as Alice disappear under a hail of shells that erupted into a sudden gout of fire and smoke, water fountaining dozens of metres into the air.
'Warspite, Warspite she's been hit! We have to go back, we have to help her!'
Sliding to a stop, Warspite also turned back to look, the brisk sea-breeze slowly drifting the smoke, fire and water-spray off to one side – to reveal a figure that was still standing. Her civilian clothes hung off of her in tatters but she herself appeared virtually unharmed, and though her head was down, the air around her had acquired a slight bluish caste, and Elizabeth gasped.
'But – but how? Who in God's name is she?' The blond queen said in a shocked almost-whisper, as her bodyguard turned again, making all possible speed towards the Royal Islands.
Her head bowed, she concentrated, calling upon all her will, diving deep down into herself as she sought to make herself a bridge, a connection – to become the link between here and there... and from then to now. The soft blue glow that had surrounded her grew quickly deeper and more intense, and huge arcs of electricity crackled between her and the ocean.
'When I was made, all others knelt before me.'
With a great metallic roar, the sea all around her began to foam as it rose up and up in response to her call, until finally it split to reveal many slabs of metal, water still spilling off of their sides as they separated and began to orbit her.
'For none could harm me, yet none could withstand me.'
In a flare of blue fire, the ragged remnants of cloth that yet clung to her burned away. The next moment, her true raiment began to appear; leather gloves – which more resembled gauntlets – that were folded over halfway to her elbow. Jet-black cavalry boots, their leather shiny and supple, with the front of the leg from toe to knee protected by burnished steel. Riding breeches that fit her like a second skin, a plain white dress-shirt, an unadorned arming-sword in a gilded scabbard belted around her waist, and ultimately a long-sleeved, blood-red jacket completed her regalia.
'Though others be younger and stronger, I was First, the standard by which all others are judged.'
The Siren ships fired again, but their shots could not make it through the impromptu shield created by the swirling pieces of armour-plate, and now, as the sky in front of her disappeared in clouds of gunpowder and shrapnel, her mighty armament had begun to appear from the depths.
'I am the Pride and Glory of an Empire, my armour is unassailable, my guns bring mine enemies devastation.'
Machinery appeared from the water beneath her feet, the multitude of pieces leaping into the air around her before attaching themselves to her - and as each section grew complete, pieces of armour descended, affixing themselves to it as her Rigging began to take shape.
'I am Protector Of The Realm still, Guardian of Albion 'til the world's end!'
Her twin-gun turrets locked onto her Rigging, shells slamming into breeches as their ammunition feeds connected, and internal motors whined as they moved into position – one at either hip, one to the outside of each shoulder, and the last facing forwards overtop her right shoulder. The last three plates met and in a blaze of light fused together into a large helmet, the visor fashioned after a roaring lion's head, with long, sloping cheek-guards.
'And forever and beyond, I shall fear none!'
The great helm dropped onto her head as the visor clanged down to cover her face, leaving just her blazing red eyes shining through the vision-slit, a dire warning indeed to any who dared draw so near. There was one last brilliant, blue flash, and finally she stood in front of her enemies, whole for the first time.
'For I am Dreadnought.'
With but a thought, her cannons roared, and the first shots she or her namesake had ever fired in combat flew straight and true, blasting a trio of 'Knights' into flaming junk, and the battle was joined once more.
But now the Sirens faced an enemy greater than any they had met before in this world, for while she had boasted of her prowess and strength, they were not boasts in the sense of being exaggerations – because for Dreadnought, they were simple statements of fact. All those years ago, from the moment her namesake's hull had hit the water, every other Battleship on earth had been made effectively obsolete, and the entire world had shivered at her name. Never before – and, in all likelihood, never again – had any warship been so unrivalled in power upon their launching. Even the great ships of latter ages, such as New Jersey, Yamato, and Bismarck, had vied with each other for supremacy – but not her, for she had had no peer. She remembered the handful of years she had stood alone at the summit, her unequalled might able to single-handedly guarantee the safety of her homeland, until she was succeeded, like all such champions eventually are. But even after she was dethroned, her name, her legacy, lived on in all of those who followed her, so complete had been her domination... brief though it had been.
And now, at long, long last, she was able to fulfill one of the most basic duties of a warship, one that her namesake never had – fighting the enemy. And though that enemy was mighty, and numerous almost beyond counting, she found herself smiling as she fought, her guns blazing in every direction as they sought to bring her down, for she knew she had passed the acid test, one of the last tests any warrior must face – their first true taste of battle.
