Mighty Eagle, Calm Nest

by xT-Zealot

With Enterprise suffering from a crisis of identity brought on by her battles with the Crimson Axis and visions of a dark reality, Belfast has chosen to take some liberties to bring Eagle Union's ace to London to try and restore her humanity that had been smothered by duty. Meanwhile, the overseers of this timeline consider its continued worth and what they can extract from it.

4. Chapter 4

If there was anything that Enterprise could come close to being considered as a home, she supposed it would be New York. Not the city itself, but the harbor that had transformed into the largest naval base in Eagle Union and the world. It was where she had been born along with her sisters, and it was there where she was stationed for most of her life – from the initial operations that cleared and established the safety of the east coast to the advances further out to reconnect with the other half of the globe. However, even after that connection was reestablished, she remained close to the home port rather than many of the Eagle Union shipgirls who would go on to assist the other factions that would eventually form together to create Azur Lane.

Naturally, she had extensive knowledge of it concerning its importance and defenses. During the worst of the Siren War, when the Eagle Union's previous incarnation, the United States, had been forced to consolidate its forces so as to have any kind of chance, New York and the east coast was deemed as the most strategic with many of its bases and shipyards concentrated there. It was made as their final stand and held on long enough to crack the mystery of the newly discovered technology of Wisdom Cubes.

Much like how the US was born after besting an empire for independence in a revolution that took place within its original colonies, it would be when it bested annihilation and gained salvation in that same region that it would be reborn as Eagle Union. Such a feat would lead to New York becoming a headquarters for the worldwide alliance of Azur Lane with the world's largest harbor being expanded and augmented to fulfill the role as the command center for all future Atlantic operations against the Sirens.

There was hardly anything that Enterprise didn't know about her port, having seen firsthand the fortifications and reinforcements made over the decades since then. She could cite the minimum number of ships – a mixture of shipgirls and production models – that was maintained within the coastal defense fleet, the estimated number that could be pulled from other nearby bases and fleets to bolster their forces in case of an emergency, had memorized the paths of safety through the minefields that she occasionally escorted merchant and trade ships through when not on assault or recon missions, and could do the same with the location and number of AA batteries and shore artillery guns that formed the Long Island Defense Line.

"So what do you enjoy about New York?"

And yet she was at a total loss on how to answer the question that Belfast asked when they were journeying through the English Channel.

It had started when the fleet had been entering the western mouth, the British Isles to the north and the larger landmass of greater Europe to the south. At Belfast's insistence, she had made sure that she and Enterprise were standing at the edge of the carrier's flight deck to get the best view of the area. They still had to contend with the surrounding ship bodies of their fellow shipgirls, but that didn't seem to bother the maid in the slightest.

The beginning offerings in terms of view weren't much anyway; sand and rocky shores that rose into cliffs although Enterprise was reminded of the natural barriers of the Azur Lane joint base and wondered just how effective these had been in warding off invaders, past and present. There was vegetation along the walls, and at the top she could make out the more solid plane of greens that had to belong to a more expansive countryside.

Soon enough though, they came across the first port city which Belfast pointed out for her. "It will be difficult to see from this distance, but see the bay coming up? Towards the back is the city of Plymouth. Behind Breakwater Fort."

What Enterprise saw first were the artillery batteries situated high on the cliffs that guarded the mouth of the bay. Long-barreled defense guns that had a commanding view over the section of the Channel that could rain devastating shells on whatever enemy fleet would dare to enter the bay and attack the city protected within. Logically, there had to be AA emplacements to protect them from air attacks.

"Be hard for the Sirens to get through that," Enterprise complimented, impressed with how the placement of the guns would negate many of the advantages that came with Siren numbers and beam weaponry. Between the high ground of the guns and the narrow pathway of the English Channel, any Siren ship looking to fire a shot at those emplacements would have to suffer a barrage that would be difficult to survive against.

There was a slap against her shoulder. "Stop looking at the guns. Look at the city."

What Enterprise looked at first was Belfast while she reflexively rubbed where she got hit. The slap hadn't hurt – she just hadn't expected it. For that matter, the uncharacteristic urgency that was coming from the cruiser was a new one, too. Not in any excessive amount, but there actually being an amount that she could detect was a surprise. It did get her to look towards the bay.

She had expected whatever distance that would prevent her from getting a decent view to be made up for by what she had come to expect from humanity: the shores and cliffs enveloped in concrete and metal with a lumpy congregation of facilities in a similar setup to Azur Lane's base, while the heart – being a human city – would rise up into skyscrapers and colossal towers reminiscent of New York City. Not getting that had her squinting.

There were warships guarding the interior of the bay, their silhouettes unmistakable to her. A couple were anchored at what had to be Breakwater Fort that, true to its name, must've started off as an artificial stone structure meant for coastal management before the threat of the Sirens had forced the Royal Navy to add the same defensive emplacements that marked the cliffs, a couple berths for ships, and what she guessed was a barracks. The aged lighthouse on the western tip stood out because of how out of place it seemed to be.

Behind it was what had to be a city, but it wasn't the metropolis Enterprise expected. There were unmolested greens and browns of cliffs that rolled into hills, and the shores themselves were not as enveloped either. Going further beyond, there appeared to be an urban sprawl that was closer to what she was expecting but, even then, it was not something that could be compared to New York. There was not enough time for her to get a better picture though as by then they were passing it and all Enterprise saw next were more cliffs and more artillery guns.

"It was hard to see," Enterprise was forced to say, mindful of another possible slap.

Belfast closed her eyes and nodded in a way that spoke of how she forgave her. "I expected as much, and it will be similar the rest of the way through here unfortunately. The Isles provide many defensible inlets and bays where the Royal Navy had concentrated its bases and cities."

"It reminds me a lot of the Pacific Joint Base," Enterprise observed.

"Its layout was based on our facilities, with Plymouth as a notable reference," Belfast explained. She was looking back at the bay entrance of the city. "This includes Drake's Island that houses its own Academy for shipgirls assigned there. Back in the day, Plymouth was a trading post and the home port of Sir Francis Drake during his actions against Spain. Today, it has become one our most important shipping ports and home to one of our larger naval bases: Devonport. It's responsible for much of the defense of the southwest and keeping the Channel impassable to the Sirens." She switched over to Enterprise with an expectant eye. "Did you know that Plymouth was also where the Mayflower launched with your celebrated Pilgrims to depart on their journey to the New World?"

"I didn't," Enterprise replied and didn't expect to be as intrigued by the history lesson as she ended up being. It may've had something to do with voyaging out here with their fleet of modern warships and imagining how, out of the same bay they had just passed, a ship of wooden rigging and sails had departed out with its passengers for a trek that, at the time, was long and treacherous with plenty of the unknowns still waiting to be explored and mapped. As a shipgirl, it touched into something deep.

Belfast smiled, quite satisfied with Enterprise's tone in reaction to such a fact before she swiveled back towards the cliff.

There was something…different about Belfast. The air about her, normally unrelenting in expressing her fulfillment of life in general, had shifted as soon as she saw the main island belonging to her nation. Her posture was as collected as always, but Enterprise got the distinct impression that she was holding herself higher than usual to the point where she half-expected Belfast to be lifting her heels from the deck all so that she could get a better view of what scenes the island could provide her. That or, came another observation, to be able to catch and indulge in anything that was being carried off from the edge of those cliffs and down into the Channel below. Whatever it really was that Belfast was gaining, it was rejuvenating her.

Rather than search and see what it was that was affecting her so, Enterprise instead chose to take advantage of this latest glimpse of a more personal facet of the cruiser. That was until a horn suddenly blared that had her snapping to the source, suddenly on edge.

It wasn't a threat. Past the bridge of Nevada and a cruiser-destroyer pair, Enterprise could make out a vessel that was sailing past them. It was larger than a destroyer, on par with one of their heavier cruisers, but it was nothing like any of the ships in the Azur Lane fleet as it was devoid of a single piece of naval armaments. What could be found on the fat deck of the ship were a pair of cranes but the sole purpose that they were meant for involved the rectangular containers that it bore. And standing between those containers, waving towards the fleet, were humans.

A container ship, Enterprise identified. A larger specimen than most when it came to merchant ships, but it was harmless. Here and there, she could make out shipgirls who were waving back.

"The Channel had once been the busiest shipping lane in the world," Belfast said, her attention having also switched to the freighter. "And the Royal Navy had once been a much larger empire, with territories all across the globe." She glanced at Enterprise. "This included Canada."

"I knew that," Enterprise responded, oddly encouraged to try and match Belfast when it came to this bit of knowledge. "It formally declared its total independence and reformation as the Maple Monarchy shortly after the United States became Eagle Union."

The carrier gained another small amount of pride when Belfast nodded, openly pleased at her knowledge. "So did a few others over the course of the Siren War when the British Empire of that past had no choice but to concentrate its power in protecting the Isles. Rather than reclaim them, the Royal Navy chose to honor their sovereignty and extend hands of friendship that were readily accepted when they reconnected with their old colonies. When the lanes reopened, this Channel became filled with the traffic of friends old and new for the commonwealth." True to her nature, she spoke of that moment of history – of how easily humanity could reunite no matter the circumstances - with fondness.

"It had declined again with the loss of Iron Blood and Vichya," Belfast went on, but that reality did not diminish her hopes when they were immediately revitalized with the present. "But it is rising once more with Iris reclaiming Vichya territory and the ongoing lull with Iron Blood."

To give credit to her words, the number of vessels increased in frequency. The next ones to pass were not as big as the container ship, but they shared its traits: unarmed and decks carrying what had to be an assortment of goods while the human crewmembers who were aboard came out to admire and wave to the passing shipgirls. Enterprise wondered if these merchant ships intended to travel together in a group or were going to go their own separate ways once they reached the Atlantic.

Not all the ships they passed were cargo ships. Enterprise nearly missed a fishing boat due to its smaller size.

It was a signal for Belfast to continue with her new role as a tour guide. "We've already passed Plymouth, so I suspect that one may've come from Southampton or even further up at Portsmouth. Its size is too big for any of the coastal towns that are here. The North Sea remains designated as a dangerous area, sadly, but the fish population has risen during humanity's long absence from the seas. Good catches can be found anywhere right now."

She was animated today. Maybe not the exact word to use, but there was no questioning at this point that the maid who would usually be at Enterprise's side waiting dutifully to provide a service or – more often than not – interfere with her lifestyle was more energized than usual. As they kept voyaging along the English Channel, Belfast would point out something else that would become visible along the cliffs or tucked within another inlet or passage: a lighthouse that signaled an outpost or small village, a coastal town whose populace were braving the potential dangers of Sirens or other threats with its existence, and even ruins of old stone walls or forts that had been left behind and persisted in surviving as landmarks to this day. There were more cities but, like Plymouth, they were difficult to see.

Enterprise would glance over when directed but would spare a few seconds to show she was following Belfast's direction before her gaze eventually came back to the cruiser. She did have some interest in what Belfast was trying to show her, but what was appealing to her was the fire she saw in blue eyes, the lively inflection of Belfast's voice and movements, and the other nuances that, for once, the carrier was able to read like an open book.