So she fought on, for they were unable to stop her, until burning wreckage was strewn across the whole ocean around her, turning the lowering clouds crimson – but suddenly, there was a lull, and through the smoke and flames, she saw a wedge-shaped shadow approaching.
Dreadnought watched it glide closer, then the flames parted, she saw the shark-like crest of the Rigging wielded by the humanoid form suspended beneath it, and her eyes narrowed.
'You must be Omitter.'
The Siren looked coldly at Dreadnought, and an eyebrow went up. 'Quite a speech you gave... Dreadnought, wasn't it? And you certainly have some strength, I see.' Omitter smiled her shark's smile. 'But you are no META, and so you have no chance alone. Not against me.'
'We shall see, Siren.' Replied Dreadnought, ignoring the mass-produced ships closing in as she trained all her guns on Omitter, her sword whispering from its' sheath. 'Even when I was but a ship, none dared attack that which I protected. And now you too shall discover why.'
''Pride goeth before a fall.'' Quoted Omitter, her smile widening in vicious anticipation.
Dreadnought simply nodded. 'Aye. Indeed it does.'
With their wounded in the Repair Bay at Aberdeen base, the rest of the task force were able to attend to the urgent business of getting their fuel-tanks filled and ammunition replenished.
'So, who is she, Warspite?' Asked Queen Elizabeth, as the base's auto-loaders were continuously loading shells into her magazines. She realized she was tapping her foot impatiently, and made herself stop. Particularly after her outbursts earlier, now more than ever she must appear calm, serene. Regal. Especially with the possibility of a Siren invasion of the Royal Islands themselves at hand.
'Your Majesty?' Warspite responded, a puzzled look on her face.
Queen Elizabeth sighed. 'Come now, I saw your face when Alice looked at you - you looked like you had seen a ghost.'
'I do not wish to say just now Majesty, for I am... still not entirely certain I am correct on who she is.' Warspite demurred. 'But if I am right, she would be the eldest of all of us here. Certainly the eldest of the Royal Navy sailing the Azur Lane, if not of all Kansen. And unquestionably one of the greatest of all.'
'Older than the 'Grand Old Lady'?' Asked Vanguard with a smile, but Warspite sombrely nodded.
'And 'one of the greatest'?' Said Queen Elizabeth with a frosty tone and raised eyebrow. 'It's not like you to give such unthinking praise, Warspite. To anyone other than me - who deserves it - that is.'
Warspite looked at her, and shook her head. 'Majesty, if she is in fact who I think she is, then without her, the both of us – and you, Vanguard, and indeed many other Kansen – would not exist. Certainly not in our current forms, at least. Her glory was never her deeds, but her lineage, what her creation represented. And she casts a shadow across history – aye, even into the present day - that no Battleship truly escapes.'
The brief silence that fell between them after that pronouncement was suddenly broken by the squawking of Elizabeth's communicator. Frowning, she opened a channel to reply.
'Yes?'
'Your Majesty, this is Major Revell, Aberdeen base command - we have picked up an unidentified sea-borne contact that is approaching this installation, over.'
Elizabeth gave a quiet sigh – she had expected this. 'You have our thanks for informing us, and we shall give all the aid we can to your defence if it is the enemy. What is their distance, and from which direction do they approach, over?'
'Uh... contact is currently one-four-three miles out, and they are on roughly the same bearing as your task force was, Your Majesty, over.'
'Wait, you say it is a single contact, Major, over?'
'That is correct, Your Majesty, over.'
'I see. That gives me hope that we may not need to fight just yet, but put all defences on alert in case I am mistaken, over.'
'Aye-aye, Your Majesty, over and out.'
She quickly checked the status of her re-supply – her tanks were full again, and she was just over half-way on her ammunition. That wasn't exactly the best if they did wind up in another protracted engagement, but it was far better than the zero rounds she had previously had. Hurriedly, she joined the others in disengaging herself from the auto-loader, her main guns immediately cycling shells into their breeches. Once they had done so, she gave a small, relieved sigh as she dismissed her Rigging - at least now she could fight if it came to it.
'As you all heard, base command has confirmation of a single incoming contact.' Said Queen Elizabeth, addressing the others. 'As I see it, that means one of two possibilities – it is Alice, or whomever she truly is, retreating ahead of the Siren force... or she has fallen and it is Omitter herself, coming to demand our surrender.' She looked round them, eyes steely and hard. 'Whichever it may be, the Sirens shall not find us cowering under cover. And if Alice has indeed fallen defending us, defending these Islands, then for both that and the insults she has given, I will see Omitter dead for it. Belfast, you did as I requested?'
Belfast nodded. 'Aye, Your Majesty, the Commander is... concerned about this turn of events.'
Warspite smiled. 'And knowing the Commander, reinforcements are already under way. Getting here may take them a while, though.'
'But it may not, as well.' Said Belfast, then looked at Queen Elizabeth. 'She wouldn't promise when reinforcements would arrive, Your Majesty, but I certainly wouldn't put it past the Commander to try commandeering Union transports to fly people out here.'
'Exactly.' Replied Elizabeth with a nod. 'Even if it comes to another battle, even if we are initially outmatched, all we need do is survive, and keep the Sirens occupied until the odds eventually but inevitably swing in our favour. As Fortune, London and Repulse are all still in the Repair Bay, we will not split our numbers further, but stick together, so as to make best use of our firepower if required.' She gestured with her sceptre. 'Now, let us go, and show the Sirens that the Royal Islands will never kneel before them!'
In even the short time they had spent in the base, a great pall of sea mist had rolled in, cutting visibility to mere yards in front of them and muffling all sound. When combined with the currently flat-calm sea, it created an effect that even experienced sailors often found disturbingly eerie.
'Ye Gods but this is creepy, it almost feels like we're in a Mirror Sea.' Said Vanguard after a while, plainly ill-at-ease.
'How remiss of me, but I forgot to ask previously - have you been here before, Vanguard?' Enquired Belfast. 'I know you only joined the Fleet relatively recently...'
'Well, I have come to the Islands once before, but further South, the sun was out, clear sky, it was really rather pleasant – much like this morning.' Vanguard replied, then shook her head. 'It wasn't anything like this.'
Belfast chuckled, the coast already disappearing into the grey behind them. 'Then you certainly had some luck on that visit. Truth be told, you wouldn't be too far off if you said that it's normally more like this than not, even for the Southern part of the Islands, but it's not usually this bad there.' She chuckled again. 'Up here near the North-East coast, though, you'd be lucky to find more than a day or two at a time where it isn't like this.'
'That sounds... pretty miserable, if I'm honest. I'm glad I'm not stationed here permanently, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle it.'
'Yes, you would. We all do what we must in our Service to the Crown.'
Vanguard looked at her with some surprise – that was something she had not expected to hear from Belfast, being the Head Maid - but let it pass without comment.
'Warspite, how far would you say we have come?' Asked Queen Elizabeth a little while later.
'I make it between forty-five and fifty miles, Majesty.'
Elizabeth nodded. 'I concur. Everyone, hold here! We have plenty of sea-room already, and the further we go, the harder withdrawal becomes if things go against us. Besides, we should be able to see the contact soon.' She scowled. 'Or we would, if not for this damn mist!'
Even though she cursed it, the mist had in fact been growing steadily lighter, now more resembling puffs of cotton wool, visibility slowly drawing outwards, and it would likely disappear entirely soon.
Just then Elizabeth caught sight of a dim and fuzzy shadow. 'Everyone, into formation. Extended line abreast, centred on me.' Though her words had been quiet, the reaction from the others was immediate, moving even as their Riggings materialised around them, and within moments Warspite was in her customary place at her right-hand, with Vanguard on the opposite side.
Please, let it be Alice. Let her be alive and well. She pleaded silently.
The mist began truly lifting as the silhouette approached, eventually dissipating completely and revealing a lone figure skating slowly, stiffly towards them. Even out to the horizon, there was nothing following them, no Siren invasion force, not even any mass-produced scouts, and Vanguard's jaw dropped.
'I don't believe it.' She muttered. 'Did - did she win? Against that massive fleet?'
Trailing a banner of black smoke, the figure drew closer, and they could see that she had not escaped unscathed from her fight. Two of the turrets on her Rigging were smashed, her uniform ripped and torn, almost all her armour was blackened and scored – though it still sat on her head, even the helmet she wore had been shattered, the visor and one cheek-guard torn away, and deep, red slashes ran across the exposed part of her face.
'Ahoy there!' Called Warspite. 'What happened with the Siren fleet?'
'They...retreated.' Came the halting reply, exhaustion laying heavily on every syllable. 'I may not have been... able to sink Omitter, but I have at least... taught her respect for my guns.'
''She is the eldest of all of us here', 'Her glory was her lineage' and 'She casts a shadow across history that no Battleship truly escapes'' Remembered Queen Elizabeth aloud, her eyes going wide with realisation finally dawning. 'Our predecessor... Dreadnought!'