Her weakness when it came to discretion would out her when Belfast turned her head, arm lifting to single out something, but paused when their eyes met, and Enterprise could make out the exact instant it clicked for Belfast of where her charge's attention was.

"What is it?" she asked, unconsciously reverting to her 'appropriate' stance.

Oddly, Enterprise felt disappointed rather than embarrassed. "I didn't mean to be rude. I was surprised with how happy you are to be here."

The maid's brows rose slightly and then swiftly settled. Maybe Enterprise was starting to get some grasp of how to read Belfast as it would nag at her later with how her answering smile and words were not as perfectly composed as they would typically be.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, making it sound like her prior enthusiasm was one hundred percent natural save for a slight deviation that could, perhaps, be meant to deflect something. "There is much history and beauty to be found and admired here, especially when we reach London. It's where I spent most of my life serving Her Majesty and the Royal Navy. It's my home. Did you not feel the same when you returned to New York?"

There were several beats too many in the ensuing quiet and the ever-perceptive Belfast must've known something to be amiss before Enterprise's lips curved downwards into a frown.

"I didn't," the carrier soon responded.

Belfast blinked. "New York is your home port, isn't it? That was my expectation, but was I wrong?"

"No, you're right. It's the home port where I've spent most of my life. But my home?" Enterprise shook her head. "I never considered it as such."

It was a conclusion that she came to after Yorktown had pressed her to find her own nest – her own home. The first and obvious candidate that she considered had been New York Harbor and it was that same place that she came to understand immediately that didn't fit. Despite all her time there and all that she had been a part of during Eagle Union's rise to its current position, she couldn't muster up feelings of attachment to it.

When she tried, thinking of her postings that had her bouncing between the southern and western coasts of Eagle Union with occasional forays into the north with the Maple Monarchy that could see her away from New York for as long as months, she couldn't generate anything remotely alike to what she had just witnessed with Belfast. When she eventually did return to her quarters in New York, all she felt was the same disconnect that was shared with all those other bases that made them nothing more than temporary stops between her frequent assignments.

"You must have someplace that you consider home," Belfast insisted, speaking of how incredulous it would be if Enterprise didn't. "Anywhere that inspires a sense of longing to return to when you're out at sea. Isn't there anywhere that revitalizes you in some way when you return to it?"

The added motivation to appease Belfast was doing little for Enterprise to provide a suitable answer. Without New York, the only other place that came to her was Yorktown's house on the beach. There, at least, she could register a sort of personal connection to it but, much like New York, Yorktown's home wasn't her home. It was the place for her to turn to whenever she felt lost as had been the most recent case, but she never felt anything like being revitalized. Every time she visited, she felt like she was trying to grasp at two things that were lost to her: the past she couldn't return to and the future that was proving more and more elusive.

It was in that lost past that Enterprise found the sole answer that she could give. "Home for me wasn't a place. Home was wherever my sisters and I were. After I lost that…" She waved a hand helplessly. "I never found anything to replace it. There was nothing but my duty that took precedence afterwards."

Belfast gave her a familiar sigh. A long, exasperated sigh of discovering yet another revelation with her charge that, rather than be a surprise, was actually quite typical. "This I believe."

There was little that Enterprise could do in response to the sting she experienced other than to turn her attention back to the traffic of the English Channel that had maintained its growing consistency to the point that she was starting to be concerned about room. She had a mind to ask Belfast if this was the norm or if the ongoing hostilities with Iron Blood in the North Sea was responsible for diverting so many commercial ships through here but chose not to.

"So what do you enjoy about New York?" Belfast asked unexpectedly.

The question thus leading to the current situation: Enterprise staring at her, at a loss, and only able to say an unhelpful, "Huh?"

"Surely you can answer that question at least." Belfast was giving Enterprise that look. It was of suspicion, but one that was on the verge of being positive about the outcome – one she wasn't going to like - and she was giving Enterprise a chance to prove her wrong about it. "There is much that I would like to see if I ever have the pleasure to visit: national parks, Ellis Island, Broadway. You must be able to tell me about them, given how long you've been stationed there."

The examples the cruiser listed effectively cut off any of that military nature of New York Harbor that Enterprise was so knowledgeable about, leading the carrier to internally flail about for a satisfactory answer she didn't have.

"I even heard that your Harbor provides a resort for its personnel," Belfast interrogated further, merciless.

"It does," Enterprise responded slowly, awkwardly trying to buy time for some figment of an opinion to fall into her lap or fruitless scrambling of what she may've happened to overhear from other Eagle Union shipgirls to come to her that she could use. "But I've never been."

"To the resort or any of the locations I've mentioned?"

The carrier ace could feel the impending judgment. "The resort, no. It was a recent addition that I never had the chance to indulge in what with the Crimson Axis." A half-truth; Enterprise had never entertained the idea of staying there when she had her duty to consider but it hadn't been as recent as she was weakly trying to make it out to be. "I may've visited those other places with my sisters once but…that was a long time ago."

It was not disappointment that dominated Belfast's features although Enterprise wondered if she would've preferred that over the sad acceptance of what her attendant had expected and knew with little doubt would be proven right. She closed her eyes and appeared about to shake her head but didn't as that would be denying the reality that she had already seen coming. "Oh dear, this is worse than I thought."

Enterprise waited, expecting more of a lecture, but what she got instead after Belfast opened her eyes was a smile. "Well, all the better that you've been assigned to this mission."

It was strange to the carrier right then how a facial expression that was meant to be reassuring instead felt so very ominous. The feeling didn't pass, even when Belfast turned away to see the progress of their journey. "Oh, here we are: the Strait of Dover."

Up ahead was the narrowest part of the Channel, where those standing on the coastlines of Royal Navy or Vichya territory could see the opposite with the naked eye. Each had their own landmarks, their chalky white cliffs visible to the passing fleet: the Cliffs of Dover for the former and Cap Blanc-Nez for the latter.

"London's right around the corner," Belfast said, bits of that previous energy returning to her. "But as you can see, the strait is dangerously narrow."

"Right." Enterprise knew what was coming as they had all been briefed when it came to how to proceed on the final leg of their journey. Starting at the front, there came flashes of light as the ship bodies of the vanguard dispersed and then reformed into smaller riggings. It acted as a signal, a lightshow encompassing the entirety of the fleet as shipgirls converted their vessels into gear that would have them traversing through the strait.

Enterprise flexed the fingers of her right hand, trying to chase away the adverse effects that the display incited. It didn't help that she had a time limit that would have her comrades take notice if she took too long. Sail like I always have and don't look down. "You ready, Belfast?"

The illumination that flared at her side was the answer that the cruiser then gave verbally. "Right beside you."

The affirmation did provide comfort. Enough for Enterprise to activate her rigging so that she wasn't the last to do so. When her deck vanished, she and Belfast fell together into the sea. The maid landed elegantly, Enterprise not so much when her right foot sank deeper than her left into the water, but she considered her prevention of the stumble that nearly resulted to be an adequate success that got her to propel forward with little hesitation.

Though they no longer had the intimidation provided by the larger mass of their ship bodies, the sight of over two dozen gun-toting shipgirls gliding over the waters was impressive in its own right. They sped through the strait, maintaining a formation, although the room they had to maneuver through now was massive and what ships they passed had the crewmembers looking down at them rather than up. It also brought everyone in much closer proximity, conversation being passed around easily.

"I-is it usually so crowded here?" came the timid words of Juneau, the Atlanta-class cruiser frightfully looking at a distant cargo ship but flinching as if it was much closer than that.

"After the great reunification, we had as many as three hundred traveling through here a day!" Amazon explained, eager to impart the lesson. "These days? A little less than half that, maybe."

"Y-you mean there was m-more!?"

"Surrounded by destroyers…the best…"

"Ark Royal, your nose…" Sheffield handed the carrier a handkerchief.

"Hey, hey, Uni-chan!" Yuudachi barked excitedly alongside Unicorn, stars in her eyes. "We're going to have the cottage pie when we get there, right?"

"Yuudachi!" came an annoyed call from the other side of the formation.

"Shigure, you'll try it too, right!? It's a pie! With meat!"

"We have those, too!"

"Nooo, you don't understand! Not like this! Tell her, Uni-chan!"

"W-well…"

Up front, Hood glanced over her shoulder towards the conversation, her nose wrinkling. "We're reaching afternoon tea, aren't we? Too early for cottage pie."

"She has a voracious appetite," Illustrious chimed in.

Enterprise found the background noise a comforting distraction, letting built-in instinct control her movements with little conscious effort. It helped that she felt rested, having been able to sleep during the long journey here. She wasn't sure if this was a sign that the nightmares were over as, though the last couple nights had been dreamless, she couldn't shake the feeling that she would wake up to something having been attempting to trespass on her slumber. If they could remain at bay during her time here, she would consider that as a definite plus.

"Looks like a proper London welcome."

If not for their proximity, Enterprise would've missed what Massachusetts uttered. The battleship was staring up at the sky and following her line of sight had Enterprise seeing a gathering of dark clouds in the distance that were steadily moving in their direction of travel.

"You've been to London before, Massachusetts?" Enterprise asked.

The normally quiet battleship must not have expected to be overheard going by her visible surprise when she turned to Enterprise. Out of an entire fleet made up of shipgirls of different nations with their unique appearances, Massachusetts arguably stood out the most. She was tall, tan-skinned, and the thick jacket she dubiously wore almost totally unzipped better exposed her figure and the lines painted on it. She had long platinum hair which could attract anyone's attention as is, but there were colorful blue-turquoise feathers worn behind her right ear that complemented her leather choker and its dangling gemstones.

Massachusetts nodded when she recovered. "Once, during the Vichya campaign."

"How would you describe it?"

She took her time to answer as she stared off ahead, deep in thought. "…Cramped."

That wasn't something that Enterprise was expecting, and she had to check that she heard right. "Cramped?"

"It's difficult to describe." She said that, although the impression she gave off when trying to find the right words seemed like she was also trying to find the least amount of words to use. "Try and compare it to New York. Big city with big buildings but plenty of room. Large islands and districts, each with their own space and defined boundaries. Separated, especially military and civilian. Right?"

Enterprise couldn't say much for the city, but she thought of the harbor and the space that allowed for clear lanes dedicated to commercial shipping and military traffic, the ports for each separate. "I believe I follow."

"London's not like that. Very closed in. Roads are narrow and it feels like buildings were built on top of buildings. Military ports and structures seem mixed in with civilian ones. So, cramped."

Enterprise did try to picture it in her head but knew she probably wouldn't be able to get it until she saw it for herself. "That doesn't sound very flattering."

"Flattering? I guess not. But…" Massachusetts tapped her chin. "Not bad either. Takes some time to get used to. After that you feel…close to everything. Uh, no, a better word…"

"Intimate?" Belfast supplied, almost getting Enterprise to jump as she hadn't known she was paying attention.

"Intimate, yeah," Massachusetts agreed, grateful for the assistance. "You feel more intimate with the people, the locations – the entire city."

"Well, I consider that a flattering compliment of which I thank you for, Miss Massachusetts."

The battleship inclined her head with a smile. "You're welcome."