As she reached the small blonde monarch, one of the crimson-eyed warriors' knees slammed down as if her legs had all but given out on her, but even then she did not fall, but remained kneeling, and bowed her head.
'A-aye, Majesty, I have... regained my name. My memories. And I... am Your Majesty's loyal subject.'
'We can worry about all the allegiance stuff later! You're wounded, we have to get you to the base's Repair Bay – Warspite, can you give her a shoulder to lean on?'
Warspite, with a slight smile – for it always heartened her to see Elizabeth showing such concern for those under her - bowed. 'Of course, Your Majesty.' Ducking down, she looped one of Dreadnought's arms over her shoulders, hauling the other Battleship with her as she stood back up. She heard a strained grunt, but otherwise Dreadnought gave no indication of any pain she might be feeling.
Meanwhile, the Queen turned to the other members of the task force. 'And the rest of you, get ahead of them and make a way for them so they are not delayed. Hold the doors open, and clear the corridors. Understood?'
As they all scrambled to fulfill her orders, Elizabeth keyed her communicator.
'Aberdeen base command, this is Queen Elizabeth, do you copy, over?'
'Aye, Your Majesty, loud and clear, over.' Came the immediate reply.
'You may stand down the defences, Major. The contact you were monitoring is one of ours, and there is no danger of invasion at this time. I repeat, there is no danger of invasion, over.'
'That is good to hear, Your Majesty. Is there anything else you require, over?'
'Naught save the use of your repair facilities for a little while longer, Major – once everyone is sea-worthy again, we will depart back to the Port, over.'
'That is no issue at all, Your Majesty, you are most welcome to do so, over.'
'Thank you Major, we most assuredly appreciate it, over and out.' Elizabeth closed down her communicator with a small sigh of relief as she started to follow the others back to the base. Once she got there, she would need to get in contact herself with the Port and the Commander to advise them of what had been happening – not least so that they could recall any reinforcements they had already sent - but that could wait until she had checked in on the wounded. Just to make sure they were comporting themselves as befitted members of the Royal Navy, of course. Obviously.
A few days later and the task force were back in warmer, bluer waters, nearing the end of their return journey, and a little while later they saw the island that housed the Port they all called Home come over the horizon.
As they drew closer to the nearest of the Port's docks, the sun still climbing into the sky behind them, they saw that the Commander and Bismarck had come to greet them. One after the other, they all hopped off the water back onto dry land, and when they had formed up into parade ranks, they gave the Commander a salute, which was immediately returned.
'We're very glad to see you all returned safe and sound.' Said the Commander with a smile to the group at large, then addressed Queen Elizabeth. 'Majesty, though we still need to do a proper review and de-briefing, I think it's safe to say that we can record this as mission accomplished. Omitter building an invasion force in that fjord explains almost everything.' She looked at the red-jacketed figure now standing proudly next to Warspite and Queen Elizabeth. 'And I understand you got your memories back, Alice, or should I say - Dreadnought? That is a storied name indeed.'
Dreadnought nodded. 'Thank you, Commander. Though I had hopes, I don't think I ever really expected it, but then my memories returned in the midst of battle – and just in time, it seems.'
Warspite chuckled. 'We had no real idea what was going on at the time. First she kills a Bishop bare-handed, then one moment she was screaming in what sounded like pain, and the next she was on her feet looking like she wanted to take on every Siren in the world.' She shook her head. 'That was the second time she gave us all a scare in a single mission.'
'Well, now we know where you belong, we can get your proper quarters organised, though I understand from Bismarck there's a few to choose from.' Said the Commander. 'So it would probably be best if you looked them over with her, first.'
Dreadnought nodded and looked to Queen Elizabeth. 'Your Majesty, is there aught else you require of me for now?'
Elizabeth shook her head with a flap of her hand. 'No, no. By all means, go and sort out your lodgings, Dreadnought – you have more than earned them.'
'My thanks, Your Majesty.' Replied Dreadnought with a bow, then she turned to Bismarck. 'I do not have much to gather, so if you are agreeable Bismarck, I can meet you outside the Royal Navy Dorms in... shall we say half-an-hour?'
Bismarck nodded. 'That is acceptable.'
'Then I shall see you there. Your Majesty. Commander.' And with one final bow to those present, Dreadnought turned away, knowing she was home at last.
As Dreadnought went to walk back to the Port, a cluster of Bulins appeared, drawn as they often were by the commotion, and after a moment one of the General Bulins pointed towards her.