"She's not wrong," Belfast spoke to Enterprise when the battleship drifted out of earshot. "Though crude in her description, she's essentially right. London is a city that was built upon history, dating back to the Roman Empire. That was thousands of years ago but its influence remains to this very day."

That fire that Enterprise had seen before was reigniting and she had to admit that she was a bit envious of it. "You really are happy to be home."

"Of course." Belfast fixed her with the biggest smile she would ever see without exposing her teeth. "And though it isn't yours, I'll be more than happy to share as much of my home with you as I possibly can."

---

Enterprise began to get an idea of what Massachusetts had been saying about London upon entering the River Thames where Belfast informed her a bit about the history of her home port. The Port of London consisted of miles of wharves, enclosed docks, and terminals that lined the river. They had started closer to the heart of the city, but the evolution of ship designs and trade needs required further expansion downriver to the deeper waters.

In another time, the port may've centered entirely on trade. Shipbuilding and repair, a major industry in London, had been suffering a decline due to the same factors of changing designs and the British Empire's need to handle shipping with its far-reaching territories. It was even predicted that those industries may no longer have a future in London. However, the arrival of the Sirens changed all that and the docks had suffered the most against the raids that had been launched upon the city. During the aftermath of repair and recovery, dockyards and military installations fought for development room as new channels were dredged up and expansion began in the deeper waters.

A direct result of that was a large swathe of the northern bank of Thames thirty miles from central London that had been converted into a magnificent port. One half of it was the familiar spectacle that came from a naval base: clustered docks with the staggered groups of warships that were berthed there. Nearly a stone's throw away though was a container terminal whose berths were meant to contend with transport ships, including the recent introduction of container shipping. Ship-to-shore cranes lined the edge of the terminal in one unbroken line, their job meant to efficiently load and unload stacks of containers either from the container ships already docked there or the field behind them. Beyond the field was a logistics park of warehouses and distribution centers, complete with a rail terminal to transfer cargo throughout London.

Rather than having two separate designations, the logistics and naval port had been thrown together as the Gateway of London.

"Was the Royal Navy that conflicted about what they wanted and just threw both together?" Enterprise questioned Belfast.

"Truer than you know," Belfast responded with a humored grin. "There was much fuss about what they wanted this development committed to. Between the Sirens and Iron Blood, the Royal Navy wanted a more substantial base in London to house a defense fleet to protect the city and trade ships. At the same time, they wanted a more modern facility to contend with the latest logistic and shipping practices that have come with containerization. This area was perfect for either, but they didn't want to divide the dredging to a separate bank. In the end, they went with both."

Enterprise immediately found the concept difficult to grapple with. "I can't imagine what potential issues could be involved there."

"Wasn't the most elegant solution, I admit, but it is a theme that you'll be seeing more of."

"I'll take your word for it."

"We're being hailed," Hood announced, a hand to her ear. "You'll all have your assigned berths by the time we get there. Check in afterwards for your dorm assignments."

"Before the rain, please," Nevada put in. With those black clouds beginning to hang over Gateway, there wasn't anyone who hadn't seen them.

"I've got my favorite napping spot…" groaned Acasta, a Royal Navy destroyer who could rival Laffey in fatigue when she took a moment to yawn. "…in case we don't."

Laffey perked up in her direction which, in turn, got Javelin to glance warily at the Eagle Union girl.

The formation of shipgirls broke apart moments later just as they reached the docks, each of them angling towards their assigned berths. Enterprise focused, not wanting to make a mistake right at the end. She came in at the docks, tensed, and then jumped, trading the water for solid concrete. This landing proved much smoother, and it was only when she stood up that she dismissed her rigging so that her carrier body could form behind her. Throughout the docks, the sight repeated itself a dozen times over as warships sprung up almost like magic, instantly filling it up and initiating a flurry of activity as ramps and anchors dropped, mooring lines being thrown out and secured, and dockworkers that had come out in preparation immediately went to attend them; humans, male and female in uniforms, with manjuus hopping around their legs to perform checks and begin whatever maintenance or refueling that would be needed.

It must've been the arrival of such a large fleet that was spurring the activity. That and the increasing likelihood of rain that was about to come down. After spending so long at the Pacific Joint Base where maintenance and other labor tasks went to manjuus overseen by shipgirls with more serious damage relegated to repair ships, she was unused to this large congregation of humans. One woman came up to her, an electronic clipboard in hand.

"Enterprise?"

Enterprise instinctively straightened. "Yes, ma'am."

The dockworker smiled in a way that said she found Enterprise's reaction funny. "Yep, Eagle Union alright. A real rigid one, too." She brought up the clipboard. "Smooth journey? Nothing you wish to have logged for us to take a look at?"

"No, ma'am. Everything was optimal."

"Optimal, huh?" The woman tapped at her clipboard with the stylus before making a note. "Well, we'll see what we can do about that. The manjuu would've brought up anything serious but sometimes they can't fix everything, you know? Nice to have a human touch once in a while."

Enterprise didn't know but went with it. "Yes, ma'am."

The woman snorted. "Yeah, you definitely could use more of that." She made another note, making Enterprise wonder if she was seriously writing that down, but before the carrier could ask the woman reached over and shook her by one arm as if to break her out of her stiff posture. "Says here that you lot are going to be here for a while so get comfortable! The right tools for you girls aren't just the ones we got on hand. Enjoy your stay!"

That was definitely not what Enterprise was expecting for a greeting as she watched the dockworker stroll off to the next shipgirl. She checked her cap, making sure it was still straight.

During that moment, Belfast reappeared next to her. "All set?"

Enterprise made a microscopic adjustment and ran her finger down the badge to be certain. "Yeah."

"Excellent. If you would follow me…"

Belfast was very much her guide here, so Enterprise fell in step with her.

Her greeting hadn't been an isolated incident. As they crossed through the docks, Enterprise noticed shipgirls who were greeted by and then were ensnared in conversation with the personnel. Most were Royal Navy, and Enterprise found few differences between how they were speaking with the dockworkers and how they spoke with each other. Repulse in particular was excitedly chatting with a couple, but Enterprise didn't find that surprising.

Eagle Union girls weren't immune either, including Massachusetts. She actually happened to be speaking to the same dockworker that had greeted Enterprise, and the battleship's own quietness must be incurring the same treatment as the dockworker soon shook her in the same manner as she did Enterprise, earning a wide-eyed look from Massachusetts. However, the shipgirl relaxed and her lips moved with the beginnings of a conversation.

"Are the personnel here usually this friendly?" Enterprise asked.

Belfast tossed her a grin. "You don't exchange pleasantries in Eagle Union?"

"No, we do, but not like this." Enterprise wouldn't call it strict, but the more stringent nature of Eagle Union wasn't exclusive to military officers. If the same thing had occurred at an Eagle Union base, the dockworker would've asked for any concerns that she would have, would log her response, and they would go their separate ways. They certainly wouldn't have found her respectful addressing to be funny or make additional comments that seemed unnecessary.

And when confirming her identification, they would've gone by her name and her hull number: CV-6.

"Do you think that's the fault of how things are run in your Eagle Union?" Belfast asked. "Or do you think you may've contributed to it in your own way?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You do possess such an engaging personality, after all…"

Enterprise made a noise of irritation and witnessed Belfast's small tremble of restrained mirth. The comment stuck though, Enterprise noticing how she and Belfast were a very small number of shipgirls already making their way out of the docks and she wondered if this was another of her shortcomings that she was becoming mindful of.

The activity of the docks continued around them. From one open warehouse full of crates and barrels, there was a pair of forklifts retrieving oil and other materials that would be meant to refuel and resupply the joint fleet. Dollies were loaded with some already, ready to be pulled out by the dockworkers with the chick-like manjuus hopping about to assist in the process.

Enterprise's postings may've mostly involved Eagle Union bases, but she didn't expect this Royal Navy one to be much different, so she felt a bit off in the direction that she and Belfast were traveling, heading deeper into the center of the base. "Is this the direction of the dormitories?" she was urged to ask.

"I have to stop at the headquarters before we get to our lodgings," Belfast explained. "There are documents that I have to retrieve."

Enterprise assumed that it had to be an errand for Wales or something along that line, so she didn't say anything further when they made it to the headquarters: a two-story brick building. As it wasn't trying to fulfill the role of an academy, it lacked flair, and it was plainer for a command center, but Enterprise thought it may be too plain for something to the caliber of this base.

Enterprise made it a point to be the one to step forward and open the door for Belfast in this instance – a sort of habit to pay back the politeness that the maid would ceaselessly show her even if the scales were tipped heavily against Enterprise in who owed who. She was sure she caught a twinkle in the cruiser's eye when she stepped through, turning right and heading down a corridor with Enterprise catching up.

They came to an outer office with a desk and a girl seated behind it. She wasn't human, Enterprise able to instinctively perceive the power contained within her body that magnified her presence to something that any shipgirl could identify when encountering one another even if they weren't as extravagantly – or scantily – dressed. She had light brown hair which had the darker blues of her eyes standing out, and she was dressed in whites, browns, and reds that were very familiar to Enterprise, particularly the woolen caplet that was around her shoulders.

She was sure she had seen her somewhere before, or at least someone who looked a lot like her, but she couldn't pin it down when the girl noticed them and beamed up at them when they approached.

"Belfast!" she greeted brightly.

"Miss Dorsetshire," Belfast returned her greeting. "On secretary duty?"

The brightness of Dorsetshire dimmed. "Yeah, but not by choice."

Enterprise could see why, it being the same reason as to why the shipgirl hadn't stood up when they approached. She rolled her chair back a bit further to better reveal the cast that was around her left leg.

"Iron Blood submarine," Dorsetshire told them. "Wandered too far from my recon group and took a pair of torps." She bopped the side of her own head. "Got too eager for my own good."

Enterprise lingered on the crippled leg. "I thought there was a lull going on."

"Oh, there is, but we're still testing our waters so to speak. A sneaky sub here, a cruiser or destroyer there, couple shells and torpedoes tossing around, but that's about it." When Enterprise kept staring, Dorsetshire rolled forward to obscure the sight of her leg with the desk. "This is nothing – you should see my ship. Until the repairs are done, the base commander assigned me as his secretary for the time being."

Belfast smiled. "Yes, that is something he would do."

Enterprise caught something that had her drawn to Belfast. Anything that could slip through the maid's usual composure became obvious, but Enterprise suspected that maybe it was because she really was getting familiar enough to catch them now. Whichever the case, the lower note in her voice and the softening of her features and her smile told Enterprise that there was something about the base commander that was encouraging fondness from her.

Meanwhile, Dorsetshire was looking between them, back towards where they came from. "Hey, Norfolk isn't here, right?"

Norfolk? Enterprise looked at Dorsetshire again, this time in a different light. Her hair and eye color were the same and while her outfit was without the hood, Enterprise could clearly see the resemblance now.

"No, she's remaining at the joint base for the current period," Belfast said.

The girl expressed relief. "Thank goodness." She then jumped in her seat. "Oh, don't get me wrong, it's got nothing to do with me not wanting to see her! I would love nothing more than to see my adorable sister again! I just don't want her to see me like this because of my foolish blunder!"

"Norfolk's your little sister?" Enterprise asked.