'It's Alice, Alice is back, buli!' The Bulin cried, then her head cocked to one side, the same way it had the first time she had met the Bulins. 'But – you seem different now, buli!'
Smiling, Dreadnought stopped to kneel in front of them. 'Yes, I am back.' She replied with a nod. 'And you are right, I am not the same as I was. I have my memories back, and with them my name, and my true self, so I am 'Alice' no longer. I am Dreadnought now, until the end.'
The Bulins just stared at her for a second, their shining eyes wide, chorusing their amazement. The General Bulin representing them stepped forwards, just a little apprehensively.
'Then, can – can Bulins still get-' She broke off as Dreadnought, still smiling, gently picked her up and folded her arms around her.
After a few moments, Dreadnought set the Bulin back down, lightly patting her white hair. 'Does that answer your question, little Bulin?'
The Bulin smiled up at her, beaming like the sun. 'Yay, you still hug nice, buli!' As she had before, she happily stepped aside so that her sisters could be given hugs as well. Once they had, Dreadnought stood back up, but instead of rushing away like they had previously, this time the Bulins stayed with her as she continued on her way, all of them smiling and chattering around her as she went.
It was another beautiful, sun-drenched day when all those currently present at the Port assembled at the Dockside to witness what they still called a Launching Ceremony. As the Fleet's ranks had swelled, such occasions grew ever rarer, but they had become even more beloved because of that. Once the ceremony itself was finished, there would be a party, with drinks, food, and other entertainment, both as a welcome for their new comrade, and to show that the bonds between all of the Kansen of the Azur Lane were as strong as always.
Resplendent in her full Royal finery, Queen Elizabeth sat on her throne where it had been moved just in front of the dock itself, Warspite standing directly at her right-hand. A long train of gold-edged red carpet had been laid that led to the foot of that throne and the deep blue knighting stool that sat in front of it, and lastly, placed so that they crossed just above Elizabeth's crowned head, were two magnificently gilded standards - one bearing the Battle Ensign of the Royal Navy, the other the Union Jack. A couple of feet from the carpet's edge to Elizabeth's right an area for the general audience to stand had been roped off, while standing at the head of the carpet the Commander and Bismarck faced them across its crimson width.
Elizabeth gave out several awards through the morning, for the gallantry and valour those under her command had displayed fighting against a far superior foe. There was applause in plenty, of course, for such accolades had most certainly been earned, but the onlookers were still slightly subdued – they all knew that the main event was yet to come.
At last, the moment arrived, and Dreadnought, her uniform complemented by a half-cape of Navy blue, boot-heels clicking on the concrete, walked from behind the audience to the start of the carpet. A smart left-face, a moment's pause at attention, and then she began to stride down its' length, past the eagerly watching crowd, until she stood directly before the throne, whereupon she elegantly knelt onto the knighting stool.
'Your Majesty.' She said, her voice clear, and bowed her head.
Elizabeth looked down at her for a moment in her most imperious manner, but then she gave a small smile. 'When first we met, you were 'Alice', a lost waif with no memory to speak of, wishing only to discover who you were and where it was that you belonged. Your plight struck a chord with us, and we requested of the Commander that we be allowed to take you with us on what should have been a simple Reconnaissance mission. They agreed, and so we departed the Port together.
During that journey, you repaid our kindness - and more besides - for you risked your own life to save Comet, when through sheer ill-luck we ran afoul of a storm, during which she was swamped and sent under the surface by a tidal wave. But for you, she might even have been sunk, and been forever lost to us. Thanks to your actions, she survived with no ill-effects, and after regrouping, we continued onwards.
Almost as soon as we made it to our area of operation, battle unexpectedly erupted around us when a Siren fleet, led by Omitter, ambushed us, and for your safety we had Comet and Leander escort you out of harm's way before the conflict began in earnest.' Elizabeth's smile grew wider.
'Afterwards, when Warspite believed she had realised your identity, she said that 'her glory was never her deeds', and while that may have been true of your name-sake, it is not for you. For just as the fighting became desperate and we were to start our retreat, you returned to us, daring to face the enemy with nothing but bare hands and an incredible strength of both body and mind. Truly we should all have realised who you were at that moment, for it was then that you demonstrated that you are the embodiment of your name. That you fear nothing. That you indeed dread nought. To be strong physically is one thing – but a warrior's will such as yours is a rare thing indeed. Had that been all, it would still have been more than enough. And yet, you did more, for with your memories returned, you volunteered to cover our withdrawal as rear-guard. Summoning your Rigging for the first time, you single-handedly faced down an entire Siren fleet, even drawing out and duelling Omitter herself, forcing her to retreat and thereby ruining her plan of attacking and subjugating our Royal Realm. You have brought much glory and honour upon your name, and saved our subjects from the spectre of invasion - and may your legacy only grow greater from this day forth!'
Queen Elizabeth settled back into her throne and at her gesture, Warspite, her sword pointed to the sky in salute, came forwards.
'Warrior, it is with great gladness that I dub thee in the name of our Queen, and invite thee to walk amongst us as both an equal in the Royal Navy, and as a member of the Royal Knights.' Intoned Warspite, touching the flat of her blade first to Dreadnought's right shoulder, then turning it so that the same flat also touched Dreadnought's left shoulder. After a moment, her sword returned to the salute and she stepped back to Elizabeth's side. 'Arise, and join our ranks – HMS Dreadnought of the Royal Navy!'
Smiling proudly, Dreadnought got back to her feet, accepting her sash and insignia of the Royal Knights from Queen Elizabeth, and the customary Launch-Day bottle of champagne handed to her by Warspite. Turning to her right, she then saluted the Commander.
'Commander, HMS Dreadnought, reporting for duty, ma'am!'
The Commander returned the salute with a smile of her own. 'HMS Dreadnought, you are hereby officially declared a part of both this Fleet, and the Azur Lane, and we all bid you welcome to this Port.' She held out her hand. 'May you find pleasure and comfort in our company, and glory in our service!'
Reaching out, Dreadnought took the offered hand and the crowd erupted, clapping and cheering as they celebrated her becoming who and what she was always meant to be.
A hot coffee in one hand, and one of Dunkerque's amazing pastry treats – minus the bite that Bismarck had sneaked - in the other, the Commander looked over the festivities with a smile. She saw Sovetskaya Belorussiya and Gangut on stage singing old Russian folk songs to a rapt audience of Mutsuki-class, Fubuki-class and Z-Class Destroyers. On another stage Akagi, Kaga and Nagato were telling a story in the form of a Noh play, with a crowd of Bulins, C-Class, and J-Class Destroyers intently watching. A motley crew composed of Jean-Bart, Drake, Tirpitz, Nevada and Gremyashchy had commandeered a table off to one side and were all playing poker together. She was surprised at their brazenness – but then she saw their little piles of pebbles and realized that they were not actually playing for money. The Submarines were all involved in what appeared to be some kind of free-style competition out in the bay – as she watched, Albacore ghost-rode her Rigging over a ramp, then leaping aboard, she back-flipped out of her seat and performed a flying seat-grab, before perfectly landing to loud cheers and whistles from the spectators.
Most everyone else were either taking part in or watching one of the various sports tournaments. Littorio, to no-one's surprise, had organised the beach-volleyball, while the Gridley-Class Destroyers had set up tracks for foot-races, which Ark Royal – with a beatific smile – had offered to officiate. She had lost the smile when Queen Elizabeth's hand immediately caught her on the side of her head, but quickly regained it when after some consultation her offer was accepted anyway. It then slipped a bit when she got to the tracks and realised almost all of the contestants were in fact Cruisers. The beach on the other side of the dock was hosting the beach-football and beach-basketball tournaments. There had been quite a bit of discussion from the Eagle Union in general around whether it should be basketball or baseball, until someone pointed out that without the stands of their stadium to keep things confined, the natural competitive spirit could result in high-velocity baseballs hitting unaware revellers. Bogue's impassioned response to that in favour of baseball - 'But you'd have to be either really bad or really good for that to happen!' - was judged as being an insufficient defence, especially as the Royal Navy had foregone the opportunity for a cricket match for the exact same reason, and the nod was given for basketball instead.
Sometime later, with the sun now only just above the horizon, the partying atmosphere had begun to dissipate, along with the guests. The Commander had finished giving out the trophies and other awards for the various tournaments, which had all been pleasantly – and surprisingly – free of attempted cheating. Even the perennial pranksters and troublemakers like Abercrombie and Thatcher had been relatively quiet, though in that case the Commander hoped they weren't just storing it all up for another day. Looking round, she was also pleased to see that even though the current grounds-keeping detail had agreed to clean everything up the next day, there was in fact not much in the way of littering. There was a somewhat unexpected sight that did give her a moment's pause – she saw Belfast standing side-by-side with the unmistakeable silhouette of Enterprise, both of them at the end of a dock, looking out to sea. She wondered what they were talking about, though she recognized it was not her concern.