Dorsetshire's eyes became exceptionally large. "Surely you jest! No, no, no, Norfolk's my big sister! My role model! She never would've made the same mistake I made! She would've gathered all the intelligence we would've needed had she been in my place!"

"I…see." Enterprise did remember Norfolk – a shipgirl who was half the size of Dorsetshire. Suffice to say, hearing that she was the big sister threw her off no matter how aware she was as to how a shipgirl's appearance could turn out to be, even amongst sister ships.

Dorsetshire became fixed on Enterprise. "You must've served with her, right? If you know her, you must've seen how dependable and adorable she is! I suspect that her help had been nothing but crucial out there against the Sakura Empire!"

All that Enterprise's recollection had to provide was of that same girl trying not to fall over from the weight of her own rigging and a tendency to withdraw into the red hood of hers. "She's…very determined," she managed to compliment. "And brave."

She was glad that that was enough, the pride that radiated from Dorsetshire in the wake of the compliments nearly blinding. "As I thought! A guiding light of inspiration! A gift that I don't deserve and- "

"Pardon me for the interruption," Belfast respectfully interceded, "but I believe the base commander is expecting us."

It cut off what would've been a lengthy rambling, leaving Dorsetshire sheepish. "Sorry." She cleared her throat and shifted through paperwork on her desk, mumbling under her breath, "I have to do my best here so I don't embarrass her." She donated another second to the task, although Enterprise really wondered if it was necessary as Dorsetshire forgot about it when she addressed them again. "Yes, the base commander said he was expecting you as soon as you arrived. You may go in."

Belfast bowed politely. "Thank you very much. May your recovery be swift, Miss Dorsetshire."

Enterprise shared a parting nod with the secretary ship, it occurring to her then that Dorsetshire hadn't asked her for her name and possibly didn't know it when she and Belfast left her and entered the base commander's office.

It was nowhere near as extravagant as Wales's office. A large desk with a monitor and keyboard, two seats placed in front for visitors, and a filing cabinet in one corner with a liquor cabinet at the other. The last gave Enterprise pause before viewing the decorations: the red of a Royal Navy flag was pinned to one wall with the British Union Jack next to it, and on the other side were framed pictures. A couple black-and-whites of an unknown dock featuring uniformed sailors and what had to be an old production model cruiser in the background followed by more current ones, including one of a modern cruiser with a shipgirl posed on its deck, all in color. The difference of the times was striking.

Rising behind the desk was an older man with white predominating his hair but tinged with a shade of its previous red. Light green eyes regarded the shipgirls warmly, but Enterprise was distracted by the rank insignia on his uniform that swept away all doubt in her mind that they were currently in the presence of the base commander.

"I was delighted to hear that you would be gracing my office."

The words were meant for Belfast as were the offered hands that the maid took when she crossed over to meet him, giving them a squeeze. "I would've made sure to stop by even if business didn't require it, Jacob."

Enterprise was aware of her jaw dropping. The familiarity that a high-ranked officer and a shipgirl showed - utter disregard of status, first name basis, and the affection in the shared smiles - blew her away, leaving her to remain near the door. This was in no way something that would've occurred at an Eagle Union base.

"Yes, the matter that Wales spoke about," the commander said. Though he and Belfast seemed plenty comfortable with hands clasped and gazes locked, it was he who broke free first by looking past her and towards Enterprise. A jolt went through the carrier and her jaw clicked shut, but the older man became more concerned with bending down behind his desk to pull out a drawer and extract something from it. "I have everything that you should need right here."

A manila folder was placed on top of his desk which he slid to Belfast's side. The cruiser opened it, and Enterprise could hear the sound of paper rustling as she flipped through the contents. With her back blocking Enterprise's view, she couldn't see what they were for but when Belfast closed the folder and took it in her possession, she sounded satisfied. "This will do quite nicely. You have my sincerest thanks for obliging us with this request."

"Quite unnecessary, my dear; I was more than happy to do it. Oh, one more thing." A hand disappeared into a pocket of his uniform, reappearing with an envelope in his grasp. "This came in earlier. It's addressed to you specifically."

When he held it out, Belfast didn't take possession of it right away, giving Enterprise a moment to see its red color, gold embroidery, and the wax seal that kept it secured. Unlike the folder and its documents, the decorative envelope didn't appear to be something that Belfast was expecting. She did end up taking it, but her bowed head and subtle movements hinted to how she was spending a few seconds to look it over. Perhaps to confirm that her name really was on it.

Meanwhile, the base commander – Enterprise couldn't even think to refer to him by his first name – had his gaze straying back to her. Much like before, the tingle of electricity went through her, stronger this time as her ingrained discipline was desperate to make up for the lack thereof that had gone on in this office. She tightened her stance, raised her chin, and her features purged the rest of the uncertainty from them.

The commander didn't react to her efforts. There was undisguised intrigue as he viewed her before tapping Belfast's elbow. "This is her?"

The maid was pulled from the envelope to look between the both of them. She pocketed it but kept the manila folder in her grasp when she stepped aside. "Allow me to make the proper introductions. Jacob Riley, this is Enterprise of Eagle Union."

"The champion herself," the commander mused, still with that intrigue. "I've heard much about her and her exploits."

"Only a small number of which I can vouch for."

Enterprise was growing uncomfortable from the commentary but couldn't think of doing anything else other than remain where she was. At least with the introductions, she was able to use the name Riley for the base commander who came around his desk and approached her.

"If you would allow me this honor," Riley requested and extended his hand.

When it came to humans, Enterprise tended to see them in two ways. One, as superiors who she was meant to serve under. When presented with a rank such as the one adorned by Riley, she instinctively deferred to it and the orders that would be issued from those who had it. It was the straightforward relationship of a weapon following the commands of its users that Enterprise relied on for so long.

The other way she saw the members of the human race were those who needed to be protected, including those same officers who she submitted to. She may have her human form, and without her rigging boosting her capabilities she did possess physical limits closer to the average human, but her years of experience, the number of battles she participated in, and the power she was capable of wielding made them fragile to her. Much like how her existence was meant to fight as a weapon of war, she was also meant to protect the ones who had summoned her to save them.

So it was a very alien feeling that came to her when she shook the proffered hand. Unsatisfied with the one, Riley's other hand came so that he could engulf her appendage with both of his. He didn't exactly clasp it, the strength he applied very little, and the way he shook her hand was reminiscent of treating something with delicacy.

The man was old, his hands rough and wrinkled in stark contrast to her smooth one, and the skin of his face sharing those weathered characteristics created the surety that he must be older than her. Up close though, she can see an intensity in his eyes assembled from his own harsh experiences that age did little to wear down but was tempered by that soft warmth that he had shown to Belfast.

Being the recipient of it now and with the few inches that Riley had over her, Enterprise felt like she was the one who should be taken care of rather than the other way around.

"Long have I waited for the chance of you visiting our port and meeting you like this," he claimed, peering down at her.

Enterprise didn't know how to respond and felt put off with how, even after the handshake, her hand remained in his tender possession. "Sir?"

The dockworker found her formality humorous. Here, the base commander was slightly troubled by it although Enterprise didn't know why. However, he patted the back of her hand and let it go free. "I know Belfast here will make certain of it, but please do savor all you can of London. It has much to offer that I believe will benefit you."

At least for this Enterprise had something to go on but that didn't put her that much less off kilter. "I will." 'Sir' wanted to follow it up, but the carrier had a mind to clamp down on it.

Riley nodded, gave her a parting smile, and switched to Belfast. "A car should've already been summoned by now. It'll take you where you need to go."

Though burdened with the folder, Belfast performed her curtsy as elegantly as ever. "I thank you once more, Jacob."

All told, the meeting couldn't have been much more than five minutes from when they entered the office to exiting it, but Enterprise felt like it had left quite an impact on her for something that had been so short. When she and Belfast found themselves re-navigating through the corridor of the headquarters, the carrier was busy going through the meeting in her head.

"Does he know about…?" Enterprise began.

Belfast shook her head negatively. "No. There are still details that we've decided to hold onto regarding what happened in the Pacific for the time being. The story that's been given so far to our respective governments is that the Sakura Empire had attempted to build and construct a warship based on Siren technology to control their mass production ships that went out of control before we destroyed it with their assistance. Wales had decided to leave it at that, saying that we're still undergoing an investigation and will inform them about any breakthroughs."

The relief that Enterprise felt was to such an extent that she wanted to ridicule herself for it. She let it slide since that hadn't explained what was bugging her. "So that attitude is normal?"

"Surprised you, did it?"

"I consider that more than just friendly, especially with you."

"Oh?" Belfast looked over at Enterprise, tilting her head with a grin. "Were you perhaps jealous?"

"No." The denial that flew out without thought surprised Enterprise, almost as much as the unidentifiable emotion that had spurred it.

Something flickered behind Belfast's expression but nothing that was able to manipulate it into giving hints of what it was, her grin remaining in place. "It's nothing like that. Jacob has a meaningful history when it comes to us."

"Us?"

"Shipgirls," Belfast elaborated. "When the Siren War began, he had been an ensign on an old Edgar-class protected cruiser when they were still in service. He survived multiple engagements against the Sirens until it was sunk. Out of a crew numbering six hundred, he was one out of twenty-two survivors who were recovered." She paused for dramatic effect. "The one responsible for saving their lives was a shipgirl – one of the first. Hawke was her name."

The pictures in Riley's office resurfaced, Enterprise wondering if they were connected to the cruiser the base commander had served on and Hawke. She regretted not getting a better look. "I'm not familiar with her."

"And you never will," Belfast revealed sadly. "She was also one of the first girls to perish against the Sirens. At that time, Jacob had transferred to another production model ship that would provide support for the shipgirls during battle which included the one that ended Hawke's life. He would transfer onto other ships, eventually claiming a captaincy when officers were coming in shorter supply, but when the number of shipgirls increased and it was discovered that the newer production model warships could be slaved to their will, human crewmembers were removed from the naval field."

Enterprise knew that much and could even recollect the few instances when she had sortied with human-crewed warships, but that had been a long time ago. Though shipgirls were the result of humanity's wishes combined with the power of the Wisdom Cubes, the basic principles of their creation could be applied to production model warships. Forged by human hands with blood, sweat, and the emotions that were imprinted within each layer of armored plating installed to fight back, shipgirls could tap into those impressions left behind from their makers and control the vessels similar to how they controlled their personal ship bodies. Sirens had to possess a similar setup with their mass-production models and one that the Sakura Empire had been able to hijack.

Since that discovery, the hundreds of human crewmembers necessary to run a warship were considered obsolete. In the Eagle Union – and, Enterprise assumed, the other factions -, it was very rare for humans to take to the seas in warships to participate in engagements. Presently, they stuck to positions within their home ports and naval bases, managing affairs there. The top brass that oversaw the numerous theaters and were responsible for assigning shipgirls to them had seats occupied by humans, but when it came to direct management of operations from bases far from the homeland – such as the Pacific Joint Base -, those positions had been overtaken by shipgirls such as Wales.

These days, humans crewed merchant, fishing, and other commercial vessels. Not warships. Instead of fighting at sea, their role was to use it to rebuild and provide for the territories and populations that had been ravaged by the Sirens.