'I'm glad everyone had such a good time.' The Commander said to Bismarck instead, who nodded.
'As long as it does not affect the Fleet's readiness, it is good to relax once in a while, Kommandant.'
'Well, we should probably turn-in pretty soon, so let's see if we can find the guest of honour and-' The Commander broke off as she saw the tall figure with coal-black hair approaching them. 'Speak of the devil.' Continued the Commander, with a smile and a nod to Dreadnought, who returned them as she walked over.
'Commander. Bismarck.' Dreadnought's smile grew a little wider. 'It's been quite a day.'
'A big day for everyone – but for you especially, Grossmutter Dreadnought.' Replied Bismarck, with a small smile and a half-bow.
''Grandmother'?' Dreadnought started at that, but then she blinked, and finally shook her head with a rueful chuckle. 'I suppose I am, aren't I? How strange life can be. Just a few days ago I was the youngest by far, and suddenly now I am the eldest of all, except Mikasa and Avrora.'
Dreadnought's red eyes grew sad. 'I must admit, thinking back on it, I... I liked being Alice. I am glad and relieved beyond words that I am whole again, but... she was innocent, and carefree. There is a part of me that cannot help but wish she was my real self, and mourns her passing.'
The Commander smiled at her. 'You know, in a strange way, she kind of is your 'real' self, simply because that is how you were first introduced to us. All of us who knew 'Alice' before she became who you are now - we will always remember her. So she can never truly die... because she will always be a part of who you are to us.' She put a hand on Dreadnought's shoulder. 'And she's still there – You just need to look for her, now, is all.'
Dreadnought looked at her, but then closed her eyes, and after some moments, the gentle smile the Commander remembered from the first few days after they met reappeared on her face. 'She is. She is still there.' Dreadnought re-opened her eyes and bowed slightly, still smiling. 'Thank you, Commander.'
'You're welcome, Dreadnought.' Replied the Commander. 'I wasn't expecting you to still be carrying the champagne around, though.'
Dreadnought chuckled. 'Oh, the bottle has been empty for a while, now. I shared most of it with Mikasa, as thanks for the sake she shared with me after my first day here.'
'But you are keeping the bottle?' Enquired Bismarck, and Dreadnought nodded.
'Yes. I have my memories, but not many mementoes as yet. My sash and insignia will remind me of today and my past for a while, but what they signify will change over time. This, however,' She hefted the bottle. 'This will always remind me of this wonderful day, and the many happy memories I will have of it.'
'So, what are you going to do with it?' Asked the Commander with a grin, and Dreadnought shrugged.
'Honestly I'm not exactly sure just yet. Once I've cleaned it, I was thinking mostly of turning it into a lamp-holder or something, though. I want it to be useful in some way if possible, not just sentimental.'
'Well, sounds like a good idea.' Replied the Commander. 'Do you have any plans for the rest of the evening?'
Dreadnought shook her head. 'Her Majesty has deigned not to set me any duties until tomorrow. So I thought I might go for a walk, at least until the sun is properly down, and I can see the stars up above us.'
'We'll leave you to it, then.' Said the Commander, with another nod and smile. 'And always know that we are very glad to have you with us.'
'Thank you, Commander, it means a lot to me to hear that. Until tomorrow.' With a nod to each of them, Dreadnought turned and walked away, heading down towards one of the beaches.
After a moment, the Commander, taking Bismarck's hand in hers, set off back to her quarters.
When they got there, she snapped the light on and Bismarck moved over to the clothes-stand she kept here, shrugging out of her cape as she did so. The Commander followed a step or two behind, fumbling in her pockets for what Akashi had discreetly handed her just before the start of the prize-giving. Just as she was starting to panic that she might have lost it, she felt her hand close over something, and she gave a sigh of relief.
'...Bismarck?' She asked, hoping her voice wasn't trembling too much.
'Ja, Kommandant?' Replied Bismarck, still busy straightening her cape's folds so that it hung properly on the stand.
When she didn't hear a reply, Bismarck turned to look - and stopped dead, her blue eyes wide in shock, as she beheld her beloved Commander, the love of her life, kneeling before her. And in her hands, she held a small dark-blue box, its lid raised, that contained a ring – a simple band of white metal set with a single brilliant gem, shining like a miniature star.
'-I just don't understand it, none of the results I'm getting are making any sense.' Said Observer, her exasperated tone saying more than her words ever could. 'And it's not just the small-scale stuff in the Mirror Seas, either. It's almost like something has altered reality itself.'