"Jacob had temporarily held a teaching position at one of the academies," Belfast continued explaining, "and eventually found his way as a commander of this base. The errands I've carried out for Queen Elizabeth and her attendants had me frequently visiting his office and I happened to become well acquainted with him. He is a very kind-hearted man who desires to look after us in whatever capacity he can."

"That's strange," Enterprise commented.

"What is?"

"What you just said: 'looking out for us'. That's strange. We're the ones that were created to protect them and have been for decades." Again, there was that weird sensation when Enterprise thought back to those warm green eyes. That sensation of a human who wanted to protect her. "Why would a human feel a need to watch over us like that?"

In this instance, Belfast's grin did fall. "I have to explain that to you of all people?"

Enterprise was taken aback by that. "What do you mean?"

Belfast glared but there was no heat in it. "The ace carrier who always has to respond to every battle and distress call even if her rigging is ready to fall apart at a moment's notice? You can't relate to someone who wants to protect others?"

"I know what you're saying," Enterprise retorted, defensive, "but this is different. We're talking about a human wanting to protect shipgirls. That's absurd."

Belfast released a breath but didn't say anything. They were at the door to the headquarters and when they exited there was a car as was promised. A limousine, about the size of the vehicles used in the transportation service provided by the Royal Navy back at the joint base but nothing like the classic splendor that the carriage-like vehicles had. It possessed the partition that separated the passenger and driver compartment, with their driver out and holding the door open for them.

The rain that had been predicted was beginning to fall, cold droplets splashing upon Enterprise's bare shoulders in a light drizzle that promised to intensify so she didn't give it much consideration as to why a limo was being provided to bring them to the dorms. She decided to appreciate the cover it provided when she and Belfast ducked inside, the driver closing the door as soon as they did.

"What would you do if you couldn't fight anymore?" Belfast asked, waiting until the engine came on. "Whether due to injury or because there was someone that could perform better than you?"

The question stung Enterprise, but she knew right away that Belfast hadn't asked out of ill will towards her own troubles. The next thing she felt was how illogical the question was, given her capabilities, but for the sake of the argument she took it seriously, thinking of Yorktown, and wondered if that relaxing life that her sister had chosen would be for her. When she tried to imagine herself in her position by that windowsill, Enterprise rejected it. She envied Yorktown's peace that she made with her situation, but it didn't mean that she would be satisfied with it if their positions were reversed.

Enterprise thought of Langley, her fellow aircraft carrier whose combat capabilities were considered inadequate when compared to the likes of her and the others when it came to battle. She had chosen to take her fight to the lecture hall, teaching and imparting her wisdom to the shipgirls who entered it. Would that be enough for Enterprise if she could no longer fight? Her impulse was to say no, but if she truly had no way of rejoining the fight any other way, wouldn't that be the logical thing to do? To use her gathered experience to train the next generation who, in some way or another, would manage to surpass her in efficiency?

Would she be fine with a position of a secretary like Dorsetshire, except permanent?

The difficulty of coming to a satisfactory conclusion had Enterprise giving up on the question for now, as did the other factors that made it impossible for her: her title as the strongest carrier, the decades she had spent fighting already, her inability to age, and the war that continued to this day with other conflicts spawning from it.

"It's not about what I would do if I couldn't fight," Enterprise said, trying not to make it sound like she was avoiding the question. "It's about how a human thinks they could protect a shipgirl."

"Well, I believe my question does have relevance," Belfast accused. "But I'll go along with it. I doubt the answer I'm going to provide will make sense to you though."

Enterprise took it as a challenge. "Try me."

The corner of the maid's mouth twitched. "Very well. Before the Siren War, sailors such as Jacob were the ones meant to protect their country and their citizens. They did the fighting so that others could be at peace. It grants them experience that few others can relate to and, thus, it establishes an image that they are meant to be capable and relied upon. If a battle ensues, they are the ones to participate in it. Them and no one else."

"But they used their warships," Enterprise pointed out.

"Warships that only they have the knowledge, skill, and experience to operate effectively."

"But they rely on them as a means to conduct their battles. They steer them, aim and fire their cannons, but the might of those vessels isn't truly theirs. They're tools that they shouldn't feel anything special for."

"Some of those sailors would disagree but go on."

"We are those warships. The disconnect should be the same."

Belfast shook her head. "It's not. We speak, feel, and live just as they do. Our forms and our personalities are human."

"Imitations created in their image."

"You remain certain about that, I see. Yet when someone like Jacob looks at you or Dorsetshire, all they see is a young woman fighting a brutal war - one that he wishes that he was fighting and protecting you from in your stead as he once did. His experience also makes him aware of the harm that can come to us and, though he cannot fight as we do, he wants to at least make attempts to ease our burdens as much as possible."

Enterprise sat there, contemplating, as she tried to take that in. At one point she felt the limo slow, leading her to wonder if they arrived at the dorms and she could delay an answer, but it accelerated again and closed off that avenue. "Belfast, you were right," she said.

"It doesn't make sense to you."

"It doesn't make sense to me."

Belfast grinned but there was no victory to be found in its short length. "I did say so."

Enterprise placed her elbow against the door, resting a cheek against her fist when there was no continuation to be found. She peered through the divider that separated them from their driver, making him out behind the glass.

He was human. It went beyond his appearance and his gender as there was a type of instinct that Enterprise possessed that confirmed it for her. It was the same for the dockworker, the base commander, and every other human that she would make contact with. Whenever she would register them, her intuition would make out a separation between her and them. She didn't know whether to describe it as an aura or some kind of emanation that told her one important fact: her existence – and those of her fellow shipgirls - was not the same as theirs.

They were weaker, and she didn't mean that arrogantly, but their presence was solid and stable. She, on the other hand, felt like she dwarfed them with an existence that was divided between her human and ship body with a conscience that could not differentiate which of the two were truly her because they were both her – from the fingers and toes of one, to the Wildcats and 20mm Oerlikons of the other. She could consume human food, but there were materials that she could ingest to operate efficiently between combat. On top of all that was the connection that was not of someone belonging to their race but one that was a product of theirs.

She had thoughts and feelings, yes, and she learned that actions taken without them could lead to disaster that could destroy the humanity she possessed, but did that make her human? Belfast kept trying to convince her otherwise, but her words and the examples of 'elegance' that she had tried to impart in her were a weak contender for what she had confirmed for most of her life. Her superiors in Eagle Union had never imparted such a thing, and the feats that she was capable of performing when following their orders were beyond the scope of feasibility for them, hence her necessity and their designation of her as a ship.

Her recent trials most of all were not something that could be comprehended by a human.

A shiver went down her spine, traveled back up, and jabbed sharply into the back of her skull, agitating the efforts of her psyche that was repressing the memories buried deep beneath the swelling of the trauma that had been inflicted upon her. She couldn't remember what happened, not in any detail, but what would occasionally seep out told her that being 'overwhelmed' was a gross understatement of what would've happened if a lesser being had undergone the same thing.

It also made her quite sure that she didn't want to remember. Again she repeated her instructions for steering clear and forgetting about them. Focus her thoughts elsewhere and pray that the memories would one day be lost forever, never to trouble her again. Much like the ship that had been responsible for them.

The rain had been increasing in volume, the drizzle becoming a storm that was thudding loudly upon the roof of the limo. It was hard to see out the window, Enterprise barely able to make out anything beyond the limits of the road and the green of grass, the shapes in the distance barely resembling trees.

Wait a minute.

It dawned on Enterprise but she needed to stare out for moments longer to confirm it despite the obvious. When she did, the carrier snapped up in her seat, then swung around to look out the rear window.

They weren't at the base. She could barely even see the base – a wavy, distorted silhouette that was becoming increasingly distant. "Belfast!"

"Yes, Enterprise?" The tone alone was of someone who knew exactly what was going on.

The anger wasn't coming yet, Enterprise too disoriented and grasping for an explanation as to how she didn't notice sooner. Confusion and a need for an answer reigned supreme. "What's the meaning of this?"

To Belfast's credit, the maid appeared to be taking the matter more seriously than normal. She regarded her steadily, her face straight and barren of her cheerier facial expressions. Enterprise entertained the possibility that she had a sensible explanation to give her as to why they had left the premises of the base.

She was wrong. "We're on our way to central London."

Enterprise was still half-turned towards the rear window where she stared at her dubiously. "Why?"

"Because we're not staying at the base," she revealed. "There's a hotel with rooms reserved that we will be staying in for the duration of the refit and supply acquisition."

The carrier glanced down at the manila folder in Belfast's lap that she had thought nothing of. When Wales had been mentioned, she assumed it was part of some kind of errand that Belfast had to be running in her stead.

It was, Enterprise miraculously able to piece together the evidence and get an idea of what was going on. Now the anger was creeping up on her when she rotated around and dropped into her seat, her target back to being Belfast. "You and Wales planned this."

"If you wish to blame someone," Belfast said, unfazed, "blame me. Everything was my plan from the beginning. I asked Wales to provide aid and she gave me it."

"Everything?" Enterprise asked, not believing it.

"More or less. The supply run was already happening, and I requested to be a part of it and the refit. When it was granted, I appealed to assign you to it once you returned from leave with the reasoning that it would be a show of unified force. Wales contributed by turning it into a mixed participation of Eagle Union, Royal Navy, and Sakura Empire. I then directly asked her if she could provide proper lodgings for the two of us that would be located off base and closer to the heart of London. She did, with the arrangements made when we left."

Her face remained straight throughout the reveal, but it didn't lessen the staggering hit that Enterprise took from it. The past week flashed by in seconds, snapshots being taken of the relevant moments. The assignment that was dropped on her in Wales's office, her relief and too easy acceptance of it, and the days before and after their departure with every word that Belfast had dropped that had a hint of her true intentions to this scheme that had been made without her knowledge.

Suffice to say, Enterprise didn't like it one bit. "Why did you do all that?"

"To help you, Enterprise."

It was new for Enterprise to be angry at Belfast's 'help'. She had been annoyed, agitated even, when a strange shipgirl dressed like a maid started intruding upon her life, but it had never gone any further than that during those disruptive days. That intrusion had never been the outright manipulation that she was experiencing right now, and it was difficult for her to tamp down on the rise of anger.

"I don't need help," she spoke, her voice tight while she glared at Belfast.

She met it evenly. "Yes, you do."

"Not like this!" she snapped, regretted the loss of control instantly, and tried to reclaim it. She jerked her chin at their driver. "Tell him to turn around. Go back."

"No."

"Fine." Enterprise brought her fist up to the glass that separated them, her intention clear. "I'll tell him."

"…Grey Ghost."

The driver did turn around at the sound of a hand smacking against glass, but it wasn't the divider that Enterprise hit. Her hand shot to the side, going way off target so that the back of it struck the passenger window. Not enough to break it, but it was enough to get her hand bursting with pain.

The shock paled in comparison to the one that had Enterprise staring forward, wide-eyed, her anger and everything else momentarily forgotten. When her senses returned to her and she could move again, what she directed at Belfast wasn't anger but something different: betrayal and hurt. The second had nothing to do with how her hand ached.

She saw that same hurt on Belfast's face, the maid hating what she had just done. "It's not just the nightmares, is it?"

Enterprise wanted to be outraged but couldn't marshal the required energy to bring the intensity beyond a simmer. Maybe it was the exposure of another of her weaknesses, maybe it was the sincerity of Belfast's visible regret, maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever the reason was, she became more interested in her hand rather than shouting at Belfast, nursing the appendage.

"I won't say that name again," Belfast swore to her, her voice soft and remaining tinged with regret. "Nor will I say the name of that ship that you detest so or ask what happened. I can see how much it pains you, but that's exactly why you need help."

Enterprise rubbed the back of her hand, unwilling to look at Belfast. "I don't want special treatment."

She loathed the thought of it. She had her reputation, but that was all that was. She still fought like usual, the same as any other shipgirl. She did have more experience which granted her more power and skill than most, but her duty was the same as theirs. She didn't want to be treated any differently from them.

Belfast disagreed. "This is a special case that will require special treatment. I don't know what happened to you, Enterprise, but it's clear to all of us that it's something that we can't possibly fathom even if we did."

Enterprise grimaced at the word 'we', thinking of Wales and Belfast who masterminded this, then Hornet and Yorktown who she confided in, but the number multiplied until it came to an amount that could cover everyone who had spoken to her or looked at her with an air of caution or sympathy.

"By all rights, I assume it's a miracle that you're alive right now, nonetheless able to function at your current capacity."

"I get it," Enterprise interrupted, a headache starting to set in.

"Then you also get that it's something that can't be fixed by a few nights of sleep at sea or how you spent your leave."

"And it's something that can't be done from a dorm at the base?" Enterprise had been planning on making those trips into London as many had suggested, but she had been thinking of it with a dorm in mind that she would return to after getting a frequent dose of the sights.

"It could," Belfast granted, "but would that have truly been wise when the mere utterance of that name of yours can undo so much? Your reputation is well known, even amongst the Royal Navy. That name especially. Shipgirls and the personnel who do not know what happened would use it freely, and those who do would be respectful even if that could also generate a measure of discomfort."

Again Enterprise was reminded of the days at the joint base and played a scenario in her head of a stay at Gateway that would involve someone using her name or, worse yet, the shipgirls she traveled with spreading the warning to their comrades of how she should be treated with care. Yes, they would do so with the best of intentions, but the atmosphere that would be created and the thought of more looking at her as if she was a defective ship, including the humans she was meant to protect...

"But if something were to happen…," she started, thinking of the recovering Dorsetshire.

"Answer me honestly," Belfast instructed. "Do you think you can fight effectively the way you are now?"

Enterprise forced herself to look at the intense gaze that Belfast was aiming at her, intending to answer that she would no matter what. Too quickly though, the response she wanted to make withered and died on her tongue.

She always possessed the surety of fighting, but days spent at the joint base and the fleet's voyage dreading that something would happen and fearing how she would perform if she did eroded it. She discovered that there was in fact one thing she hated the idea of more than missing out on an engagement she could've participated in and protected her fellow shipgirls, and that was if she became a liability to them. That concern having become paramount was the counter that was making it impossible for her to answer Belfast with what she knew to be a lie.

"Enterprise, you are strong," Belfast told her when the imaginary time limit passed, conviction giving weight to her next words. "You have proven that time and time again that you are so very strong. It is not a weakness to need time to recover and fix what had happened to you after having endured so much."

"And you believe that you know a way to fix me?" The question was sprinkled with doubt.

"Maybe not, but I believe I know the right path to a proper recovery that can lead to what you want."

The confidence she spoke with about a solution that Enterprise had been striving for with little success got her attention. "You do?"

Belfast smiled but it wasn't up to her usual standards. "It's the one we've been traveling already: to bring elegance into your life. However, this has gone beyond sleeping and eating properly or acquiring a hobby. You've made me quite sure of that."

"I have?"

"I had always been under the assumption that you lacked elegance, but now I see how you've been entirely devoid of it for far too long." Belfast leaned over to tap a finger against the badge of Enterprise's cap. "Responsibility, duty, self-control, self-composure…" She made a tap for each word until Enterprise angled the badge away from her. "You have been so tightly wound in managing your life based on these things that you've deprived it of something vital. And then…"

Her fingers pinched the brim of her cap, were about to lift it off her head, but Enterprise reflexively snapped up her palm to lay it flat on top of it, keeping it in place.

Belfast's smile weakened further. "And then, once you lost them, you had nothing else. All you can do is what you've already been doing: to reassert that strict management over your life." She let go of the cap and returned to her previous position. "It's a self-defeating, self-destructive cycle with you currently having no alternative."

The assertion bounced around a hollow space in Enterprise chest. She slowly lowered her own hand from her cap, but not before once again checking to make sure it was straight. The unconscious action was just another confirmation of what she knew. "I don't have an identity of my own beyond that."

Belfast nodded. "That's right. Whether you want to believe yourself to be human or not, you possess a spirit that is grounded in the humanity that we've all been granted alongside our forms and you've neglected it. You can't tell me what you enjoy about your homeland, but you can tell me that you don't have anything that you consider a home. It has left you empty and closed off."

"So you want me to…act like a human?"

Knowing Belfast, Enterprise expected her to insist that it wouldn't be an act because she was human, but the cruiser was choosing to ignore that consistent disagreement of theirs. "I don't know what it is that has made you come to reject your name, but I believe it is linked to that dreadful Siren ship. There is no chance for recovery there, so you should focus on your humanity to establish a better identity of yourself to separate from them so that you can recover. Can you plot a better course on how to get there?"

Enterprise couldn't, not when it had been so blatantly proven that the one she had been following had been grossly inadequate.

"In the process, I truly believe that you will come to understand much that has confounded you for so long," Belfast pressed, "and live a noble life that you can be proud of." She leaned against the seat and motioned to the driver compartment. "But if you believe me to be wrong, we can go back. I will not stop you. I've made my case as best as I could and if you remain unconvinced, then it is my failure."

Enterprise felt the pull against her hand that wanted it connecting with the divider but she resisted it, considering what would happen if she went through with it. They would turn around, go back, and she could settle in an assigned dorm within the walls of the naval base. It would be familiar surroundings, but she would be plagued with the pressure of maintaining a façade that had extraordinary weaknesses in an environment that could tear it down in an instant. If she messed up, and a repeat of what occurred at Wales's office happened…it would be all over.

Thinking of the other option, following Belfast's lead, Enterprise would be in unfamiliar territory, but the dangers would be severely limited. The only one who would truly know what was wrong with her was Belfast and when Enterprise asked herself if she trusted her, the answer was obvious: she did, with very little doubt.

As soon as she came to that conclusion, it made any potential dispute invalid. Never had Belfast given her a reason not to trust her – not a single one. Although Enterprise was upset with how it felt that this situation had been forced upon her, Belfast was giving her the choice to get out of it if she couldn't see what she saw as valuable merits of this plan. A plan that centered on her wellbeing – of making her better. That was something that Belfast always claimed as her reason to be with her.

The methods that she had used so far with getting Enterprise to adopt a healthier lifestyle had been working. Since the start of the Siren War and her loss of Yorktown, followed by the madness of the Crimson Axis rebellion, it was Belfast's guidance that had her experiencing those forgotten moments of peace.

And somewhere within the repressed portions of those tumultuous memories, there was a sense of certainty that it was Belfast and her efforts that had played a part in why Enterprise was sitting here right now, alive.

"Find something or someone who will be able to give you peace."

Enterprise's arm came up, her elbow setting down against her passenger-side door, and her cheek regained its position against her knuckles. She stared outwards, letting that and her silence be the answer to how they would proceed.

She heard nothing else from Belfast save for the slightest give of the leather seat on her side, but Enterprise was sure that if she turned around in that moment, she would've witnessed the maid relaxed with gratified relief.

---

The rainstorm wasn't letting up when they arrived at the heart of central London, so it was impossible for Enterprise to get a proper view of the city with the oppressive rainfall debilitating her vision. The widest look she got was when they were crossing a bridge over Thames and although she was barely able to make out silhouettes, they were enough for her to confirm one thing: London was not New York.

New York City had a love for high-rises, skyscrapers, and other immensely tall buildings that would stab so prominently up that even an aircraft carrier such as herself would be intimidated by them. Though they were constructed much more sparingly in the naval base of the Harbor, their clustered extravagance could be clearly seen from the distance between it and the city itself. What memories Enterprise had of the streets in between them were too few and made too long ago that she couldn't trust herself to give an accurate description of them.

She could see a tower or a high-rise, but they were surprisingly few and far between – from a sole contender to a closer-knit array of three or four that still had plenty of space between them. They stood out in such stark contrast to the short and stout lower rises that the metropolis was mostly made up of from what she could see at a distance. She had to rely on establishing an opinion based on what she saw up close and Massachusetts's ended up being truer than Enterprise expected: it was cramped.

She was seated to the right of the limo, meaning that she was positioned closer to the passing traffic of the other lane. Their transportation driving on the left side of the road was something that didn't bother her as she had gotten used to it between Belfast's driving and the Royal Navy's traffic preferences having prevailed in being implemented at the Pacific Joint Base. What did bother her was how the roads in London tended to be much narrower with her failing to stop her head from drifting away from the window when a passing car or bus got uncomfortably close.

It became clear just how close they could go when traffic began to slow and Enterprise was able to remain unmoving. If she opened the window right now, she was sure she could reach over and tap the other one next to her.

"It is cramped," she couldn't help but comment. It was the first thing she had said in a long while, she and Belfast having not spoken to each other since she decided to cooperate with the cruiser's plan. She remained unhappy about it, but her animosity wasn't enough for her to pass over this excuse to reconstruct dialogue with the one who was supposed to be her companion.

Belfast didn't miss a beat, like she had been anticipating it. "London used to be a settlement of the Roman Empire and the first roads built were based on their military system for troop and supply movement. Later ones were modeled after it with many of those ancient roads being repurposed and maintained to this very day."

"They didn't think about widening them at any point?" Enterprise was curious, given the current danger they presented, but was cajoled to get Belfast to keep speaking. She reasoned that the long, silent ride had been more uncomfortable than she expected.

"There was an opportunity to do so after the Great Fire of London, but remodeling plans that were presented were abandoned so they chose to reuse the old system."

Enterprise injected a bit of her incredulity. "Why would they do that?"

"It was in 1666." The carrier could detect the mirthful grin that the maid had to have. "The worst they had to consider were carriages. There were also more complicated issues of land ownership involved but the details would bore you." There was a break, with Enterprise wondering what she should say next, but Belfast supplied with, "Some areas that were damaged by Siren raids were expanded on."

Enterprise hesitated. "Oh."

"Something troubling you?"

"It's just odd when I think about it, talking about a time before Sirens."

It was Belfast's turn to be slow. "I suppose it can be, but I believe that's what will make this trip beneficial. There is plenty to see, or at least there will be once the rain stops and we can explore ourselves. We should be arriving very soon."