'When did this start, Observer?' Asked the Redeemer, and the Siren thought for a moment.
'Ever since the Azur Lane captured the Power Core, Sir.' Observer's eyes narrowed. 'And that's something else – that should have been impossible. The base holding the Core was programmed to respond with escalating, overwhelming force against any attempted attack, the same way the base the Northern Parliament have been attacking was. It was one of our few Fortresses without an anchor for a Mirror Sea for the simple reason it should never have needed one. You weren't wrong when you said they were ahead of schedule in taking it, Sir, but they simply shouldn't have been able to do it.' She shook her head. 'I didn't realise just how weird it was until I started properly looking over the data we got after their attack, but somehow, they sent a force weak enough that the base didn't escalate beyond it's basic response, yet strong enough that they were able to capture the base. No, scratch that, strong enough to break that base. And speaking of that, whatever hit that Fortress, the energy it released was orders of magnitude more destructive than the heaviest nuclear weapon humanity has yet produced.'
'What? But then how come that island is even still there?' Asked Tester, and Observer threw up her hands.
'Exactly! Any weapon that powerful should have wiped that island, every Kansen near it, the Core itself – and probably a chunk of Africa, too – off the face of the earth! It's like physics just stopped mattering! And none of this is the worst of it, by the way.'
'Before we get on to the 'even more sucky' part, the explosion, could it have been a Singularity, maybe?' Enquired Purifier. 'A small one? It's always possible Miss Sunshine might have been wandering around, was she seen anywhere?'
Observer considered it, but then shook her head. 'No, the energy signature was wrong.' She paused. 'Though you might be onto something, because the signature is actually kind-of similar in a way. And it's 'Key Point G', not 'Miss Sunshine' when we're in a meeting, please. You know those ad-hoc names aggravate me. But no, she was not seen there.'
Purifier rolled her eyes. 'Oh, for – you knew who I was talking about, Observer, so what does it matter what I call her? Little Miss Sunshine, Key Point G, The Ash, METAprise, who gives a-'
The Redeemer and those Sirens present looked round as the door to the meeting room hissed open and a haggard, battered figure, still smouldering in places, staggered through it.
'I realise I'm interrupting,' Said Omitter, sagging against the wall. 'But I think I'm going to need a new Shell.'
'I'd certainly say so.' Muttered Tester as she eyed the damage that had been done to her comrade. 'So, how many did it take to put you through the wringer that badly?'
'How many?' Omitter seemed to be feeling groggy, half-slurring her words as she tried to keep herself from collapsing. 'How many did this, you mean? One. Just one.' Eyebrows went up from the others. 'And it wasn't that damned Bug that you keep screaming about, Purifier, and it wasn't any of the other METAs either.' Omitter shook her head, then almost fell right over before she caught herself. 'I've never fought a normal Kansen like this before. She called herself Dreadnought.'
'Dreadnought? HMS Dreadnought? But – but that's impossible.' Exclaimed Observer, her eyes gone wide and her body appearing to completely freeze for a moment in shock.
'We seem to be using that word a lot, lately.' Remarked Purifier, but Observer, regaining control of herself, shook her head.
'No, you – you don't understand, it is impossible... Dreadnought isn't part of the Re-Enactment.'
[END]
The end of 'Fear Nothing' has come, and we are now half-way through Gift Of The Kansen – my thanks for reading this far, and I hope you've enjoyed the ride to this point!
My apologies if I have gotten any of the factual/historical stuff wrong – I did do research for them, but there is always the chance that I have misinterpreted something, or went looking in the wrong places. For example, the specifics of the Burial at Sea for the Bulins at the start – I think I got everything right, though with a slight twist here and there to account for it being in the Azur Lane universe, such as the flags not being kept afterwards as, Bulins being Kansen and of no particular Faction, there isn't really anyone to send them to. Also, Togo Heihachiro's actual rank in the Japanese Combined Fleet at the Battle of Tsushima – I got two different answers from Google, and found another on Wikipedia. Said rank from Wikipedia was, on that rank's page, then conclusively stated to only ever be held by the Emperor Himself, and badass though Togo was, he manifestly did not become Emperor. So, with such contradictory statements, I decided to use my best judgement on what rank to call him. The other that comes to mind right now is the sake-drinking ritual when Mikasa and Alice have their drink together – I made it as legit as I could, though the bit about moving the bottle killing the flavour was invented by me. I thought it was the kind of saying that might spring up in that kind of context, though it's entirely possible I have it exactly backwards there.
My thanks once again for reading, and I will hopefully see you in the next part!