Enterprise settled with what sights she could gain. There were humans traveling along the sidewalks using umbrellas to shield them from the rain, but not many. Beyond them, she could inspect the buildings closer and saw the characteristics in their architecture that she had become familiar with: the arched windows with hood mouldings, sturdy pillars, brick and terraced styles with smooth concrete of these structures that struggled to push past five stories. Seeing them combined in this urban sprawl though, and not being a recent construction, she detected what she thought to be a more tangible influence of human history. It tickled at what she guessed was a sense of wonder and she had to admit that it wasn't unpleasant.

"We're here," Belfast declared the second their limo's crawl became a full stop. Their driver got out with an umbrella, coming over to the cruiser's side to open the door for her and making sure she was covered when she slid out before relinquishing possession of it to her. "Thank you."

Guess I'm really doing this. Enterprise's consent to go along with this hadn't really set in until she extracted herself out of the limo and was brought under the shield that Belfast shifted to protect them both from the elements. She let herself be ushered through a pair of wide glass doors that automatically parted for them. She missed out on getting a look at the exterior of where they were going to be staying, but she doubted it would've measured up to the interior anyway.

The lobby was actually quite reminiscent of the Academy's main hall. Wider and more open, but there were the decorative rugs over white marble tile, the lights embedded in the columns that were shaped like ornate torches, and the vases of plants, paintings, gem-encrusted statutes, and plaques of gold and brown for whatever they were meant to commemorate with their letterings that acted as decorations. Enterprise didn't think she would be comforted by such splendor, yet she was.

Belfast shook and then closed the umbrella, tucking it away for safekeeping. She approached the front desk, attracting the attention of the employee behind it. "There should be a reservation," she informed her and opened the manila folder on the desk. "The paperwork is right here."

The young woman barely scanned it when she came upon the crowned lion of the Royal Navy marked at the top corner of the page. It had her gaze jumping up from the paperwork and to Belfast, the human adjusting her glasses as she took a long look at her attire and her armored forearms. When the maid smiled, her attention went to Enterprise and the carrier could see the realization that flashed behind those lenses.

"If you would give me a moment." If not for those looks she had given the pair of shipgirls, her return to the paperwork might have been natural. "Yes, everything seems to be in order: two connecting rooms on the eighth floor. I'll retrieve your keys."

While she did that, Enterprise caught a few humans that could be found in the large lobby: a pair by an indoor fountain and a gentleman seated on cushioned chair. The ones at the fountain were staring and immediately looked elsewhere when they were noticed, but when she moved on to the gentleman she was surprised when he touched his brow with two fingers in a casual imitation of a salute. There was nothing mocking about it, and she was compelled to dip her chin to return it even if she wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"Enjoy your stay," the employee said to Belfast and gave her a pair of keycards. "If you require anything more, call and we will be sure to provide the best we can."

"Thank you, we will be sure to do so." Belfast left the desk, catching Enterprise's eye on her way to the bank of elevators. She pressed the call button to summon one and got lucky when a door immediately slid open.

Enterprise had rejoined her by then and entered with her. There was no one else, the space inside was all for them. Belfast pressed the button for the eighth floor and the elevator door slid closed to seal them together.

"Do shipgirls tend to stay here?" Enterprise asked when the elevator started ascending.

"I've been informed that this is a preference for some. I haven't stayed here myself."

"But you have stayed in a place like this?"

"You mean an establishment that employs and services humans? Yes." Belfast raised one of her arms and rolled it around, the overhead lighting reflecting off the metal protection she wore. "They tend to be surprised, but more often than you would think they don't make the connection even if our existence is well known. They can't differentiate between humans and shipgirls as well as we can." She smirked at a funny memory. "With my appearance, I have been mistaken for staff or someone who is, shall we say, of a suggestive nature."

"Suggestive?"

The ding of the elevator masked the poorly repressed titter that Belfast made. "Never you mind."

She exited the elevator, but Enterprise was slow to leave, mulling over what Belfast meant. She chose to abandon it and step out of the elevator, the ends of her coat nearly getting caught in the closing door.

She had a mind to ask if this specific hotel was chosen due to its décor or if it was a normal thing. The hallway was tall enough to hang an occasional chandelier, wide enough for short tables and chairs for whoever wanted to sit for whatever reason, and a well-maintained carpet went down the entire length that looked as new as when it was first installed. Yet again there were the decorative lights and paintings on the walls. This really did seem like something from the Royal Navy buildings of the joint base.

Belfast was swiping one of the keycards at what had to be one of the rooms rented to them. The reader beeped in recognition, the lock disengaged, and she opened the door, going halfway in before she waited for Enterprise to rejoin her and went the rest of the way in.

The room was a different matter for Enterprise to take in. It was big, but for Enterprise it was gigantic; far more than what any one person should need. Tables and chairs, couches, cabinets, other furnishings, ornate lamps, and the room itself was divided into the living area they entered – complete with a kitchen – extending to what had to be a bedroom where Enterprise caught sight of a too-large bed.

Belfast was unperturbed, walking deeper and then disappearing behind a closed door that Enterprise didn't know what it led to, leaving the carrier to look around, perplexed. This whole thing was supposed to be for one of them? Even with her experience with Yorktown's home, her Eagle Union-styled quarters that provided the bare essentials when it came to space and furnishings were her norm.

The square footage of the bedroom alone had to exceed those same quarters, a large portion of which taken up by the bed that was twice the size of any cot she slept in. The heavy pillows and thick blankets gave off the threat of smothering Enterprise if she lied down within them. A closet was off to the side, big enough for the carrier to walk in, a curtain-veiled glass door on the other that led to a balcony, and next to that was another door. With no idea what the last was for, Enterprise opened it to reveal a short corridor that led to another door.

"A connecting hallway," came Belfast's voice. "Your room is connected to mine."

Enterprise drew away to shut it. "Easier to barge in whenever you please?"

Belfast smirked. "Precisely."

The maid was near the door that she had gone through earlier. Light spilled out of the open doorway and Enterprise heard the sound of running water. A bathroom?

"I took the liberty to draw you a bath," Belfast told her.

Enterprise frowned for reasons other than the bath. Belfast had been taking a lot of liberties lately, in her opinion. "I prefer showers."

"You've been out at sea for three days straight." Belfast made a show of wrinkling her nose. "A bath will not only cleanse you but help relieve the stress of all this traveling. It's the least you can do considering how you had never taken advantage of the bathhouse that Her Majesty had generously overseen the construction of. See it as a proper start to your recovery."

The frown increased in weight. That unhappy part of her was annoyingly prodded by Belfast's labeling of this excessive treatment as meant for her and her recovery. Being assaulted by all this richness had it ready to escalate into defiance.

But it was only a small part, easily overcome by the pragmatic thought that, even if she didn't like it, she had accepted and come this far. What was a bath at this point?

"Ah." Belfast pinched the sleeve of Enterprise's coat when the carrier was about to walk by, stopping her. "If I may?"

It took a second, but Enterprise remembered another of the maid's procedures. She pulled her arm from one sleeve of her coat, signaling Belfast that it was alright to pull on the one she had to remove the article and take it in her possession, hugging it loosely against her. Enterprise reached up, hesitated, then pulled off her cap which she handed off to Belfast as well.

"Please enjoy, Enterprise," Belfast said when the carrier went through the bathroom door and sealed it between them.

The claw-foot tub was a bit more than half full, so Enterprise left it running while she stripped off the rest of her clothes. She tossed her shirt and tie, skirt and undergarments onto the nearby vanity while kicking over her boots so that they rested on the floor. By then she judged the tub filled, the rising foam nearly reaching the porcelain rim, so she shut off the water and dipped a hand in to test the temperature. Hot but not scalding which would suit her fine.

With little else to delay her, the shipgirl entered the tub, submerging one leg and getting used to the hot water enveloping it before swinging the other over to join it. She sank down until it was up to her shoulders, the tub large enough that she could comfortably recline against one end of it while the water lifted her enough to keep her from pressing too firmly against the bottom.

For a while she just drifted there, letting the quiet hang around and using it to go over just where she was.

…This is weird, she decided. She was in a different country half a world away from her own, and she wasn't stationed at a base. She was in a hotel, away from the contested seas, away from her ship, but surrounded by however many humans that were also staying here with the many more that were in this city that she was in the middle of. With only Belfast in the other room, Enterprise felt alienated.

It's not…bad, though. The hot water was soothing the muscles in her body, washing across her skin when it enticed her to slump deeper into the tub. It was different from a shower, the spray that she would usually be under soothing in its own way but not like the liquid swaddling of warmth and suds that she could rest in. She had taken baths before, but she had forgotten the sensations when showers had been suitable to her lifestyle; to go in, let the hot stream blast the filth and soap from her body, the rushing water also rushing her back to where she needed to be most. All too similar to how she would down her rations on the fly rather than prepare and savor warm meals.

She wasn't being hurried anywhere, and though the room was strange to her, it did not possess any of the reminders of fighting and what she should be doing. The quiet, having started as being uncomfortable, was currently lulling her into a phase of contentment that had her forgetting everything. She cupped some of the soapy water in her hands, letting most of the foam slide off, and then splashed and rubbed it along her face, the tight skin and muscles of her cheeks loosening.

Enterprise could give a bit of credit to Belfast's claims of how this could benefit her now.

And understand much that has confounded me for so long, she mentally repeated the cruiser's words. She had known immediately as to what she meant: her views of humans and the disconnection that she believed existed, keeping her separated from them and incapable of understanding some of what Belfast tried to teach her today. One thing at a time.

She would focus on her humanity that Belfast was convincing her to attend to. Whether that will go into more on that divisive subject would be something she would handle if it ever came.

Enterprise took in a breath and dunked her head beneath the water, dipping as far as she could go to pull as much of her long hair with her to soak it. Here, the soothing embrace was complete as she floated there, eyes closed, basking in the bliss that the total envelopment provided. It made her reluctant to resurface and she reminded herself that she could hold her breath for a while. She tried to enjoy it as much as she could.

Until she experienced a tingle and the temperature of the water started to inexplicably lower. The tingle turned into a chill that crept along her skin, splitting and dividing into fingers that scraped against her, seeking purchase to pull against her, whispers entering her mind. Muted at first, and then growing louder as they came together, violent and threatening, coinciding with the pinpricks of pain from the icy nails that began clawing into her flesh-

The desperate need for air broke Enterprise free, the carrier pushing off the solid bottom of the tub so that she could make a break to the surface, sending sprinkles of water flying when she reemerged and breathed deeply. Upon settling back down, Enterprise had a sudden need to keep her head higher above the water. Her form shook, chilled, but the returning warmth of the bath counteracted it. Nonetheless, one of her submerged hands refused to be calmed. It trembled, and remained so as did the dull thudding of pain against her head.

"Don't get too enthusiastic."

Small waves were sent out over the rim of the tub and had water splashing to the floor in response to Enterprise's quick movements that put the intruder in her view.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Belfast was apologetic where she stood in the open doorway, maintaining a hold on the knob. "I was calling to you earlier to ask if things were to your liking and you didn't answer. I was concerned."

Enterprise was glad that she kept her hands underwater so that Belfast couldn't see them. Something that she couldn't say the same for her negligence of making sure the door was locked. "Sorry about that," she managed to say and support it with a half-shrug. "I guess it has been too long since I enjoyed a bath."

Enterprise perceived what she thought to be an extra second too many before Belfast's apologetic look became pleased. "I'm glad to hear it."

Enterprise waited for Belfast to leave, and she seemed about to do so until her examination of the puddles that had wet the tile floor led her to the carrier's sloppily placed boots. She gave an exaggerated sigh and walked over to the vanity, about to pick up the boots until she then noticed the same mess of Enterprise's clothes and switched to them. She started with the shirt, holding it up and giving it a shake before she started folding it neatly.

Enterprise hadn't expected that but could settle with it if it kept Belfast distracted. She retook her previous position in the tub and beneath the concealment of the foam she performed what had become her usual solution: stretching out her fingers of her right hand, curling them, and repeating the process. To her relief, it remained a reliable one as her hand steadied.

If she had needed proof that whatever ailed her remained a problem that could flare up, this was it. The solace she could take from it was that it was a minor episode and one that she was able to pass off easily. Would it have been different had it occurred at the base? She had no way of knowing for sure, but the risks would've been greater.

Guess I have to admit that this may've been a good idea, after all.

Belfast took care of her clothes in short order, leaving them in an organized, folded pile on the vanity. She bent down and took her boots, likely to store them with her jacket and cap. Mid-turn to make her leave, she halted, and Enterprise witnessed her quietly deliberating with herself. When she resumed her turn, it was not the door she faced but Enterprise.

"Would you permit me to tend to your hair, Enterprise?" she asked.

The carrier blinked dubiously at the request. "That's something a maid typically does when someone's taking a bath?"

"Typically, no. A maid's duty does involve maintaining the appearance of those they serve, but the extent is somewhat open to interpretation. Nevertheless, my wish isn't solely to instill the merits of proper grooming into you as I want to also do so as an apology."

Enterprise decided to ignore that first part. "An apology?"

Belfast nodded, appearing contrite. "Although you agreed to my proposal and my methods were made with the best of intentions that I pray that you believe in, I admit that they came off as domineering." She bit her bottom lip, something that Enterprise had never seen her do. "Using that name is something that I cannot forgive myself for doing, even if it was to make a point."

Enterprise had felt the same, but seeing Belfast like this was making her feel bad about the nugget of bitterness that she carried from it. It made her request hard to refuse. "Very well."

The features of the maid lit up and she swiftly bowed. "I will not disappoint." She returned to the vanity to grab one of the bottles of shampoo that were there.

It did not bother Enterprise at all to the position she was in: she naked in a tub with nothing but soap suds to cover her in Belfast's presence. She had showered alongside many of her comrades, the concept of individual privacy a foreign concept when it came to Eagle Union showers. She knew this to be the same with the Royal Navy, the public bathhouse she never visited clear evidence of that. So when Belfast took a position behind her, she didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable and suspected the same when the maid gathered up her long hair.

Belfast had removed her gloves and armor plating, something Enterprise knew when she felt the strong but delicate fingers working the shampoo that dripped into her hair. Unsurprisingly, it smelt like the roses that the Royal Navy was so fond of, Enterprise getting a proper whiff when Belfast massaged her scalp, the foam mixing with the grayish white tresses.

"Is the temperature still to your liking, Enterprise?" Belfast asked while she worked.

"It's fine."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do."

There wasn't much that Enterprise believed she needed to do. Between laying in the still hot water and the touch that was washing her hair, occasionally dipping to massage her head or the base of her neck, Enterprise was returned to a state of relaxation, the episode that had occurred minutes ago being put on the wayside.

"I accept your apology by the way," she said. "Not just the wash, in case that wasn't clear."

"I am relieved to hear that."

"And…I was angry."

"You had every right to be," Belfast assured with no hesitation between her words and her fingers that ran through the lengths. "In the end, I had done those things behind your back, and I had purposely placed you in a position that would give me all the advantages to convince you to my line of thinking."

"When you put it like that, it sounds a lot more deceptive than what I thought it to be."

"I'm the head of the Maid Corps, Enterprise."

The carrier sighed. "Right, cloak and dagger. I remember."

"That doesn't mean that I was willing to disregard your feelings. I meant what I said: I hated myself when I used that name."

"It was to make a point," Enterprise pointed out. She held herself back for a moment, then, "And…maybe a good one. I'm not sure if we would still be here or not if you hadn't. It's too early to tell but I think you may have been right about this."

"Then I will make sure that you get everything that I promised from this trip with all my power."

There was the utmost commitment behind that statement, the kind where even Enterprise could detect the accumulated emotions that Belfast was placing in it. She had skill in deception, was proficient in maintaining composure, but when it came to conveying her heartfelt feelings, the ace carrier found her the most adept at it.

She didn't want to leave them unanswered. "What really convinced me to go," she said, "was that I trust you, Belfast. Even when I was angry, I told myself that I could trust you when you said you wanted to help."

The fingers that had been going so methodically through her hair went still, staying exactly where they were.

Enterprise partially turned her head but couldn't bring the maid into view, her hair remaining caught. "Belfast?"

The hands slipped away from her hair, coming down to lie on her shoulders. The increasing weight told Enterprise what was happening, but she was unprepared when Belfast leaned down so that her lips were brought near her ear.

"And I swear that I will always strive to remain worthy of that trust."

It was delivered in a near whisper, but its effect was far more powerful. The breath that carried it tickled her ear, and the heat that swept from there and went across Enterprise's cheeks was somehow hotter than the water she was immersed in. It paralyzed her, the carrier unable to move, and she was afraid that another episode was occurring. She wasn't blanking out though, instead very aware of how close Belfast was and her nudity that she previously paid little attention to became more paramount in her mind though she couldn't explain why. Her heart was somersaulting within her chest, uncomfortable, but not…in pain.

There was the sound of sloshing water and Belfast pulled away. "Close your eyes, Enterprise."

A waterfall fell over Enterprise's head, courtesy of the wash basin that Belfast had filled.

"I'll get a towel to dry your hair," Belfast said, standing up and going to where they were hanging from a hook at a nearby wall. "After that, I'll see what I can do about dinner while you get dressed."

Enterprise sat there, water dripping from her bangs that she brushed away to clear her vision. She looked over her shoulder, watching Belfast when she reapproached her with the promised towel. She wanted to ask what it was that just happened but became instantly lost as to how to ask or if this is something that she should be asking Belfast about.

When Belfast retook her position and started drying her hair, back to her usual self, Enterprise decided to do the same. Unlike her hand though, her heart took longer to settle.

---

After the nightly ritual of dinner and Enterprise's retirement to bed, Belfast took to her own room and partook in a bath that involved her and her alone. When she exited it, she was donned in a provided robe, toweling off her own white lengths.

She wandered into the bedroom, taking a glance out the window, and saw that it was still raining. A light rain, nothing like the storm it was previously, but Belfast felt a bit slighted by it. Not for disrupting anything – which it didn't -, but potentially giving credence to the myth that London was such a rainy city to the new arrivals. She had heard Massachusetts.

It's good to be home, she thought anyway. She did love her homeland and though she hadn't really been gone that long, she was happy to be back.

Back with Enterprise.

She paused in her efforts, cocking her head towards the wall that separated their rooms. She couldn't hear anything – nothing that could get through the barrier between them, anyway. It was her hope that if anything did happen, like Enterprise being beset by an intense nightmare, she would be able to listen for it and be at her side as quickly as possible. She was sure that the Eagle Union girl was sleeping now.

For this night at least, things were going well, although Belfast wondered if the explanation that Enterprise had given her was truly the reason as to why she hadn't answered when she knocked on her door during her bath.

She shouldn't dwell on it. There had been nothing substantial to point to the opposite and her charge had enjoyed it, of that she was certain. She would remain vigilant, but she should take whatever positive signs she could get with the trust that she was putting in this plan.

Trust…

Belfast cast her gaze down as if to hide the smile stretching across the full length of her face, the towel she used growing taut against her head with how she pulled it downwards. There was no one here, not a soul to see how someone of her distinguished station had their composure delightfully taken apart by such a virtuous proclamation that had moved her so, so she couldn't resist.

If only she had been able to see for herself if her riposte had been as effective…

You learn fast, Enterprise. Or maybe you have hidden talents that you aren't even aware that you possess. Very dangerous, very charming talents.

No, Belfast hadn't expected that at all. Certainly not after what she had pulled. That killed her smile and she set the towel down.

That had been difficult. She had rehearsed it a thousand times during the three-day voyage and it had still been so very difficult. To pretend everything was ordinary when she had picked up the reservations and ushered Enterprise into the limo, looking at her with a straight face as she explained all that she had done…

And then she said that name.

Belfast dropped onto her bed, lying on her back as she stared up at the ceiling. "Grey Ghost."

No matter if she passed it through her mind or tested it with her tongue, the impression that she got from it was the same. It was a sad, lonely name, and when she met the shipgirl who had been given it she saw for herself how tragically fitting it was for her.

She knew the origin of the name. The Eagle Union aircraft carrier thrice thought sunk when she would disappear during the most intense of engagements against the Sirens, only to return to port days later. Reckless, even all the way back then, wasn't she?

Belfast couldn't quite pin down the reason for the name though. A testimony to her achievements of returning from a believed death, certainly, but she couldn't see how it benefited Enterprise in any way. Had her superiors wished to create a specter for the Sirens to fear, given how they had always feared the Sirens? A fruitless endeavor in her opinion, and the detriments that she could see having been created instead made it damaging. It was also, as recent events espoused, woefully ironic.

Grey Ghost, Belfast thought this time. Yes, she could see how such a name hanging over Enterprise's head could incentivize her, no matter how little, to become the machine she saw herself as to the point of neglecting her humanity. An actual ghost.

She had some ideas of why it had come to be that it would be the names Grey Ghost and Orochi that would be linked together and how they would both terrify Enterprise. Nothing concrete, as there were details that only Enterprise knew and what Belfast would never pry her for that could make her sure about it, so all she had were suspicions.

But that didn't stop me from saying it. Her heart contorted at the look that Enterprise had given her – the betrayal she saw there. Belfast didn't believe there would ever come a time where she would forgive herself for having done that to her. Enterprise claiming that she trusted her regardless was the most beautiful and dismal thing for her.

Could she have done it differently? She had planned it out, sure that she knew Enterprise well enough that her stubbornness would be unyielding if she didn't get her to an isolated spot that was already moving such as a limo so that she could use what tools she had necessary to conquer it. Yes, she could've done things differently, but during the dozens of repeats that went on in her head, thinking of how she could've done so, one reality stood above it all: that the way she had chosen had worked.

It was done, she was here, and all Belfast could do was make sure she kept her promise that she would get her to overcome her trauma and then some.

"Speaking of which…" Her maid uniform was nearby, laid out on one side of the bed. Belfast rolled over enough so that she could reach and search within a specific pocket. She produced the red envelope and flipped it around so that she could see the wax seal that was marked with the Crown.

Wales did warn her.

Belfast broke the seal, opening the envelope and pulling out a folded sheet of paper as embroidered as the envelope was. She unfolded it, spent some time reading the golden lettering, and when she was done she let it fall and land on her chest.

At least she had expected something like that.